Chapter 232: The Twilight Pursuit (4)

Chapter 232: The Twilight Pursuit (4)

A group of about ten high inquisitors were gathered with soldiers in the corridor outside Karnak’s guest room. They formed a perimeter around Karnak’s group, and every one of them wore a tense expression.

However, they showed no hostility or clear suspicion toward the group. Rather, they seemed deeply troubled.

"So you’re saying..." Karnak looked around at the inquisitors, his tone incredulous. "The sealed Shadow of Doom kept in the temple vanished overnight?"

"Yes."

"Was there an intruder?"

"We’re not certain. However, we believe the likelihood of an external intrusion is extremely low."

The sealed Shadow of Doom held at the Sellas Temple was an immense power, collected from hundreds of necromancers across the Seven Kingdoms. If someone had stolen that power with malicious intent, it would not be an exaggeration to call it a world-shaking incident. Thus, the temple had established countless countermeasures to protect it.

"A wide array of divine barriers thoroughly separates the temple from both the outside world and its interior. Not even an archmage or a martial king could sneak in unnoticed. It might be a different story if they openly destroyed the barriers, but..."

Karnak nodded. "So, you suspect it was an inside job."

"Yes."

No matter how tight security was, the temple’s interior was a place where many people moved freely, and it couldn’t be sealed off as thoroughly as the outside. Of course, the seal chamber itself was heavily fortified, but compared to preventing an external breach, it was a less daunting task.

"However, everyone within the temple has been thoroughly vetted."

Summarizing everything they had said so far, the conclusion was simple. Right now, the most suspicious party... was Karnak’s group. Of all days, it was precisely when they had arrived that this apparent inside-job theft of the shadow had taken place.

Even so, the priests couldn’t easily accuse them. Karnak’s reputation was simply too great. He had built an impressive track record as vice commander of the Eustil King’s Order, having captured countless necromancers and cultists since his days as a shadow hunter.

His zealous pursuit of cultists was so well-known that even the Brigade of Purification who usually scorned the Seven Kingdoms saw Karnak as a trusted ally. And now, after saving Harthol City, he was being hailed as a hero in the kingdom of Lipaul as well.

It wasn’t simply a matter of them being hesitant because their opponent was a man of great stature. Even if they combined all the achievements of the inquisitors gathered here, it still wouldn’t amount to half of what Karnak had accomplished. How could they so easily suspect such a hero?

Besides, Karnak’s party hadn’t come to the Sellas Temple of their own accord. They had moved on the temple’s invitation. They had invited him for their own purposes, and now, the next day, they would accuse him of theft?

Considering the gravity of the situation, that was probably what they ought to do, but human psychology wasn’t so simple.

As the inquisitors hesitated, Karnak gave them a bright, unhesitant nod. "So, we are your prime suspects, then."

The inquisitors, flustered, waved their hands in denial.

"N-no, not at all."

"How could we possibly suspect you, Sir Karnak...?"

"It’s just... this is simply part of the proper procedure..."

With a gentle smile, Karnak spread his arms. "Go ahead and investigate us."

The inquisitors were taken aback by how readily he agreed.

"Are you certain?"

"You’d be submitting to suspicion unnecessarily..."

"I appreciate the concern, but in times like these, it’s all the more important to be thorough." Karnak glanced around before taking on a serious tone. "I don’t believe the Sellas Temple truly suspects us. However, if we are thoroughly examined first, it will allow you to investigate others properly as well, will it not?"

If they set a precedent that even the vice commander of the Eustil King’s Order had been thoroughly examined, no one else would dare complain about undergoing the same.

"It’s better to make everything clear from the start. The first button must always be fastened properly," said Karnak.

The inquisitors’ faces brightened at his words. Reputation was not earned in vain. He truly possessed great wisdom and consideration!

"Thank you for your understanding." Impressed, they began the inspection at once. "Please excuse the intrusion. We beg your forgiveness."

One by one, they scanned each person with divine power. Every time the sacred energy washed over them, Serati and Leven flinched slightly. They did have some concerns, after all.

Is this really okay?

Won’t they find out we’re bound by necromantic contracts?

Karnak caught onto their worries. He sent them a telepathic message.

—Don’t worry. The vassal contracts won’t show up.

Since the contract was bound deep within their souls, it wouldn’t be detected unless the soul itself was laid bare.

—What about this secret telepathy?

—This is magic, not necromancy. Even if they catch it, it won’t be a problem.

Just as Karnak said, the inquisitors found nothing suspicious. Next, they conducted a meticulous search of their belongings. They laid out all their packs and examined every item one by one, infusing them with divine power for careful inspection.

Clothes in the backpacks? Perfectly ordinary, no issues. Weapons? No trace of dark energy.

Three black dice? Nothing but simple trinkets. They went through everything, leaving no stone unturned. And they were certain: there was nothing suspicious.

Only after thoroughly inspecting even the area around their lodgings did the inquisitors finally relax and smile. Having conducted such a thorough investigation, they could confidently declare that Karnak’s group was completely in the clear. More importantly, they had gained the authority to do the same to the others.

—

Even

Sir Karnak did not refuse to be investigated. Can you claim you hate cultists more than he does?

