Just as Elder Omono, Mage Yoo, and Bishop Ken were growing impatient, Ken's servant rushed in, panic-stricken: "Bishop, something terrible has happened! Master Barok is missing!"

Ken jolted in surprise. "What? Barok isn't in his room? What happened?"

At that moment, Kenny Village's knight captain, Leon, also entered. Dressed in full armor, he approached steadily, carrying his helmet under one arm. After bowing slightly to Ken, he spoke: "Bishop, Master Barok, the senior bard from the Kingdom's Bard Guild, is indeed not in his room. And..." He paused, glancing toward Omono and Yoo.

Noticing Leon’s hesitation, Ken gestured, "These two are Elder Omono of the Mage Guild and Intermediate Mage Yoo. Speak freely."

Leon nodded respectfully to both mages before continuing: "We found Barok's belongings still in the room, and there are signs of a struggle, as well as a significant amount of blood. We suspect Barok has been kidnapped, possibly gravely injured, or worse."

"What?!" Ken's eyes widened in disbelief. "What exactly happened?"

Leon’s face darkened as he responded: "Bishop, my lords, I believe you should see the scene for yourselves."

Omono, who had remained silent, finally spoke: "This Barok... he’s the one who provided the intelligence?"

Ken nodded. "Yes, Elder. I hope you’ll join me in checking the situation."

Omono gave Yoo a quick look, and Yoo immediately responded, "Let's go together."

The group swiftly headed toward the inn.

By the time they arrived, the inn was already surrounded by a large crowd. Ever since Ken’s servant had fled in terror to report the incident, rumors had spread quickly—someone had disappeared, possibly even been killed, and that someone was an official guest. The whole village was abuzz.

As is often the case, people had gathered out of curiosity, and soon the inn was completely blocked. Leon had already sent two squads of knights to maintain order, and the crowd was kept outside by two armored guards standing at the entrance.

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“The Bishop is here!” someone in the crowd spotted Ken, Leon, and the two mages approaching, followed by Ken’s servant. Even though the villagers were unfamiliar with mages, a few recognized Omono and Yoo from their robes.

"Those are mages..." someone whispered.

Before the knights could clear the way, the crowd parted on its own, creating a path for the group. Ken turned to his servant and said, "Go summon Mayor Salt. He needs to be here as well." The servant scurried off, clearly relieved to be away from the unsettling scene.

Barok had been staying in one of the last rooms on the second floor, typically reserved for official guests such as bards, couriers, or government officials. Most of the nearby rooms were empty, meaning Barok had been alone.

The innkeeper, Spark, sat in the inn’s dining hall on the first floor, looking deeply troubled. Aside from a few knights standing guard, the place was deserted. Everyone else had either been sent away or confined to their rooms by Captain Sunny to prevent further panic.

Business had always been good for Spark since partnering with the Kingdom to run the inn. But this incident had thrown everything into chaos, leaving him at a loss for what to do.

When Ken saw Spark’s state, he sighed inwardly, but still offered comfort: "Spark, my dear friend. Don’t worry, we’ll resolve this soon, and you’ll be back to business as usual."

Spark, on the verge of tears, hurriedly grasped Ken’s hands. "Bishop, please, you have to solve this quickly. This is terrible for the inn!"

Ken reassured him, then signaled the group to follow Leon upstairs.

Leon led the way up the staircase, but Omono paused to whisper something to Yoo before following. Yoo listened, then turned and headed back outside.

The room smelled of blood even before they entered. Leon stopped at the door and said to Ken, "This is the room, Bishop."

Inside, the small room was a mess. The simple furnishings—a bed, a table, a chair, and a wardrobe—had been overturned. Bloodstains and Barok’s opened belongings were scattered across the floor.

Ken cautiously stepped inside, glancing around before asking, "Leon, have you found any clues?"

Leon rubbed his nose thoughtfully. "As you can see, Master Barok is clearly not here, and we've confirmed these are his belongings. However, we can’t tell if anything’s missing." He hesitated for a moment, then added, "Unfortunately, we also don't know how Barok left the room."

"What do you mean?" Ken asked curiously.

Before Leon could respond, Omono, who had been quietly observing, spoke up: "This room appears to be undisturbed. It’s the original crime scene. And the window..." He pointed, drawing Ken’s attention to the fact that the window was shut.

Omono continued, "The window is closed, and I believe Leon already confirmed with your servant that the door was also locked when they knocked."

"Yes," Leon confirmed, impressed by Omono’s sharp observation.

"So, this is a case of a locked-room disappearance?" Ken quickly grasped the situation.

"Exactly," Leon said gravely. "From the looks of it, Barok struggled with someone here, and then both of them vanished."

Omono was about to speak again when Yoo returned to the doorway. "Elder, I’ve brought what you requested."

Omono nodded, taking the circular compass from Yoo. He turned to Ken and said, "Bishop, there are traces of magic in this room. Do you mind if I conduct a brief investigation?"

Ken, desperate for answers, immediately nodded. "Of course, Elder. As the head of the Intelligence Department, I’m sure you have many ways to uncover the truth."

Omono’s eyes gleamed, though he remained silent. Yoo stepped forward and instructed, "Gentlemen, please wait outside. The Elder is about to perform magic."

Hearing this, everyone left the room, leaving Omono alone. He held the compass and muttered incantations under his breath. Slowly, the compass began to spin, and a faint breeze seemed to stir within the room...

(To be continued)