Regarding retrieving the Torch of Light, Lynch had actually given it deep thought, repeatedly weighing the pros and cons.
Doing so certainly had benefits. Whenever a situation arose, he could use it immediately without wasting time. Moreover, keeping it in his own hands was the most reassuring, eliminating any fear of unexpected complications from delays.
However, the drawback was just as obvious. Originally, it had been kept safely inside the Gate of the Silver Key where no one could take it, making it as secure as could be. Retrieving it made it convenient for him to use, but equally convenient for the Shadow Alliance to steal.
With two rank twos and one rank three among them, on what grounds could they hope to protect it from the Shadow Alliance's greed? On sheer passion alone? They probably wouldn't last a single day.
This wasn't Shonen Jump, after all.
Yet after weighing it back and forth, he still decided to retrieve the Torch of Light.
As long as he could deter the Shadow Alliance from attempting a theft during this period—or render them unable to steal it even if they tried—it would suffice to last until the plague incident concluded.
The three of them indeed couldn't achieve this on their own, but there were people who could.
“Relying on a great tree for shade,” “the fox borrowing the tiger's might,” “acting as a tiger's jackal,” “borrowing a knife to kill,” “framing others”... In short, enlisting capable people to fret on his behalf and leave the Shadow Alliance nursing its regrets.
Lynch eagerly looked forward to lying on the beach and saying that line with full emotional flair right to the faces of those from the Shadow Alliance.
Therefore, while Natalie and Diana were tasked with dealing with those professors, Lynch led President Olei into a private room.
“I need your help, Mr. Olei,” Lynch said, pushing the medicine box toward him and briefly describing the relic's properties. “The Torch of Light, a manifestation grade mystery relic...”
The president listened attentively. Once Lynch finished, he caressed the box in thought for a moment before opening the lid to inspect it, speaking as he examined it: “I've heard of it. An ancient mystery relic, one of those dangerous items whose whereabouts were unknown. You want to bring it into the city? That's far too dangerous.”
“With an effect like this, where wouldn't it be dangerous?”
President Olei sighed. “True enough. Unless placed in a professional containment facility, a manifestation grade mystery relic is dangerous anywhere. You want me to help you bring it into Rhine City?”
“Not quite. Doing that is simple enough for anyone. The main issue is that someone wants to target this item. They already made a move earlier, leaving five bodies behind, and I'm certain they will keep trying. So I need you to help me protect it until this matter is resolved.”
“This matter?”
“The plague orchestrated by the Shadow Alliance. This relic is my prepared trump card. You know how insidious the Shadow Alliance is; they will definitely keep looking for an opportunity.”
President Olei stroked his beard, frowning. “I daren't offer my help with this.”
“Hm? Is the Shadow Alliance really that terrifying?”
The president glared at him, snapping ill-tempered, “I've lived for eighty-five years. Do you think such childish reverse psychology works on me?”
“Just giving it a try—what if it worked?” Lynch gave a dry chuckle, his gaze drifting. “Are there specific concerns?”
“In theory, I should help, and personally, I am willing to,” the old man sighed. “However, the Shadow Alliance is far too mysterious. Who knows if their people are hiding among us? In any case, I cannot guarantee that our association is free of their moles. If an item this vital suffers a mishap while in the association's hands, our reputation is ruined. If I were to guard it alone day and night, I have neither the time nor the energy. Should a flaw occur due to sheer exhaustion, I would become a sinner against the entire world.”
In truth, this was precisely the problem that gave Lynch the biggest headache. Spies from the Shadow Alliance could be buried in every corner, leaving no single organization in Rhine City entirely trustworthy.
The major churches were untrustworthy; the Shadow Alliance had an unknown deity backing them, meaning any of the twelve churches could be involved, making a visit there a potential trap.
Official factions were untrustworthy; high-level officials cared nothing for morality, only interests, continually flipping their stances depending on shifting gains. A sudden 180-degree turn could happen anytime, while lower levels couldn't avoid infiltration, making the actual executors potential enemy moles.
Secret societies were equally untrustworthy; though their backgrounds were relatively simple without complex webbed interests, their structures were loose, everyone had their own ideas, and they were even easier to infiltrate. It could easily devolve into the full-house-of-moles situation back at Riverside Manor. Asking for their help was worse than acting alone.
It was only after repeated deliberation and careful selection that Lynch chose the Archaeological Association's old president for help.
On one hand, despite having been leeched of knowledge by this old man once, Lynch still had a decent impression of him. On the other hand, the old man was the strongest combat power in the local area; having him on the same side would prevent countless troubles. Since he had to take a risk and make a bet anyway, he might as well place his bet on the strongest person available.
