Enforcer Manual
Chapter 776 - 734: The Prophet_1

Chapter 776: Chapter 734: The Prophet_1

As Diago and the others delved deeper into their exploration, Song Lan’s suspicions only grew.

Whether it was the Tidal Sect believers or the high-level councilors, they were constantly talking about the "new era" as if it had become their alliance’s new slogan. Yet, up to this point, no one had explained to him what "new era" actually meant.

They had only vaguely surmised that the collective consciousness was stirring up the fourth war to completely overthrow the United Government’s rule, but as for what they wanted the post-war world to look like, Song Lan had no clue.

However, one thing was certain. A world ruled by plants or the submerged kingdom of Atlantis was not a place suitable for human life.

As a worker whose ultimate goal was to buy a house and retire, Song Lan was definitively not willing to live in either of these places.

First off, the habitability and safety scores were far from adequate.

Considering that the currency of the post-war world would be completely reformed, all the money he had painstakingly saved up would vanish into thin air, and that was why he was adamantly against the onset of the fourth war.

He observed that the three individuals who had just exited Atlantis’s capital city were also in trouble.

The three outsiders were simply too conspicuous.

Even without the Emperor-esque appearances of Terminators, both Paladin and Diago were of pure human lineage, utterly unable to blend in with the blue-skinned race of Atlantis, and disguise seemed ineffective against the locals, who could accurately identify their own kind.

This directly led to the failure of Song Lan’s suggestion for Diago and Paladin to paint their skin blue with dye.

Fortunately, not everyone within the capital was a follower of the Tidal Sect—there were still many kind-hearted people in this world.

After uncovering the two men’s disguises, a benevolent person discreetly took them to a large house of their own.

"I think your Father God might have had a terrible idea."

Entering the majestic estate, Paladin finally breathed a sigh of relief and whispered into Diago’s ear.

Now, he not only had to endure the odor of the dye and the uncomfortable sensation of having it smeared on his body but also the embarrassment of having their disguises easily seen through.

This idea was just a bit too... grounded, making it impossible for him to associate it with any form of divine miracle.

Shouldn’t the power of Deity have sent down a beam of light from the sky, transforming their appearance in the eyes of the locals to match their own kind?

"It’s the heavy scent of the dye you found," Diago unconditionally chose to defend Father God’s suggestion, reflecting that there must have been a flaw in their execution of the plan. Apart from the overpowering odor of the dye, they had also forgotten to paint gill-slits on their necks.

"Or perhaps, being discovered was part of Father God’s plan, and he did not harm us but rather brought us to a safe place," Diago argued.

Paladin was shocked at Diago’s explanation.

He never expected the boy to still sing praises of his Father God even when the plan had failed, but on second thought, Paladin found there might be some truth to Diago’s words.

After their disguises were revealed, at least they were not found by the local guards and thrown into jail; instead, they were taken to a safe haven.

It was clear from the grandeur of the estate that the person living here held no low position.

"You’re in luck; the Public Safety Officer Makov has been holed up in the waste disposal plant lately. If you’d fallen into their hands, I’m afraid it wouldn’t have ended well for you," the man said.

To this, Paladin and Diago kept a mutual silence.

Their Public Safety Officer Makov had already been murdered, with his body taken over by machines. It was just before coming to the streets that they had witnessed this homicide scene.

The man in splendid attire took the three to the estate’s cellar and said, "You must be People of the Land, right? Don’t worry; I often help refugees."

Paladin was somewhat surprised, "Have you also encountered people fleeing from the towns to here before?"

"Every once in a while, a few cross my path, after all, your characteristics are too... prominent. I’ve heard that life on the Land isn’t easy."

A kindly smile spread across the man’s face, "But it takes some effort to grant them new identities."

"But why...?" Paladin’s sense of alert heightened despite the genial smile. To the lawful inhabitants of Atlantis, they were offerings, unworthy even of names and identities. According to the doctrine of the Tidal Church, fleeing the town was a capital offense, and harboring runaway People of the Land was an even graver crime.

Visions of the Tidal Church’s brutal methods flashed through his mind.

Could it be that this man was only pretending to be kindly to lure refugees here and then torment and abuse them in this cellar?

With this thought, Paladin asked further, "Where did you send them all?"

"Away from the Capital, they’ve established Fraternity-like organizations in some of the outlying towns. There’s much less control there than here; at least they can live like human beings," the man explained.

