The Murder at Saint John Cathedral

How could Frith be dead? Du Chen couldn't believe it. Last night, he had indeed given Frith a brutal beating, but it was absolutely not fatal!

"How could this be?" Du Chen walked up to Godfather Ferdinand, asking in confusion, "Was it because his injuries were too severe, and he succumbed?"

"No, the Holy Church's priests had already treated his wounds; he did not die from those!" A sharp glint flickered in Ferdinand's violet eyes, and his amiable voice rose several tones. "He died in a guest room within this very cathedral, less than fifty meters from me!"

Though the old prelate still maintained his dignified facade, Du Chen could sense that he was boiling with suppressed rage!

As the religious leader of the Lanning diocese, Ferdinand held an exceedingly noble status, and Saint John Cathedral was the spiritual heart of all Battle Gods in the Lanning Empire. Yet, last night, Ferdinand's prisoner had been murdered, right under his nose.

How could Ferdinand not be furious? Moreover, outsiders were unaware that Saint John Cathedral concealed hundreds of masters of the Holy Church of Battle Gods, and Ferdinand himself was no simple individual. Despite all this, someone had still managed to kill Frith without a trace, unknown to gods or ghosts!

Du Chen lowered his head and said, "I am deeply saddened by Frith's death. Last night, I thought it over carefully; he wasn't attempting to murder me, but merely sought to regain the face he lost at the banquet out of indignation. But… alas, Godfather Ferdinand, is there anything I can do to assist you now?"

He was somewhat worried – if the man was dead, would the atonement gold still be valid?

"You should first bid Frith farewell!" Ferdinand led Du Chen from a side corridor in the main hall up a flight of stairs.

As they ascended, Du Chen surveyed their surroundings and suddenly noticed a patch of mottled wall where Ferdinand had stood just moments before, previously obscured by him. This mark was taller than a man, much like… Du Chen recalled the weathered tiles above the cathedral's main entrance, and a realization struck him: there must have been a statue here once, but it had been destroyed!

Upstairs, Du Chen found himself in a long corridor carpeted in red, with white doors lining both sides. Beside one of the doors, two Five-Star Blue-Robed Martial Fighters stood guard.

Seeing Ferdinand approach with Du Chen, one of the fighters pushed the door open.

An overpowering stench of blood assaulted Du Chen's nostrils. Even with his extensive experience from his previous life, one glance at the corpse in the room nearly made him vomit.

Frith's body was curled on the carpet, as if he had been flayed alive. Raw, crimson flesh was exposed, his limbs constricted, and every bone was starkly visible. On his pallid facial bones, his bulging, bloodshot eyes resembled two sanguine orbs.

Most horrifyingly, through his arms curled over his chest, his internal organs were faintly visible behind his ribs, and among them, his heart was still faintly, rhythmically beating.

With each beat of the heart, the blood vessels on the corpse pulsed, one after another, as if Frith had not quite perished!

Du Chen took several deep breaths, suppressing the churning in his stomach, and forced himself to look at Frith's corpse again. But just then, Frith's eyes moved, glaring menacingly into Du Chen's!

"Battle Gods preserve us!" Du Chen jumped in fright, sidestepping behind Ferdinand. "He's not dead?"

"No, he is already dead!" Ferdinand calmly observed Frith's corpse and its shifting eyes. "This is an exceptionally vicious method of killing. Frith's soul has vanished, but his suffering continues. Alas, if not to uncover the truth, I should grant him peace!"

Du Chen's throat emitted a gurgling sound. He forced himself to avert his gaze from Frith and examine the crime scene.

This was an ordinary bedroom: white walls, a white floor-length bed, even the bed and the tables and chairs were white. Yet, this holy color now held a sinister quality.

Du Chen asked in astonishment, "Where is the blood? And Frith's skin?"

"Your observational skills are excellent!" Ferdinand pointed around the room, his voice chilling. "Everything at the scene is pristine. Furthermore, two Five-Star Fighters guarded Frith last night. Yet this morning, when a servant brought food, this is the sight they found."