Of course, most importantly, Lynch felt he was relatively trustworthy. On a public level, Lynch held the moral high ground; on a personal level, the Archaeological Association had the deepest roots and greatest shared interest with Lynch, given their ongoing joint project. The likelihood of being betrayed at this juncture was minimal.
However, Lynch didn't dare trust him entirely, and the old man truly lacked the energy. Thus, Lynch had prepared a plan from the very start.
Drag another unfortunate soul into the water. A three-party alliance would complement one another while maintaining mutual checks and balances, significantly boosting security.
As for the choice of that unfortunate soul, they obviously had to be the most trustworthy. The first one Lynch thought of was the Church of Suffering.
It was true that the Shadow Alliance had a god backing them, but the Church of Suffering was the key pivot in this plague battle against the Shadow Alliance. The entire foundation of the battle relied on Fiona, the Lord of Suffering, and her faithful remaining problem-free; otherwise, the battle itself would be a joke.
Therefore, Lynch was willing to trust these true “saintly mothers,” especially since it was effectively Diana's maiden home, making its credibility even higher. Even if a few Shadow Alliance moles were mixed in, their numbers wouldn't be enough to stir up major trouble as long as they exercised caution.
However, the Church of Suffering's biggest flaw was its strength. In the second-largest city of Lande, the entire church didn't even have a single high-tier expert presiding over it; their highest strength was a rank six mid-tier. If the Shadow Alliance launched an all-out surprise attack at any cost—just as they had against the Milt family—the Church of Suffering really might not be able to hold them off. Even if they barely held, the casualties would be catastrophic.
Thinking of those ladies who wept to the point of collapse because they couldn't save critically injured patients, wishing they could take their places, Lynch abandoned the idea immediately. Perhaps due to various reasons, many held grievances against “saintly mothers,” but Lynch did not see it that way. Especially after witnessing the memories in the Torch of Light, he felt that these women, who marched forward to save patients without turning back even in death, were far nobler than the vast majority of people in this world.
Lynch couldn't bring himself to do it. Thus, he was willing to accord them the utmost respect. Involving them as cannon fodder—whether heaven would punish him or not was hard to say, but Lynch estimated that if he woke up in the middle of the night, he'd have to slap himself silly.
Church of Suffering: discarded.
This caused his wicked gaze to turn toward his own “maiden home.”
The Church of the Black Night.
Literally speaking, this was the home of Red Moon's mother.
Over the past few months, Lynch had learned through various channels that the Silver Maiden and the Crimson Lady were both daughters of the Goddess of the Night, and rumor had it they were extremely close during the Mythological Era.
Although divine entities lacked biological blood ties and shared only lineage ties, they were non-purely physical beings; to them, lineage connections were far more significant than blood relations. Thus, from ancient times to the present, moonlight always shone beneath the dark night, and a place was forever reserved for the silver and crimson within the sanctuaries of the dark night. This was precisely why Archbishop Trinlais had shown such clear favoritism toward Lynch after learning he would become a Soul Severer of the Red Moon.
Moreover, the strength of the Church of the Black Night was formidable enough. Hidden within their church was a rank seven priest and several rank six knights, and with the sanctuary's enhancement, even if the Shadow Alliance brought in a rank nine expert, it would be difficult for them to gain the upper hand.
His neighbor had previously warned him not to trust the Goddess of the Night too much. That old auntie certainly held no malice toward his neighbor, but the same couldn't necessarily be said for Lynch. Lynch hadn't been told the reason, but he had vaguely formed a guess. Combined with the suspicious points President Olei mentioned, he felt even more confident in his hunch.
As a result, Lynch had kept delaying a visit to the old auntie and tried his best to avoid binding himself deeply with the Church of the Black Night. However, the probability of the Goddess of the Night being the deity behind the Shadow Alliance was extremely low. Dragging the old auntie's people in to take the heat for this matter shouldn't be a problem.
This way, with the Church of the Black Night as the core body, President Olei assisting in a personal capacity on behalf of the association, and the artifact originating from the Church of Suffering—later to be researched jointly with Mrs. Nightingale and her order—a four-party collaboration would form to strangle the Shadow Alliance's plot together.
“The Church of the Black Night, huh? If they join, there won't be a problem, and I can lend a hand. But... are you certain they will agree to help you with this? You haven't discussed it with them yet, right?”
“They will definitely help.” Lynch smiled, revealing a pair of big white teeth. “If it were just me, they'd certainly be worried. But with President Olei, Rhine's strongest, anchoring the operation, they only need to provide support. With such a great deal, how could they refuse?”
“...Why does this behavior feel so familiar to me? Just how many people have you dragged into pitfalls using this method?”
“Ha, ha, ha! That's merely an illusion on your part. I hold Archbishop Trinlais in the highest respect; how could I possibly do anything to pit him? I'm doing this for their own good! Not only will he not mind, he'll even say ‘thank you’ to me.”
Rate on N.U.
