Castle Visconti
Jason eyed the princess warily, unsure how he should respond to her tears as she gazed wistfully out the window and into the raging fire burning in the city. He couldn't shake the feeling he was being misled by the manipulative princess, whether or not these tears held genuine feeling or acted as a ploy to draw him in. He maintained a stone-cold glare, keeping one hand prepped on his dagger.
"You hold no faith in your people?"
She sighed, laughing softly. "Oh, I hold no faith in anyone, Stormbreaker." She smirked over her shoulder, wiping the tears away. "Morals are like fragile bottles of wine. Precious and cultivated through the years, yet such a devastating loss when they slip from our grasp and crash down on our sullied streets. Sure, maybe you can salvage some of that wine before it seeps into the earth, but…why bother? There's no hope once you cross that line."
"…" The Pikachu looked away, almost perturbed.
"Everyone has their own dark secrets and desires. It's not shameful to admit. It's only natural. No, it's acting upon those desires that brings out the worst in us. Everything wrong with this world can be demonstrated with the way my ancestors ran this kingdom. The Kingdom of Revelry, where all the bright lights and arts shined back in the day. Art, theatre, literature, parties, and more! We celebrated culture at its finest! We were at the height of stardom!"
She sighed and pressed her fin to the glass. "Alas, a cruel reminder of this pitiful world. Such revelry comes with many freedoms. And when you have nothing but freedom, are you really free? After all, it doesn't stop crime from running rampant." She scoffed. "Do you know how badly our knights were enforced during my grandfather's days as a prince? They were too lazy to properly do their jobs, always getting drunk or finding women to have fun with. And my poor, naïve father. So innocent in his approach to reestablish the knighthood, yet didn't want to upset the people with tighter security. The Echo Bell Kingdom has turned into a joke! A farce! We were never a glorious kingdom! It was just one long party that had died too long ago, but no one was willing to admit it."
She slammed her fist against the window and groaned. "When I became aware of our kingdom's inevitable downfall, I buried myself into the corruption to fix it from the inside. Honestly, if I wasn't a princess, I might've got into law enforcement properly. We're at fault for ruining this kingdom, but I was willing to do anything to fix it."
She sighed, leaning her forehead against the glass. "There was a time I believed I could do things the right way. I was tough, sure, but I wanted to respect my father's wishes of doing things peacefully. On some level, I agreed with him. I wanted to be a shadow on the wall watching over this city. If I couldn't be queen, at least I could protect this kingdom within my brother's shadow. I kind of preferred it that way."
"…" Jason glared. "What does this have to do with Grim Deadlock?"
She chuckled darkly. "Our shadow, you mean. Every horrible thought we both had manifesting into a reaper that hunts down the corrupted sinners of this kingdom. He was an inevitable just like its downfall. My brother hates crime, and I hate society. The law became a joke, so we agreed to cut it down where it stood."
"This couldn't have come about from nothing."
"You'd be right." Evangelina sighed and turned back to him. "My father was right about one thing: the people shouldn't know what horrors lurk under their noses. If it can make me sick to my core, what says the rest of the weak-willed?"
Five Years Ago…
Her meeting with Sir Vitale, though not garnering the results she hoped for, proved fruitful in pushing her research toward the truth. Evangelina locked herself away in her chamber with all the case files she could get her tentacles on and rummaged through all she knew compared to the written information.
The leading theory? The Vermin Butcher was the son of the savage Arbok that was loose in the city nearly fifty years ago. That narrowed her search dramatically to anyone who fell within that age range, though it was still a sizable number of files to search through.
Evangelina leaned back in her chair, finding herself at a block in her research. Eyes closed, she let her thoughts drift for a solution. "If only medical research was more advanced back then. We'd have a better understanding of who got involved with the Arbok." She grunted. "Doesn't help that the bodies haven't left any damning evidence."
That continued to perplex and frustrate her. Not a single piece of evidence on the bodies linking them to the perpetrator or even a species. All evidence was carefully obscured prior to the knights' investigations. How would that be possible? She recalled how some cases were discovered minutes before witnesses flooded the scene. With her limited medical knowledge, that was hardly enough time to completely erase evidence. One could say the stress of escape would make way for more evidence.
"Perfectly calculated murders without a single witness catching sight of the culprit. Complete evidence erasure before the bodies were discovered. Stumping our lead investigator and the coroner. Every. Single. Time."
It made no sense to the princess. There was just no feasible way nine murders could take place within the confines of their city and not be discovered. Something wasn't adding up.
"The Vermin Butcher strikes roughly every month, but there hasn't been a single case in weeks. What changed? What about this month makes it different?"
Dr. Muraro was hardly a source of reliable information considering he failed to come up with any evidence on the bodies. He wouldn't have been hired had it not been for Sir Salvo's insistence. If she had her way, she would've found someone more competent to get results.
…Then again, how could a combat medic be anything other than competent?
That's what truly bugged her. Muraro had the skills necessary to pick apart a potential lead. She read through his detailed files herself, each one going over the painstaking search for the wounds afflicted to the corpses. It wasn't from a lack of trying. There was genuinely not a single clue to narrow down a suspect. Dental records were worthless since the bite marks were horribly disfigured.
Muraro himself even stated the killer had to have studied and picked out his victims through weeks of scouting. How has no one reported that? With how crime happy the city was, it wasn't uncommon for complaints to come in about shady figures stalking the streets even under the most baseless assumptions. How did one meat-eating savage with an endless hunger for flesh possibly maneuver through the city without arousing any suspicion?
