When the Serial Killer Next Door Gained Harem System

Chapter 148: Golden Light

Mrs. Manherob, the librarian, was behind the counter, tying her hair into a bun.

"Mrs. Manherob," I said as I approached. "I’d like to return a book."

I pulled the book from my bag and placed it on the counter. After finishing her hair, she picked it up and looked at the cover. Her eyebrows lifted slightly before she looked back at me.

"Stilldark, huh?" she said with a small smile. "If nobody knows anything about it, why are there hundreds of books written about it? Doesn’t make any sense."

"That was exactly what I was wondering." I rested an elbow on the counter. "It was an interesting read, though. Lots of theories. What do you think the Stilldark really is, Mrs. Manherob?"

"I believe it’s a realm," she replied. "A place where monsters roam. A place where Ambly left a part of herself to grow stronger."

I frowned. "A part of herself?"

"Her sanity."

She slid the book onto a nearby stack.

"I’m sure you read the account about the man who supposedly entered the Stilldark. The one who gouged out his own eyes afterward."

"I did."

"Some believe Ambly sacrificed a part of her own mind to harness the Stilldark’s power."

"Do you think that’s true?"

She shrugged.

"It’s just another theory. Nobody can say for certain. Even if she did sacrifice something, it probably meant very little to her. She’s a goddess, kid. We mortals can’t begin to comprehend what beings like that are capable of."

"I... guess that’s true."

I hesitated for a moment.

"Hey, do you know anything about someone named Kara? Ambly’s daughter?"

Mrs. Manherob slowly shook her head.

"Never heard that name before. Sorry."

"Right."

I adjusted my bag.

"I should get going. Thanks for the chat, Mrs. Manherob."

"No problem, kid." She smiled warmly. "What was your name again?"

"Ace."

"Right. See you around, Ace. If you ever want to read more theories about the Stilldark, I can recommend a few books."

I chuckled.

"I think I’m good for now. Thanks anyway, Mrs. Manherob."

She gave me a small nod as I turned and walked toward the library doors.

ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎

Well, I didn’t have any good clothes to wear.

I checked myself in the mirror. This outfit wasn’t going to blend in at the ceremony. The newly bought shirt looked decent enough, but it was nothing compared to what the wealthier people in this district wore. Hell, even their casual clothes looked a hundred times better than mine.

"I hope there isn’t a dress code," Ken muttered from the top bunk. "Because, oh boy, let me tell you, they won’t let you in."

"I have the gold," I said. "They’ll let me in."

"I still don’t know how you got that much money in one night, man."

I shrugged. "Me neither."

"Oh, come on!" He leaned farther over the side of the bunk, eyes practically glowing with curiosity. "Tell me!"

"Nope."

"Please?" He grinned wider. "Please, please, please?"

I let out a long, tired sigh and rubbed the back of my neck.

"Look... alright. I worked for Garmonna for a night."

Ken froze. "YOU FUCKED HER?!"

"What? No!" I shot him a glare and instinctively lowered my voice. "Calm down, man. Keep your voice down."

Ken blinked, his expression shifting from shock to confusion.

"Then what happened?"

I hesitated, looking away.

"I’ll tell you later," I said quietly. "Just... not now, alright?"

"Okay, okay, okay. But you WILL definitely tell me what exactly happened."

"Yeah..."

I fixed my hair as best I could and let out a slow breath. Guess this was it. The wedding ceremony would begin in half an hour, and since I didn’t have any way to get there besides walking, I had to leave now if I didn’t want to be late.

"I’m heading out," I said, giving my hair one last adjustment. "If I don’t come back tonight... I’m probably dead."

"Then I get the room all to myself. Nice." Ken grinned.

"Good for you."

"It really is."

I grabbed my boots, slipped on my slippers, and left the room. Ken followed me into the corridor. It was dinner time, but I figured I’d eat at the ceremony instead. I was paying a fortune just to get inside the mansion. They’d better be serving food.

Once we reached the ground floor, I changed into my boots and placed my slippers in the assigned box. Ken did the same before following me outside. Mio was already waiting on the boys’ dormitory side, sitting on a bench across from the entrance.

As we walked over, Ken lowered his voice.

"Look. If something happens, just run, okay?"

"That’s the plan."

"I’m serious. Don’t go after Cadence." He rubbed the back of his neck. "If you even think something feels off, just get out."

"And waste all that coin?" I asked. "No thanks."

We stopped in front of Mio. She uncrossed and crossed her legs again before looking up at me.

"So this is it?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"I’m still against this," she said. "But you’ve already made up your mind."

"Pretty much." I replied. "I’ll go in, find something that links Cadence to the murders, and then report everything to the district captain."

"You remember where the Merygold mansion is?" Ken asked.

"Yeah. I already marked it on the map."

"What map?"

Shit. They didn’t know about the system map.

"My internal map." I tapped my temple. "I’m good at remembering directions."

"Well, remember this instead, Walker." Mio stood up and folded her arms. "What you’re doing is dangerous. If you get caught sneaking around, the Queen won’t overlook it this time."

"Great moral support." I sighed. "I’d better leave before you two convince me to spend all that gold on something sensible."

"Exactly!" Ken laughed. "Buy a little house or something with that money."

I took a step back. "See you two later."

"Hopefully," Mio said.

Ken looked at her with a grin. "I didn’t know you cared about our little Ace this much."

Mio stared at him without changing her expression. Ken chuckled awkwardly, cleared his throat, then looked back at me.

"Yeah... be careful, man."

"I will."

With that, I turned around and started walking toward the academy gates. Hopefully, by this time tomorrow, Cadence would have made a mistake I could finally use against him.

I left the circular street and stepped into the city.

The sun was already sinking behind the rooftops, painting the clouds in shades of orange and crimson. Shopkeepers were packing away their goods, folding canvas awnings and loading crates onto small carts. A few customers hurried through the streets to make their last purchases before the market closed, while others were already making their way home after another long day.

I stopped in the middle of the street and looked up at the evening sky. The breeze carried the smell of fresh bread, damp stone, and wood smoke as the first lanterns around the district were lit one by one.

"Alright," I muttered, rolling my shoulders. "Let’s see if I’ve gotten rusty since coming to this world, eh, Ace?"

ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎

The damn slope was killing me.

The sun had already disappeared beyond the horizon, leaving the sky painted in deep shades of orange and purple. A cool breeze swept across the hillside every few moments, carrying the scent of damp earth and salt from the sea. According to the system map, all I had to do was climb this slope and walk a little farther. The Merygold mansion would be on my right.

Simple.

In theory.

"Come on..." I muttered between breaths.

I kept climbing for another minute before giving up and stopping. There was no way I was making it to the top without taking a break.

The dirt road wound uphill in a series of uneven bends, scattered with loose stones that shifted beneath every step. Thick grass and weeds grew along the edges, while exposed roots poked through the packed soil here and there.

To my right stretched a dense forest, its towering trees swaying gently whenever the wind picked up. To my left, the land dropped away into a steep cliff overlooking the endless sea. The evening light shimmered across the water, and the distant sound of waves crashing against the rocks echoed all the way up the hillside.

I wandered over to the cliff’s edge and sat down carefully, letting my legs dangle over the side.

"Man... I’m beat."

I opened my inventory and summoned my dagger. A faint golden glow gathered in my palm before the weapon materialized in my hand.

With nothing better to do, I started tossing it into the air, catching it by the handle each time. The familiar motion helped pass the time, but after a minute it became boring. I stored the dagger back in my inventory, watching it disappear in another brief flash of golden light.

Just then, I heard the sound of wheels creaking over dirt.

I turned toward the road behind me.