Cale’s mindset carried into the final day of the auction. He sat on the couch on Terrace 4 with the curtains closed.
“Will the bishop really go to Terrace 1?” Bilose asked warily.
A priest of the God of Sun had been standing guard over Terrace 1 for the past two days, and Bilose had heard that he’d entered again today. That being the case, Cale was supposed to meet with the bishop—not the priest.
Not seeming the least bit worried, Cale took a sip of wine. “The Golden Tree is the biggest donor to Vegas’s Church of the God of Sun. Their ties are probably stronger than we expected.”
He didn’t think that it would be difficult for the bishop to stealthily enter Terrace 1. Although Bilose seemed to have some connections among the Golden Tree’s staff, a staff member had only so much access to information.
“Do you really have the Night’s Exultation?”
“Why? You can’t believe it?”
Bilose answered Cale’s mischievous look with an awkward nod. The jewel known as the Night’s Exultation had immense significance to both Karo and the Church of the God of Sun.
Their current location, the Land of Death—also known as Death Desert—was one of the Five Wonders. Its sands were red as blood during the day and as dark as a moonless sky during the night. It had also been the site of the ancient battle against the last necromancer and his army of corpses.
The last necromancer had a black gemstone embedded in his heart: the Night’s Exultation. That jewel represented the Kingdom of Karo’s honor and joy, as well as one of the Church of the God of Sun’s proudest moments.
As a matter of course, Cale had asked Mary to take a look at the jewel when he first arrived in the kingdom.
“Do you feel anything?”
“Am I supposed to feel something? I feel nothing.”
Nothing within the jewel was beneficial to a necromancer, so Cale had no reason not to sell it. What would he gain by keeping such a beautiful paperweight?
When Cale took the jewel out of his chest pocket, Bilose groaned. He had researched the Night’s Exultation ever since Cale first mentioned it. It was supposedly stored in Karo’s local church branch and put on display for one week each year. Does that mean the gem they always show off has been a fake this whole time?
“I’ll be heading out now.”
‹I’m going with you, human!›
Bilose bowed as Cale’s body faded away. “I’ll await your return.”
The curtains opened with a rustle, and Cale floated toward Terrace 1, its own curtains only partly drawn.
Right then, the auctioneer began his spiel about the day’s goods. “Today, we’ll close out our event with another fascinating piece! We took great pains to acquire this one. Why, it’s probably the most precious item in this beastfolk-themed auction!” The auctioneer’s confidence seemed to reach new heights. “I’ll give you a hint: the Wolf King.”
Hmm?
Cale’s magic-powered flight to Terrace 1 came to a sudden stop, his gaze darting toward the platform. The auctioneer in his fancy mask whispered to the crowd as if sharing a secret, but the amplification magic made it possible for everyone to hear.
“We have the remains of the last Wolf King.”
Cale let out an appreciative grunt. How interesting. He chuckled as he entered Terrace 1, spotting the priest inside. He yanked the curtains closed behind him, removed the invisibility spell, and strode up to the priest’s servant.
When the priest saw Cale appear out of nowhere, he gulped in distress and covered his shaking hands with his sleeves. Cale didn’t pay the priest any mind, however; he was busy recalling what Jack had told him. He’d asked the saint about the bishop before he left for Faern.
“The bishop is a coward, but he’s very greedy.”
Jack had also described the bishop’s appearance.
The elderly servant, dressed in shabby clothes, glared at Cale’s masked face. Cale held his gaze and offered a respectful greeting. “Nice to meet you, Bishop.”
He was genuinely happy to meet the clergyman. After all, he was about to get rich off the man and put him to work.