"Someone in their late forties. Someone who can get through the city without raising suspicion. Someone with the know-how to erase evidence. Someone who can elude our lead investigator and coroner…"
She paused, then straightened up in her chair to glare down at the files. Curious, she pulled out one file on the feral Arbok and skimmed through the notes. She recalled Vitale mentioning the Arbok had to have been in regular contact with a resident in the city to stave off suspicion. The supposed theory is that it was a woman who had the Arbok's child.
"…" The more she stared at the file, the tighter she clenched her teeth as a worrying thought came to mind. "I don't like where this is going. Romano!"
Her Swampert knight opened the chamber door and peeked in. "Your Highness?"
"Run down to the public archives. I need you to collect the birth certificate records from Year 855."
He frowned. "Evangelina?"
Her glare darkened. "I'm desperately hoping I'm overreacting, but I have a worrying idea of who the Vermin Butcher is."
Asterio peeked out around the corner of the hall, checking for signs of roaming knights or raiders. Seeing all was clear, he motioned the shadows on the wall to follow. As he floated along, the Buneary and Alcremie shadows floated beside him, their forms bending around any decorative items sitting against the wall.
"This is kind of fun," Monica said. "Just floating along without a care in the world."
"I'm not too fond of it, personally," Harlow said. "I can't see where I'm going."
Asterio grunted. "Quit complaining. I wouldn't be helping you if you didn't have Monica captive."
"I didn't drag her in here, you know."
"Still—"
"Come on, Star Prince, no fighting!" Monica exclaimed, twirling around in the wall. "The sooner we get out of here, the better."
He glared. "I can't say the same for the city."
"Yeah, true." Monica sighed and floated along limply. "I hope Mom and Dad are okay. I'm sure they got to safety by now. Oh dear, they're probably really worried about me."
"…" He closed his eyes. "You have good parents, Monica. They really care about you and Rubina."
Monica nodded. "Yeah, but I wish they weren't so hard on you and Evangelina. I know things haven't been great in a long time, but I just know you two will make this kingdom so much better. That's why I like hanging out with you. I think you'd make a great prince!"
Asterio visibly winced from her sincerity. "M-Monica, I…I don't think I'd be able to run a kingdom. I'd just cause a mess."
"Nah! You'll be great. I know it sounds scary, but you're willing to do anything to protect your people. You're helping us even though you're not obligated. That's because you're a good person!"
Please stop. Please stop praising me. Please.
"I…uh, thank you, Monica. That means a lot."
"You're welcome!"
Asterio wrapped his tentacles around himself and shuddered. Keep it together, Asterio. Keep it together. Just stick to the plan. Don't…Don't…
Blood.
Screaming.
Knives.
All of it flashed before his eyes, a vision tainted in red.
Don't break. Just keep…moving. Just listen to Evangelina. She…knows what she's doing. Right?
Five Years Ago…
Asterio stared up at the huge block of stone sitting in the outdoor garden before turning to Angelo, who was carefully inspecting it. "You know you're cleaning this up if it shatters to dust, right?"
Angelo rolled his eyes before pulling out his chisel and hammer. "My father taught me that every stone such as this is merely a prison for the art underneath. My job as a sculptor is to awaken the sleeping masterpiece by breaking it out of its shell." He approached the stone and started chipping away at the corners.
"Uh huh. How is your father doing, anyway?"
Angelo shrugged. "He's fine. Still having trouble maneuvering his hands. He keeps going to church and pleading for Arceus to grant him a miracle or something."
"Do you think he's wasting his time?"
"Despite being raised in a religious household, I'm split on whether gods exist or not. What I do know is that it keeps him from drinking and moaning over damage he suffered." He sighed. "I worry I'm going to go home and find him in a drunken coma."
"Hmm." Asterio gazed up at the block of stone again. "I'm not entirely sure what my stance on gods are. I'm not really into the whole 'Arceus has a plan for everyone' shtick."
Angelo chuckled. "Actually, that's not in the original texts."
"Hmm?"
"It's not uncommon for reprints of the holy texts to be slightly altered by certain churches to keep the people straying down the wrong path. Actually, the texts state Arceus observes how his creations treat their lives." He sighed. "Of course, everyone becomes so reliant on gods that they turn to them for answers on everything."
"Like what?"
"Like why Arceus would create evil." Angelo glared over his shoulder. "Is it something he created, or is it a byproduct of our free will? What even is good and evil? Don't go asking me. My aunt would flip out if she knew I read anything on the underworld for fun."
"Huh."
"Did you know there was a time where Giratina wasn't seen as this banished son of Arceus and not the incarnate of evil? There was a time where they simply debated about the actions of mortals and what was right or wrong." He shrugged. "Morality is…complicated. I turn to the good parts of religion as a way to live, but I make my own judgments on what good or evil is. At the end of the day, it's just a matter of how you uphold your morals."
"Huh. How…interesting." Asterio looked away. "I wonder what their opinion of me would be."
"Who knows? I think you're an alright guy."
"Heh. Thanks." Asterio got up from his seat and asked, "Need anything to drink?"
Angelo smirked. "What's this? The prince of Echo Bell offering to fetch me a beverage like a common butler?"
Asterio rolled his eyes. "Haha. I'll get us some juice." Right as he turned toward to the garden doors, a Slowbro knight entered and approached him. "Hmm? Can I help you?"
