Rain, Blood, and Dungeons

Everyone was still in shock.

People murmured, exchanged nervous glances, unsure what to do next. The blood from the body was still fresh on the floor.

It wasn’t long before the royal guards arrived.

They looked tense. With all the killings that had been happening lately, they were already on edge. The moment they entered the building, the mood shifted.

“Who found the body? Who was the first at the scene?” one of the guards asked, his voice sharp and direct.

“That girl… the one with the long black hair,” the hot springs owner pointed toward Rachel. “She was the first one there.”

Rachel froze as several of the guards turned toward her.

“You’ll have to come with us for questioning, young lady,” the same guard said.

“I didn’t do anything,” Rachel replied quickly, backing away slightly. “I just found him like that—I swear.”

Ren and the others stepped forward, trying to argue, but the guards were already moving in. Rachel was surrounded. Two of them grabbed her arms—not roughly, but firm enough that it was clear they weren’t listening.

“Whatever you have to say, save it for the questioning,” the lead guard said. “No one leaves the premises. If the killer is here… we’ll catch them.”

Rachel looked panicked as they led her away, but Ren stepped up beside her.

“Rachel, it’s okay. We’re here,” he said gently. “You didn’t do anything. We’ll get this cleared up.”

She gave a small nod, but her hands were trembling.

The guards took over one of the guest rooms in the hot springs and began their questioning, turning it into a temporary investigation room. Everyone was told to stay inside the building, and one by one, people were called in to speak.

Rachel went first.

She sat across from the guards, her posture stiff. The room felt colder than before.

“So,” the lead guard began, voice low and suspicious, “why were you at the scene of the crime?”

Rachel hesitated. The guard’s stare felt like it was cutting right through her.

“I was just coming back from the restroom when I saw the body lying there,” she said carefully.

“Can anyone confirm that?”

Rachel bit her lip. “I went to the restroom with two others, but they returned before me. I was alone when I found the body.”

“So no alibi?” the guard said, raising an eyebrow. “How convenient.”

Rachel didn’t respond. Her eyes dropped to the floor.

Outside the room, Ren, Kazuma, Alex, and Melissa had been waiting. The moment Kazuma heard that last comment, he pushed the door open.

“Hey! Don’t try to pin it all on her like that!” he barked. “You don’t even have proof!”

“Get out of here,” another guard snapped. “Interfere with this investigation again, and you’ll all be arrested as accomplices.”

Before things could escalate further, a voice spoke up from behind.

“…I think I know who the killer might be.”

Everyone turned.

It was Lisa.

The guards glanced at each other. “What do you know?” one asked, stepping toward her.

“I saw the hot springs owner yelling at the victim earlier, just after we arrived,” Lisa said. “They looked like they were about to fight.”

The owner scoffed. “That’s ridiculous! In business, you raise your voice sometimes. Doesn’t mean I killed him!”

“Rachel has no reason to hurt anyone. She literally just arrived in this town today,” Lisa added.

The guards considered it. One turned to Lisa. “You said they were fighting. What exactly did you see?”

“They were arguing right outside the hallway. Something about payment and respect—I don’t know the details, but it wasn’t friendly.”

“We’ll see about that,” the lead guard muttered.

They turned to the staff member who’d recognized the victim earlier. “You. Do you know anything about the quarrel between the owner and the victim?”

The staff member looked nervous. He shifted uncomfortably. “They… didn’t get along. They argued a lot. I don’t know anything else.”

But his tone said otherwise.

The guards weren’t convinced.

The hot springs owner stepped forward. “This proves nothing! The body was sliced up just like the other victims. Are you saying I’m the serial killer who’s been plaguing this town for weeks?”

“Could be,” Lisa said calmly. “You’re a local businessman. You’d know the people here. You’d know how to move without being noticed.”

The room went quiet.

Lisa continued, “I say we search his quarters. If he’s hiding something, we’ll find it there. Maybe even the weapon.”

The hot springs owner scoffed. “Fine. Go ahead. You won’t find anything.”

Some of the guards went to check the owner’s room. Everyone else stood outside, waiting anxiously to see what they’d find.

A minute later, one of them returned, holding something in his hand.

