Signs of the Fall (1) <Side: Raysi Gliss>
『Martyr Moon - 22nd (Evening)』
"Emergency... situation?"
He was trying his utmost to stay calm, but the guard captain's voice trembled ever so slightly. If even the man who led the guards was this rattled, it meant something unprecedented had happened right now... but why come to me?
"Whatever the reason, is it serious enough to call in an adventurer like me?"
"I'll explain later. But we desperately need your help, Raysi..."
"Hoo... Give me a moment to get ready."
The face that briefly peeked from under his hood was the textbook image of a guard worn down by fatigue and endless duties. That even the guard captain—who should be rallying his men—wore such an expression meant this was something he personally had to handle. More than that, coming to ask me for help suggested an incident so extraordinary that the territory itself could no longer contain it.
I threw a cloak over my casual clothes, grabbed my spear, and stepped out.
"Let's go."
The guard captain, who called himself Francis Wing, turned on his heel the moment he saw me and hurried toward the lord's manor with brisk steps.
"Not many patrols out tonight."
"We've pulled everyone from the east sector guards and patrols—except minimal staff—and redeployed them to the west sector."
"West sector...? What's going on there?"
The west... That was where I'd been today. Visiting Alex's party's inn, meeting Myrit and Elizabeth outside the Guild, picking up Muse... A place full of incidents. Pulling over half their forces there meant something was unfolding that even the guards couldn't handle.
"There have been disappearances in the west sector..."
"Disappearances? Who vanished that you'd need that many people—and still call on a single adventurer for help?"
Alleys were where society's underbelly gathered: vagrants, homeless, pickpockets. In this wolf lord's territory, the lord's welfare policies had noticeably thinned their numbers compared to elsewhere. But reaching out to an outsider adventurer over alley disappearances? That didn't add up. It would tarnish the guard's honor.
"It's not who... Every single vagrant in all the west sector alleys has vanished without exception."
"Every one...? Isn't that an exaggeration? There are over 40 alley blocks in this east sector alone... You didn't just check a portion and jump to conclusions, did you?"
"Absolutely not! I scouted from the air while my men combed every inch on the ground. No trace of anyone. As if no one had ever been there..."
Francis explained what he'd witnessed, his voice trembling as before.
"But that's odd. How did the guards not notice until now? And surely some townsfolk have ties to those alley folk. No one raised the alarm?"
A brief silence fell as we splashed through puddles in the steady drizzle. I mulled my own questions, then voiced them to the captain—and he broke the quiet.
"We caught on around lunchtime. Guards from the west sector burst into HQ, terrified, reporting every vagrant gone."
"And what did you do?"
"A few people vanishing from alleys is routine, even in a well-policed territory... I planned to brush it off at first. Then it hit me: When was the last west sector report?"
"Ah..."
Francis halted, and I stopped with him. We'd reached the manor without realizing. Lights blazed despite bedtime hours, and guards bustled through the iron gates that should have been shut tight.
Francis flung off his hood and glanced back.
"The lord will answer your questions, Raysi."
"Wait—where are you going? And what was that just now!?"
"Back to searching. A maid inside will guide you to the lord's office. Your comrades are already here. Farewell..."
With that, Francis unfurled massive green wings hidden under his hood and soared into the sky.
His mention of "missing west sector reports." That was the key to this disappearance crisis. Because... I had my suspicions about that discrepancy too.
Ignoring my unease, the rain intensified as I passed through the open gates into the grand manor's depths.
The manor buzzed inside like outside. Servants rushed about with papers and supplies well past evening rest time.
As I entered, a maid approached.
"Raysi Gliss, sir. The lord awaits. This way, please..."
She too looked utterly exhausted, leading me without pause—like she'd worked nonstop for hours.
After passing down a hall lined with red carpet, a woman with long purple hair came into view by a door.
"This is the lord's office. Wait with your companion, please. I'll take my leave..."
The maid curtsied lightly and departed, leaving the quiet hall with just two of us: me and Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth, you're here too."
"Speak for yourself. Didn't expect the lord to summon you as well."
We both found the coincidence odd. Two high-rank adventurers called urgently? This wouldn't end simply. And Elizabeth's presence meant her partner was likely here too—though absent from this spot...
