Chapter 465: The Trap

Helag chose an inn located just west of the Lord’s Manor, less than three kilometers away.

This area was much quieter and more expensive, akin to a wealthy district.

Helag didn’t mind the cost, as his spatial ring was filled with more gold coins than he could ever spend.

After settling in, he spent a few days wandering around Amy City, familiarizing himself with the area.

Exorcists were in high demand, and it was easy to find work.

Helag learned just how severe the demon problem was here.

Centered around Amy City were numerous small towns and human settlements.

Correspondingly, demons were drawn to these areas, with attacks occurring almost daily.

Ordinary people could handle weak demons, but stronger ones turned them into helpless prey.

In such cases, exorcists were the only defense.

Over the past few days, Helag had also strolled around the Lord’s Manor, observing without drawing attention.

He was mainly studying the manor’s layout.

Helag discovered that the captured wizard was held in a dungeon beneath the manor.

He initially planned to use Arrios’s absence to contact the wizard.

With his spatial teleportation ability, accessing the dungeon would be relatively easy.

However, Helag’s environmental scan revealed a hidden chamber next to the wizard’s cell.

The chamber’s door was so well concealed it appeared to be just a wall.

Even standing right in front of it, an ordinary person wouldn’t notice the door.

The chamber itself was unremarkable, but Helag detected someone inside, sitting motionless with eyes closed.

Upon closer inspection, this person looked exactly like Arrios—same height, build, and features, as if cast from the same mold.

“Didn’t Arrios leave?” Helag wondered.

He clearly remembered Arrios leaving Amy City with a group, including Jim, a few days ago.

They hadn’t returned yet, and the situation at Thousand Lakes Town wouldn’t be resolved quickly.

Moreover, it was at least a four-day journey between here and Thousand Lakes Town.

So who was the person in the dungeon’s hidden chamber?

Puzzled, Helag observed that the person seemed to be in a state of prolonged meditation, not moving at all.

But this was a living person, breathing.

After discovering this, Helag abandoned the idea of contacting the wizard.

It was clear that the dungeon was a trap, waiting for someone to fall into it.

The person in the hidden chamber, identical to Arrios, was likely lying in wait to see who would attempt to contact the wizard.

Helag quickly understood Arrios’s intentions.

By announcing the situation in the plaza, Arrios not only aimed to inform more people but also to test if there were any hidden allies in Amy City.

He deliberately spared the wizard, hoping someone would try to rescue him, allowing Arrios to deal with them all at once.

Had Helag not detected the hidden chamber through his environmental scan, he might have walked into the trap by trying to contact the wizard.

No wonder Arrios felt confident leaving—he had already set up a contingency plan.

Helag quietly left the vicinity of the Lord’s Manor, putting thoughts of the wizard aside for now.

He was only interested in gathering information.

If the wizard was part of the expedition team, it might be worth contacting him. But if he was part of Operation Cradle, there was no need.

The wizards involved in Operation Cradle likely knew less about this world than Helag did.

Helag only wanted to contact the expedition team’s wizards to find a way back to the wizard plane.

Since he wasn’t in a hurry to return, there was no need to take unnecessary risks.

Helag arrived at a bar called the Old Tree Tavern.

The tavern had a unique design, resembling a long-dead tree from the outside.

The bar was built inside the hollowed-out trunk, making it a well-known spot in Amy City.

Helag came here to gather information and take on tasks.

The Old Tree Tavern was a popular spot for exorcists, offering various tasks with decent rewards.

Many people looking to hire exorcists would come here to post their requests.

Upon entering, Helag drew a few glances before people returned to their drinks.

The tables were all made from tree stumps, fitting the rustic atmosphere.

Helag approached the bar, where a well-dressed young man was polishing glasses with a white cloth.

“Any interesting tasks available?” Helag asked directly.

The young man glanced at Helag and asked, “Exorcist?”

Helag nodded.

“I’m Tiva. Follow me,” the young man said, setting down the cloth and glass before leading Helag to a back room.

The room resembled an archive, with shelves filled with documents.

Tiva asked, “What kind of task are you looking for? Any specific requirements?”

“Something with lots of demons,” Helag replied.

Tiva chuckled, “Tasks with lots of demons are risky. I wouldn’t recommend them unless you’re strong enough.”

Tiva knew many exorcists wanted to kill more demons to quickly boost their strength.

Many novice exorcists were eager but lacked a clear understanding of their abilities.

Helag’s demonic aura was faint, leading Tiva to assume he was a novice.

“Don’t worry about that. Just show me what you’ve got,” Helag said.

Tiva nodded, respecting Helag’s choice.

“Here’s one. Guarding Fireland Ranch for three months, with a reward of twenty gold coins,” Tiva said, handing Helag a parchment.

Helag examined it closely.

Fireland Ranch was south of Amy City, home to many cattle, sheep, and horses, supplying meat and dairy products to the area.

The presence of so many animals attracted demons, causing significant losses to the ranch.

The ranch regularly hired exorcists for protection, making it a long-term task.

However, most exorcists didn’t stay long, as the number of demons was unpredictable.

Sometimes there were many, other times few—it all depended on luck.