With no other choice, Baron had to change his plan. He told the master craftsman to forge the gun barrel using Dwarf Fire Steel as originally planned.

The master craftsman said this would also take a few days, because Dwarf Fire Steel had recently become difficult to purchase in Fude City. He would need to wait a day or two for it.

Baron told him to hurry.

Michael promised to get it done as quickly as possible.

——

After leaving Michael’s Alchemy Workshop, Baron followed the Fude City map his attendant had given him and headed for the Blood Church in the West City District.

Along the way, he watched out for any shops bearing the Iron Thorn Gang’s insignia and deliberately avoided the streets and alleys they patrolled.

When he emerged from an alley, he found himself—perhaps by coincidence—right at the bridge pier where he had parted ways with the Little Nun.

Baron had intended to leave quickly, but as he crossed over the pier, he glanced down out of instinct.

His heart skipped a beat.

The Little Nun was still down below, waiting for him!

And she wasn’t alone. With her was a Blood Loss Knight in a dark-patterned shoulder cape—it was the very same man he had run into at the camp!

Though normally cautious, Baron didn’t have time to think. He leaped down from the pier in a single bound, pulling the oblivious Little Nun behind him for protection as his gaze swept over the Blood Loss Knight.

Seeing this, the Blood Loss Knight quickly raised his hands. "Don’t misunderstand! I was just looking for a pier to rest under and happened to find this nun here... I can leave."

Baron didn’t reply, but his eyes questioned the Little Nun. She quickly said, "Mr. L, I can vouch for him. This knight only asked me for some bread and wine..."

The Blood Loss Knight, feeling awkward at the end of Baron’s gun, rubbed his beard. "Alright, I admit I asked the nun for a bit of bread and wine.

You know how it is. A man like me has no connections in a big city like Fude City... and the prejudiced shopkeepers won’t..."

He added, "But I was going to pay the young nun! Here!"

He tossed two Copper Coins over. Baron caught them and, without a moment’s hesitation, pulled the Little Nun and turned to leave.

On the way to the Blood Church, Baron asked the Little Nun why she was still under the bridge. The Little Nun lowered her head and said, "I was worried you might have gotten into an accident, Mr. L..."

Baron sighed. "I’m a Demon Hunter. Even if I can’t win a fight, I can still run. You don’t need to worry so much."

"But..." the Little Nun stammered, "but you’re the only person I know in Fude City."

Baron’s heart was stirred. He gave a silent smile but said nothing more.

But as they reached a deserted bridge pier, he said coldly, "Stop hiding. Come on out."

As the Little Nun looked around in alarm at his words, the Blood Loss Knight from before poked his head out from under this new bridge pier.

"I’m just resting under the pier... I mean no harm..."

But Baron wasn’t indulging him this time. He pressed the muzzle of his gun firmly against the Knight’s protruding head and said in a low voice:

"Hey, Lord Knight. I’m sure you saw what I did this morning. Now you have two choices:"

"First, tell me who you really are and who sent you to follow us."

"Second, what is your purpose in following us."

The Blood Loss Knight felt the weight of the gun and looked into the man’s cold, knife-like eyes. He gave a roguish grin.

"Morey. My name is Morey. To be precise, I wasn’t trying to follow you, but the nun with you."

Just as the Little Nun’s face paled at his words and Baron was about to pull the trigger, Morey spoke again:

"I just wanted to ask the nun if I could beg her to let the Church put me up for a night... The hotels and inns around here won’t take me... I just want to take a bath and get a good night’s sleep..."

"Why her?" Baron asked. "There are plenty of nuns in Fude City. Why must you have her help?"

Morey, however, pointed to the black iron plate on his chest and said, "My knight’s insignia told me this young nun is a good person."

’A Taboo Item?’

Baron’s gaze lingered on the iron plate for a moment. "Why should we help you?"

In this world, Blood Loss Knights were symbols of misfortune. If the Little Nun helped Morey, she might be treated as an outcast herself.

Giving him bread and wine was a simple kindness; not getting further involved was the best thing for her.

"I’m willing to pay one Silver Coin," Morey said, pulling a coin from his tunic.

After a long moment of silence, Baron left the choice to Olivia.

Olivia said, "Two Silver Coins, Mr. Morey. And I can’t guarantee the Church will be willing to help you."

???

Baron shot her a surprised look.

But Morey readily agreed, handing over two Silver Coins. He tried to leap up to the bridge, but the gap was too wide, so he obediently went to take the stairs at the side instead.

To avoid being recognized as a Blood Loss Knight, Morey purposefully wrapped his shoulder cape around his neck like a scarf and pulled up his high collar to hide the Blood Pattern on his cheek.

He also deliberately kept his distance from Baron and Olivia, as if afraid of implicating them if he were recognized.

These two acts slightly improved Baron’s opinion of the Blood Loss Knight, even though he had clearly made his request knowing he could take advantage of the Little Nun’s good nature. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

But at least, among those who made demands, he was one of the more considerate ones.

Along the way, Baron asked the Little Nun why she had done that.

The Little Nun said in a low voice, "The God says that if others demand something of you, you should demand even more in return. In this way, you will not invite greed."

If Baron had previously harbored intense malice toward the Blood God—thanks to Mundra, Baron Camberra, and all the bizarre factions within the Blood Church—then this particular teaching from the Blood God made him reconsider, if only for a moment.

’So the Blood God is some kind of philosopher after all!’

’Then again, it makes sense. What kind of Ancient God gets sealed away the moment it’s born? With no time to cause trouble, its only option was to focus on ideological education to expand its flock.’

He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but Baron suddenly felt all the blood in his body tighten, a suffocating sensation like being coiled by a python, as if something terrifying had just glanced his way.

He immediately stopped his stray thoughts. They were almost at the Blood Church; the streetlights on this road were already adorned with the Church’s distinctive, long blood-red banners.

’It’s probably because of my own Blood Faction, and the fact that I’m in their domain,’ he thought.

They were still some distance from the Blood Church, its spire just visible in the distance, when Baron stopped and told the Little Nun to go on ahead.

The Little Nun asked why, surprised.

Baron looked off in a certain direction, his brow furrowing. "I have to take care of something."

Hearing this, the Little Nun didn’t press him, only whispering for him to be careful before she left.

Morey, who was blending into the crowd, started to follow the Little Nun, but Baron put out a hand to stop him. "You’re with me."

Morey said, "Why? Didn’t I make an agreement with the nun right in front of you...?"

"I don’t trust you."

Baron cut him off coolly. "Come with me."

Morey spread his hands in resignation and followed Baron as he twisted and turned into a deserted alley.

The two of them happened to be blocking the alley’s exit.

Baron said coolly, "Anyone else feel like leaving before we get started?"

Dead silence.

But Baron was in no hurry. He just stood there, waiting.

After a moment, a large group of men did indeed emerge from the corners on both sides of the alley. They were all Hunters from the Iron Thorn Gang.

Their leader was the same burly man he had seen with Savi previously, and with Ferdinand just today.

Baron’s heart sank. Logically, what Yalilan had done today should have made Ferdinand hesitate to act.

He never expected Ferdinand would dare to send people to tail him that very same afternoon.

It seemed the Iron Thorn Gang was even more powerful in Fude City than he had imagined.

He glanced at the Hunters behind the burly man, confirmed their numbers, and asked, "Is this all of you?"

Faraday replied, "It’s more than enough."

Baron nodded and waved a hand. "Alright, you can make your move."

A large net fell from above, ensnaring all the Demon Hunters behind Faraday.

It was electrified.