"Sorry, Master... what do you mean you’re going to use me as bait?" the boy asked nervously.
"As bait?" I looked at him before narrowing my eyes.
"You..." I paused. "You’re still a virgin, aren’t you?"
The young boy’s cheeks instantly flushed red at my question. Embarrassed, he lowered his head before giving a small nod.
"Very good."
The corners of my lips curled into a satisfied smile as a plan quickly formed inside my mind.
"Master has an important task to complete. I need to find the demon responsible for killing the virgins of Crayan City."
I pointed at him.
"And you... will be my bait."
"You’ll disguise yourself as a young maiden who is still a virgin. We’ll take you to the temple."
Now everything finally made sense. Secretly, I smiled to myself.
I no longer needed to waste silver gathering information throughout Crayan City. There was no need to question countless people or wait helplessly for another innocent victim to die.
These bandits had unknowingly delivered the perfect opportunity right into my hands.
Now I knew exactly where to begin.
The boy’s face lit up.
"I’ll proudly be Master’s bait!"
He nodded enthusiastically without the slightest hesitation.
I sighed inwardly.
Such a stupid child.
The system suddenly spoke.
Young Hero, you are very clever.
I didn’t realize you intended to use the boy as bait to investigate the temple connected to the deaths in Crayan City.
I snorted.
"Of course."
"You’re far too stupid to understand this Demon King’s plans before I carry them out."
I folded my arms before looking back at the boy.
"Now... do you know where this temple is?"
The boy nodded repeatedly.
"Yes! I know where it is."
"That temple used to have many worshippers. Young maidens often went there to pray for love, marriage, children, and blessings."
His expression gradually darkened.
"But after many maidens who visited the temple started disappearing... no one dared to go there anymore."
"So..."
I smiled.
"We’re going to that temple."
I looked toward Ella.
"Ella."
"You’ll pretend to be my wife."
Then I pointed at Casper.
"Casper."
"You’ll pretend to be my father-in-law."
Finally, I looked back at the boy.
"And you..."
"You’ll pretend to be the daughter my wife gave birth to after committing infidelity."
Ella immediately opened his mouth as though he wanted to complain about being assigned the role of my wife, but after seeing my expression, he wisely swallowed his words.
"We’ll say we’ve brought you to the temple to devote your life to God."
The boy nodded seriously.
"I understand, Master."
With everything prepared, we began our journey.
We walked deep into the forest.
Crayan City was enormous.
The kingdom stretched farther than the eye could see, filled with countless villages, markets, forests, and mountains.
The towering city walls extended into the distance like an endless serpent, making me wonder how mortals had managed to build something on such a ridiculous scale.
After walking for quite some time...
We finally arrived at the temple.
Two guards wearing silver armor and helmets stood at the entrance.
Their expressions remained emotionless as their sharp eyes carefully observed everyone who approached the gates.
The moment I stepped closer, I immediately sensed it.
Demonic energy.
The aura coming from those guards was identical to the one I had sensed from the previous demons.
Of course...
Mortals like the boy, Ella, and Casper couldn’t detect it.
To them, these were nothing more than ordinary guards.
"State your business."
One of them stepped forward.
"Oh."
I smiled warmly.
"We’ve come to see the priest."
"Our business is urgent."
I leaned slightly closer before lowering my voice.
"We’ve brought a virgin for him."
The guard’s eyes narrowed.
"Wait here."
He turned around and entered the temple.
A short while later, he returned.
"You may enter."
The heavy gates slowly opened.
We stepped inside.
The interior was strangely quiet.
There wasn’t a single worshipper in sight.
The entire hall was built from smooth white stone, giving it a sacred appearance.
Yet beneath that holy atmosphere lingered an unsettling chill that made the place feel more like a tomb than a temple.
At the very center stood a large shrine.
The moment I looked at it...
I sensed an overwhelming wave of demonic energy.
It was thick enough to make the air itself feel heavy.
I smiled inwardly.
So...
I had finally found the right place.
"Oh, my daughter Ling Ling."
I gently pushed the boy forward.
"Kneel before God."
"Tell Him you’ve come to devote your life to serving Him."
"You have abandoned all worldly desires."
The boy immediately knelt before the shrine.
Lowering his head, he spoke in an unexpectedly soft and feminine voice.
"Oh, God..."
"I have come to serve You."
"I am unworthy of living among mortals."
"I wish to abandon all worldly desires and dedicate my life to serving You."
I blinked.
Not bad.
The brat was actually a talented actor.
He even managed to imitate a young girl’s voice so perfectly that it sent a slight chill down my spine.
Suddenly...
The candles surrounding the shrine ignited by themselves.
A second later...
Every single flame went out.
Casper looked at me with excitement.
"When the candles go out, it means God has accepted the offering."
He smiled so brightly that I couldn’t help wondering why he looked so excited over something so ordinary.
"I see."
I nodded calmly.
Just as everyone was about to leave...
Casper spoke again.
"We should go now. We’ve already delivered our offering."
"Wait."
I raised my hand.
"I’m not finished."
My gaze fixed itself upon the shrine.
"Demon..."
"Come out."
I swung my sword.
Boom!!
The shrine exploded into countless pieces.
For a brief moment...
Silence filled the hall.
Then...
"Ha... ha... ha... ha...!"
A sinister laugh echoed throughout the entire temple.
Dark demonic energy flooded every corner of the hall, swallowing the once-sacred atmosphere in an instant.
"Long time no see..."
A voice drifted out from the shadows.