The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 982: Secret Cult Duel

The answer was yes.

The trials for the 5th level of mysticism were still selected from the mission board, but the difficulty was moderately increased. The reward was raised from one academic credit and one team point to two of each, with the added restriction that they could not be completed alone.

The challenges remained within the scope of what Sequence Potions could address.

So, the next day, Kiruet, Yeger, and Nasi went to the mission hall. Around noon, they were still waiting for Lu Li and the gatekeeper to return from their assignment.

5th level of mysticism, Lu Li's tenth day in the middle courses.

Kiruet, who was only two months away from advancing to the senior courses, was merely at the 6th level, which was practically the peak for the middle courses—the 7th level already belonged to the senior curriculum.

Lu Li's talent was making the other teams in the mission hall restless, especially those who had witnessed him complete the 4th-level trials the day before.

Though they didn't know the details.

Even if it meant offending Lu Li, even if they couldn't force him to join their team, they had to try—

The first to cause trouble was the Viper Squad. They had approached Lu Li before he had even joined the Holy Light Squad. Their captain, Kingard, a man who gave off a slick, venomous, serpentine impression, challenged Kiruet to a duel."I refuse."

Kiruet, of course, would not agree. Their strengths were vastly different, and she specialized in combat and defense, not one-on-one duels.

As for the potential damage to her reputation for refusing a duel? Ever since Lu Li had joined, the Holy Light Squad was already infamous on the Trunk Level—even the unruly senior teams joked that Lu Li might join them after his promotion.

In response, Kingard, the captain of the Viper Squad, removed his glove and threw it at Kiruet's face. Though she dodged it, a cold whisper followed.

"I, Kingard, challenge you to a Secret Cult Duel."

Gasps of surprise echoed through the mission hall. Yeger and Nasi shot him furious glares.

Just then, the returning Lu Li stepped up beside Kiruet and calmly faced Kingard.

"I will not leave the Holy Light Squad, nor will I remain in the middle courses for long."

In a month at most, once he reached the 6th or 7th level of mysticism, he would move on to the senior courses to study Cursed Title Release.

The middle courses were just a transitional phase, and Lu Li didn't even know any of the professors besides Professor Grey.

"I accept."

But Kiruet suddenly agreed to Kingard's "Secret Cult Duel."

Kiruet was only a casual believer, but her family was devout. She could not allow her family and her church to be shamed because of her.

"Three days from now, in the dueling hall. I hope you don't deprive your church of its glory," Kingard hissed, cold as a snake. He gave a slight bow to Lu Li and left the mission hall.

"That damn bastard..."

Yeger clenched his fists, cursing through gritted teeth. He had nearly lost control and lunged forward to smash that repulsive face—and he likely would have succeeded.

But the gatekeeper was nearby, and if he had acted, he would have been locked in confinement for a month.

"Let's go back."

Kiruet lowered her eyes, as calm as Lu Li.

Amid a sea of mocking, expectant, sarcastic, and sympathetic gazes, the Holy Light Squad returned to their lounge.

"This is all my fault... I shouldn't have suggested we all go to the mission hall to meet Lu Li."

Nasi said guiltily. What should have been a celebration of Lu Li reaching the 5th level of mysticism had turned sour.

Kiruet said nothing, sinking back down onto Margaret's bed.

"What is a Secret Cult Duel?" Lu Li asked.

Nasi answered honestly.

"It's a duel where believers from different churches stake their dignity and the dignity of their church. It's like a heavily watered-down, less bloody holy war."

"So, the 'fight' for Lu Li also has the shadow of Kingard's church behind it?" Yeger mused.

"What church does Kingard belong to?"

"The Spider God Church."

"I thought it would be some snake or dark church..." Yeger muttered, but Nasi quickly motioned for him to be quiet.

"Don't insult the churches, they can feel it!"

Lu Li pondered in silence.

Nasi had broadened the conflict to the churches behind Kiruet and Kingard, which reminded him of Professor Kris's warning from a few days ago: "And those churches, don't get too close to them. If they discover you, they will spare no effort to attract you, control you, twist your will, and reap your faith."

For now, they only craved the prestige that Lu Li himself carried. But when they discovered the faith surrounding him, and the humanity within his body...

"So this Secret Cult Duel is also a confrontation between two cults?"

Yeger, who had been on edge for a while and had even chugged a bottle of basic potion to check if he'd been cursed or hexed, asked again.

"The Spider God Church will definitely help that bastard, so Kiruet's church should help her, right?"

"The Church of the Son of God has been contacting me constantly," Kiruet's quiet voice came from Margaret's bed.

But she had been ignoring them, because she clearly understood the reason for the church's sudden attention toward her, a casual believer—Lu Li.

Kiruet had hoped the Holy Light Squad would remain pure, not a web of intrigue and interests centered around Lu Li.

"If there's absolutely no other way..." Nasi mumbled.

"No way!" Yeger cut him off harshly.

"We can't betray Lu Li. He joined us out of trust, and you want to fail him over a Secret Cult Duel?"

"But we can't win! Kingard has an entire church behind him, and if Kiruet wins the duel, then Kiruet, who shamed the church... and her... her family will even be punished or exiled by the church!"

While punishment might be bearable for Kiruet's family, exile was an intolerable blow—those cast out from their church were branded as unbelievers and traitors.

The former were heretics, the latter a disgrace.

From the beginning of the age of anomalies to the current dark era, unbelievers had always been heretics, and traitors were even more despised. People generally placed their hopes in the faith of a church to receive its protection.

People without faith were like sheep wandering outside the fence. When night fell, a wolf could easily knock it down, tear it to pieces, and even don its skin to blend in with the flock.

"Then Kiruet just has to win! As long as the church isn't shamed, the captain's family won't be exiled!"

"I told you, we can't win! It's a cult! A church that hatches a deity!"

"We have Lu Li, too!"

At that moment, the Merchant, Antoni, arrived with a letter. Lu Li read it and headed for the door.

"You're leaving me too..." Kiruet murmured softly.

Her emotions were in turmoil, but one could imagine the pressure she was under.

For no particular reason, a conversation from when he first met Katerina echoed in Lu Li's mind—

"Are you always like this?"

"Like what?"

"So quiet. You barely speak, except to ask questions."

"More or less."

"You should try to change, talk a little more."

—And their parting words in the town of Innsmouth.

"Remember what I told you when we first met? You should try to change, don't be so cold..."

"Try to change..."

...

Looking at Kiruet's sad, fragile face, Lu Li's tone seemed to soften.

"Fudot's confinement is over. I'm going to the library to visit her."

"I'll be back soon."