12 O’Clock Marionette

There was a significant presence of people inside.

With my senses fully open as I descended, the details became clearer.

Deep within, there were also a considerable number of highly skilled dark magicians.

“……They’ve really gone all out.”

But that wasn’t the only problem.@@novelbin@@

I pulled out the communicator from my coat and checked inside.

However, just like before, I couldn’t pinpoint Gavotte’s location.

Even though I had already scouted most of the area on my previous visit.

Well, they did say that no one would know Gavotte was there for thirty minutes, so it was unlikely he was being held in an exposed location.

I needed someone who knew the temple well.

Meeting Dylan would have been convenient, but would Nigellia have really left him alone?

“…….”

I pulled my hood further down and hesitated before removing my hand from the iron door.

Instead, I headed further down—to the underground prison.

If there were any secret investigators infiltrating the cult, they would likely know more about hidden spaces than I did.

However.

“Damn it, it's empty.”

The only thing left in the iron-barred cell was bloodstains.

Whether they were dead, escaped, or taken away by someone else, there was no answer.

But ultimately, it was a waste of time.

There were no shortcuts left.

Suppressing my frustration, I returned to the iron door and opened it.

“…….”

Just as I had sensed earlier, the room was filled with people.

At least they didn’t immediately attack, as I had braced myself for.