Ray walked out of the inn and into the busy street. For what reason was he doing all this?

What did that burned woman or the screaming woman in the room mean to him? Were those women related to him in some way?

The logical answer would be no. He himself didn't know why he was forcing this path.

Yet, there was an instinct, a raw, driving force within him, that compelled him to forge his own destiny, even if it meant going directly against the pillars of the society that claimed to protect people.

His actions were not fueled by personal revenge, but something he had to find himself.

…

Once outside, he heard more rumors swirling around the marketplaces. The story of the night's events had already changed and grown.

The rumor mill was now reaching the point where they were making speculations about the woman-burning incident.

"That werewolf didn't just attack random people," one man spoke, lowering his voice to tell his friends.

"It killed Vice-leader Zeth and the youngest son of Willson family because they earlier killed a witch. The werewolf was just there to take revenge for that woman."

It was all true, Ray thought, a cold flicker of satisfaction in his eyes, except that the woman isn't a witch.

The public was close to the truth, and the lie about the "werewolf" was doing its work, focusing the blame on the right kind of monster.

He moved on, his attention quickly caught by a heavy rumbling sound coming from the city gates.

He looked up and saw a large number of knights entering the city, a terrifying display of authority displayed in front of his eyes.

A woman was leading the massive cavalry, followed closely by three men and one woman, and then the whole, organized group of knights.

Ray quickly began his deduction. "I knew the Temple had five main extermination squads."

"Four were for hunting night creatures—Honor, Oscar, Gama, and Delta. The fifth was the main squad, filled with the highest-ranking priests and commanders."

Looking at the heavy cavalry, he figured they must be one of the elite squads.

"By judging the aura of the leading woman, she is definitely the Leader of one of the extermination squads. Then, the four figures riding just behind her—three men and one woman—must be the Vice-Leaders of that squad."

This confirmed one crucial thing that this wasn't the Delta squad, as their Vice-Leader, Zeth, was dead.

Just then, someone from the small crowd Ray was standing near spoke, his voice filled with a mix of awe and respect.

"That's... Lady Erina, the leader of the Gama squad!"

Ray heard the name and immediately thought of what he heard when he was at Epsten family.

He remembered that the daughter of the Epsten family—one of the three ruling families of Hosfield—was the Vice-captain of the Gama squad but who she was among them, he had no idea.

'The Temple hadn't just sent two random squads; they have sent two leaders of the squad too, consists of the Gama squad, and Delta Squad.' Ray thought.

Ray watched as the large cavalry, led by Lady Erina, turned and headed directly toward the knight stronghold.

The whole city watched in silence. He knew his time for quiet observation was ending.

Jus then, Ray started following the massive cavalry of knights. He kept his distance but remained clearly visible, walking with a steady pace that did not suggest fear or stealth.

No one noticed him at first, until one of the knights glanced back and spoke to his comrade.

"Look at that fool," the knight said, shaking his head. "Following us from behind. These fanatics won't learn a thing."

The other knight turned to look at Ray, who kept silently walking. "Doesn't he look suspicious? This is a military procession, not a parade."

The first knight dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand. "What's suspicious? He must be another fanatic obsessed with Captain Erina's beauty. Happens every time she rides out."

"Then should we stop him before he gets closer?" the second knight asked, sounding annoyed.

The first knight shook his head, a cruel smirk on his face. "No, let him come. These fools won't understand until they're given a proper treatment by Captain Erina herself."

The knight shuddered, thinking of the vicious beating Erina had given to an earlier, similar fanatic. It was enough to deter anyone sane.

Soon, the cavalry reached the knight stronghold. The knights stopped, dismounted, and began making their way to different places inside the fortress walls.

As others saw Ray, a lone man, following right up to the gates, they all immediately assumed he was another one of Lady Erina's crazed fans.

As Ray came closer, one massive knight, bored and looking for a way to let off steam, decided to bully him.

He stepped in front of Ray, blocking his path, his hand already on his weapon.

"Stop there, lover boy," the knight sneered, a cruel glint in his eyes. "This isn't a place you can just come and go. Best turn around before things get messy."

