Domeron frowned at the elder’s words. “You said you wanted to lie low.”

Hector nodded. “I still intend to. However, we don’t need to bring any attention to us to cause them endless trouble. In fact, a mere anonymous rumour will be more than enough to make them suffer.”

Goulth grunted from the side. “You want to warn the Curse Breakers about it?”

The elder smirked. “I do. Other factions might be reluctant to take our word at face value and investigate the matter, but the Curse Breakers have never been known for their subtlety. All they need is a whiff and they’ll come hunting.”

The blacksmith frowned. “What about Rog? Won’t they come asking for him too?”

“They won’t know without digging too deeply, but even if they want to deal with him, they will need to go through me first.” Hector said.

The elder’s words seemed to convince Goulth, while Domeron looked a bit more reluctant.

Hector looked at him with an inquisitive gaze. “What is it, Domeron? Do you have any reservations?”

The swordsman shook his head. “I have a feeling things are not as simple as we’re seeing.”

The elder frowned. “Do you believe we will be in danger by revealing this? Even if we don’t do it, there’s bound to be someone else that finds trace of undead activity in the forest.”

Domeron hesitated. “… It’s not that. I just feel like the Empire is never one to leave matters so open-ended like this. It’s very likely they already have measures in place if their involvement was revealed and the Curse Breakers were called upon.”

Hector nodded. “It’s almost a guarantee, but even if that’s the case, we still need to try it, or we risk losing a big opportunity to hinder their efforts.”

“We should not do it.” Red interjected.

Everyone in the meeting room turned to look at him with confused gazes.

The elder stared at him with a stern expression. “Do you know something we don’t know?”

“Back then, when Narcha… when the ghost possessing Narcha killed one of their agents, me and Eiwin got rid of the body.” Red said. “Yet, after we dealt with the horde and returned to town, we heard no word at all of Curse Breakers’ activity, even with that strange head apparently still around. Don’t you find that weird?”

Domeron frowned. “It is indeed strange, but the Curse Breakers don’t always act in the open. If they resolved the matter in the forest soon after the horde, it’s not surprising we wouldn’t hear anything about them.”

“Be that as it may, we haven’t seen or heard anything of their organization since that meeting after the trial.” Red looked over at Hector. “Isn’t that right?”

The elder grunted. “I did not receive any attempts at communicating from their lot after that incident.”

Red nodded. “That isn’t the only thing that stands out. Their organization is famous for squashing any trace of undead corruption wherever they go to, and yet here we are again, seven years later and still with undead running about. How does that make any sense?”

There was also the matter of the necromancer’s constant presence in the region for all these years to corroborate this odd behavior, but Red thought better to not mention it. Still, his words had given the men in the room a lot to consider.

“What are you suggesting, kid?” Goulth asked with a curious expression. “That they are being incompetent with their work?”

Red hesitated. “… Perhaps it’s not that they are incompetent, but rather that they are deliberately avoiding doing their work here.”

Hector shook his head. “That’s absurd! Do you know about who you’re talking about here? These people didn’t shy away from danger even when the damn Queen of the Dead herself almost killed the entire world!”

Domeron sighed. “Yet if it’s not a deliberate action on their part, it would imply an incompetence that also seems uncharacteristic of their organization.”

The elder frowned. “I hope you understand what you’re implying here. It could get you killed for heresy if it got leaked to any large factions!”

It was unspoken of up until this point, but they all knew the direction this conversation was heading. They were considering the possibility that the Curse Breakers deliberately ignored the corruption spread through the region, something that had never happened before in history in even direr circumstances.

Red was in deep thought. “… How close are the Curse Breakers to the Empire?”

“They maintain neutrality as usual, but the Empire has always been eager to cooperate with their efforts inside their own territory, and their relationship has always been harmonious.” Domeron said. “It can be said that it is one of the few factions allowed to act within the Empire’s borders that is not under direct control of the Empire.”

“Do they take volunteers from the Empire, too?”

Domeron nodded. “They take volunteers from all over the world, as long as they revoke any secular desires to serve their order.”

Goulth scoffed. “So, imperial spies join the faction, rise through the ranks, and now can influence the organization from the inside to allow the Empire to act with impunity in the region… I have to say, it doesn’t sound that far-fetched when you think about it.”

Hector had an ugly expression, now forced to consider the possibility they suggested. “The Curse Bearers have an oath spell to ensure the loyalty of all of its members. Not even someone in the Spiritual Awakening Realm could break it without consequences.”

