Part 6: Plague Memorial

The monastery, usually quiet and empty, now hosted a throng encircling Dikke, their eyes wide with fear.
Dikke: Quiet down.
Dikke: For what reason have you come here?
The buzzing crowd finally hushed, eyes darting around, involuntarily shrinking backward.
Civilian I: My Lady...
Civilian I: We were told that you were here, that you came here to protect us!
civilian II: We've heard that you have powers! That you can drive back the undead and evil wizards!
Dikke: ...
Civilian I: We beg you to protect us! Please, My Lady!
Dikke: Calm yourselves—!
Dikke: As long as I'm here, you have nothing to fear.
Civilian I: We've seen a ghoul!
civilian II: An ill spirit seeking vengeance on the living!
civilian II: It... it is coming to kill us, we've got no doubt!
Dikke: Strange... There are decades of records here, but I've read no mention of hauntings or ghouls before—
Civilian I: My Lady, please believe us.
Dikke: If you would have me believe you, then present your evidence.
Several pairs of eyes met, and finally, with trembling voices, they spoke a name.
Civilian I: We believe the ghoul to be—Brother Chester!
Civilian I: He was an evil wizard! And now he's become a ghoul! Returned from beyond the grave, he refuses to let the town rest in peace!
Dikke: According to my investigation, Chester was only a monk, not some vile creature of the night.
Dikke: For that matter, ghouls rarely trouble the living, why would you fear him?
civilian II: Because this creature is different, My Lady...
They each nodded their heads in fearful agreement.
Civilian I: He... has reason to hate us—To attack us!
Dikke: Ah, the truth comes out. So, you confronted him? Was that how he died?
civilian II: No, My Lady, you've misunderstood!
civilian II: We didn't intend to hurt him; we were just... investigating his odd behavior.
Civilian I: Yes, we wanted to catch him. To prove he was defiling bodies, to confirm his crimes!
Civilian I: We chased him, but he escaped... and then next thing we knew, he was dead...
Dikke: Fruitless as your chase was, I can now see clearly what occurred that night.
Dikke: You've given me all the evidence I needed.
Crowd: ...
George stumbled into the tavern, out of breath, and yelled out to the patrons.
George: Haven't you heard? Has no one said anything about it!
Civilian I: Don't keep us in suspense, man, spit it out!
George: Chester's returned from the dead...
Civilian I: That ghoul?! You're drunk again...
Civilian I: After that fall from the tower... bones crushed, blood everywhere, not even a ghoul could survive that.
Civilian I: I saw it with my own eyes.
George: Yes, I saw it too!
George: But! Well, my stomach was giving me grief this evening, and I was hunting for a tree for some privacy... So, I wandered into that grove near the graveyard!
George: That was when I saw some creature dragging around a corpse, holding a shovel. Strike me down if I were lying—it was Chester himself!
civilian II: ...You're drunk, you old hog!
George: Believe me, this is not the drink, I haven't the coin to buy a sip!
He shook out his empty pockets.
George: If you don't believe me, you can go check his grave. The cross that marked it is gone.
George: Whoever has the courage, go dig open that grave and take a look!
The crowd collectively shrank their necks.
civilian II: ...
George: You're scared? Don't worry, I have the means to ward off the ghoul!
He proudly produced an amulet, shaking it above his head like a prize.
George: This took me quite some effort to acquire. But I was told ghouls fear it like sunlight...
Civilian I: Well, tell us, man! Where did you get it from?!
George: I sought out the magistrate, Lady Dikke, and she gave it to me for protection. The monastery here doesn't have such things!
He no sooner finished then he ran out the door.
George: Hey! Where are you going?
civilian II: Tell us, is the magistrate still staying at the monastery?
George: Last I checked!
Crowd: Then, wait for us——!