Chapter 31: The Simple Folk of Novalis

A slightly worn-down carriage sped along Chris Mountain Road.

The wheels rumbled along, the carriage jolting slightly over the uneven road.

Inside, a black-haired man was studying a magic map, while the silver-haired girl beside him was wrapped in a brown blanket, her eyes half-closed as if resting.

Five days had passed since they set out.

During those five days, Elena and Fen, in order to conceal their tracks, had been hiring a new coachman and a new carriage every few dozen miles from the relay stations.

That said, despite the frequent murders in Novalis that had the whole city on edge, nothing unusual had happened along the way.

This was somewhat unexpected.

Fen tucked the map into his pocket and pulled the curtain aside slightly to look at the scenery outside.

Not far off stood a mountain range, sparse in vegetation, dotted only with pre-laid tracks and scattered ore carts.

“Master… where is this?”

Fen stuck his head out and asked the coachman.

“Sir, this is the Chris Mine. We’re less than ten miles from Ironpivot City,” the coachman replied, putting down his whip and turning his head slightly.

So this was the location of the Chris Ore Vein.

Fen had gotten bored during the ride and finished reading a travel book called Five Minutes Quick Look at Novalis.

The Chris Ore Vein was one of Novalis’s landmarks.

When talking about Novalis, everyone knew of its prosperous economy and the magical technology that every Novalis citizen took pride in.

Contrary to intuition, Novalis had once been just an ordinary coastal port, no different from most seaside towns.

Twenty years before the Light Calendar, the great inventor and geologist Chris discovered a massive amount of elemental ore here.

This pressed the button for Novalis’s development.

The huge quantity of elemental ore provided an immense source of energy, laying an indelible foundation for the later takeoff of Novalis’s industry.

It could be said that the Chris Ore Vein contributed significantly to Novalis’s current economic brilliance and rapid technological development.

“Elena, wake up,” Fen called to the dozing Elena.

“We’re almost there.”

“Mm… okay——”

A very drowsy reply.

Elena rubbed her slightly dark-circled eyes—clearly the journey had exhausted both of them.

“The trip has been surprisingly smooth,” Fen said, stretching.

“Actually, I thought the journey would be as exciting as in the novels…”

“Then it’s your turn to keep watch. I’m going to sleep——”

The carriage’s center of gravity suddenly tilted.

“Whoa——”

Fen braced himself with both hands on the seat to keep from falling.

“S-sir! There’s a group of miners blocking the road!”

The coachman’s panicked voice came from outside the curtain.

No… no way?

It actually came true!?

“Jinx,” Elena said angrily, pinching Fen’s waist, then straightened her dress and got out of the carriage.

“What you fear comes… troublesome…”

Fen muttered gloomily, grabbed his sword, and also got out.

—

Outside, a group of miners stood in a row in the distance, their faces and work clothes covered in dust—clearly they had just been working.

But it was obviously not a warm welcome.

They held pickaxes and shovels, most of them watching Fen and the others warily.

Wait… what’s going on?

Is this how Novalis treats travelers from afar?

Novalis… such simple folk…

“Ahem—”

Fen cleared his throat.

“Brothers—we have no quarrel with you. Why block our carriage?”

The crowd didn’t answer; they exchanged glances, as if waiting for someone to speak.

Finally, a sturdy middle-aged man stepped out from the crowd, his expression troubled.

He wore a red armband on his left shoulder, apparently the foreman.

Notably, a brass mechanical dog followed closely behind him.

“This brother… my apologies…”

“There’s been a murder here just now, so we’re stopping all passing vehicles… could you cooperate for an investigation?”

Murder?

Investigation?

Fen was baffled.

“Sir… I must point out your identities… You look like you’re miners here,” Elena said, frowning with obvious displeasure.

“Why not leave murder investigations to the Enforcers?”

Fen added.

He had read in a pamphlet that Novalis’s local law enforcement were not Knights of the Knight Order but people called “Enforcers.”

“The Enforcers are still on their way… sorry… we’re just trying to secure the scene and detain any suspicious persons——”

Before the man could finish, one of his subordinates spoke up.

“What good are those damned Enforcers? Every time there’s a murder, they open a case and then brush it off——”

“Tom…”

The man’s voice tried to remain restrained, but a hint of warning crept in.

“We’ve lost so many brothers! They’ve investigated for half a year and found nothing!”

Tom, now red-faced, continued shouting.

“Enough!”

The man’s kind face finally carried a note of anger.

“Boss…”

Tom seemed to remember something, or perhaps had touched a taboo, and fell silent timidly.

“Don’t say things like that in public again… it’s bad for everyone…”

The man didn’t lose his temper after all.

“Cole—these three creatures don’t meet the criteria. None of them carry the special mana signature of the suspect.”

An icy voice unlike a human’s tone came through. It was the mechanical dog.

Its eyes flashed red, as if scanning the three people.

“I see…”

The man let out a breath of relief, but then became somewhat dejected.

“We’re here to travel in Novalis—we were just passing the mine.”

Fen roughly understood the situation now.

“This coachman works for us; he can vouch for us.”

Cole waved his hand, and the miners immediately dispersed, heading to other intersections.

Cole and Tom stayed behind to apologize to the two.

“So you’re travelers from afar… I’m Cole, the foreman here.”

Cole’s face showed an indescribable apology.

“I’m really sorry… you’ve just arrived, and you had to see this embarrassment.”

“It’s fine. I’ve heard about the recent spate of disappearances and serial murders in Novalis,” Fen nodded.

After all, they had traveled days at great effort precisely for this.

“However… as far as I know… the authorities haven’t disclosed any details about the culprit… Brother Cole, how are you so sure we’re not the killers?”

As he spoke, Elena and Fen stared at the talking mechanical dog—it was made entirely of brass, with the white characters “01” neatly engraved on the right side of its body; it was now imitating a normal dog, stiffly wagging its brass tail.

“Ah… yes, it’s because of this guy. His name is Magnum. My brother Leno invented him. This mechanical dog is equipped with a language module and has scanning, surveying, and combat functions. It can do a lot of dirty work.”

Cole’s smile carried a hint of pride.

Can one person alone invent such an exquisite creation?

“So… where is your brother…? Was he at the scene just now?”

“…”

Cole’s smile froze on his face.

“The boss’s brother… became an Enforcer not long ago,” Tom said reluctantly.

“But… he suddenly went missing…”

—

Fen and Elena got back into the carriage.

The atmosphere was no longer good for small talk, so they bid the two a hasty farewell.

“Fen…”

Elena spoke worriedly.

“The situation in Novalis is even worse than what the Knight Order reported…”

Fen nodded in agreement.

“Not just in the city… even the mine outside is a crime scene…”

“We can’t reveal our identities… the Pope wants us to investigate—so where should we start?”

Fen clenched his pocket, which held a handwritten letter, still bearing the Pope’s strong, lingering mana traces.

“We’re going to the Sacred Heart Church in the city… to find someone there…”