The knight bowed to him before pulling out a letter. "Your Highness, I was asked to deliver this letter to you."
"Oh?" He took it, examining the envelope with a curious glare. "It is unmarked."
"Will you need anything of me, Your Highness?"
"No, you are good. Return to your duties." The knight bowed and exited back into the castle. Asterio floated over to Angelo as he unfolded the letter, noting the rough state of the edges. "I don't normally get mail, much less like this."
Angelo glared. "You sure you should be reading that? You said it was unmarked."
"What's the harm?" He opened the letter and read the message aloud:
Your Highness,
I request an audience with you. It is of the utmost importance. Meet me on Nightingale Street at the hour of midnight. Come alone. Please. I am in need of your help.
Asterio frowned in confusion, turning the letter over a couple times to see if there was more text. "That's…odd."
Angelo glared. "No, that's creepy. We should probably inform someone to take a look at it."
"…No. I think I'll want to check it out."
Angelo grimaced. "You can't be serious, right? Do I need to explain how sketchy this is? Someone is asking you to meet them in the middle of the night without so much as a name. That is stupidly dangerous."
Asterio rolled his eyes. "Please, I know how to take care of myself."
"That's not the point. Look, if I intend to be your bodyguard, I can't let you go through with this until I've done a thorough search of who sent that letter." He pocketed his sculpting tools and swiped the letter out of the prince's fin.
"You're overreacting."
"And you're underreacting. Just let me figure out who sent this letter, okay? Can you at least let me do that?"
"…" Asterio sighed. "Alright, alright. Go on ahead."
"Thank you. I'll be back soon." He pocketed the letter and walked off, grumbling something about a wasted afternoon under his breath.
Asterio hung back, leaning against the barely touched stone block as he pondered the context of the letter. It was indeed strange and unexpected. Why would someone reach out to him specifically for help? He didn't know anyone personally that would make such a request, and with such implied desperation.
Who could he know that would reach out to him in their hour of need?
"Hmm…"
Evangelina gazed out the window and stared down at the burning city, her expression morphing into cold anger. "I became fascinated with how people think, with how they see their fellow Pokémon. We've come a long way since the days of savages, yet it feels like we're evolving into a new type of savage. Monsters that devour each other within the social climate, ripping each other to shreds with lies and backstabbing. I became invested in the rumors that flow through the social hierarchy. They reveal the true natures of the victim or the culprit. Peeling back that mask, you see exactly the kind of people who run this city."
Jason's glare deepened. "Is that why you created the Grim Deadlock persona? Forcing peace by hunting and murdering criminals? Scaring the scum into submission?"
She smirked. "I like to think of it as a warning. Though my identity will stay a secret even after today, I intend to fix the Echo Bell Kingdom by force. Last Autumn's offer intrigues me, and I wonder if it has the means to make my dream come true."
"You're willing to trample over anyone and anything to save the Echo Bell Kingdom from itself?"
"You don't get into high positions of power without making a few compromises, and you don't end crime without breaking a few morals. But then again, what even are morals? Like I said, people are victims of their own desires. The mightier that desire, the stronger their lust to satisfy it. In a lot of ways, that's the kind of person the Vermin Butcher was."
"…" Jason looked away.
"Somebody so caught up in his desire for flesh that he lost sight of all the progress we made. He went back to being savage, and his only thought at the time was pleading for his life. He didn't even care to recognize the lives he took to satisfy his wild tastes. Though it seems a lesser crime by comparison, the same can be said for all criminals. They don't care about who they hurt or kill so long as they get what they want. The Foresters aren't different in that regard. Tell me, why did you start the Foresters? Was it some noble goal of justice, or were you aiming all your resources to cut down the Verde Kingdom?"
Jason could only growl, clutching at his sheathed dagger tightly.
"Hmm, that answers that." Evangelina turned away from her window and floated to her desk, picking up her notebook. "Desires are such potent parts of a Pokémon's upbringing. Everyone has desire, even the ones we're too scared to admit. Some desire to live comfortably in wealth or start up their own business. Respectable within society. Others want to satisfy their lust or greed with power. These are seen with contempt, but are we going to kid ourselves thinking no one has entertained that thought? Morals aren't fixed or absolute. We created morality through society, a way to keep the people in check. So, is it so wrong I'm acting out against what is considered good morals just to fix the morons who keep ruining everything?"
"…You don't trust anyone, do you?"
Evangelina scoffed. "I don't trust anyone who isn't honest with who they are. No one should trust me, either. I'm never honest. I'm a backstabber and a liar just like everyone else. I just have the power to shut everyone else up."
Jason partially unsheathed his dagger. "You said something about covering up the truth regarding the serial killings. Who was the Vermin Butcher? Was it really Dr. Muraro?"
"…" Evangelina opened her notebook, flipping to the clipping of the damning article regarding the executed Indeedee. "For the sake of my vision, that's the truth that'll be engraved into history."
Five Years Ago…
Dr. Donato Muraro finished cleaning his workstation as the night rolled by. He could hear rain pouring down outside, signaling a long walk back home. He adjusted his cloak, grabbed his bag, and made for the door.
He paused a moment to rub his eyes. "Maybe I should pen him a letter, just to make sure he's doing alright." He shook his head. "I'll worry about that in the morning. I need sleep."
He pulled the door open and readied to walk out into the rain, but staggered back and screamed as two cloaked figures towered in front of the entrance. He dug inside his bag for a scalpel, but stopped as the two figures entered, revealing themselves under lantern light.
