A man, seemingly young, had been dead for some time. Many herbs were placed next to the corpse to cover the smell of decay. Some of them fell onto the ground, like flowers thrown late for the warrior. The man used to be a soldier, which could be seen from the armor he wore. Constanz couldn't confirm which legion he belonged to – after all, today's legions had no identifiable insignia or even tokens, especially among the rank and file soldiers.
Based on his inferior armor, he might be a deserter or a wandering swordsman. Constanz was unsure, then he noticed the dead man's abdomen, the dented and perforated armor, and the dark hole underneath covered in dark blood. Judging from its depth and length, this wound must have taken his life. Even though their facial expressions were different, all the corpses, without vitality, looked so similar.
"I suppose this is the reason your village called for the legion?" Constanz examined the corpse and turned to ask the anxious village chief.
"For a month now, the sixth body, my lord," He trembled in response. "They were all heavily armored soldiers, all cut open by sharp weapons and drifted on the river. It scared the children and washerwomen. Although our village is remote, there are rarely any wars nearby. This situation is the first time I have seen in decades."
The village chief knelt down again, grasping Constanz's right hand that hung down. "The villagers say that the forest has been invaded by beast spirits. Please, sir, you must help us."
Faced with the old man's pleading, Constanz looked down at the corpse in silence for a moment. "I am willing to lend a hand. However..." he continued with some reservations, "it is not a commander's decision to let the whole legion wander in the woods, risking a shortage of supplies, to hunt a vague and elusive beast."
The old man seemed to distrust his own ears, blinking fiercely with his tearful and cloudy eyes, unwilling to release his pleading hands. Constanz turned his face away. At the same time, knocking sounds came from behind them.
"Is that you, Sandra?" Constanz asked to the wooden door.
"Yes," came the silver-bell-like, light and calm voice from outside.
"How did the assigned task go?" Constanz asked again.
"The hungry soldiers have eaten their fill, and the cold ones have been warmed," Sandra outside seemed dissatisfied with the commander's delay and answered quite briefly, "Can I come in, Constanz?"
"Excuse me for being presumptuous, but is your adjutant a woman?" The village chief asked in a low voice by the knight's ear.
"What's the problem?" Constanz asked in turn.
"I don't mean anything by it. I'm just worried that showing a woman the corpse might have a bad impact," the village chief quickly explained. Constanz just smiled lightly and called Sandra in.
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The hand that pushed the door was adorned with silver armor. Now, illuminated by the lantern, it looked even thinner than it did under the moonlight. Intricate patterns were entwined on graceful curves, like ivy and roses blooming on the snow.
Sandra held the helmet with a delicate visor in her arm and walked into the room. Her brows, eyes, nose, and lips were all as soft as water, but upon closer inspection, one could see that her facial expression, the corners of her lips, and her gaze, hardened by the harsh military life, were like a thin layer of ice that made people hesitate to approach lightly.
She passed Constanz, who stepped aside, and the village chief also retreated when he saw her approach. Sandra walked straight to the body lying in the center, unafraid of the smell and ugliness, half-kneeling beside it, and carefully examining it.
"Since when have you been listening to our conversation?" Constanz asked.
Sandra replied promptly, "From the beginning." It seemed that the corpse in front of her was more interesting to her than the commander's words.
"If you've heard me clearly, I won't allow the legion to hunt a wild beast," Constanz crossed his arms, seeming displeased with Sandra's unilateral decision-making, but also strangely helpless in the face of her actions. Sandra, however, remained uninterested in his words and continued to examine the body. She even spoke to the anxious village chief on her own:
"You don't have to worry, good sir. As an imperial commander, Constanz Nikephoros Aurelianus has no authority to order me. If he wants me to do this or that, he has to consult me first, or at least be polite." While speaking, Sandra removed her gloves and rubbed the wet, black hair of the corpse with her fingers. "Good sir, did you say this warrior is the sixth body recovered from the water this month?"
"As you said, young lord," the village chief answered respectfully.
Sandra then touched the opened abdomen, feeling the sharp and flower-like edges of the armor. "Then, did they have similar wounds as well?"
"Now that you mention it, yes, more or less, all the dead were armored warriors."
"Thank you very much for your help, good sir." Sandra stood up, spreading her hands. Flames flowed out of her fingers, warm and rootless, but did not overflow and even wrapped around her palms. The flames jumped in Constanz's eyes, while the village chief was shocked and quickly backed away, then knelt down and prostrated himself.
Sandra, without care, burned away the impure aura that stained her hands. She then walked towards Constanz, and reported to the sulking commander:
"The beasts usually hide in the dense forest and can survive by drinking the blood of their prey. On the other hand, humans cannot survive without water sources, so they must travel along rivers. Constanz, these seven incidents may not necessarily be caused by the beasts."
"But what about the wound? Doesn't it look like claw marks from a beast?" Faced with the logical analysis, Constanz stroked his gray beard under his chin, lost in thought.
"It could also be a furious strike like that of a beast. The perpetrator could be a beast, could be a human, or could be something in between." Sandra stepped forward and said firmly, "Therefore, Constanz, as an Regent Virgin, I request that you and the Ninth Legion investigate."
Constanz hesitated, his past experience telling him that arguing with a maiden was futile. Moreover, the new possibility made him no longer opposed to finding the "beast". He scratched the back of his head and performed an old play that had been performed many times elsewhere in front of the village chief:
"I have forgotten that the Legion's purpose is to protect the weak and vulnerable, and that defeating all the strong is only a means to that end," he turned to the village chief, drew his sword and gripped the hilt with his right hand, looking squarely at the cold light on the blade. "At dawn tomorrow, the Ninth Legion will depart, traveling up the stream to search for the beast or the person cursed by the beast spirit. With this sword, I swear that it will wield for the people of the Empire. If I break this oath, then this sword shall slay me."