Chapter 93

The very day I achieved a touching (?) exchange with my sister.

I returned to the hideout and called for Dan.

“You called for me, my lord.”

“I have a job for you. A very important one.”

“Huh?”

Emphasizing the importance with a “very” made Dan immediately look burdened.

Even though we hadn’t known each other long, he knew I didn’t say things lightly.

“…Do you think someone like me can handle it?”

He started self-deprecating without even hearing what the job was.

It seemed his instinct to avoid responsibility was kicking in.

But no chance.

“Yes, you can. You’re the perfect fit.”

“What kind of job is it…?”

“Burglary.”

“What?!”

Dan looked like he’d been hit on the back of the head with a hammer.

He never imagined I’d openly ask him to commit a crime.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Why? You were a gambling scammer until recently. Can’t you handle this?”

“But… I mean, I can, but you have a status, my lord. Is this okay for you?”

“I don’t care about status. I lived recklessly. I’m a delinquent.”

“Ugh.”

“I’m joking. I do whatever I think is necessary, even if it’s dirty work.”

My declaration.

In the world of the game, pretending to be a model citizen wasn’t important.

Surviving by any means necessary was everything.

If it was necessary, I could do anything.

“It’s better to know that from now on.”

“Yes…”

Dan replied in a defeated voice.

I chuckled at his reaction.

No job is all sweet and easy.

You have to earn your keep.

“Come closer.”

I spread out a detailed map of the Holy City on the table.

It was a top-quality item I had bought from the shady merchant.

“You know where this is, right?”

I pointed to a lower-class area on the map.

“Hmm, yes. I think I do.”

As expected, Dan, who was familiar with the geography of the Holy City, understood immediately.

“Can you figure out the route?”

I was asking about the route for the burglary.

We couldn’t afford to get caught by anyone.

Although Dan wasn’t a professional thief, pickpocketing was similar.

Both required checking the route and planning the job.

“Hmm.”

Dan rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment.

Then he nodded.

“Yes, I can figure out the route. As long as we have enough time, we can do the job smoothly…”

Dan showed confidence.

It was worth hiring him.

At least when it came to stealthy actions and deceiving people’s eyes, Dan was a pro.

“There will be plenty of time. The homeowner is away.”

“Oh, did they go on a long trip?”

“Something like that. They’re dead.”

“What…?”

Dan’s eyes widened.

He seemed to feel uneasy.

It’s natural to feel that way when dealing with something related to someone’s death.

But.

‘It’s a natural death anyway.’

I didn’t care at all.

“All you need to bring back is simple. Just bring what I wrote here.”

I knew the homeowner.

One of the Dark Church’s followers living in the Holy City.

However, they were a minor character in the game.

But just because they were minor didn’t mean they couldn’t be useful.

In fact, it might be easier to use them.

Why?

The Dark Church was a strict cell organization.

Without a cell structure, capturing one member could lead to the collapse of the entire church.

So it was a natural organizational structure.

In other words.

The Dark Church wouldn’t know the homeowner was dead.

Especially since they were an insignificant follower.

That’s what I was going to exploit.

I would steal the ‘symbol’ that could prove someone was a Dark Church follower.

With that, I could pretend to be a Dark Church follower myself.

As long as I didn’t make any mistakes, I wouldn’t get caught.

‘With that, I’ll be ready.’

I had recently thrown a bait to Ian, a priest of the Dark Church and a second-grade investigator in the Holy City.

A bait he couldn’t resist.

It was about time to see his reaction.

So I needed to prepare in advance.

“Is this what’s written here?”

“Yes, I’ll give you a generous reward if you succeed, so do your best.”

I dangled the carrot appropriately.

Since he had a mother to support, he would work even harder.

“Of course, my lord!”

Dan walked out with a determined stride.

* * *

“Why the long face?”

Ian, who had been deep in thought while smoking a cigarette on a bench behind the building, turned his head.

His senior and first-grade investigator, Sylvia, was approaching.

Ian quickly stubbed out his cigarette.

“Huh? What?”

“Don’t pretend. You’ve been out of it for the past few days.”

Sylvia sat down in front of Ian.

“Is it because of that incident?”

The appearance of an unknown assailant and the brutal killing of the city guards.

There hadn’t been such a large-scale murder case in the past ten years.

So it wouldn’t be strange if Ian, who had ability but was still a rookie, was shocked.

“Well… if you put it that way, I can’t deny it.”

Ian admitted.

He needed to give an answer that his perceptive senior would accept and move on.

That incident did bother him.

Especially the identity of the killer.

But that was a secondary issue.

What really bothered him was that man.

Max Celtrine.

It wasn’t his notorious behavior as a delinquent noble and problematic student that bothered him.

It was what was hidden behind that.

‘I’m sorry, Father of Darkness. Father of Darkness. Father of Darkness.’

The words Max had written and shown him at the end.

They were definitely…

“So that’s it. It happens. But don’t get too absorbed in the case.”

Sylvia’s words broke Ian’s train of thought.

“Huh?”

“Sometimes you see better from above than from within.”

With those words, the bell rang.

The bell signaling 1 PM.

Sylvia patted Ian’s shoulder encouragingly.

“Well, I have work to do, so I’ll head in first.”

She quickly disappeared into the building.

