At this moment, Claudia’s ice cream and platter arrived. Leo handed the waiter fifty euros. “Put this lady’s bill on my tab, and keep the change.”
“Thank you, sir,” the waiter said with a smile so wide his eyes nearly disappeared.
“Hey, thanks for the treat! Are you leaving already?” Claudia, who had been trying to figure out Leo’s identity, quickly stood up.
“I have something urgent to attend to. Enjoy your meal,” Leo said gracefully, nodding before leaving.
“I don’t even know your last name or what you do!” Claudia called out in frustration.
“Why worry about knowing each other, Miss Gibson? Things might get a bit chaotic around Alpha Tower these days. You’d better leave soon,” Leo said, leaving a kind warning before disappearing down the stairs.
“Who is this guy? So mysterious,” Claudia muttered. “But he seems pretty rich. I should have ordered more, hehe.”
Leo left the cafe and strolled northeast through the city.
Soon, he left the narrow urban area and headed towards the lush green mountains.
After a few hundred meters, he arrived at a grand villa overlooking a beautiful lake and an elegant small town.
Leo quickly ascended the steps and arrived at the iron gate of the villa.
He knocked rhythmically on the door.
The door opened, and a servant greeted him respectfully, “Master.”
Leo nodded and stepped inside.
In the spacious living room, the leaders of the dark clan had already gathered.
“Master,” they all stood up and bowed respectfully as Leo entered.
“Take a seat,” Leo gestured for them to sit as he took his place at the head of the table. “Elder, you called me earlier. Has the Church arrived?”
Essex nodded. “Yes, led by Chief Cardinal Owen, accompanied by two Cardinals and twenty-four Archbishops. They have reached Alpha Tower.”
Leo sneered. “All bishops, huh? Not bad. At least our efforts weren’t in vain. Have you found a suitable location for action?”
“As per your instructions, away from the city for an ambush. We’ve chosen the Targon Mountains to the east,” Essex pointed on the map with a sinister smile.
Leo glanced at it briefly and nodded. “Prepare to close the net.”
Meanwhile, in a church somewhere in Alpha Tower.
“Dear brothers, welcome as you come bearing His Holiness’s holy decree,” an Archbishop announced loudly.
This man was Klaas, the local church leader.
Owen replied, “Dear Klaas, you’re too kind. By the way, three senior Cardinals from the previous Pope’s era will be arriving soon. They survived the last dark war.”
Owen’s news shocked and excited everyone in the hall.
“Lord Owen, will we really see those esteemed seniors? I thought they had passed away,” Klaas said excitedly.
“The three seniors are still healthy. His Holiness has summoned them, and they should arrive soon,” Owen said.
Not long after Owen finished speaking, light footsteps were heard outside.
Everyone turned to see three elderly monks in worn robes with faded backpacks at the door.
“It’s the seniors!” Owen exclaimed and quickly stood up to greet them.
Klaas also hurried forward. “Seniors, please come in. I’ll have the kitchen prepare some delicious dishes for you.”
Stanley glanced at the messy large dining table with some displeasure. “We only need three cups of water, three pieces of cheese, and three pieces of bread.”
“That’s too simple; it’s not respectful enough,” Klaas protested.
Terrace waved his hand. “Just that will do. Nothing else. Go prepare it.”
The three elderly monks sat at a small table, placed their bags down, and closed their eyes to wait.
Owen and Klaas exchanged glances, speechless for a while.
“Lord Owen, what should we do?” Klaas asked helplessly.
“Do as they ask. Quickly,” Owen instructed, feeling a bit ashamed of their frugality.
Klaas called over a servant monk to prepare in the kitchen.
In less than three minutes, the food was brought out and placed before the elderly monks.
The monks ate their bread and cheese and drank their water without any fuss, ignoring everyone else.
Sitting before their lavish feast, Owen, Klaas, and the other bishops felt like they were sitting on pins and needles, finding it hard to swallow their food.
Finally, after finishing their simple meal, Simon stood up and asked, “Klaas, has everyone finished eating?”
“Yes, yes,” everyone quickly responded.
It was clear even to fools now that these monks truly lived austerely and disliked luxury.
“Good. Now let’s discuss the whereabouts of the Holy Scarab. Do we have any concrete leads?” Simon asked.
“Reliable sources indicate that it should be in the eastern mountains,” Klaas answered promptly.
“Can we pinpoint its exact location?” Simon pressed further.
“Not yet,” Klaas admitted honestly.
The three elderly monks exchanged thoughtful looks.
After a moment of contemplation, Stanley said, “We’ll head to the eastern mountains tomorrow morning. Once we’re near the Holy Scarab, our holy power should sense it.”
“But what if the dark clan finds it first?” Owen asked worriedly.
“No worries. Even if those vile creatures find it first, they won’t be able to take it with us around,” Terrace said confidently.
Owen sighed in relief and turned to Klaas. “Klaas, arrange accommodations for our seniors immediately.”
“Of course. Seniors, please follow me,” Klaas said eagerly, hoping to redeem himself in their eyes as he led them personally.
“Thank you very much,” the elderly monks nodded politely and picked up their humble belongings to follow Klaas to the backyard.
The archbishops in the hall breathed a collective sigh of relief.
“From now on, we’ll eat whatever the seniors eat,” Owen declared before heading to the backyard himself.
The archbishops exchanged wry smiles and left with mixed feelings of shame and respect.
Early the next morning, everyone headed to the eastern mountains to begin a thorough search for any signs of the Holy Scarab.
After searching all morning with no results, the exhausted archbishops were barely able to stand straight from fatigue.
The three elderly monks remained energetic and briskly continued their search while the archbishops struggled to keep up.