Chapter 71: The Man-Eating Demon Hounds

Marlon, of course, had no idea about the judgment or expectations Mayor Kachibu had placed upon him. All he knew was that by the time he arrived at the Surplus Military Supply Depot, the facility’s highest commanding officer—Major Coleman, the military representative—had already departed for Maple Villa.

The man who received Marlon was a middle-aged officer wearing the crisp uniform of a National Guard Captain. He introduced himself simply, his tone formal yet not unfriendly.

“Captain Harken,” he said.

In the Republic of Loring, the army was divided into two distinct branches by function: the National Guard, which served as both the local defense and reserve force, and the National Defense Army, which handled external campaigns.

If Marlon’s memory served him correctly, Major Coleman belonged to the latter—the National Defense Army—not to the National Guard, like Captain Harken. That division of authority had supposedly been established to allow mutual oversight and prevent internal corruption. Unfortunately, it seemed that this system of “checks and balances” was far from successful.

“Marlon Lister, first of all, I must thank you,” Captain Harken began, even before glancing at the mayor’s writ Marlon handed over. “You’ve done my sister a great favor.”

“Your sister?” Marlon blinked in confusion. “I’m… afraid I don’t recall ever meeting her.”

Harken smiled faintly, as though expecting that reaction. “Her name is Clarissa.”

Clarissa?

Ah—that Clarissa, the lady who had caused such a commotion yesterday. The one whose likeness to the famous ‘Goddess of Paraguay’ had set off that ridiculous duel.

Still, wasn’t he the one who had ruined her plans? How had that turned into helping her?

“My brother-in-law,” Harken explained, his tone lowering a notch, “was killed during the recent slave uprising—his soul completely destroyed. Because of that, my sister inherited a rather substantial fortune.”

So that’s how it was.

Marlon finally understood. Those two decrepit old fools dueling yesterday… they’d been after both beauty and fortune.

“Captain,” Marlon said with habitual modesty, “I truly just stumbled into that situation by accident. You really don’t need to thank me.”

But Harken only shook his head firmly. “Whatever your intentions may have been, the fact remains—you helped my sister.”

His voice then turned official again as he lowered his gaze to the mayor’s writ. “However, according to military regulations, in Major Coleman’s absence, I—being the deputy representative—am not permitted to open the depot or release any military supplies.”

That statement made Marlon’s heart tighten. He was already preparing to reason with Harken—perhaps appeal to his sense of duty or morality—but the captain spoke again before he could.

“Of course,” Harken added casually, “the same regulations do require me to enter the warehouse with my men once every half month… to inspect for spoiled or decayed items due to poor management.”

At that, Inspector Bernard, who had been quietly listening, suddenly broke his silence.

“Captain Harken,” he said in a measured voice, “how much would it cost to ensure that the soldiers accompanying you… don’t see anything they shouldn’t see?”

Harken turned his eyes toward Bernard, then lifted one hand, palm outward, fingers spread.

“If the amount of ‘damaged goods’ is small,” he said meaningfully, “then this much per person… should suffice.”

“Five hundred Lants each? Done!” Marlon cut in immediately.

He was already braced for a heavy expenditure. Harken could have meant five Lants, or even fifty, but Marlon had no patience to haggle. Better to follow Ivna’s example—crush resistance with an overpayment.

But to his surprise, Captain Harken looked genuinely startled. “No, no! Five hundred is far too much,” he said, shaking his head repeatedly. “Fifty Lants per soldier is enough. The only one who’ll need a larger fee is the mage who reconstitutes the energy crystals. Five hundred Lants would be a fair sum for him.”

That honest reaction made Marlon warm to the man. Harken could easily have accepted Marlon’s inflated offer, pocketed the excess, and no one would have known. Yet his first instinct had been to clarify.

Given that Marlon had recently received a check for two hundred and fifty thousand Lants, the cost of a few small bribes was laughably manageable.

So, after confirming that ten “warehouse guards” would be accompanying Harken, Marlon took out his checkbook and swiftly wrote eleven checks—nine for fifty Lants each, one for five hundred, and one more, post-dated for two days later… for five thousand Lants.

Half an hour later, the transaction was complete. Marlon held in his hands the energy storage magic crystal that Musa Mein had specified.

“Marlon Lister,” Captain Harken said as he escorted him to the depot gate, his tone lowering with quiet caution, “be careful on your way back. There may be… man-eating demon hounds wandering tonight.”

He dragged out those last four words just slightly.

Marlon understood instantly. Those “demon hounds” were no beasts—they were men, likely killers, prowling the streets.

“Thank you for the warning,” Marlon replied with a polite bow. “Once this matter is resolved, I’ll be sure to visit again—to thank you properly, Captain.”

Harken had refused the five-thousand-Lant “gift,” instead inviting Marlon to come back afterward for afternoon tea.

The captain only smiled, then lifted his gaze toward the sky—now completely dark, the horizon swallowed by black. “Go,” he said softly, waving them off. “You’ve already lingered here far too long.”

Heeding that warning, Inspector Bernard immediately started the patrol car and sped toward the orphanage district.

After a long silence, as the engine roared through the empty streets, Bernard muttered under his breath, “That sly old fox…”

“Who? Captain Harken?” Marlon asked instinctively.

“No,” Bernard said sharply, his eyes still fixed on the road. “Major Coleman. He set this up before leaving for that banquet. Every part of it. And old Kachibu too—he’s another cunning devil. He was right there at the dueling ground yesterday, remember? But the moment you and Benjamin Von Stein started quarreling, he vanished.”

Bernard’s tone was laced with grim understanding.

“So in other words,” Marlon said, connecting the pieces, “both the mayor and this elusive Major Coleman are just… watching. Waiting for tomorrow’s outcome before choosing a side?”

“Exactly.” Bernard nodded heavily.

Marlon opened his mouth to speak again—

—but before he could, a monstrous steam truck, massive as a dump hauler, suddenly shot out from a crossroad ahead, bearing down on them at breakneck speed, aimed directly at their patrol car.

The deafening roar of its engine tore through the night—

—and then, everything exploded into motion.