Chapter 587: Anna's Whereabouts

So much time had passed that many people had already fled.

The execution squad of the Church of Pain was the first to run. Since Loren had made a move against the Battlefield Butcher, it meant Loren was hostile toward them.

They didn't dare gamble their lives on Loren's mercy.

The Bountiful followers, on the other hand, didn't flee. They simply watched Loren interrogate the Battlefield Butcher, feeling somewhat vindicated by the sight.

"I am the Perpetual Observer. I hope my teachings prove useful to you."

Loren retrieved Dull Light from the Battlefield Butcher's corpse, then took the scabbard of Bloody Battle as well.

As Bloody Battle slid into its sheath, the scabbard's shape shifted accordingly, conforming perfectly to the blade's edge.

As he spoke, Loren faced the Bountiful followers, and he also dispelled the illusion concealing his face.

In that moment, the Bountiful followers finally saw Loren's face.

"He... he's Loren!"

Someone in the crowd shouted, and the next moment, the Bountiful followers' army began to collapse in utter disarray.

They threw away everything weighing them down, including weapons and armor, all just to run faster.

"Yes, I'm Loren. If you can't remember the name Perpetual Observer, just call me Loren, or Master Mentor!"

Loren called out, his voice reaching everyone's ears like a death sentence.

No one knew better than the Bountiful followers how terrifying Loren was. The very hymn they now sang had been written by Loren himself.

"It's over."

Loren had single-handedly prevented a war, and he didn't think it was anything special. At the moment, he was admiring the newly acquired Bloody Battle.

He pressed the blade directly against his own wrist and dragged it across. Bloody Battle left no mark on his skin at all.

"What are you doing?"

After the battle ended, Veronica, who had been hiding close to Loren the entire time, finally revealed herself.

"Testing the blade. Right now, aside from being a bit harder than usual, this sword is no different from an ordinary one. It can't even break my defense."

Loren had spared the Battlefield Butcher many times, which effectively offset the bloodshed he had caused over such a long period, bringing Bloody Battle down to the level of a common sword.

"Its evolution is close, though."

Loren tilted the blade, and his own eyes reflected off its surface.

"Let's set out. We're going to find Anna and the others..."

Bloody Battle was sheathed, and both longswords hung at Loren's waist.

Loren was looking forward to seeing Anna again, and this time, he flew faster than ever before.

He shot past the routed army in an instant, reaching the God of Bountiful Harvest's territory ahead of them all.

Along the way, stragglers tried to plunder villages they passed, only to be burned to ashes by Loren with a flick of his hand.

Loren encountered many incidents like this, but he didn't stop flying. He simply tossed a few spells down as he went.

It wasn't until Veronica could barely keep up with his speed that Loren finally slowed down a bit.

And so, Loren flew all the way to the God of Bountiful Harvest's territory before finally landing.

When they touched down, Veronica's legs were trembling.

That wasn't her fault. This was the first time Loren had flown that fast while carrying someone.

"Rest for a bit. I'll go ask around for information about the Witches."

Loren rented a luxury hotel. Veronica couldn't hold on any longer, but with only one step separating him from seeing Anna and the others, Loren had no intention of stopping.

Based on Loren's understanding of Anna, she wouldn't stay quiet after learning of his death.

She was the most sensible of them all, but her personality was also the most extreme, and once she turned dark, she was the most vicious of all.

It wouldn't even be strange if she slaughtered a few cities on the spot.

Loren was also praying, hoping that Anna still remembered his teachings, that she wouldn't kill innocent victims, and that her blade would only target the wicked.

...

This was a medium-sized kingdom bordering the Gedlan Kingdom. If Loren traveled at full speed, it wouldn't take long to return to Gedlan.

But Loren wasn't certain Anna and the others were there. To avoid a wasted trip, he planned to gather information in advance.

So Loren came to the Guild, which was also the adventurers' hideout. Adventurers could accept quests and gather intelligence here.

The moment Loren walked in, he headed straight for the reception desk. Adventurers didn't have obvious rank divisions, but there were still differences in reputation.

However, even if some nobody came here, they wouldn't be looked down upon. After all, adventurers were just playing make-believe; people with real ability had all joined the Church.

"How can I help you?"

The Guild receptionist asked with a smile as Loren studied the quests posted on the wall, already sorted by difficulty.

At the very top, in large letters, was "Subjugate the Witch." This quest had been placed at the highest position, so high that you couldn't even reach its wooden placard without climbing up on something.

"I'll take that quest. Subjugate the Witch."

Loren's words instantly drew everyone's attention. Some looked at him with admiration, others with fear, and some thought he was overestimating his abilities.

"This... are you sure? This Witch turned the Gedlan Kingdom into a dead city, single-handedly...

"And besides, she's Loren's Witch. You know, that Master of Witches Loren. Surely you've heard the news of Loren's resurrection, right?

"Even if you're strong enough to kill the Witch by some miracle, Loren won't let you get away with it..."

Hearing someone sing his praises didn't make Loren happy. His attention was fixed on something else entirely.

She said the Witch had single-handedly turned the Gedlan Kingdom into a dead city...

"What's the Witch's name?"

Clutching at his last shred of hope, Loren asked for the name.

She had already said the Witch belonged to Loren, so asking the name was somewhat meaningless. But he had to know.

"Her name is Anna... No one who went to subjugate her ever came back alive... She annihilated the Gedlan Kingdom's Church, slaughtered the reinforcements the Church sent afterward, and the people, driven by fear, all fled the Gedlan Kingdom..."

Hearing this, Loren actually breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Anna hadn't laid hands on the innocent, that was fine. As for those Church people? They had it coming.

"Alright. I'll take this quest."

Loren curled his finger, and the "Subjugate the Witch" placard was delivered into his hand by vines that had sprouted from who-knows-where.

The others saw this and didn't try to persuade him further, but Loren could read the meaning in their eyes. They thought the Gedlan Kingdom was about to gain another corpse.

"Sir, we admire your courage, so we'd like to invite you to join our adventuring party."

As Loren was about to leave, a young man called out to him.

Loren followed the voice and spotted a picture-perfect isekai-style adventuring party: a righteous knight captain, a young female mage, a young female priest, and a burly blacksmith holding a shield.

"We're planning to subjugate the Witch too. After that, we'll take down Loren and become the strongest adventurers in the whole world!"

The young man's voice was brimming with confidence, as if he could already see the day he'd achieve glory.

The next moment, everything changed in an instant. Loren grabbed him by the throat, and with his other hand, pressed Bloody Battle against the young man's heart. The girl who rushed over to help was sent flying by a single kick from Loren.

"Pathetic weakling."

Loren sheathed Bloody Battle, hurled the young man out of the Guild, and the blade hadn't even made a sound.