Chapter 178

The instant golden runes appeared on Messai’s arm, Pest was also prepared for a battle.

A templar... and not a new recruit that hasn’t been to the battlefield either.

The blood manipulation she was intensely proud of would not be able to cause any substantial injury to a templar of Messai’s caliber. It would only be able to affect her movements in the battle.

Because of that, Pest moved her hand toward her back and grabbed onto a dagger she had behind her back.

Why would an Ecclesiastical Templar appear here?

Alerted by Messai’s movements, Pest began to survey the tavern. She was searching to see if there were other templars in the tavern.

With her sharp senses for the power of the Holy Light, Pest soon discovered over five humans among the guests of the tavern that uses the Holy Light system...

In other words, there were at least six Ecclesiastical Templars in this tavern. This would be equivalent to the tavern being surrounded by the Ecclesiastical Templars.

“Is this really where Joshua Annerlaude is?”

Pest once again questioned Pluk. Pluk answered her with certainty again.

Pluk’s answer made Pest think of two possibilities. One, Pluk was collaborating with the Ecclesiastical Templars and had lured her into a trap set up by the Ecclesiastical Templars.

As for the second possibility, it was even worse. That is, the Ecclesiastical Templars had discovered the Chaos Demon Joshua and came to his hideout with the intention of ‘taking care’ of him.

Right now, Pest was trying to convince herself that it was the latter. Thus, she quietly said to Pluk, “Go and inform Joshua Annerlaude that I can bring him away from this place safely.”

Even though the order Pest received from Cecily Annerlaude was to ‘bring Joshua back to the Royal City,’ there was an implication of ensuring Joshua’s safety.

Joshua was the younger brother of Her Esteemed Highness Cecily. Pest did not wish to bring back a corpse. Only by completing the mission perfectly would that strict chief sentinel be satisfied.

Messai slowly walked toward Pest. She did not wish to start a fight inside the Hearthstone Tavern... For one thing, they could accidentally injure bystanders. For another, the tavern strictly prohibits fights inside the tavern. Those who violated that rule will be kicked out the tavern.

As more and more people started coming to the Hearthstone Tavern, there has been multiple powerful mages that grew furious from losing a Hearthstone match and took out their staffs with the intention to ease their anger with a real life ‘Hearthstone’ match.

But, they were all kicked out of the tavern by Joshua. Regardless of who one might be, it didn’t matter at all in this tavern filled with nobles, mages and even sages from the Sage Tower. The mages that were kicked out but were still planning to cause trouble ended up being beaten up by the dwarves.

Because of that, a sort of unspoken rule emerged in the tavern. ‘You can play as a dirty Steal Priest, but you’d best prepare yourself for a fight against your opponent in real life once you exit the tavern.’

But, the newcomer Pest clearly did not know about that unspoken rule. She had already unsheathed her dagger behind her back. The sharpness of the dagger and an intense reeking of blood began to spread out from the sentinel lady.

Pest was holding onto her dagger in full alert. After all, Messai was not an ordinary opponent.

But, when she was focused on Messai’s every movement, Joshua walked down from the tavern’s second floor.

Pest did not even need to confirm Joshua’s identity with her eyes. Merely from her keen ‘smell’ for blood, she verified her target had appeared.

She rushed over and shielded Joshua behind her. Lowering her voice, she said, “You’re in great danger right now.”

“I think you’re mistaken about something, Miss Sentinel.”

Joshua’s eyes were moving back and forth between Messai and the stranger standing before him. Soon, he determined the reason why Messai would suddenly act so hostile.

With how intense the reeking of blood was, if Joshua was standing in Messai’s shoes, he would not consider her to be a good person either.

Many mages in the tavern had noticed the confrontation too. In order to quiet down the disorder, Joshua turned to Messai and shook his head.

“...”

To a templar, listening to a demon’s order was not a simple matter of shame. But, Messai had no choice but to disperse the golden runes on her arm.

This was the territory of a Chaos Demon. The ‘surveillance agreement’ Desireless reached with Joshua was very frail. If Joshua decided to rip up that agreement unilaterally, Messai would have to kiss goodbye to the game Hearthstone.

After all, the Holy Church would never allow for something invented by a demon to remain in this world.

“Mistaken?”

Pest remained posed for a battle. After all, there were at least six templars in the tavern.

She cannot comprehend why Joshua would remain this calm with that many Ecclesiastical Templars surrounding him.

“Let’s chat upstairs. Pluk, you come too.”

After he finished saying those words, Joshua started walking upstairs.

Only Pest, still holding onto her dagger, and Pluk remained. Pluk didn’t say anything and brushed past Pest to walk upstairs.

When Pluk started walking upstairs, he felt a slight pain to his heart.

It was Pest. Pest was telling him to stand there and not move.

“Why are you able to remain this calm?”

Pest was unable to understand why Pluk would act like nothing happened and start walking upstairs.

The Ecclesiastical Templars were not law enforcers from a small country. They were professional executioners of demons. Shouldn’t a demon like Pluk, a demon that doesn’t possess any fighting strength, flee the very moment he encounters a templar?

“It’s safe.”

Pluk extended his hand and pointed to a direction in the Hearthstone Tavern. Pest looked over following Pluk’s finger.

He was pointing at a server. That server looked like a pretty girl. But, Pest recognized right away that the server was a succubus and a very low-level one on top of that.

Anyone with a slightly keen perception for demons would be able to tell that server was a succubus.

But, she was carrying a platter and making round trips throughout the tavern. From time to time, she would pass by a templar or two. As for those templars, they would only take a glance or two at her and not do anything else.

How could... this be?

Pest was unable to believe the scene before her eyes. She knew very well how hostile the Ecclesiastical Templars were toward demons. No, it would be better stated that killing demons was their duty. After all, the Holy Church established the Ecclesiastical Templars all so that they could combat the demons.

If a demon was to encounter the Ecclesiastical Templars by openly appearing in a human city, there would be countless reasons for an Ecclesiastical Templars to attempt to kill said demon.

But, that succubus server actually walked over to the female templar’s side and chatted with her... They even seemed to be enjoying their conversation...

“About that... Miss Cheryl... I was truly unable to open out a legendary card these days.”

“That’s alright, you don’t have to worry about it. You’re our lucky angel. Isn’t that right, Messai...?”

Cheryl grabbed the corner of Ynor’s sleeve when he walked past her. She wanted him to help her open a card pack.

“Don’t ask me...”

Messai was already able to sense Pest’s astonished gaze. It was as if she was saying with her eyes ‘So you’re actually that kind of Ecclesiastical Templar!’

Even though Messai had grown accustomed to being misunderstood by her colleagues in the two months she had been in Norland, she was truly unable to accept being misunderstood by her enemy, and a filthy vampire on top of that.

“It’s a Legendary!”

Cheryl shouted loudly. In the end, after hearing Cheryl’s shout, Messai was unable to contain herself and turned her eyes over.