Villain's Path: Transmigrated with an SSS+ Luck Stat

Chapter 41: A Hidden Threat

16 July, Year 2550. The Island of Beasts, Beastriheim. Eastern Region, Wynthalor.

Location: World Association Building.

On the very top floor of the massive building, inside a luxurious meeting room, several figures sat surrounding a large rectangular table. The room itself was dimly lit, relying mostly on the soft glow of a artifact floating above the table to illuminate the space.

Tension filled the air. No one opened their mouth to speak. They remained quiet, waiting for someone to walk in. Their gazes were fixed on the closed door and the empty head chair at the end of the table.

Every single figure sitting there emitted the strong aura of an A-rank Awakener. Everyone of them was strong enough to protect the entire city from a normal monster attack.

The moment of heavy silence continued. Only the faint sound of their breathing and the nervous tapping of a shoe on the floor could be heard.

*CREAK!*

Suddenly, the heavy door of the room swung open. Everyone surrounding the table stood up immediately in respect.

"It is an honor to meet you, Commander Raigar. Thank you for coming here as soon as possible after our urgent request."

A man with messy yellow hair and a single golden hoop earring walked toward the head seat. His body was a unique mix of human and beast, bearing a strong physical resemblance to a fierce tiger.

His steps were unhurried as he walked over and sat on the head chair with natural authority. The sheer aura released from his body was enough to make everyone in the room straighten their backs. He was one of the S-rank commanders who handled the overall protection of the Eastern Region of Beastriheim. Since the eastern region was incredibly vast, many S-rankers were stationed near different borders and central cities to maintain peace and order.

Raigar looked at the assembled officials, nodded once, and gestured for them to take their sit.

Everyone exchanged brief glances and took their seats. They went silent for a few seconds, not knowing exactly how to explain the current situation.

Raigar’s sharp eyes swept across everyone’s tense faces.

"I hope you have a good explanation as to why I had to come to a place like this in the middle of a mission. If your reason isn’t good enough, I can assure you that your heads will be mounted on a spike by tomorrow morning."

Everyone flinched upon hearing his cold words. They did not think he was just bluffing. They had already heard tales of his heroic deeds, as well as his ruthless methods. No one dared to underestimate him.

A man with a burly body finally spoke up, his voice sounding a little nervous.

"No, Commander Raigar. We assure you that there is definitely a solid reason for us to call you here today."

Raigar turned his sharp eyes toward the man and nodded for him to continue.

The stiffness in the burly man’s shoulders lessened slightly as he spoke again, this time with a more serious tone.

"We just found some unusual activity around the outskirts of the city. Specifically, near the forest behind the mountain ranges. Many broken trees and destroyed terrain were scattered around different parts of the woods."

Raigar’s expression turned serious. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the wooden table. His gaze was intense as he listened closely.

"Many local citizens who went into the forest to collect herbs and gather wood have gone missing. We also found numerous fresh marks of cuts and deep scratches on the remaining trees and rocks."

Raigar nodded slowly as he considered the new information.

"And... on top of that... we also found the mana residues of a large-scale spell cast on the ground. Judging by the lingering mana signature, it looked exactly like a sacrificial ritual spell."

Raigar looked at the burly man, his eyes turning sharp.

"It seems this is the activity of the temples. They are trying to do something suspicious in our territory. But why send mere shrivens and acolytes to destroy the outer area? From my guess, they are not the kind of creatures that would remain hiding in the back. They are beings that actively seek chaos and destruction."

The burly man nodded stiffly in agreement.

A lady wearing light silver armor, who sat opposite the burly man, looked up at the commander and continued the report.

"These unusual activities have continued since last week. We tried to find some concrete clues about their hideout, but we failed. Their tracks were scattered randomly across the vast forest and the mountain ranges."

"Hmm... So why didn’t you send the military battalions to raid the forest and clean out those pests?" Raigar asked.

A man with a lean build and wearing thin glasses spoke up. He had a furry tail protruding from his lower back. He glanced at his companions sitting across the table before turning toward the S-rank commander.

"We already sent the troops. The nearby forest area is almost almost cleared out. We are not actually afraid of a few low-level cultists or shrivens."

Raigar’s eyes narrowed at his specific choice of words. All the scattered pieces clicked together in his brain. The frantic scratches and cut marks in different areas of the forest, the missing people, the residue of a sacrificial spell—it all led to one single, dangerous conclusion.

"Are you trying to say that a ’Bishop’ happened to enter our area without letting anyone know?!"

Every official at the table stiffened at his sharp tone. They all involuntarily nodded their heads.

"That is the most probable thing we can think of... Both ’shrivens’ and ’acolytes’ are just mindless beings driven by hunger and chaos. They wouldn’t be able to spread out and coordinate attacks at different locations across the forest. They have no sense of self-control."

"The only possibility that leads to this organized pattern is... that a ’Bishop’ must have secretly sneaked inside the city borders without getting noticed by our surveillance."

Raigar’s expression turned frigid at their confirmation. The secret entrance of a Bishop into their city was no small matter. A single Bishop was as powerful as several A-rank Awakeners combined. If they did not find this enemy as early as possible, it might put the entire population of ’Wynthalor’ in grave danger.

"Then send out the search party right now. Do it as soon as possible. And make sure not to let this secret reach the normal citizens. If panic spreads, chaos will fill the streets, and the Bishop will realize we are onto him."

All the A-rank officials stood up in unison. They bowed respectfully, and without wasting another second, they started heading toward the door to execute his orders.

A slim man wearing a gray coat stopped in his tracks near the exit. He looked back at the commander with a hesitant expression.

"Sir Raigar, there is another important thing we forgot to tell you. The first-year students from the Arcane Academy arrived in the city just this morning. It seems they are preparing for their practical examinations scheduled for tomorrow. If you give us the order, should we inform their professors about this incident and the lurking danger?"

Raigar’s expression darkened at the mention of the academy. He had already learned last week that the students were scheduled to arrive for a tour. He just didn’t expect them to walk right into a potential crisis hovering over his city.

He shook his head and denied the request.

"No. At least for now, do not tell anyone from the academy about this. We still have to maintain an illusion of peace in the city to avoid alerting the enemy. Just increase the military patrolling around the specific areas where the academy students are staying."

"Understand this clearly. If a single one of those students dies on our watch, it will not just be a tragic loss of life. It will also be a massive blow to the reputation of our nation. The world will say we were unable to protect our guests. These students are the talented figures of the younger generation; they are the ones who might become great pillars of humanity in the future."

The slim man nodded in understanding. He bowed one last time, turned around, and left the quiet room.

Silence returned to the large meeting room. Raigar leaned back in his comfortable chair. He crossed his legs and began tapping his finger thoughtfully on the wooden armrest. His tiger-like eyes looked out the large window, staring toward the dark night sky.

’It cannot be just a simple coincidence. The sudden arrival of the Arcane Academy’s students happening at the exact same time as the secret infiltration of a Bishop... Something is definitely connecting these dots.’

He closed his eyes and muttered to himself while resting his tired body in the chair.

"I just hope everything turns out well. We cannot afford to lose more innocent people to the likes of them."