Chapter 143
"Honestly... just how long do you plan to keep me waiting? Could you refrain from irritating me?"
A man's irritated voice leaked out from the dark room.
The speaker was a man dressed in fine priest robes. With eyes as narrow as threads, he gave off an aura that made it hard to let one's guard down.
The name of the man, sly as a fox, was Carmine Imari. He was a bishop of the Holy Nation of Shinecross and the mastermind who had sent gangs after Clael and the others.
"Infamous outlaws of the underworld, and yet so pathetic. You couldn't even capture a single man and a single girl... Have you forgotten I paid you a hefty advance?"
"Well... I'm terribly sorry. Everyone seems to be doing their best, though."
In response to Carmine's rebuke, another person in the room answered with a troubled expression.
He was a young man, somewhat younger than Carmine. Though he had the appearance of a gentle man, a closer look revealed a well-trained physique.
A silver necklace resembling an inverted pentagram swayed at his open chest under a black shirt, giving off a somewhat eerie impression.
"You're the one who said to leave instructions to the outlaws... Mr. Girael."
The young man's name was Girael.
A few years ago, he had gone by the name Girael Byrne, but since being disowned, he was no longer permitted to use his surname.
He was Clael's biological older brother and had deep ties to the thieves' guild.
Acting as the intermediary between Carmine and the gangs, he was the shadowy figure who had connected the two.
"Man... to be honest, I'm at my wit's end too. Even though I've bribed some nobles to keep the knights quiet, the crown prince is being unusually proactive. Seems like there are other parties in motion too... Thanks to that, the underworld's gotten pretty quiet."
Girael said with a lazy, sloppy grin.
"We even used Clael's own brother to lure him out... and to think it failed. Some of the groups want to back out and returned the advance... Man, I'm in a real bind. They're even accusing me of setting them up."
"...Your circumstances are irrelevant. I paid the money and ordered you to bring the two of them to the Holy Nation. You are obligated to do so... Am I wrong?"
"No, no, you're absolutely right. I'll give it my all, body and soul."
Girael raised both hands in surrender as Carmine glared at him.
"As a hired man, I've got no complaints. Still... the power of the Saint is pretty terrifying, huh?"
Girael suddenly turned serious and touched the silver ornament on his chest.
"If I didn't have the heretical brand just in case, I probably would've been caught too... Even this place would've been discovered without the dark barrier, you know?"
"............"
Carmine grimaced at Girael's words.
Girael was a cunning and cautious man.
Once, due to his recklessness, he had targeted his eldest brother's life and was expelled from the household because of it.
As a result, wary of the power of the shrine that housed the Saint, he had prepared various spells of evil god worship and magic items.
If not for that, both Girael and Carmine would surely have been crushed by an angel.
"Heh... Don't make that face. I get it—heretical sorcery must be unpleasant for a great bishop like you."
"Silence."
"Well, I suppose it wasn't a mistake to stay on guard. The Saint's power was stronger than expected... So maybe Clael should be the target after all?"
As he grumbled, another person entered the dark room.
"Mr. Girael, um..."
"Huh? What is it, in front of a guest?"
"Well, it's just that..."
A subordinate-looking man whispered something into Girael's ear.
Upon hearing the report, Girael raised an eyebrow.
"Is something wrong, Mr. Girael?"
"Ah... well, let's see..."
"Speak."
Girael looked around awkwardly, but when Carmine's narrow eyes fixed on him, he gave up and shrugged.
"It's information from an informant inside the academy... Apparently, Clael is going to a pilgrimage site soon."
"Pilgrimage site..."
"You know, the one in this country. The dungeon called 'White Dragon Offering Hall.'"
'White Dragon Offering Hall'
It was an underground labyrinth where the bones of the holy dragon who once fought alongside the Saint against the evil god were enshrined.
It was a sacred pilgrimage site for the priests of this country, and once a year, a representative of the shrine would enter the depths of the dungeon to offer prayers for the dragon's repose and the nation's prosperity.
"It seems Clael was chosen for this year's duty. He'll be diving into the underground labyrinth with a small escort soon."
"Oh... is that so? Looks like an opportunity has come our way..."
Only a small number of escorts could accompany the pilgrimage.
In other words, Clael's surroundings would be quite vulnerable.
If they stationed gangs inside the dungeon in advance for an ambush, capturing him should be easy.
"A pilgrimage at this timing... It feels a bit too convenient, doesn't it?"
On the other hand, Girael was skeptical about this sudden opportunity.
Even Clael should be aware that he was being targeted.
And yet... why would he deliberately walk into the fire?
"Man, this is a pain..."
Girael clicked his tongue.
Even if they knew it was a trap, their side had lost too much strength to sit still.
This was clearly a golden opportunity, and even if it was bait, they had no choice but to bite.
"...Well, whatever."
Girael wouldn't be the one on the front line anyway.
As always, he would use his silver tongue to move the outlaws, and run away if things got dangerous.
Girael gave a wicked grin and flicked out his tongue like a snake.