Kevin furrowed his brows staring at his notes, willing the clues to write themselves out. Of course he knew that was impossible, but not for lack of effort. Glancing over his “notes” again trying to cross analysis for any monsters that might match, he noticed whatever or whoever was causing these past events, hopefully whatever, did a thorough job. This is the second rapture to take place, the first one happening three months ago. Much like the first village this happened to, it’s people just vanished. Sure, the buildings were intact, and the roads well worn, but what there wasn’t was a fight. Even the tracks left by people just ended up leading to nothing. No monster I knew either wasn’t capable of this or didn’t care to bother. There are no dragon’s that pretend that they didn’t eat a whole village, instead they make quite the spectacle of it. Kevin’s inner monologue was interrupted by the footsteps of the only survivor of this village.

“You find what you needed sir? I’m sorry I couldn’t be of much help,” said the innkeeper visibly concerned for her only customer in what seems to be a week.

“No, its fine. You mind if I ask you these questions again, maybe somethings changed since this morning?”

“How could I refuse a paying customer.” She said placatingly, now amused that Kevin would think her answers would change.

“Very well. Do you have any recollection of the villagers that lived here? Parents perhaps?”

“I have always been the only villager living here. Just ol’ me serving food for any passing travelers and I’ve never met my parents. I’ve always lived here by myself, they might as well never of existed.” She said serving me some food, unaware of what she’s saying.

“And what of the freshly tilled fields outside? Who’s their care taker?”

“I honestly don’t know, I gave it a good ponder since you came here last, but until now I’ve never even considered how odd it was for a farm to farm itself. But I suppose if not for that I might not have survived until now. If you find out who’s been going through such a good trouble, do me a favor and thank them for me.”

“If I find the culprit,” Kevin said irritated at the impossibility of the task. “You said travelers? Who has come here in the past 3 months? Any strange monsters?”

“I’ve only had a few, maybe I should take my chances and move somewhere livelier. All of them were just stopping by on the way to Cerum, which if you’d know has quite the market. I swear they invent something new there every day. Alas, no monsters though. Sorry for you Mr. Monster Hunter.” She said sweetly, being the great innkeeper she seems to be. Based on what she said, Kevin quite happily penciled in that this will soon be Cerum’s problem not his, after all sneaky travelers was guard business not his.

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“Ma’am I suppose this won’t come as a surprise despite your convictions, but I can’t in good faith leave you here,” Kevin spoke making sure she understood that this wasn’t a request. However, you don’t stay an innkeeper for long if your guests can bully you into things, and naturally she promptly refused. In turn, he knocked her out and carried the only witness to Cerum appreciative that she was the only survivor.

“I told you Cerum was great.” The innkeeper was right. Standing just outside the towering walls weaved out of steel and magic which almost seemed underwhelming compared to the inside. Of course Kevin already knew that, Cerum was an important pitstop for any enterprising monster hunter. It housed the most impressive collection of weapons in the Kingdom, and every day it churned out new ones somehow sturdier or deadlier than the last. Kevin’s thoughts though were still an understatement of the true military potential of Cerum. By design, this city was placed to be a bulwark against all the nations to west, and there were a lot of nations west to this small coastal kingdom. None of the nobility expected it to be quite the double-edged sword, for the greater Cerum grew – the more her enemies desired her. Still though its steel walls more than made up for that for what another city boasted that. More importantly, at least to Kevin, he distracted himself by covering his head in his cloak before somebody recognized him and headed towards gate.

It wasn’t hard to enter the city, special thanks to the innkeeper who resigned herself to her fate with her young handsome captor. Although his monster hunter bracelet smoothed along any would be guards that wanted to identify a hooded fellow in the middle of summer. Kevin ever thankful to the status it brings, and what guard would refuse a hunter. A short skip and a hop later Kevin revealed himself to the commander of Cerum and quietly received an audience with the innkeeper in tow.  

“I take it you bring me bad news Kevin,” grumbled the commander, the noise almost mystically escaping this tight-lipped geezer, further muffled by his well kempt mustache.

“Yeah, I guess I do Sir Isaac. I’ll try to be curt.” Kevin’s explanation was nothing of the sort, and Isaac by duty had to sit and listen to Kevin’s three-month list of complaints. By the time Kevin was done complaining, Isaac’s skin was completely bleached. Impressive for a black man.

“Well this innkeeper is your best bet at finding those travelers that visited her in the past month. Other than that, she won’t be of much help. I don’t know what mind magic wiped her memory to such an extent, but even now she doesn’t believe a lick of what I’m saying.”

“That’s because your wrong.” The innkeeper responded, disappointed that she was switching captors, she grew somewhat attached to Kevin. “As easy as it is to believe that someone is just rapturing villages, why can’t you believe that my village was always this way. I’ll help you identify these travelers but once were done, I’m being compensated and returned to my inn. She finished flatly, eyeing Isaac to say anything different.

“We’ll continue this discussion later.” Isaac tried, avoiding a fight. “As for you Kevin, this is state business now. I need not remind you the importance of secrecy. Just wait outside the front lobby and I’ll send you a new case. This one doesn’t involve monsters destroying villages,” he sighed aging a couple years wondering how he was going to tell the noble’s some psychopath was killing villages and leaving no evidence. It’s doubtful that the innkeeper even knew its real identity considering how thorough its been in wiping her other memories. With that Kevin left to the front lobby, waiting patiently for his next job.