chapter 30
030 – Investigation (2)
Except for the daily quests, there were a total of 2 quests left.
One was a quest to transfer to the Faculty of Magic, and the other was a quest that I received as soon as I came to Victoria.
<Find the truth of the missing case!>
The people of Victory are trembling in fear of an unknown disappearance!
Fully uncover the truth of the disappearance case!
Reward: 15,000 points.
Rakan flew all over Victory for a month to break this quest.
I’ve been hiding in Gray Town and Treasure Town, where disappearances often occur, and I’ve also investigated and investigated.
Then he almost died by the gang, but he had no income.
Other quests could only be done if there was courage and effort, but this quest could not be solved with effort and persistence alone.
Just like the main characters in a novel, I needed one extraordinary ability.
Thus, the technology that was purchased was <Level Search>.
<The manhole cover that seems to have moved a while ago>
<Moisture Mud>
<Strange and large footprints that do not look like human footprints>
Search Result: It appears that this manhole cover has recently been opened and a non-human being has emerged.
<Level Search> was linked to the system, and instead of catching things that could have passed without knowing, I was able to see things in a very objective and detailed way.
“So you mean you were walking around this area after getting an outing permit to break the quest? Did you start the investigation a month ago?”
“yes. As a result of my comprehensive examination, there are traces of an unknown monster crawling out of the manhole cover 12 times in total and 5 times in Treasure Town.”
“Have you marked it on the map?”
“yes. look at this.”
Rakan opened the map in Victory and showed it to Tigris.
Rakan marked the map with a pencil.
The gray town side was less accurate because the map wasn’t perfect, but I was able to get a rough idea of where it was.
‘He’s not a guy whose head doesn’t roll at all.’
“I think there is a strong connection between this monstrous creature and this disappearance.”
“Why?”
“It’s my feeling.”
The last answer was a little off-putting, but Rakan was right in the direction of the investigation.
If given enough time, it would have been enough to dig into the whole truth of this case.
“Is Instructor Tigris also investigating this case?”
“right.”
“Then do you know who the real culprit is?”
Tigris looked around.
The four sides were blocked off, and people were full like rice cakes.
This was not the right place to have a conversation.
“Let’s move places.”
* * *
Tigris and Rakan moved to Purple Town.
Purple Town was a factory area, so black smoke was constantly spewing out of the factory chimneys, even on weekends.
Tigris and Rakan headed to a corner where people could not see.
Tigris said it right from the start.
“Three months later, the Huangdao Massacre happened. It was a catastrophe that killed 10,000 citizens and destroyed the Evolution Bridge.”
The culprits were not one, but 1,500 chimeras.
Without any warning, they opened the manhole and jumped out and ruined the zodiac.
Fortunately, there was no connection between the sewers north of the river and the south of the river, so the north did not suffer much damage, but in the south there was literally a massacre.
Chimeras, mixed with various monsters such as saber tiger, rat man, goblin, and corpse fly, came out and killed and ate them all like a wolf in a flock.
Still, there were Auror users with Auror rings in Treasure Town, and among the armed police who were dispatched, there were skilled knights and wizards.
They were able to keep the front line by blocking the chimeras with their power, but an existence that could not be overcome by their own power came out.
Later, they were the ‘horn knights’ who played an active part in the all-out war against Rota and Arpem.
“The Horn Knight is the worst work ever created by an alchemist and warlock named ‘Schwitz’. By chimerizing the body of an auror user, I made a humanoid chimera that can use the auror. They were all chimeras capable of using at least four rings, so ordinary soldiers and police could not stop them.”
They used swords and spears made of their horns with swords and swept them all around.
Moreover, even if limbs were severed, they were regenerated within seconds, so even a knight of the same class could not stop them.
“It was later revealed that Auror users, including nobles, started being abducted because they needed research materials to make a horned knight.”
Rakan swallowed dry saliva.
I don’t know how terrifying the horned knights are, but if chimeras capable of emitting swords like Tigris suddenly popped out, it was certain that this place would turn into hell.
“Then do you know the location of that laboratory?”
“I do not know.”
“Yes? why?”
“The location of the laboratory and the map of the sewer were state secret. I was a student at the time, so I had no way of knowing.”
“ah···. That’s right.”
At that time, in Rakan’s eyes, the quest was renewed.
<Quest update!>
It turns out that the real culprit in the disappearance was the Chimera!
If so, find and report the secret lab that is working on the Chimera!
The number of points you earn will increase based on how much you contribute to solving the problem!
Rewards: Minimum of 15,000 points and maximum of 50,000 points.
“uh? That quest has been updated. Are you telling me to find the secret chimera lab and report it?”
Tigris said firmly.
