Chapter 529

Chapter 529: Night Stay

The holy land kingdom was divided into seven major dioceses. Apart from the central diocese being special, the other six dioceses were scattered around the Kallumriel Sacred Mountain.

The carriage galloped on the road between the hills, moving swiftly with the wheels jolting over the stones. Luckily, the structure was sturdy enough to prevent it from falling apart.

After arriving in this world, Lolan Hill often rode carriages, but driving one herself was a first.

She hugged the doll in front of her, sitting up straighter and leaning away from the constantly shaking backrest.

There were only three people in the carriage: ‘Black Bull’ drove at the front, ‘Make-up Artist’ was checking their reflection in a mirror, and ‘Red Hat’ was pulling out a sword hidden in their cane, wiping it carefully with a white cloth.

Although faint, Lolan Hill could still smell a hint of blood.

Seeing that Lolan Hill was staring at the sword in her hand, the captain, dressed in black, gave a standard smile.

“Does ‘Doll Master’ have any self-defense methods? Although you won’t be on the front lines, I’d like to understand your team’s combat capabilities in advance to avoid any oversights.”

“Ice will protect me,” the young lady replied, showing the doll in her arms. The doll’s eyes flickered with a light, as if it were alive.

‘Rank 5 Necromancer’? He estimated her strength based on her magical fluctuations; she seemed to be practicing necromancy. This was good news; if they encountered newly deceased targets in the future, they could try to summon spirits for information.

The doll in her hands should be her own necromantic creation, perhaps a special kind of ghost. This made things easier.

“Is this your first mission, Doll Master?” the Make-up Artist put down the mirror and asked the girl beside them.

“Yes,” the young lady buried her face in the doll in her arms.

“In that case, I’ll have to take good care of you, hehe.” The member who looked like a noble lady laughed exaggeratedly.

Seeing the silent blue-haired girl, Red Hat spoke up.

“Don’t be afraid. Though Make-up Artist might seem scary when laughing, they’re actually soft-hearted and gentle.”

The young lady blinked, somewhat incredulously. People who laugh like that are usually villains in stories.

It was easier dealing with familiar people, but traveling and completing missions with complete strangers made Lolan Hill feel restrained. She wasn’t the type to easily make friends. Even though she was called a sage, she didn’t feel much of it.

Though she had said a lot, she was still not very good at socializing. It wasn’t because she feared being bullied, but rather because she didn’t know what to say. If it was about serious matters, she could talk about them, but initiating conversations was difficult.

Looking at the large hamster-like girl sitting in the carriage, Red Hat shook his head slightly. This new member seemed shy. However, this wasn’t necessarily bad. Such a personality would likely make her more disciplined and less likely to cause trouble.

Recalling past missions with various teammates, some of whom were quite troublesome, he felt relieved that this team was more reliable.

They had worked with Make-up Artist a few times and found them reassuring. Black Bull was a rare combination of muscle and brains, with a meticulous mind that belied his appearance.

As for himself, Red Hat suspected this mission was important, otherwise, they wouldn’t have gathered several excellent members together.

Everyone has their specialties. Within the church, many surpass the Judgment Department in combat strength, but in special missions, they were the best.

The carriage remained silent, only the sound of the horse-drawn carriage could be heard. The scenery outside gradually changed from dense green forests to flat plains. Along the road, patches of rye appeared, a characteristic crop of the Dominica Diocese.

Although the yield was lower than wheat, rye was cold-resistant and required less fertile soil. The southern dioceses of the holy land planted vast fields of such crops.

“We’re almost there, Eserut City,” Make-up Artist said through the window, looking at the city walls on the plain.

As a major city in the Dominica Diocese, it was bustling with activity. Approximately 100,000 people lived in the city, surrounded by numerous villages that supplied food to the city.

A small river flowed down from the White Cliff Plateau in the north, passing through the city and winding westward towards the Sunset Sea on the western continent.

An hour later, the four of them entered the city in the carriage and found a quiet inn.

After a simple dinner, Red Hat called the others to his room.

He spread a map on the table and began explaining their mission objectives.

“This is Merlin Town, located northwest of Eserut City. We’ll follow the road further west, reach the capital of Dominica, then turn back to create the impression of coming from the west toward the sacred mountain.”

“The beer in Merlin Town is famous in this diocese. They hold a beer festival every late May. We can enter the town during the festival with other tourists, which won’t raise suspicion.”

“After arriving, spend the first two days exploring normally, getting familiar with the environment, and then gather information, investigating any abnormalities.”

“Try to move in pairs, no one should act alone.”

“Although our target is a mindless chaotic phantom, this incident might not be a natural disaster but rather human-caused. Daring to act so brazenly within the holy land suggests a deeper organization behind it.”

“That’s why we haven’t sent the knight order directly to eliminate them; the higher-ups want to trace the source of this organization.”

“If we encounter opponents too strong for our squad, we can seek help from the Dominica Diocese’s knight order. About three thousand holy lance knights are stationed there, capable of eradicating any underground organizations within the territory.”

“Try to stay indoors these days, dress simply. Once we reach the western capital of Dominica, change into the designated attire.”

Seeing nods of understanding, he put away the map.

“Now, let’s get some rest. Tomorrow we’ll continue our journey.”

After saying this, he removed the soundproof barrier he had set up earlier, and everyone left the room.

At night, Lolan Hill and Make-up Artist shared a room.

After bathing, Lolan Hill wore a light blue nightgown and walked into the room, water droplets still clinging to her hair and dripping onto her collarbone.

Entering the room, she saw Make-up Artist combing their hair. After removing makeup, the woman in her twenties looked different from how she did during the day.

Compared to her daytime flamboyance, she seemed quieter now, with softer eyebrows and features.

“Good evening, Alice,” she said without turning around, still combing her hair.

“Good evening, Make-up… Margaret,” Lolan Hill remembered the alias and addressed her accordingly.

“Haha, still not used to it? That’s understandable, after all, it’s your first time,” she turned around.

“Come sit here for a while. It’s still early, sleeping too soon will ruin your hairstyle.”

Orange-yellow candlelight illuminated the room. Lolan Hill walked to the bed in slippers and sat down, watching the woman who was grooming herself in the mirror.

Her fair profile was split by shadows under the candlelight. Though she lacked stunning beauty, there was a melancholic loneliness in her expression.

(End of Chapter)