Cain and the injured Number Four left together, while Brad and Catherine continued with their tasks according to Cain's plan.
Although Number Four had been injured, Cain ultimately did not launch any attack against him. This unconsciously increased, little by little, the trust Number Four felt toward Cain, even if that trust seemed insignificant.
During the return journey, neither of them spoke.
Eliminating Number Two had brought them considerable benefits. Although some unexpected issues had arisen during the process, overall everything had gone relatively smoothly—so smoothly, in fact, that Number Four now began to feel a faint but hard-to-suppress unease, worried that his actions might be discovered.
Two nights later would be the time to meet again. If they could get past that hurdle, they would basically have no further problems.
"Are you sure we didn't leave any traces?" Number Four suddenly asked, just to be sure.
Cain's tone did not change. Pretending to be impatient, he waved his hand and said, "Since when did you become so cowardly?"
Faced with Cain's slightly mocking remark, Number Four showed no anger at all. In his eyes, he and Cain were already tied to the same rope. The fact that Cain had not taken advantage of his weakened state to attack him brought him a sense of relief, further reinforcing his belief that the two of them were in the same boat.
"Actually... if we want to clear ourselves of suspicion, there is a very effective method. It's just that I don't know whether you still have the strength, the courage, and the determination to do it," Cain said again, with a faint hint of excitement and a trace of provocation in his voice.
"Hm?" Number Four was instinctively surprised when he heard this.
These days, Bartram's boldness had increased considerably, which, for now, did not seem like a bad thing. However, he had no idea what method Cain had in mind.
Beneath the thin layer of psychic power, Cain's face revealed a smile filled with mockery.
"If we attack that lord's subordinates, we'll be the first ones suspected. Moreover, we're the closest to Number Two's territory, and I don't have the strength to defeat him on my own..."
Cain stopped halfway through the sentence, but the meaning was clear: since they were closer and Cain could not eliminate Number Two by himself, Number Four would inevitably be implicated in the suspicions. If someone investigated carefully, they might even find some clues.
Upon hearing this, an expression of anger appeared on Number Four's face. Although Cain's words were not wrong, he could not help but feel that he had fallen into a trap.
Seen this way, the fact that Cain had not attacked him when his strength was diminished also had an explanation.
"Hmph... It seems you want to have me completely under your control," Number Four said coldly. The slight trust that had begun to form toward Cain completely dissipated.
Even so, he still wanted to hear what solution Cain was proposing.
It was true that he could be implicated, but he did not believe Cain would simply wait for death. After all, it had been Cain who proposed everything from the beginning. He himself had accepted impulsively, blinded by the enormous benefits, without clearly thinking through the later consequences.
"Stop beating around the bush. Tell me your plan. We're in the same boat now. If it doesn't benefit me, it will benefit you even less," Number Four said in a cold voice.
At that moment, his psychic power had largely recovered, and the psychic layer had already reformed over his face.
Cain reflected briefly. Given Bartram's personality, it was necessary to maintain a bit of mystery to make it convincing.
When he noticed that Number Four was truly starting to grow impatient, Cain finally spoke: "Since attacking that lord's subordinates will make us suspects... why don't we help their side a little and balance the forces?"
"Help them... balance the forces?" Number Four frowned.
Suddenly, he understood the true meaning of Cain's words. His body swayed dangerously atop the Crobat in midair, and if not for the speed at which they were flying, he would surely have inhaled large gulps of cold air in shock.
After grasping the idea, Number Four realized for the first time that the seemingly timid Bartram actually possessed astonishing boldness.
Cain's proposal was simple and terrifying: if killing someone from the enemy side would arouse suspicion, then they would also kill someone from their own side to muddle everything. In that way, each side would lose one person, and an endless tug-of-war of accusations would begin.
When the water became murky, even if someone suspected the two of them, they would not focus on attacking them directly, but would instead prioritize their own defense. At that point, internal trust would collapse.
Although this strategy did not benefit the church or the mission itself, for the two of them it was full of opportunities.
They had already gained enough. Rather than waiting for uncertain benefits that would still need to be divided, it was better to firmly hold on to what they already had in their hands.
Most importantly, a large portion of the suspicions would be dispersed among others.
It did not mean they would no longer be suspected, but they would no longer be the primary targets.
After a long while suppressing his astonishment and gradually accepting Cain's audacity, Number Four finally spoke: "Your target is...?"
From that moment on, he would no longer underestimate Cain. Someone with such courage could not be taken lightly.
"Territory Number Five belongs to the enemy side, and its strength is quite considerable. It's an excellent scapegoat. Territory Number Six, on the other hand, is ours, and its strength..." Cain once again stopped halfway through the sentence.
The meaning was obvious: the one in Territory Number Six was not strong at all.
Even Bartram dared to say that his strength was mediocre, which made it clear just how weak he truly was.
If comparisons were to be made, the person previously eliminated by Lorelei was probably the weakest of all those who had entered. The current target was only slightly better, but still ranked among the bottom three.
Thus, when the weak one was eliminated, everyone would naturally assume that the strong one was responsible.
Moreover, Territory Number Seven was also considered "ours," which made the one from Territory Number Five the main suspect.
In this way, the waters would be completely stirred up.