He held his heart and shuddered. "Y-Your Highness! I…oof, I…I w-wasn't expecting a visit this late at night."
Evangelina glared down at the shaking doctor while Romano raised his halberd threateningly. "I am afraid you will not be going home tonight, doctor. I would like a word with you." She nodded at Romano, signaling him to shut the door behind him.
Muraro stood up, his shaking intensifying. "O-Oh. Have you made a break in the Vermin Butcher case? Or did you come to ask for more help? I-I am sorry, princess, but I don't have any—"
"Save it."
He flinched. "What?"
Evangelina pushed him back into the medical office and set her lantern on a table. She reached inside her cloak and pulled out a handful of scrolls, some of them that immediately caught Muraro's attention and made him gasp.
"Oh no…"
Her glare deepened. "Good. You know why I am here. Let us talk about your…illegal activities, doctor."
"That damnable idiot!"
Upon returning to Asterio's chambers in regards to the identity of the letter writer, Angelo found instead a note from the shiny Frillish speaking of going on ahead with the meeting. He darted out of the room and raced down the hall in search of help.
"If I tell the king and queen I let their son go off without protection, they'll have my head," he whispered. "Please, please, still be awake, Evangelina."
He raced to the princess' chamber and kicked the doors open. However, to his disappointment, she was not in her room.
"Damn it." Angelo scratched his nape, bouncing nervously on his heels. "Okay, okay, think. Nightingale Street. I just need to catch him there."
Right as he decided to head off, he stopped and focused on the scattered materials sitting atop the princess' desk. It looked even more messy than usual. Though he had more pressing matters, a concerning thought passed through his mind, compelling himself to investigate.
He jumped into the princess' chair and inspected the pile of scrolls lay out across the table. His eyes flickered between pages of scribbled notes jotted down in open notebooks. The further he read along, the more of the puzzle he started to see.
His eyes widened in horror as his eyes landed upon a name in the center of the web of evidence. He pulled the unmarked letter out from his armor, read it over again, and trembled. "Don't tell me…"
He jumped as he heard a bell going off outside the castle. Moving fast, he raced out of the princess' room and shut the doors before heading down the castle. On his way, he saw Sir Balistreri leading a squadron of knights out the castle doors.
"Sir Balistreri?" Angelo called out. "What's going on?"
The Gholdengo glared back at the young knight. "We received word of a body discovered within the city."
The Raboot's eyes widened. "A body?"
"The Vermin Butcher has struck again."
Asterio adjusted his cloak and kept to the shadows of the street as the rain came down on top of him. People were moving fast to get back into their homes, and he could hear some commotion stirring. He ignored it and kept pace to his destination.
Though it went against Angelo's wishes, something about the letter didn't sit right with Asterio. He couldn't place it, but the handwriting seemed familiar to him. It urged him to pursue the lead even at the risk of his own safety, though he wasn't foolish enough to approach unarmed. He kept a dagger concealed under his cloak just in case.
He lifted his hood to read the street signs and found himself on Nightingale Street. He looked around for the supposed alleyway the letter writer wanted to meet him at, though there were far too many gaps between the buildings to decide.
"Hmm. Maybe I should've waited for Angelo's investigation after all." He sighed and cupped his fins around his mouth. "Hello? Is anyone out here? Hello?"
"Pst." He looked ahead and saw a figure in a drenched cloak beckoning him into the alleyway. Asterio could already tell the figure seemed distressed, trembling while looking out for anyone else on the street. "H-Hurry, Your Highness."
Asterio couldn't get a good read on the voice, but pursued cautiously. He kept a fin around his dagger, and any surprise attacks offered against him would be easily neutralized with his Acid Armor. He saw no reason to be afraid, yet he couldn't help the lump forming in his throat as he drew closer.
He entered into the alleyway while the figure kept looking out for anyone wandering the late night, rainy streets. He clenched into the walls with a nervous shudder. "I-I'm so screwed…" His voice was raspy and harsh, almost like he was dehydrated.
Asterio glared suspiciously. "Look, my choice coming here was not exactly the wise decision of a prince, so you best tell me what this is about."
The cloaked figure gulped. "Y-Your Highness, I plead forgiveness. I didn't know who else to turn to. I am in need of your help."
"What are you talking about?"
The man wiped his forehead, backing himself against the wall. "I made a terrible mistake. You're the only one I could trust to get me out of this. The knights will find it soon, and I don't have much time left."
Asterio's glare softened into a worried grimace. "Who…are you?"
"…" The figure lifted his hands and gripped his hood. "Please, Your Highness. Help me." He pulled his hood back and looked the prince in the eye. "I am desperate for your aid."
Asterio's eyes widened in shock. "You…?!"
"I-Illegal activities?!" Muraro gasped, tripping back into his cabinets. "P-Princess, this is highly inappropriate! Preventing me from leaving is a form of kidnapping, a-and I won't stand by…" He couldn't find his voice anymore, not with the princess' piercing glare beating down on him. He gulped and pulled on his shirt's collar. "I…"
Evangelina huffed, setting the scrolls across the operation table. "It did not make any sense at the time. The haste of the murders left little room for complete evidence erasure. No matter how skilled one is at a certain task, there will always be mistakes in the heat of the moment. That is why it boggles me that you have not procured a single shred of evidence pointing to even the most baseline of profiles for our serial killer. I blamed it on incompetence, but we do not enlist mediocre doctors as combat medics in times of war."
