Hearing the High Priest's voice, the sphinx Inca's expression shifted. He turned sideways, casting his gaze toward "Aska" — silently pointing out that it was this one who had disciplined the low-ranking Tomb Guardian, while also quietly creating distance so as not to be punished alongside him.
"Aska" was, of course, Lucian now. He had deliberately chosen this corridor and this exact spot to collide with the "Gatekeeper" so that their concern over the surveillance Magic Circle would force them to drag him to some remote corner for "discipline," giving himself ample time and a suitable environment to shapeshift.
At the end of the corridor, a High Priest turned the corner — its entire body, including four shaggy legs, wrapped in black burial cloth. It was the very one standing guard beside the "Gate of the Saint." Following Inca's gaze, its decaying, pitch-black eyes fixed on Lucian with cold indifference.
Did this fellow just get into a horrific carriage accident? Lucian grumbled inwardly, then lowered his head and put on an expression of fearful reverence: "High Priest, just now a Tomb Guardian was running rampant inside the mausoleum, violating the statutes ordained by the Priest of Divine Favour. After I caught him, he even talked back to me, so I couldn't help but teach him a lesson."
The High Priest's gaze swept over Lucian like something solid, icy and devoid of life, making one's skin crawl.
Lucian controlled his muscles to produce a faint trembling, then quickened his heartbeat ever so slightly — thump-thump, thump-thump — full of "unease."
After using its innate magic to carefully inspect the sphinx "Aska" before it and confirming that he was in order, the High Priest finally spoke: "You used Arcane Magic just now?"
The voice was flat and expressionless, as if its vocal cords had long since rotted away.
"He… he actually… fought back! I… I didn't… do it on… purpose!" Lucian stammered with feigned terror, feeling a small measure of relief inside. This is exactly why I wanted you to notice the magical fluctuation!
If he left Aska unconscious here, Helges would inevitably come looking for "Fehl" within ten or so minutes, and the whole affair would easily be exposed. He needed to bide his time before infiltrating the "Gate of the Saint," so he had to return "Fehl" to his post first.
That meant he had no choice but to use the "Malicious Transformation Spell" to turn Aska into "Fehl" — all while ensuring no high-ranking spellcaster noticed. As a high-ranking mage himself, it was nearly impossible for a Great Knight or mid-ranking caster to see through his shapeshifting.
During the earlier "exercise" of disciplining Aska, Lucian had employed two of the sphinx's innate abilities in succession to mask the Malicious Transformation Spell, carefully suppressing their fluctuations so that even Inca nearby hadn't sensed a thing — making himself appear to be a perfectly ordinary sphinx who simply couldn't contain his anger and used magic, then worried about being found out.
However, the magical fluctuations couldn't entirely escape detection by the arrays inside the mausoleum, and the on-duty High Priest had picked them up through the surveillance Magic Circle.
Fortunately, this was all part of Lucian's plan — because he needed an excuse to personally escort "Fehl" back.
The High Priest stared into Lucian's eyes as though it could peer through flesh and soul, "reading" from them panic, unease, and confusion — all perfectly "normal" emotions — along with a lingering trace of satisfaction and pleasure that had not yet faded.
"Aska, you have handled this matter very poorly. Unless there is an enemy invasion, you must never under any circumstances use Arcane Magic within the mausoleum. Once your shift guarding the 'Gate of the Saint' is over, come receive your lash punishment." The High Priest's voice drifted, flat and lifeless, utterly devoid of emotion or inflection — deeply unpleasant to hear, like facing a decayed ghost that should have died many years ago yet still haunted these tombs.
"Yes, High Priest." Lucian replied with "dejection and anguish." It seemed this High Priest was concerned that having two violations occur during his watch would earn him a reprimand before the Priest of Divine Favour, and so had opted for private punishment.
The High Priest continued in the same stiff, mechanical tone: "Take the law-breaking Tomb Guardian back to his squad and have his captain punish him. Tell his captain to come see me after the guard shift ends."
He couldn't very well leave an unconscious Tomb Guardian lying in the corridor, and the task of returning him naturally couldn't be entrusted to a distinguished High Priest — the Gatekeeper who had just committed an error was the perfect candidate.
"I obey your will," Lucian said, suppressing the elation in his heart.
Once the High Priest had returned to the "Gate of the Saint," Lucian shot Inca a look of "disdain and fury": "You cowardly scorpion-man — don't you dare speak to me again!"
Inca had actually felt a twinge of guilt and wanted to explain, but Lucian's attitude instantly whipped him into indignant rage. He let out a heavy snort: "Just wait until you're whipped!"
Having successfully destroyed the relationship between the two, Lucian no longer worried about his identity being exposed through conversation. He nearly hummed a tune as he rounded the corner, dragging "Fehl" back the way he had come.
…………
Outside the eerie hall lined with black coffins, Helges said in anger and confusion: "Aska, what have you done to my subordinate?"
Thud — Lucian tossed "Fehl" into the hall and snorted: "Helges, this damned subordinate of yours actually dared to defy me, so I gave him a thorough lesson — he won't be waking up for days!"
"Filthy scorpion-man! Only I may discipline my own subordinates!" Helges blazed with fury, stepping forward until his eyes were level with "Aska," barely a fist's length apart.
"Helges, and what if I did? Do you dare make a move? Ha ha, let me tell you — the High Priest wants you to report to him after your shift, and here you are letting your subordinate run wild inside the mausoleum!" Lucian laughed with triumphant smugness.
Helges' rage vanished instantly. Trembling slightly, he stammered: "What?"