Supreme Magus

"I never said you killed them, Mage Verhen." Sylpha pointed out. "Only that your spells did. There is a big difference."

Yerna and the members of the Knight Guard exchanged confused looks, wondering whether they had suddenly become dumb or if the Queen had forgotten how Tyris' universal language worked.

"Gods! Those Emperor Beasts are monsters!" Solus' outrage made just as much sense to them, confusing them even more. "They didn't just recover Hatorne's tattoo potion technology but also the parasites' toxins."

"That's what this looks like." The Queen nodded as Yerna and the others shuddered in horror. "By the time the Alchemists collected the sample, the poison was already too degraded to get a sample, but that has to be expected if it works like the rest of Hatorne's toxins.

"Yet when the doctors cut open the corpses you brought them, they found internal injuries that didn't match either your reports or the external injuries. The vital organs appear to have been cut open from the inside. That's why they died so quickly."

"They couldn't be saved." Lith slammed his fist in his palm. "Without knowing what we were dealing with, there was no way to capture a prisoner alive for interrogation. Cunning bastards."

"This also explains where this organization continued to make profits after the end of the famine." The King said. "They stopped selling food and started selling the toxins. They are a great tool for assassins and the power plays of the nobles.

"I've already ordered to cross reference all recent assassinations and sudden deaths. Just the anti-healing toxin is dangerous but until we learn more, we must assume the worst and plan our next moves as if the enemy has access to all of Hatorne's toxins, including the anti-mana.

"Yes, Major Yerna?" Meron asked after noticing her raised hand.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but even with the toxin, this still doesn't make sense to me. They were powerful Emperor Beasts and could use perfect silent magic. Why not let themselves be captured and wait for a moment to escape?" Yerna asked.

"Because they knew such a moment would never come. At least not before they had been thoroughly interrogated." The King replied. "Sadly, in the past humans have abused beasts so much that now they prefer suicide to capture.

"Even if they believed they might have escaped, they would never risk betraying their comrades and increasing the number of our prisoners. It's a habit we humans have ingrained into them." Meron sighed, still feeling the shame of his ancestors weighing on his shoulders.

"Just like for the toxins, there was nothing anyone could do. Beasts don't think like humans. Capturing or killing them is the same. You can't rely on interrogations, plea deals, or persuasion to find their leaders."

"This complicates things quite a bit." Yerna pondered. "It's like having our wings cut off. The only options we have left are to track the shipping of materials, cross-reference the movements of our suspects, and hope they point us to the beasts' base."

"No, that won't ever work." Lith shook his head. "We are not dealing with humans. All Emperor Beasts can use dimensional magic and fly. All they need to do to foil an investigation is collect the ingredients at point A, store them in a dimensional amulet, and then Warp a few times to shake off a potential tail before reaching point B."

"In other words, the investigation has hit a dead end." Thaas said.

"Not quite." Solus replied. "Our raid failed because we didn't know with whom and what we were dealing. Now we do. Start looking for another clandestine business. Once you find it, we'll raid it again.

"This time, however, we'll let a few of them escape and follow them straight to their base."

"How?" Yerna asked. "Won't they notice you?"

"They'd notice us, but not my Demons after they merge with their shadow." As Lith spoke, Menadion came out of Yerna's shade, making her yelp in surprise.

"Good gods, how long have you been there?" She asked.

"Long enough." The First Magus replied. "Did you notice my presence?"

"Not in the slightest." Yerna shook her head.

"And so won't our enemies." Lith said. "Your Majesty, I need a strike team always on standby. The Emperor Beasts shouldn't have understood it's me hunting them down and if they do, they'll destroy the evidence and run away."

"For once your reputation works against you, Magus Verhen." Meron nodded.

"We must be ready to seal the space around their base of operations and hit them fast and hard." Lith said. "Even with my Demons, I won't have the time to conjure enough of them to seal the premises on my own. None of the Emperor Beasts must be allowed to escape."

"And they won't." Meron replied. "This mission just escalated from organized crime to a hostile magical threat and now into internal terrorism. Hatorne's parasites must be eradicated at all costs. I'm mobilizing the army and the Association.

"Notify me the moment you find your next target. We'll be ready. Meron out."

***

Yerna and the other Constables pulled an all-nighter while Lith, Solus, and the Knight Guard's members took turns resting. In theory, no one was supposed to know their location but when dealing with Emperor Beasts it was impossible to be safe.

They could follow someone from the sky, disguise themselves as stray animals and follow the scent of their prey, or burrow through the ground like it was water. On top of that, there was one threat not even Lith had any control over.

"Nothing, Kami? Nothing at all?" He asked via the communication amulet.

"You've just been away for one day, Lith." She shrugged. "Give it time."

"That's the problem. We don't have much time." He sighed. "Under any other circumstance, I'd play this sloppily to drag it out. Yet I can't risk Hatorne's toxins to spread. Especially if I'm right and these beasts have understood how to use them to Awaken."

"How long do you think you have?"

"If Yerna is good at her job and I know she is, two days tops. Three if I stay behind with the pretext of making sure no one has escaped and all the research materials have been destroyed." Lith replied.

"It should be enough." Kamila pensively tapped her chin. "I mean, the Royals will demand their Supreme Magus' assistance when dealing with such a delicate subject. Also, if Meln doesn't attack in three more days, I doubt he will.

"He knows how careful you are and that openings like this don't last long. Try to relax. Nothing will happen to us." She lovingly caressed her slightly swollen womb. "I miss you."

"I miss you more." Lith ended the call and turned to his stone ring, where Solus was resting. 'What do you say if we take a little tour of Kophar tomorrow?'
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'That's a nice idea. Also, quite uncharacteristic for you.' She replied. 'What's your angle?'

'No angle. People have seen us enter this house and if we stay in all day, they'll get suspicious. We need a cover story to justify our presence and keep it well.' Lith replied. 'On top of that, we can patrol the area for Emperor Beasts with the Eyes.'