Muraro kept himself steady against the cabinet. "Y-You must understand, Your Highness, age can dull the skills over time. I work a lot of late-night shifts, and it can take its toll after a while. I h-have a family after all, and I do try to spend time with them during the day when I can—"
"And yet Sir Salvo still chose you despite your supposed, diminished skill. No, he knew you would be a vital asset in the investigation."
"Salvo…he's just a romantic for the old days. He speaks of me as his savior during the time he went missing after battle. Of course he would see me as a skilled surgeon. Princess, I don't understand what this has to do with my supposed activities."
Evangelina picked up a scroll. "Oh really? Let me jog your memory. I found some old records of yours. You like to go on a lot of business trips, as you call them."
Muraro's eyes widened. "Uh, well…"
"Where were these trips to exactly? There does not seem to be any mention of it. In fact, I even found you never rented any carriages to take you out of the city. You also stopped making these trips some time ago. Last year, in fact."
"Uh, well, I…"
She furled the scroll and set it aside. "But I suppose making snide remarks about your dubious trips does not count as evidence. Here is a friendly tip, doctor: do not talk too much."
"Huh?"
"I believe in our last conversation, you…flat out stated how the Vermin Butcher went about securing his victims."
His eyes widened. His legs gave out under him, and he scrambled back into a wall. "I-I was merely speaking hypothetical! Hypothetical! After all, how else could he know the perfect time to hunt them down? It's the only logical explanation."
She shook her head. "Oh, I agree it is a sound conclusion. But here is where it gets tricky: why did you immediately assume it was a Savage Kin responsible for this?"
"P-Princess, they are notorious for eating meat. We had an incident very much like that a few decades ago. Why is that such a stretch?"
"By your own admission, that is the only explanation…outside of reverting back to old roots, at least." Evangelina stroked her chin. "It is like being addicted to drugs. Even after the need is kicked out of you, one little sample of the stuff is enough to set you back down that path. Any Pokémon with carnivore in their blood has the potential to go back to those days. So, what made you so sure it was a Savage Kin?"
Muraro found the strength to stand. "Princess, this is highly unethical! You are here making accusatory remarks against me just because I said a few things assuredly, went on undisclosed business trips, and have become less skilled in my profession! That isn't evidence!"
She glared. "Nothing concrete, but it starts painting a picture the more you look at the clues. I just find it hard to believe Salvo would allow someone so unskilled to handle the autopsies, even under the delusion of grandeur." She closed her eyes, suppressing a growl. "And…that is the key in all of this: Salvo."
Muraro's eyes widened. "H-Huh?"
Evangelina picked up a scroll and waved it at him. "Curious thing, you said you have been dealing with insomnia for a while. In fact, after interviewing a few friends of yours, you have been dealing with insomnia since serving the war against Wick."
"W-Well, it was a traumatic experience…"
"And yet you said you have been sleeping better these last few weeks. I find that to be…quite coincidental, since something else happened around that same timeframe: Salvo left with Ambassador Gatti."
He gulped. "I, uh…"
"Maybe I am connecting dots that do not exist, but Salvo seems to revolve around this case more than just being the lead investigator. He handles the investigation and evidence, he chooses you as the coroner, and you two have a complex history together. Makes you wonder."
"Princess, please, let's not say anything we'll regret—" He tried inching toward the exit, but Romano slammed his halberd down and scared him into freezing.
"The killings stopped for much longer than usual, too." She sighed. "However, that is where we get to the crux of my issues. I looked into Salvo's medical history and birth certificate. His mother came unexpectedly to the doctors and had an egg that would soon hatch into Salvo. She was not married at the time, but she said it was from a one-night stand. Still, no known record of his father."
Muraro's breathing became more ragged. "Princess, please stop…"
"And it just so happens she had that egg a couple months after the feral Arbok was discovered. They would be compatible with each other. So strange. Right, doctor?"
"You don't understand—" Muraro yelped as Romano swung his halberd close to his neck, the edge sliding across his throat.
Evangelina's glare turned cold. "Rumors are a powerful tool, Dr. Muraro. They hide a truth unlike anything while distorting the facts. Once you've dug through all the rumors, the truth is revealed. Every little inconsistency I found leads us back to here."
She slammed her fin against the wall and glared down at the cowering Indeedee, her eyes burning a vicious red with dark mist rising off her skin.
"You're the Vermin Butcher's accomplice. And the Vermin Butcher is the very man who hired you to cover up his crimes…Sir Salvo Sciarra."
"Sir…Salvo?"
The Alolan Raticate looked up at his protégé with a weary expression. His fur was disheveled, eyes were bloodshot, and stance was uneven. He kept himself pressed against the wall for stability. "Y-Your Highness…"
Asterio bent down and grabbed the knight's shoulders. "Sir Salvo, what are you doing here? Where's Rubina? Did something happen on the mission?"
Salvo winced at his concern. "Y-Your Highness…I-I'm sorry. I just…" He covered his face and shuddered. "By the gods…"
The prince grew worried. He gripped into the knight's shoulders tighter. "Salvo, focus. Why are you back in the city? Where's Rubina? Is she okay?"
"I-I-I didn't know what else to do. I just…I…"
"Salvo, where's Rubina?!" Asterio shouted, growing angrier. "Tell me she's just in Arcania and you had to return for some reason. Just tell me she's in Arcania!"