"Godfather, are you saying someone secretly infiltrated Saint John Cathedral, killed Frith under the watchful eyes of two Five-Star Fighters, and left no clues?"

"No, he did leave a clue!" Ferdinand stepped forward, bent down, and gently uncrossed the corpse's arms from its chest, pointing at its throat. "Look, the killer severed Frith's throat with a single cut, then began stripping his skin from his neck downwards. This very method of killing is a clue in itself!"

"Who would employ such a cruel method of murder? It's too barbaric!" Du Chen fought to avoid looking at the corpse.

"This is a very ancient execution method called the 'Flaying and Shrouding Rite.' It was once used by humans to execute captured Fiendkind warriors long ago! Now, besides the elder Battle Gods of the Holy Church and some scions of ancient families, no one uses it anymore!" Ferdinand slowly explained. "Executioners typically collect the victim's skin and view it as an honor, so Frith's skin is indeed the clue!"

Heavens, the Aethelgard Continent was truly savage! Du Chen couldn't help but gulp.

"Francis, bid Frith farewell, then tell me in detail about your encounter with that masked Battle God last night!"

"Godfather, do you suspect that masked Battle God is the killer?"

"Yes, besides him, I can think of no one else who would have reason to kill Frith. Based on my deductions, it must have been a Nine-Star Battle God who happened to be passing through Saint John City. He first stole Kaman's sacred artifact, then, for some reason, used a Ramhorn Warhammer to save you. However, theft is a disgrace for a Battle God, so he would want to eliminate anyone who saw him use the Ramhorn Warhammer! But there's still an anomaly here: why didn't he kill Frith on the spot? And with his strength, he could easily kill someone without using a sacred artifact, so there was no need to use stolen goods and leave a clue…"

Ferdinand meticulously laid out his analysis, leaving Du Chen torn between laughter and tears.

Stealing the sacred artifact and injuring people—all those were Du Chen's deeds. But who had infiltrated the cathedral and committed the murder? Du Chen lacked the ability, and certainly the cruel means, for that.

"First, bid Frith farewell, then tell me the full details of that masked Battle God!"

Du Chen suppressed the urge to vomit, muttered a few words of peace to the corpse, and then said, "Godfather, last night I was pursued by Frith and fled into the Seventh District. In an alley, I encountered that masked Battle God. He was very tall, very strong, and had a hoarse voice. After defeating Frith, he simply flew away!"

"Very tall, very strong, and with a hoarse voice… Hmm, thank you for the clue!"

Ferdinand led Du Chen out of the room and back to the main hall. "Francis, you may return home. Please keep this matter confidential and await my summons. As for the atonement gold… you will have to wait for my further notice. Additionally, be extra cautious lately. It would be best to ask Duke Anges to assign a Guardian Battle God to protect you, as you, too, have seen that masked Battle God!"

Du Chen chuckled, "Since he saved me, he probably won't try to kill me, right?"

"One can never tell; high-level Battle Gods often have peculiar temperaments; their actions follow no conventional logic!"

So, high-level Battle Gods acted purely on whim. Du Chen left the grand cathedral, still pondering the murder case within, but his mind was a tangled mess, utterly clueless.

However, Frith's death was certainly not because he had seen some masked Battle God, so Du Chen didn't need to worry about his own safety.

Steve was still waiting outside. Du Chen did not conceal the news from his elder brother. Upon hearing of Frith's death, Steve first burst into three peals of laughter, then wailed incessantly, "Ancestors above, don't let that atonement gold go to waste!"

On the way home, Steve continued to pray for the atonement gold to still be valid. By the looks of him, he was even more anxious than Du Chen. There was no helping it; he was waiting for his brother to strike it rich so he could borrow a few gold coins to woo beautiful ladies!

Amidst his incessant chatter, the carriage entered the aristocratic district in the eastern part of the city. They suddenly heard someone outside shout, "Halt! An emergency has occurred in the East District; passage is forbidden!"