Chapter 2230: Shifting the Blame
“Don’t you believe me? Take a look. Isn’t there a secret prayer room and a Demon God statue down there, on the very bottom floor? That secret little room, do you see it?” I said.
“We see it! Without a doubt, this is a blasphemous and evil act! Someone must pay the price for this!” the leader of the Zealots shouted.
He asked the townspeople for the mine owner’s home and then, with a grand wave of his hand, led the Zealots directly towards that direction. The townspeople could only stare blankly as these Zealots shook their bells and marched away with imposing momentum.
There’s a benefit to madness. I didn’t need to explain to these lunatics why, as a member of the Witch Society, I didn’t help my companions collect bodies. Nor did I need to explain why the mine owner built the Demon God’s church in the deepest part of the mine. They wouldn’t know that the upper echelons of the mine never go to the deepest levels.
For these Zealots, if the Demon God’s statue is in your mine and the disaster is pouring out of your mine, who else could be responsible if not you?
Moreover, for the Zealot leader, he desperately needed an event to reaffirm his authority. Otherwise, if the disasters seen in the prophecy didn’t materialize, and everyone’s arduous journey was in vain, his prestige would be greatly diminished.
Therefore, the Zealot leader needed a target, and the culprit was the best option. As long as he judged this lackey of the Demon God and publicly burned him, he could declare that he, too, had contributed his part by following the divine oracle.
Of course, the mine owner might offer explanations, might deny it. But would they reason with you nicely if they were Zealots? Furthermore, for the current Zealot leader, you are guilty whether you are or not, otherwise, he would lose face.
As for whether the Zealots would clash with the mine owner’s guard, who would win or lose, and what the reinforcements from the Research Society, who were on their way to investigate, would think upon witnessing this unexpected turn of events, and whether they would come into conflict with the Zealots, that would be none of my concern.
It’s best if they turn on each other. The more chaotic the situation, the less likely anyone will discover our involvement. That’s why I’m stirring things up as much as possible.
The townspeople who survived the disaster breathed a collective sigh of relief. They were genuinely afraid that these Zealots would cause trouble in their town or drag people to the town gate for immolation. These Zealots were truly capable of such acts.
“Thank you! Thank you all for your help!” The family from earlier rushed over to thank me. After finding a bigger target, the Zealots stopped bothering them, and they were naturally saved.
“You’re welcome. Just remember not to mention anything about us to outsiders. Those lunatics are difficult to deal with,” I reminded them. The townspeople all nodded, willing to keep our secret.
“We should prepare to leave as well. The longer we stay, the more likely we are to leave traces. As long as we stay away, no matter how chaotic things get here, it won’t be our concern,” I said.
Although I wanted to execute a perfect infiltration and departure, with no one aware of our involvement, I had to admit that no plan in the world is flawless.
No matter how careful one is, there will always be clues. If someone with the intention were to investigate, they would eventually find the truth. A detective like Sebastian, for instance, could easily find discrepancies with a thorough examination of the scene.
Therefore, it would be best for us to stay away from this place of trouble. That way, even if the Research Society discovers that someone infiltrated them, they won’t be able to find us.
However, Karina shook her head and said, “I plan to set up a temporary base in the vicinity, about ten kilometers away. I want to observe the situation here and ensure that these followers of the King are safe before leaving. Those Zealots and the Research Society might still return to cause trouble.”
“Huh? Are you really going to do that?” The other Glutton believers looked at their leader, confused. They were not followers of the King of Destruction, so they didn’t feel it necessary to protect a group of the King of Destruction’s followers.
What’s more, these were only casual believers, merely following their families’ faith. They didn’t understand Baal’s doctrine, nor had they received God’s Blessing. It’s possible that after some time, they would start believing in other gods. Common people are like that; they believe in whoever is effective.
“Even so, my King has few subjects left in the mortal world. This great undertaking has failed, and I am ashamed before the King. I must look after His lambs to atone for my sins,” Karina said resolutely.
I didn’t try to dissuade her. This failure was a huge blow to Karina. She must have wanted to do something to compensate, essentially to comfort herself and alleviate her guilt.
I thought it was a good idea. Having Karina busy with something would prevent her from becoming too withdrawn. It would also allow her to protect these townspeople, preventing those mad Zealots or the inhumane Research Society from bothering them again.
“Alright, I support your idea. However, let’s leave for now. We’ll go to the nearby mountains to find a hidden place, have Cherise dig a temporary shelter, and then we still need to divide the spoils of war and reward those who deserve it,” I said.
“Heh heh, alright. But what I mean is, I’ll stay and watch by myself. The others don’t need to follow. After the rewards are distributed, you can all go back to your own matters,” Karina said.
Since both leaders had spoken, the remaining Glutton believers naturally had no objections. Moreover, they weren’t being forced to stay; they could choose to stay or go. Hearing about the rewards and the spoils of war, these Glutton believers were quite pleased.
We left Origin Stone Town. Before leaving, I still went to give money to the old woman, hoping she could quickly overcome the shadow of her husband’s disappearance. This old woman should also be a priority for Karina’s protection.
After we crossed two mountains, we found a secret and quiet place in a mountain gully, with rock walls on both sides to shield us from the wind. So, I had Cherise dig a big hole to serve as a temporary shelter.
Inside the cave, we held another feast. Anyway, Glutton believers feast whether they win or lose. As long as there’s food, they’re in a good mood. Even Karina abandoned her reserve and ate heartily to vent her feelings.
Moreover, for the Glutton believers, this wasn’t a complete failure. We recovered many weapons, potions, materials, money, and Magic Apparatuses from the corpses of the Witch Society members and Research Society personnel, all of which were distributed among the subordinates.
The two most important spoils of war were naturally divided between me and Karina. The legendary Staff of the Horadrim went to Karina. She had lost a hand and needed a staff to assist with her spellcasting.
I obtained the Archmage’s purple orb, another powerful medium for spellcasting. Not only that, but it also sealed several powerful spells of the Archmage, which could be released by simply injecting Magic Power. It wasn’t a loss for me either.
As for Sealed Objects like the Golden Coffin, they would temporarily be considered common property of the Church, kept in Karina’s care. She could use them at any time.
