There’s Absolutely No Problem With The Magic Cards I Made!

As for why Dekan arrived in the town five days after the Grand Priest went missing, it had to do with the terrain of the town.

The town's terrain was treacherous, with a massive cliff of a hundred meters separating it from the city-state. Crossing the bridge would take only a few hours to reach the city-state from the town. However, taking the longer route would involve a precarious mountain path, requiring about two days to reach the city-state.

So, when the townspeople discovered the disappearance of Grand Priest Kevin and the destruction of the bridge, the town's knights quickly set off for the city-state. However, it took them a full two whole days to successfully convey the situation.

Dekan, dispatched by the church, also took two days to reach the town.

After listening to the mayor's account, Dekan couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled. He didn't know how the Holy Ritual Church judged the severity of the "disappearance of the Grand Priest" and the "destruction of the bridge." Was sending only him to investigate underestimating the gravity of the situation?

Of course, Dekan knew the background story of the Shadow World and was certain that there would be further complications. However, the Holy Ritual Church was unaware of this crucial plot twist.

"Could you take me to see the destroyed bridge, please?" Dekan asked.

"Follow me," the mayor replied.

At Dekan's request, the mayor led him to the cliff not far from the town to observe.

Even before reaching the edge of the cliff, Dekan could feel the strong visual impact of looking down a hundred meters into the abyss.

He carefully examined the destroyed bridge.

Although it appeared as if it had been destroyed from the middle, a closer analysis revealed that the breakage did not seem to be caused by physical attacks. Instead, it seemed that someone standing on one side of the bridge had used powerful magic to destroy the central part, causing it to collapse gradually.

It seemed like someone wanted to prevent the people of the town from establishing quick contact with the city-state.

Dekan seemed unsatisfied with just observing from a distance. He took a few steps towards the edge of the precipice, until he was standing on the brink.

"Be careful!" The mayor wasn't worried about Dekan himself, but simply didn't want the priest to get into trouble in the town.

Dekan just wanted to confirm his favorite high-altitude terrain.

Looking down below the cliff, apart from the steep natural rock walls and sparse vegetation, there were only narrow paths on both sides of the cliff, with a swift current occupying the center.

If one were to accidentally fall, they might not necessarily die, but they would definitely be at the mercy of the river's current.

Dekan took a step back from the edge of the cliff, looking pensive. He found the presence of the rushing river quite bothersome, as it made the terrain too difficult to navigate. If there were rocks or even spikes beneath the mountain cliff, it would have been much better.

"Can this bridge be repaired?" Dekan asked the mayor.

"We've informed the knights we sent to the city-state and they've also notified the bridge repair contractors. However, the contractors on the bridge side said they might need to come here to inspect the situation further. They should be arriving in town today at the latest," the mayor explained.

Just as the mayor spoke, there seemed to be some commotion coming from the forest on the opposite bank. Soon, Dekan and the mayor saw a large convoy of carriages appearing on the other side of the cliff. Apart from a few guards, the rest were engineers and workers. They seemed like a professional engineering team. They had brought along manpower and various materials, seemingly ready to start work at any moment.

Next, the two individuals at the head of the group, riding a small wyvern, flew across the chasm to the town.

"Why didnt I get this kind of treatment?" Dekan couldn't help but quip.

"Hah, does the church usually provide you with a flying wyvern for special occasions like this?" the mayor retorted, not hiding his disdain for Dekan.

It was evident that this flying wyvern held significant value. If it weren't for a special purpose, they wouldn't easily deploy it.

The two individuals landing from the wyvern were a middle-aged man and a rather ordinary-looking guard. The middle-aged man was most likely the head engineer who had come to carefully inspect the bridge's situation. He would also provide an estimate based on the assessment, sign a contract with the mayor, and collect a deposit.

The mayor's face lit up with a rare smile at the sight of the engineer. Then, he turned to Dekan and asked, "Mr. Priest, would you mind stepping aside for a moment?"

Dekan furrowed his brow beneath the mask. He had already made quite a few concessions. If Cornelia were here, he would have tied this mayor up and made him repent in the church.

"The bridge is related to my investigation task. The engineer's analysis of the bridge may help me deduce the truth, so please allow me to continue accompanying you," Dekan replied.

"Then let's go together," the mayor said with an imperceptible hum in his voice, then added nonchalantly, "Mr. Priest, if there's anything I can assist you with, please feel free to command." 𝔣𝖗𝖊𝖊𝖜𝔢𝔟𝔫𝔬𝖛𝖊𝔩.𝖈𝖔𝔪

The engineer, on the other hand, was very friendly and respectful towards Dekan, despite the priest's rather... peculiar appearance. Since the mayor didn't question anything, it was clear that this was a legitimate priest. After all, no one dared to easily impersonate a clergyman of the Holy Ritual Church.

Dekan noticed a momentary surprise in the eyes of the guard beside the engineer when they saw him. It seemed like they had realized that this [Red Center Mask] was not a product of this world, but a magical card.

Even though it was just a slight flicker of emotion, Dekan caught it. He was quite sure that the guard was a challenger. The guard could have concealed the emotions in his eyes. However, perhaps because of Dekan's current outrageous appearance, the guard momentarily lost composure.

The engineer quickly completed the assessment of the bridge's condition and proposed a price of 300 Holy Gold coins to the mayor. The mayor decisively handed over 100 Holy Gold coins as a deposit.

Just as the engineer was preparing to return to the other end of the bridge with the guard, Dekan suddenly asked, "I've noticed the old church also needs repairs. Could you please accompany me to take a look?"

"No problem, Mr. Priest," the engineer replied amiably.

So, led by Dekan, the four of them proceeded to the church together. Under the mask, Dekan's lips gradually curled into a hidden smile. He had gathered almost all the crucial information; it was time to act.

The 100 Holy Gold coins could be considered decent operational funds, enough to smoothly advance his mission in the city-state. Additionally, he could "borrow" that flying wyvern and quickly reach the city-state to find Cornelia.

As everyone entered the church, Dekan immediately closed the door and used [Hypnosis Gas.] He held his breath before placing his hand inside his mask to cover his mouth and nose. He intended to incapacitate the other three in the room as quickly as possible.

However, to his surprise, Dekan found that the guard was also adept at covering his mouth and nose! What's more...

He had also used a [Hypnosis Gas] card!

Their movements were surprisingly synchronized, as if they had the same modus operandi!

There was no doubt in Dekan's mind that the [Hypnosis Gas] card in the guard's hands was also his creation. He had only sold this card in his hometown!

Although the guard had disguised himself in appearance, Dekan already knew who he was!