Enemy’s Lure

At the same time, another group was traveling through the jungle. Unlike Lilith and her team, who were following the direction to find their way, Serea and her group cut straight through the jungle along the main road.

As Aruka stayed behind to care for the pregnant Avril, only Serea, leklis, and ten blood slaves returned this time.

They rode Carrion Beasts, followed by a wagon loaded with over a dozen sacks of grain. Some of these were meant for Julie and the others, so they had to stop by the chapel first.

Along the way, leklis kept a stiff face. Normally talkative, he was now silent, as though burdened with concerns.

“Hm? I’ve never seen you this quiet. Did something happen?”

Serea asked.

“People from the Holy See have appeared around the jungle. I need to get Julie and the others relocated as soon as possible.”

“Why not move them to my camp? It’d be easier for you to take care of them,”

Serea suggested.

“That won’t do.”

“Why not?”

“This… it’s inconvenient for me to explain. Anyway, thank you for your kindness, my lady.”

With the mention of the name ‘Death’, leklis’s resolve only strengthened.

Maybe I should bid farewell to Lady Serea once I get back, otherwise I’ll end up implicating her one day. But before that, I have to bring Julie and the others deeper into the jungle. It’s troublesome, but it’s necessary to prevent the Holy See from launching a sudden investigation in the jungle.

“It’s all right. No need to worry, we’re almost there,”

Serea said, turning the party down the small path leading to the chapel. But as soon as they set out, everyone was stunned—horse hoofprints densely covered the snow on the small path.

“!!!”

Seeing the hoofprints, still uncovered by falling snow, leklis’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately drove his Carrion Beast forward at full speed.

“You lot escort the wagon. The rest, follow me!”

Serea ordered. Riding Chips with her followers, she took off immediately, while Little Boo and the other Ravens went farther ahead to scout.

They tracked the hoofprints for about ten minutes, which led into the jungle—right toward the chapel.

“Charge!”

Leklis rushed at the front, everyone charging into the woods. The rugged terrain didn’t slow them down. Within minutes, the chapel came into view, but—

“Julie! Julie!”

Leklis yelled. The chapel was now a ruin. Shaking, he rushed onto the rubble.

“Julie!!!”

No one responded. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Ignoring the pain, he grasped the still scorching planks, moving them one by one.

“Help him!”

Serea commanded, sending the blood slaves rushing forward as well.

Serea now noticed piles of skeletons on the ground—someone had attacked this place, and the attackers were so powerful that they could kill hundreds of skeletons without leaving behind a single drop of their own blood.

Looking at the charred skeletons, distant from the chapel, Serea deduced they weren’t burned by ordinary flames, but more likely by—

Holy Light!

Celia had used Holy Light against Skeleton Warriors before, so Serea recognized these wounds.

Dance of the Dead!

Serea targeted a patch of corpses, conjuring new skeletons, who joined the efforts to clear away the debris.

“Julie, lolo, doom, sahi…”

Leklis cried out name after name—the names of his future wife and their children. Serea didn’t know what to say. Her gaze drifted to parcels scattered on the ground—goods Leklis had bought at the trade outpost.

Among the items were plush toys, new coats, and a red jewelry box.

Serea picked up the jewelry box and opened it, revealing a pair of rings. Leklis hadn’t had the money for fancy jewelry, so the rings were plain silver, but Serea well knew that these rings’ worth wasn’t material.

Thud!

A sound echoed in everyone’s ears and, understanding each other, they all paused and looked toward the source.

Thud!

There it was again, this time clearly coming from within the ruins!

In a flash, leklis remembered that the chapel had a basement. Which meant…

Grasping what might be his last hope, leklis flung himself toward that section of the ruins. Though his hands were raw and burnt, he didn’t stop.

“Dig there!”

Serea commanded. The others hurried over, but it was too slow for Serea’s liking—she pulled out a blood-red crystal.

Blood Frenzy!

Black markings crawled over her skin as she stretched out her hands toward the debris.

Blood Spring!

Tentacles of blood surged forth, sweeping away the rubble and quickly uncovering a shattered water tank.

They moved the tank aside, revealing the sealed basement entrance. Leklis yanked open the wooden door. By the dim light, he spotted the children huddled inside.

Tears stained their faces; in terror and darkness, no one knew how long they’d been hiding.

“Papa!”

“Papa’s back!”

The children scrambled out to embrace Leklis.

“My children,” he sobbed with joy. Their pent-up fear erupted, and they clung to him, wailing loudly.

While comforting them, leklis noticed something amiss.

“Where’s your mother? Where’s Mama Julie?”

Leklis grabbed the eldest child.

“Waaah… Mama said we were playing hide-and-seek but never came back…”

“!!!”

Leklis’s mind went blank, when suddenly a blood slave called out.

“Queen Serea, I found this on the ground.”

The slave handed over a pocket watch, glowing with Holy Light—clearly left to attract attention.

“Hm?”

Serea accepted the pocket watch. Its needle pointed in a set direction, and the back was engraved with the Holy See’s “Holy Shield Cross” emblem.

It was a beacon tracker—and the pointer indicated…

Realizing this, leklis snatched the watch and mounted a Carrion Beast.

“Leklis!”

Serea called after him.

Leklis answered, “Please take care of the children for me. If I return, I’ll continue to serve you. If not, there’s a box buried five hundred meters east—it holds my life’s savings and research. Those things will help you, queen Serea.”

Without further hesitation, leklis sped into the woods, racing in the direction indicated by the pocket watch.

“Papa!”

“I want Papa!”

The children tried to chase after him, but the blood slaves quickly restrained them.

Clutching the silver rings in her hand, Serea understood Leklis’s intentions—and also that this was clearly a trap set by the enemy.

Meanwhile, Serea’s Ravens discovered something as well. Hidden in the woods, disguised as ravens, one of the Ravens spotted someone—

Lilith!

And behind her, astride a horse—

Julie!

Julie had met her before. If she—unaware of the truth—ran into Lilith…

Realizing this, Serea tightened her grip on the rings in her hand.

(To be continued…)

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep