Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 237

[Vol. 5] Chapter 237: Dispersed in the Flames

If he didn’t understand by now, then this old thief named Gerald would be incredibly dense.

There was only one answer.

It was the ?Thieves’ Alliance? itself that planted the fake ?Judgment Holy Sword? in the ruins near the temple.

Or rather, someone behind the scenes had directed the ?Thieves’ Alliance? to do so.

The purpose, of course, wasn’t to frame Gerald and his companions or cause them harm. Rather, it’s likely that the instigator didn’t care who would ultimately uncover the sword.

Whether it was Gerald or Geraldine, all the other party wanted was for the ?Judgment Holy Sword? to reappear in Saint Sarnos City, causing demons to launch a massive hunt.

That’s why Gerald received a “guide compass” that clearly shouldn’t have ended up in his possession, and why the intelligence he got didn’t mention that the ?Judgment Holy Sword? would release such a brilliant light upon being unearthed, like a signal flare lighting up the sky.

As for why it was buried near the temple and why Gerald’s group was chosen, it was naturally because the temple was closest to the demons’ central hub, making it the easiest place for them to notice.

Moreover, Gerald and his group held a deep hatred for demons and were willing to take risks to engage in such dangerous tasks.

The moment Gerald dug up the specially crafted fake sword and the brilliant light shot up into the sky, the one orchestrating the entire scene had achieved their goal.

Initially, Violet only suspected this possibility, unable to fully confirm it. But upon reaching this place, the former stronghold of the ?Thieves’ Alliance?, she was finally able to confirm that this was indeed the truth.

There was no particularly profound reason… it was simply too clean here.

In both the literal and deeper sense of the word.

There were no items or information related to the ?Thieves’ Alliance? left behind, and the tables and chairs were arranged very neatly. Although the layout appeared reasonable and flawless, that in itself was precisely the strangest aspect.

If the ?Thieves’ Alliance? had hastily evacuated shortly after that beam of light shot into the sky, alerting the demons within the city, it would have been impossible for them to leave the place in such meticulous order.

In other words, the ?Thieves’ Alliance? here had known in advance what would happen tonight and had made arrangements beforehand.

And if Violet remembered correctly, Gerald had explicitly mentioned that he hadn’t informed anyone of his decision to take action, not even his companions, who only learned of it at the last minute.

Earlier, Violet had even discovered a hidden magic array with tracking capabilities embedded within the fake ?Judgment Holy Sword?, suggesting there might have been an even further-reaching plan.

Oh, of course, that plan likely won’t be executed now.

“You’re saying… the ?Thieves’ Alliance? betrayed us?”

Seeing the thief’s face filled with shock and disbelief, Violet felt a slight tinge of pity but offered no comfort. She simply stood up, placing her hand on Eudora’s shoulder, who seemed bewildered yet didn’t resist.

“If you want to blame someone, blame yourselves for being too conspicuous. No one was specifically targeting you. It’s just that someone had to take on this task, and it so happened you were chosen as the unlucky sacrifices.”

“Oh, and I’d advise you to come closer to me right now. Otherwise…”

A crimson light and a surge of heat interrupted Miss White Fox’s words.

“Boom boom boom boom boom boom!”

In the next instant, flames rose high into the sky, consuming everything in sight.

The intense chain of explosions lifted a dozen or so abandoned wooden houses surrounding a certain cabin into the air, reducing everything to scorched earth.

By the time a large group of demons, alerted by the blasts, arrived, there were no signs of life or any trace of what had happened.

……………………

As Violet descended from the sky, cradling Eudora, she saw six figures, including Theresa and the ?Reaper’s Scythe?, led by a certain dragon girl, all gazing at the distant flames still raging in the city. Seeing Miss White Fox land with Eudora in her arms, they quickly came forward.

“Miss Dawn, what happened?”

Setting down the little girl, who had reverted to her human form, and letting her stand on her own, Violet brushed off her sleeves and shook her head.

“It’s nothing. I just went to confirm some theories and received quite a warm welcome. Don’t worry, it was merely child’s play, not even worthy of a firecracker.”

That Gerald guy, though he looked foolish, had a surprisingly strong survival instinct. He managed to react just in time. Guess he’s lucky to be alive.

Looking at the four members of the Reaper’s Scythe, who appeared somewhat disheveled, clearly having been through a fight, Miss White Fox raised an eyebrow beneath her mask.

“And what about you? Where did you go? Why didn’t you follow the plan to regroup near the temple?”

“Uh…”

Mr. Dead Soul, whose gray robe was stained with dust and blood, was momentarily stunned before scratching his head with an embarrassed smile.

“My apologies. On our way here, we had a bit of a run-in with some demons and got entangled with them. It took us quite a while to shake them off, and only then did we see what was happening in the city.”

“Fortunately, Miss Xiao Guang and Miss Theresa came looking for us. Otherwise, I’m not sure how we would have regrouped with everyone.”

“…Is that so.”

This was a lie.

Well, maybe “lie” is too harsh, from what Violet knew of Mr. Dead Soul, he wasn’t the type to scheme behind allies’ backs, but he hadn’t told the whole truth.

He had said they encountered demons first, and only then noticed the disturbance in the city. That would indeed explain why they didn’t arrive sooner to regroup, but it didn’t quite add up.

Since they had access to enter the city, there was no reason for the demons to actively show hostility toward them. So, the Reaper’s Scythe group must have done something that provoked the demons, leading to a violent clash.

But it seemed he wasn’t willing to clarify the matter openly.

Could this have to do with the secret missions mentioned earlier… those related to the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild’s covert operations against demons?

For some reason, the priestess suddenly thought of the setup within the city by the ?Thieves’ Alliance?, which she had just discovered.

Undoubtedly, it was a highly confidential task. Otherwise, the ?Thieves’ Alliance? wouldn’t have needed to use such drastic measures to erase all traces of it.

But though it seemed they aimed to kill Gerald, Violet felt the real purpose was more likely to destroy that fake ?Judgment Holy Sword?. At the very least, to prevent it from truly circulating in the outside world.

If that were the case… then why guide the demons to it intentionally?

Could it be that the mastermind’s plan wouldn’t be affected even if the demons discovered the sword was a fake?

Strange… strange… there was definitely something hidden here.

Violet and her group had come to Saint Sarnos City at the suggestion of Mr. Dead Soul. His reasoning was that this was the location of the Judgment Saintess’s last battle and disappearance, where they might uncover some information about her.

Additionally, the ?Reaper’s Scythe? had secret tasks to complete here.

Mr. Dead Soul had originally explained that these were internal assignments from the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild, and they were only carrying them out without knowing the full purpose. So, Violet hadn’t thought much of it initially.

But after the strange incident of the fake ?Judgment Holy Sword? suddenly surfacing, she started to wonder whether the missions of the Reaper’s Scythe and the ?Thieves’ Alliance? in Saint Sarnos City were actually… serving the same purpose.

The forces capable of influencing both sides, even indirectly, would indeed be rare within the Holy Empire.

Suddenly, a familiar figure came to Violet’s mind, and she couldn’t help but mutter in slight astonishment.

“Could it be… her?”

Now it all makes sense. It’s quite obvious that she intends to sow discord among the three allied demon lords.