The Witcher: Astartes Of The Bear School

Chapter 35: Capturing the Cannibal

As Lan anticipated, they encountered several rudimentary traps set along the way—not overly complex, resembling those that hunters used to capture wild game. His keen observation skills dismantled these traps with ease. The bear head necklace around his neck hung steadily, providing Lan with reassurance, as it indicated that no magical interference was present in this area.

The group finally tracked their way to the entrance of a cave. Lan gestured to Phillip behind him, signaling that this was the hideout of the murderer. Feeling the direction of the wind at the cave entrance, he confirmed that this cave had only one exit.

The soldiers prepared themselves with a relaxed attitude, hanging iron lanterns at their chests. Each lantern was a sealed iron box with a candle inside, leaving only a small opening to let light out. This design allowed the light to be focused forward without burning the wearer.

It was a clever piece of medieval ingenuity.

The soldiers filtered into the cave, the clanking of their armor echoing in the confined space. At this point, Lan and the soldiers completely disregarded stealth. Amidst the dim firelight, they could vaguely see a strange figure in the depths of the cave, panic-stricken.

"Run, bastard! Run faster! Let's see where you think you can escape to!" One leading soldier shouted with unmasked malice and anger. "Daring to eat humans in Duén Hen! You'll not even see the gallows; we'll tie you to a pyre and burn you alive as penance!"

Despite his shouting, he kept his shield firmly raised in front of his face. That, without a doubt, saved him. A rock flew from deep within the cave, thudding against the shield with a loud "thunk." The shield tilted slightly but quickly regained its position.

A cannibal was undoubtedly one of the most dangerous types of criminals; there was no way they would surrender easily.

Had that rock not struck the shield, it likely would have hit the soldier's helmet directly. While steel helmets provide effective protection for the head, the structure of a helmet means that even a few good whacks can leave the person inside disoriented. Let alone a heavy stone.

"Good! Keep resisting!" The soldiers pressed forward, their anger over the defilement of their faith, coupled with the resentment of trudging through the marsh in armor, surged within them.

Lan heard York shouting as well. "Bastard, we'll make you beg to be put on the pyre!"

Finally, the man, unable to withstand the relentless threats outside, frantically hurled a dozen stones and then lunged forward. All the stones were blocked by the shields held by the front-line soldiers.

This man seemed to want to face whatever terrifying punishment awaited him; in Lan's eyes, it appeared he was more inclined toward death than survival.

A dagger the length of a forearm did little to protect him; he wildly charged at the soldiers' blades.

"He doesn't want to live." With his enhanced vision, Lan could see the murderer's desperate thoughts clearly, so he spoke up to warn the others. The man's actions merited the harshest punishments this world could offer.

The old soldiers reacted well; while the murderer was entangled with one soldier, three shield-bearers closed in around him. The three shields pressed inward, trapping the murderer's arm holding the dagger, snapping it with a loud crack.

After a futile scream, several single-handed swords pierced through the gaps in the shields. They were all pointed downwards, piercing into his thighs.

At this point, the outcome was clear. The nearly ten remaining soldiers didn't even need to lift a finger.

With a collective effort, they dragged the beast out of the cave and into the sunlight. Only then could everyone clearly see his appearance.

He had pale skin, hollow eyes, and his physical characteristics matched Lan's earlier description. He wore a black open leather vest, with no other clothing covering his upper body. A human hand served as a pendant, strung through the wrist bone and hung around his neck. The hand was cut off at the wrist, seemingly preserved with a process, maintaining a plump appearance without any odor.

To prevent him from escaping, the soldiers had neatly pierced his feet with swords. The blades passed through from the tops of his feet to the soles. As for whether he would get infected in the marsh? By the time he faced the pyre, who cared about infection?

Phillip was in high spirits. "Thanks to you, master witcher. Otherwise, this bastard would have hidden away here, and we wouldn't have known how much trouble it would take to catch him."

"Just remember the reward. Ugh, this bastard reeks of human flesh; it's making me nauseous."

"Don't worry about the reward. We've captured him alive; the reward certainly won't be low."

Lan nodded, agreeing with Phillip's sentiment. Alive was worth more than dead. However, watching the still-screaming cannibal, Lan felt a moment of seriousness and suggested to Phillip.

"Completing the task is good, but I'll say this: that guy isn't alone."

"Hmm? There's another killer?" Phillip looked alarmed, but Lan shook his head dismissively.

"There's only him for the murder in Duén Hen, but I mean to say that he likely belongs to a group of cannibals."

"How do you know?" The sergeant looked at Lan with suspicion, who pointed at the hand pendant hanging from the killer's neck.

"Look at that necklace. A human hand, cleanly processed and hanging around his neck. This is a clear ceremonial ornament; only someone in a specific group would have a need for such 'ceremonial' and 'decorative' items."

Phillip's eyes gleamed with childlike innocence. Seeing this, Lan pressed his lips together, rubbing his forehead.

"Let's put it this way: followers of the Eternal Fire would leave flame tattoos all over their bodies, but others wouldn't do that."

"Oh, I understand." Phillip nodded, "You're saying he worships some cannibal cult?"

"You could say that," Lan reluctantly agreed with that interpretation.

"Look at that hand necklace; the wrist cut is clearly processed, exposing the wrist bone. The preservation techniques are quite good, indicating they've consumed many people, possibly refining a process for creating decorative items from these hands. They are organized, Phillip." Lan earnestly urged him to be cautious and to consider strengthening local patrols.

However, Phillip replied, "I can't do anything about that, Master." The man spoke in a very calm tone, as if discussing a group of organized cannibals was no more significant than a few mischievous children.

"We have limited manpower; more than this, and we can't afford to maintain them. Maybe you don't believe it, but it wasn't always like this. For over a decade, I've felt like I've been living in a different world. Kings fight each other, blood flows freely, and no one even knows why. Back then, even in poor Velen, no one would steal children; but now, I've received dozens of reports of missing children in just the past two months. We need to address this first, or the farmers won't have the heart to sow their fields."

"People's hearts have turned dark, Master. I can only say that when I encounter a cannibal cult, I will eradicate them, but if I don't come across them… in this world, what can even the kings do?"

***

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