Chapter 14: A Dual Case.
At the main entrance of the village, rows of wooden houses stood neatly lined along paved streets. Beyond the village boundaries, there was nothing but barren, parched land—decaying and void of life.
There stood **Oliver Morse**, mounted on his horse, flanked by ten soldiers of the Sharman Clan. He had already begun setting up temporary outposts to encircle the village. He hadn't waited for Mayor Doville's consent for this maneuver.
By virtue of his position—which wasn't exceptionally high—he held the rank of **Structural Organization Leader**. Seven ranks still separated him from the title of General. His job, quite simply, involved managing patrols and overseeing criminal affairs within the territories of the Dragon Empire.
While his rank wasn't ordinary, it wasn't elite either; yet, he wielded his authority ruthlessly over his subordinates, bolstered by his allegiance to a ruling house like Sharman and his lineage from the Morse clan.
"Come on, establish a temporary military base here... Hurry up. We must finish the setup before Inspector **Diavli Ofen** arrives," he barked, directing his orders to the soldiers around him.
"Sir... do you truly think we have the right to do this?" one of the soldiers asked, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction and a hint of fear. "We haven't obtained Mayor Doville's approval, and this might provoke his anger."
"Don't concern yourself with that," Oliver replied dismissively. "He will comply regardless. This is an Imperial Decree issued by the Emperor himself. I move in my own name, and even the Mayor of this village will bow to an Imperial Order."
"Sir, I don't think it's that simple..." the soldier persisted. "Morgue Village is one of the places from which significant figures emerged to support the Sharman Clan throughout history. Even the Emperor respects their ancestors. The **Monoth Clan** might be outraged by this sudden, unannounced blockade."
Morgue Village carried a unique historical weight. Thanks to the first Monoth ancestor, the village had nearly become a nascent kingdom, independent of the Sharman Clan's rule—a fact that had caused a major rift within the Monoth family itself.
However, Monoth had refused. Even after the Emperor granted him full rights to the lands to do as he pleased, he chose not to establish a kingdom, preferring to remain under the Sharman Clan's banner. This decision earned him the Emperor's profound respect; he chose loyalty over sovereignty, creating a long history of mutual appreciation between the Monoth and Sharman clans.
"I am well aware of that," Oliver said with clear arrogance. "But the Monoth Clan owned this land previously, only for it to return to the Sharman Clan's possession decades later. By direct decree from the Emperor, I am executing the orders I was tasked with. I doubt the anger of an agricultural clan like Monoth will cause any real trouble."
His arrogance was palpable. The soldier fell silent, realizing the extent of his commander's conceit. He dismounted and began setting up the base at the village border.
Oliver continued to patrol on his horse, scanning the surroundings until he spotted a horse-drawn carriage approaching the exit from the main street. The carriage stopped, and Ogi, Mayor Doville, and Inspector Orgh stepped out.
"We've finally arrived... He's right there, Mayor. The Structural Organization Leader from the Sharman Clan," Ogi whispered, moving quietly alongside Orgh.
Doville had made up his mind not to be lenient in this matter.
"What in the hell are you doing? Blockading Morgue Village? Who gave you the right to do this?" Doville demanded.
Ogi hadn't expected the Mayor to be this firm. *I didn't think the Mayor possessed such a strong personality... even in the face of the Sharman Clan.*
"It is only natural for him to be firm," Orgh noted. "He is the Mayor of a village; the lives of its people are on his shoulders in times of crisis. No one holding such a position has the right to be weak when dealing with anyone, no matter who they are."
Ogi understood then. Indeed, the fates of the people of Morgue were strapped to Doville's back. He was the supreme leader here, and cowardice was not an option.
The Mayor stepped forward until he stood directly before Oliver, meeting his gaze with a harsh, uncompromising stare.
"Well... I suppose the first word should be a welcome, but no matter. I understand your anger regarding this, Mayor," Oliver said with irritating composure. "Might I know your name?"
"Is this the appropriate time to delve into such matters?" Doville snapped. "I am Doville. And what comes next? I want to understand why you are blockading this village without my permission… and who gave you the authority to do so?"
