"My wife and child's death was caused by it?" George's expression went blank, the iron shovel slipping from his grasp. He seemed to age years in an instant.
George stared at the corpses in the coffin, struggling to find words. He couldn't accept this devastating truth.
After a prolonged silence, he murmured with regret and self-reproach, "I obtained this from a corpse last year. At that time, I hadn't yet gone bankrupt—I was still a grain merchant, traveling the sea routes between Feysac and Loen."
He continued, "I remember it was a Tuesday night. Due to a storm, I followed the fleet with my goods to 'Blue Star' island on the eastern side of the Misty Sea. Fearing the heavy rain would damage my cargo, I didn't join the other passengers at the port inn but stayed alone in a temporarily rented warehouse."
George wiped his eyes. "Exhaustion overcame me, and I slept early. But in the night's depths, I heard weak cries for help—right outside the gate, perhaps thirty steps from my sleeping quarters. Having dealt with Feysac people for years, I immediately recognized the language."
He paused. "You know, sir, the Misty Sea harbors many pirates. Out of merchant's caution, I took my double-barreled hunting rifle and investigated. But when I opened the door, I didn't find the pirate trap I'd imagined. Instead, I discovered a man lying on the ground, broken in half but somehow still alive."
George's voice trembled. "He had short green hair, wore a linen shirt, and possessed an aged face. Claw marks covered his body as if he'd been attacked by some large beast. His skin had swollen grotesquely, oozing pus. That was the first time I'd seen someone with such horrific injuries. I was terrified."
"Upon seeing me, that middle-aged man turned his head with difficulty. He told me that ten minutes after his death, I should take a green gemstone and remaining Feysac gold from his chest. He said if I delivered it to the boss of the port bar at Maan Port in Feysac, I could receive gold equivalent to 500 pounds in Loen coins. He seemed to want to say more, but his voice was too unclear to understand..."
"Obviously," Nimrod said, rubbing the gemstone in his pocket, "you didn't follow his instructions."
George sat on the soil, tears streaming. "I was too frightened and didn't want trouble. If I'd become involved in a case due to a dead man's affairs, my goods would have been detained, causing enormous losses. So after taking the green gemstone, I pushed his body into the harbor and returned to the warehouse."
His hands covered his pain-stricken face. "I originally planned to deliver this gemstone when I next purchased grain in Feysac, but my wife loved it dearly and couldn't bear to part with it. I was also delayed by losses from the 'Grain Law'..."
"So they died from prolonged contact and carrying it," Nimrod concluded, looking at the kneeling, weeping man with a long, deep sigh.
As an angel-level astrologer, Nimrod knew exactly what the green gemstone was—a Beyonder characteristic left behind after an Earth pathway Sequence 7 "Harvest Priest's" death. For unknown reasons, it hadn't combined with surrounding objects to form a sealed artifact but had maintained its characteristic state.
After causing Winona and her child's deaths, it had begun forming a sealed artifact, using bloodline connections to affect George, who was already wandering the streets.
"Fortunately, he encountered me," Nimrod mused. "A few more days' delay, and he might have died in nightmares. Strange, though—why would a sealed artifact formed from Earth pathway characteristics have dream-related effects? Rule imbalance? Or some other influence?"
Regarding the deceased "Harvest Priest," based on George's description, he was likely a Beyonder from the Earth Mother Church. Given his sequence level, he was probably a team captain who had encountered an attack or accident, suffering mortal injuries and dying outside the warehouse before completing his final words.
"Broken body, beast-like claw marks, Earth Mother Church member, pus-covered wounds—these characteristics suggest a werewolf killed him. The source of aberrant evil is the Rose School, which has maritime forces in the Misty Sea..."
Nimrod frowned and temporarily set aside his speculation. The "Harvest Priest's" spirit had long since dissipated, leaving mental remnants too fragmented for channeling. Perhaps only by locating his remaining spirit in the spirit world could the truth be uncovered.
"Regardless, it's an unexpected gain. It can be used to cultivate a Healer or create a sealed artifact."
A swirling breeze lifted the kneeling George. Nimrod smiled calmly. "This isn't your fault. As an ordinary person, your decision was correct. If you'd followed that man's instructions, there would have been only one outcome—house arrest in the Earth Mother Church, never seeing your family again."
"Why?" George asked in confusion.
"The reason is simple—because you're Loenese, and because you worship the Night."
Nimrod raised his right hand, inserting it directly into the void. Two seconds later, he withdrew a bankbook bearing royal seals and silver edges—a Loen Royal Bank passbook.
After checking the balance, he handed it over. "There's 1,200 pounds here—consider it advance payment. When this matter concludes entirely, go to Pritz Harbor Fishermen's Association and find a committee member named Dorian Gray. Tell him Nimrod sent you, and he'll pay the remaining debt."