The knight's panic only doubled under the stressed prince's glare. "Your Highness, please forgive me, I didn't know what else to do."
"Stop speaking so vaguely! Tell me where she is!"
"I…" The knight clenched his eyes shut and swallowed the lump forming in his throat. "W-We were just camping out for the night. We were on our way out of the kingdom, and w-we needed to set up camp for the night. I took first watch w-while she slept in the carriage. It was supposed to just be a normal night."
Asterio frowned. "What…?"
"It was just me with my thoughts. Alone. While she and the Tauros driver were sleeping. I…" He gulped again and shuddered. "By the gods, it was such a long journey. The driver…"
"Huh?"
"He…He had the most exquisite aroma."
Asterio recoiled in disgust. "Excuse me?"
"I…I hadn't eaten in so long. I had hoped I could last until we got to Arcania. I wanted it to stop more than anything, believe me. I tried my hardest to keep it down, but the beast just kept gnawing at my soul. I needed it so badly!"
The prince grew more confused and worried by Salvo's ramblings. "What are you talking about…?"
"I…" Salvo clenched his eyes shut. "Your Highness, I couldn't control myself any longer! I needed meat! I was so hungry!"
Asterio recoiled back from his trusted knight, eyes wide in horror. "W-W-W-WHAT?!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
"You…" He shook his head. "N-No. Sir Salvo, please tell me this is a misunderstanding. You're not saying you…"
Salvo rubbed his eyes. "I couldn't stop. I wanted to, but I couldn't. I went for his neck and ripped it in one clean bite!"
As if a lightning bolt struck down on his peaceful world, Asterio stared ahead in horror as the visceral image of his mentor executing the sleeping bull with his incisors played out in his mind. Blood splattering out from the neck, coating his face as he dug into the flesh to obtain the precious meat. It was an image that could only be conjured from horror novels.
"I…wha?" Asterio mumbled.
Salvo wept into his hands. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness! I tried, I swear! You tasked me with being Rubina's guard, and I tried so hard to keep myself together. I had hoped someone from Arcania would have a potion to cure my taste! I couldn't keep it together!"
"…" Tears welled up in Asterio's eyes. Somehow, the idea of his mentor killing an innocent man and admitting to being a savage didn't stand at the forefront of his mind. Another worrying thought that made ever fiber of his being turn cold as ice stood before it. "Salvo…"
"H-Huh?"
"Where. Is. Rubina?"
"…" Salvo looked down at the ground shamefully. "Your Highness…"
"Salvo. Answer. Now."
He clenched his eyes shut. "I had hoped to come up with a believable tale in the morning. Bandits attacking us in the dead of night and killing him, or something to that effect. It seems the gods were not merciful that night for she…she had woken up to the sound of my feast."
A stabbing pain ripped through Asterio's heart, the wretched image of Rubina opening the carriage and finding Salvo hunched over the mutilated Tauros. Her horrified expression echoed through his mind.
"I tried to explain it to her, but she…she ran! She ran away screaming for help! I chased her down, pleading with her to stop. She wouldn't listen, and just kept screaming. I chased her all the way to a river where I finally caught her. I begged her to understand that I needed help, but she…" He gripped into his fur and shuddered. "She pulled a dagger on me and stabbed me through the stomach. She kept fighting to get away from me."
The image of Rubina, terrified out of her mind and repeatedly stabbing her attacker, flashed across Asterio's mind.
"My instincts to survive took over. I…I just wanted to knock her out, I swear, but…" He clawed at his eyes and cried. "I pushed her head into the water and hoped to drown her, just enough to knock her out. But she kept thrashing and slashing at me trying to get out of the water. I couldn't let anyone know, so I endured. But…"
Asterio's eye twitched. "Where. Is. Rubina?"
"…" Salvo reached inside his cloak and threw down a piece of clothing. Asterio stared at it, and his eyes went wide in realization.
It was Rubina's tunic and robe.
"I…didn't even consider the current of the river. All that thrashing she did caused her body to just…fall apart. Between drowning and the current, her body gave out and just…dissolved into the water. I watched her fall apart in my hands, her entire body diluting into the water until there was nothing but a rainbow stain on the water's surface. I watched her remnants travel down the river and…disappear."
Asterio fell back against the wall and slid to the ground. The horrible images playing out in his mind pierced more and more through his defenses, weathering him down until a flood of tears he couldn't hold back poured down his blank expression.
It had to be a dream. This was just a nightmare from all the stress he brought upon himself. He was so worried about Rubina that it manifested into this nightmare. He was really asleep in his bed, waiting for the sun to shine the next day in hopes of receiving a letter from his dear friend on the wonderful things she'll be doing on her trip into Arcania. He would get to hear about the amazing people she met, and he could learn more about the other side of Virdis. He would be less and less afraid of her being there and look forward to the wonderful developments she'd make for the suffering kingdom.
It was just a dream.
It was just…a dream.
It was…
No. It wasn't a dream, was it?
He was indeed awake, sitting before his mentor and listening to him retell his tragic tale.
Salvo stared pitifully at the silent prince's expression. "I wish it didn't have to end like this. I'm so sorry, my prince. I never meant…" He looked away and sniffled. "Her last words still haunt me…"
That triggered something of a reaction in the prince's emotionless expression. "H…Huh?"
Salvo gulped. "Before…Before I pushed her into the water, she cried out for help. She…She cried out your name."
