Before going to Bruce's house, Kormit went to see the blood-covered reef.

The place was a little remote, but still within the protection of the walls. The tide washed away some of the blood, and the rest of it turned a dull black-red, not very conspicuous, and a faint fishy smell evaporated in the sun, but it was already difficult to find any useful clues from it.

Kormit looked up at Lake Majland, where ice was still floating. Fishing boats are scattered scattered on the vast surface of the lake, and the farthest ones look as small as insects and ants, and it is difficult to distinguish them.

It is not easy to find a missing boat on such a lake...... It is even more difficult to find two missing people who are dead or alive in such a lake.

Tablis claimed that even the village's fishing boats could not approach the narrow shallows under the cliff on the opposite bank without his permission, and that the grave keepers on the cliff would not let people into the cave at will, but Harriart did not think so.

"If we can't go there and see, they can do whatever they want. He said indignantly, "Even though Moji's family visits her every day, we don't know anything!"

Kormit couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

Khariad's bravery was unquestionable, but after seeing himself as a warrior of the gods, the young man did not become more tolerant and cautious, but became more arrogant...... That's not a good thing.

Are they developing too quickly? -- the pastor can't help but start to introspect.

But they had a Sage...... A sage who saved Lutgar, even if they wanted to expand their influence between the mountains and forests little by little, as they had been before, in a low-key and calm manner, without attracting more attention. It's no longer possible.

And is this a blessing or a curse for them? That's a question that Comit can't answer.

The Bruce family was not built on a lake, but on a sloping field, and the hides drying outside the house proved that the family was more inclined to hunt than to fish, presumably because they had three sons in the prime of life.

They were received by Gretta, the wife of Roger, the eldest son of the Bruce family. As Khaliart expected. The brothers of the Bruce family are not at home. Their father, Barry, hovers the lake with his three sons early in the morning, hoping to find the missing Moji.

Haryat glanced at Kormit, his lips moved, and he didn't dare say anything—but Kormit could hear what he didn't say: "Look!"

The priest ignored him.

He spoke softly to the nervous young woman, knowing that Mogi's mother was sitting in another room with her youngest son in her arms, and that she could even hear the baby's intermittent crying...... The mother, who was worried about her daughter, did not want to show up, and he would not force it.

Greta said very little. But Kormit could discern her displeasure in her flickering words—more of a displeasure with Mogi, as if it was her beauty that had caused all this trouble.

He didn't have to wait long, and the Bruce twin returned home earlier than his father and brother. And they apparently got nothing.

Although it may seem wary and even hostile at first, the sincerity of the middle-aged pastor is soon exchanged for equal respect—even a hint of fear. As he expected, even if they weren't followers of Nesses, ordinary people had an instinctive respect for the priest. They did have some resentment with Enoch. But it could never be Enoch's killer. Although it was also suspected that Enoch had taken or hurt Moji, the accusations against him were more cautious than the old village chief's already subtle enough expressions.

It didn't take any spell for Kormit to be sure that at least the two brothers weren't lying, and in addition to their pent-up anger, they were even more annoyed and blamed for not finding out about Maggie's departure that night.

Presumably to distinguish himself from his twin brother Genod, the younger Fletcher had long shawl hair and a more straightforward personality than his brother. He spent most of his time talking. Genod occasionally added.

After careful questioning, Kormit realized that Enoch was clearly really obsessed with the family's daughter.

If it's just a dedication, forget it. The young priest seriously proposed the marriage contract to Mogie's parents, and took it for granted that Moji had no opinion or even expectation about it...... But the problem is, Maggie already has a marriage contract. The young man she liked, at the instigation of her friends, went to Llewellyn to fight for the king. If you're lucky, you might already have the title of knight when you return......

The people of the Bruce family did not want to offend a priest, but they did not want to offend the future knight - the person who took him away was a cousin of His Majesty's guard, and "becoming a knight" did not seem to be such a distant dream.

What's more, Moji apparently prefers her fiancé, whom she has known since childhood, to the not-so-handsome "Lord Pastoral...... The Bruce family didn't like Enoch's charity-like attitude.

No one tried to drive him away. "We're just telling him the facts, and the priest is leaving...... I think he just felt a little embarrassed. ”

Comit had to smile wryly - it was embarrassing enough.