"Myrit's talking with the lord?"
"Yeah. He wanted a word first. We were about to sleep when the guard captain or whoever shows up yelling emergency, begging for help."
Francis must've gone to her before me. She wore a thick leather cloak over wine-red pajamas, massive gun in hand—clearly roused in haste.
Minutes into her grumbling, the door behind her opened.
"Liza, come in now... What? The lord called Raysi too? Anyway, both of you, in. I'd have talked later regardless."
Myrit seemed surprised by my arrival—her tired eyes widening briefly before settling. She moved sluggishly, as if every action annoyed her, ushering us inside.
Entering the lord's chamber, my eyes hit a taxidermied wolf head bound in silver chains—the lord's crest on the wall. Below stood the lord himself, stern-faced over documents: a man of honed physique and neatly trimmed silver hair.
His name: Edward Silverlight. Once a famed monster hunter who slaughtered beasts like a savage wolf. Rewarded with this territory by the king, he'd grown it vast through shrewd management.
"Forgive the late hour. Raysi. Elizabeth. Circumstances demand it—bear with my rudeness."
Too pressed even for proper greetings, he eyed his paperwork stacks and welcomed us in a deep voice.
Elizabeth and I took seats at the room's center, sharing the heavy air.
"So, lordship. Care to explain properly? Dragging folks from bed with no word isn't how you get volunteers, right?"
Elizabeth crossed her legs, arms draped arrogantly over the rests, glaring. Rude on the surface—but the lord ignored it, continuing.
"Roughly 200 vagrants from the west sector alleys—gone. Alleys swept clean, no traces left."
Mixing sighs, he recounted the incident calmly, his face etched with the same fatigue and worry as the servants I'd passed. He set aside his papers atop the pile and turned to us.
Even at a distance, his charisma and dignity shone unfiltered.
"My apologies again. Territory incidents are the guards' duty—but this is too grave and perilous for us alone. Hence calling on high-rank adventurers like you."
He bowed his head to us. The esteemed lord's guards, admired by citizens for their record—yet even they needed our party's aid.
"I'll handle the details. Liza. Raysi. That alright, lordship?"
"Please do."
Easing the lord's burden, Myrit volunteered. They'd likely conferred privately earlier—vital talk for this party's nominal leader, and he'd heard the full story.
"Disappearances started at earliest yesterday morning. Noticed at lunch today, investigation launched immediately. Around 200 missing."
"Hold up...? Probe started at lunch? Way too late! Whoever the perp, guards fumbling a full day worsened it, no?"
Elizabeth snapped irritably at the lord upon hearing it all. I shared her frustration—but a strange dissonance nagged me. And I wasn't alone. At least one... no, two knew this oddity.
First: the man before me, startled by Elizabeth's outburst, soothing her.
"Myrit. You feel it too, right? That nagging discrepancy somewhere."
"Knew you would."
"What...? Some secret I'm out of the loop on?"
He knew it too—that dissonance. Yesterday, heading from Alex's inn to the Guild, I'd glanced at the alleys... and dismissed them. Seemed normal then, but now it felt deliberately manipulated.
"Perception hindrance barrier, probably."
Myrit thought the same. Some mysterious barrier over the alleys had forcibly altered my thoughts on them. Even Myrit, en route to the teahouse from the Guild, mentioned alleys first—then interest severed. And the unflappable lord suggested he'd heard from another who knew.
"Matches what the captain said. West sector patrols likely hit by it too—ignored the alleys."
Missing reports. That's what Francis meant before leaving. Wait...! So the lord investigated the barrier? Maybe even cracked it. That would narrow the culprit hunt.
Before I spoke, Elizabeth cut in.
"You knew about the barrier already, lordship? Investigated it? For something this big, you called Heri too, right—not just us?"
"Indeed. Hours ago, it was just theory. But to miss no lead, I dispatched a messenger to the guild master. She sent her familiar; it scanned the alleys, detected barrier traces."
"Results?"
"None, regrettably. No mana residue—not even fight signs or victims' belongings."
He clenched his fist in frustration, admitting the barrier probe failed. But it was mere hypothesis; absence wasn't odd. A grand mage like the guild master finding zilch meant... maybe no barrier—or wrong detection method.
"Lordship. A suggestion."
