Upon hearing Judith's answer, Dekan couldn't help but burst into laughter. He didn't understand why this female knight had been so fixated on him since their first meeting. Of course, Dekan enjoyed the trouble the knight was causing him. Today, if she didn't pay a price, she wouldn't leave through that door.
As long as he stood on the moral high ground, Dekan was invincible. He pointed to the sack on the ground and said impatiently, "Go and open it. See who's inside."
"Hehe, could it be Evans? Ridiculous," Judith sneered, shaking her head in mockery. In her eyes, the only way for this guy in front of her to clear his suspicion today might be if Evans was inside that body bag. But such a ludicrous scenario was impossible, even a three-year-old would know that.
Judith walked to the side of the sack. She stared at Dekan, drew her sword, and gently cut open the body bag, accurately slicing its surface without harming the deceased inside. The cloth sack slowly unfolded and Judith caught a glimpse of the condition of the corpse with her peripheral vision.
The corpse’s clothing was burnt but he was wearing priestly attire, indicating that he was a clergyman. He had fallen victim to the hands of these three individuals.
However, as Judith gradually saw the priest's face, she couldn't help but scream in shock. "Evans!!!"
Her lips quivering, continuously retreating. Her expression turned into one of unimaginable fear. It was as if she had seen a ghost.
The formidable enemy she had been wary of had unexpectedly turned into a corpse!
"How, how is this possible?!" Judith seemed to be breathing rapidly and disorderly due to the sudden shock. She quickly seemed to realize something and once again scrutinized Dekan. "Do you think you can scare me with such a prop?"
She believed that this couldn't possibly be Evans. Instead, it was just that dangerous fellow using a prop to mess with her mind.
"Why don't you check for yourself? Where would I get the corpse of a tier 8 powerhouse for you?" Dekan sighed as if feeling a bit weary or already eager to move on to counting money.
Upon hearing this, Judith crouched down, trembling as she reached out to touch the body. Feeling the body's firmness and using magical detection, Judith quickly confirmed that it was a corpse with tier 8 strength. And most crucially, there were the injuries she left on Evans when she pursued him this afternoon!
These were markings that couldn't be forged in any way. Without a doubt, the deceased was Evans!
Judith bit her lip tightly, her brain racing but unable to comprehend the current situation. Evans, how could he die like this?? The answer must lie with this young man!
Judith suddenly lifted her head. She saw Dekan looking at her expressionlessly. But his gaze was exceptionally sharp. It was like a demon impatiently waiting to feast.
This sent shivers down Judith's spine. "How did you kill Evans?!"
"Mr. Evans' death is primarily related to a traffic accident. After confirming that efforts to save him would be futile, we provided him with humane end-of-life care," Dekan stated calmly.
Listening to Dekan's bizarre answer, Judith could oddly understand that Evans had been critically injured and was then finished off. But was this death a bit too casual or embarrassing? Could Evans be defeated so easily? If so, wouldn't she, who couldn't even handle Evans, appear even more embarrassing?
Her expression revealed her increasing doubt toward her life. However, the biggest problem now wasn't the details regarding Evans’ death. It seemed like she had made a huge mistake.
Just then, it seemed like she had made an extraordinary promise with full confidence.
Judith bit her lip, looking at Dekan as if undergoing her best internal struggle, and asked, "So, what's the deal with the scent of blood on you?"
Dekan remained silent and took out the cards [Blood Purification] and [Polymorph: Elven Cat] and shook them in front of Judith.
"Hmm..." Judith's expression changed several times in a second. She quickly figured it out. It wasn't the method of the Cardinal of Corruption but rather the work of the new special-tier card maker known as the ‘Wicked Cultist’ some time ago.
"I misunderstood you. I'm sorry; the effect of this card is too similar to the Cardinal of Corruption's spell," Judith said, touching the back of her head with a guilty expression.
"What?!" Dekan shouted loudly, his expression puzzled. Then he turned his head, putting his hand to his ear. "Sorry, I didn't hear clearly, but I remember you said something about blaming, apologizing, and satisfaction?"
"Gulp..." Judith swallowed awkwardly, grabbing her skirt-armor in embarrassment. "Tell me what I should do..." Her voice became smaller and smaller.
"I won't make it too difficult for you, okay? Whether it's as a reward for helping you get rid of Evans or for misunderstanding a person as virtuous as me, it wouldn't be excessive for you to promise me one thing, both emotionally and morally, right?"
Judith tightly bit her lip, unable to respond to Dekan for a while. As a knight of the Church of the Sun God, she couldn't easily make such a commitment because it was too broad. Once agreed, even if Dekan demanded for the fulfillment tonight, she wouldn't be able to refuse. But she was indeed in the wrong.
Looking at Dekan's unwavering gaze, she couldn't help but feel a bit desperate.
"Something that doesn't violate the laws of the Norton Kingdom, something that doesn't go against your moral principles," Dekan added, seeing Judith's distressed expression.
"Okay!" Hearing Dekan's concession, Judith agreed without hesitation. With these two additional restrictions, this commitment wouldn't have much to worry about. At least she wouldn't have to worry about giving away something important to Dekan tonight. After all, Dekan was underage and that would be illegal.
"Can the gods bear witness?" Dekan asked. Judith understood Dekan's intention; she turned around to face the direction where the sun was rising, and performed a Sun God's prayer.
"I swear to milady Sun God that I will, in the future, agree to one thing that does not violate the law or morality to repay your kindness and apologize to you," Judith declared.
"Not bad, you're someone willing to accept defeat in a bet," Dekan suddenly felt a lot better. Then he turned to look at Croix, "Are there any more contracts?"
Croix nodded, "They’re in my suitcase, let me fetch them."
Judith listened to their conversation with a puzzled expression. Contracts? What contracts? Are they asking me, a tier 8 Holy Knight, to be their hired arm? Well, as long as it doesn't violate laws and morals, so be it.
After all, with these two restrictions, anything she does won't tarnish her honor.
