Chapter 169 - Cap 168: Those Who Move In The Shadows

Pov Carlos: 

I was in my office as I looked at today's battle report, the report included the approximate number of monsters, the spending on potions, the spending on arrows, the number of adventurers who participated in the mission to defend the city, the number of injured adventurers and the death toll. 

I don't think I can complain about these numbers, the expenses will be paid by the Duke, not only that, but the Duke will also be responsible for paying the adventurers. 

But for me the most important thing is the death toll, I'm sad to see so many adventurers dead, but I can't complain about such a low number knowing that we face two waves of monsters. 

At that moment the door opens and Mari enters throwing me a bottle of beer while she holds another one. 

"How are things down there?"  (I) 

"A mess, I had to close the Guild for today after handing out the rewards, only by doing that can Guild employees focus on what we have to do now."  (Mari) 

"Have you finished reading all the reports?"  (Mari) 

"Yes, we've had a lot of dead, but knowing what we're up against I can't complain about the numbers."  (I) 

"The battle was on a grand scale this time, you also almost lost your arm from what I heard."  (Mari) 

"It was careless, you know it's hard to fight a monster with a space element, let alone a stealthy one."  (I) 

"But I'm fine now."  (I) 

"It won't stay when I deliver my findings."  (Lucas) 

"..." (I/Mari) 

As Mari and I talked I opened the bottle and started drinking the beer along with Mari, but suddenly a familiar voice comes from the window, I turn around and find Lucas sitting by the window. 

"Did you find out anything about the culprits in these waves of monsters?"  (I) 

"I didn't have a lot of time, but it wasn't hard to find out that until last year this man was a priest of the Igreja da Luz, he was excommunicated for crimes that include murder against members of other races in small villages."  (Lucas) 

"So that confirms that it was the Church of Light."  (I) 

"I don't have any proof for that, everything I found out I've already said, I didn't find any connection between him and the Church of Light after he was excommunicated."  (Lucas) 

"Without proof, we can't do anything, if we try to hold the Church of Light responsible all they have to do is say that he is no longer part of them."  (Mari) 

"The biggest question is that we don't know who is responsible for the second wave of monsters, nor do we know where they got the Evil Seeds."  (I) 

"These items are usually delivered to the Adventurers' Guilds or some temple to be destroyed or purified, all I can think is that the Church of Light hasn't got rid of the Evil Seeds that should have been in its possession."  (Mari) 

"Again we can only assume, we have no proof."  (I) 

"I could go on investigating, but I don't have any more leads."  (Lucas) 

"It's okay, even if I can't prove anything, just knowing who the culprit is made me better prepared for the next time."  (I) 

"Thanks for the work Lucas, here's your pay."  (I) 

After a short conversation I pay Lucas by throwing him a bag with his pay, he picks it up and drops it back, I won't even try to run to the window, I know he'll be gone in a few moments. 

Now I'm going to get my drink back before I go back to work, I have to file an expense report for the Duke and send a report to the Adventurers' Guild Headquarters as well. 

---------- 

Elsaris Pov: 

I'm Elsaris, I'm a Vampire Matriarch that evolved from an extremely rare race of rabbits to a Vampire I'm relatively young having a little more than two hundred, I'm part of the faction that is on the side of humans. 

I am responsible for the Black Market of the city of Valen which is in the Trigan Kingdom, those who are responsible for this place have other functions such as governing the Vampires that live here and being the guards of a certain place. 

The faction that I am part of is at odds with the faction that is on the side of the Demons, but we are not attacked in this town because of the neutral faction's intervention, but in return, we have to be the guards of a certain place that should be in their protection. who are on another continent. 