So is there shame in the embarrassment, and so strong that a young man who is a priest hurts the girl he likes...... Kormit couldn't help but press his forehead, he was past the age when he would be impulsive for love, but he also knew that it was not impossible. The villagers' speculation is clearly justified.

The only doubt was - and he had confirmed it before - that the house of the family who had been awakened in the middle of the night was quite sure that they had heard the screams of men.

And Moji is said to be a petite girl...... Could it be that she killed Enoch and dragged his body onto a ship without any help and fled?

There was a soft click from the old wooden door, and Kormit turned his head to see the tall figure of Roger Bruce in the backlight.

His shadow fell on Kormit's body, and there was a faint sense of oppression. The priest unconsciously straightened his back, stood up, and calmly looked the other man in the eye.

“...... Where's Father?" asked Fletcher, looking behind his brother's back.

"Go to the village chief. Roger replied, his black eyes looking at Kormit.

"You're the priest. He said, not much emotion in his flat tone.

Comitt nodded, "Comitt Ansel." ”

"If you still want to go to the cliff, you can come with us, I don't think the village chief will stop you. Roger calmly told him, "We've been alerted. ”.

As he walked back to where the followers of Nessus lived, Kormit realized that the entire village was in a state of panic and unease.

The alarm - the alarm from that sacred place on the cliff on the opposite bank was obviously much worse than the disappearance or death of two people. In Gabriel's more than 200-year history, the same thing has happened only twice.

Kormit narrowed his eyes, and in the bright afternoon sun, the black smoke rising from the cliff was clearly visible, and wisps rose into the sky, filling the sky with a faint gray mist, like some ominous omen, shrouded in the lake and the cliff.

Fletcher explained to him that if the grave keepers on the other side of the cliff thought that the cemetery was threatened by something he could not stop, they would use fireworks...... And Maggi is clearly not a threat.

He looked back at Khariatt. The young man looked dazed, and even if any of his soldiers secretly went to the other side by boat despite the warning, he was obviously unaware.

The priest had uttered more in a day than he had sighed - if these guys had really violated the taboo of the village, it would be difficult for Enoch to settle the matter peacefully, even if he was completely innocent or even a victim.

In the midst of the confusion, he saw Kellian standing on the side of the road, watching the people running around, still with an indifferent, indifferent expression, and unconsciously envious - and then he suddenly remembered that he had paid, why could this guy be so leisurely when his employer was in a hurry?

"Kelion!" he exclaimed, deliberately ignoring Khariath's surprised gaze.

"You know how to swim, right?" he asked.

Tablis was cautious. After all the preparations, it was already dark when the ships reached the bottom of the cliff.

Kormit was slightly uneasy. Although he already felt that the whole thing had nothing to do with the necromancer, the night was the time of those in black robes...... Tablis voiced his concerns by stating that there had never been a necromancer here, but ...... There is always a contingency for everything.

However, this is probably the reason Tablis allows "outsiders" like him to know the location of their holy places - and it is his duty.

If anything, he had to protect these people.

Beside him, Kellian yawned a little boredly, but his eyes remained clear. The priest grinned and looked at the two young warriors behind him whom the Haryat had chosen for him, somewhat comforting—though one of them was looking up curiously for the fabled burial ground, and the other was more poised and vigilantly watching...... I also observed the villagers who were jumping into the shallow water one by one, dragging the boat onto the beach.

The beach is only a narrow one, covered with large and small rocks, and there are probably fewer parts that can be exposed to the water at high tide. While the villagers expertly secured the boats, Roger Bruce walked to the corner of the cliff and groped for a black chain among the rocks and hanging vines, and pulled it hard.

The chains led nowhere, and a deep, low bell rang above them.

Kormit looked up. The fireworks were gone, there was no light on them, and there were no caves in sight.

They waited for a while, and the rope ladder did not hang down as expected. An uneasy whisper rang out, and Roger frowned and tugged at the chain again.

He shook his head as the bell disappeared into the twilight, realizing that there might not be another response.

The situation may be worse than imagined, but the young man who is not yet thirty years old seems very calm.

"Set up the ladder!"

He shouted back.

(To be continued......)