The Extra's Rise - Chapter 422

Chapter 422: Windmere (1)
After a week of training in Starcrest Academy, we were divided into groups of three and given missions in different towns and cities all over the Eastern continent.

I was grouped with Ava Peng and Cecilia Slatemark.

“Serial murders in a small town, huh?” I scrolled through the mission details on my phone.

“Mm, sounds fun,” Cecilia murmured, her head resting comfortably on my shoulder. She’d been using me as a pillow for the past hour of our drive, not that I was complaining. The familiar scent of her perfume—jasmine with a hint of something darker—was distracting in the best possible way.

“It’s a small town,” Ava said from across the self-driving car, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear. Her posture was perfect as always, hands folded neatly in her lap, looking more like she was headed to a business meeting than a murder investigation. “The mayor is the strongest person there, and he’s only White-rank. But a 6-star adventurer took this mission and…” She paused, her dark eyes meeting mine. “Didn’t make it back.”

I whistled. “That changes things.”

Ava muttered, eyes back on her tablet. “We all should be concerned. The Eastern Continent isn’t like the West. Towns here operate under different rules.”

She wasn’t wrong. Unlike the unified government structure of the Central Continent where I’d grown up, the East was ruled by a patchwork of powerful families and martial sects. Towns like Windmere existed in the spaces between these territories, often neglected and left to fend for themselves. That’s why adventurers were crucial—taking on jobs too dangerous for locals but not important enough for the major families to bother with.

“I still don’t see why they’d send all three of us,” I said, sliding my phone into my pocket. “Even with a dead adventurer, this seems like overkill. No offense to either of you.”

“Maybe they just wanted to give us some quality time together,” Cecilia smiled, pressing herself closer against my side. Her fingers traced idle patterns on my thigh, a touch too high to be entirely innocent. “It has been a whole week since we’ve had a proper mission together.”

Ava cleared her throat pointedly. “The academy is testing our teamwork. Integration-rankers like us are rare, especially among students. They want to see how we function as a unit.”

“Boring explanation,” Cecilia sighed, but withdrew her wandering hand. “But probably accurate.”

The car slowed as we approached a checkpoint at the edge of Windmere. Two guards in mismatched uniforms stood beside a makeshift barrier, looking nervous even from a distance.

“Show time,” I muttered, rolling down the window as we stopped. “ID check, gentlemen.”

The first guard approached cautiously, taking our academy identification cards with visibly trembling hands. His eyes widened progressively as he read each one.

“S-Slatemark Empire princess?” he stammered when he reached Cecilia’s.

“That’s me,” Cecilia replied with a smile that could cut glass. “Problem?”

“N-no, Your Highness!” He practically threw the IDs back at us. “And you must be… the Peng family heiress?” he added, looking at Ava with equal trepidation.

Ava simply nodded, her expression neutral.

“Welcome to Windmere!” the second guard blurted, hurriedly raising the barrier. “The mayor will be honored to receive such distinguished guests!”

As we drove through, I watched the guards in the rearview mirror. The moment they thought we were out of earshot, one grabbed a phone and started making a call.

“Well, there goes our low profile,” I said.

Cecilia stretched beside me like a cat, completely unconcerned. “Did we ever have one? Two of the most prominent families in the Eastern Continent, plus you, Mr. Arthur Nightingale.”

“Focus,” Ava interrupted. “We’re approaching the town center.”

Windmere looked like dozens of other small Eastern towns I’d seen—narrow streets lined with a mix of traditional architecture and newer, cheaply constructed buildings. People moved about their business, but something felt off. They walked with their heads down, conversations stopping whenever our car passed by.

“Friendly place,” Cecilia remarked.

“Let’s get something to eat first,” I suggested as we pulled up to a small hotel in the town center. “I’m starving, and we can start asking questions.”

Twenty minutes later, we were seated in a dim sum restaurant across the street. The place was half-empty despite it being lunchtime, and our arrival had caused a noticeable hush in the already quiet atmosphere.

“This town feels… weird,” I muttered, reaching for a steamed bun.

“Dreadful,” Cecilia agreed, somehow making the act of eating look elegant. She slipped her arm through mine, pressing closer than necessary. “Good thing I have you to protect me.”

“I’m pretty sure you could level this whole place if you wanted to,” I reminded her. Cecilia might play the pampered princess, but I’d knew her strength.

She batted her eyelashes at me. “But it’s so much more fun to have you do it.”