“Can not be done.”
“yes? why?”
“It’s too dangerous. Now under the ecliptic are over 1,000 Chimeras and alchemists and wizards who betrayed humanity. The moment you meet them, you are dead.”
While one or two or more people were being kidnapped without their hands, it was clear that Rakan would die the moment he met the Chimera.
“Still, there is nothing I can do. Can’t you just think of me as a slave and pamper me? Even so, we need to increase the contribution level to increase the reward.”
“Any contribution?”
“So depending on how much you contributed to solving this problem, you can earn up to 50,000 points. It’s my first time doing a quest like this, but it’s from a web novel… No, I mean! Anyway, I hope something helps.”
“So you mean that the amount of points you can earn just by helping indirectly solve this problem?”
“yes. Right.”
Tigris didn’t trust Rakan yet.
He was a year younger than Linia and found out that he had the main character’s disease, so he was reluctant to get him to work.
However, this immature Rakan eventually became the head of the Inquisitor.
‘He clearly has a talent that I don’t know.’
Tigris doesn’t know much about Rakan.
The arrogant Tigris differentiated people by whether they had a sword talent or not, because all other talents were treated as garbage.
The fact that Rakan, who had no talent for swords and was not even an archmage, rose to the position of head of the Inquisitor meant that he had a talent that Tigris did not know.
In order to find out his true talent, it seemed appropriate to have him do this job.
“Can you do anything I ask you to do?”
“yes! If you ask me to leave because it doesn’t help, I’ll leave right away. So please just do it.”
His current eyes were very similar to those of Rakan that Tigris knew.
It was a serious and serious look.
Tigris nodded.
“good night. Trust me once.”
“Keep it up!”
Rakan clenched his fists, so happy to be of help.
“Then I will give you the first mission.”
“yes! Just speak!”
“Write down the number of the manhole where you marked it on the map and bring it to me. I’ll see you at the Leviola Teahouse in Uptown in five hours.”
“yes! All right!”
Rakan was excited and ran.
“100 million!”
His foot got twisted in the middle and he fell, but he steadfastly ran again.
Although he suddenly became anxious at the sight, Tigris thought it was an arrow that had already been shot and brushed off his regrets.
Now Tigris had one thing to do.
It was to get a sewer map.
* * *
Water and sewage systems have been around for less than 20 years.
Just 20 years ago, various pollutants including human excreta were dumped in the Lucet River as they were, and citizens drank from the river.
In addition, as factories were built rapidly, wastewater from factories was dumped into rivers as they were, and the incidence of infectious diseases as well as various water-borne diseases soared without knowing the sky.
As a way to solve this problem, a water and sewage system was established to separate the water used and the water to be thrown away.
The creation of this water and sewage system gave rise to the concept of public health, which significantly lowered the death rate for civilians and significantly lowered the incidence of infectious diseases.
The current emperor, Todd de Lucet, who actively introduced this water and sewage system has earned him the nickname of Emperor of Public Health.
However, since the water and sewage system was created less than 20 years ago, there was something that we were not aware of.
It was that the water and sewage system were very vulnerable to security.
Some of the sewers were wide enough to fit three adult men arm in arm, because they had to handle the servings of three million people, and rainwater drained into the sewers during summer floods.
In addition, the chimera, who could freely reduce the body, was even more free to move.
If the Inquisitors and the police had quickly grasped this point, this case would have been easily resolved, but now it was impossible because they were unaware that the sewer system was vulnerable to security.
Instead of heading to the water bureau, Tigris walked towards the Norbert Tower.
Instead of the family elevator, Tigris went into the lobby and got on the elevator.
“Leiana. What floor is Baiton on now?”
Then the elevator button was automatically pressed.
A spirit named Leiana, given by Jane, pressed the button directly.
Leiana wrote on the elevator mirror, happy to have called her.
– Call me often ♡
‘…I’ll have to ask Jane to change the spirit.’
Tigris entered as the elevator door opened.
Tigris’ collar moved slightly.
It seemed that Leiana was trying to guide Baiton’s place.
Through the hallway, Tigris came to the entrance to ‘The Norberd’.
There was a guard at the entrance, and when he saw Tigris’ face, he saluted in surprise.
“It is an honor to meet you. Confucius Tigris.”
Although the guards had never seen Tigris before, they recognized and saluted Tigris.
Not only Tigris, but also the VIPs, it was clear that they were familiar with the faces.
“Where is Baiton now?”
“It’s in the back of the boss’s office. I will call the guide.”
“No. I will go by myself.”
“Yes! All right.”
The guard spoke into the telecommunications crystal.
“Prince Tigris di Norberde is entering.”
