The Warden of The Witches-Chapter 235:

Chapter 235: Hostage-Taking a Monster

The following evening, in Silver City's black market.

"You've got to be kidding me." Aiden stared at the sign before him, his brow tightening.

The "Illusory Moon" jewelry shop, run by Melissa the Diviner, was now tightly shut. A large sign hung from the doorknob, reading: "Proprietor Away on Journey, Temporarily Closed."

Melissa was gone.

Judging by the sign, she had likely left the city, and it seemed she would be gone for a considerable period.

Of all times... was it just a coincidence, or... intentional?

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Aiden immediately recalled Mephilia telling him that Melissa possessed the ability to divine the timing of her own potential exposure. Had she sensed danger and chosen this moment to flee, specifically to avoid meeting him?

Aiden sighed internally.

Whatever the reason, it seemed he wouldn't be able to utilize this intelligence source this time. Although Melissa wasn't entirely trustworthy, losing a card at this critical juncture inevitably brought a sense of unease.

Still, considering things more optimistically, perhaps the Blood Moon Cult hadn't actually surveilled the battle between the Witches' Coven and the Bontiful Mother Cult. Perhaps the supervisor had only arrived at the scene afterward to inspect Sister Nawei body...

Just as the thought emerged, Aiden immediately chastised himself. Blind optimism in this situation could easily get him killed horribly, especially with a murderer still roaming the city. If the supervisor truly was, as Abigail suggested, killing people to obtain the God of Death's powers, then the deaths of three people meant this preparatory work was largely complete.

The handful of disposable vampires recruited temporarily, including Nosferatu, were likely just smokescreens to distract the Inquisition, a mere pawns. Considering this, once the preparations were complete, the supervisor might no longer need these pawns, and the Inquisition's stakeout operation might not necessarily catch him...

If they were going to come calling, perhaps it would be very soon.

Best to head back to the prison tonight and properly consider countermeasures. Having made up his mind, Aiden turned back to the street, found a carriage, and headed back to the prison.

"Warden?"

Just as Aiden stepped off the carriage at the drop-off point, he saw Veronica getting off a public carriage, looking at him with some surprise. Veronica's shifts at the prison were mostly night shifts, usually starting in the afternoon or evening.

"You're on the night shift today too." Aiden smiled at her by way of greeting.

"Were you out? Or did you finish your shift and come back for something?" Veronica asked.

"Went out for some business. Planning to handle some work at the prison tonight." They began walking and talking.

"Yesterday you seemed to go out and come back too... has something happened recently?" Veronica keenly sensed that Aiden's movements over the past two days were somewhat unusual.

"Well..." Aiden thought that saying he'd visited the Red-light district yesterday and the black market today might lead to strange misunderstandings. However, simply mentioning the recent blood-kin murders in the city wouldn't hurt.

The two walked towards the intersection, preparing to turn into the narrow path beside the prison, when Veronica suddenly gasped, "Huh?"

Aiden followed her gaze and saw a woman dressed in black clutching her stomach, staggering out of the alley into the intersection. She leaned against a lamppost and began to groan. From between the fingers pressed against her stomach, dark red blood was continuously welling up, staining her hand.

Aiden paused for a second. Veronica gasped and immediately strode forward, "Hey! Are you alright?!"

Veronica's reaction was normal, but a thought instantly flashed through Aiden's mind, who had been preoccupied with the murderous blood-kin: Trap! Visiting hours were long over, and there were hardly any passersby near the prison at this time. How could an injured person covered in blood suddenly appear?

"Wait! Don't go closer!"

Just as Aiden shouted to stop Veronica, the woman jerked her head up and thrust out her blood-stained hand. The dark red blood shot out, forming a long whip that lashed towards Veronica. Veronica dodged instinctively. The attack was too sudden for her; even with her werewolf reflexes, the dodge was clumsy.

By then, the woman, her face contorted fiercely, had already charged at her, lunging behind her as the blood whip in her hand contracted, reforming into a dagger. Aiden swiftly drew his pistol, but the woman already had the blade pressed against Veronica's throat, shouting viciously, "D-Don't move! Or I'll kill her immediately!"

Aiden's expression turned grave. This ability to use blood magic instinctively, without incantations, clearly marked the woman as blood-kin.

Was this her? The supervisor who had come looking for him?

No, that didn't feel... quite right.

Aiden sensed something was off. He had dealt with too many criminals; this woman looked and sounded extremely nervous, completely unlike a hardened criminal capable of manipulating others and killing without batting an eye. She was far removed from the image of the supervisor he had envisioned.

He remembered Nosferatu mentioning that besides himself, there were three other blood-kin being manipulated by the supervisor. Excluding the two captured Viscounts, there was exactly one left...

Furthermore, given Veronica's physical capabilities, holding her hostage with a knife to the throat like this... was actually useless. When the woman had pressed the knife to her throat, Veronica, though a step slow, had managed to grab the attacker's wrist; she could snap it at any moment. The attacker clearly had no idea what kind of dangerous individual she had taken hostage.

An idea struck Aiden. He shot Veronica a look, signaling her to wait. Since she could break free at any time, it was better to first try ascertaining the attacker's motive.

Veronica paused, not fully understanding, but she shelved the impulse to immediately counterattack. She slightly relaxed her grip, feigning the role of a helpless woman taken hostage, and said stiffly, "Y-You... don't do anything rash!"

Aiden glanced back and forth between Veronica and the blood-kin. Veronica's acting was terrible, but the blood-kin was evidently too agitated to notice how unnatural the 'hostage' was.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Aiden asked the attacker.

The fact that she had taken Veronica hostage without immediately acting, instead choosing to shout at him, clearly indicated she had a purpose other than killing.

The woman spoke, her voice hoarse: "Listen carefully! If you don't want her dead, then hand over... hand over the vampire Princes, Ophelia, who's locked up in here!!"