Not long after her father left the room, another figure entered.
Merlinda didn't turn immediately, as if she were already aware of who it was.
The woman approached, then slowed before lowering herself to one knee.
"Lady Merlinda… the target has been captured."
A faint smile curved at Merlinda's lips. "Captured?" she repeated softly. She turned her head just enough to look at the kneeling figure. "Alive, I assume?"
"Yes, my lady. The target has been crucified in the secret chamber."
Merlinda rose to her feet with unhurried grace.
"Good, Raven. I'll handle it myself."
Without waiting for a response, she made her way toward the door, with Raven following closely behind.
Still leaning on the inner walls of the city, Rohan froze.
'Secret chamber?'
'Crucified?'
His expression twisted as the meaning sank in.
'What the hell kind of person does that!?'
'What kind of person did I just give power to?'
Nearly ten minutes later, Rohan watched as the two women entered another room.
He focused his vision, and what he saw made his stomach tighten.
An old man hung suspended against a wooden frame, his arms stretched wide and nailed in place. Blood streamed down from both hands, dripping steadily onto the stone floor below.
The man's head twitched as he noticed their arrival, his eyes widening in panic.
He tried to speak, but thick rope bound his mouth shut, reducing his voice to muffled, desperate sounds.
Rohan's brows furrowed. 'Crucified… they actually meant it.'
Merlinda stepped forward, her movements calm, almost graceful.
A faint smile rested on her lips. "I heard you've killed over ten women," she said lightly. She tilted her head, studying him, almost like she was trying to figure something out.
"Mm… that's quite a number."
Her gaze drifted briefly to the blood on his hands, then back to his face. "And you offered them to a god?"
She took a slow step closer, her expression thoughtful rather than disturbed. "I've always wondered what people expect in return."
"… But I suppose it doesn't really matter."
She reached for a knife resting on the table, turning it lightly between her fingers as if testing its weight.
Then, without hesitation, she drove it straight into his heart.
The old man's body jerked for a brief moment as blood surged from his chest, and after a few seconds, he went silent.
Merlinda calmly pulled out a handkerchief, dabbing at the blood on her face and hands as if it were little more than spilled wine.
Once she finished, she shifted her gaze toward Raven.
"I heard there's another one," she said lightly.
"A man who killed his entire family last week," Merlinda continued, her tone almost thoughtful.
"…Bring him to me."
Raven bowed her head. "Yes, my lady."
Without another word, the two women left the room.
Merlinda returned toward her quarters, while Raven headed in a different direction entirely.
After watching everything from start to finish, Rohan exhaled slowly.
'And just like that… I ended up with a follower even more insane than David.'
When he felt he had observed enough for now, he decided to cut the connection and quickly opened his eyes as the view of her luxurious room disappeared.
He then looked at his surroundings. He was still near the city gate, leaning against the inner walls.
Rohan then tried to analyze what had just happened and what he should do next.
'She makes David look like a reasonable person.'
'And she's also very dangerous.'
'As of now, it seems like she only targets criminals… but who knows? I still don't know much about her. There's no guarantee she won't kill innocent people.'
Rohan didn't immediately think about cutting her off as a follower. He realized she had a wealthy background, and this "Leviathan Family" didn't seem like an average rich family. In the future, Rohan might need her family's influence and resources.
After some consideration, Rohan decided to wait for more details about Merlinda to be revealed. Until then, he would occasionally check on her to observe her behavior.
He then crossed the city gate and made his way toward the spot where he first arrived near the city walls yesterday.
Once he arrived, he sat down. He wanted to make preparations and also rest his body to make sure he was in top condition.
From time to time, he saw notifications about new followers. After staying in the same spot for nearly 10 hours, he had accumulated a total of nearly 50 followers.
He knew such a conversion rate was not ideal. If he just relied on David, he might not be able to get 1000 followers within a month.
But because the emergency quest had a significantly heavier penalty for failure, Rohan wanted to complete it first.
At that moment, he realized the Lightbringer and the Armor of Asgard would be available for use in about an hour or two.
With that realization, he began to move. His memory of the path leading to the building was still clear. So he was not worried about getting lost along the way.
With a calm expression, he continued forward at an even pace. Neither too quick nor too slow.
Yet the farther he went, the stronger his sense of unease became.
At one point along the way, he found himself wondering, 'Do I really need to go back?'
But he dismissed the thought just as quickly. 'No, but why shouldn't I? Without risk, there is no glory to claim.'
By the time Rohan arrived at a familiar spot, the sky dimmed into warm hues.
When the building entrance came into view, Rohan immediately hid himself behind the trees and bushes.
From that point on, he had no choice but to observe. Would anyone enter or leave the building? To find a clear answer, he would have to wait and watch for hours.
While waiting, Rohan did not remain idle. From time to time, he checked on his followers.
He saw David moving with dozens of thugs behind him. He saw Edmund going from place to place, meeting shady-looking people.
He watched Rin Carmelia reunite with her family and start spreading the Storm God's name throughout the region.
He saw Merlinda examining various magical items in front of her, as if trying to find one that suited her.
He also noticed some foolish followers attempting to make a sacrifice to please the Storm God. Without hesitation, he struck them down with lightning.
'It hasn't even been two days since I became a god, and I already have to deal with this kind of bullshit…'
Rohan sighed as he realized things would only get worse once he had more followers.