Chapter 231: Despair at the End of the Escape

That location was—once the main battlefield where Judging Saintess Fleidetrika Cecelia battled high-ranked demons, now the ruins surrounding the temple lay in desolation after that great conflict.

To be honest, Gerald really didn’t want to come here.

After occupying the City of Saint Sanos, the demons established their new dominion centered around the site of the former Church of the Goddess temple.

Perhaps it was because the temple was a place where faith gathered, making it easier to harvest the power of emotions, or perhaps they simply coveted its central position in the city. The area near the temple became an especially dangerous zone, heavily guarded and densely populated by high-ranked demons.

As invaders, the demons had not fully solidified their control, so they naturally wouldn’t spend their energy repairing the post-war ruins; the environment and situation there were quite complex.

Additionally, unlike the church, demons forbade residents of the City of Saint Sanos from approaching the temple, and anyone caught doing so would be captured or killed without reason.

For Gerald and his companions, who always caused trouble for the demons, this was basically throwing themselves into a trap.

However, the matter of the [Arbitration Holy Sword] was critical. To put it more dramatically, it might determine the outcome of this holy war. Even though Gerald was not one to be overly compassionate, he understood the terrifying consequences that would follow if the demons ultimately triumphed.

So they moved under the cover of night.

Honestly, although their goal was to find the [Arbitration Holy Sword], Gerald never expected they would actually dig up a treasure that had been passed down for a thousand years beneath those dilapidated ruins.

He underestimated the overwhelming brightness when the holy sword was unearthed, resulting in the current situation.

“Boss, boss…”

“Shh, be quiet; everyone stay still.”

In the tense silence, only a few meters away on the nearby street, a patrol of at least ten demon guards marched by, their iron boots pounding on the hard ground. Each step resonated like a drumbeat, striking at the anxious hearts of the thieves.

Fortunately, they eventually moved on.

“Phew… that was close.”

Gerald and his subordinates peeked out from the shadows, wiping sweat from their foreheads in relief, then he checked the scent pouch hanging from his waist to confirm it was still there.

Many demons possessed highly acute senses, especially when creatures of this world emitted various strong emotions. For demon guards skilled in patrolling, such beings had nowhere to hide.

Luckily, as a seasoned thief, Gerald had made plenty of targeted preparations for this operation, using special methods to mask the similar scents on himself and his companions, allowing them to sneak here.

They didn’t possess any remarkable strength; if discovered, even a single demon guard would be a terrifying opponent for mere thieves.

Here, they were three kilometers away in a suburban area from the ruins where the [Arbitration Holy Sword] was dug up. After much hardship, they managed to escape to this place.

The intense burst of light that had shot up into the sky before was like a beacon that triggered a response in these sensitive creatures. The demons throughout the City of Saint Sanos moved into action, searching for the source of the earlier disturbance, making it feel like Gerald and his group were trudging through quicksand.

It was no wonder, just like how the Church of the Goddess was extremely sensitive to the existence of demons, the latter held a nearly instinctive animosity towards the opposite holy light energy. The power that had leaked from the [Arbitration Holy Sword] was almost akin to a cultist attempting to sacrifice a demon in the holy city.

“Boss, what do we do now? With things like this, the whole city is probably under martial law. The headquarters…,”

Gerald’s original plan was that if they could find the [Arbitration Holy Sword], they would follow the task’s instructions, hand it over to the leader of the thieves’ guild in this city, and earn their reward. That leader would then try to return it to that Saintess or other high-ranking temple powers.

But now, with the demons hunting them down, the hidden entrance to the thieves’ guild must have been closed in a hurry. Although they were all thieves, even in this situation, they wouldn’t find a way in.

After all, demons were skilled at beguiling hearts, and no one could guarantee they could keep secrets after being caught.

As for escaping outside, there was no point even considering it now. The four gates of the City of Saint Sanos were certainly sealed, and lowly local beings like them were forbidden to enter or exit. With just over ten thieves, they had no means to break through the demons’ lockdown.

“… There’s no choice. For now, we can only find a place to hide and wait for the situation to settle.”

Gerald touched the somewhat old bracelet on his wrist.

“Fortunately, with this magical equipment that can store items, it can mask the sword’s aura. As long as we’re careful, it should be manageable.”

The experienced thief surveyed his surroundings, and under the guidance of the moonlight, his gaze finally landed on the unremarkable door of a nearby house.

“That one! Follow me!”

Taking advantage of the patroling demon guards’ temporary departure, the group of over ten thieves moved to the side of the courtyard, using hooks and other tools to climb over the wall that was only a few meters high and entered the premises.

While thieves aren’t literally small-time pickpockets, as part of their profession, climbing walls and sneaking into yards was quite common. Even an ordinary person without great strength could do it with sufficient skill and the right tools.

In less than half a minute, all members had jumped down the courtyard wall just in time before the next wave of demon guards passed, and after assessing the latch on the courtyard door and confirming it was still usable, Gerald set it down and finally let out a slight sigh of relief.

Being a native of the City of Saint Sanos, Gerald knew a lot about the place.

This courtyard was once the residence of a small religious family.

After the demon invasion, as loyal followers of the Goddess, the entire family had essentially perished in the earlier conflict over the city. Even if there were survivors, they probably retreated westward with the army, leaving this place temporarily uninhabited.

The City of Saint Sanos contained many similar residences, some occupied by demons, while others, like this one, had become temporary homes for various bandits and refugees like them.

Leading his subordinates, Gerald entered the inner hall.

Perhaps due to the long absence of inhabitants, a layer of dust had settled on the floor and tables. The valuable items in the room had been looted during the chaotic period after the city fell, taken by even more vile and unscrupulous individuals, leaving only basic furniture of comparatively little value.

Demons wouldn’t care about this.

While they had become the new rulers of the city, they regarded local life as nothing more than livestock or food; at most, they treated them like pets. While they maintained basic city operations, they probably never thought about improving things.

Looking at the desolate and dilapidated decor of the inner hall, Gerald brushed off the dust from the table in front of him, feeling his hatred for the demons growing even stronger.

“Let’s take a break for now. Once dawn breaks, we’ll think of a way to contact headquarters and see if we can…”

As he was about to take a seat to catch his breath, a sensitivity characteristic of seasoned thieves suddenly kicked in, causing him to feel an unease.

Something was off!

Why had that group of guys suddenly gone quiet since a while ago!?

The old thief spun around like lightning, reflexively looking towards the strange source that made everyone hush abruptly.

Then, his pupils constricted sharply.

In the dim shadows of the inner hall, a small figure with flowing gorgeous pink hair, wearing a blue-black lolita dress, delicate wings behind her back, and a black tail representative of her identity was swaying gracefully in the air, gradually revealed by the light of a candle just lit by one of the thieves…

   

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