Jinrai held the edge of the paper delicately. His lips curled into a faint smile. "This," he said, his voice calm but filled with resolve, "can finally push the road construction forward. This changes everything."
Amukelo leaned back on his hands, stretching his legs out on the floor. "But if the attacker was after the surveyor's work… why didn't they take this?" he asked. "This is what mattered the most."
"They probably just missed it," he answered his own question, thinking aloud. "It was hidden in a compartment at the bottom. Took us some time to even notice it. If someone was rushing, or if it was dark, they wouldn't think to check."
Tharion gave a slow nod, but he kept his eyes on the paper. "Still… if the surveyor hid it there himself, it means he was cautious. Maybe he did suspect someone was watching him."
"Or," Idin added thoughtfully, "maybe it was just a way to protect the parchment. Some of the tools in that box were sharp — a stray point could've torn through the paper."
Bral let out a short, dismissive snort. "Okay, okay. The road can be built. Big deal." He crossed his arms and leaned against the bedpost. "But how's that help us find out who's been causing all this crap?"
He glanced at Jinrai. "Did you find anything?"
Jinrai looked up slowly, the smile fading from his face. "Not from the conversations," he admitted. "We spoke to Captain Rhan. Learned more about the early days of this town, and about Eland. Apparently, all he ever used was his sword. No spells. No chants. Just a blade and skill."
Bral nodded. "That lines up with what we heard too."
Jinrai's face shifted. He turned toward Tharion. "Remember earlier? When I asked you if you saw that?"
Tharion blinked, his mind backtracking a few beats. "Oh — yeah. You never told me what that was about."
Jinrai turned toward the others, voice low now, but serious. "When we were at the wall, one of the soldiers — Bavio — was coming down from the watchtower. He adjusted his armor like he was trying to look casual, but…"
He paused. "I saw two red dots. On his neck, right on the traps. Fresh. No doubt that was a vampire bite."
The atmosphere shifted immediately. The temperature in the room felt like it dipped a few degrees. Amukelo straightened. Pao's smile was gone. Bao narrowed her eyes.
Tharion lowered his head slightly. "A vampire bite..."
Jinrai nodded. "And if he has that kind of wound, there's a good chance the other soldier — Shio — is a vampire. They're always in pairs. Rhan even said they hate working with others. That they never separate."
"That would explain a lot," Bral said, now more serious. "This town is isolated. Perfect place to stay unnoticed. If a vampire's hiding, the last thing they'd want is increased traffic. A road would ruin that."
Amukelo furrowed his brow. "Still… why trouble with such a scheme? Why not just ecape to another town?"
Tharion, still looking down, answered quietly. "Because there's nowhere to run to."
They all turned to him. His voice wasn't emotional. It wasn't bitter. It was just heavy.
"Vampires… they're cursed in the eyes of people. Not because of how they are — but because of what they have to do."
He looked up now. "They drink blood. Not because they want to hurt people. Because it's the only way they survive. But that makes them monsters in the eyes of everyone else. No one trusts them. No one protects them. So they wander. Town to town. Village to village."
His voice remained level, but every word pressed into the room like stone.
"They find a place. Maybe even feel normal for a little while. Then cravings take over. Maybe they mess up. Maybe someone starts noticing they're not aging. So they run again. And again."
The group was silent.
"And each time they run, they leave behind fear. Suspicion. Hatred. People hunt them. Kill them. Even if they never hurt anyone. Even if they just tried to live."
He gave a long sigh.
"They're still God's people," he added. "Created like the rest of us. Not evil. Just… different."
Amukelo swallowed hard. Pao leaned forward, her voice quiet. "So what do we do?"
For a few moments, no one spoke. Then Idin finally broke the silence. "But we still need to stop whoever is behind trying to ruin the road project," he said flatly. "Whether or not he's a vampire, if he's the one responsible, that has to come first."
Amukelo nodded slowly. "Right. But just because he's a vampire doesn't mean he's guilty. We need proof. We need to be sure."
Jinrai scratched the side of his jaw and nodded. "Exactly. Which means we confront him. If he's hiding something, he might let something slip."
Pao looked up. "But if he really is responsible… how would he know about the merchant coming? Only a few people knew. Talan, Eland, maybe Rhan."
They all paused, considering that.
"Maybe he overheard someone talking?" Amukelo offered, shrugging. "Or maybe it was posted somewhere and he saw it?"
Tharion frowned, rubbing his temples. "If it was something written… someone had to read it out loud. Would Captain Rhan do that? Just say it in front of the whole squad?"
Jinrai raised a hand to cut through the conversation. "Speculating's not going to give us answers. We need to talk to him directly. We find out what he knows."
With that, the plan was made.
The next morning, the group made their way to the town's military outpost. A squat stone building that looked more like a repurposed storehouse than any fortress. A pair of soldiers stood guard at the front, leaning against their spears like men with more time than orders.
As the group approached, the guards straightened. One of them stepped forward, squinting.
"Hold it. Unauthorized people can't enter the outpost," he said.
Before anyone could offer a response, the doors creaked open from behind, and Captain Rhan stepped out. His brows lifted slightly as he caught sight of the full group.
"You're multiplying fast," he said, arms crossed.
Bral's expression went deadpan. "What are we, a disease?"
Rhan chuckled at that, clearly amused. "Not the worst comparison I've heard. So?" He looked between them. "Something new?"
Jinrai stepped forward. "Yeah, actually. We'd like to speak with you. Privately."
Rhan nodded. "Alright. Come inside."
The guards stood aside, and the group entered the outpost.
Inside, the place was clean, orderly, and far quieter than they expected. The walls were lined with racks of weapons and shelves of reports and ledgers. Several benches were placed along the walls for off-duty soldiers.
Rhan led them to a private room near the back — it had no windows and only one entrance. Once the door shut behind them, he turned to face the group.
"So," he said, lowering himself into a seat. "Are you here to finally tell me what you've found? Or is this another session of squeezing me for info I don't have?"
Jinrai didn't smile. "We're here to share what we found. But it's not easy to hear."
Rhan leaned forward slightly. "Go on."
Jinrai took a breath. "We believe one of your soldiers might be a vampire."
Rhan's demeanor changed immediately. His light humor vanished, replaced with hard calculation. "A vampire," he said quietly. "You're sure?"
Jinrai nodded. "Not entirely. But we have strong reason to believe it. Yesterday, when we accompanied you during the wall check, we passed one of your soldiers — Bavio. When he adjusted his shoulder strap, I saw it. Two red puncture wounds. Classic sign of a vampire bite."
Rhan's jaw tightened.
"And we believe the vampire is Shio — the one posted with him. Bavio lets him feed off him. Explains why they're always assigned together. Why they can't be separated."
Silence followed that statement. Rhan didn't speak immediately. But then he exhaled slowly. "That would explain a lot," he said finally. "The way they isolate themselves. The benefit of the road being delayed."
He stood up, adjusting his belt and sword. "Alright then. Let's go see him."