143 FOUND BY A SEER
"I understand you've gathered to hunt this so-called Demon of Gullee," Sakema interjected, her tone questioning. "But why meet here? Is the Demon even in this area?"
Kaledon smirked. "That's precisely why we're holding your sister captive. She's part of his team."
The revelation sent a ripple of shock through the room.
"Petunia, why are you with him?" Ananda pressed.
"Because we attend the same academy, you idiot," Petunia shot back. "Of course we'd group up!"
Knekis stepped forward hesitantly. "It's true. Petunia, Leo, and I are all students at the Sodom City Academy of Magic."
"Petunia, how could you associate with a demon?" Sakema accused, turning on her sister.
"Shut up!" Petunia snapped. "Lilleo Gullee is not a demon!"
"Your words alone doesn't explain he's not a demon!" Sakema accused.
Petunia rolled her eyes. "Lilleo Gullee broke through in his magic tier at the Tome Arena in front of hundreds. How could a demon achieve something like that in a sacred place?"
The crowd murmured uncertainly.
"Yes, I was witness to that", someone noted.
"But his strength is far beyond that of a normal mage, we witnessed his viciousness," another objected.
"That's because you're weak, and he's a genius," Petunia retorted. "Ask Knekis if you doubt me."
All eyes turned to Knekis, putting him on the spot.
"I did suspect him once," Knekis admitted reluctantly. "I even brought the Assassin Guild to investigate him. They confirmed he isn't a demon."
"So, is he a demon or not?" someone from the crowd asked.
"Are we here to hunt him or not?"
Petunia stood firm. "Lilleo Gullee isn't here to defend himself, and everything you're saying is baseless speculation. You're calling him a demon because you lost to him in a fair fight. That's the truth."
Yun-Yun glanced at Leo. "She's defending you passionately. Still think she's a traitor?"
Leo's gaze softened. "No. She's not a traitor. And we won't betray her either."
"All this discussion is meaningless until Lilleo Gullee shows up," Kaledon interrupted. "Once he's here, we'll confirm the truth for ourselves."
"It would be a waste of our time to wait for him if he's not a demon," someone asked.
"It's a waste of our adventuring time", another added.
"Well, even if he's not a demon, he killed so many of our brothers and sisters. He must pay", Ananda added, and the crowd murmured among themselves.
Leo did make many enemies by showing the jars containing the heads of the players that he 'kill stole' in the swamp. Although he might not have killed them directly, there was no escaping the role of a villain here.
"And how are you so sure he'll come?" Jarvis asked Kaledon.
Kaledon smirked. "Because we have Petunia. He'll come to rescue her."
"What?" Sakema feigned outrage. "You're holding my sister hostage to lure out a demon?"
"No harm will come to her, I assure you," Kaledon replied smoothly. "As long as she behaves."
------
"What are those tentacles wrapped around Petunia?" Leo asked, his eyes narrowing.
"They're not from a spell," Yun-Yun replied, studying the scene. "That's the work of a magic artifact."
Leo focused, analyzing the magic codes surrounding Petunia. Sure enough, an artifact was binding her.
"Can you disable the artifact?" Yun-Yun asked.
"I can try, but she's too far away. My coding magic won't reach her from here," Leo admitted, frustrated.
"Then bring her closer," Yun-Yun suggested.
"How exactly? Yell at them to move her closer?" Leo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You know that's not practical. Think of something else," Yun-Yun replied, shooting him a pointed look.
After a moment's thought, Leo sent a message through the team system to Petunia.
Leo: Can you move closer to the wall on your right?
Petunia: What? Why?
Leo: I'll try to break the fucking tentacles.
Petunia: Fine, I'll try.
Petunia glanced toward the wall, subtly adjusting her position while keeping up appearances slowly inching towards the wall despite her restrains.
-----
"We can't just sit here indefinitely waiting for the Demon of Gullee to show up. Our time in this realm is limited—there are treasures to find!" someone shouted impatiently.
"Calm down, we have a solution," Ananda said, raising his hand to quiet the unrest.
"What solution, other than waiting?"
Before Ananda could respond, Sakema entered the ruined cathedral with a new group of people.
"There it is," Ananda said with a satisfied smirk. "The solution has arrived."
Among Sakema's entourage was a blind man with a solemn expression.
"I've brought a Seer," Sakema announced to the gathering. "He will locate the Demon of Gullee for us."
Leo and Yun-Yun exchanged alarmed glances.
"A Seer?" Leo muttered. "Like Madame La Rosa's seer?"
"It's possible," Yun-Yun replied, her voice tense. "Seers have unique abilities—some can track people. If this one is powerful enough, he might be able to find you."
"Damn it," Leo whispered, clenching his fists.
Ananda stepped forward and gestured to the coffin he had brought. With a flourish, he opened it, revealing Agathae's dead body.
"What's he doing with the corpse?" Kaledon asked, frowning.
"The Seer can sense the presence of the one who killed Agathae," Sakema explained. "Through this connection, he can track the Demon of Gullee."
The crowd watched in silence as the Seer placed his hands on Agathae's body. His blind eyes glowed faintly, and a hush fell over the cathedral.
Moments later, the Seer spoke, his voice low but resonant. "I sense the presence of the killer. He is within 100 meters of this place."
The crowd gasped, their faces a mixture of shock and fear.
"What? The Demon of Gullee is already here?" someone shouted as weapons were drawn, tension in the room escalating rapidly.
The players spread out across the cathedral, scouring every corner in search of Leo. Yet, they found nothing. Hidden within the cracks of the walls, Leo remained undetected. His invisibility cloak made him nearly impossible to spot, even with their diligent search.
"We've searched every inch of the cathedral, and there's no sign of Lilleo Gullee," one of the guards reported to Kaledon.
"Where the hell could he be?" Kaledon bellowed, frustration etched on his face.