The Trap 2

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

When Father Hershey saw a group of riders approaching his church from a distance, he initially thought they were some noble or wealthy person casually touring the countryside. However, as the group drew nearer, he realized they were flying the banner of Earl Alden, Paul Grayman.

Hershey immediately rushed out to greet them.

"Thank the Father, your arrival truly fills me with joy."

When he reached the group, he saw that the person riding the white horse was none other than Paul Grayman.

"I happened to be visiting Taldor Village today and thought of you as a friend here, so I decided to drop by and pay you a visit," Paul smiled as he spoke, dismounting.

Friend?

Hershey was momentarily stunned. In fact, he and Paul had only met once, at the church in Frand Port.

"Quickly!" Paul grabbed his hand. "Show me around your church!"

"Please follow me, Lord Grayman."

---

In the church courtyard, Odanel and Mariana continued discussing the details of their plan.

"Odanel, did you find out that he would be coming to this village?"

"Yes, Lady Crimson Flame."

"But this village is quite large. How do you know Lord Grayman will specifically come to this church? If he just happens to wander somewhere else, wouldn't your preparations be for nothing?"

"Haha, we'll find a way to lure him here. I'm not sure if our magic shows have worked, but we have other methods at our disposal..."

"Hmph, I'm just afraid it won't work."

Hearing this, Odanel rudely scanned Mariana from head to toe.

"Mariana, if all else fails, aren't we lucky to have you?"

"Me?"

"Oh, you're an extremely charming woman. Perhaps if you walk into the village and talk to Lord Grayman, he'll willingly follow you to the church!"

"Shut up!" To Odanel's surprise, Mariana suddenly became furious, her eyes full of contempt.

"I'm sorry, please forgive my inappropriate joke, Lady Crimson Flame," Odanel immediately backed off, replacing his playful tone with a serious expression and an apologetic tone.

They were about to take action; they couldn't afford any conflicts now.

Mariana didn't continue to press the issue, but she also didn't speak further.

"Whoa!" Nearby, Derson exclaimed softly, breaking the tense silence.

His eyesight was excellent, and he saw the priest of the church talking to the newcomers before leading them this way.

"We've really hit the jackpot. Look, Lord Grayman himself is coming."

"What?" Both Odanel and Mariana were shocked.

"How did he get here so quickly?" Odanel muttered to himself.

Of course, having the target come directly to them would reduce a lot of hassle.

"Mariana, Derson and I will go prepare. As soon as he steps into the church, we can act. But I'll wait for the perfect moment, so you two need to stay alert and keep an eye on the earl's guards. Choose your targets carefully."

Derson had already informed Nathan and Edward, and the two of them began preparing as well.

Mariana watched the group slowly approaching the church, her pupils dilated.

---

"Father, this church of yours is truly unique!" Paul looked up, observing the modest church ahead.

From a distance, he hadn't been able to make out much, but now that they were close, he saw just how simple it was.

It wouldn't have been surprising if this was how things had been when he first inherited the title of lord, considering that buildings across the Northwest Bay were all low and dilapidated back then. But now, things were different, and it was rare for Father Hershey to not have renovated the church.

Paul remembered that Hershey wasn't particularly skilled at "making money." Hershey blushed slightly and said, "Lord Grayman, the Lord of Light never asks His servants to make excessive material sacrifices."

Paul laughed heartily, "I hope your fellow clergymen feel the same way."

The church's courtyard was surrounded by a large fence, and many different kinds of vegetables were being grown there.

As they reached the gate of the courtyard, Paul noticed many people inside, especially a large number of children.

"Oh, is there an event today?" "Yes, Lord Grayman..."

Hershey briefly explained the magic show being performed for the children.

"A magic show? Well, I have to see this," Paul said, intrigued. No matter which lifetime it was, he always enjoyed watching magic.

As they entered the courtyard, the people inside looked at him with curiosity.

The children didn't recognize Paul, and simply saw him as an ordinary visitor to the church.

Three adults, however, caught Paul's attention.

One was a tall, thin man with a thick mustache, who seemed to be a sailor.

Another was a young man of similar height to Paul, with a somewhat rebellious expression, who was performing magic tricks for the children.

The third was a tall woman with striking red hair, whose beauty left Paul with an indescribable feeling. After seeing her for the first time, her image seemed to be etched into his mind.

As Paul walked toward the area where the magic show was taking place, he conversed with Father Hershey.

"Father, it seems like you're not living very comfortably."

"Ah, I have adopted a few orphans..."

"I know, many clergymen in the Northwest Bay are good people like you, but they don't live well."

"Well... we just need to serve the Lord with all our hearts."

"People like you should receive something in return. So I plan to instruct the Ministry of Finance to allocate special funds."

"Oh, you are the lord; this is your right. Huh? Wait..."

Hershey perked up his ears, his eyes widening.

He had caught the meaning behind Paul's words — it seemed the lord was planning to give money to poor clergymen like him.

Hershey's heart began to race.

Of course, he followed the rules and would never take money that he shouldn't. But if a legitimate income suddenly came from nowhere, he wouldn't refuse.

"I didn't mishear, right? Lord Grayman?"

"Of course not," Paul confirmed with a nod. "How about calling it a social service allowance? In the future, it might not just be clergymen who receive it, but anyone who contributes to society..."

"I... I..." Hershey was so excited that his voice faltered.

"Thank you, Lord Grayman." After a long while, he managed to say those words.

The earl must have been sent by the Lord of Light, Hershey thought to himself.

While the two of them spoke, they arrived at the magic show area.

Paul began to feel a little uneasy.

Because the red-haired woman was watching him with an extremely complex expression.

(End of the Chapter)

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