Chapter 29: Doctrine

The departure was scheduled for three days later.

According to Ivina, Princess Lina needed those days for some additional preparations.

On the day of departure, Princess Lina personally went to Lucas’s residence to pick him up.

The carriage Lina rode in was surprisingly ordinary—just an enclosed cabin with windows that could be freely opened.

Otherwise, there was nothing particularly eye-catching about it.

Lucas had assumed that the royal family’s daily life would be extravagantly luxurious.

“Get in,” Lina opened the cabin door and invited Lucas and Noli inside.

“Time waits for no one. The earlier we leave, the sooner we return.”

Today, Lina wore a different outfit.

The last time Lucas saw her, she had been in a long dress.

This time, seemingly for ease of movement, Lina wore a black swordsmanship outfit with long boots—completely different from the person he had seen just days before.

Sitting in the carriage, Noli still felt a bit restrained.

It was her first time sharing a carriage with someone of such noble status as a princess, so her nervousness was understandable.

However, Lina was unexpectedly good at finding topics to talk about, quickly helping Noli relax and join in the conversation.

“Lucas, take a look at this.”

Lina opened the bag she carried and pulled out a book.

Lucas took the book from Lina, but the texture felt strange to him.

The cover seemed to be made of leather, but having worked in slaughtering before, he knew no animal hide felt quite like the cover of this book.

It was dry and somewhat rough.

What exactly was this made of?

“This was confiscated from Cohen,” Lina explained.

“I’ve already read it. I think you need to see it too—it might give you some insights.”

Lucas placed the book on his lap and gently flipped open the first page.

Noli, curious, leaned closer to read along.

The first page seemed to outline some sort of doctrine.

As a native of Morovira, Lucas was well acquainted with the local religious teachings.

But this doctrine was absolutely unlike any religion he’d ever heard of—strange and bizarre.

“It needs nourishment, it needs to grow, it needs to be nurtured.”

That was the first sentence at the beginning of the book.

It seemed the Eight Sins all served this “It,” and every action was to cultivate this so-called “It.”

Judging by this so-called pact, joining the Eight Sins organization wasn’t an easy feat.

The doctrines also served as conditions for recruiting new members.

First, one must not believe in any existence other than “It.”

“It” is the only one, “It” is the truth.

Second, “It” craves souls.

Kill—bring endless slaughter to this world.

Third, one must have the courage and enlightenment to slay gods, and the resolve to sacrifice the body.

Fourth, “It” is greedy, its desires are endless.

For “It,” plunder.

The entire book was filled with incomprehensible phrases that left Lucas and Noli bewildered.

It was hard to imagine the mental state of whoever wrote this.

“Obey the Eight Sins, be loyal to the Eight Sins, be loyal to the leaders.”

Having finally finished the last page, Lucas and Noli both felt as if their intelligence had been insulted.

Who could possibly believe in such low-level cultish nonsense?

How could anyone create a god?

Only someone with an underdeveloped brain—especially the cerebellum—would believe in this.

“Finished reading?”

Lina looked at Lucas.

“Tell me, how do you feel?”

“Nonsensical. It’s just the ramblings of a madman.”

“Exactly. I think the same way,” Lina nodded.

“But after thinking it over, all the crimes committed by the Eight Sins perfectly align with these doctrines. Murder, plunder—except for treason against the crown, they’ve committed every crime possible under the kingdom’s laws.”

No wonder Princess Lina was determined to root out the Eight Sins’ influence from within the kingdom.

Such madmen absolutely could not be allowed to exist inside the realm.

“Debis Harbor is listed among their connections. That means they definitely have some shady plans there. Conveniently, one of the Eight Sins’ leaders operates at sea all year round. This time, we might run into her.”

“What if we do?”

Lucas asked Lina.

“Capture her alive, interrogate for key intelligence, then kill her. Of course, all of this depends on whether we can catch her.”

Princess Lina spoke these words without so much as blinking.

“Lucas, I’m counting on you.”

***

After three days of travel, the carriage arrived near Debis Harbor.

Lina opened the window, and the sea breeze blew in, mixed with warm sunlight that felt comfortable on the face.

Except for Lucas.

The wind carried not only the scent of the sea but also a faint, elusive metallic tang of blood.

In addition, there seemed to be someone’s low, murmuring whispers.

Lucas felt as if something was crouching next to his ear, whispering secrets.

The feeling was unbearably unsettling.

The carriage stopped on the outskirts of Debis Harbor.

After disembarking, the coachman went off to find lodgings, while Lucas and the others ventured deeper into the city.

On the surface, the city appeared normal—roads paved with stone bricks, houses lining both sides—just like any ordinary city.

Except for the predatory gazes from the crowd surrounding them.

“This place… makes me uncomfortable,” Noli tugged lightly on Lucas’s sleeve.

“The looks people give aren’t hostile, but filled with desire. Also, I can’t sense any natural aura here.”

Lucas understood Noli’s first concern.

After all, the security here was poor, smugglers ran rampant, and there might even be human traffickers.

Both Noli and Lina were very beautiful young women.

How could these people not have ill intentions?

If these people dared to make a move, Lucas would bury them without hesitation.

Under these circumstances, asking for information wouldn’t be easy.

The three of them found a small tavern to sit in temporarily.

Sitting at the bar, the unpleasant stares persisted.

Lina asked the bartender, “We’re new here. We’d like to know some information about this place.”

The owner was wiping glasses, head lowered.

He glanced briefly at the three, then returned his attention to the glass in his hand.

“Information isn’t free. If you want it, you have to pay a little. That’s the rule in Debis Harbor.”

As he spoke, he occasionally looked up at Lucas and the others.

Lucas wasn’t surprised by this response at all.

Paying a little was no problem—he still had some money on him from this trip, certainly enough for this.

Lucas reached for the wallet hanging at his waist.

“…Hmm?”

Where was the wallet?