As Clope watched Cale depart, his knights emerged from hiding and approached him.
“Should we look into him, Captain?”
Clope didn’t answer his trusted subordinate’s question. Instead, he continued to observe the priest, who was moving toward an area with few people.
“Captain?”
This time, Clope nodded in the affirmative. “Just a basic investigation for now.”
This response shocked the two knights flanking Clope’s trusted subordinate. Basic?! Normally, Clope would have ordered them to thoroughly investigate such a suspicious and inscrutable individual; his instructions for a cursory check were highly unusual.
Only his most trusted subordinate bowed without hesitation. “As you command.”
He understood Clope’s meaning: By ordering a “basic” investigation, Clope was quite literally asking them to find out who the man was. A “thorough” investigation would have involved digging up everything there was to know about the target, including their weaknesses, traumas, and anything else that might be useful. Knowing this, the trusted subordinate made up his mind to determine the priest’s identity and nothing more.
Clope, however, felt uneasy about the command he’d given. I hope I’m not committing heresy… He feared that looking into this mysterious person might be a mistake. Then again, without knowing anything about the man at all, Clope couldn’t be sure one way or the other.
Addressing the other two knights, Clope ordered, “Follow him.”
The knights sprang into action. They set off in swift pursuit of the white-haired priest, who had disappeared into the eastern forest.
A few minutes later, they returned to deliver him a strange report.
“He’s not there, Captain.”
“What?”
“His footprints turned lighter and lighter starting from the forest entrance, until they disappeared without a trace.”
Clope made a face at that.
“Might he be a mage?” one of the knights suggested in earnest.
“Perhaps he was a mage disguised as a priest, and he used flight magic?”
Clope shook his head vigorously. “No, I didn’t sense any mana. Regardless, he was weak—nowhere near adept enough to use flight magic.”
Though the knights had no reason to doubt an aura-wielding swordmaster like Clope, they were still grappling with the oddity. Clope shared their uncertainty; the priest had an air about him unbefitting of his apparent weakness.
I didn’t see anyone powerful around either.
At Clope’s level, he could neither recognize the depths of Choi Han’s strength nor perceive Raon’s existence. Consequently, a different interpretation of the priest’s identity flashed through his mind. A divine emissary. What if the priest had come to impart a god’s message?
“What should we do, sir?”
Clope didn’t share his thoughts with his subordinate. He kept his sincere belief in the legends hidden from others. In fact, people considered him an atheist—a man without faith in anything.
In a firm voice, Clope said, “We’ll revisit this once we get the list of visitors to the lake.”
His cold countenance clashed with the wild beating of his heart as he marched toward the temple. It was closed to the public to allow for the festival preparations, but he stepped inside nonetheless. Clope’s eyes sought the stone monument at the temple’s center.
The god was always nearby. Appearing in a form that reflected this northern landscape, our deity gifted us with warmth.
The north was always draped in snow. A form reflecting this snow-white land… Clope read the text on the monument over and over with someone’s visage in mind.
His trusted subordinate approached. “Captain, a white-haired priest was seen visiting the lake today. There were some robed individuals with him. Apparently, they’ve all vanished from their quarters at the inn, leaving only a note behind!”
“What did it say?”
The man handed over the piece of paper, and Clope’s eyes widened as he read it.
To the one seeking to transform yesteryear’s legend into today’s reality:
The same story cannot be repeated.
Only the birth of a new legend will keep the glory alive.
Clope’s heart hammered in his chest. The first line had to be referring to the Guardian Knight himself, as he alone knew his true goal. While the others thought they were going to war over greener pastures untouched by frost and snow, Clope wanted more than that. He wanted to continue the legend.
“A new legend,” hm? The corners of his lips quirked upward.
Clope felt certain that the priest was special—the man wouldn’t have written such a message otherwise. The priest had put these words to paper knowing that they would reach the Guardian Knight.
The main character of a new legend… That doesn’t sound bad.
Deep down, Clope was thrilled. He had no doubt that he would be the one to play the leading role in this glorious tale.