The Paladin in the Abyss
Chapter 864 - 841: The Opponent’s Intentions

Chapter 864 -841: The Opponent’s Intentions

“Uh…” Lancelot was unsure what expression to make, “My Lord, thanks to you, my luck has been quite good…”

“Lady Elizabeth already informed me of the situation during her prayers. You displayed commendable bravery, but I must say, such actions were rather reckless,” Cranvo said sternly. “Even a true Barlow Flame Demon would struggle against a Lich, especially one surrounded by its Undead army. In our original plan, it should have been the Raven Queen dealing with the Lich—it would have increased our chances substantially. Also, you have to understand that even if you could be resurrected afterwards, it would still be a significant loss for you.”

“I am very sorry.” Lancelot bowed his head respectfully, “I mistakenly thought it was a chance worth taking…”

“Understandable, but…” Cranvo paused to calm his somewhat intense tone, “I am not blaming you, Sir. You must realize the critical role you play in this war against Peyton Derrick.”

“I understand.”

“I am glad we can come to an agreement.” The Grim Reaper nodded, “So, is there a specific reason for summoning me this time? The ceremony just now should have gone smoothly; the Orc’s soul has already arrived in my hall…”

“Yes, it is like this. On our way back to camp, we encountered a convoy from the Witches’ Forest. They were escorting three wagons, seemingly heading towards the border of the Demon’s Domain…”

Lancelot spent about five minutes describing their recent encounter, focusing less on the battle and more on the human-faced maggots and his concerns regarding the matter.

“…According to our previous assumptions, the human-faced maggots are a product of cooperation between the Witches and Xirei. Xirei gave the Witches the means to control the Demon’s Domain, and in return, they provided the maggots as payment, allowing your evil predecessor to secretly build a Fiend army. But now that the Witches have been defeated by Peyton Derrick, why does this activity continue? Could the Lich be somehow connected to Xirei as well?”

Cranvo did not answer immediately but stood quietly, his silver mask revealing no emotion. After a moment, he finally spoke:

“What do you think?”

“I… need to confirm first that I don’t have a knowledge gap like the Chain Contingency technique…” Lancelot scratched his head, “As the lord of the Demon’s Domain, Peyton Derrick shouldn’t be able to communicate with the outside world, right?”

“Direct communication is not possible,” Cranvo shook his head decisively, “but as the lord of the Demon’s Domain, he has the authority to permit anyone to leave this prison. So through an intermediary, it should still be possible to contact the outside world.”

“But that would be inefficient, right? Especially when the target is the deceitful and elusive Prince of Lies.”

“Of course.”

“Is it possible that the convoy we intercepted wasn’t heading to Xirei?” interjected an Elf Priest nearby, “After all, such things are highly sought after in the lower planes and have no shortage of buyers…”

“We cannot rule out that possibility,” Kalalin also spoke up, “but it’s hard to believe that, knowing nothing about the outside world, the Lich could find a suitable buyer in just two weeks. Although the human-faced maggots are indeed universal currency, those who purchase such things are far from benevolent. Demons wouldn’t even consider paying; Peyton Derrick would have to be out of his mind to trade with Demons. Devils may honor contracts, but why would Peyton be able to strike a fair contract with them?”

“What about Divine Power?” Lancelot inquired, “Similar to Xirei’s situation?”

“Divine Power… frankly, it’s the first time I’ve heard of a True God doing such a thing,” Kalalin hesitated, glancing at Cranvo, “Normally, a True God should have an endless stream of petitioners entering their Divine Kingdom. Those loyal followers would gladly fight for their deity, without needing to turn to soul traffickers like the Witches. Perhaps only a ‘special case’ like Xirei would have such a need…”

“Xirei still has quite a few worshippers,” the Lord of the Dead said, “Thieves, liars, sadists, schemers—all who wish to commit evil without being caught pray to Xirei. However, not many reach the level of devout faith. If he is plotting something massive, his church’s influence in the Mortal Realm would certainly be insufficient.”

“So the only possible buyer is the Prince of Lies,” Lancelot nodded, “What does it signify that the two could come to an agreement so quickly?”

“Could it be that Peyton and Xirei have been in contact all along?” Tanya proposed, “Perhaps Xirei grew increasingly dissatisfied with the Witches and decided to switch partners?”

“If that’s the case, then wouldn’t we…”

Lancelot didn’t finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear. It was their various actions after arriving here that allowed Peyton to reclaim his position as the lord of the Demon’s Domain. If this was all premeditated, they had indeed been manipulated.

“It won’t be as you think,” the Lord of the Dead promptly denied Lancelot’s worry, “From what I know of Xirei, due to his extreme arrogance, he would never entrust such a crucial part of his plan to someone else, not even for use, as it would imply that the used party is more capable than him, and Xirei could never accept that possibility.”

“I have another question…” Tanya spoke again, “Earlier, when infiltrating the Witches’ Forest, Lancelot should have completely destroyed the Magic Tower capturing souls, right? So where did this batch of human-faced maggots we intercepted come from? Leftover stock from the Witches, or newly produced during this time frame? If it’s the latter, why does Peyton possess such a technique? Did a Witch surrender to him, or did he already know the secrets?”

Tanya’s question plunged everyone into deep thought once again, but before anyone could propose a new idea, urgent footsteps broke the silence enveloping the barrels and wooden crates.

“Old Blackbird, Old Blackbird!” A tall and thin young man burst into the hidden Dragon’s Nest, seemingly oblivious to the silver-gray masked Cranvo, “Urgent information, the Lich has gathered another army and is marching out of Derrick Fortress!”

“What?” Soveris exclaimed, “How could this… It seems that convoy is really important to him. Notify everyone to pack the camp immediately, we must move…”

“The army is not heading towards us,” the newcomer shook his head, “The intel specifically emphasizes that the Undead tide is moving south.”

“South?” Soveris frowned, “What’s south…”

He suddenly realized, as did the others. They collectively turned their gaze towards the masked figure.

Cranvo’s avatar’s temple was located in the southern Kachatuk Mountains.