Not long after Lowell Turner left the temple, he noticed that someone was following him closely—as a former mage, he was much more sensitive to his surroundings, every bit of strangeness, than his companions.

Normally he doesn't pay much attention to it. This happened all the time, especially when he was wearing this armor. The paladin's shining armor is a proof, a responsibility...... It is also a visible target. It attracts enemies, friends, help-seekers and resentful people, awe and insults...... He had already learned how to deal with it.

But lately he had had some bad feelings, especially after the young Sage had snuck up to meet Tylina Bofford and Baie Young. He didn't suspect that Ed had some ulterior conspiracy, he was only worried that he didn't know what the consequences of his actions would be.

Judging by Fili Zeri's unusually gloomy face, Ed's life probably won't be easy. After knowing Filly for more than ten years, Lowell could easily see how true Filly's respect for the young sage was, and he had no doubt that Filly could unceremoniously scold Ed when no one was around, so that he didn't care what kind of spokesperson the goddess had chosen.

Back in Collins, Filly had vaguely reminded him to be careful lately. Before that, Pastor Brooke, who was in charge of the Temple of Ston Buch, had gathered everyone and told them not to leave the temple unless they were told to do so. The temple was much more low-key and cautious than it had been a few years ago, and perhaps Shaun Fetcher had finally realized that he was too tough on his own business. It will bring some unnecessary trouble......

After last night's accident in Lockburg - it was probably not some mage who blew himself to pieces - the atmosphere seemed to get even stranger.

They received word that King Ante would come to the temple to pray, and the guards from Lockburg cordoned off the temple before dawn until Rowell left. His Majesty did not show up either......

"Your Excellency!"

As a figure lunged at him, Rowell involuntarily tensed the muscles of his arm, reached to his waist, and then secretly laughed at his excessive nervousness—it was just a teenage boy, wearing a fairly clean but obviously larger shirt, thin limbs, and an unusually large head. He was eagerly holding up a copper coin to him.

"Please help me, sir!"

The boy's other hand grabbed the belt of his sword: "My sister has fallen down the stairs......! But I can't go into the temple and find the priest...... Please help me, I can pay!"

“...... Can't you go to the priests of the other temples?" asked Lowell, embarrassed and confused.

Stonebuch is not just a temple of the god of water, this street is not far to the left of the temple of the god of business travel, Dico. And it's no smaller than the Temple of the Water God at all.

"But our family are all devotees of the god of water!" the boy looked up at him earnestly, "Please, my lord, I won't delay you much time! I can...... I can give you Victor. It's obedient!"

Lowell smiled and didn't refuse, anyway, his task was just to deliver a letter...... This kind of task was not originally carried out by him, but Brooke seemed uncomfortable letting a younger priest or paladin out, and his worries ...... Maybe it's not out of nowhere.

The boy led him to the Stoke Fountain and, as expected, turned into the Old Street Market.

For those unfamiliar with the Old Street Market, this place that used to have only one straight avenue is simply a stinking labyrinth. All kinds of crooked and piled up houses have completely occupied the originally flat road. Hidden in the various narrow passages, before going to the end. You can't guess where it's going, or if it's simply not going to go at all.

The sewage on the ground flowed sideways, and the overhead was covered with all kinds of clothes to dry, and it was almost impossible to see the light of day. The paladin's armor is particularly striking here, but most people just look at him indifferently as if he didn't exist. The little boy who ran in front of him drilled around like a rat with ease, and even greeted many people along the way. After several laps, seemingly aimlessly, Lowell realized that they had managed to shake off the tail that had been following them all along.

Smiling, he followed the boy into a man-only alley, swasting through several doors that he didn't know what they were for, and stepping up a creaking old wooden staircase before being ushered into a small, dark, damp room...... Then he watched the boy without hesitation, and with great agility he climbed out of the small window, and did not look back to beckon him to follow—from that window, he could not have gone out with a suit of armor.

If he did, it wasn't that he couldn't—but Lowell just looked around calmly.

The room was small, except for a haphazard pile of miscellaneous items, and only a small bed—and there was certainly no poor "sister" on it who had fallen down the stairs and was bleeding.