Ray stopped, his gaze sharp. "Lover boy! What do you mean?"

The knight shook his head, pushing Ray hard in the chest with his gauntleted hand.

"Trying to be over smart? Let me teach you a lesson about respecting the Temple." The knight raised his hand, intending to land a sharp slap across Ray's face.

Ray was instantly ready to retaliate, his instincts surging, but before he could move, a sharp, womanly voice cut through the air, filled with authority.

"Stop! What do you think you are doing here?"

Ray turned to see the only woman Vice-Captain of the group, Lora, standing before him. The bullying knight's body shuddered immediately.

"Vice-Captain Lora!" he stammered, his hand dropping.

"This—this guy is another fanatic of Captain Erina. He wants to enter, so I was stopping him."

He lied quickly, hoping Lora wouldn't notice he was about to brutalize an unarmed civilian.

Lora looked at Ray with burning eyes, scrutinizing him from head to toe. Her expression was cold and judgmental.

She was about to speak, about to order the man arrested, but she was too slow.

Just as the knight finished his lie, Ray moved. It was a casual, unhurried motion, but the power behind it was immense.

Ray slapped the knight across the cheek. The sound echoed across the yard, sharp and loud.

The knight, built like an ox, didn't just stumble; he fell straight to the ground, unconscious before he hit the dirt.

Silence descended upon the yard. Every knight, including the imposing Lora, was shocked.

A mere civilian had just casually knocked out one of their own, right at the gates of their stronghold.

Ray straightened his clothes and spoke in a stern, utterly calm tone. He looked directly at the stunned Vice-Captain. "When did I say I was some fanatic?"

He brushed his hands together, removing the invisible dust from the contact with the knight.

"Now," Ray continued, his voice ringing with dangerous confidence, "Can I see your captain?"

Lora fumed with anger. Her face was red as she swung her hand in a vicious slap at Ray's head.

But before her hand even came close, he moved, his head swaying just enough to effortlessly dodge contact with her.

He took a short step back and commented, a light, teasing laugh in his voice.

"I didn't think that every person I met from the Temple would be this hot-tempered," Ray said.

He chuckled again as Lora roared and launched a furious barrage of quick, clumsy strikes.

He kept sidestepping, ducking, and weaving, his movements so minimal they made Lora look clumsy and enraged.

Lora's embarrassment boiled over into blind fury. She was a Vice-Captain of an elite squad, yet she couldn't lay a single finger on this mocking civilian. "Stop right there!" she yelled, her voice straining.

The fact that he was laughing while dodging made her humiliation more complete.

The watching knights, who had been closing in, were now completely alerted. They exchanged wide-eyed glances, seeing their Vice-Leader unable to even touch this strange man.

Their confusion was shifting to alarm—this was clearly not a harmless fanatic.

Ray, who was genuinely enjoying the simple game of evasion, suddenly his face went serious.

The amusement vanished from his eyes. He stopped laughing and instantly jumped a few steps back.

A sword made a sharp, whistling cutting sound as it sliced through the air, right at the exact spot Ray's body had been moments before.

The attack was swift, silent, and meant to harm him.

The attacker was a thin man, another Vice-Leader of the Gama Squad, his face stone-cold, glaring at Ray.

Ray looked from the sword to the man, his expression utterly cold.

"To attack someone unarmed with a sword, it seems the rumors of the Temple being filled with corrupted people who bully and murder are right," Ray joked, his voice perfectly level, mocking the man's supposed honor.

He spoke about the very rumor he had started, watching with satisfaction as the Vice-Leader's face darkened further.

"You dare!" the man shouted, raising his sword higher, prepared to launch a full, lethal attack and put an end to this audacious claim.

But the sword stayed raised.

The man froze, his body rigid. The noise and low chatter of the surrounding knights died instantly as he had sensed Captain Erina standing just behind him.

Every eye in the yard snapped to the beautiful, imposing woman. She was a figure of authority, radiating a powerful, controlled holy aura that commanded respect and silence.

Her eyes, filled with a glacial, calculating fury, were fixed solely on Ray. She hadn't said a word, yet her presence was absolute.

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