Lord Of Doom!Reincarnated Into a Novel as the Strongest Side Character-Chapter 78: Stealing the Crucifix, perhaps.

Gojin, naturally, found himself struggling to devise a plan to steal something from an individual who would be holding the item for hours, constantly vigilant, and certain to notice if it were to vanish for even a moment.

What could he possibly do?

He then considered whether he should wait until the Priest dropped the crucifix. However, that seemed a foolish notion, as the Priest showed no indication of relinquishing it any time soon.

Perhaps he could approach and beg for it? No, that would be far too implausible. What if he killed the Priest and took it? While tempting, it was completely unreasonable.

As he continued to observe their every move through Boss’s eyes, a sudden realisation struck him. The Female Knight had passed through the wall—without the crucifix, of course. The wall opened and closed behind her. At one point, he speculated that perhaps the Female Knight didn’t need the crucifix to access whatever was concealed behind that wall.

Later, he entertained the idea that perhaps the wall would only open for someone who approached with the crucifix in someone else’s hand who might just be close.

Both theories seemed plausible, though the latter felt somewhat out of place, yet still reasonable. Nevertheless, despite these two possible explanations, he realised there was nothing he could achieve at this moment.

For the time being, he would need to return once he had discovered a viable means of accessing the wall.

Upon further reflection, it occurred to him that he already had a potential method to increase his chances of getting behind that wall. However, the true question now was what lay beyond it—was it the dwelling of the Knights? A monster? A witch?

A... No, it could never be that.

Whatever it was, he knew he had to be prepared. Thus, he had no choice but to follow the only route available to him to get closer to the church... by becoming one of them. Though not a religious man, he realised this was the only option.

In truth, he would have preferred to abandon any further thoughts of what lay beyond the wall, but upon considering the alternatives, he knew there were countless possibilities in this world—some that could alter his perspective, others that could make him stronger, weaker, or, at worst, utterly impotent.

His growing legion would be of little use in this city for the time being, but soon enough, perhaps after resurrecting Slave, he might discover a way to make them stronger.

In doing so, he could conceal their negative aura, allowing them to move through the shadows with the same stealth as Boss.

***

Boss had been released from the leash that Gojin had held, now free to move through the city’s shadows. However, it chose to remain in a single, lingering darkness, communing with the minds of the shadows, quietly sipping tea in their company. If understood, good.

Gojin remained impassive, his thoughts consumed by his next course of action. The evening was drawing near, and people were returning to their homes, some heading out to taverns. Time had passed swiftly, yet Gojin was still fixated on how to breach the wall.

Perhaps, once that hurdle was overcome, his next target would be the Nightgale Church. There were many intrigues to be had in this world, and he was beginning to grow weary of his current surroundings.

The young one, or rather Toki, had just awoken after hours of rest. His leg had rendered him immobile for the last few minutes, forcing him to remain grounded on the couch until the sensation subsided.

Gojin stood by the living room window, not yet inclined to step out onto the balcony. His mind was preoccupied with devising a meticulous plan as he watched the sun set. He cast one last glance at Toki before turning back to face the window.

Toki had persistently pleaded for the biscuits given to him by the mysterious neighbour, hoping that Gojin would relent, as he had no intention of eating them himself. However, Gojin dismissed all his varying methods of persuasion, including even the more elaborate ones, such as prayers and pleas.

The young man had no trust in the enigmatic neighbour. He found him unsettling, yet, since he could detect no connection to any spiritual or malevolent force, he was unable to approach him for an interrogation.

In truth, the red-haired neighbour was of little concern to Gojin, neither a pressing matter nor a focal point of his current plans.

It was finally time to visit Averyl. This was the only person, as of Gojin’s first day in the city, from whom he could gather any useful information.

"Little one, let us go out for a while," Gojin said to Toki, who was just beginning to feel relief as his legs had returned to full function. After spending the afternoon and a brief part of the morning, Gojin had thoroughly examined every nook and cranny of the flat. In doing so, he discovered three cloaks hidden within the wardrobe-like furniture in the room.

The cloaks were smooth to the touch, crafted from fine cotton. However, they were designed only for use in winter or extremely hot conditions. They had been made to withstand the harshest of environments, even the unforgiving climate of a place like Antarctica.

How were they supposed to make their way to the tavern?

Or, more concerning—were they truly destined to endure hunger throughout the weekend? Absolutely not. That was out of the question. In fact, there was no immediate need to visit the market for at least a week or two.

Only four hours prior, they had unexpectedly received a supply of foodstuffs. Gojin had consumed little, as most of it was uncooked and required preparation, a task he had left for Toki once he awoke.

Alongside the provisions, they had also received a modest sum of fifty pennies from the Eve Department. This money was not intended as an advance but as a small contribution to assist them over the weekend. While it was enough to purchase some fabric, it would suffice only for Gojin, as tailors in this city typically demanded exorbitant prices, even for something as simple as a cloak.

They now regarded themselves as a prominent presence here, in stark contrast to their days and leagues in Heian, where they had scarcely been acknowledged. Though it was possible to buy ready-made clothing in this city, the cost far exceeded the price of having a tailor craft something once the necessary materials were obtained.

All of Gojin’s reasons for meeting the native person he had encountered earlier that day had already been meticulously organised in his mind. The first and foremost was how to become a member of the Saintfield Church, and whether it would be possible to belong to another church concurrently.

The map they had been provided with offered no details about the locations, except for the name of the tavern—and for good reason: it was simply the meeting point.

After boarding a carriage directly outside their building, they set off towards The Falcon’s Roost. Remarkably, the carter charged them only five pennies, despite the considerable distance.

The driver was a kind man, who wore a crucifix around his neck and introduced himself as a member of the Nightgale Church. He continued to share details about himself with his four passengers, offering unsolicited information as they journeyed.

Gojin, however, was only interested in the crucifix and the man’s affiliation with the Nightgale Church.

What a small world. It seemed that everything he needed to achieve his modest goals was falling effortlessly into place.