kingnovel Chapter 449 - 374: New Intelligence and the "Holy Light Dog
Chapter 449 - 374: New Intelligence and the "Holy Light Dog
Raylo went to his study. After handling official business for nearly two hours, Marlin appeared at the doorway.
"Lord."
Marlin bowed.
"There’s no need for formalities, Master Marlin,"
Raylo said.
"A small problem has come knocking, Mr. Marlin. Have you ever heard of the ’Holy Light Dog’?"
Marlin’s body stiffened, and his face instantly turned deathly pale.
"Valerius,"
Marlin said.
"That is the Holy See’s loyal hound, the best at tracking and torture. Even within the Holy See itself, he is a notoriously vicious executioner."
Raylo nodded.
"Master Marlin, you should go hide in the Giant Dragon Realm for a few days. I already have a plan to deal with this matter."
Raylo walked to the window and whistled at the three figures chasing each other playfully in the courtyard.
A white shadow flashed, and Moonlight appeared silently at his feet. It rubbed its head against his pant leg, its pale golden eyes filled with inquiry.
"Moonlight, I need you to do me a favor."
Raylo bent down and scratched its soft chin.
Moonlight tilted its head.
Raylo turned to Moonlight.
"Help me turn Master Marlin into a Hill Giant."
Moonlight gave a lazy yawn, as if it thought this was a piece of cake.
It raised its paw and waved it at Marlin.
A halo of silver light instantly enveloped Marlin.
In the light, his tall, thin frame began to swell and distort. His bones made a sickening cracking sound, and his skin rapidly keratinized, turning a rocky, grayish-brown.
In just a few breaths’ time, a ten-meter-tall Hill Giant with gnarled muscles, exuding a savage aura, had taken Marlin’s original place.
His massive body even punched a hole through the ceiling, sending wood splinters and dust raining down.
"Very good."
Raylo nodded in satisfaction, very pleased with the result.
He took the *Life Secret Scripture* from his Space Ring and handed it to the dumbfounded Marlin, who was now a Giant.
"Take this and go stay in the Giant Dragon Realm for a while. No matter how long the Holy See’s reach is, it can’t extend into the Giant Dragon Realm."
Marlin—no, Hill Giant Marlin now—clumsily extended a rock-like palm and carefully took the small book, which was a complete mismatch for his size. He nodded heavily and forced out two words in a booming, muffled voice.
"Thank you."
After arranging for Marlin’s departure, Raylo immediately summoned one of his Personal Guards.
"Take a squad of Griffin Knights."
Raylo handed the Personal Guard a Mage Robe that Marlin had changed out of, along with a book cover imbued with the aura of the *Life Secret Scripture*.
"You will depart for the Jade Swamp at once. Remember, your safety comes first. Throw these two items into the swamp—the deeper the better—and then return immediately. Leave no trace."
The Personal Guard took the items without asking a single question, his eyes firm.
"As you command, Lord!"
The Jade Swamp, the Nine-headed Demon Serpent, the imminent descent of a Catastrophe Level Demon Head incarnation...
’The "Holy Light Dog" is about to track a "fugitive" carrying the aura of the *Life Secret Scripture* and dive headfirst into a forbidden death zone where a Catastrophe Level monster is about to appear. What a show. Too bad there won’t be an audience.’
Having dealt with the most troublesome matter, Raylo’s gaze turned to something more distant.
’Seagull Port, Seagull Port.’
The lives of countless civilians, and a bustling port city, would all be wiped out in three days.
This was a disaster.
Raylo wasn’t prepared to, nor did he currently have the ability to, quell this disaster, but he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing either.
"Someone, bring Scribe Evan here."
Soon, Scribe Evan hurried over.
"Lord."
"Evan, I want you to immediately arrange for a few groups of shrewd men to go to Seagull Port in the west, disguised as a merchant caravan,"
Raylo said.
"Once they arrive, they are to do nothing but spread a rumor. Tell everyone that Seagull Port has offended the king of the deep sea, and that an unprecedented tsunami will swallow the port in three days. The rumor must be spread as widely and as convincingly as possible. Make the residents of the port believe that the end is nigh, and urge them to flee as quickly as possible."
Although Evan was full of doubt, he knew that there was a deeper meaning behind every one of his Lord’s commands.
"Understood, Lord. I’ll see to it at once."
Evan accepted the order and departed, his steps hurried.
「The next morning.」
Raylo stood on the highest terrace of the castle, looking down at the awakening town below.
The marketplace was becoming bustling, smoke from cooking fires curled into the air, and everything seemed peaceful and full of life.
Beside him, Moonlight was lounging lazily on the stone railing, the tip of its tail tapping intermittently as it enjoyed a sunbath.
Suddenly, Moonlight’s ears twitched alertly. Its pale golden eyes, which had been half-closed, snapped open, the pupils narrowing into a dangerous vertical slit.
Its gaze locked onto a figure in the marketplace below.
Raylo followed its gaze.
It was a man, exceedingly ordinary in appearance. He wore faded gray linen clothes, was of medium build, and blended into the crowd without drawing any attention, like a pebble tossed casually onto a pile of sand.
He was at a bread stall, carefully selecting a loaf of rye bread, his expression no different from any other traveler trying to make a living.
But he had none of the aura of a powerful expert, not even the slightest trace. He was as calm as a pool of stagnant water.
’The Holy Light Dog, Valerius.’
Raylo was impressed. This hound of the Holy See was truly skilled, not revealing even a hint of his Domain Level aura.
Moonlight let out an extremely low, almost inaudible, threatening growl from its throat, but was soothed when Raylo gently placed a hand on the back of its neck.