Beast Slayer Online: Initialization
Copyright© 2026 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 32
Early the next morning, Pope, his coat sleek and shining, was led out by the villagers.
Lannor stroked the horse’s muzzle. He knew the beast had been given extra feed the night before.
The two longswords on his back had been made new again.
Ivan had worked through the night, and Bernie, true to his word, had contributed his best wood and fish leather to make a new scabbard.
By Lannor’s eye, the scabbard alone was worth five Orens.
In the panic of the previous night, Auridon had only managed to steady itself because old Aaron made it known that Lannor would be taking part in the investigation, which at least soothed the villagers somewhat.
In this age, shedding blood for faith was the most natural thing in the world.
Because no one could say what kind of trouble people might stir up once zeal and fear took hold.
Hooves struck the ground, kicking up mud and weeds. Lannor lay low against the saddle to cut the wind.
So even burdened with well over a hundred kilograms, Pope still ran with surprising cheer.
In less than two hours, Midcopse was already in sight.
Slowing down, Pope trotted into the village.
Lannor’s cat eyes cast quiet glances all around. The villagers here were no different from those in Auridon.
Their minds were no longer on work at all, even if that work meant the difference between eating and going hungry.
“Ah ha. There you are at last.”
It was the same tavern. Halberdier York came out to meet him at the door.
Judging by the look of it, the place had already been commandeered by a dozen or so soldiers as temporary quarters.
“Commander Strenger hasn’t slept off the drink yet. The others are tending their gear. I got sent to receive you, master.”
York took Pope’s reins from Lannor, tied the horse beside the tavern.
Lannor’s nostrils flared. The smell of liquor here was enough to sting.
“Thanks. Lannor is enough, York. Let’s not waste time. Can you take me to the corpse first?”
“Hey, that’s what I’m here for. Come on.”
York laughed, adjusted his helmet, and walked ahead with his halberd over one shoulder.
“We found an abandoned hut near the edge of the village. That’s where the body is. And with the weather these past few days, well, you know how it is. Truth be told, I’ve seen how hard a Witcher can fight. You and your teacher, that old bastard was the finest swordsman I’ve ever seen. But I don’t think you’ll find much from a corpse that’s half-rotted already.”
Lannor said nothing to that.
In truth, he had little to say. His Trace Detection proficiency was only at nineteen percent.
Though he believed his mutation was close to perfect, and his witcher senses were good even by witcher standards, his actual store of tracking knowledge did not amount to even twenty percent of what an ordinary hunter possessed.
Speaking too soon was a fine way to make a fool of oneself.
But as York and Lannor drew nearer and nearer to the edge of the village, Lannor suddenly twitched his nose and let out a sigh.
His right hand went over his shoulder to the silver sword on his back.
“York.”
“What?”
The halberdier was still striding ahead without a care.
“I’m guessing you didn’t leave enough light by the corpse. And you didn’t leave anyone guarding it either.”
“Hey, gods above, how did you kno...” York turned around, only to see Lannor had already drawn his silver sword.
His face tightened at once, as did the hand gripping his halberd. “There’s a monster?”
Quick reaction, brother.
Lannor cast York a brief, surprised glance, then said,
“A corpse that’s beginning to stink, not buried, not burned, and not guarded ... Ghouls love that sort of thing.”
Before York could react, Lannor had already moved. In an instant he was in a charging stance, the transition from stillness to motion abrupt as a ghost.
“ ... Fuck!”
The halberdier cursed and hurried after him.
The Dunham case was too important. They already had precious few leads. If even the victim’s corpse were destroyed, not one man in their whole troop would escape the consequences.
The distance was short enough, and with the scent to guide him, Lannor could not lose the way.
After only two turns between the village huts, a ruined wooden shack came into view.
Without slowing, the young man gave an order in his mind.
“Mentos, filter out the surrounding noise.”
“Understood. Ambient noise filtration complete.”
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