Then suddenly, the man’s tone shifted, his smile twisting into something vicious, "Of course, everything I just said could just be my way of tricking you here. My true hobby is dissecting those illegal refugees, after all, escaping to here from the Land is punishable by death."

His hand lightly touched a mechanism at his side, and with a loud bang, the entrance to the cellar sealed shut.

"And now, just like them, you have fallen into my trap. However, I can offer you the choice of how you wish to die."

"Hold on, if you lay a hand on us, our companion will never let you off. He is much more powerful than us!"

"Oh? You have a companion, do you..."

The paladin’s warning failed to alarm the man before them, as he had already inserted his staff into a slot on the altar. In an instant...

Gentle moonlight poured into the dungeon, casting its light upon the female stone statue at the very center.

For a cult ceremony, the atmosphere seemed too gentle and romantic.

This sudden change startled the paladin, who stared intently at the female stone statue. That face was all too familiar, having appeared in his dreams intermittently since seventy years ago, haunting him to this day.

"Remember to be more careful with your words next time, and don’t so easily give away your companion. It’s better for them to stay hidden in the darkness for your sake."

With a hearty laugh that wiped away his vicious expression, the man said, "I was deceiving you just now. You fell for it, huh!"

"That’s not a funny joke!"

Diago furrowed his brows in objection.

For the Father God sought to sternly reprimand him for such dangerous actions, "This is really too risky!"

Unbeknownst to the man, his convincing act had fooled not only the paladin and Diago, but also Song Lan and the "Terminator" who were observing from afar.

Song Lan, in particular, felt a chill coursing through his limbs, a wave of relief washing over him.

He was so close to killing this kind-hearted person, which would have been a decision he regretted for the rest of his life.

"Ha-ha-ha, I’ve been told that before, but I can’t help wanting to tease you a bit when it comes to these moments."

Completely oblivious to the fact that he had just narrowly escaped death, the man turned to the paladin and said, "You were asking me why I did this? Here’s my answer... although our appearances have changed, the same blood flows within us."

He approached the female statue, and even though he had recounted this story countless times to different refugees, he couldn’t help repeating, "Heroic blood flows through your veins, and no hero deserves such treatment. The princess told me about you, and I can only help within the limits of my abilities."

"I’m going to interrupt for a moment, I’m not from Atlantis."

Diago raised his hand honestly to clarify, "I’m from Silvermoon Harbor, only the paladin..."

"What did you say?"

At the mention of "the paladin," the man’s expression changed dramatically. He approached the paladin in disbelief, his trembling hands grasping the paladin’s shoulders, "You’re called the paladin? You’re the paladin?"

Facing the man’s excited questioning, the paladin hesitated.

Strictly speaking, it was a name he had taken for himself after reading the content on those stone steles. The glory it represented never belonged to him but to the commander who had borne the hopes of the entire kingdom and challenged the Lord of Tides.

"I..."

"The princess said that one day, the paladin would return to this land to end the curse the Lord of Tides has cast over the kingdom! And the king... no, that despicable usurper has always feared this name returning here!"

The man struggled to contain the excitement in his voice.

He had always sheltered the refugees of the land, partly out of self-interest.

He had steadfast faith that the paladin would return, and day after day, year after year, he had sent countless refugees to the coastal cities. Just when he had almost lost hope in the prophecy, the name foretold suddenly appeared before him.

The paladin’s excitement was no less than the man’s. Everything became clear to him, and he asked, "The princess, is she well?"

He longed for an answer that would ease his mind.

The last time he had seen the princess was seventy years ago, and he understood the man’s feelings; time enough to numb anyone.

"She... she’s still alive. The king needs her alive, for she alone knows the secrets of the Secret Treasure."

The appearance of the one from the prophecy rejuvenated the man’s courage; it changed everything.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "She’s imprisoned by the king, we must rescue her! Yes, we need a full plan, and I can help you infiltrate the palace!"

"But..."

The paladin, of course, was eager to see the princess again, but the thought of the king’s garrison and the Lord of Tides watching from the shadows made his heart sink.

Engaging in such an action would mean making enemies of the entire kingdom, and even the deities, and any rash move might endanger the princess and his newly made companions.

Just infiltrating the headquarters of the Tidal Church had already been a massive risk...

"I support the rescue mission to the prison."

Diago stepped forward again at this crucial moment; he had just received a new mission from the Father God.

"I’ve said it before, I want to free the people of this island from the curse of the Lord of Tides."