The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 5

The Investigation Head remained silent for a moment. Count Rael’s wry smile confirmed the truth under the head’s questioning gaze. Taking a deep breath, the Investigation Head strode towards me with a determined look.

“Pack your things immediately.”

“…Pardon?”

“That means you’ll be reporting to the Investigation Department starting tomorrow. I’ll inform HR, so don’t worry about the formalities. How could you endure such unfair treatment despite having such remarkable abilities? Being this naive isn’t good for you.”

“With all due respect, I must decline.”

“Well, you can certainly—what?”

The Investigation Head’s face went blank as he nodded. He looked like he just heard something incomprehensible.

“I’m quite satisfied with my current position. I do not wish to be transferred to the Operations Team.”

“Well, sure, the work might be a bit tougher. But you do realize that the ranks in the Operations Team are higher even at the same level? Promotions are much easier. Your ability is far from ordinary. By my age, you could aim for a top-level position. You’d have many opportunities to earn merit and possibly a title.”

“Yes, I am aware.”

“And yet, you want to stay in the Administrative Support Department?”

I nodded decisively. The Investigation Head turned to Count Rael, who gave him a bitter smile.

“Now you understand why I left him where he is?”

“…You mean he refused your offer as well?”

“That’s why he’s still in the Support Department. Do you think I’d let such a valuable talent sit idle there? But what can I do? His decision is firm.”

Next to the sighing Investigation Head, Count Rael shot me an apologetic look. I shook my head to indicate that it didn’t bother me. It was better for them to know this way. Discovering later that moving me to the Investigation Department wasn’t feasible would have been worse.

I had already drawn enough attention. I didn’t want to escalate things further. Realizing my discomfort, Count Rael swiftly changed the subject.

“By the way, concerning Officer Sei’s testimony, do you have any idea which race the perpetrator might belong to?”

“Hmm, well, it doesn’t match the appearance of any known different races we’ve encountered so far.”

“What about the possibility of it being a Bestian? I’ve heard there are a few reptilian types among them.”

“That seems the closest option.”

Bestians, also known as beast people, are a different race with animal characteristics. They resemble humans but have different ears and teeth, and some even possess tails or wings depending on their species. They have sharper claws and greater strength compared to humans. Based on this, they could be considered suspects. However…

“It’s not a Bestian.”

Both my superiors turned their gazes toward me.

‘I didn’t intend to draw more attention.’

Still, facts are facts. The figure I saw in the vision had a mix of features from various species. However, Bestians only possess characteristics from one animal. A lion is a lion, a rabbit is a rabbit. Even when different species procreate, the offspring inherit traits from only one parent.

“Moreover, Bestians do not engage in cannibalism.”

“Hmm, true. That’s precisely why we’ve been focusing on it being the act of a monster until now.”

The Investigation Head nodded in agreement.

“And this is just my personal opinion, but I believe the perpetrator can disguise itself as human. This is another ability that Bestians do not possess.”

“I see, a disguise ability… Not something seen in the vision, though. Is this your own conjecture?”

“Yes.”

“What led you to think that?”

“The legs of the perpetrator I saw resembled those of a bird. However, this is the first time monster tracks have been found at a crime scene. In contrast, the tracks at the first and second crime scenes were those of an adult man.”

Moreover, they were barefoot tracks. The initial analysis by the Law Enforcement Corps concluded they belonged to a human male, attributing the barefootedness to a madman. This marked the start of their shoddy investigation. The Investigation Head let out a low groan.

“Right, now that you mention it, that was indeed the case. How could I have forgotten…”

“You’ve been tired from the long investigation. You’ll remember it when you review your notes,” said Count Rael, soothing the muttering Investigation Head.

“Officer Sei. Can you sketch the suspect’s appearance, even roughly? It’s hard to visualize based on descriptions alone. Even if it can disguise itself as human, a sketch could still be useful for the investigation.”

“Yes, understood.”

One of the nearby agents brought the necessary drawing materials. I tried to draw as accurately as possible and handed it over. The Investigation Head widened his eyes upon seeing it.

“This is… quite well done. Have you studied drawing?”

“With this kind of ability, merely describing the scenes I saw has its limitations.”

