CHAPTER 532: 534. ARES FOLLOWERS

After a two-minute interrogation, Lann suddenly thrust the Aron Dite he held.

The elegantly curved blade went into Brison’s still suffering mouth, bringing blood, bone fragments, and hair out through the back of his head.

The handsome young man from the art family became utterly still in the same moment.

Lann withdrew the long knife from the other’s mouth, gave it a gentle flick, and sheathed it.

He shook his head in disappointment.

Alcibiades was right, the members of the Divine Teachings have tight lips.

There’s seemingly something guarding their minds, maybe a kind of divine artifact, maybe brainwashing from within the Divine Teachings.

Anyway, at least Lann’s [Yakxi Rune] seemed quite powerless on Brison.

After Brison’s death, Lann stepped forward and stripped off the pair of women’s greaves from his legs.

These greaves looked like brass to the eye, but felt very light and sturdy in hand.

Even though the smelting technology of this era was likely just beginning to involve the manufacture of iron tools.

But with the unique appearance of divine artifact fragments, human smelting skills were not all that significant anymore.

So in this world, it’s really possible that ancient equipment discovered could be finer than modern versions.

Regardless, Lann stored these greaves first in his alchemy pouch, along with a triangular object discovered on Brison, something also found on Erpinuo, likely a token worn consistently by Divine Teachings members.

Then retraced his steps, first removing the [Yarden Magic Seal] blockade he had placed at the basement entrance, before effortlessly withdrawing from the sprawling three-story villa.

Not until Lann finished wiping his hands with a piece of linen and walked to the end of the street did panic suddenly break out in the villa behind him.

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Lann didn’t visit Phidias’ sculpture workshop, instead, he directly followed Alcibiades’ directions to a rather luxurious villa.

This was Pericles’ house, where Alcibiades as a nephew and adopted son was still living with Pericles.

Naturally, with just the inheritance left by Alcibiades’ father, Pericles’ brother, he could have built a house far more extravagant than Brison’s.

But Athenians generally favored virtuous poverty over unprincipled wealth. For becoming a politician, controlling one’s expenses was part of shaping an image.

While entering the residence of a historical figure, Lann remained calm.

He had dispelled any fascination since his first day entering Athens.

Pericles was indeed someone he studied in history books, but he was still merely a politician who could be overwhelmed by adversaries.

Guided by slaves within the villa, Lann didn’t wander and went directly to Alcibiades’ room.

Phidias was also here; upon confirming that the threat to him arose from the Order Divine Teachings, Alcibiades dare not leave the sculptor artist at his own workshop.

For safety’s sake, gathering together was the only choice.

Lann lowered his head slightly at the door frame to enter, and Phidias eagerly stood up, walked to the demon hunter, and asked nervously.

"How, how did it go?"

He had been lying sideways on the wool carpet with Alcibiades.

"Brison has been dealt with." Lann assured Phidias first, then turned to Alcibiades, "No one discovered who did it."

"Haha! All is well!"

Alcibiades swayed while standing up from the wool carpet and cheered, appearing somewhat graceful.

"More wine!"

As he spoke, he lifted a pottery cup as wide as two palms. This was a feast utensil, holding it felt like carrying a basin, unlike ordinary pottery cups.

But Phidias, who just drank with him, wasn’t relaxed due to Brison’s death.

"Happy? How am I supposed to be happy?"

The sculptor’s face was filled with worry and fear.

"If Brison merely disliked me, envied me, then Lann killing him would mean I’m safe. But this is the Order Divine Teachings! It’s their whole organization that wants me dead! Brison is dead, others will take over... I’ll never find peace! Do you understand, Alcibiades?!"

The renowned handsome man of Athens scratched his cheek and shrugged helplessly.

"Perhaps I could arrange a ship for you to flee for a spell overseas?"

"There’s no need for that." Lann interjected.

He shook his head, reassuring Phidias with his gaze.

"The task of killing you appears to be of low priority within the Order Divine Teachings. As Alcibiades said, I couldn’t extract any information from Brison, but I found an exchange letter in his villa."

"Its content confirms this."

Upon hearing this, Phidias’ previously tense shoulders abruptly relaxed and slumped, while letting out a breath.

"Ah, thank Zeus! And thank you, Lann."

Meanwhile, Alcibiades was quite intrigued by the letter Lann mentioned.

"You said you found a letter? Internal communication among the Order Divine Teachings members?"

Lann took out the letter from the alchemy pouch hanging at his back waist and stretched it out for them to see.

"Don’t touch it with your hands."

When Alcibiades attempted to take the paper, Lann halted him promptly, arousing their curiosity.

"The blood on it... should be poisonous, so it’s best not to touch it."

Upon entering a body, Chaos Magic Power frequently causes not superhuman abilities but distortion and mutation of natural human tissue.

Many warlocks and wizards born with Chaos Magic Power were deformed as children.

Heeding advice, they let Lann hold it while they looked from a distance. After all, Lann was wearing thick gloves.

Alcibiades quickly read through the piece.

His playful, carefree look for the first time seemed somewhat restrained in front of Lann.

"Followers of Ares?"

He muttered.

"It’s the first I hear those massacres in villages outside Athens were their doing."

"What else? You originally thought it was the Spartans?" Lann asked calmly.

Alcibiades nodded naturally.

"Until now, that’s indeed what we believed. Given those Spartans fought their way here, such acts weren’t rare from them either."

Phidias, being merely a sculptor, lacked the comprehensive insights and deep deliberations of the other two, so once assured of his safety.

He appeared relieved, lying back on the comfy wool carpet.

Meanwhile, Lann and Alcibiades continued discussing followers of Ares.