The horse-drawn carriage, moving slowly along the muddy road, came to a jolting halt at a narrow bend. The door creaked open, and a man stepped out—short enough to rival a goblin, with a prominent nose and bushy hair. As his boots sank into the soft earth, he turned to the driver and said with a sharp air, "Hey, don't linger here. Turn back immediately."

  He surveyed his surroundings; everywhere was covered in impenetrable thickets. "Damn it," he muttered. "Not even a path." He began to push through the irritating branches, tugging at his clothes. Soon, the trees thinned, and he emerged into a wide clearing.

  In the center of the clearing rose a gargantuan tree. The area around it was as bustling and crowded as a fairground. Eren narrowed his eyes and walked toward the commotion. At that moment, his right foot sank into a deep mud puddle. This puddle, a remnant of yesterday’s rain, felt utterly out of place in today’s brilliant sun and morning heat. "Damn it, what a shitty day!" he grumbled, looking at his muddy shoe.

  As he approached the tree, a sweet, faint, and strangely peaceful scent wafted to his nose. Hundreds of butterflies were fluttering in the air. Their colors were so vivid that Eren paused for a moment to look up. In the midst of this beauty, a man with thinning hair hurried toward him.

  "Chief Inspector, welcome!"

  "Thank you, Eden. What happened here?"

  "Come, sir, let me show you."

  When they reached the trunk of the tree, the scene shifted. A man lay lifeless, his back against the tree and legs sprawled out. His belly had been brutally ripped open, intestines spilling out. The truly terrifying part, however, was the thousands of maggots seething within the open wound.

  "Mana beetles..." Eden said, his voice trembling. "I think they cut him open while he was still alive and left the beetles inside. The poor man died in agony all night as the insects consumed his mana."

  Eren looked up at the butterflies dancing at the top of the tree. He understood now; those elegant winged creatures were parasites that evolved by feeding on the victim's soul and energy. Some insects were still writhing in the wound; evidently, the victim's mana hadn't been enough for all of them to transform.

  "Identity?" Eren asked, trying to mask the disgust in his voice.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "Katrin, the third son of the noble Pitrosg family. But sir, there are two people I want to introduce to you first." Eden gestured toward two young people standing a short distance away. "This is our Chief Inspector, Master Eren."

  Eren felt the hollow weight behind the title "Master." Since he did not come from a noble family, he had no surname—a silent stigma he always felt within the force. The two youths before him were his polar opposites. One, a girl with long blonde hair and a sweet face, extended her hand:

  "I am Marry, Master Eren. I graduated from the Academy’s Sorcery department with a scholarship this year. I’ve been assigned to your unit; I’ll be working under your supervision."

  Eren sized her up. Graduating on a royal scholarship was a great feat, but assigning one of the kingdom's rare magical assets to a "low-born" inspector like him was never a good sign. Just as he was about to speak, a massive shadow fell over him.

  "Hello, I am Aslan Yadigar. Son of Baron Hans Yadigar. I graduated from the academy as a second-class knight. I am at your service."

  Aslan stood over six feet tall with broad shoulders, looming like a tower over Eren. With a forced smile, Eren said, "Pleased to meet you." Great, an aristocrat and a state-indebted mage... "So, have you found anything?"

  "Yes," Eden interrupted. "There are dozens of paper fragments scattered on the ground. Some are burnt."

  Eren’s eyes sharpened. "Paper fragments?" A serial killer case from ten years ago—one that had started and then abruptly stopped—flashed in his mind. "Anything else?"

  Marry spoke up hesitantly, "Um... Sir, there is a faint mana corridor stretching from the corpse toward the White Forest. It has faded over time, but it still points there. Had we arrived two hours later, it would have vanished completely."

  "The White Forest, huh..." Eren murmured to himself. This was a forest named after its snow-white trees; rumors even said that upon reaching its center, the leaves themselves turned white. No predators lived there; the most dangerous creatures one could encounter were silver-horned stags. What made the forest truly valuable for people were the mushrooms within. These mushrooms converted the raw mana found in nature and stored it within themselves. This quality made them indispensable for potion-making.

  The White Forest was separated from the human realm by a transparent mana barrier created by the Great Witch's sorcery. The purpose of the barrier was to prevent unauthorized entry; it was impossible for an ordinary human to cross this threshold. Even if those with superhuman abilities managed to pass, the system would sound an alarm the moment they stepped inside, alerting military units. Therefore, obtaining special permission was mandatory to enter the forest.

  Eren turned to Eden and said, "Hey friend, I'm leaving the investigation of the deceased to you. Handle the family and attend the funeral. Take Knight Aslan with you as well." Then he turned to Aslan and Marry: "We have nothing left to do today. Tomorrow, I will try to sort out the permits for the White Forest. We should be inside within two days at most, but come prepared as if we were going tomorrow. The faster we move, the better. You may rest now."

  "Thank you," they both replied simultaneously. Eren added, looking at Eden, "Come on Eden, let's head back to the precinct. We have work to do."