The next day, Eren took Aslan and Marry with him and went to the magnificent manor of the Pitrosg family as part of the Katrin investigation.

  When Eren stood before the manor's massive silver gate, he deliberately wiped his muddy shoes right in the middle of the mat. The perfumed air coming from inside was reminiscent of that sweet mana scent in the White Forest; however, here the scent was more artificial, more suffocating.

  "Be careful, Master Eren," Aslan whispered into his ear. "Lord Pitrosg is a noble who holds an important position in the council."

  Eren did not reply. His gaze wasn't on the crystal vases decorating the manor's entrance, but on the edges of the carpets on the floor. After a while, Lord Pitrosg received them. The man bore a striking resemblance to his deceased son Katrin; however, the grief on his face resembled the annoyance of a merchant who had lost a prized horse rather than a father's pain for his child.

  Lord Pitrosg spoke in a voice as cold as ice: "My son... being found in that state is a total scandal, Inspector. Have you still not found who the killer is? The security of this kingdom, to which we pay taxes..." He paused and thought angrily to himself,

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  Meanwhile, Eren continued to survey the room. On the table, he spotted a parchment with one edge burnt but stamped with an official seal. This looked very much like a plan for "Deep Mining Operations" in the White Forest, which the Great Witch strictly forbade.

  "My Lord," Eren interrupted. "The mana beetles in your son's belly... they only live in very high-density mana regions. The surface of the White Forest is not sufficient for this. Has Katrin recently gone underground, to secret regions near the mana rivers?"

  Lord Pitrosg's pupils contracted for a moment. Only Eren noticed his fingers trembling slightly as he placed his teacup on the table.

  "Nonsense! What business would my son have underground? He was a noble; he had no business with mud."

  "Strange," Eren said, standing up and stopping right in front of the Lord. The Lord looked down at Eren’s short stature, but Eren’s piercing gaze was locked onto the man's hands. "Because your footman outside has that white slime found in the lowest layers of the White Forest under his fingernails. And My Lord... that small stain on the leg of your desk looks like the same slime. As if someone just rushed out of an underground storage room."

  Lord Pitrosg leaped to his feet in a rage. "What are you accusing me of, you low-born bastard!"

  Just then, a small butterfly folded from paper flew in through the open window of the room with the wind. The moment the butterfly landed on Lord Pitrosg’s shoulder, it began to silently ignite.