It was still mid-afternoon, but the tavern was already lively. John quickly went and sat at his usual spot at the bar. 

"Afternoon Toby, busy day, huh?" John greets.

"Yeah. It seems the folks in the West District decided to call it early; something about the city government secret. Whatever it is, the workers are here early for." Toby answered as he poured drinks for the customers.

"Since you're here, did the matter finally settle down?" Toby asked after he finished his order. 

Toby put a cup of liquor in front of John. John gladly took the cup and chug the content before answering. 

"Well, we ran into small trouble in the first few days, but the shop is now back on its feet. Honestly, my two employees were a great support." John answered as he smiled wryly as he look inside the cup.

"Your grandpa would be so proud. Especially when he knows you inherited his knack for women." Toby beamed a smile.

"Oh stop it. I'm here on another matter..." John paused and looked at Toby seriously.

Toby discretely moves closer.

"... I want to ask about a thing called Prayer Dust," John continued in a low voice.

When Toby heard those words, his facial expression turned to gloom.

"John. Take this advice from someone who watched you grow up; do not touch that stuff."

"Don't worry. I'm not interested in taking it; I just want information on the stuff." John replied as he placed money on the bar.

Toby took the money, but just as he was about to open his mouth a voice interrupted.

"Hey, can I get two glasses here?" A person from a nearby table hollered.

After Toby finished serving, he returned to John.

"That stuff is an illegal drug that has been spreading for a while in the city," Toby whispered in a lower tone than usual.

"How come I have never heard of it till now?"

"Well, that is due to the drug being prevalent mostly in the South District and the slums. But, it seems that it has spread to the rest of the city." Toby answered and stared at John meaningfully.

John understood what Toby meant. If John knows about it, then the drugs have spread to the North District as well.

John asked another question. "Why don't the city council and the city lord eliminate or ban it?"

"I don't know, but rumor has it that behind the drugs are some of the powerful noble families in the city. Another rumor around it can boost the productiveness of its users." Toby shrugged.

"Boost... productivity?" John looked at Toby with disbelief.

"I don't know how okay? I am not a doctor." Toby shrugged. He then continued. "What I do know is that it is very destructive. I saw it destroy the life of a good man. I don't want to see you turn into that too." Toby continued in a sad tone as he reminisce about someone.

"Okay. I understand. I won't touch that." John promised after he saw Toby's serious expression.

"By the way, when is his Aunt Joy returning from her trip?" John decidedly changed the subject.

"I don't know. As you know, that old hag lives on her leisure. It has gotten worse since your grandpa died." Toby complained, changing back to his usual cheery character.

The two chatted for a while before John left the tavern.

The sky has now turned orange and the number of people walking on the streets has increased.

John decided to walk back home instead of taking a carriage. He zoned out as he slowly organized the information he learned from Toby. 

'I think I know what happened to that fellow Adam. A famous actor that became addicted to drugs; now wanders the streets. He might have stolen from the shop to get money. However, I still don't know who killed him. And why such a gruesome way.' John pondered as he walk.

Due to his inattentiveness, John tripped from a protruding part of the pavement. Luckily he was able to stop his whole body from hitting the ground with his hands.

'This is embarrassing.' John thought as he quickly got up. While tidying his clothes, John looked around to see any onlookers.

Some people are looking at him and shaking their heads slightly, but most people are looking in a different direction.

'I wonder what the crowd is about?' John thought as he saw a large crowd forming in the direction the other people are looking at.

Being a bit curious, John decided to move closer. When John was on the periphery of the crowd, he heard some conversations with the onlookers. 

"How awful, a murder in broad daylight."

"I know one of the police in charge and they told me that the victim's face was eaten."

"No, I heard that it was not the face, but the whole body that was eaten."

"This is what happens when people stop going to church."

"Those folks were good people. They don't deserve to be murdered." 

"I'm going to buy new locks for my house later."

John tried to piece what was happening through bits of conversations he overheard.

'It seems someone died in the building. The circumstance of the death might be special.' John pondered as he scan the area.

The crowd is kept away from the building by a bunch of policemen. There are also two police carriages nearby.

It didn't take long before the building's door opened and two familiar figures come out.

The moment John saw those two get out, John quickly traced back his steps and left the crowd.

"Shit, why is my luck so bad." John cursed as he hurried to go home.

 

Meanwhile, the two officers were silently discussing something.

"Since we confirmed it, we should..." Susan, one of the officers, stopped in the middle of her statement. She quickly turned her gaze toward the crowd as if she was searching for someone. 

"What is the matter." William, the other officer, asked alertly while putting his hand on top of his holster. The surrounding policemen, who saw William's action, became tense.

"I felt someone staring at us," Susan said.

"Was it malicious..." William tried to confirm whether it was an enemy or not.

"No... I don't think so, but the gaze I felt was cold." Susan paused and shook her head.

"Whoever it was, I don't think they're here anymore." She continued as she turned back her face from the crowd.

After hearing Susan's words, the tension in William's body relaxed. He turned to the other police and motioned that the coast was clear.

After calming the other police, William returned to Susan's side.

"I sent one of the fellows to report back to the precinct. Sigh. This is so stressful. This is the third murder where the victim's face is missing. I can already hear the chief shouting." Willaim scratched his hair in frustration.

"First, it was a series of burglaries, now it's murdered. I barely returned home this month." He continued on his rambling.

Susan simply listens to the other's vent. 

"Everyone is under great pressure. The higher-ups are breathing down on everyone's neck not just you." She corrected William in a matter-of-fact tone.

William quickly apologize to her, but Susan ignored him and looked at the orange sky.

"I hope everything returns to normal." She said under her breath.

 

Finally, John returned to the front of his store. Near the store's entrance was a familiar white carriage.

"This noble's crest; it can only mean one thing..." John thought aloud as he inspects the carriage.

He fixed his clothes and went inside the store. The store was empty so John made his way upstairs.

Sure enough, on the second floor were the blonde noble and the red-haired maid.