Laemno placed the precious items back underneath his ample garb.
At worst, I could just hide for a few days and then hitch a ride on a passing caravan. Aside from the clergymen, no one knows what I look like, and they probably would have lost interest in retrieving me after the day of the Sacrificial Ceremony anyway.
Worrying about what happens once I'm outside Priene comes later. For now, I should focus on escaping the Great Sanctuary. That's a big challenge in and of itself.
He cast his silvery gaze on his chambers' door, though it was directed at a spot beyond it, on the other side of his wing, where Bishop Antenor of Delos had recently established residence.
Tomorrow at noon, when the Great Sanctuary's bell will be rung seven times for the communal celebrations, all those under my control will move. They'll close the gates to the Inner Monastery, storm through the corridors, and capture the clergyman and members of the Gilded Watch posted here.
However, I can't count on hypnotized slaves to match three magi. Bishop Antenor has been keeping an eye on my bedroom since yesterday. According to Maia, the other two aren't far either. I must find a way to slip past them, or all of this would have been for naught.
"Is something bothering you, Honored One?" Maia asked, visibly worried about his expression.
Laemno silently looked at her, surprised by her proactiveness.
He didn't expect hypnotized individuals to be so interactive, especially Adonal Virgin Maia, who had been simultaneously keeping tabs on the Temple of Stars' magi, serving as his eyes and ears outside his room and communicating critical instructions to those under his control.
"I can't think of a way to shake off the Bishop. He has been particularly vigilant lately, always keeping watch nearby wherever I move."
"Oh?" Maia put her finger over her lips in a sensual gesture, smiling. "Please don't worry about him. Leave the Bishop to me, and proceed as scheduled tomorrow."
For an odd reason, Laemno didn't feel like asking what she planned to do. He nodded before replacing his focus on an open map of Hierapetra sprawled over a corner of his table.
Priene is the easternmost city of Hierapetra if we don't count the coastal towns further south. Apparently, it wasn't the case two hundred years ago, as the Kingdom lost one-third of its territory to Sethia in a conflict called the War of the Flickering Sea.
This means I'm theoretically as close as I could get to my destination, but that's still a few hundred kilometers away, most of which I'll have to cover on foot.
His finger followed the white-painted trail of the Hallowed Road, stumbling on the marked point where Mount Eurymedon stood.
The underground network's longest tunnel should open to some sort of ritual site near the Valley of Eventide. Since it lies farther than Mount Eurymedon, it's at least a two-hour walk from the Inner Monastery. Half that time if I'm running.
He remembered the scene shown by the triangular mirror and found himself shivering, not from fear but apprehension.
I have too many gaps in knowledge compared to the enemy. Even figuring out the meaning behind simple visions is a hurdle, which puts me at a massive disadvantage from the start.
The gentle rays of crepuscule wafted through the windows, bathing the entire bedroom in warm light. Laemno felt its embrace on his body, watching the magnificent twilight sweep over the Divine Capital for what could be the last time in his life.
Again, he steeled his heart, a determined gaze amid his ethereal expression.
It's useless to wallow in doubt now. Getting flustered about details I have no control over serves no purpose.
He took a long breath, enjoying the delicate fragrance of the scented candles that Maia had just kindled.
Tomorrow, everything will be decided.
—
On the outskirts of Priene.
An inconspicuous group of men and women sat around a lit fire, quietly gazing at the night sky.
None of them talked or moved, as if they were carved statues given colors and pulse. While their eyes focused on the stars, they lacked the sparkle of true sentience, merely mimicking the act itself, akin to a puppet trying to imitate humans.
They were Homunculi of the Henosis Seekers—drab and lifeless compared to their counterparts from the Mekkubal Order.
Crafted with pure efficiency in mind, they only dedicated energy to thoughts and actions when it was time to accomplish their duty. When regarded from that standpoint alone, they were well-designed indeed. Nothing could awake them from their veiled slumber aside from the approach of an enemy.
Despite that, they remained torpid when Geffen Yuly walked to them—a branch leader of the Mekkubal Order and their mortal adversary.
The short man glanced at them one by one through the thick strands of his bowl-cut, seemingly unconcerned. After a brief inspection, he called, "Yalon, Altar, Zur, Hadas."
Four figures emerged from the surrounding obscurity, coming into the bonfire's light. They were all male and of similar medium height, sporting different variations of Geffen's hairstyle. Each one held a particular weapon; a pike, a sickle, a shield, and a greatsword.
"Should we kill them, Master?" Hadas asked, readying his heavy blade.
"There's no need," Geffen shook his head, gazing at a specific spot underneath their feet. "Sleeping Homunculi are easy to corrupt. Their flow is stagnant, so it didn't wash away my spell quickly enough. For now, they see us as allies and won't move. If we kill them, their disappearing cores will alert the enemy."
He crouched, stroking the still-wet soil with his bare hand. "The ground is impervious here, too. I can't sense my Mana once I send it beyond the outer layer."
"A concealment spell," Altar concluded. "So we were right. It should extend around their base, which we know is located underground. If we use our Mana as a beacon and track where it disappears, we could find the path to the entrance."
Geffen frowned. "This doesn't feel right... the spell is too weak. True concealment can trick your senses and forge a response to fool the world itself. It's no mere shroud that simply hides its target."
"We don't know how powerful the Qehari magi currently aiding the Henosis Seekers are. It may be that they're puny Occultists who lack the ability to perform effective concealment," theorized Yalon.
"If that's the case, how would they have been able to conceal the Archangels? It's already hard to miss the oozing miasma of a Delusion-class Eidolon, let alone two Nightmare-class ones," Zur said. "I don't think a spell this feeble can hide them from the Temple of Stars, either."
"What's this spell hiding then? It's too expansive to be for nothing."
"A trap... or a distraction." A thought occurred to Geffen, who immediately rose to his feet.
"While quality affects a spell's Mana consumption, size matters just as much, if not more. They wouldn't waste resources on magecraft this expansive and risk getting noticed, not in a place like Priene. It must only be a temporary measure. They're buying time... but for what?"