“Indeed, very impressive. This style looks familiar. Maybe it’s my imagination, but wasn’t this the same style as the sketch of the spy from Rios two years ago? And also the sketch of the palace servant who stole the imperial treasure last year. Those sketches were so realistic they left a strong impression. Perhaps it’s just a coincidence?”

“…”

It wasn’t a coincidence. I had drawn both of those sketches. The Investigation Head smiled contentedly.

“Haha, come to think of it, both cases were resolved unexpectedly after hitting major roadblocks. I wondered how things had turned around…”

At that moment, he grabbed both my shoulders firmly. His face was uncomfortably close.

“You’re making a big mistake right now! Hiding your talents like this is no good for anyone! You won’t receive the rewards you deserve! Change your mind now! Just say you’ll join the Operations Team! I’ll handle everything else!”

“Thank you for the offer, but I must refuse.”

“No, don’t reject me so quickly! Young people should have ambition! Don’t you feel sorry for your parents who raised you? The more you earn while you’re young, the better you can support them in the future! You might not fear old age now, but—!”

“Hey, Officer Raydan.”

“Director, you can’t just let him refuse! He must be persuaded! It’s not just about having supernatural abilities! Did you see his situational awareness and memory? A non-field agent recalled the suspect’s tracks from the first crime scene! How can we neglect such a talent?”

“Come on, calm down…”

A flustered Count Rael forcibly pulled him away from me. His already thinning hair appeared even more precarious today. Looking slightly embarrassed, he gave me an apologetic smile.

“Sorry about that, Officer Sei. This fellow isn’t usually like this, but he’s been under a lot of stress due to a lack of personnel lately…”

“It’s fine.”

“Well, you did a great job today. I’ll take care of the rest, so you can go home now. Just head straight back from here.”

“Yes, thank you.”

This was the moment I had been waiting for. After a quick salute, I left the scene without any hesitation.

“Where are you going! Come back here! I said I’d file the transfer! Join our department—!”

“Department head, please calm down!”

“Department head!”

Even though I could hear the Investigation Head’s desperate cries behind me, I didn’t look back. It wasn’t until I got into a carriage and settled down that fatigue truly set in. Leaning back, I let out a shallow sigh. I usually felt tired after using my abilities, but today I felt especially heavy, like a sponge soaked with water. It was the result of witnessing such horrific scenes.

‘A new race. A race that even eats humans.’

How many such beings were now present within this city? Were all the incidents up until now the work of just one individual?

The stench of blood from the vision still lingered. It felt as though the gleaming eyes of the monster were still staring into my soul. I had a bad feeling about this. I suspected I would be having nightmares for a while.

* * *

After the eighth victim, the serial killings stopped as if they were a lie. For over two months, there were no new victims, and the previously fervent public opinion quieted down. However, the perpetrator was still at large, and there had been little progress in the investigation.

“It seems to me that there’s an information leak within our ranks.”

Investigation Head Hale Raydan’s face was grim. Given that the crimes ceased just as the investigation started to make headway, his suspicion was reasonable. I nodded in agreement.

“That makes sense.”

“The problem is, I have no idea where the leak is coming from. I can’t pinpoint any potential sources.”

“That must be quite a dilemma.”

“Indeed, it’s quite a headache.”

“I understand.”

After answering, I cautiously brought up something I had been holding back.

“But why are you telling me this…?”

It was early morning, right as I was starting my work for the day. The sudden intrusion of a senior Operations Team member had frozen the entire office. Everyone was too busy trying to avoid attention, barely making a sound. Yet Hale, sitting across from me, looked puzzled.

“Well, it’s thanks to you that the investigation has progressed this far. Naturally, you should be kept in the loop.”

“Even so, there’s no need for you to tell me personally…”

“You’re a difficult one. I thought it’d be a good opportunity to see your face and have a conversation. Besides, I can hear your opinions directly this way.”

“I appreciate the esteem, but I doubt my opinions would be of much help.”

“Haha, you’re so modest. Don’t be concerned about it, just share whatever comes to mind. Think of me as your immediate superior.”

“…”

“Better yet, you might as well actually become my direct subordinate.”

“…”

Was he always like this?

Looking at the shamelessly grinning Hale, I let out a sigh. All I could think was that I had gotten myself into a mess.