Li stepped out of the house deep in thought. Iona came close behind him, her pale face wrought with worry. The golem was targeting witnesses relevant to this case. Meaning it had a way to see the proceedings of the case without alerting Li at all, meaning whatever she did was no Elden World magic.

If it was targeting witnesses, though, then Li could only imagine one other target. The Golden Flagon where all the adventurers, heroes, and beastwomen were. But at the same time, if she by any chance knew Li, then there was a chance that the old man was in danger.

"I have to go back to the farm," said Li abruptly. He cast a look to Iona's confused expression. "Can you do me a favor?"

Iona nodded. "Anything."

"Good. I know you don't have the greatest idea of what's going on, and I'm to blame for that. But I don't have time to explain anything to you in detail." Li took out Ven'thur's phylactery and put it in Iona's hand. "I'll give you a very brief summary. I've been busy recently trying to bust a slave driving ring in this city that's been targeting beastwomen. I've managed to free the beastwomen and they should be holed up in the Golden Flagon. What I think might happen is that whoever killed these farmers will target these beastwomen too. You can see where I'm going with this, can't you?"

Iona stared wonderingly at the phylactery in her hand. "I do. You wish me to go to the Flagon and protect them, yes?"

"Them and the adventurers there. That-," Li pointed to the phylactery. "Has the soul of a lich inside of it. I've charged him with enough magical energy that he can cast magic to help you if you need it. He's also going to be responsible for dispelling a mind control spell that's on the beastwomen when you get there. Tell them you're my assistant and that the orb is my way of healing them. Don't tell them it's a lich, obviously.

Also, there will be some chaos once the beastwomen get off their mind control. I want you to try and manage it as best as you can."

"You will find none better than I for that," said Iona confidently. "The beastwomen will know to respect someone who can speak the words of the forest."

"I also want to tell you that there are heroes there," said Li. "I know that you're afraid of them and that they'll target a hunt for you again, but right now, I have to go back to the farm, and as much as I want to, I cannot be in two places at once."

"I am not afraid." Iona shook her head. "I know I have said I have been afraid of heroes and adventurers, but if it is for you, then I feel no such fear. For so long as I know that I serve at your side, I know that your shadow will always protect me."

Li smiled. "I'll be expecting good news then."

Li soared above the farm, shapeshifted wings fluttering in the air as he peered at the cottage. He could find no signs of forced entry or anything out of the ordinary to his relief. He flexed his wings, letting the wind catch him downwards. He stopped gliding downwards once he was just above the cottage, right above the thatched roofing. He listened intensely, turning on his superhuman senses.

To his relief, Li could hear the old man's sleeping breathing as normal as ever. He could hear Tia's own breathing and heartbeat nearby. They were fine. The house itself was completely in order. Nothing had moved out of place. He could even hear the rippling of the tarp set over the hole in the wall that Tia had gouged out a while back.

Zagan had sensed Li's arrival and sat up at the fields, his snout poised at the sky to gaze at him. Li pointed to the cottage, and the demon nodded, sitting near the cottage with his red eyes peering at the darkness around him, ever vigilant and understanding of Li's implicit command to guard the cottage.

To make sure of everyone's safety, though, Li balled his hand into a fist and created a few [Dangerbloom Vilespine] seeds and breathed them down the chimney. If any hostile intent came nearby, the seeds would immediately sprout into immensely powerful plant creatures that were level 80 – hopefully more than capable of destroying any threat this world had to offer.

Feeling less alarm and some relief that things were fine for now, Li flapped his wings once more and leaped off the roof, soaring back into the air. There was no point just sitting here. If the threat was moving, he had to be proactive and catch it before it did anything more. He hoped that everyone at the Flagon was safe, but he had a feeling that they were not in great risk.

The golem had not continued to pursue killing the farmers once she was spotted, even if she had the ability to easily overpower the vampire guards. That meant that the golem either did not want to risk attention or she simply wanted to specifically get Li's attention. A threat, basically.

Li had an idea of what to do. At the core of this, Chevrette was in some way tied to this golem. If she was the true mastermind running this, then at the very least, she still needed Chevrette to do some of her work. Or if it was the other way around and Chevrette had some sway over the golem, then even better.

Either way, if Li got to Chevrette, then the golem would come out as well.

If it came down to killing Chevrette, Li would do it. He sighed. He had wanted to go the official way of things. Playing along with an investigation and all that to ensure that the city was not rocked by instability. He did not want Chevrette's death to cause rippling effects that would bring more headaches to a stable life he enjoyed.

But the enemy had moved boldly without any calculation of risk in mind. She had threatened Li and the people he needed directly. If she was going to throw caution to the wind, then Li was more than willing to play the same game and respond in kind.

Li would show her that when the veneer of civilization he played under was tossed aside, she would only face regrets.