Monster in the Mist

Once Lovene regained her ability to move, she left the clinic.

During this time, the reason she had stayed in the territory to treat patients was twofold: first, to absorb their emotions to increase her strength, and second, to gather as much information about the territory as possible from their conversations.

Now that she had gathered enough intelligence, there was no longer any need for her to remain at the clinic to treat patients. After offering repeated apologies, she began walking toward the lord's manor.

“When the white mist rises, do not leave your home. If you hear whispers, close your eyes and cover your ears.”

This was the iron rule that the territory's residents had figured out at the cost of their lives after the strange anomalies began. And the time this iron rule took effect almost completely coincided with when the news of Marcus's death spread throughout the territory.

A thought slowly drifted into her mind, growing clearer and clearer with every person she met—

Before Marcus returned to the territory, there were only occasional rumors of sea monsters, and no anomalies had ever occurred. Yet as soon as Marcus died, the white mist appeared.

Could the monster in the white mist be Marcus?

The source of the territory's anomaly lay with him.

This was a bold suspicion, but she also knew in her heart that there was one person who could give her an accurate answer.

The meeting room of the lord's manor was slightly darker than it had been during her last visit. The curtains had been replaced with a thicker fabric, completely blocking out the misty light from outside.

Lovene sat on a chair in front of the sofa, the hem of her holy robe draping over the edge of the carpet. Sitting opposite her was Clement. The Inquisitor sat with his legs crossed, looking somewhat impatient.

“Lady Saintess, it really has been a long time.”

“Clement.”

Lovene nodded slightly.

“You've certainly had a busy few days,” Clement said, picking up his teacup with a strange tone.

“What is it?”

“You've cured most of the patients in the territory over the past few days. Now, praises of you are sung everywhere, and the only topic of conversation over tea and meals is the kindhearted Saintess.”

As he spoke, Clement's gaze fell upon Lovene's face, as if observing her reaction. “Your reputation in this territory is not a single bit lesser than the lord's.”

“It is only what I ought to do.” Lovene's response was brief, seemingly unwilling to linger on this topic.

Clement raised an eyebrow and leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice.

“What you ought to do? Lady Saintess, do not forget our purpose here. We came to purify Marcus. Let's forget about this healing business.”

“There are too many sick people in this world; you can never cure them all.”

Heaven knew how helpless and shocked he had been when he heard that the Saintess was treating patients in the territory.

To resolve the contamination of Marcus and the territory, he had been running around investigating these past few days. He was busy to death, sometimes only getting three hours of sleep a day.

And what about the Saintess?

She was still there playing the philanthropist, saving patients, without showing the slightest bit of urgency regarding Marcus and the territory!

One had to realize that the longer the territory's contamination dragged on, the more severe it would become, and the harder purification would be. When that time came, the number of deceased residents would be several times what it was now!

It was even possible that no one would survive!

Despite such severe consequences, the Saintess was actually still treating those patients.

What was the use of curing them now? When the time came, the monsters in the territory would just kill them all anyway!

He truly could not understand the Saintess.

Lovene did not know what was going through Clement's mind. She blinked and asked with a hint of anticipation, “So, you've completed your investigation?”

Clement leaned back in his chair and let out a soft grunt, saying boastfully, “Not completely clear, I suppose. I've questioned many people, and the conclusion is that there is a high probability Marcus is not dead. Furthermore, this white mist is related to him.”

“As for where he is now and what his current state is, that I do not know.”

Lovene looked at him, the corners of her mouth curving up slightly. The arc was so shallow it was almost imperceptible, but Clement caught it.

“What are you smiling at?”

“Nothing.”

Lovene withdrew her gaze and looked down to pick up the tea served by the maid.

Clement stared at her for a few moments, as if trying to discern what she was thinking. Unfortunately, he ultimately failed to find any clues and could only ask rather lazily:

“By the way, why did you call me to the lord's manor? I'm very busy, you know. The secrets of this territory will soon be revealed before me.”

Lovene did not answer directly, choosing instead to keep him in suspense.

“You will know in a moment.”

“How mysterious.”

After muttering a complaint, Clement heard footsteps coming from the side of the meeting room. It was only then that the lord's wife, Lady Elena, finally made her late appearance.

Lovene nodded to her.

“Lady Elena.”

Elena walked quickly to the sofa and sat down. Her hair was put up meticulously, but a few loose strands at her temples had not been tucked in, showing she had clearly been in a rush.

“I wonder what business you have with me, Lady Saintess?” she asked.

“I merely have one matter I wish to confirm with you, my lady.”

Lovene paused, as if giving Elena one last moment to steady her breathing, while also piquing the curiosity of Clement and Mia, who stood beside her.

“Is the monster in the white mist actually Marcus?”

As her words fell, a bizarre silence descended upon the meeting room.

Clement's eyes widened, his face filled with astonishment. Lovene's words had clearly exceeded his imagination, even causing his mind to momentarily short-circuit.

To his left, Elena's face instantly grew several shades paler. She subconsciously clenched her fingers, her body stiffening.

However, she quickly steadied her breathing, her gaze flickering slightly.

“L-Lady Saintess, what are you talking about? Marcus has long been laid to rest in the ground. How could he possibly be the monster in the white mist?”

Saying this, she let out a dry laugh and continued, “I held his funeral a month ago. It's just that you weren't in the Oswell territory at the time, which must be why you have such suspicions...”

“My lady.”

Lovene interrupted her, speaking with a gentle yet firm tone:

“I possess the power to purify contamination. Even if the other party has completely turned into a monster, I can still purify the contamination on his body and turn him back into a human.”

“But this does not come without a price. The deeper the contamination, the more difficult the purification. In the end, even I cannot guarantee the success of the purification. Therefore, my lady, for the sake of Lord Marcus, please tell the truth.”

Elena lowered her head, falling into silence.

After waiting for a moment, seeing that Elena seemed reluctant to speak, Clement finally spoke up:

“Lady Saintess, how could Marcus, how could he possibly...”

“You are correct. The monster in the mist is indeed Marcus.”

However, before he could finish his sentence, Elena's cold voice came from the side. The meaning behind her words shocked him so much that he forgot to breathe for a moment.

Marcus was actually the monster in the mist?!