"I am the captain of the third battalion, second patrol squad in the southern district of the City Defense Army, Alek."
"Are you the first discoverer? Or..."
His gaze moved between the deceased and Gauss.
"I didn’t kill him, but I was indeed chasing him. Only when I caught up with him, he happened to be dead. He should have poisoned himself without any accident."
"The whole process was quick, but maybe someone saw it, at least the part where he was running and I was chasing."
Gauss spoke methodically.
Meanwhile, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the crow following him had disappeared from overhead.
It must have gone to inform the others.
Raven Aik, though he followed Aaliyah for solitude practice, left crow companions loyally following Gauss and others.
The captain signaled to a soldier nearby who immediately ran to the shocked crowd on the outskirts to begin discreet inquiries.
As for Captain Alek, he squatted down himself, donned gloves, and inspected the corpse.
He lifted the deceased’s eyelid, looked at the dilated pupils, moved closer to smell the blood at the mouth and nose, and his brows immediately furrowed tightly.
"He definitely died from toxins in the mouth."
"There’s a poison sack hidden within a false tooth."
He stood up, dusted off his hands, and looked at Gauss with less direct hostility but a deeper investigative aura.
"Very potent poison, acts extremely fast. It’s like... the type used to silence when a mission fails or upon capture." He paused and looked at Gauss, asking.
"Who are you? Why were you chasing him?"
"Gauss, an ordinary adventurer."
"I was chasing him because I felt he was stalking me. So I wanted to ask him clearly, but once he detected me, he kept running, and then you know what happened."
Gauss appeared relaxed, yet vigilant, his body eased a bit.
It seemed the patrol captain wasn’t in cahoots with the deceased, his examination cleared Gauss’s murder suspicion, and the watching crowd gradually showed less fear.
"Mr. Gauss, although you appear not to be the murderer, this involves a life, and the deceased died suspiciously. Procedurally, I need you to come with me to the station for a detailed interview."
Just as Captain Alek finished speaking, a soldier continuing the examination called him over for a new discovery.
"Captain, come take a look."
Gauss and Captain Alek simultaneously turned and bent down to look at the deceased.
Only to see his shirt already removed.
There’s a black tattoo near the chest area, featuring an abstract dragon-shaped symbol coiled upon itself, the lines simple yet exuding a peculiar evil aura.
"It’s the Dragon Worship Sect!!"
Captain Alek’s face turned instantly serious.
This is a notorious organization.
Not just for the numerous shocking incidents they created over thousands of years, but also because their actions continue to affect ordinary people’s lives.
They disguise as "tax officials," "lord’s troops," "merchant caravans," plundering villages and human settlements, abducting civilians, deeply involved in the slave trade.
Moreover, they wield taboo powers, conducting dark rituals, desecrating the dead, transforming the living, and creating terrifying liches.
In their doctrine, the world’s perfect form should be under the Dragon Queen’s rule; humans are not the masters of the world but merely the property, servants, and food of giant dragons.
It’s safe to say that any rational human should deeply loathe the Dragon Worship Sect.
Yet its existence remains deeply rooted because its followers are adept at using wealth, beauty, and all desires to corrupt nobles, soldiers, and even clergy.
It’s like the roots under a big tree, intertwined, absorbing nutrients.
"Someone, carefully collect the body, seal all items, and directly deliver them to the special case investigation unit." He lowered his voice and instructed his deputy.
After completing the instruction, he looked at Gauss.
"Mr. Gauss, although it’s unclear for what reason, unfortunately, it seems the Dragon Worship Sect has set its sights on you."
At the mention of the Dragon Worship Sect, Gauss’s eyes flashed with a thoughtful look.
Though he had never encountered the organization before nor had contact with its members, just hearing the organization’s name, he knew he wasn’t "wronged" by being targeted.
Not to mention the presence of his Red Dragon Dragon Beast Hephaestus, even he himself had countless connections with giant dragons.
They zealously research and gather everything about giant dragons.
Capture sacrifices, experiment on live bodies, and conduct dark ritual transformations.
Though unclear on how the Dragon Worship Sect’s followers discovered him, objectively, Gauss felt he could be a perfect member or transformation material in their eyes.
Though he possessed a human body, he had dragon-like strength and bloodline, and he mastered dragon speech, gradually excelling in consumption, starting to become like a dragon, able to digest special magic gems, with an innate advantage in magic...
Even...
However, while he could understand their motives for targeting him, it didn’t mean Gauss wasn’t troubled by it.
Objectively, although the organization behaves like sewer rats lurking unseen, their strength is not to be underestimated.