The Warden of the Witches Chapter 194

 Chapter 194 - You Really Are a Bunch of Bastards

    "We can see it now, the tower and the house with the red roof," Veronica said, using an abandoned house as cover, while peering in the direction of their target.


    Aiden glanced at Dailey and gave her an inquisitive look.


    Dailey shook her head, indicating that she hadn't sensed anyone else nearby.


    Dailey shadow demon could accurately detect nearby moving shadows and automatically counterattack. Moreover With Dailey herself in control, the range was much greater than when Aiden had "borrowed" it in the past. It was a sunny day, and with her around, the possibility of being ambushed from the road was almost nonexistent.


    Veronica, with her exceptional hearing, kept an ear on the sounds from the nearby houses. For now, they seemed relatively safe.


    "Are you really going to bring that corpse along?" Priscilla suddenly asked, looking at Aiden's back with disgust.


    "Use everything to its fullest," Aiden replied calmly. "Is there a problem? Or would you prefer to take its place and scout for us?"


    Behind him, the chimera that had been born from the body of a nun they had just killed stood silently. And a cloaked ghost lingered behind the corpse.


    This was the guardian spirit Aiden had borrowed from Arsena. Through it, he could perform necromancy, including manipulating and enhancing corpses.


    The chimera created by the Bountiful Mother cult, though grotesque in appearance, had assured combat capabilities. After death, they also made excellent materials for necromancy. Aiden had no qualms about using such forbidden magic. Now, they were stepping onto a battlefield, and facing a saint close to power; having too many scruples would only lead them into danger.


    The house with the red roof and the tower appeared still. Aiden sensed that his teammates' gazes were fixed on him, awaiting his instructions.


    In reality, he was also waiting—waiting for the witches' gathering to make their move.


    Abigail had clearly stated that the others were already in position, but after a thorough observation, he hadn't seen a single shadow. Of course, his lack of sight wasn't too concerning; what was odd was that neither Dailey nor Veronica sensed anything either.


    Could these grand witches be playing him for a fool?


    The Inquisition's raids emphasized team coordination, with precise timing for contact and action. Each group and member had clearly defined roles, functioning like interlocking gears to support the team's operations.


    As for their side... it could only be said that his "collaboration" with the witches' gathering was still nominal. To date, there had been no actions reflecting a spirit of cooperation. Even now, in their joint assault on Father Bales, they were merely taking separate paths, acting in a very disjointed manner.


    This lack of coordination was partly due to the lack of trust between him and the witches' gathering, but the fundamental issue was that the coven itself had little organization. Except for close "friends" like Priscilla, Dailey, and Vera, most of the grand witches operated independently.


    Trying to conduct any serious tactical cooperation with these people was inherently challenging.


    "Abigail," he called out again, trying to contact the grand witch through her token.


    But this time, Abigail did not respond.


    Just as Aiden was feeling suspicious, a terrifying roar suddenly erupted like thunder from the house with the red roof, startling everyone hiding on this side.


    At the same time, Qimora appeared in front of them, smiling.


    She was supposed to be inside the house with the red roof, monitoring the priest’s movements and relaying information to them through Abigail.


    But now, she had appeared directly in front of them without any warning.


    "Good afternoon, Warden. You are right on time," Qimora greeted Aiden politely.


    "I don’t recall scheduling a reception service at the door," Aiden squinted, sensing trouble. "Where are the others?"


    The roar sounded similar to that of the chimera they had killed earlier, but much deeper and louder. Clearly, it was the priest, who had transformed into a chimera, letting out the roar.


    This wasn’t a scream of pain from being attacked but a roar of rage at encountering an enemy.


    It was evident that the priest had already engaged someone in battle. However, apart from Qimora, neither Hasbinis nor Lamia were in sight. The most plausible explanation was that Qimora had provoked the priest on purpose, and now she was standing with them...


    Suddenly, a section of the wall of the red-roofed house collapsed, and a chimera over four meters tall burst through. It slowly locked its gaze on them.


    "It seems some rats have taken advantage of the situation," the chimera—Father Bales said in a deep voice.


    Simultaneously, from the tower, Sister Nawei, dressed in a black robe, emerged with two other gray-robed sisters. 


    After a quick glance in their direction, Sister Nawei turned and ran towards the mine, the other two nuns following close behind her.


    Aiden saw them. It made sense to have Sister Nawei leave the battle scene; as long as the heir lived, even if the priest died on the spot, he could resurrect his will in the heir.


    "Qimora, what are you up to?" Priscilla couldn’t hold back and shouted at Qimora.


    "Lamia had encountered a minor issue and couldn’t arrive on time. We need to lend a hand," Qimora said, smiling apologetically at Aiden. "I’m afraid you’ll have to hold the fort, Warden. Please hang in there for a moment; we hope you’re still alive when we return."


    At that moment, the priest suddenly bit his own wrist fiercely, using his sharp teeth to create a wound. Then, he swung his hand, flinging his blood towards them. With his divine word of "proliferation," he could impregnate other beings with his biological material, creating his offspring—and potentially achieving a one-hit kill.


    Aiden and his team quickly pulled back behind cover, while Qimora remained standing there, unmoved.


    But the blood passed right through her body, and splattering on the ground.


    Aiden peeked out again to look at Qimora, intending to question her, only to find that she had vanished.


    The priest, however, had now turned his gaze towards Aiden.


    At that moment, Aiden finally understood their situation—he had indeed been sold out by the witches gathering.


    It seemed they might have encountered some trouble, but regardless, the fact remained that they had left the priest entirely to his team.


    Realizing this, he couldn't help but laugh in frustration. After a moment, he spoke to the token hanging around his neck, "I don’t know if you can hear me, Ms. Abigail, but let me say this bluntly: you people really are a bunch of bastards."