After parting ways with Kelser, U:u rushed back to the church and directly to Lugi’s room.

There was no choice. Ulu had cleaned up the crime scene earlier, which might fool ordinary people, but to deceive someone like Kelser, a professional, it would take more than that. He needed another layer of disguise.

Like burying Lugi's body a little deeper.

But Ulu quickly dismissed the unreliable thought.

Who knew when Kelser would show up? If Kelser caught him digging up the body or shoveling dirt, it would be like walking into his own doom.

As for other things…

Ulu walked around Lugi's room again, uncertain of what more he could do. He had already moved the body, wiped the blood clean—that was the extent of what he could think of. Maybe he could try to get rid of the smell in the room.

But that wasn't much of an issue—a bit of holy water would do the trick, and the presence of its scent in a priest’s room wasn’t anything unusual.

Was that enough, though?

Ulu wasn’t sure. He had killed people before, but it had never been this much trouble.

Could this level of disguise really fool Kelser?

Ulu was unsure. He had even considered, if Kelser did find out, using Visah'Su’s power to kill Kelser, just like he had killed Lugi.

But that was definitely the worst option.

Kelser was different from Lugi. It wasn't just about strength and position. Kelser had a whole squad of Rhyo knights with him.

Killing Kelser under the protection of an entire squad of knights was almost impossible. If he failed, he’d be wanted by the entire Rhyo Church. And even if Visah'Su was all-powerful... he was just a severed finger, not even a complete hand.

There was no way Ulu dared treat Kelser as he had Lugi.

“You’re overthinking this,” Hiroshi said as he watched Ulu pacing in front of Lugi’s door, “The way you're acting is just telling everyone that you killed him. Nobody knows he’s dead right now.”

Ulu blinked in surprise.

Hiroshi’s words made sense.

No one knew Lugi was dead yet, and all of Ulu's assumptions were based on the premise that Kelser had already discovered Lugi's death and begun an investigation.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

But Kelser didn’t know that Lugi was dead. Even if Lugi didn’t return to the church for a day or two, Kelser wouldn’t immediately think he was dead. After all, Lugi wasn’t a child. He was an adult, and one with some rather peculiar habits.

Unless Lugi was missing for an extended time, Kelser had no reason to suspect anything.

Plus, Kelser had been sent by Bishop Cory to inspect the disaster. He wouldn't stay long in this town.

That meant Ulu still had a good chance of getting through this!

“If you really don’t want to draw suspicion, then just work as usual,” Hiroshi said. “Stop acting like you're about to die.”

“I... I understand,” Ulu wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Thank you, Lord Visas! I-I'll get to work right away!”

Hiroshi said nothing more.

He had reminded Ulu because Kelser wasn’t easy to deal with. In the game, he was something of an elite enemy. In Hiroshi’s current state, taking down Kelser would be challenging, and there was no need to take that risk.

For now, Ulu had to stay alive.

After receiving Hiroshi’s advice, Ulu calmed down a lot. He steadied his nerves and his expression, and began working in the church as usual.

As if everything were normal. As if nothing had happened.

Since Lugi was old and rarely showed up, if Kelser hadn’t arrived, Ulu was sure no one would have noticed Lugi's absence.

After some time passed, Ulu could simply announce that Lugi had passed away quietly one night, and no one would doubt him.

For now, though, Ulu just had to hope to muddle through.

A few hours later, as the sun fully set and darkness blanketed the sky, Ulu let out a small sigh of relief.

The whole day had passed without Kelser visiting the church.

Maybe he had left the town and moved on to his next destination.

If that was true, then maybe—

“Well, well, Ulu, aren’t you hardworking.”

Just as Ulu was about to lock the door, Kelser’s voice rang out like a nightmare.

Fortunately, Ulu had mentally prepared himself. He smiled as he turned towards the voice, “You said you’d come by, and I waited the entire day, but you never showed up.”

“Heh, been busy with work.” Kelser emerged from the shadows of the night and gestured with his hand. The knights following him dispersed silently. “What about Lugi? Surely the old man isn’t asleep this early?”

“No,” Uru kept his expression calm, “He’s not back yet.”

Kelser paused, looking surprised. “Not back? Where did he go?”

“Who knows?” Ulu shrugged casually. “He left early this morning with a few bags of grain. As for what he’s doing… well, I didn’t ask.”

Ulu's heart was in his throat. He was terrified that Kelser would notice something was off.

Thankfully, Kelser didn’t seem to overthink it. Instead, he showed a slightly amused expression. “That old man, still playing around at his age.”

“Maybe it's just compassion,” Ulu corrected. “He can’t stand to see those starving kids.”

“Oh, right, right, compassion.” Kelser waved his hand dismissively. “Alright, if he’s not here, I’ll just look for you then. Been walking all day, and I’m exhausted. Let’s have a cup of tea in your room.”

Seeing that Kelser genuinely hadn’t suspected anything, Ulu sighed in relief. He didn’t show it, though, and instead smiled. “Of course, no problem.”

He led Kelser to his room.

He had worried that Kelser might want to go to Lugi’s room, but thankfully, he didn’t.

Once inside, Ulu began making tea while casually asking, “How’d the inspection go?”

“How else? Just finished the task.” Kelser sat heavily on Uru’s bed, his tone lazy. “Nothing special. The Bishop wanted me to… hmm?”

Kelser’s voice abruptly stopped.

A strong sense of unease washed over Ulu.

It felt like something important had been forgotten.

He turned around sharply and saw Kelser holding his bedsheet, a peculiar look in his eyes.

“Tell me, Ulu,” Kelser said softly, “Why is there so much blood on your bed?”