"…" Asterio hung his head and stared at the ground, his tears dripping and mixing with the puddles flowing from the street. "R-Rubina…"
Muraro collapsed to the floor, covering his head as he trembled with fear pulsating in his eyes. "No, no, no, no…"
Evangelina growled. "Well? Tell me I'm off! Or did I crack down your defenses, doctor?"
"…" He covered his face and cried into his hands. "I'm ashamed. I've cursed my very soul helping that man. What have I done?"
Romano grabbed him by the collar and lifted him to Evangelina's level. "Start talking. What's the deal between you and Salvo?"
Muraro moved his hands away, flinching under the princess' unyielding stare, but sighed in defeat. "Y…You have to understand, I was only trying to help Salvo. He couldn't go to anyone else, especially with the negative reception of the Savage Kin. He needed me."
"For what?" Evangelina asked.
"…No one knew exactly the extent of the trauma he endured when we went to war against Wick twenty-five years ago. The battle was devastating, and we lost many good men, some under my care when they were brought in for emergency treatment. I've learned quite a lot from the intel we gathered on Wick, which…I never realized how important that information would become. Salvo kept fighting. He kept fighting until we reached a stalemate and forced Wick to retreat."
"And that's when he went missing," Evangelina guessed.
Muraro nodded. "I happened upon him by chance when I was assisting in the search. I found him inside a burrow he created. He was too weak to travel on his own, hence why he stayed bunkered down there. I figured he had rations to stave off his hunger, but…" He covered his face and shuddered. "I soon learned that wasn't the case."
Romano's eyes widened. "Wait, you're not saying—"
"…I found Salvo with the mutilated corpses of Wick and Echo Bell soldiers. In order to stave off his maddening hunger, he forced himself to eat some flesh to keep himself alive." Muraro shuddered. "But that forced decision…brought out his carnivorous instincts. He ate the flesh of six bodies. He nearly killed me when I found him, but he came to his senses in time. He was horrified by what he did and made me swear never to divulge his secret. In threat of my life, I did as told.
"I would eventually escort him back to the rescue team and had him checked in with another doctor for any psychological damage. At the time, he seemed fine, and I figured his carnivorous appetite was just a survival mechanism."
Evangelina glared. "Until it wasn't."
"He came to me one night while I was on the late shift. He couldn't stop his cravings. They were getting out of control, and he barely had enough self-control not to kill me. Fortunately for both of us, Echo Bell wasn't short on bodies. I took one of the corpses I had and supplied him with some meat to stave off his cravings. After that, I decided to monitor him to see how long he can go without needing meat. I would supply him some whenever the time came. However, I couldn't keep harvesting corpses without my supervisors catching on. I needed a new source to get meat from."
"Your business trips?" Evangelina guessed.
He nodded. "Like I said, I learned quite a bit about the Wick Kingdom and its unlawful territories. I discovered in the starting grounds that would become the Outlands that there was a black market, and the rumor was they sold flesh for people like Salvo."
Romano growled. "You've been sneaking off to purchase flesh from that hellhole?!"
Muraro winced. "I had no choice! I worked a deal out with a frequent visitor there who would pick me up and take me to the black market in exchange for a quarter of my…purchase. And, for the last twenty or so years, that's been my basic routine with Salvo. I'd get him his flesh, and he'd continue being a knight. For a time, I thought…things would work out."
Evangelina raised her brow. "So, something went wrong with your little scheme."
"Unfortunately. My acquaintance who would take me wanted to make a stop to get drinks. He got a little too happy with the booze, so we had to stay a night until he sobered up. I left him alone for a moment to relieve myself. He was talking to this dusty-looking Gumshoos and…basically let it slip about the location of the black market. Turns out…he was the leader of a guild of bounty hunters. I only found out about this after we arrived in the Outlands. By the time we did—"
"The bounty hunters already found and torched the place," Evangelina guessed.
Muraro shuddered. "It was horrible. Everything was destroyed. I tried to find the supplier, but he was one of the few who got captured. I had to get out of there before someone came looking for me." He covered his face and wept. "I had to go back to the capital emptyhanded."
"What happened after?"
"Salvo…was really worried. I tried to get more flesh from the corpses, but I couldn't get access to anything fresh this time. Salvo got too used to eating fresh meat, and the decayed stuff only aggravated his desire. I tried everything I could to get to the fresh corpses, but…" He hung his head and sighed.
"That's when he got desperate," Evangelina finished.
"…He killed a woman minding her own business in the middle of the night. He told me it was the most delicious experience of his life. When he realized the danger he was in, he begged for my help. Due to his position in the knights, he could easily make me the head doctor to run the autopsies. He wanted me to make it look like whoever killed the woman didn't exist."
"And you agreed to go along with this, TOO?!" Romano growled.
Muraro winced. "Not by choice! I didn't want any part in covering up a murder. It's one thing to purchase flesh from the black market, but I just can't stomach actively being involved in covering a murder. But I didn't have a choice. He threated to hunt my wife and children if I refused!"
Evangelina scowled. "This whole time, Salvo's been misusing his position and our resources to cover up his killings. He used us! He fooled all of us! If anyone ever found out about this, the entire kingdom would go into mass hysteria!"
Muraro sniffled, tears trickling down his face. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!"
"…" Her eyes widened. "And we just sent him with Rubina on a peace mission to Arcania?!" She grabbed the doctor by the shoulders and throttled him. "Are you out of your mind?! Do you realize the kind of danger you just put us into?!"
