The old woman retrieved her dagger, dropped the needle into the ground, wiped the medicine bottle on her body, and handed it back to the priest.
"Good job," Fili nodded. "Drag him out and dispose of him." "Yes," she replied hoarsely, dragging the corpse with no apparent effort, not at all like a dying old man.
"Sir, do you believe what he said?" God Lord Shatas asked after the administrators had left. "The caravan and the Witch were mixed together, or was it the Lord of Border Town's order—if I recall correctly, that Lord was none other than the Fourth Prince, Roland Wimbledon?" "We really need to send someone to verify it," Lord Faire said solemnly. "But I doubt he'd lie. Just a quick glance from the city walls would show the fugitives 'movements. If he's going to fabricate a lie for the Holy Elixir, he'd better make it hard to prove." "I'll have someone check it right away," God Lord Shatas bowed.
"Go ahead, report any news you find to me immediately." Fei Li walked slowly to the table and sat down, fiddling with the holy potion in his hand. These refugees were now his possession. To control their movements and prevent them from fleeing on their own, after the plague spread, he had the Dream Water send rats to infiltrate the refugees, spreading the news that the Church was about to come to their rescue. If they could endure a few more days, they would not only receive God's salvation but also have the chance to be accepted by the Church and become part of the Graycastle capital. As for the rats, most of them were plague-infected patients who, in exchange for the Holy Spirit potion, would undoubtedly go to great lengths to serve their own interests.
If the rat's intelligence is accurate, this group has been transporting refugees since at least yesterday, and given their momentum, they appear determined to complete the operation. This severely undermines their own plan. More critically, they are colluding with the Witch—Ferry believes that only the Witch can cure the evil plague.
"Your Majesty, the body has been disposed of," the elderly woman whispered as she entered the private chamber. "Another fallen one?" "Nine times out of ten," replied Fili in a grave tone, "and likely more than one." He paused. "No outsiders here. No need to maintain this grotesque appearance—it's utterly repulsive." "True." She bent forward, and her entire body erupted in a crackling sound, as if her bones were grinding against each other. Her figure expanded rapidly, her silver hair darkened in the blink of an eye, and the wrinkles and sagging skin tightened, regaining its elasticity. Time seemed to flow backward in her. When she straightened up, she had transformed into a stunningly beautiful woman.
"It looks much better now," Fili smiled approvingly. "I remember this person... the one hanged at the city gate?" "Yes, sir," she nodded. "Of the four, you spent the most time with her." "You really know how to please me," the priest mumbled. "But Shathas will return soon, and time is short." He suppressed his desire. "And those fallen ones still need you to deal with them—as usual." "Leave it to me, sir," the other bowed. "I won't let any fallen Witch escape." About fifteen minutes later, Shathas returned to the chamber. He glanced at the Witch before reporting to Fili: "Sir, there are indeed fewer figures in the refugee camp outside West Gate. I had my men scout with torches—though it's dark and hard to see clearly. Many tents are empty. But there's no sign of fire in the dock area. I'm not sure if the caravan is still there. As for the Witch..." "No need to check," Fili interrupted. "If they dared transport the sick refugees, their intelligence must be reliable. This group must have at least two Witches—one monitoring the situation from the air and another capable of eradicating the plague. The latter poses a serious threat to my plan and must be stopped." They were still recruiting outside the city. If they brought the Witch inside and openly treated infected citizens, his so-called 'Holy Spirit Potion' would be a complete joke!
"What should we do?" God the official asked. "Send the Inquisition Army to arrest the Witch?" He shook his head. "This is the capital, not the holy city of Hermes. The church has only about twenty Inquisition soldiers. If we dispatch them, who will maintain order when the medicine is distributed tomorrow? Moreover, with such a small number, it would only alarm the enemy. Even if we could defeat those mercenaries, the Witch would likely escape." Precisely because it was the capital, the Inquisition Army guarding the church was kept to just a few dozen men. Otherwise, with a permanent force of several hundred, the King might not even be able to sleep.
"Then... write to the Holy City and ask Bishop to dispatch reinforcements?" "By the time the Inquisition Army arrives, all the refugees will have fled," the Priest of Fei Li sneered. "Besides, dealing with mercenaries doesn't require the Church's elite. Let Dream Water handle this." "Dream Water?" Shatas froze in shock.
"At least they are numerous enough to surround the dock in advance and then charge in. Do you think a few mercenaries armed with wooden clubs and spears can handle a handful of rats without armor?" he countered.
"About two or three." "That means they can handle at most two hundred men, while the Dreamwatermen can rally over a thousand thugs. These brawny rascals might not even match a formation of the Inquisition Army squad, but they'll easily crush those unarmored mercenaries." Feli stood up. "Pass my message to' Fierce Fang 'Tanis. Give him a day to gather as many men as possible, and strike at nightfall tomorrow. Don't mention any other cure for the Plague, nor say it's for witches—just tell him not to let anyone escape. The reward is a full box of Holy Spirit Potion. If he tries to dodge, tell him he'll never get poppies or Sleeping Ferns from me again." "But what about the witches... especially the one who can fly?" "She won't keep flying, and the rats won't finish the fight in a short time. Or rather... their role is more about drawing attention," Feli said, reaching for the witch's face. "Just let the Faceless Man exploit any opening to sneak into the camp, and the outcome is sealed." Through touch, one can completely disguise themselves or others—more than just appearance, even body shape and voice can be perfectly replaced. Once activated, even God's Stone of Punishment can't undo it. This ability is perfect for assassins. This is precisely why she became one of the few witches preserved and specifically trained by the Church.
When the enemy realizes they can't win, chaos will inevitably break out in the camp. At that point, the Faceless One can guarantee no Witch will survive," the Priest said with a laugh.