Chapter 272

Chapter 259: The Carriage

In the Church District of Northern Tivyán, at the Historical Records Office.

Kock sat in his office, wiping the sweat from his brow as he read the letter before him. Despite this, the coldness that had gripped him seemed impossible to dispel.

At this moment, Kock’s heart was racing uncontrollably, panic almost overwhelming his mind. He was forcing himself to remain calm.

After taking a deep breath, Kock managed to steady himself slightly and stared at the letter.

‘It has been discovered… I have actually been discovered! d*mn it, what went wrong? Who found me? And there were more than one person!’

Kock clenched his fists, trying to recall where his plan had gone awry, but he could not think of any reason. Reluctantly, he turned his thoughts back to the current situation.

‘No matter what, since this letter is here, my actions have certainly been exposed. There’s no doubt about it. Regardless of who I leaked it to, I am now in danger. I must leave immediately before the Tribunal arrives!’

Although leaving now was not part of his original plan, he could not wait any longer…

With these thoughts, Kock crumpled the letter and stuffed it back into his pocket. He then stood up and walked towards the office door. After opening it, he entered the main hall of the Historical Records Office and made his way directly to the exit. A cleric called out to him,

“Deacon Kock, are you going out?”

“Haha, yes, there are still some formalities to complete at the library. I need to go take care of them. I will be right back,” he replied with a smile. Then, he quickly navigated through the bustling hall.

After exiting the Historical Records Office, Kock hurriedly traversed a series of corridors, descended stairs, and entered the square within the Church District. Winding through the ordinary citizens who had come to pray, he headed down a quieter path.

There were many ways to enter or exit the Church District, but the most convenient was the main gate. From there, one could immediately catch a taxi and leave swiftly, though the guard presence was strong.

Kock could not determine if the guards had received news about him, and the main gate was heavily monitored. Therefore, he dared not use it. Once he left the square, he slipped into a small alley, choosing a relatively secluded route out of the Church District.

After walking briskly for a while in the deserted alley, Kock finally exited the Church District and arrived on a cobblestone path. Since it was not a major road, it was sparsely populated, and there were no carriages in sight.

‘I need to find a carriage on the main road…’

As he looked at the quiet scene on the path, Kock thought to himself. Just as he was about to leave, the sound of hooves echoed from around a distant corner. A black taxi appeared in the distance. Seeing this, Kock’s eyes lit up. There was a carriage, and he felt lucky.

Without hesitation, Kock waved to the carriage. The driver saw him and promptly pulled the reins, stopping the horse.

“Respected Cleric, where would you like to go?”

In a respectful tone, the young driver wearing the standard uniform asked politely. Kock responded immediately,

“West District, Red Brier Road.”

“West District? Alright, sir, please get in,” the driver replied. Hearing this, Kock quickly opened the door and got into the carriage. As soon as he closed the door, the carriage started moving away from the Church District. Watching the scenery blur past the window, Kock breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Phew… Now that I’ve left the Church District, I’m temporarily safe. The immediate priority is to reach their hideout and inform them of the situation.

‘To sum up, the Church is no longer a place I can stay. I must consider officially joining them. This was originally a future plan, but it’s a pity.’

Sitting in the carriage, Kock thought. In his original plan, he was supposed to continue hiding within the Church, working with the society he secretly contacted outside to steal more benefits from within, and only leave the Church to join the society at the last moment. However, due to this unexpected turn of events, all these plans had to be accelerated.

‘But fortunately, the target of this operation has already been secured. I am bringing something to them, so they should grant me a good position.’

Feeling the hard object in his robe, Kock thought. The secret transmission he had stolen could be considered his admission ticket. He hoped that by presenting this document, he could gain more advantages in the new society.

Thus, amidst Kock’s continuous contemplation, the carriage continued its journey. However, he did not notice that the carriage had never reached the main road, instead navigating through various winding alleys. Moreover, the number of people around them decreased steadily.

Kock, who had spent years doing academic research in the Church District, rarely ventured out. When he realized the surroundings were problematic, the carriage had already driven into a long, dilapidated alley with very few people around.

‘The main road hasn’t been reached yet. This carriage is problematic…’

“Stop! I’ll get off here.”

Without asking the driver anything further, Kock spoke directly. The driver immediately slowed down and stopped the carriage.

“Alright, then let’s stop here. Please walk safely, sir.”

The driver responded with a hat tip, and Kock stretched out his hand to open the door and prepare to step out.

‘This carriage seems suspicious. I must get out quickly; otherwise, I might end up in a trap…’

Before Kock could fully open the door, a sharp blade emerged from beneath the wooden seat, stabbing at his back. In the confined space, Kock couldn’t dodge in time and was stabbed through the back. He involuntarily let out a cry.

Kock did not expect that the carriage itself was the trap, not leading him to one.

‘There’s someone under the seat… Why didn’t I notice!’

In that instant, Kock’s eyes widened. He used his hand to forcefully strike the blade that had pierced his back, knocking the attacker’s hand away. Then, he grabbed the handle, gritted his teeth, and pulled the kn*fe out. He then covered the wound with his hand, and a bright orange glow appeared, rapidly stopping the bleeding and healing the wound.

Kock attempted to open the door again and leave the carriage, but the driver sitting in front suddenly whipped the reins, accelerating and urging the horse forward. The momentum caused Kock, who had been stabbed in the back, to fall backward onto the carriage floor. Seizing this opportunity, three or four burly figures lunged out from under the seats, pinning Kock down and restraining him. His mouth was also covered.

Trapped, Kock struggled and cried out, using all his strength to break free from the restraints. It seemed he might succeed, as his strength was surprisingly great. Under his struggle, the four people inside the carriage momentarily could not hold him down.

However, just as Kock was about to break free, three of the four forces binding him suddenly intensified, pressing him back down. Taking advantage of this, a pair of powerful hands emerged, grabbing Kock’s head and twisting it violently. With a crack, Kock’s neck was snapped, and he lost consciousness, his body going limp.