Muraro grabbed her tentacles and pleaded, "Princess, I was the one who recommended he go on the journey."
"WHAT?!"
"I have heard tales of Arcania's mystics. I believed that if anyone could cure him of his flesh craving, it would be them. Salvo wanted his cravings gone more than anyone, believe me."
"You still left him with Rubina!"
He shook his head. "She will be fine, I assure you. Salvo only craves meat, not cream—"
"That doesn't excuse any of this!" She let go of the doctor and shook her head. "Give me a moment. We can't let this information go public. We need to get a letter out to Rubina as fast as possible before—"
A hurried knock on the door startled the trio. Romano dropped the doctor and pointed his halberd toward the door. Evangelina pulled Muraro up and pushed him to the door, tracing her fin across her neck in a threatening manner. He gulped and hurriedly shuffled to the door.
He opened and peeked outside. "H-Hello—GAH!"
The door flew back and knocked the doctor to the floor. Romano nearly sprung into action, but Evangelina held him back and squinted at the outside. "Is that…Angelo?"
Standing outside in a drenched cloak was the Raboot squire himself. He ran inside and pulled his hood down, looking up at Evangelina fearfully. "Asterio's in trouble!"
"What?"
"Forgive me, Princess, but I happened upon your belongings while searching for him. He got an unmarked letter earlier today to meet with someone at this hour, and I just got done getting a test for the handwriting."
She glared. "Angelo…"
"There's more. A tenth victim of the Vermin Butcher was found in the city. They're saying it's a Tauros." He clenched his teeth. "Evangelina, Salvo is back in the capital!"
No matter how many times he worked it out in his head, Asterio still couldn't believe Salvo's confession. Over and over in graphic detailed brought upon by himself, he replayed the events of Rubina's murder, each becoming more twisted and sickening. He could practically hear her terrified screams in his head.
"R-Rubina…" Asterio covered his face and wept into his fins. "No. It…can't be true."
Salvo frowned at the trembling prince. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness." He looked out onto the street, hearing the commotion in the distance. He grimaced. "Your Highness, I am in desperate need of your help."
"…What?" His response was emotionless.
"I had to jump through a lot of hurdles just to reach you. I paid someone off in secret to send that letter to you, then I used the Tauros' corpse to get into the city just a short while ago. I dropped it in the open and ran off. I'm hoping, with your influence, we can convince everyone that the Vermin Butcher killed him on his return trip. W-We can set everything up like it was just a freak accident."
"W…What?"
"We can just tell everyone Rubina was killed in a bandit attack, and I failed to protect her. I am ready to live with that shame for the rest of my life, but I cannot stomach the thought of anyone knowing my sins. You're the only person I can turn to for help now."
"…What?" Asterio's voice tensed up.
"I'll do anything to make it up to you. I knew I could count on my favored protégé for help. I just need some time to stop my cravings and—"
"Is that what all of this is about?"
Salvo stopped, stepping back a bit from the prince's low, unfeeling tone. "I…what?"
"You came all the way here…because you wanted me to save you?" Asterio pulled his hood over his eyes until only the red glow could be seen. "You just want to keep your job? You want my help to stop your cravings?"
"I, well…Y-Your Highness?"
He clenched his teeth. "Do you even care about how your actions affected so many people? You…You're the Vermin Butcher. You killed so many people. Do you know the lives you struck down and ruined because you wanted your precious meat? Did you EVEN consider the grief you've put them through? Do any of those people matter to you?"
Salvo raised his hands. "Of course they matter. I would never—"
"Then why are you so fixated on me helping you when you murdered the girl I loved?!"
Dark wind jettisoned from under his cloak and slammed into Salvo, pinning him up against the wall. He tried to pull free, but some form of tangibility came over the wind and bound him like thick rope. "Y-Your Highness!"
"You don't have the RIGHT to address me as such with that filthy tongue of yours!" Asterio roared, tears pouring down his face. "I trusted you! I trusted you to protect Rubina! And I…" He shuddered, weeping harder. "I-I'm the one who insisted she'd take you with her. I begged her to take you on her journey because I trusted you to protect her. If I hadn't been so worried about her leaving, she…she…"
Salvo's eyes widened. "A-Asterio, please, I never meant—"
"Never MEANT?! You never meant to chase her? To drown her? To KILL HER?!" Asterio's eyes burned with black mist, staring at the knight with unrelenting malice. "You're nothing but scum! You took her away from her family! From her sister! From ME!"
"Asterio, stop—"
"Rot in Hell, YOU SICK FREAK!"
Asterio whipped out his dagger and lunged at the trembling Raticate. "Asterio, STOP! PLEASE, I NEVER MEANT TO—"
Asterio slashed across the rat's chest with such force that blood spewed out from the cut. He grabbed him by the cloak and threw him to the ground, binding his limbs in his tentacles. Salvo tried to plead for his life, but sputtered a gasp as the prince drove the dagger down into his chest.
"I HATE YOU! I HATE ALL OF YOU!"
All reasoning imploding from his mind, Asterio plunged the dagger over and over into the knight under the cover of darkness, each stab becoming more and more ferocious and his mind becoming more and more filled with bloodlust.
"ALL OF YOU! ALL SCUM OF THE LAND! ALL OF YOU DESERVE OBLIVION!"
Lightning crackled over the alleyway. With his consciousness rapidly fading, Salvo could only see one thing looming above him that made the torturous experience feel eternal.
The fury of a reaper.
