Chapter 126

The priests Mason and Sindalf looked utterly baffled by Ivan’s decision.

“Oh…!”

“Please reconsider!”

“We just gave up our lives to help the saint, but why……”

When Adelia came out of their mouths, Ivan’s eyes turned fierce.

“Do you think my decision is too much?”

Ivan’s voice has calmed down more than before. The calm but low voice made the listener more nervous.

“You’re so complacent for someone who risked their life. Didn’t I explain it before departure? It should never happen that our route is leaked to the outside world.”

“Such…! We didn’t mean to leak it, but we contacted the cardinal as usual-”

“You don’t understand. What I’m pointing out is that you know it’s that sensitive, but you’ve caused confusion without reporting anything.”

Ivan’s words shut the two priests’ mouths. Rowen, who was listening with a serious face next to Ivan, shook his head.

“You shouldn’t make any noise on this journey where anything can happen.”

Ivan, who had finished speaking, asked, looking at Rowen. 

“Sir Rowen, do you disagree with my decision?”

When asked by Ivan, Rowen touched his forehead with his wide palm. No opposition was raised. He made the same decision as the Grand Duke after listening to them.

But he didn’t feel good. In this desert, being abandoned meant certain death. It’s not even a knight, but a priest, so the chances of survival are even slimmer.

Knowing that, Rowen shook his head.

“No, I agree.”

Rowen’s decision devastated the two priests. Ivan and Rowen’s decision appeared to have been accepted by everyone else who observed this without any opposition.

Adelia turned her head as she calmly observed the situation. She was also perplexed by the two priests’ actions. How could they raise suspicions by doing something risky?

‘I have a strange feeling of foreboding.’

Adelia believed in her sense.

Ivan and Rowen were about to start the march again when Adelia came up to them. She suggested that they slightly alter their course.

“The route? But if that happens, it will take longer than scheduled, is that okay?”

Rowen voiced concerns about Adelia’s proposal. Adelia concurred with his worries. This march was a battle in time. They took the shortest route first, which was farther. It was the best route, to put it another way. Adelia, on the other hand, thought they should change it.

“Our route might have been compromised.”

“……it’s certainly a problem we can’t sit on. But I wonder if they even did that. They are not the ones to betray in the first place. Of course, I agreed to take two priests out of the march for acting that would cause them to lose their credibility, but I don’t think they are traitors.”

Still paying attention to Rowen, Adelia calmly started speaking.

“That’s right. I’m not saying they’re traitors either. I’m just saying let’s be prepared. Information can be leaked in any way. It’s better to go back than to be greeted by pursuers.”

“I wonder…”

“I want to reduce even a little sacrifice on this journey. To do that, I can always bear the loss.”

In the end, Rowen fell for Adelia’s words. He nodded, his eyes twinkling, as if he was moved by Adelia’s deep will.

“All right, I agree to change course. What will your Highness do?”

Rowen turned his head and asked Ivan’s opinion. Ivan smiled and gave the answer he had already set in his head.

“Let’s change our course.”

***

As time went by, the fierce sunlight grew stronger.

“Whoa…. How did this happen ……. God, please have mercy on us…….”

“…….”

Two priests wearing white robes. Priest Mason and Sindalf crossed the vast desert endlessly, wiping off the sweat of beads.

Fortunately, there was no life-threatening situation, as General Rowen had been worried about, and there were enough supplies for them both. Both were, however, banned from using baptismal names.

Until the two arrived safely in the Holy Land, they were prepared to make any announcements about this matter.

A bitter smile formed around priest Mason’s mouth. In this hot desert where the sun was burning, it was neither the heat nor the stinging sandstorm that caused him the most suffering.

To be honest, it would be a lie to say that he doesn’t feel disappointed. He was serious about this and was glad to be able to fulfill his mission for the real Saint.

‘I was so complacent. I shouldn’t have done that.’

At the moment of fatigue, the sweet thought of being able to rest paralyzed his sense of duty. However, he did not intend to blame his colleague, Sindalf. He must have moved for himself, too.

