Taking advantage of the chaos Danielle caused and the gap during the guard shift change, Ansu’s figure slowly vanished into the darkness of a corner after a brief farewell to Vera.
He slipped in silently and left just as quietly.
Leaving the Champagne District where the old house was located, Ansu returned to the noisy and chaotic Black Harbor District to meet Davy at the underground casino where he had bought Radish.
"Lord Hermit..." Davy's eyes scanned the rowdy gamblers warily as he lowered his voice. "What are your orders?"
Ansu's thoughts were still lingering on the plan he had conceived at home.
He decided that before launching a counterattack against Archbishop Leonard, he would first give the Church of Holy Light a little 'scare' and some 'minor chaos' to thoroughly stir these deep waters.
As for what would be troublesome for the current Church of Holy Light...
Ansu immediately thought of an excellent candidate.
A slight smile tugged at his lips as he asked, "Where is Samantha now? When is she coming back?"
"The Cult Leader..." Davy paused, quickly correcting himself. "Elder Samantha has rarely exposed her movements to the cult since escaping the Royal Capital. Her most recent contact was just yesterday, when she inquired about the whereabouts of Elder John and the others..."
Upon learning that Elder John's group was still missing, Samantha had flown into a fit of impotent rage at the cult's intelligence personnel before deciding to risk returning to Benalu City.
Compared to hiding in the remote provinces, returning to Benalu City wasn't exactly a wise move, but it was the center of the cult's intelligence network and their most important stronghold.
If she didn't want to lose control over Echoes of Truth, she had to return and take charge.
"Elder Samantha's last inquiry came through an underground base in Falent Province," Davy continued his report. "I suspect she will be returning to Benalu City within the week."
"Very good..." Ansu nodded, his gaze shifting toward two other young men with low-profile temperaments who were slowly walking toward him.
"Lord Hermit!"
The two sat in the empty seats beside Ansu, nodding respectfully in greeting.
Ansu gave a slight nod. Including Davy, these three were the cult executors he and Freya had rescued from the tavern back then.
Before he had fallen out with Samantha, he had intentionally cultivated people to work for him. These three were efficient, and more importantly... they were all eager to 'advance'.
This was why, even though Samantha had branded him an 'apostate,' they could still be persuaded by Davy to continue following him. They knew that if Ansu truly fell, they would certainly be purged as well.
In that case, it was better to place their bets firmly on 'Lord Hermit'. If they took the gamble, a long shot might just pay off big.
Of course, Ansu was also essentially borrowing power; the reason they dared to stick with him was because of his special relationship with the terrifyingly powerful Ash Witch.
Samantha's repeated major failures had caused internal dissent within the cult. Anyone with a bit of foresight could smell that the wind was changing.
They were all looking forward to the day their respected Lord Hermit and Lady Celia returned to their loyal Echoes of Truth cult.
"Davy, Henry, and Ryan," Ansu said in a deep voice. "I need you to use your specialties to spread some news in crowded places."
The three cult executors immediately straightened their backs and listened patiently.
Ansu wore a faint smile as he spoke slowly, "That bold cult leader Samantha, who successfully assassinated the Pope, has escaped to our Benalu City. The experts sent by the Church to eliminate her suffered heavy casualties but still couldn't stop her."
He paused, then added, "More importantly, the Church of Holy Light is doing its best to cover this up for fear that the news will cause a citywide panic. So, hurry and advise everyone to run while they can! That old hag kills without blinking; don't believe a word of the Church's nonsense about having everything under control..."
After Ansu finished his instructions, the three executors had various expressions.
Rumors that were half-true like this were actually the most troublesome for the Church. After all, Samantha really was coming back... Once the rumors resonated with the facts, it would surely cause an even greater stir.
Ansu could already foresee the chaos that would follow in the city, and he couldn't help but curl his lips. "Alright, go and prepare. Notify me immediately of any developments. I have other business to attend to."
Under the silent gaze of the three executors, Ansu slowly left the underground casino.
The next place to go was, naturally, Freya's house.
Ansu indeed hadn't seen the little Holy Maiden for some time. Thinking that she, like Vera, must be locked at home and starving, he walked to the roadside and bought some of Freya's favorite sweet pastries, along with some bread and sausage.
Of course, if he wanted to meet Freya secretly, he still had to call Danielle to provide cover.
Danielle, called out once again, showed no reluctance. Her personal relationship with the Holy Maiden was quite good, and she didn't want to see children like Vera and Freya suffer such injustice.
"How is Vera doing?" After settling her husband, Danielle hurriedly followed Ansu out the door. "That child must have been terrified these past few days, right?"
"Don't underestimate your student!" Ansu chuckled to reassure her. "Don't worry, other than being bored to death, her spirits are quite high."
"That's good..." Danielle breathed a sigh of relief and then asked Ansu about Freya.
As the two discussed their next plan, they gradually approached the block where Freya was located. The security guarding Freya was much higher than Vera's, with many clergymen constantly patrolling the streets.
"Don't start a fight this time..." Seeing Danielle already flexing her wrists as if ready for a major brawl, Ansu quickly warned her.
"Just go up and cause a little trouble to help distract them. No matter how fearless you are, if you push that fellow Leonard too far, he might just lock you up too!"
"Fine... I got it!" Danielle waved her hand impatiently. Not being able to have a proper fight was indeed a bit of a buzzkill for her.
Ansu gave Danielle a helpless glance, thinking that this woman really did love to fight...
As Danielle swaggered forward to confront the wary clergymen, Ansu had already quietly vanished into the shadows, slowly approaching the backyard of Freya's house.
Shadow Stealth was not an omnipotent infiltration skill, as the power of Holy Light had a certain degree of suppression over shadow magic. To truly slip in undetected under the gaze of a group of clergymen, perhaps only a monster at Celia's level could manage it...
Crossing through the courtyard of Freya's house, he could already hear the sounds of Danielle's argument behind him. Taking advantage of the clergymen's confusion, Ansu quietly vaulted onto the balcony.
The curtains of the balcony were slightly ajar. Through the gap, he saw a slender figure sitting by the bed.
Freya had her eyes closed gently in prayer, a faint layer of sacred light enveloping her tranquil face.
Compared to when they had parted, she was noticeably thinner now, her face pale and haggard. For some reason, Freya had not hidden her demihuman features; in the parting of her hair, a pair of furry pointed ears twitched restlessly.
Hearing the slight sound from outside the window, Freya opened her eyes and looked over in confusion.
When she saw Ansu's figure appearing before her with a smile, Freya blinked in bewilderment.
"Am I... am I dreaming again?"
She whispered in confusion, "Or... did the prayer actually work?"
The little Holy Maiden's dazed expression made Ansu burst into laughter. "Is there a dream this realistic, Freya?"
He walked closer and waved his hand in front of those pale gold eyes. "Wake up. It's me. I'm really back!"
Freya's eyes widened suddenly, her voice trembling with a hint of disbelief. "Lord Ansu, you..."
Just as Ansu was about to continue teasing her, Freya lunged forward with joy and excitement, hugging him tightly. "This is wonderful! Lord Ansu... I knew praying would work! You really came to save me!!"
Rate on N.U.