There was a half-open door on the left side of the room, and a slender figure shook out of the darkness silently, calling softly, "Don't be nervous, my lord, we have no ill intentions...... But you don't seem nervous. ”

The woman's voice was soft and pleasant, even with a hint of a smile, but her straight figure and standing posture clearly belonged to an experienced warrior.

"What do you want?" asked Lowell bluntly.

"Just wanted to talk to you. You, or any of the priests of the god of water, forgive us for not using the usual way...... Because that obviously won't work today - I'm afraid it won't work for a while. ”

"What do you want to talk about?" Rowell ignored the hint.

"It's not me, Paladin...... replied the woman, "he's not here either...... The city was too dangerous for him. ”

"An innocent criminal?" Rowell said calmly, tentatively. It is not uncommon for fugitives to seek refuge in the temple, some of whom feel that their wrongs are forgivable and forgiven before the gods, even if the law does not allow them, and some who are indeed innocent and willing to accept the magic of detecting lies...... Sean Fletcher never refuses such a plea for help, and even if he is unrelenting to the truly guilty, many more people are still flocking to him.

Whether this was right or wrong was not something that Lowell could judge, but it always made him feel a little uneasy—people might one day face the final judgment of the gods, but until then, usurping power in the name of the gods for kings and lords, whether more just or not, would bring many dangers in various senses.

The answer given by the woman was completely unexpected by him.

"A king. She whispered, "Borena Dejury, son of Joaquin Dejury, king of Anktan." ”

Lowell was stunned.

“...... Where is he?"

In the dark, he was silent for a few moments before asking.

"Out of town. ”

“...... Why is he in Staunbuch?"

When the king of a country comes to the capital of a neighboring country, instead of receiving the cheers of the people and the greeting of the king at the gates, he quietly hides outside the city...... It's not always about a quieter ride.

"That's the problem. The woman sighed, "To be honest, he doesn't know either." ”

Lowell bowed his head and remained silent.

"I know it's hard to believe, my lord. The woman whispered, "If you have any spells that can test a lie, feel free to use them." I can swear to all the gods that I am not lying"

Lowell didn't think she was lying—at least she believed it herself. If that's the case, the chaos in Rockburg last night, the blockade of the temple today...... Is it all about this king?

――If this is a battle between two countries, it would be unwise to involve the Temple of the Water God.

"Please, sir. The woman pleaded earnestly, "We won't bother you too much—you know Ed...... The Sage is a friend of King Borena, and we just want you to let the Sage, or Sean Flace, know that Borena is here...... And in danger. ”

Lowell still didn't speak.

Even though no one talked about it publicly, everyone in the temple knew that Sean wasn't in Collins...... In fact, no one seems to know where he is.

He wasn't sure how Sean would handle it, but he knew that Ed had ridden the ice dragon desperately to the Elven King's court for a friend, and it was likely that he would ride the ice dragon straight to Stonebutch or even Lockburg...... And Antke is not as forgiving as the Elven King.

The young sage has a benevolent heart, but is too simple and impulsive, and is so naïve that it is easy to be taken advantage of. The slightest mistake can lead to further tension and even rupture of the delicate relationship between Lockburg and the Temple of Water......

Could that be the purpose of the man who called himself "Borena"? In any case, he had never heard of the disappearance of the king of Anktan......

Before he could make a decision, there was a soft sound on the roof, and another man jumped in through the window like a cat and said, "Someone is chasing you." ”

His lingua franca had a strange accent - and Lowell was surprised to realize that it was an elf.

"My lord!" the woman's tone rose slightly impatiently, "I know you'll have doubts, but you should also know what will happen if Borena dies in Stonebuch!"

-- War.

Whatever the reason, what could be more likely to provoke a war than the death of a king in the capital of another country?

But at the moment he couldn't even figure out who this conspiracy was against......

"I can't tell the Holy One anything. He looked up at the woman who had always carefully kept herself in the shadows, "unless I can be sure that it is indeed Borena, the king of Anktan." ”

The woman sighed helplessly again: "Guessed...... However, he can't go into the city, and you can't wear this with me out of the city...... I wonder if you mind changing your clothes?—it might not smell good. ”.

(To be continued......)