Aozaki Aoko Case File

Through the magical interrogation of the Enchantment School, the secrets buried in the mind of the bald veteran warrior were swiftly unearthed.

As expected, this man was one of the core subordinates of that strange character named Zelgadiss. Besides him, Zelgadiss also commanded a number of other subordinates, including various monsters, orcs, the Mummy man mage Zolf, and a werewolf warrior.

Contrary to Lina's initial suspicion that they were dealing with bandit-related individuals, the memories extracted from the bald man revealed that he referred to Zelgadiss as Young Master. This indicated that the humanoid chimera-like figure came from a well-educated, upper-class background. No wonder his speech carried a slightly refined tone.

"So, Miss Aoko, now that we've gotten the information out of him, what should we do with this guy?" Gourry asked. "Should we just kill him outright?"

"There's no reason to keep him alive," Aoko replied coldly. "Considering he barged in here with so many trolls while we were asleep, you can imagine what would have happened if they'd succeeded."

Gourry scratched his head without saying much. The magical restraints on the middle-aged warrior had been lifted, but his injuries were so severe that he couldn't utter a single word. He could only tremble, his remaining eye filled with terror as he stared at Aoko, whose eyes glowed faintly blue in the darkness.

"I'm not interested in torturing someone like you," Aoko said, extending her hand. "Rest in peace."

For someone on the brink of death, their body had already lost a significant amount of vitality. If negative energy were infused into their body at that moment, it would easily guide them toward death. However, if the corpse were left unattended, it might concentrate the negative energy and resurrect as an undead creature.

A dim ray of energy shot from Aoko's fingertip, striking the bald man's head. He immediately felt an overwhelming coldness engulf his body, and even the excruciating pain began to fade. He struggled for only a few seconds, his mouth opening and closing as if trying to say something, before falling silent and dying.

Gourry sighed but refrained from making any comments. Instead, he greeted Aoko and then decided to wake up Lina, who was still asleep. After all, they had just learned that Zelgadiss had many subordinates. If he learned that his attack had failed, he would likely send even more forces next time.

Just as Aoko was preparing to dispose of the corpses of the trolls and human warriors under the cover of darkness, she heard slow, deliberate footsteps coming from the corridor on the second floor of the inn. Along with the footsteps came a peculiar metallic clinking sound, reminiscent of the bells in a temple.

Aoko stood up cautiously, gripping her staff as she remained on guard.

Looking toward the end of the corridor, she saw a young man dressed in an unusual blood-red robe, holding a staff, emerge from the shadows.

If she had to describe him, Aoko thought the man looked like some kind of monk. The head of his staff was made of a brass ring, adorned with a string of smaller brass rings that jingled with a "clink-clink" sound whenever it moved.

The man's eyes were tightly shut, yet this did not hinder his movements in the slightest. He navigated his surroundings as if he could see them.

His appearance was youthful, no more than thirty years old. However, if someone claimed he was in his twenties, others might believe it. Yet, to Aoko, his demeanor didn't match his youthful appearance. Instead, it felt like he was an old soul, someone who had endured the trials of time yet remained steadfastly devoted to some unyielding belief.

"My, my, what a sight," the red-robed man said, his expression growing slightly serious as he glanced at the carnage on the floor. "As a fellow guest at this inn, I noticed these suspicious individuals and hurried over to investigate, but it seems you've already taken care of them. Truly impressive for ones so young."

"Thank you for your kind words," Aoko replied with a forced smile. "And you are?"

"Just a small gesture of goodwill," the red-robed man said with a gentle smile. "Besides, I wasn't the one who drove off these villains who colluded with monsters."

Seeing that Aoko remained silent, staring intently at him, the red-robed man sighed and introduced himself:

"My name is Rezo. I'm a traveling priest and mage."

"What?!" Lina's voice came from the room behind Aoko. It seemed that Gourry had already woken her up. "Did you say your name is... Rezo?"

Her expression was one of utter shock. It appeared that the name Rezo carried great significance in this world, making his appearance here all the more intriguing.

"Rezo? Is he someone famous?" Gourry asked, perplexed.

"Rezo the Red Priest!" Lina said with a serious tone. "He's a renowned figure who travels the world clad in red robes, possessing magic power on par with the high priest of the White Magic City of Seyruun, yet he belongs to no nation. He wanders the lands on foot, aiding those in need."

"Not only that, but he's also proficient in white magic, spirit magic, and black magic, earning him the title of one of the modern Five Sages."

"Ah, yes, people do call me that," Rezo said, scratching his cheek in embarrassment. "But those are just empty titles. I'm merely an ordinary traveling priest."

"Then it was you who cast the sleep spell on the other guests in this inn, wasn't it?" Aoko suddenly asked, cutting straight to the point. "Such a feat, putting so many people into a deep sleep in an instant so they couldn't hear the sounds of battle… Truly impressive, Priest."

While Gourry remained oblivious, Lina's expression shifted ever so slightly, betraying a hint of vigilance. On the surface, however, she still maintained the demeanor of an adoring fan meeting her idol.

"It was a necessary measure," Rezo said with a theatrical sigh. "What I'm about to tell you is best kept to as few people as possible. Ordinary folk, lacking the strength to protect themselves, would only be endangered if they knew."

Aoko gave him a look that seemed to say, "Go ahead, I'm listening."

"You've encountered someone calling himself Zelgadiss, haven't you?" Rezo asked. "These men here were his subordinates."

"We already know that," Aoko replied with a nod. "I've extracted the relevant information from this old man's mind."

Rezo's expression flickered for a brief moment upon hearing that Aoko could read memories, but he quickly regained his composure.

"That makes things easier," Rezo said, letting out a small breath of relief. "Otherwise, you might not have believed me if I had nothing to back up my words."

"Listen carefully," Rezo said, his expression growing solemn. "Zelgadiss is not human. He's a hybrid of human and monster. Because of this, he harbors a deep hatred for humanity."

"That hatred has turned him into a monster bent on revenge against everyone," Rezo continued. "Zelgadiss intends to use something in your possession to resurrect the Demon King Shabranigdo and destroy the world."

"And I have been tracking him for a long time."