"What exactly do you remember of the incident involving Mingi? Did he say anything unusual or did you by any chance fight before you.... enchanted him?"

Hongjoong was sitting in Yunho's living room opposite of the other man who was constantly sipping on his tea in order to avoid Hongjoong's piercing glare. It was in vain however, Hongjoong reading his nervous mind way too easily.

"He... I think he was strange for a few days yes. He seemed more absentminded than usual and I think he fought with Jongho a few days prior. Jaebeom tried consulting him once when he started closing off but Mingi seemed cold. I actually made him that potion to cheer him up.", he mumbled hesistantly, seemingly aware of the trap that Hongjoong was building around him.

Hongjoong was very sure that he knew Mingi to be one of the bandits.

"And when he drank the potion, what happened then? Did he turn in the night?"

"No, no. I was leaving the room to go put his mug away and when I came back there was already this tumbleweed instead of his human body which was looking at me all sadly. I don't think he would have been able to pull off some runaway stunt in that short time and really- why would he? So we just accepted that new form and went on with our lives."

Hongjoong wrote down that Mingi had been in contact with the bandits earlier already and probably got an offer he could not refuse. Now he just needed to find out how willingly he took it.

"What was Mingi's job here? Did he go out quite often?" Hongjoong's shoulders were tensed, his eyes shining with the need to trace this hint he had received. He forgot everything around him that was not Yunho's hunched form.

"No, he... He worked at Kunpimook's. They were good friends and poor Kunpimook was absolutely heartbroken when he heard. He adored Mingi."

So this influence did come from somewhere inside of the village. Hongjoong nodded briefly.

"Mary?"

"They never met as more than acquaintances as far as I know. Are you implying he had ties with the bandits?" Yunho sounded scandalized and Hongjoong lifted his head, giving the other man a sugary sweet smile.

"I'm implying that I think basically all of you fuckers here are having ties with the bandits. I'm just trying to find out who doesn't.", he drawled, giving the man a stern glance at which his eyes widened.

"Oh... Do you now? That is... quite disappointing. After all you were sent to protect us, not to turn us into criminals."

Hongjoong leant back in his chair, observing the big man in front of him who showed no signs of hostility. He had made his decision.

"I won't falsly accuse anybody. However, while you are keen on believing the whole tumbleweed Mingi thing you also dropped a few too many hints for me to ignore. I just don't know whether you are being threatened or if you are trying to protect someone. But Yunho, I can promise you, I will not be able to protect anyone if I don't get the information I need. Because then everybody is just the same kind of murderer and robber in the eyes of the law." Hongjoong shut his notebook determinedly, rising to his feet.

"Think about it. I think we are both very aware of two names I know for sure also to exist in their group and both lead to you, Yunho. You don't need to tell, especially if it endangers you but I need you to know that I am no friendly figure automatically because I am the sheriff. I am the sheriff responsible for destroying those people and anything that has ties to them. Have a good day."

Hongjoong raised his hat at him, stepping out of the house then while Yunho stayed back in silence. He hated to destroy the man's delusions, him thinking he magicked some spell quite obviously just a way for him to protect himself from the cold truth.

Hongjoong was also aware that he had to be careful from now on. One wrong word from his side and the bandits would be here faster than he could blink. However, maybe that was the next plan. He could not count on the town's people to fight at his side against them so he would just have to find those rats some other way.

"Sheriff. Brooding as ever, I see."

Hongjoong lifted his head to the voice who had spoken, blinking harshly against the sun for a moment. It was San, stepping closer now to lift one gloved hand over Hongjoong's head, protecting him from the harsh light. Hongjoong nodded thankfully, adjusting his head so it shadowed his eyes again.

"You are in the city again I see. Had a good catch?"

"Sure. Wooyoung told me what happened to him. Thanks for getting him back. Until the message would have reached me it would have probably been too late already." His eyes seemed a tad too dark for his smile, his dimples feeling oddly hypnotizing and misleading. San was a dangerous man.

"No problem, just doing my job. Even then you were out there already, or no? Maybe you would have been faster indeed."

San gave a chuckle, adjusting his gloves.

"I would have never gotten him out of their hideout all by myself. Which was quite a feat for you to do, Sheriff. Who would have thought you had so much ease with finding your way in a cave system. Truly an excellent hunter we got here."

Ah, so that was it. San was just as suspicious of him.

Hongjoong smiled patiently, nodding to a speck of dried blood on the other man's gloves.

"I was trained for hunting people just how you can hunt animals. If this settles down more we can go hunt somewhen together. I would surely love that."

"Hmm, do you even know how to take an animal apart though? It's no easy task."

"You do it bit by bit I'd guess. Or take a big knife. As I never see one on you, you are more the type for bit by bit?" On that note, he had also never seen a knife in Yunho's home either though. Only small ones and they could surely never hurt Seonghwa as bad.