"What...? Got a lead?"
"Barriers divide into mana and holy power. Lesser known: they're opposites—mana misses holy, holy misses mana. If it's a holy barrier... guild master wouldn't detect it."
"Meaning a cleric might be involved?"
"Can't rule it out. You said yourself: miss no possibility. Holy scan showing traces narrows suspects hugely."
Myrit and the lord pondered gravely. Natural reaction. A supposedly pure, egalitarian cleric in crime? Scandalous alone.
"Hoo... Calling you was right. I'll dispatch a holy detector at once. It's late—rest now."
"W-Wait, that's it? Drag us here just to chat and send us off? Thought you needed more."
"Planned to, but new lead takes priority. Weather's foul, night deep, sectors un checked. Details tomorrow."
The case shifted again. 200 vagrants gone warranted headlines—but cleric ties? Uproar. The lord would solve it swiftly, pre-publicity. Hence summoning us.
At his dismissal, we rose one by one. As we headed out, his deep voice filled the room again.
"This is entirely our failure. Sorry to burden you too. But the missing are precious territory folk. Not my place—who drove them to vagrancy—but they need your strength, as do I. Heartfelt thanks for coming."
He bowed to us departing, hand over heart in salute. A leader saluting mere adventurers revealed his upright soul beyond title.
We returned light bows and finally exited.
Hold on... If yesterday morning... Alex's party was out. And Clarice skipping church for a month... No way... Probably not. Odds of it all connecting? Slim... Probably...
"Hah... Damn, makes me feel like an ass. Now what'm I after mouthing off...?"
"Told you to think before speaking. Late night or not, blowing up like that?"
"Didn't know the backstory... No face left for the lord now."
My husband, Raysi, and I left the lord's room, strolling the hall out. Maybe I should've held back...? Sigh, water under the bridge. Rest deep tonight, hustle tomorrow.
We'd gone quiet post-talk when exiting. Pity the maids and guards still frantic since I arrived.
Speaking of—where's that bitch hiding amid this? Hubby's busting ass...
"Liza! Hold up!"
"Haa... Speak of the devil. Where've you been till now?"
"What? I was working hard! Just reported progress to hubby—he said you left, so I came."
Gasping, wild-eyed fool before me. Neat night-brown hair, whip at waist: ex-party mate, lord's wife. Anidia Serendipity.
"So why chase me? Crisis mode—no side gigs."
"Wha—! Liza, I know boundaries!"
Her chronic hoarding, endless high-rank beast capture quests—always tempted to deck her. Last time with Heri, bragging about looting shops; I smashed the table.
"Hubby's stressing, head wrapped—ain't taking my whims now... No! Real talk!"
"Madam. If it's unrelated, may I excuse myself?"
"Ah, Raysi? Better if you hear, but whatever. Liza'll spill tomorrow."
"Hah? Why me..."
"Farewell. Madam. See you tomorrow. Elizabeth, Myrit."
Raysi bolted. What's his deal? Thinking hard...
"Then I'll head out too. Liza can fill me tomorrow."
"W-Wait...! You too...!?"
Hubby ditched me too!! He vanished into the rain past the gates. Left: me and Anidia.
...Lame chat and I smash her skull.
"Spit it out—what's so urgent holding up busy folk? Bullshit and you eat fist."
"Hear me out. It's big. Those two might not get it—but ex-party you will."
"...Out with it. No dragging."
Only I, old comrade, gets it? No way...
"My gut's screaming. This vanishing lures someone out. That's the real aim."
Bait to draw someone? Us!?
"Dunno specifics. Not grunts or randos. Big names—at least you, hubby, Raysi. Maybe me or captain."
Partying with Anidia back then, her one reliable trait: instincts. Like beasts fleeing disaster, she'd warn at omens.
Stressing "gut" to me? Old bonds.
Hah... Now I look dumb after cursing her...
"Deployed everything, scoured territory—no shadows. Not inside at least. Or snuck 200 past guards in a day..."
"...Got it. Thanks for tip. Tell others tomorrow. You too— we'll crack it. Culprits and missing."
"Yeah... You hustle. ...Hey, Liza. Case wraps nice, that beast from last time...?"
"Scram! Psycho bitch! Hah, feeling grateful briefly makes me the idiot!"
