The Eldritch Files

Chapter 303: Chapter 256: Circulating Knight Order (3)

“The two sides have already clashed a few times over this godforsaken village, both openly and in secret. If they keep at it, they might attract the attention of the Circuit Knights. They were out of options, which is why they called us in.”

“…”

“Circuit Knights?”

The name immediately caught Han Su’s attention.

The memory of the Knights’ silhouettes appearing on the hill outside the city during the final moments of Qinggang’s collapse was still fresh in his mind.

Bizarre mounts, terrifyingly powerful flintlock guns… They were mysterious and powerful. Even Ms. Shen, who could easily suppress the four City Slaughter Priests, was no match for them. Their strength was on a completely different level from everyone else’s, a stark disparity.

He had heard their name mentioned back at the Qinggang Disaster Management Bureau, but he never had the chance to learn more about them.

And in his memories from this life, as mercenaries, they’d had plenty of dealings with various city councils and Hidden Schools, but it seemed that name was rarely mentioned among them either.

“Heh…”

Akbar wasn’t surprised by Han Su’s confusion. She sneered and said in a low voice, “A bunch of bastards who secretly monitor the entire world.”

“The work they do is actually pretty similar to us Mercenaries—they go wherever there’s trouble.”

“But they’re highly capable. They’re usually handpicked from the most outstanding Independent Investigators in various cities, or they can only join with a joint recommendation from three nobles.”

“Once you’re chosen, it’s like jumping to a whole new social class. From then on, your only job is to maintain order between the major regions and serve the nobles.”

“You want to live in a city, don’t you? Heh. Instead of signing some non-disclosure agreement just to go slave away inside the walls, you’d be better off making a name for yourself. If you can become a Circuit Knight, the moment you step back into a city, you’re part of the elite.”

“…”

Han Su ignored her pointed remarks and just frowned. “When you say nobles, are you referring to the Ancient Nobles?”

“More or less. They’re all part of the ruling class, anyway.”

Akbar said, “Why do you think a tiny town like Skinning Manor has the guts to fight a behemoth like Giant Horn City for this prize?”

“It’s because Skinning Manor’s backer is a Count from the Western Continent.”

“Of course, we don’t need to worry about any of that. Giant Horn City hired us, so we only work for Giant Horn City. This job can go one of three ways. One: they solve the problem through negotiation. We don’t have to lift a finger and can just collect our pay!”

“If negotiations break down and open conflict erupts, we join the war. Win or lose, we get paid.”

“If they can’t reach an agreement but don’t dare to start a real war, then that’s where we come in. We wipe out this village, find the Black Goat, hand it over to Giant Horn City’s Independent Investigator, and collect the big payday!”

That made everything crystal clear.

Han Su said no more. Seeing that the night was about to fade, he picked up his case, took the small path through the mountains, and headed toward the village deeper in the range ahead.

Back at the temporary base, the other team members watched Han Su’s figure disappear. Lalei recalled the bottle of ink Akbar had given Han Su and sighed. “Looks like you really want him, huh…”

Akbar gave a cold laugh and shook her head. “A pity. Such a handsome man should have become a drone!”

“Now, he can only be like the rest of you.”

“…”

“…”

‘A small village that worships mysterious things spawned an aberration, so it was designated a secret prison by an Independent Investigator?’

As Han Su walked along the mountain path into the village, he thought to himself. For some reason, this situation felt inexplicably familiar.

Qinggang had, in fact, followed the same pattern.

Whether it was Li Moxi, Zhao Fantian, or King Buddha, they all guarded similar secret prisons. The difference with Giant Horn City was that in the area surrounding Qinggang, it reigned supreme; no one could compete with it.

‘The Mysterious World is really not what I imagined,’ he mused. ‘Living in the comfort of the civilized world, you can’t see its true face at all. You know it’s dangerous outside the city, but you have no idea to what extent.’

Han Su covered the ten-odd li of mountain road in no time.

At the village entrance, he took out a handkerchief and wiped the layer of dirt from his shoes. When he looked up, he saw a town of crude, ancient buildings that gave off an air of destitution.

Everyone here, whether man or woman, young or old, wore a headscarf. Upon seeing him, an outsider, their expressions became cold and strange, stirring an instinctual sense of unease.

‘That woman wants me to scout the roads here and look for the Black Goat altar?’

‘How is that any different from a suicide mission?’

Han Su thought to himself as he slowly entered the village. People drying grain near the entrance stared at him with fixed gazes. Han Su looked back, broke into a friendly smile, and asked gently, “Is there an inn here?”

The villager drying grain stared at him for a long moment before slowly asking, “What’s your business here?”

“Sightseeing,” Han Su said with a smile.

His smile was flawless. The villager stared at him for another long moment before slowly pointing in a certain direction.

“Thank you!”

Han Su walked straight ahead, keeping his eyes fixed forward and avoiding eye contact. He slowly passed the crowds that had quietly gathered on the sides of the path. Fresh animal hides were plastered to the earthen walls, emitting a foul, metallic stench. Nearby, fly-covered racks were hung with unrecognizable slabs of bloody meat.

CRUNCH… CRUNCH…

A faint but distinct sound of chewing grass was ever-present. It was a weak but clear, continuous noise that wormed its way into his ears, creating a suffocating feeling in his chest.

Han Su ignored all the bizarre details and kept walking until he reached the end of the road inside the village.