"It seems they've grouped together to drag their belongings and escape." the captain said.
"That's not... called escaping," finally, a saint couldn't hold back, his face looking strained as he spoke, "That's called moving."
The saints burst into a significant round of laughter.
Kavensis could only feel his face burning as if scorched, his ears hot and radiating heat.
"Next location!"
He could no longer maintain his calm demeanor, "Next location!"
Kavensis had never been so angry before, he called over a horse, mounted it, and furiously spurred the animal.
The horse let out a painful neigh, charging off wildly into the distance.
In a nutshell, he had cracked.
He swore, he would vent his fury on those cultists and even on those despicable, detestable sacrificial children!
Those vile creatures had no right to exist in this world!
An hour later.
Nothing.
Two hours later.
Nothing.
At six in the morning, the blood moon had gradually faded away completely, and the sky slowly revealed a hint of pre-dawn light.
"Haha, nothing again...a wasted trip."
"And to think his father is a priest... Is this how the priest's family fools us?"
"What shining person, quite the joke."
"I think, even the Child of the Curse is better."
"Indeed, that child is diligent and generous, it's said he once donated a full sixty Gold Coins."
Facing the empty cave and the clean altar, the saints whispered among themselves in low tones of mutual agreement.
Wasn't every one of them a pride of the saints tested and proven?
Yet today, they were fooled time and again.
They had come today not only to curry favor with that priest but also for those six strongholds, hoping to share in the spoils and earn some faith points when rooting out the cultists.
But unexpectedly, they were bamboozled repeatedly, running around all night for nothing. The priest had humiliated them so; they had no reason to suck up to this young master anymore.
Watching the atmosphere sour, the captain decided to try a different approach to let Kavensis save face,
"Perhaps," the captain pondered his words, addressing Kavensis with high emotional intelligence, "Respected Excellency Kavensis, maybe it's because the cultists took the day off for a vacation."
His expression was inscrutable.
"As everyone knows, the blood moon marks the day of the birth of the Mother Goddess of Life, equivalent to the birthday of a saint in the Church, a day we also call New Year. Thus, undoubtedly,"
The captain concluded decisively, "they are all taking their annual leave."
Mixed Cult, holding sacrifices but still taking holidays, right!
I've never heard of such a thing!
...Blue veins bulged on Kavensis's fair forehead, he felt like his teeth would puncture his gums as he slowly took a breath, struggling to suppress the rage in his heart.
"But..."
He barely maintained a smile, "On the day of the blood moon, the effect of the sacrifices increases by thirty percent, I don't think it's a vacation... and there's no esoteric text that mentions cultists taking holidays..."
"Wrong, this precisely confirms my guess," the captain spoke seriously, "Working overtime on holidays increases the wage by thirty percent."
Which Evil God is this considerate, even paying overtime!
Kavensis felt his insides burning, he could no longer keep up the facade of a smile. He had been respected since childhood and had never suffered such humiliation. He yelled at the captain,
"Shut your mouth."
The smile on the captain's lips froze.
She did indeed shut her mouth, but her expression turned somber, the smile still on her lips, yet now it was dangerous and sinister.
With a murderous aura.
This woman's change of expression was as quick as flipping a book.
"Young Master," she stared at Kavensis, "I played games with you for most of the night, offered you a way out and you refused. That's not very good, is it?"
At the same time, the dozen or so Holy Knights under her command simultaneously drew their swords from their scabbards, the shivering sword light instantly glittering in the cold cave.
The cold murderous intent, mixed with the icy thin fog of early morning, pressed heavily against Kavensis's shoulders as if tangible.
The pressure was so great that Kavensis's shoulders trembled, and his lips quivered slightly, unable to speak.
"Even your father would not wish for this."
She said with a cold smile, "Deceiving a Holy Knight is a violation of the Mother Goddess's doctrines. Perhaps by next year's election, he will no longer be a Priest, right?"
Each year's Red Moon Hunting Day is one of the most important festivals in the border city, and missing it would leave an indelible stain.
"I didn't deceive you!"
Kavensis glared fiercely at the woman knight, "Someone must have cleared the Esoteric Religion outpost in advance!"
"Who could it be, the Child of the Curse?" the captain asked coldly with a laugh, "Are you trying to make him take the blame again?"
"That waste?"
Kavensis shook his head in disdain and anger, "No, that coward who's never been on the battlefield! How could he dare to eradicate Cultists, he could not kill even one, he doesn't have the capability!"
"Perhaps it was his henchman, or maybe someone else."
"Someone secretly stole our news, taking our prey."
The captain watched him, "So?"
"I'll handle it."
Kavensis clenched his teeth, "There are two days left until the Blood Moon, in these last two days, I'll find that person, I'll defeat him in an upright manner! Like a knight!"
"Insanity."
The captain said helplessly, she ordered her subordinates to sheathe their swords, draped herself in her robe, moved outside the cave, mounted her horse,
"Young Master, we'll take our leave, make your way back on your own."
With that, she rode off.
When Kavensis returned to the Church alone, the dawn had already broke, the ethereal sound of the church bells echoed through the town, the temples had opened their doors, and a fair number of Believers had already started their morning prayers.
As Kavensis entered the Church, everyone turned their heads to look at him.
They already knew about the young and promising beacon of light, Saint Kavensis's hunt for Cultists from the night before, eagerly awaiting his good news.
"Great beacon of light, you've returned victorious!"
Priest Danny approached him at the door, using his chant-like voice to speak loudly, his smile accumulating and ingratiating as he asked, "How was last night's battle?"
"Certainly a triumphant return!"
Seeing Kavensis with a stern face not speaking, Danny thought the young man was just being modest, and with sycophantic laughter, he patted his back, imitating Kavensis's tone from last night,
"'Tonight's honor belongs solely to you, my Holy Maiden'—I remember your promise, so romantic and sacred, a million times more noble than the Child of the Curse."
"Coincidentally, the Holy Maiden has come to the Church early this morning, surely waiting for you."
Danny had thought his flattery would be music to Kavensis's ears, but it sounded sharp and grating instead.
I can't deal with the Holy Knight captain, but can't I handle you, a mere doorkeeper?
He clenched his teeth fiercely, his shoulders trembling slightly.
When it rains, it pours, and Luojia was actually waiting for him.
Kavensis saw Luojia from afar, walking towards him, the bright morning sun shining on her silver-white hair like a pure white wedding veil.
Kavensis pondered in his heart how he would explain himself.
He swallowed, put on his perfect smile, and explained proactively, "About today—"
Unexpectedly, Luojia passed him by and said with a dignified air to the young man behind him,
—"An Su, come here for a moment."
She said softly.