Doville was truly incensed. This act was a blatant disregard for his authority as the supreme leader of Morgue Village—a total insult to his dignity.
"The Emperor himself ordered this. Not I. So do not hold me accountable, Doville," Oliver replied, sensing the tension. "Let us first sit by a quiet fire, and I will explain everything calmly… please, Mayor."
Oliver knew exactly what he had done. He attempted to soften the mood, hoping to prevent the discussion from spiraling into a violent confrontation. "As we speak, you will understand why I acted without your consent… the matter was of the utmost importance."
*"Importance? What does he mean? And where are the bodies Ogi mentioned?"* Orgh thought to himself, before a sudden realization hit him.
"Ogi, aren't you supposed to be preparing the graves for the deceased?"
At that moment, Ogi's face contorted as if he had just received the worst news of his life. "Damn it… I completely forgot!" Without another word, he turned and sprinted away, rushing to secure burial permits and prepare the sites.
Orgh let out a short, muffled laugh. It was a purely bureaucratic chuckle, fitting for a man of his stature.
Orgh wasn't originally from Morgue; he had been raised in the **Mantis Capital**. His father was a Chief of Security and his mother hailed from a noble family. This upbringing had instilled in him the refined manners of the intelligentsia—traits that remained clear in his conduct even as an independent, renowned private investigator.
Oliver watched Ogi run but didn't pay him much mind. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Orgh… and then, he recognized him.
"You… aren't you the Investigator **Orgh Jorvam**? Or am I mistaken?" He recalled the face from one of the posters he had seen.
"Indeed, I am. And you are the Structural Organization Leader, Oliver Morse, of the noble Morse family. It is an honor to meet you." Orgh's response was impeccably respectful, causing a visible smile to spread across Oliver's face.
"Very well… let us sit. Mayor Doville, Investigator Orgh… I shall explain everything."
Doville looked at Orgh in a new light. He hadn't realized the investigator was *this* famous, despite knowing his significant achievements and his reputation for catching high-profile criminals.
Moments later, they were seated around a low fire at a temporary camp.
"Let's get straight to the heart of the matter," Oliver began. "The current Emperor, **Noaith Sharman**, intends to enter into a secret marriage.
It is a highly classified union—even I do not know the identity of the bride. However, this marriage is set to bring immense benefits to the Sharman Clan for generations. A massive fortune of high value was sent as part of this. As the caravan passed near Morgue Village, it was completely destroyed. Every soldier escorting it was slaughtered with professional precision."
A heavy silence followed, as Doville and Orgh exchanged grim looks.
"The Emperor is beyond furious. No one in the clan knows of this theft except for myself, the Emperor's son **Kante**, my cousin **Eage**, and a few essential soldiers who have yet to be fully briefed,"
Oliver lowered his voice. "We must recover it before the news spreads. Unfortunately… Morgue Village is our primary suspect."
The explanation was enough for Doville and Orgh to grasp the gravity of the situation instantly.
"This is far bigger than I anticipated…" Orgh whispered, staring into the flickering embers.
"I don't believe there are people within Morgue capable of wiping out an entire escort of elite Sharman guards on their own," Doville argued with his own logic.
"Exactly… and that is the mystery. How were elite guards killed with such ease and professionalism? I suspect the killers are still hiding here, somewhere. We must catch them before it's too late."
Orgh sighed. "It seems I must postpone my trip to the capital. I intended to visit my parents after closing the Overd case… but it appears I must assist in this investigation."
"No need for that, Investigator Orgh. **Investigator Diavli Ofen** is on his way to take over. You aren't obligated to stay." Oliver paused, then added with surprise, "By the way… what did you mean by the 'Overd case'? Has another crime occurred here?"
"Yes," Doville spoke solemnly. "Unfortunately, matters have become entangled. **Overd Kantum Monoth** was murdered yesterday. He was an influential member of this village."
The weight of those words settled over them. Oliver realized the situation had just become exponentially more complicated.
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