Rana sat with her legs crossed while she drummed her fingers on the dusty and weathered table. She gazed at the faint smile on Randal and pondered about his intentions. The two were alone, back in the hut where the masked guards first took her to. When Rana revealed her identity, and when Randal accepted it, they returned to where they first met to discuss matters further. The duke of Nye dismissed his guards, but they were nonetheless still prowling about. They tried to remain hidden but she knew where they were. She did wonder why the duke was so confident as to be this near to a person who he believed to be lying, but what was more concerning was what he told her.

There were both truths and lies when it came to what Randal told Rana. Of course, Rana did not have the ability to tell if someone was lying, but her experience as an inquisitor and newfound ability to sense the most minute changes in humans gave her a pretty good idea of who to trust. Randal was not one of those she could trust. However, that was not to say there was nothing useful in the information he provided. Far from it. There were truths that shed new information, and the reason for some of his lies shed even more.

The first thing she noticed was how quickly the duke of Nye was able to accept her claim. The seal for the secret passage was not a technique known only to inquisitors, and there was no guarantee that the technique was not leaked to the outside during the one hundred years of fracture and corruption left unchecked. It seemed like all the duke cared was that she knew how to perform the seal rather than who she was, to the point that he was willing to entertain and bow down to someone who he thought was lying.

Should Rana do something to change his mind? No. Randal was already willing to talk and give her the information she needed. Whether the duke of Nye trusted her or not was not her concern. What mattered was his actions, and if he overstepped or posed a threat, his fate would be sealed.

However, that time would come later. For now, they simply discussed the current situation of Nye. The city was not as wealthy as before and had been slowly losing its financial strength and the influence it had over its own territory. It was not like they were being attacked by their enemies or if they were losing key fights. In fact, despite its near proximity to the frontlines, Nye was rather peaceful. The issue was that it seemed like the kingdom was looking to abandon Shield City, or rather, shift their defense lines.

That was a confusing move. The Church and the crown had lost the majority of their hold on the kingdom, but they were still defenders of humanity. That was not to say they protected everybody that lived in the land of humans, but rather they fought so that humans would not be wiped out. They were also not as nihilistic as to believe the survival of humanity simply meant a few individuals and their ability to produce offspring. This meant that they should know that once Shield City fell to the monster army, it would only be a matter of time before the fractured humanity would be completely destroyed. Of course, that was something most of the ambitious and selfish territorial lords ignored, but the ones who have fought against the monster army, like the Church, or those who know of the frontlines, like Nye, should know that Shield City was not permitted to fall.

That was unless the Church had something planned. The duke professed that he did not know what the Church was planning, but he did know that they have been gradually decreasing the aid given to Shield City, subsequently increasing the burden of Nye had in order to support the frontlines. The Church was slowly pulling out their resources, which included marked ones for hunting monsters and patrolling the area. This made Nye spend more manpower and resources in order to supply the frontlines and maintain the safety and hold they have on their territory. That was why the Church officials stationed in Nye, who were being abandoned by the Church, disclosed Church secrets to the duke in order to gain favor and prevent them from being left helpless when the Church inevitably abandoned them.

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The first part was true from what Rana could tell. The duke did not lie about his city’s predicament and the progression of the Church’s attitude towards Nye. The Church did indeed sought to abandon Shield City and the frontlines. However, it was a lie that he only just recently learned of the secret passage. The guards who guarded the entrances were not the suspicious ones. It was the duke. His response and how he approached the situation currently with the unknown intruder was too convenient for Rana. She would confront him later about it, but for now, she would see where it lead her.

The duke’s current plan was to claim a Dungeon. He was telling the truth in that regard, but she also knew there was no point in hiding it. The duke of Nye recruiting talented marked ones more or less already gave it away. He refused to give Rana the name and the location of the Dungeon unless she agreed to help him, but he still divulged some information in regards to the Church involvement.

The Church was also divided, but not as much as it seemed. There were two main factions currently. One were the officials who cared only for defeating the monster army, and the other being the one in control of the crown. The first group had no allegiance except to their sworn duty and were willing to do business with every territorial lord and faction. The crown faction was the one that focused on re-establishing the old order. The two factions worked together, but their alliance was shaky. The duke told Rana that the Church would not be involved with the raid, but she somehow felt that was wrong, even though the duke seemed to believe it.

It seemed like the Randal did not trust Rana to be a Church agent at all, and it was not because she claimed to be an inquisitor, someone who should not exist anymore. There was something preventing the Church from being involved.

Rana stopped the drumming of her fingertips with one last thump onto the table. She decided on her next course of action. There would be a time to wring out every last bit of information from Randal, but she had to do so when the environment and variables were under her control. For now, she should find information from elsewhere. Besides, if luck was on her side, there was one fourth chance of her getting something that could aid her in that regard.

Rana stood up and she sensed the guards in the shadows tense up.

“I’ll accept your request. I’ll go and aid the raid.”

The smile in Randal’s face lit up. He said his thanks and tried to pretend it was an expression of gratitude, but she had seen those expressions enough times to know it was one of greed and arrogance. He believed he had successfully entrapped her.

How adorable.

“I once again thank you from the bottom of my heart, inquisitor,” Randal said. He then reached into his pocket and took out a scroll. “This is my personal order of allowing you to join the raid, no questions asked. I will make sure you will have access to all the resources you need and that only my personal marked ones would know of your identity. I do believe cooperation is vital, but you have my guarantee you will not be beholden to the guild’s command structure. For now, why don’t you come to my mansion? I will prepare you a guest room and we can discuss details in the following morn.”

“I rather not. There are things I need to prepare as well,” Rana said. She then observed her surrounding before landing her gaze on the duke. “Unless you must have me under your surveillance.”

“Of course, I wouldn't dare,” Randal said with a chuckle. It seemed like he really wanted her to go along with the raid. “You are most welcome to my city.”

“I see,” she said as she observed the man. “So, what is the Dungeon called?”

“The Sunset Spears.”

Rana smiled. Luck was on her side.