As they withdrew, the inquisitors offered one more word of thanks.

"Sir Karnak, we are grateful for your exemplary cooperation."

"I only did what anyone should do as a servant of the goddess," Karnak replied. "I hope you find the culprit soon."

***

Once the inquisitors left, the group returned to their quarters.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Lapicel looked worried as she asked, "Who do you think the culprit is, sister? I hope they catch them soon."

"That’s the question, isn’t it," Serati replied, her gaze sharpening toward the wall.

—It’s you, isn’t it, Lord Karnak?

Karnak chuckled and answered without hesitation.

—Who else could it be?

No one else in the group looked the least bit surprised.

From the moment they heard the sealed Shadow of Doom had been stolen, they were already one hundred percent sure this was Karnak’s doing. They were just a little impressed, that was all.

—How in the world did you manage to bypass the heavy defenses of the temple?

It was Varos who answered Leven’s question.

—We’re pretty familiar with the layout of the Sellas Temple, you see.

Their true purpose in coming to Sellas Temple had been this all along. Karnak had depleted a significant amount of the chaos mana stored in the obsidian cubes after the battle with Maloka and Jedex.

There were two methods he could use to replenish that energy: One, to harvest necromantic power by killing people en masse. Two, to refill it with chaos energy Karnak had personally refined.

But upon careful reflection, he realized there was a third way. The countless fragments of the Shadow of Doom scattered across the world were excellent materials for recharging the cube.

What’s more, the priests had worked tirelessly to purify and seal it, making the energy incredibly refined!

—We snuck in through one of the secret paths we learned back in the day, neutralized the wards, and swiped it.

Serati pressed further.

—That sounds easier said than done.

—I’d already broken the same kind of seal in this temple in my past life. Since I’ve done it before, it wasn’t all that difficult.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

—Really? What were they sealing back then?

Varos raised his hand.

—Me.

—Excuse me?

To be precise, it had been Dark Knight Varos, Karnak’s right hand. They had sealed away one of the culprits responsible for sowing chaos across the world.

—That was before I earned the title of Monarch of Death.

—So I’m fairly well-acquainted with the place, seeing as I was trapped here.

Both of them had been familiar with the situation, so they had simply slipped out in the dead of night and taken it. Once the stolen energy was stored inside the obsidian cubes, not a trace of its power leaked outside. It was, quite literally, the perfect crime. Thanks to this, the cubes were once again fully recharged!

—It wasn’t going to be of any use just sitting there, was it? Better I put it to use.

No lives had been sacrificed. No one had been harmed. The temple hadn’t even been using the Shadow of Doom for anything productive. On the contrary, they had been expending significant resources just to maintain the seal, with powerful priests pouring out divine energy every day to contain it.

Now that the energy had been released, they’d actually be at an advantage in their fight against the Cult of the Dark God.

—I’m telling you, this benefits everyone!

Serati and Leven exchanged conflicted looks as they watched Karnak boast.

—Well...

—When you look at the results, he’s not entirely wrong.

***

After the incident, Sellas Temple sealed its gates and began thoroughly investigating everyone inside. Anyone who showed even the slightest suspicious behavior was subjected to near-interrogation-level scrutiny.

Of course, Karnak’s party, who had already been cleared, was excluded. They spent their time comfortably, enjoying free meals and sightseeing around the temple. On the fourth day, the temple finally came to a conclusion.

They couldn’t keep the gates shut forever. No matter how thoroughly they searched, there was no sign of the stolen Shadow of Doom. There was only one explanation left: it had already been taken outside.

A special task force was formed to retrieve the stolen power, with elite inquisitors dispatched to scour the land. With the temple’s gates reopened, Karnak’s group also departed Sellas Temple.

Riding along the main road, Serati asked, "Are we heading back to Drunta now?"

Karnak shook his head. "No."

They’d already finished all their business in Drunta. There was no need to return to the capital anytime soon.

"We’re going back to the territory."

"The Zestrad Barony?"

"Right. Like I said before, it’s about time the Cult of the Black God started coming after me in earnest."

Just as they had done with Maloka, the easiest way for the cult to draw Karnak out was to attack the Barony of Zestrad.

"So I need to make preparations for that."

Lapicel nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. The people might be in danger."

Karnak blinked awkwardly. "Ah, well... yeah, that too."

Truthfully, he hadn’t been thinking about the lives of his people at all. If the cult considered Zestrad his weak point, then he could turn that around and set a trap there. He could rig the territory with necromantic domains and catch them like fish in a net.

Come to think of it, maybe I should start caring about the people, too.

Adjusting his plans slightly, Karnak kept urging his horse forward. "And besides, if you all want to increase your aura reserves, wouldn’t it be better to train in peace at our estate rather than in the busy capital?"

Thanks to Jedex, he had acquired a new technique. If he applied it well, he might be able to rapidly increase the aura reserves of Varos, Serati, and the others in a short time.

Curious, Varos asked, "There really is a method, then?"

"Honestly? I’m not sure yet." Karnak shrugged and slipped a hand into his coat.

His fingers brushed against the three cubes, now fully charged with energy. "But it’s definitely worth trying."