Tigris went inside and headed for the president’s office.
There was a secretary’s office in front of the president’s office, and the secretary immediately finished preparing the reception to see if he had received a communication from the guard.
“Prince Tigris di Norberd enters.”
The secretary immediately opened the door to the president’s office, and Baiton was inside.
As if Bayton was at work, there were various documents, including blueprints, lying on the desk.
Baiton said politely.
“I see you, Confucius Tigris.”
“It’s done. don’t talk I don’t even need a car, I’ll be leaving soon.”
The secretary took the prepared tea set and closed the door as it was, and Tigris took a seat at the top.
Baiton’s expression was expressionless as usual, so there was no sign of embarrassment, but Tigris could feel the slight increase in Baiton’s heart rate.
Baiton was now in a very perplexed state.
To put it in the military, it was like a division commander who suddenly entered the battalion commander’s office without notice.
‘What the hell is going on?’
Baiton wanted to ask why he had come all the way here, but he held back until Tigris opened his mouth.
“I’m sorry for coming all of a sudden.”
“no. it’s okay.”
“I have an urgent matter to solve. Do you have time?”
‘You caught the clue of the disappearance case.’
Baiton is a butler before being the president of The Norverd.
It was basic to memorize Tigris’ schedule.
I thought that Tigris had come to him in such a hurry because he had found definitive evidence of the disappearance of the zodiac.
“Yes. Please tell me.”
“Can I get a map of the sewage system south of the river within today?”
Baiton, without thinking deeply, decided whether or not he could get a map of the sewer, and then responded immediately.
“Available.”
“You shouldn’t hear the rumor that I want that sewer map instead.”
“Hmm···. Staying safe is important.”
Jane gathered all the stories related to Baiton to the spirits living in this building and delivered them to Tigris.
Then, for several months, a ghost was attached to track and observe Baiton.
As a result, it was concluded that Baiton was not related to Rotana or Arpem at all.
Although Jane doesn’t know much about the real estate industry, she doesn’t appear to have secretly interacted with others or had meetings.
At least now, he was not the one to betray Tigris.
“I just have one spare map of the sewer.”
“Do you have a sewer map?”
“Yes. The location of the sewer and water supply is important when building a building. Officially purchased through the Waterworks Bureau.”
Tigris was stunned at the thought of being able to buy a map of water and sewage from the Waterworks Bureau just like he would buy candy from a candy store.
“If anyone asks for a sewer map, can I buy it?”
“I don’t know about that. But builders, including all realtors, have these water and sewer maps.”
‘Well, now you don’t know that the sewer is the chimera’s route…’
“I’ll give you one now.”
Baiton pulled out a large map from the drawer and unfolded it.
Sewer maps were spread across the ecliptic, like human veins.
It looked complicated, but I was able to find a pattern.
Just as dozens of branches are connected to one large branch, hundreds of small and medium-sized canals were connected around the Great Sewer.
In the area south of the river, there were a total of 15 large sewers, all of which went down to the lower reaches of the Lucet River.
The number of the manhole cover and the names of major facilities were all written there.
Tigris remembered the map Rakan had shown him and started checking with a pencil.
’27-113, 27-16, 29-84….’
As Tigris checked, he could see a pattern.
In both cases, the chimeras came out of the sewers connected to the 27th and 29th major sewers.
No. 27 and No. 29 were the major sewers that started from Treasure Town in the east and passed through Gray Town to Purple Town at once.
‘Then, Sewer 35 will also fall within the expected range.’
Sewer No. 35, like No. 27 and No. 29, was a major sewer that covered the entire area south of the river.
But there was one strange thing.
No. 27, 29, and 35 sewers are completely separate sewers.
There was no single point of connection.
However, there is only one Chimera Lab.
All the kidnapped people must be moved to the laboratory, but once they are all gone, they cannot be moved to one laboratory.
This was because the major sewers were at least 1.5 km apart from each other.
“Are there any areas not marked on this sewer map?”
“Oh, come to think of it . . . there is one sewer that stopped working.”
“Did the construction stop?”
“Yes. That’s right. Originally, a company called Kayle Construction was in charge of the sewerage project, but I heard that one of the major sewers was abandoned due to bankruptcy in the middle.”
“Do you know where it is?”
Baiton furrowed his eyebrows for a moment as if he couldn’t remember, then drew a line with a pencil.
“I don’t know for sure, but I know it’s like this.”
Other Great Sewers crossed east and west, but Bayton’s line was different.
A solid line of about 5 km from south to north.
The solid line perfectly crossed the 27, 29, and 35 Great Sewers.
The location was near the Evolution Bridge that connects Purple Town and Academy Town.
Found the location of the Chimera Lab.