Chapter 588

"Have all the bodies been recovered?"

"Yes, the recovery is currently underway by the Holy Knights instead of the temple."

Ellen looks around the burnt temple quietly.

No bodies were found at the scene. It was clear that it was important to quickly recover the bodies since the temple had already partially collapsed.

Ludwig was looking around the temple with a stern expression.

Ellen also looks around the burnt temple.

"There is a high possibility of an attack by bandits."

Since the size of the temple was too small, it was possible for the temple to be attacked by civilians and for priests to be killed.

It may be difficult to catch the culprit, but there is a high possibility that there is something else hidden in this incident.

"How was the fire situation?"

"It is estimated that arson occurred while the priests were all killed. And it seems that people who were watching the temple burn came in and stole things."

"So they looted after seeing the fire?"

"Yes. There are many witnesses. They tried to enter after seeing the fire."

At those words, both Ludwig and Ellen narrowed their eyes.

As Louise said, there is an order to the incident.

But arson is not the last. Looting may be the last.

"So they looted after seeing the fire, not looted and set fire?"

"Yes..."

It is a situation where every penny and meal is important.

The temple caught fire.

People who were watching the fire, wanting to take something valuable or food inside, attempted to loot.

The inference that arson was the last was wrong. It was a thought that did not understand people's desperation.

Looting is the last.

And the looters are not murderers, but spectators.

They rushed into the fire scene and stole things.

Of course, there is a possibility that the murderers looted and set fire, and then the spectators stole the remaining items.

"If arson came first, the priests would have left the temple before being swallowed up by the fire. Arson occurred after the murder. Looting was done by spectators."

"The priests were killed first, then arson, and lastly looting."

"Then the murderers are likely to have killed the priests and set fire. We still don't know what their purpose is."

"Anyway, the looters that Ludwig saw are not murderers. They are just petty thieves."

"Still, I learned something."

After organizing her thoughts, Ellen looks at the restless Holy Knight.

"Is there a possibility of catching the culprits in this case?"

"...I can't give you a definite answer yet."

If the actions of the crowd really turned into bandits, even if Ludwig and Ellen were involved, there would be no corner to find out who the actual priest was.

Even if they search, it will end with catching a few petty thieves, and it may not be the ones who killed the priests. "There is a possibility of civilian massacre by the Holy Knights, but the likelihood of that happening is low in the current situation where people's eyes are not favorable towards them," Ellen pondered. Ludwig would back off if she said it was just a straightforward case. Thieves attacked and burned the temple. The culprits were civilians, and Rowen was brutally murdered in front of his own recovery power because of his poor combat ability. There was no reason for Ludwig to investigate if Rowen's real title was a spy or anything else. "Sir, leave this to us..." But Ellen was aware of the presence of a knight who kept trying to push her out. She looked very uneasy about staying in this position because of the thieves. The knight's anxiety was keeping Ellen from leaving. "All the bodies have been recovered..." It is not understandable why they quickly removed the bodies instead of preserving them on the scene, where they could be buried under the collapsing building. However, the entire building was not burned down or collapsed. Ellen examined the wall where bloodstains were left, which was presumed to be the place where the victim was. Ellen imagined what the murder scene was like. The victim was killed with his back against the wall. "Blood splattered on the wall, and a large amount of blood on the floor... He died instantly here." "The weapon used was a dagger. Probably a sword..." "The direction of the blood spatter is towards the upper right. That means it was slashed upwards from left to upper right..." "It's not a downward slash, and it's not a direction that easily penetrates the force." "Judging by the amount of blood, it's not a cut, it's a dissection. It cut through the bone. It's impossible for a civilian who doesn't know how to handle a weapon to cut someone's bone in one go..." "Absolutely not." Ellen carefully examined the wall where the blood spatter occurred. "Among the attackers, there must have been someone who could enhance their magical power." Ellen read the scene of the murder, which was impossible with the ordinary strength of a normal human being. It is unknown whether the Holy Knights could not find any clues or were deliberately hiding them. It is unclear whether Ellen is hiding information because she is an outsider, hiding information because it should not be revealed, or whether she does not know despite the evidence in front of her. "Do you know something?" When Ellen thought hard about something, Ludwig asked her. "No, not really." Ellen did not say what she had found out because of the eyes watching her from the side. Ellen looked around not only the chapel but also other areas. The temple was not intact, and some places were collapsed. Beyond the worship hall, the buildings including the kitchen and where the priests lived have collapsed due to the roof completely caving in. The collapsed roof's skeletal remains suggest that there may be further collapses. Ellen suspects that the knight's claim of possible additional collapses is true. The bodies have already been removed from the scene, and Ellen concludes that the attackers were not civilians due to the order of events: murder, arson, and looting. The arson was necessary for a reason, but it is unclear why. Ellen believes that there must be a valid reason for the attack on the temple and that there is something more significant than what is visible. Ellen is certain that this temple is not an ordinary one. She asks the knight what kind of place it was, and he tells her it was a temple for the goddess Tuan. Ellen notices a suspicious smell and wonders if the knights are hiding something. Ludwig also notices the smell and describes it as a mixture of excrement and blood. Ellen asks Ludwig to help clear the debris, but a knight tries to stop them. The knight becomes anxious as Ellen threatens him with her sword. The fortunate thing was that the exterior walls of the building were intact, so no one outside could see Ellen and Ludwig clearing the debris. Clearing the snow and the pile of stones was not a difficult task for them. And both Ellen and Ludwig were sure that there was something beneath the debris without even lifting many stones. The strong smell of blood and filth was becoming more intense. Even though others were watching them, no knight dared to stop Ellen's actions. They could only watch Ellen clearing the debris without being able to help or stop her. How much debris did they clear? "There was a basement." "......Yes." A space that was not visible due to the debris of the collapsed building. In it, Ellen and Ludwig could see stairs leading down to the basement. And from those basement stairs, a distinct smell of filth and blood was emanating. Ellen looked silently at the pale-faced knights. "Don't follow me, don't go anywhere, just wait here." It was an order that they should be prepared for whatever she saw, as they had deliberately tried to deceive Ellen. "Let's go." "Okay." Ellen led the way, and Ludwig followed behind.