“Sir, we found this... under the owner’s bed.”

He held up a large, blood-soaked knife.

The owner’s face went pale.

“What?!” he shouted. “How the hell did that even get there?! That’s not mine!”

He suddenly lunged forward, trying to shove past the guards—but they were faster. Two of them slammed him down, bound his arms behind his back, and arrested him on the spot.

The knife was soaked in thick, dark blood. The same blade had probably been used to stab someone, over and over again.

“See?” Lisa folded her arms. “Told you. The owner had a motive.”

Rachel let out a breath she didn’t even realize she’d been holding. Her shoulders finally relaxed.

“Thank god,” she whispered. “I thought I was done for.”

Everyone around her nodded. The tension started to fade. They were just glad Rachel wasn’t the one being taken away.

“Thanks, Lisa. You saved me,” Rachel said, looking at her. “If you hadn’t spoken up about the owner and the fight he had with the victim earlier, they would’ve pinned it on me.”

“It’s okay, Rachel. I wasn’t about to let them frame an innocent girl,” Lisa said with a smile.

“You’re like a detective or something,” Melissa chimed in with a grin. “The way you barged in with all the facts—kinda cool, not gonna lie.”

“Hehe, I watch a lot of crime plays. Maybe that’s why,” Lisa said proudly.

“But still... it doesn’t add up,” Alex said, scratching his head. “Why would the owner hide the murder weapon under his bed? That’s the first place anyone would check.”

“Yeah,” Kazuma added. “If he really was the killer behind all those other murders too, why would he be so sloppy now?”

Ren looked around at the group. “Doesn’t matter. Rachel’s safe. That’s enough for me. No more theories, no more drama. We’re getting out of this town tomorrow. I’ve had enough.”

“Agreed. Let’s head to the inn and rest up,” Melissa said.

“Lisa, come with us, won’t you?” Rachel asked. “It’d be great having you on the team for the journey.”

“I think with you guys, the trip’s gonna be an adventure,” Lisa laughed.

After wrapping up a few final things, they changed clothes, grabbed their stuff, and left that cursed bathhouse behind. On the way back, they stopped by a small bar and drank a little—just enough to take the edge off and forget about the mess.

Later, they swung by the inn Lisa had been staying at and helped her carry her things to theirs.

That night, the girls shared one room and the boys took the other.

It was quiet.

Morning came, and so did a new spirit of adventure.

They had a long road ahead—and their next stop was the capital, where the Grand Tournament would be held.

“So... you guys are really going to enter the tournament?” Lisa asked as they packed up and got ready.

“Yeah,” Alex nodded. “Some of us will. That’s our destination.”

“Sounds fun,” Lisa said, her eyes lighting up. “There’s gonna be so many strong people there. I can’t wait to see all the festivities!”

Their journey took them through forests and hills, past rivers and cliffs. The sky slowly grew cloudy. A storm was brewing.

Eventually, they came across a clearing in the woods. Standing outside a cave were four adventurers—two guys and two girls.

“Marie, look!” said one of them—a guy with short red hair, glasses, and a red cloak. “Other travelers! Maybe we can get them to join us.”

The girl he spoke to had long blonde hair and wore grey adventurer gear. She crossed her arms.

“Only if they’re interested. Otherwise, we call it off.”

Rain started falling. Hard.

The group rushed toward the cave entrance for shelter, stepping under the overhang just as the storm came down in sheets.

The red-haired guy turned to them with a smile.

“Hey! I’m Ignis. You guys adventurers too? Want to join us on a dungeon raid?”

Ren blinked. Dungeon? He’d heard of them in this world, but hadn’t had the chance to explore one yet. Just hearing the word got him curious.

“Why do you need us?” Rachel asked, skeptical.

“This one’s a tough dungeon,” Marie answered calmly. “And there’s only four of us. We’ve heard the stories—this one’s not easy to conquer.”

The other two in their group stood nearby. One was a tall, brawny man with messy black hair and thick arms. The other was a petite girl with pink hair, probably younger than the rest. They didn’t look like bad people—but they definitely looked like they needed help.

Ren glanced at the cave, then at his group.

A dungeon raid, huh?

Maybe this was the adventure they’d been waiting for.

To be continued...