"Most likely a shapeshifter."
Back at the apartment, Rowena couldn’t wait to showcase her extensive knowledge, "An event on the Empire’s border is almost certainly the work of a shapeshifter. Do you need my help? I’ve handled over ten shapeshifter cases while freelancing, calling me an expert wouldn’t be an overstatement. Naturally, my fees are a bit higher."
This time, she wasn’t bluffing. In her eyes, shapeshifters were walking side incomes.
Some powerful shapeshifters were beyond the hunters at the border. She could seize the opportunity to make a good profit.
Ethan shook his head, "The Guild’s hunters wouldn’t make such a basic mistake. If it were a shapeshifter, they would have discovered it on their first visit."
When he was still a clerk, he recommended all novice hunters read "Your Guide to 100 Dark Creatures." This could effectively increase their survival rate. Ximu Town was a rare rookie village, where you rarely encountered particularly powerful dark creatures around the town, even low-level dark creatures like werewolves and shapeshifters were seldom seen.
This directly resulted in most of the Hunter’s Guild’s commissions being similar to errands.
"You just need to cut a small slit on a shapeshifter with a silver tool to identify them. It’s even easier if you have items blessed by the clergy of the Church."
Rowena looked confident, "Want to make a bet? Bet 25 Gold Lions. I think it’s either a shapeshifter or a possession incident. It must have evaded detection in some way. Shapeshifters that can blend into human society are usually very smart."
Since Ethan wasn’t willing to pay her for the investigation, she planned to win through a bet.
"I don’t mind, but don’t cry if you lose."
Ethan didn’t know where Rowena got her confidence from; in his view, it was no different than handing over money.
"I won’t cry, just get ready with 25 Gold Lions. We’ll investigate separately, no cheating when the time comes!"
Rowena smiled with crescent-shaped eyes and took out the crystal ball for divination in front of Ethan, "Let me show you my skills. A shapeshifter can’t escape my divination skill."
Divination skill, apart from cutting magic, was her most proficient discipline because it was the quickest way to earn money.
She sat on the floor, placing the crystal ball on the coffee table, her hands hovering over the crystal ball, exhibiting a demeanor reminiscent of when she first arrived in Ximu Town.
Unfortunately, her momentum didn’t last long. Her face darkened with the light and shadow of the crystal ball; her open hands clenched into fists, her body quivering slightly. After a long silence, Rowena finally opened her eyes and took a deep breath, "Ethan, do you know? There’s a custom in my hometown."
She revealed what she thought was her purest and most innocent smile.
"If a bet hasn’t officially started, surrendering only requires paying half the stake. Can I surrender?"
"Forget it, let’s cancel the bet this time."
Ethan didn’t expect the girl to back down so quickly. Given her sincere attitude and help in ruling out the wrong answer, he decided to let it slide.
He worried whether Rowena would sleep well after losing so much money at once.
"That won’t do, I’m a person of principles! I surrender, here’s 12 Gold Lions and 50 Silver Gazelles for you!"
Rowena painfully took out her purse and resignedly handed the stake to Ethan, muttering under her breath, "This town is definitely strange, not even a single shapeshifter or possession managed to infiltrate!"
Ethan, on the other hand, thought Rowena had made a contribution. At least when he goes to Old Leicht’s farm tomorrow, there’s no need to cut Little Leicht’s arm with a silver dagger. He guessed the kid had been cut enough recently.
From what he remembered, Little Leicht was a sensible child, helping with the farm work from a young age.
Ethan returned home and lay on his bed when he heard Lindong’s voice from the energy crystal.
A goodnight greeting urging him to sleep early and rise early, along with a report that the two-man and one-chicken team had camped in the deep mountains outside the empire’s borders. The experienced Bian had detected signs of monster activity. Perhaps in the next day or two, they could bring back a sub-dragon as a trophy.
Ethan wished Lindong a good night before lying flat on the bed, contemplating other possibilities.
When everyone saw the commission, their first thought was either a shapeshifter or a possession, but after ruling out both, Ethan couldn’t think of any dark creature that could silently replace Little Leicht.
He wasn’t optimistic about this commission. The more difficult it was to find out, the more dangerous it often was.
He slept lightly, waking up at dawn the next day, got dressed, washed up, and broke off half a hard loaf of bread to eat on the way.
The farmers of Ximu Town always got up very early, so he wasn’t worried about finding no one home during his visit. When he arrived at Old Leicht’s farm, there was no bleeding incident or any horrific scenes. The first thing he saw was Little Leicht tending to the cowshed. The boy, less than five feet tall, was carrying bundles of dry straw, running to and fro, preparing for winter.
Old Leicht was also awake, sitting on a chair outside the house, staring intently at Little Leicht’s back with eyes full of resentment, his bloodshot eyeballs bulging with loathing and hatred.
Even though it was a very common scene, Ethan couldn’t help but feel a chill.
"Mr. Leicht, I received the commission you registered at the Guild, and now the case is officially under the jurisdiction of the Reception Bureau."
Upon hearing this, Old Leicht cast a cold glance at Ethan, "If you’re here to tell me what those hunters said, that the demon is my son, then you might as well get lost now!"
Old Leicht’s tone was unfriendly. Ethan noticed his heavy dark circles, suggesting he hadn’t slept in a long time.
The axe was placed beside the chair, within his reach, indicating he was on guard, worried that Little Leicht might suddenly attack him while doing farm work.
"Let’s go through the situation first. The hunters ruled out the shapeshifter and possession, but that doesn’t mean your concerns are unnecessary, Mr. Leicht. What makes you think your son is possessed by a demon?"
Long-term insomnia left Old Leicht mentally exhausted, his fear of the demon fueling his anger, "The demon is on his back right now!"
Ethan looked at Little Leicht again. The boy was diligently working on the farm, feeding the cows after finishing the straw, displaying the same industriousness as during his last farm visit. Most importantly, there was no demon on his back—nothing was there.
If anyone seemed abnormal, it was only Old Leicht.
"When did this demon you mentioned appear?"
"Was there anything unusual that day?"
"Isn’t this unusual enough? When I got back to town, the demon had moved into my house while I was away."
Old Leicht said viciously, "Now, get it off my son!"