116: Third-level clergy

Hearing Lister's deterrent questioning, the terrified and dazed Vicky was instantly jolted back to her senses.

She hurriedly pleaded for mercy: "Noble Lord, please don't kill us, I'll tell you everything..."

"Vicky, shut up!" Before she could finish, Yalman, who was nearby, barked to interrupt her, then he looked at Lister and said: "Lord, I have some very important words I need to say to you in private."

Talk to me in private?

Lister's expression remained unchanged, but he was somewhat surprised in his heart.

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In fact, when he saw Bentham and the other two just now, he had noticed that Yalman was not quite right; besides a slightly panicked face, his eyes were abnormally calm.

The feeling he gave Lister was as if he was certain that nothing would happen to him.

After thinking for a moment, he signaled Red to take Yalman to a position where others could not hear their conversation.

Seeing Yalman looking at Red, Lister immediately understood his meaning and said nonchalantly: "Red is my most trusted Knight Captain, and considering your current situation, just speak directly."

"Alright." Yalman observed the wariness in Lister's eyes, shrugged his shoulders, and didn't insist. Then he said solemnly:

"Lord, my real name is Roger Yalman. I am a Level Three Clergy Member of the Kingdom Church's branch in the northern city of Fasal, currently undercover within this group's organization."

"As for the identity of these people, I'll be blunt; I assume you've already guessed it."

Hearing this, both Lister and Red couldn't help but show surprised expressions, but they didn't believe him immediately.

A second later, Lister said sternly: "How can you prove you are a member of the Church? I won't believe you based on words alone."

As his voice fell, Yalman showed an expected expression, then he extended his right arm and rolled up his sleeve.

As he chanted a segment of an incantation, a circular badge suffused with special magical energy gradually emerged on his originally fair arm.

The badge was surrounded by various mysterious patterns, and in the center was carved an open right palm reaching out towards the viewer, as if it could grasp the entire world.

Even though it was a flat pattern, it had a three-dimensional feel, which was quite miraculous.

Then he opened his left palm, and a small vertical rectangular metal plate appeared out of thin air, clearly taken from the spatial ring on his left index finger.

He respectfully handed it to Lister. After taking it, Lister began to examine it.

The front of the metal plate was carved with a uniquely shaped staff, and the back had some neat, small, but clearly legible Pedan Kingdom text.

The content of the text was exactly Yalman's identity information in the Church.

Seeing Lister remain silent, Red, who had seen more of the world, whispered in his ear: "Lord Lister, under my perception, these are not illusions."

"While the Church's exclusive identity plates can be forged, the mark on his arm is inscribed by a Bishop on every clergy member entering the Church, using magic combined with special powers. There is absolutely no possibility of forgery."

Nodding, Lister did not doubt him; he indeed didn't know much about the Church.

But Red was different; when he fought against the Orcs, he often worked together with the Church's mages to resist the enemy, so he knew very well.

Since he said so now, there naturally couldn't be a mistake.

Lifting his head, Lister looked at Yalman before him, unable to help but feel a bit of sentiment.

Heh! He's actually an undercover agent playing Infernal Affairs!

Without thinking too much, he returned the identity plate to Yalman and said with a smile: "So you really are a clergy member of the Church. I have offended you, please forgive me."

"The Lord is joking," Yalman replied with a smile as he put away the identity plate. "You didn't know my true identity before. Striking to repel those who trespassed on your territory—there's no offense to speak of."

Seeing that he didn't take offense, Lister breathed a small sigh of relief. After all, regarding whether one can offend Church people, it's best not to.

With his current power, if he were held in a grudge by the Church, even the favor of Earl Elsie de Frander might not necessarily work.

Lister changed the subject: "Does Your Excellency Yalman have some important mission in infiltrating Ironthorn Town with this group?"

Although he already knew the purpose of Yalman and the others, he still wanted to obtain more information from Yalman's mouth.

"Lord, this time I was under the orders of the deacon of this organization, Bentham—that's the middle-aged man lying over there—to come together to find a stolen scroll."

While explaining, Yalman pointed at Bentham on the cold ground:

"As for what important content is inside the scroll, because I haven't been undercover for long, Bentham didn't tell us, only saying it was something very important."

"Based on a mysterious ritual within the organization, we found the general location of the boy who stole the scroll, which is why the events in Ironthorn Town happened."

"I see." Lister nodded gently and asked feignedly: "I wonder if you've found it?"

Yalman shook his head and said: "No, that boy said nothing except for being afraid. It looks like the scroll is no longer on him."

"But that's not important. Since Bentham went to such great lengths to find this scroll, it must be something very important to the organization."

"And I was undercover to begin with; sabotaging their goal is also beneficial to the Kingdom. Please interrogate that boy again later."

"If there are no problems, please don't make things difficult for him. His background seems quite miserable, and it wasn't easy for him to survive."

"Rest assured, Your Excellency Yalman. Although that boy was caught by me on the spot for theft before, I have already forgiven him."

Lister promised: "He has been doing free labor in the Ironthorn Territory during this time and has been quite hardworking, so I won't make things difficult for him."

"Then many thanks." Yalman thanked him and requested: "If the Lord has no other questions, I wonder if you could also release Vicky over there."

"Bentham is dead this time. If Vicky dies as well, it will be hard for me to avoid suspicion from the upper levels of this organization if I return alone, so I must trouble you to do me this favor."

After thinking for a moment, Lister smiled and agreed: "Of course, no problem. I wonder if Your Excellency Yalman needs me to cooperate with you and put on a show in front of that Vicky?"

"Thank you for your kindness, but it's not necessary. I've already thought of a way to handle it; Vicky won't suspect me," Yalman said with a face full of confidence.

Seeing this, Lister said no more, which also saved him the trouble.

Soon, Yalman took Vicky and Bentham's corpse, which was left with only clothes, and quickly departed under the cover of night.

Watching their disappearing silhouettes, Lister's eyes couldn't help but narrow.

Although Yalman's identity and his expression just now were both normal, he still felt something was a bit strange.

It was just that no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't figure out exactly what was strange.

'It seems my paranoia is getting a bit heavy...'

Needs to be cured!