Ian watched her back for a moment, then suddenly smiled grimly.

A good person.

But eventually, someone who would become an enemy.

Yes, an enemy.

He needed to find out.

Whether Max was an enemy pretending to be an ally or a true ally.

“I’ve been dragging my feet too long.”

Ian stood up, his eyes sharp.

* * *

“As expected.”

I chuckled as I saw the letter sticking out of the mailbox for Room 501 in Common Hall A of the dormitory.

I had expected a reaction around this time, and it came right on schedule.

I took the letter and went into my dorm room.

The now-familiar shabby room.

I tore open the envelope as soon as I sat down.

Inside was a strange set of numbers.

4. 22. 18.

Three numbers.

No one could figure out anything just by looking at these three numbers.

Most people, that is.

But.

I leisurely got up and took something out of the wardrobe.

A pitch-black, thick book.

It was something I had secretly stolen from the house of the deceased Dark Church follower last night.

The book was none other than the Dark Church’s only scripture, “Debedia.”

Without this Debedia, one isn’t considered a follower of the Dark Church.

It was a special item given only to those who had proven their faith to the high priest.

Thus, this Debedia was practically a symbol of a Dark Church follower.

“Let’s see. Chapter 4… Line 22…”

I mumbled as I flipped through the Debedia.

That’s right.

The first two numbers referred to the chapter and line, respectively.

By applying that to the Debedia, I could decipher the code.

Not being able to decode it meant one thing.

It meant they didn’t have the Debedia.

They would send someone to kill me immediately.

“There’s no way I’m letting that bad ending happen.”

I smiled confidently as I checked the exact line in Chapter 4, Line 22.

‘Thus, he will enter the enemy’s heart and deliver judgment.’

“Huh?”

I was taken aback by the unfamiliar sentence.

It wasn’t a location I had encountered before.

Usually, this would hint at a secluded place like an abandoned house on the outskirts of the Holy City or the ruins of Harkin Mountain, places rarely visited by people.

But what was this?

“The enemy’s heart? If it’s the enemy’s heart…”

I squinted my eyes and pondered.

Then a thought hit me.

“Oh, is it that?”

The enemy.

It literally meant the enemy of the Dark Church.

That enemy was, of course, the Church.

So, the enemy’s heart?

It could only be the Holy Cathedral of Lumière.

“Haha… so that’s how you’re playing it?”

I let out a laugh of disbelief.

This was a display of confidence.

Confidence that there would be no problem even in the cathedral, which was practically a death trap for Dark Church followers.

It was an attitude that said, “Expose me if you can.”

Only possible when one was confident that no evidence had been left behind.

“It seems like he’s trying to establish dominance…”

I speculated about Ian’s psychology.

He was displeased with my actions in the interrogation room.

It would be natural if I were an enemy spy, and even if I were a follower, it wouldn’t be pleasant.

Mentioning the priest’s identity first in such a place was not something a normal follower would do.

“Well… I’ll play along.”

Even if the timing was rushed and the approach was different from usual, there was no problem.

I wouldn’t let him take the lead.

I was the one with the upper hand.

“18:00.”

I checked the time.

The third number in the letter was the time.

“I should get going.”

* * *

Lumière Cathedral.

After a moment of contemplation, I headed to the conversation room.

It was the only place suitable for a conversation, not a place of silence.

Surely, he didn’t mean to talk in the chapel.

I soon arrived at a small rest area with a view of the garden.

It was the conversation room.

The same place where I had talked with Sister Marianna, Professor Lawrence’s sister.

Of course, her true identity was the Church’s guardian knight.

“Over here.”

A blond man raised his hand.

Second-grade investigator Ian.

His true identity was, of course, a priest of the Dark Church.

Despite being someone who would be burned at the stake if caught, he was smiling brazenly.

He was no ordinary person.

I waved back with a smile.

Step by step.

I walked over and sat down across from him.

“Have you been well?”

“Thanks to you.”

His voice was polite, but there was an underlying tone.

What, are you picking a fight?

Should I just end both our lives here?

But my life is worth more, so I’ll hold back.

“Haha, thanks to me? Would you like some tea?”

“Oh, can we order drinks here?”

“Well, I’m not sure about ordering, but a sister brought tea last time…”

“Are you talking about me, brother?”

A voice suddenly interrupted, and Ian and I turned our heads simultaneously.

There stood a woman in a black nun’s habit.

A familiar face.

Sister Marianna.

“Oh… it’s nice to see you again, Sister.”

I greeted her awkwardly.

A Dark Church priest and a guardian knight of the Church in the same place—what a mess.

“Indeed. It’s nice to see you, brother.”

Marianna greeted me warmly and continued.

“It’s my first time meeting you, brother. I’m Sister Marianna, a humble servant of God.”

Uh-oh?

Calling him brother is a bad idea.

He’s possessed by Satan.

“Oh… nice to meet you, Sister.”

Ian, who had been smiling confidently until now, suddenly had an awkward smile.

He rubbed his wrist unnaturally.

He was tense without even realizing it.

He couldn’t possibly know Marianna’s true identity… it must be an instinctive fear of the guardian knights.

It seemed like a traumatic past of being hunted down by them was ingrained in the Dark Church.

‘Wait, this…’

I covered my mouth to hide my amused smile.

‘This could be useful.’