"Ilaris?" Daniel smiled when he saw her, though the sight of her bound in chains made a flicker of darkness glimmer in his eyes.
To his surprise, on the other side, Tormyn was completely free—without chains, as if he had never even been kidnapped.
"What’s going on here?" Frederick was the first to react, immediately drawing his sword.
But before he could do anything, the other commander who had come with them unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Frederick.
"You bastard!" Frederick gritted his teeth.
"Calm down," Daniel said quietly.
"But it’s obvious this is a trap!"
"And? What are you going to do about it? You’d better stay calm."
Frederick let out a sigh and shook his head, though he didn’t sheathe his sword, staying ready at any moment.
"So what I thought was true. You really are working for the Corruption Worshipers." Daniel’s gaze landed on Tormyn, showing no hint of surprise.
"Oh? You guessed? Looks like you’re not that stupid after all." Tormyn laughed, then turned to his commander.
"Didn’t I tell you to bring Andreas too? So where is he?"
"My apologies, young lord. The other Elders and I tried, but it was impossible. The White Whale didn’t allow it. If we had pushed further, it would’ve raised suspicion."
"Damn that bitch! I wanted to use this chance to kill him," he growled, but then calmed down.
"No matter. Either way, this bastard, that elf whore, and Frederick are all here. Killing them will deal Andreas a heavy blow."
"So you’re planning to kill us? Can you?" Daniel asked playfully.
"Ha! Maybe I can’t, but he definitely can! He’s a Bishop among the Corruption Worshipers!" Tormyn said, bowing respectfully toward the middle-aged man standing beside him.
This middle-aged man hadn’t spoken a single word since arriving, instead watching everything unfold with amusement.
"So you’re a Bishop of the Corruption Worshipers? Actually, you’re the second Bishop I’ve met," Daniel said with a smile.
"Oh? So you’ve met one of my friends before? The fact that you survived is impressive," the Bishop finally spoke, his voice calm, without even a trace of killing intent.
"Calling it survival is a bit of a stretch. I nearly died. If it wasn’t for a Grand Mage interfering, I certainly would’ve. But I doubt the same thing will happen this time."
"You’ve got an interesting confidence, boy. I’ve heard about you from Tormyn. It’s a shame to kill someone so talented. What do you say? As long as you agree to become one of us, I’ll spare your life. Better yet, I’ll even give you this woman," the Bishop said with a smile.
"But, Bishop, that wasn’t our agreement!" Tormyn suddenly shouted in panic.
The Bishop simply gave him a brief glance, and Tormyn’s whole body trembled in fear. He lowered his head immediately, not daring to speak another word. Find the newest release on NoveIꜰire.net
Daniel, watching the scene, didn’t answer right away. Instead, his eyes shifted toward Ilaris. Her mouth was gagged, so she couldn’t speak.
But tears had gathered in her eyes, and it was clear she was terrified. Using his spiritual sense, he scanned her body to make sure she wasn’t harmed.
Thankfully, it seemed they hadn’t injured her—only frightened her.
"Before I decide, can I ask a few questions? After all, joining something blindly would be pretty stupid."
"Of course." The Bishop’s smile widened. Though he was a Bishop, not the absolute peak among the Corruption Worshipers, if he could recruit such a talented youth and report it to the central headquarters, he would surely be rewarded. He might even get the chance to reach Rank S.
"What’s your relationship with Tormyn? Is he your dog, or your ally?"
"My relationship with Tormyn? Personally, I don’t have one. It’s the higher-ups who want to gain control of the Lionheart family. I was given the responsibility. For that, I chose the simplest path—support one of the heirs." The Bishop answered without hesitation.
"I see. So he is your dog. My next question: are Bishops the strongest, or is there a higher rank?" Daniel asked with curiosity.
"Above Bishops are Corruption Cardinals, and above them is the Corruption Pope."
"I see. Then how much have you infiltrated the Lionheart family?"
"How much? Ha! Those fools can’t even imagine it. Four of their Elders are already our dogs. And we have plenty of spies among the lower-ranked and ordinary members," the Bishop answered proudly.
All of this infiltration was the result of his relentless efforts.
"Thanks for answering my questions. Just one more: how did you manage to kidnap that girl?"
"Simple. I ordered those fools working for me to create a small disruption in the arrays for a few seconds. We acted during that window. Of course, we also used certain items to hide our presence so neither spiritual nor divine senses could detect us."
The Bishop answered easily, having no issue sharing the details. If this boy accepted his offer, he would join them. If not, he would die.
Daniel let out a sigh. The infiltration of these Corruption Worshippers within the Lionheart family had gone far too deep.
All this time, what exactly had the Lionhearts been doing? How had they made no effort to prevent such infiltration?
Neither the White Wall, nor the patriarch, nor even their ancestors had done anything. Did they even know about it? Or did they have some kind of plan?
He didn’t know, but he hoped it was the latter.
"Thank you for your answers. I’ve made my decision, and about that..." he paused for a moment and then And looked around.
Frederick and Tormyn both looked horrified at what he might say. If he accepted, both of them would be doomed. For once, they seemed to share the same worry.
But luckily for them, Daniel’s next words brought them relief.
"I’ll have to decline. I have no interest in serving a bunch of corpses." He extended his hand, and his sword, The Heavens Honor, appeared within his grasp.