Chapter 15
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Chapter 15: Heretics
The whole incident wasn’t particularly complicated; it took no more than fifteen minutes for her subordinate to recount the details.
However, Sandela sensed something distinctly unusual.
What was it exactly that felt strange? Was it the disappearance of the corpses themselves? After some contemplation, she suddenly realized where this strangeness stemmed from—she lifted her head and gazed at Shi Dong. “Do you really believe they were pirates?”
Shi Dong appeared perplexed as he responded, “My lady, they certainly looked like pirates…and their actions were also those of pirates. If I hadn’t stopped them, those four could have devastated the village…”
“But the key point is your appearance,” Shandela interrupted him. “A patrol unit from Glorious Fortress equipped with rifles and armor, outnumbering the enemy—where did these pirates find the courage to confront you directly?”
“Uh…this…” Shi Dong choked on his words.
His second-in-command caught on immediately. “Yes, how dare they challenge you?”
Even elite soldiers would inevitably suffer low morale when facing certain death, but what had these pirates done? According to Shi Dong’s account, they drew their weapons, charged toward the enemy, and ultimately fought until every last one fell!
Not a single one surrendered.
None chose to flee.
As if they had never planned to turn back from the moment of their landing.
Pirates could never exhibit such resolve.
Though they appeared ruthless and their methods brutal, this aggression was typically directed at those weaker than themselves. If these pirates truly possessed more courage than the army, they would have seized control of Glorious Fortress long ago.
“There is yet another group that does not fear death.” After a moment’s silence, Shandela spoke up again, “Or rather, they seem unaware of what it means to die.”
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees with her words.
“You mean… heretics?” Dai Lemu, leader of Group 14, gasped sharply. “Members of the Hidden Mist sect?”
“Have you heard rumors as well?” Shandela looked at her subordinate.
“Yes,” the officer replied bluntly. “Ever since the border town began nearing completion, such reports have become increasingly common.”
Rumor had it that the Hidden Mist Cult worshipped the fog lingering over the new continent, hoping for it to forever shroud the skies above the world. Any attempt to disperse the fog was met with hatred and hostility from the Hidden Mist followers.
“I cannot make any conclusions on this matter, since there are many types of cults, and only God knows to which sect they belong.” Shandela shook her head. “But in my view, anyone who embraces evil must have some mental issues; we cannot expect them to act rationally.”
“Sir…” Shi Dong swallowed nervously. “Actually…before this incident, someone already knew that pirates would appear near the southern outskirts of the city.”
“What do you mean?” Shandela and deputy asked simultaneously.
“In the West Street district of the old city, there is a Divination House.” He honestly told them about his encounter with the fortune teller.
“How come you didn’t mention this in your report?!” Dai Lemu scolded angrily.
Shi Dong lowered his head, not daring to respond.
“It’s because this isn’t something that needed to be included in the report,” the commander waved it off with a hand gesture. “I will investigate further afterward, but for now, we have more important matters at hand. Dai Lemu, fetch our weapons and bring Shi Dong along. We’re heading to the old town immediately.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
As soon as the two men left the office, Wudi began equipping his superior officer with armor. “How many men should I gather?”
“No need to mobilize the entire force; just the four of us, and as quickly as possible.”
“Won’t it be too risky?” Wudi asked, surprised. “This may have something to do with heretics…”
“That is precisely why we must strike swiftly and without warning.”
“You suspect there might be involvement from within the City Guard…” Dai Lemu began cautiously.
“I don’t merely suspect,” Sandra interrupted, picking up her sword. “But it’s prudent to be cautious at times like these. Besides, with my skills and martial prowess, what should there be to worry about?”
Ten minutes later, the four arrived at the location of the Divination House.
However, the street was completely empty.
“How…is this even possible?” Shi Dong stared at the vacant alleyway, disbelief written all over his face. “I clearly had my fortune told right here—it was a simple shack with a sign hanging above!”
“Are you certain you haven’t mistaken the place?” Dai Lemu questioned him.
“I swear! It was here, there’s no way I could be wrong!” he exclaimed anxiously. “Right, yes, surely others have seen the Divination House too. We only need to ask around in the vicinity…”
“Lady?” Deputy instinctively glanced toward their commander, only to see Shandela crouching by the alley entrance.
“Someone indeed stayed here; there are not only footprints but also marks from table and chair pressure,” she whispered. “These footprints aren’t just from passersby, but rather the result of lingering multiple times.”
“This subordinate can’t see anything…” The lieutenant cautiously approached her side, careful not to disturb the scene.
Once you reach my level of observation, your perception naturally becomes different,” Sandela said with a serious expression.
“Is there something wrong?”
“There’s no trace of dragging or dismantling… Not even any wood shavings… as if the shack never existed at all.”
“But you mentioned signs of human activity… Even evidence of tables and chairs being set up…”
That’s precisely the issue, do you see it?” Sandela sighed. “If people were present but no house exists; what state was Shi Dong in when he conversed with the fortune teller?”
The thought alone made this image seem bizarre.
The Deputy’s face stiffened, aware that seeing detailed and vivid hallucinations, which could later be clearly recalled, were early symptoms of hysteria.
As for the “fortune teller,” they were likely the prime suspect behind causing these hysterical episodes.
No one dared underestimate the power of hysteria.
Currently, the medical community was still in its infancy when it came to studying the disease, but one thing was certain: if left untreated, hysteria would gradually transform into madness. At best, patients would harm themselves; at worst, they could bring calamity upon those around them.
Indeed, hysteria was not merely a mental illness confined to the mind—it could be infectious and subtly influence reality as well.
The officer’s sighting of corpses and villagers’ encounters with pirates might all be attributed to the aftermath of hysteria.
If a fortune teller could induce hysteria in a well-trained soldier, their presence within the city would eventually become a ticking time bomb.
Although there had been no known instances of hysteria being triggered by individuals in the past, who could definitively rule out such a possibility?
After all, this was an extraordinary power; even the Great Cathedral, blessed by divine entities, could not fully cure those afflicted with madness.
Even worse, the perpetrator might be a heretic.
Although many religions had claimed this ability for themselves throughout history, there was no empirical evidence to support such claims. However, Shandela couldn’t guarantee that things would remain unchanged forever—just as the world constantly evolved, so too did human societies and belief systems.
“Seal off this entire district and question every resident individually. See how many people have seen this mysterious Divination House. If anyone knows where the fortune teller is hiding, offer them a substantial reward.”
I’ll take care of it right away.”
This was merely a standard procedure. Considering the primary residents of West Street were commoners and gangsters, Shandela didn’t hold high hopes for the results of these inquiries.
She turned her head toward the dimming skyline, silently sighing within herself.
The city seemed to be headed for trouble.
