Chapter 57: [Hound Tracking]

Although the name "Royal Mage Academy" made Gao De feel a moment of impulse, the distance of thousands of kilometers made him calm down quickly.

Let alone thousands of kilometers, Bremen City, which is two hundred kilometers away from Hogen City, is a city that is difficult for the current Gao De to reach.

This is not his previous life, with convenient transportation tools like high-speed rail and airplanes.

Outside the city, the large areas of undeveloped and uninhabited forests are even more full of dangers.

With a slightly complex mood, Gao De left the commercial district and returned to the medicinal garden.

The news heard today still made him feel uneasy.

Although before this, the population disappearance happened in the commercial district and the civilian area, who can guarantee this kind of thing? Maybe next time it will happen in the "slum area," "rich area," or "suburban area."

The rich in the city have exactly this worry, so they put a certain amount of pressure on the city guards, which made the city guards become so concerned.

"I have to arrange for people to take turns keeping watch. Although if the 'murderer' really appears, the three-legged cat kung fu of the apprentices in the medicinal garden is useless, but at least it can give me some psychological comfort, otherwise I won't be able to sleep at all," Gao De thought secretly in his heart.

"I just want to live a peaceful life, farm, sell medicine, and develop well for a while; is it that difficult?" At the same time, he felt a bit helpless in his heart.

Gao De considered himself to have been peaceful and honest enough.

Even if there were some impulsive thoughts, they were all suppressed, and he never did anything risky.

But helplessly, he didn't look for trouble, but trouble didn't stop happening because of this.

"I hope the city guards can exert some effect and find the murderer as soon as possible," Gao De thought.

The worst-case scenario still appeared.

Last night, under the strengthened patrols and martial law of the city guards, two families with a total of nine people still disappeared inexplicably at home.

As before, besides some unknown mucus at the scene, nothing was found.

"It is said that the rich in the city united this morning and put pressure on the city guard team together..." In the grocery store, Pierre looked serious and said to Gao De, who had rushed over early in the morning to inquire about the news.

He had a worried expression, "This makes everyone shudder."

It seems the old man had no bottom in his heart.

Not surprising; people are always full of fear for unknown things.

"Putting pressure on the city guard team is a cover; the real purpose is to put pressure on the city lord," Gao De saw the doorway at a glance: "The city guards obviously can't solve this kind of thing; they must invite the mages in the city."

"If the mages take action, this matter should be cleared up soon, right?" Only mages who master supernatural power can solve this kind of weird thing.

"Should be, right?" Pierre hesitated for a moment, then nodded, still having a certain expectation for the mages in Hogen City.

He and Gao De both hoped that Hogen City would be calm and that no abnormalities would happen.

Hogen City, City Council Hall.

Inside the circular room, around a conference table made of dark wood, sat eight or nine leading figures of the city.

They wore colorful robes embroidered with family crests, with expressionless faces, making it impossible to see their inner thoughts.

The highest leader of Hogen City, Viscount Xia Er, sat in the main seat, his brows tightly locked.

The people in the room, combined, represented the highest power in Hogen City.

Including Viscount Xia Er, everyone was silent.

Ma Erlan is the captain of the Hogen City city guards, a middle-aged man with a sturdy figure, wearing a well-fitting uniform, looking exceptionally spirited and oppressive.

Seeing no one speaking, his face twitched, and he opened his mouth to break the silence.

"Viscount, last night I had already sent all the city guards to keep watch at night; everyone was busy all night, and there was absolutely no slacking off, let alone dereliction of duty, but the disappearance still happened silently under our patrol."

"This matter is no longer something the city guards can solve; we need to invite the mages to take action."

Others in the room still didn't speak, as if they had made up their minds to remain silent.

Viscount Xia Er in the main seat frowned tightly and let out a long sigh. "I thought it was just a small matter, but I didn't expect it to get bigger and bigger."

"If this matter is not solved, everyone in the city will be in danger, and the merchants will also have many opinions..."

"This Hogen City is ultimately everyone's Hogen City; if you have any ideas, please express your opinions."

Since Viscount Xia Er had said so, others naturally couldn't remain silent anymore.

"I suspect it was done by subterranean creatures." The old man sitting on the right side of Viscount Xia Er spoke first.

He is the deputy city lord of Hogen City, Master Qingdi.

According to the regulations of the Saint Xi En Principality, the highest leader of each city is a noble with a principality title, which is the local city lord.

On this basis, a deputy city lord with a "mage" status must be equipped.

This is a hard requirement.

Only in this way can it be ensured that the city has a certain ability to contend with possible natural and man-made disasters.

And even for a small city like Hogen City, Deputy City Lord Master Qingdi is also a Second-Circle Mage.

"Master Qingdi, what do you think?" Viscount Xia Er asked for confirmation.

"This doesn't look like human work; if it were human work, why would they go to such trouble for just a few families? According to what you said, the missing families just had people disappear, and their property is all still there." Master Qingdi said steadily.

"Could it be that some mages are researching prohibited necromancy spells? The reason they don't take property is to confuse the public?" Someone put forward a guess.

Such things have happened before.

"Then he wouldn't commit crimes against the wind." Viscount Xia Er denied this possibility.

Researching prohibited necromancy spells is a capital crime, and they are all done secretly; how could they be so publicized?

"But if it was done by subterranean creatures, where did these subterranean creatures come from, and where did they go?" Viscount Xia Er frowned.

He hadn't thought about the possibility of subterranean creatures, but this point had never had a reasonable explanation.

The slum area is easy to explain; it is located at the edge of the city.

It's not that it hasn't happened that subterranean creatures occasionally broke through the city wall's blockade and entered the slum to commit violence.

But the families that disappeared two days ago were clearly located in the civilian area, in the secondary center of Hogen City.

If it was really done by subterranean creatures, how did it or they pass through the city's periphery and enter the civilian area without being seen?

And how did they leave silently, or where are they hiding in the city now? The city guards have been patrolling back and forth in the city these days and have never found any abnormalities.

"Subterranean creatures have many abilities. During this period, the frequency and number of subterranean creatures outside the city have been increasing. It is not difficult to understand the appearance of such subterranean creatures with hiding abilities." Master Qingdi had a plan in his heart and said slowly.

"Master Qingdi means?" Viscount Xia Er saw Master Qingdi's posture of seemingly having a comprehensive plan and arrangement, and hurriedly asked for advice humbly.

"Didn't you say that some mucus was left at the scene?"

Master Qingdi said directly: "If there are no accidents, this mucus should be left by the 'murderer'."

"Just one 【Hound Tracking】 spell can track the murderer based on the mucus."

"Then I will trouble Master Qingdi to take action."

But Master Qingdi shook his head, "I haven't mastered 【Hound Tracking】; you need to go to Bremen City to buy a spell scroll."

"【Hound Tracking】 is only a Rank 2 spell; the corresponding spell scroll is 30 gold each."

"Money is a small matter; finding the murderer as soon as possible and calming this matter is the big matter." Viscount Xia Er patted the table immediately.

30 gold is indeed not a big deal for a Viscount.

"I will send someone to Bremen City immediately..."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 58 =====