"If I find the one responsible for this I will skin him alive while I eat piece by piece of his body in front of his eyes."  (I) 

"Calm down lady."  (Jay) 

"How do you want me to calm down, someone broke a goddamn Evil Seed in the Blood Dungeon, we had to send everyone to the Blood Forest to take care of the wave of monsters coming from the main entrance to the ruins."  (I) 

"We only lost seven Vampires, all were of minor importance, we've already captured the culprit as well."  (Jay) 

"Where he is, I'm going to make him experience something worse than death."  (I) 

"Do you know how difficult it will be to hide the remains of battle in the forest of blood?"  (I) 

"We have time, the townspeople of Valen will spend the next few days taking care of the remains of their defensive battle, they won't pay attention to our movements."  (Jay) 

"One of the only things we can't let happen is that they find out that the Blood Dungeon is just a second entry that we've created, we can't let others know of the Dungeon's existence and its true origins."  (I) 

"They won't find out, so far no one has noticed the passage inside the second entrance that leads to the deep floors."  (Jay) 

"Fortunately they believe it's just an S Grade dungeon, as the townspeople of Valen continue to exploit the second Dungeon entry we've been able to control the Dungeon's monsters for the past few centuries."  (Jay) 

"I know, that's why I'm so angry right now, this monster wave would make them find out the truth."  (I) 

"Finally when I'm chosen to be in charge it happens, I was so happy with the auction results and the profits we made."  (I) 

Sigh 

"Take me to the culprit, I'm going to make him confess to everyone involved in this, I'm not leaving any of them alive."  (I) 

Jay took me to a dark underground room, in that room I saw the bastard who caused all this mess chained and hanging, as soon as I walked in he looked at me and started insulting me. 

"Why would an inferior being like this bunny think he can look at me like that?"  (bastard) 

After he started talking this pile of shit I started the fun, his screams were music to my ears, even when he said he was going to talk I continued for another hour just because it was so funny to see him beg me to let him die. 

After that, I stopped and told him to tell him everything he knew and that's how much happened. 

"I... I say... whatever you want..." (Bastard) 

"Who ordered... me to do this was... it was..." (Bastard) 

Boommm! 

But just as he was about to speak the name of the person responsible, his head exploded in front of me, covering me in blood, flesh, and bone fragments. 

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!??"  (I) 

---------- 

Archbishop Galaretto Pov: 

When I woke up from my coma I was confused, angry, scared, and hateful. 

How that disgusting being full of darkness dared to steal my tools from me, how that evil creature dared to wound me. 

He even had the audacity to threaten me saying he would come after me, I would love for that to be true because then I wouldn't have to keep looking for him anymore. 

But if I can't find this evil creature even after all this time, then I will at least finish off that Prince Drago, unfortunately, my plan to cause a war has failed due to unwanted interference, but if the Prince dies in Valen City I will at least prevent a possible alliance between the Trigan Kingdom and the Cartoza Kingdom. 

I had already prepared something to end that city full of inferior races, I made two priests who were my subordinates and who do not have the intelligence to act discreetly be excommunicated. 

All it took was to leak some information to the High Priest's peaceful faction, after that I made them become adventurers in the city of Valen and gave an Evil Seed to each of them and explained what they wanted them to do, they'll probably die when getting in touch with the large amount of miasma but don't care about them. 

Even if they are captured it doesn't matter, they have no more direct lessons with the Church of Light, it will also be a good way to use the Evil Seeds since I stole them from the Church vault I've been keeping for years, it finally came to time to use this to clean that city full of impurities. 

"I would like to send the Knights of Light, but unfortunately I cannot do so without the approval of the High Priest."  (I) 

Even if they're captured they won't be able to say anything since I've put a silent curse on them, if they dare say anything then they'll die. 

"As expected from a superior being like me, an excellent plan ha ha hahaha..." (I) 

---------- 

Pov of a Mysterious Father: 

I'm not sure how much time has passed, but I still haven't given up, I'll keep my promise. 

I stand in front of the big glass cylinder where she's floating in the potion my wife made. 

Since that day I have been standing by her side, I have promised I will never leave her side no matter what, and I plan to keep that promise until the day I can help her wake up. 

I never cared about the presence I feel outside of this place or the noises I hear, but one day I felt a strange Aura, this Aura appeared several times over time and I noticed that for the first time her fingers moved and I saw small strands of that Aura smoothly entering her body. 

This is what I've been waiting for, this is what can save her, I place my skeletal hands on the glass with only one thought in my head. 

I will get what my daughter needs, no matter what I need to do for it, whatever it takes I will make her wake up. 

"Just wait a little longer my daughter."  (I)