"Eek!?"
People don't change—pathetic me cheering her seconds ago. I left stunned Anidia, storming out.
Rain fiercer; good I had the cape. Else drowned rat.
Hubby ditched me solo? Home, he ain't getting off easy...
"Liza, done with the wife?"
"...Huh!? W-What—you headed home first?"
Why're you here? Saw you go...
No way... Waited till we finished?
"No scumbag hubby ditches his wife on a nasty night."
...Haa, who knows how many times today. I curse first, they got reasons—I look fool. Skip cursing? Rage kills me.
"Dunno what she said, but rain's worsening—home, wash, sleep. Busier tomorrow."
He swept my bangs, whispering sweetly.
Yeah... Can't hate him for this. No woman hates a man who cares for weak, treats kindly. I'm one.
"Busy tomorrow. Let's go... Oh, Anidia said..."
I hooked arms with hubby, braving rain home. Bitter cold? With you, toasty.
Cozy couple strolling thick downpour. Painter'd immortalize it!
After parting with Myrit and Elizabeth, I headed straight home. One possibility popped up coincidentally as I left the manor.
Coincidence? Or suspicion-stacked deduction?
Pondering, I hit home and plunged into deep sleep.
[Aah♥ My love, Muse♥]
[Glacia♥ Grace♥ Love you forever♥]
What...?
As sleep took me, two women appeared. Pink and blue-skinned, bare from the waist up in a lake, lips devouring each other.
What the...?
Kissing vulgarly, whispering love, they clutched breasts too massive for "voluptuous"—radiating unspeakable lewdness.
The pink-skinned one felt familiar. Muse... my eternal love, my light.
[Ahat♥ You saw♥]
Unmistakable vivid hot-pink hair, seductive voice. But my fiancée—naked, eagerly groped another, not me.
[Watch more, Raysi...♥ I wanna see♥ Your icy face twist♥ Smmph♥]
Muse's skin dyed pink, horns jutting from her ponytail tie, left arm—meant for prosthetic—swollen black and grotesque. Body exploded beyond recognition; her face, but not her.
She winked my way mockingly, then resumed savage kissing.
[Smmrp♥ Slrrp♥ Mmmwah♥ Glacia♥ Ravish my mouth harder♥♥]
[Mwah♥ Slurrp♥ Of course♥ Muse♥]
Blue-skinned being professed love like Muse's lover. Unreal or not, stealing another's fiancée enraged me.
[Haa♥ Glacia♥ C-Can't hold back♥]
[Hehe♥ Kuhuhu♥ Me too at limit♥ Muse♥ We vowed eternal love♥]
Blue back-turned, face unseen—but body as violent as, or more than, Muse's. Crushing Muse's huge tits with hers, flaunting...
Long tongues slathered mouths stickily, feverishly kneading backs, asses, breasts. As hands neared groins, both turned to me.
[Glacia♥ Humans weren't right. Love you most—who remade me♥ Only you♥]
[Hehe♥ Silly Muse♥ I love you most too♥]
Sweet confessions like long lovers, light cheek kisses. I clenched impossible fists, gnashed impossible teeth, shed impossible tears.
Muse taunted with more whispers. Ears shut? No—intangible, forced to watch.
[Puha♥ Glacia's saliva so sweet♥♥]
[You too... Licking till my mouth melts♥ Love you... Muse♥]
"Ngh..."
Just wake. I know Muse wouldn't cheat. Me dreaming it? Insult, pathetic delusion.
[Now... Pitiful male who split our love. Useless wretch. Raysi Gliss. Time to wake♥ Next time... Become one♥]
Blue smirked evilly; blinding light swallowed me, consciousness gone.
『Martyr Moon - 23rd (Morning)』
"...Haa, uwaaah!"
Sweat-soaked, gasping. Impossible nightmare felt real.
"...Hoo, ha. Muse..."
I shoved damp sheets aside, sat on bed's edge, catching breath. Etched Muse's image anew: hot-pink twintails, masterful musician—my proud fiancée.
"Damn... Morning already..."
Sunlight streamed in, crisp metal clangs heralded dawn.
"Must hurry... Haa... Foul dream first thing."
Guild for yesterday's case by morning. Shaking unease, I prepped to leave.
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