“Yes, an oath that was created thousands of years ago, and if the way that their organization operates is any indication, it probably hasn’t been modified since its first inception.” Domeron said. “No one must have thought to take advantage of that up until now because there was too much risk and nothing to gain in doing it. For the Empire, though, this seems just in character for them if they planned on using necromantic assistance. They have means, motive, and plenty of opportunities to do something like that.”

Hector hesitated. “… This is all conjecture.”

“It’s still reason enough to not tell them about our suspicions.” Domeron said. “By then, it will be like inviting disaster to our doorstep if the Empire wants to act.”

Goulth frowned. “Even so, they will be informed one way or another by someone in town.”

“We don’t know the channels this information will be going through.” Red said. “It’s hard to say whether they will even respond to such claims, or if this information will be spread to the organization as a whole, or be suppressed by spies. That is, unless Hector has a source inside the organization that he can trust.”

Hector didn’t say anything and scowled at the table in front of him.

‘That answers that question.’

“Them not responding is not even the worst-case scenario.” Domeron said. “It would be worse if they sent people over to investigate and the group is entirely composed of imperial spies. If this mission is sent as a way to suppress some ghouls, then it would be only a group of strong crusaders, but if for some reason they decide to send a powerhouse to investigate the apparent claims of cooperation between the Empire and necromancers… Then I don’t need to say what will happen to us if that cultivator ends up being a traitor too.”

“Stop!” Hector cut him off. “We don’t need you here always assuming the worst!”

Domeron smiled. “You know better than anyone that it’s always good to be overly cautious in the cultivation world, Hector, even if all we are talking about is wrong. After all, one misstep is more than enough to end our lives.”

“I hope you all know the position you’re putting me in here!” Hector glared at them. “Accusing the Curse Breakers of corruption… You can’t possibly understand what that means for us and the cultivation world as a whole.”

Goulth scoffed. “Don’t be stubborn, old man! Whether we understand it or not won’t change the reality of the situation!”

Hector sighed. “I suppose not.”

The room went silent as the elder closed his eyes. They knew that he would make an important decision at this juncture, so none of them dared to interrupt him.

Finally, almost a minute later, he opened his eyes. “We won’t tell the Curse Breakers about this. In fact, we will tell no one about it, not even the Baron.”

Red frowned. “They saw me walking through town with Rog.”

“We tell them it was after a fight against a Lesser Ring Realm monster.” Hector said. “We still don’t even know when or if anyone else will find out about the ghouls, so they won’t suspect it for now. It will all depend on the Empire’s next move. If they want to be discovered, then they will be discovered, and if they want to remain hidden, then no one else will find out about the ghouls, no matter how hard they try. We just stay still and watch for now.”

The youth nodded. “I understand.”

Hector sighed, looking around at the three of them. “If all that we talked about here is true, then you need to understand we are already at an extreme risk, whether the Curse Breakers get involved or not. Suffice it to say that for now, no one leaves town. In fact, I don’t want anyone walking around the streets by themselves.”

No one protested his decision.

Hector nodded and started walking upstairs. “Tell the brat and Rog about it. I don’t want them spitting their guts to anyone that asks.”

Soon enough, the elder was out of view, retiring to his room upstairs.

Goulth patted Red’s shoulders before also making to leave. “Come find me later. We need to talk about those wounds.”

Red nodded.

Now there was only the youth and Domeron in the room.

The swordsman smiled at him. “You know something else. More than just about the inheritance.”

Red nodded. “I do.”

“Is it another forbidden topic?”

“Everything I keep from you is a forbidden topic. Some more so than others.” Red said. “Still, you don’t need to worry. If it’s sensitive information, I will still try to direct you towards the most appropriate course of action without revealing my secrets.”

Domeron raised his eyebrows. “That doesn’t sound very comforting.”

“Have I ever mislead you or anyone in the sect?”

The swordsman nodded. “Yes, multiple times.”

Red hesitated. “… Have I ever put your lives in danger for selfish reasons?”

Domeron frowned. “No, I don’t think so. And even if you did, you never hesitated to help others either, so I can’t imagine they would really resent you for it.”

Red was relieved. “Then I ask you to trust me here, too.”

There was a pause.

A few seconds later, Domeron nodded with a smile. “I have always trusted you, Re-”

“Quick, quick!” Allen’s urgent voice came from the outside. “Come outside quick!”

Domeron frowned. “What is it now-”

“Rimold is back!”

That took the both of them by surprise.