Mason turned his head and looked at Sindalf, who was silently moving.

‘You’ve been quiet for a while. Was it a big shock?’

That’s true. How can the shock not be big? In addition, opening your mouth in this heat was physical exhaustion.

Mason turned his head and began to move again. In order to return to the Holy Land as soon as possible, he had to hurry out of this desert.

It was then. The voice of the priest Sindalf, who had been holding on to silence, came to Mason’s ear.

“I must have ruined everything….”

Mason stood there with his eyes wide open. Then he turned his head and looked at Sindalf. Sindalf’s face was stained with anguish and despair.

“What do you mean? If you think we’re like this because of you–”

“No, it’s not like that…….”

Sindalf buried his face in both hands and muttered lamentably in a crying voice. He suddenly began to accuse himself of his crime.

“I have a family.”

“What does that mean? Priest Sindalf!”

To become a priest, one should not have a family. That was the most important discipline. He can’t believe that the rather old Priest Sindalf said that he had violated the law. 

Mason couldn’t understand what was going on. There was nothing he could do but look at Sindalf, who mumbled dazedly.

“There was nothing I could do……. Because they threatened……. If I didn’t tell them, my family…….”

“Wait. No way…… Did you leak our destination?”

“…….”

Mason became nervous when he did not receive a response. He grabbed his colleague roughly by the shoulder with a distorted face.

“Priest Sindalf, tell me I’m wrong!”

“What do you mean? I already know everything.”

The answer to Mason’s cry came from behind his back, not from Sindalf. Mason swerved around, showing signs of bewilderment.

Even in the scorching heat, the men stood there wearing black robes.

The number appears to be about ten.

“Who are you?”

At Mason’s cry, a smirk appeared around the mouth of the man at the forefront.

“You’re a little slow to grasp the situation. Was the answer I gave you earlier not enough?”

The man said so and slowly took off his hood. Then the man’s rough blonde hair appeared.

“I’m the one your colleague was secretly contacting.”

Kale showed his neat teeth and gave a nasty smile. With that smile, Mason looked back at Sindalf. His colleague was staring blankly at the man, frozen as it was. The figure was like a man facing an envoy who had come to take his soul.

“Priest Sindalf! Say something!”

“Oh, my. Now you regret it?”

Sindalf’s lips, which had turned blue and remained silent all the time, finally moved.

“I did what you asked me to do……!”

His voice trembled horribly. After hearing this, Mason had no choice but to let go of the trust he had held until the end.

“How could you do such a ridiculous thing!”

Mason fired back at Sindalf with a sense of betrayal and anger. But that didn’t change anything. The destination is already known.

“I can’t let you go!”

Mason looked back at those wearing black robes and shouted. But all that came back was a cold sneer.

“How? Well…… If you can still move even after becoming a corpse, that might be possible.” 

“Kale Ferriz. Stop talking nonsense and deal with it.”

Montras, who was quietly watching the situation from behind, intervened in Kale’s mischief. He smiled and clicked his tongue at Montras restraint. 

‘A hierarchy is a hierarchy, so there is nothing I can do about it.’

Kale stretched out his hand, erasing his mischief. Soon, dark blue magic bloomed at his fingertips. Sindalf spoke in a terrified tone after seeing the sight.

“D, didn’t you say that if I do what you told me, you’ll save my life?! Don’t tell me, my family……!”

“You sound so naive. Well, this is why I like priests. He’ll come over in no time with just a little threat. But think carefully. I don’t have to keep all the useless tools I have. Then, goodbye.”

“Gasp!”

“Ack!”

The magic from Kale’s fingertips was stuck in the chests of the two priests. The spark of life in the eyes of the two priests was quickly extinguished. It was an instant.

“It’s over.”

Kale, who was watching this with an expressionless face, posted a brief report to Montras and put the hood back on.

Montras nodded and said something to his brothers.

“Let’s start hunting.”