Ava ignored our banter, focused on her tea and the mission brief displayed on her tablet. “Eleven victims in the past three months. All men.” She swiped through crime scene photos that would have made most people lose their appetite. “No obvious connection between them except gender.”

“The last adventurer thought they were being chosen through gambling dens,” Cecilia said, recalling the report.

“That’s what his final message said,” I nodded. “But he was wrong.”

“Oh?” Ava raised an eyebrow. “Do tell.”

“It’s not the gambling dens,” I explained, pulling out my phone to show them the data visualization I’d created. “It’s the brothels.”

Ava’s expression twisted in distaste. “What makes you so sure?”

“Look at the Eastern Continent, especially rural areas like this,” I said. “It’s conservative—traditional values, modest dress, especially for women.” I nodded toward Ava and Cecilia. “Did you notice how men were staring at you both when we arrived? It’s not just because you’re beautiful, but also because of your clothes.”

Cecilia was wearing a form-fitting dress that would be considered tame in the capital but was practically scandalous here. Even Ava, in her more reserved blouse and pants, was dressed more modernly than the local women in their traditional attire.

“So it’s lust, then,” Cecilia murmured, leaning close enough that her breath tickled my ear. “Do you also like these… freeing clothes on me, Arthur?”

I almost choked on my tea. “I’m trying to solve murders here, Cecilia.”

“You can do both,” she purred, her hand finding my thigh under the table.

“That seems strange,” Ava said, frowning at my theory. Her traditional Eastern upbringing was showing. “Are men really like that?”

“They can be,” I said, gently removing Cecilia’s wandering hand. “Especially in places where people are kept under strict control. Someone’s exploiting that tension—creating a brothel system that’s being used to target victims.”

“I think there’s more to it,” Cecilia said, suddenly serious. “Conservative attitudes alone wouldn’t drive men to that extreme.”

I nodded. “Agreed. There’s something deeper we’re not seeing yet.”

A waiter approached our table, nearly spilling tea in his nervousness. “Forgive me, honored guests, but the mayor has extended an invitation for dinner this evening. He wishes to discuss your… investigation.”

“How thoughtful,” Cecilia replied with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Please tell him we’d be delighted.”

After the waiter scurried away, I leaned forward. “Well, that was fast.”

“Too fast,” Ava agreed. “Those guards must have called ahead.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “We need to talk to him anyway. But first, let’s split up and see what the locals have to say. Meet back at the hotel in three hours?”

Cecilia pouted. “Split up? But we just got here.” She traced a finger down my arm. “I was hoping we could check into our room first, maybe rest a bit before we start working.”

The way she said “rest” made it clear that rest was the last thing on her mind.

Ava stood abruptly, cheeks slightly flushed. “I’ll take the eastern section of town. You two can handle the west.” She gathered her things with efficient movements. “Try to actually accomplish something before dinner.”

As she walked away, Cecilia giggled. “I think we embarrass her.”

“You embarrass her,” I corrected, but couldn’t help smiling. “Come on, we really do have work to do.”

“Fine,” she sighed dramatically, but her eyes were alert and focused. The playful girlfriend act dropped slightly, revealing the shrewd princess underneath. “But you’re making this up to me later.”

“Deal,” I promised, helping her to her feet. “Let’s see what secrets Windmere is hiding.”

We spent the afternoon questioning locals, but the results were unsettling. No matter what we asked, the conversation inevitably turned to praise for the mayor. He was “a pillar of strength,” “the kindest man,” “a true protector of the town.” Even when our questions had nothing to do with him, people found ways to mention his virtues. It was almost like they were following a script.

By the time we regrouped at the hotel, the sun was setting, casting long shadows across Windmere’s quiet streets. Ava was already waiting in the lobby, her expression troubled.

“Let me guess,” I said as we approached. “Everyone loves the mayor?”

She nodded grimly. “It’s unnatural. I’ve never seen such uniform adoration.”

“Fear,” Cecilia corrected, dropping onto an ornate couch. “That’s not love in their eyes. They’re terrified.”

I sat beside her, thinking through what we’d learned—and what we hadn’t. “There’s something very wrong in this town. And I bet our dinner host is at the center of it.”

As if on cue, a black car pulled up outside the hotel, clearly sent to transport us to the mayor’s residence.

“Well then,” Cecilia stood and smoothed her dress, a dangerous smile playing on her lips. “Let’s not keep him waiting.”