"Ahem. Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
I deliberately made the sound come at my original pitch and lowered and distorted the tone as much as possible.
The figure in the room seemed not to have expected me to speak; his shoulders trembled violently, and he took a small step back.
But he eventually regained his footing and replied in a tone that betrayed no emotion: "Ambros, apprentice of the Frost Tower."
He's actually an apprentice from the Frost Tower!
I became even more vigilant, and quietly raised my claws, allowing subtle magical energy to gradually converge towards me.
Although doing so might alert the enemy, I have to be prepared in case a real conflict breaks out and I get instantly defeated by them, which would be no fun.
Despite my wariness, the man remained oblivious, continuing as if completely unconcerned, "And who are you, sir? What brings you here tonight?" He paused, then asked, "Have you come to spy on the treasures hidden within this church?"
Does this church possess some kind of treasure?
I flicked my ear in confusion, deliberately ignoring the first part of the question, and asked in a low voice, "What treasure are you talking about? Where is it?"
"...It seems you're deliberately testing me."
The figure in the darkness suddenly laughed: "Besides the Holy Grail, which is inlaid with mithril, jade, multicolored gems and diamonds, and painted with gilded colors, radiating a dazzling glassy light, what else in this church can be called a treasure?"
"However, I still advise you not to covet those treasures that do not belong to you. After all, they are kept under heavy guard and closely watched by the high priests, so it is impossible for them to be stolen."
What's so special about a cup inlaid with jewels? At most, the mithril might have some value, but the rest would be too much trouble to sell, so how could it possibly inspire anyone to steal it?
I shook my head and turned to my main purpose: "It sounds like you know something about this place. So, do you know that a young girl recently moved in?"
"A young girl?" The voice sounded slightly confused.
"The kind that is cared for and looked after by many people," I emphasized.
The figure in the darkness pondered for a few seconds, then slowly turned around, suddenly realizing, "Oh! So you're looking for that person? You must have heard about that secret, which is why you've come here, right?"
"However, we clearly stated that the girl was well taken care of in the small house in the east. Why did you come to the west instead?"
I fell silent.
So, it seems that the guy who caused trouble in the east was actually in the right place?
This is troublesome. After all, there are quite a few troops stationed there now. For the three of us, it's not even easy to get close to them, let alone find a way to sneak in.
In addition, Alice had previously confirmed from her vantage point that the troublemaker in black was not followed by any young girl; instead, he was alone in danger and forced to flee in panic.
In other words, even if we manage to sneak inside, we must hide in a corner where many eyes are watching us, and walk through the middle, in order to rescue the sacrificial girl who is imprisoned in the hut.
The difficulty level has more than tripled.
However, I soon received information that could resolve my troubles: "Of course, that's what's being said outside, but in reality... we didn't place the girl in any corner of this place, but in another location where she can be watched at all times... but that's none of your business."
The slow, gentle footsteps moved outwards, their unhurried sound like a death knell drawing ever closer, causing my body to tense up instinctively once more.
I leaped back two steps, raised my claws and gathered the strongest stream of magic I could without attracting too much attention, condensing it into the shape of a tiny lightning spear. After briefly aiming with my mind, I fired it the instant the person was about to step out of the room. At the same time, I prepared to anticipate his next attack based on his defensive measures and prepare a corresponding attack spell to break through his defenses.
A flash of lightning disappeared into the darkness.
The next moment, accompanied by the sound of stopped footsteps, I froze on the spot.
However... the reason is completely different from my initial prediction.
Ironically, it wasn't because the opponent's defensive techniques were too powerful, causing me to feel profound despair after witnessing the stark difference in strength. Rather, it was because the figure gradually approaching from the outside didn't actually employ any defense, choosing instead to withstand the attack purely with its physical body.
It is well known that although mages' physical bodies are not completely untrained, compared to martial artists who rely solely on their physical abilities, mages are almost like thin sheets of paper, barely more resilient than paper.
The scene unfolding before me was that of the wild mage who, despite my vigilance, claimed to be an apprentice of the Frost Tower, whose upper body was torn apart and pierced through by a lightning spear in an instant, exploding into a huge cloud of blood mist as he died.
I was stunned.
What's going on? What happened? What happened?
Why did this guy suddenly die? Could it be that he had a backup plan? Like, he might suddenly activate after dying, revive himself, and then unleash a powerful cleave combo or something.
Surely he can't really be that bad!
No way! The Frost Tower Master is so strong, with his ring-opening and strong combat awareness, and I thought you, the apprentice, would be just as powerful. But you're really lacking!
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