Chapter 372.2
As the priest moved away, Katie released a small sigh. Her entire interaction with him had been built on falsehoods; she had never reached out to the Arse family. However, considering their significant influence, the Arse family would likely encounter challenges due to the city lockdown. The opportunity to glean information from within the palace wouldn’t be lost on them.
Katie was confident that the priest would act as a discreet messenger, safeguarding her secret request. In times of uncertainty, everyone sought emergency routes, and the priest found himself in a powerless position, handling Anika’s tasks. In such circumstances, he would likely leverage his connection with the Arse family as his own emergency route.
***
Pides adopted the guise of someone confined to the prayer room throughout the day, purposefully avoiding eye contact while clandestinely exploring the various corners of the palace. To his surprise, he stumbled upon numerous vulnerabilities within the supposedly secure confines of the palace.
Within the palace, its inhabitants were neatly divided into knights and priests. Yet, unless Sang-je had specifically tasked them with a mission, the knights enjoyed freedom of movement. Knights like Pides, who embraced a routine lifestyle within the palace, were a rare breed. The majority of their counterparts spent their nights there only when taking turns standing guard.
Sang-je entrusted the knights with nearly all crucial responsibilities, creating an inherent network of surveillance among them. Their ability to sense each other naturally led to a vigilant monitoring of activities within the palace.
In contrast, the priests, residing within the palace throughout the day, were relegated to the roles of errand runners without any discernible hierarchy. Secluded from the outside world, they remained oblivious to worldly news, absorbed in their assigned tasks and unaware of the palace’s internal affairs. Considering guarding the palace as the exclusive responsibility of the knights, the priests paid no heed to Pides’ discreet wanderings.
Pides carefully identified two suspicious locations within the palace. One was the sanctuary, a place of utmost significance to Sang-je and thus meticulously guarded. Security around this area was stringent, with any unauthorized presence promptly reported to Sang-je. Consequently, Pides opted to focus his investigation on the underground prayer room.
Having visited the underground prayer room before, Pides recalled a prior instance when he descended, following a priest’s request, only to discover the blonde-haired Anika priest who had met an untimely demise.