Was San the person who had attacked him by any chance? San knew how to handle knives for sure.

"Very true. I guess me taking down big animals equals your skill of taking down a large group of bandits that makes others shake in fear. What is your preferred method, Sheriff? The act of taking them apart gradually or at once?"

"Usually I'm more the patient guy but as I am keen on ending this quickly I will most likely try different ways for now. Any advice you may have is welcome."

San gave a dry snort at that.

"You know, the whole secret is to be the surviving one. No matter the technique, you just have to be the last man standing.", he said with an easy shrug, the fire in his eyes challenging Hongjoong.

"I think I can do that. Sounds quite easy." Hongjoong turned to leave, still needing to question Yeosang again. San's laugh followed him.

"Show me. I too love the challenge of winning over something that keeps advoiding me."

Hongjoong just lifted his hand in greeting, stepping into the inn then and breathing deeply.

Why did he always feel like standing in between the jaws of a hungry corocodile ready to snap whenever he talked to San? Really, it was no surprise that he was their fighter and Hongjoong sure as hell hoped that this was just his way of acting and not a signal that he was a bandit. He was not that keen on fighting San.

With a restless shake of his head Hongjoong slipped over to the counter, settling down all polite and laying his book down in front of him, his pencil poised.

Yeosang gave him one look and then sighed deeply.

"Again? Your questioning keeps making you lose your sympathy points." The barkeeper carelessly slung his towel over his shoulder, stepping closer to lean against the counter. With one hand he fixed Hongjoong a drink, the rest of him was busy trying to get a peek into Hongjoong's notebook.

"Who is on your hitlist right now?"

"Basically everyone. I'm making a new list with people I know I can trust. Wanna be the first official member?"

"There are inofficial members?"

"Well, yeah. Jaebeom. Yongguk. Me, obviously."

"Cute. So, what do you want to know today?"

Hongjoong accepted the man's patience and his drink with a thankful smile, feeling his neck starting to ache from the hours it spent bend today already.

"Hmm, good question. What do you know about the blackmailing culture here?", Hongjoong started, seeing Yeosang pull over a stool for himself and settle down on it. He crossed his arms, uncertainly tilting his head.

"It exists. I myself was never part of it in both ways but I do know of some cases. Did you find something hinting at a new one?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure Yunho is being threatened. He knows much more than he lets on but I don't think he might truly be a bandit himself. So maybe they are keeping him quiet to use as some sort of agent?"

Yeosang leaned over the counter, resting his smooth face on his hand.

"Do you think they would do that though? He could always slip up and... I mean we are sure that there are more bandits right between us, no? Do they need him then?"

"To confuse me? Big yes. I got so many wrong information already I have no idea what to think anymore." Hongjoong felt like whining and throwing his book at the wall out of frustration but it also made him all the more determined to win and end this already. For his own sanity.

"Yes? You mean they work together to spin a lie?"

"Yeah. This here for example." Hongjoong switched pages, tapping his pen down on a particular sentence.

"Seonghwa told me the bandit who killed Mary and attacked him had long hair. However, I know for sure that the bandit I saw on that day going to his house did not have long hair at all. So there might have been a second bandit. That, or someone else is supposed to be targeted. It's the same with Yunho. He is being threatened, slipped up in front of me and still fine as ever? Quite suspicious. It's as if they want me to get these crumbs of information to distract me. So far I have also only heard of people not involved with the city. Nobody drops hints on the people on the inside."

Yeosang seemed to be more awake now, his eyes interested.

"That would also explain that assumption you had with me being one of them."

"Yeah, but it's too easy. Of course I would think that and them not attacking you plays right into that front. This is why I have to watch out for the other hints now. There have to be mistakes somewhere. I need to begin here before I can go there."

"About that, Sheriff... There was an incident not long ago I wanted to tell you about either way."

Hongjoong narrowed his eyes at him, half as a joke, half serious.

"Depending on what you tell me now it's another wrong lead. Careful, I'm prepared."

Yeosang laughed quietly and hidden behind his hand, his eyes lighting up in a glee that was similar to schadenfreude. He seemed like some little malicious imp and Hongjoong found it oddly endearing.

"Remember that day Wooyoung was taken? I was trying to catch up with them and you sprinted out of the city hall with Seonghwa, no?"

"Right. But they were too fast."

"You ran down about half the village, Sheriff. And Seonghwa was right behind you."

"Well of course, Wooyoung was getting kidnapped, we-" Hongjoong stopped, blinking confusedly. Yeosang nodded slowly at him, quickly letting his eyes roam through the nearly empty room. He lowered his voice further when he spoke again.

"He had no problems with running and sure, it has been some weeks since he got injured but considering how he normally moves he looked quite healthy suddenly."

So what he was saying... was that Seonghwa was never attacked in the first place?