Chapter 202: Unfounded Rumors

Adrian perversely stroked the corpse’s hair, then leaned in, inhaling deeply with a look of intoxicated satisfaction.

This had once been a woman his brother loved.

During a dispute, she had viciously bitten him.

"Damn lowborn trash! How dare you resist me? I only did something utterly normal—this was your honor! You should have knelt and thanked me, you piece of shit!"

At the thought of it, Adrian roared in fury.

Although a mage had used high-tier magic to restore his body, the terror and trauma inflicted on his mind could not be healed. He could no longer experience pleasure.

Every night, he relived the agony of being bitten.

So now, he could only vent by torturing others in the basement.

"I wonder how my dear brother suddenly changed his personality," Adrian muttered after a moment of silence. "He actually dared to hit me... I’ll kill him and preserve him as part of my collection."

"But for now, I’ll go play with those outdated toys."

Letting out a twisted laugh, Adrian walked into the dungeon. Soon, heart-wrenching screams echoed from within.

—

Maple Leaf City.

Squads of soldiers in plate armor patrolled the streets, carrying various weapons.

"Filthy peasants, get out of the way! Are your eyes on the back of your head?"

"Move aside."

"No stalls allowed here—confiscated!"

Wherever the patrol went, chaos followed. The soldiers wore ugly expressions, stirring trouble at every turn.

The commoners fled as if avoiding demons.

"Damn that Night Owl. If not for them, I’d still be drinking in taverns and picking up girls."

"Heh, heard the rumors? Night Owl members are all beautiful Divine Chosen."

"If I catch them, I’ll make sure they enjoy a ’pleasant interrogation’ before chopping them up and feeding them to the dogs."

"What are you dreaming about? If they were that easy to catch, would the bounty have risen to 3,500 gold coins?"

The seven soldiers burst into crude laughter, occasionally grabbing whatever they wanted from merchant stalls. Only merchants connected to the city guard captain were spared.

"Damn scum..."

Brinda, currently wanted, watched as the soldiers seized a woman. Her husband was being held in place, his eyelids forced open so he couldn’t look away. He was humiliated and furious, yet completely powerless.

"Crack—"

Hearing the soldiers’ laughter, Brinda clenched her fists so tightly her bones popped audibly.

"I’m going to kill these beasts."

Unable to hold back, she stepped forward.

"That’s enough, Brinda. You’re already wanted. Acting recklessly will only make things worse." Miriam draped a cloak over her companion. "If you want to be accused of colluding with Night Owl and executed brutally because of them, go ahead."

"I..."

Brinda gritted her teeth, her golden eyes blazing with fury. Then she pulled her hood down and forced herself to calm. "You’re right. I was too impulsive. I can get away safely, but those poor civilians would be finished."

"Look at this—this portrait looks exactly like you. I wonder how you were exposed."

Miriam glanced at the wall covered in wanted posters, her eyes scanning rapidly. "It’s identical. You’ve definitely caught the attention of someone powerful. I suggest you lay low for a while."

"I just hope they didn’t catch that child." Brinda pressed her forehead. "I was too rushed back then. I should’ve sent him to another province."

"Forget that. The priority is finding Phield. I need to infiltrate his ranks and find a way to attend the underground ball with him."

Avoiding hidden sentries and patrols, the two slipped into a so-called "high-end entertainment establishment."

"What are women doing here? Sightseeing?" the scar-faced man at the front desk sneered.

"Heh, here to apply for ’software hardening.’ By the way, have you seen a twisted man? The kind who walks a crooked path?"

The scar-faced man froze for a moment, then replied cryptically, "Yeah. He had six silver coins and bought a crooked cat."

The two exchanged an odd nursery rhyme as a code.

"Since you’re here to apply, follow me."

The man’s sharp eyes swept the surroundings before he led them into a narrow alley behind the brothel, knocking on a door with a distinct rhythm.

Once the door opened, they quickly slipped inside.

"Hello, comrades!" Brinda greeted warmly.

The three intelligence agents inside could barely contain their excitement.

"Good, good—meeting members of Night Owl is truly an honor! When I heard you killed Zoetter, I was so happy I couldn’t sleep all night!"

"Same here! That demon—he killed my husband with a single arrow just to test his aim!"

"Heroes! Sob..."

Tears streamed down their faces as they tried to kneel, only to be helped up.

"Alright, alright, don’t make it so awkward," Brinda said with a bright smile.

After the greetings, the three agents handed Miriam a piece of parchment.

"This is the information you requested."

"Phield, from the renowned Ross family. Rumor has it he’s as gentle as a blank sheet of paper—too kind to even crush an ant."

Brinda frowned. "Huh? Wasn’t the earlier rumor—"

"Don’t interrupt," Miriam shot her a glare.

"That’s just a disguise," the agent said firmly. "There are no good people in the Ross family. After leaving the Ross territory, the first thing Phield did was buy a beautiful slave."

"Then he sent all the slaves into the corrupted lands. Soon after, he obtained Vigor Elixir."

"Vigor Elixir? The potion that destroys sanity and leaves people driven only by reproduction?" Miriam was visibly shaken.

Almost every noble they had killed had those pills in their chambers.

"With those pills, nobles can endlessly torment women. And more coincidentally, the more slaves Phield brings into the Northern Region, the more of those pills he receives. This must be a deal with the devil."

"On top of that, Phield took part in the rebellion in Itavon Province. He slaughtered countless people—nothing like the ’kind’ man in the rumors. It’s said a supervisor who tried to restrain his violent killings was assassinated by him."

Back then, the illegitimate son Farid had indeed provoked him repeatedly and was eliminated—but the method had been extremely discreet.

Yet the rumors had grown increasingly exaggerated, eventually becoming this.

If Phield were here, he would instantly realize someone was deliberately smearing his name.

"There’s more—"

"That’s enough. I’m about to explode."

Brinda’s chest rose and fell rapidly, clearly furious.

"Based on the intelligence, he’s a lustful man skilled at disguising himself. That makes things easier." Miriam adjusted her hair and said decisively, "As long as we use beauty, we can get close to him."