After the Divine Bath ended, both of them received a set of new clothes from the temple and put them on right there. They thought they might be forced to do some tasks, but to their surprise, nothing like that happened.
On the contrary, the Grand Priest told them that now, with these clothes, they could easily walk among the people. The people wouldn’t reject them anymore and would even help them with any question or request they had.
Daniel and Drael also had things to do and didn’t want to stay there any longer. After saying their farewells, they quickly left the temple.
However, they didn’t return to their room; instead, they headed toward the city. Daniel wanted to take a look at the townspeople, learn about their habits and morals, and see how he could use the situation to his advantage.
"What do you think? Which priest should we move against?" Drael asked quietly as he followed beside him, though anger could be seen deep in his eyes.
He had realized that the so-called Divine Bath was actually a trick meant to completely restrain them and turn them into fuel for that godly power, or whatever it really was.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t as powerful as this man and couldn’t stop it or alter it in a way that would spare him from its effects.
"What’s with the rush? Let’s take a look at the people first," Daniel said calmly. He knew about Drael’s worries but didn’t really care.
For his plan, he needed to shake the people’s faith in this city. That kind of task wasn’t easy, actually, it was incredibly difficult, almost impossible.
After all, at any moment, the priests or even the Grand Priest himself might realize what they were doing and attack them. That’s why he didn’t want to rush and ruin his plan. Everything needed to be done with patience.
"My spiritual power is fading more and more every second! How do you expect me to stay calm? It could even start eating away at my life force, then my very existence would be in danger!" Drael said angrily.
He hated the idea of being restrained and controlled by someone else. It should always be others under his control, not the other way around. It had been a long time since he last felt this miserable feeling, and he didn’t want to experience it again.
He was also worried that those strange chains buried deep inside his soul might start absorbing and devouring his life energy.
If that happened, wouldn’t that mean he’d die instantly?
"You won’t die that easily. Since he turned us into followers of the temple, the Grand Priest probably has plans for us," Daniel said with a chuckle, showing little concern.
Hearing that, Drael calmed down. He had also noticed that the Grand Priest’s behavior didn’t fully align with the laws he himself had created.
According to what Mirena had told them, the entry of outsiders was strictly forbidden, and becoming a member of the temple was even more impossible. Yet today, the two of them had officially joined the temple.
"Do you think that old man knows something?"
"No, he’s probably just worried and wants to increase the power of that so-called god as much as possible, so if something happens, he can use that power to defend himself," Daniel answered simply, explaining his reasoning.
"Do you think he might want to use us to bring in more followers for the temple? After all, he didn’t try to stop us from leaving," Drael said, nodding slightly in thought.
"It’s possible, but I don’t think so. He doesn’t want the temple to become too well-known. It’s clear he wants to keep the power for himself. He’s afraid that if the temple grows too much, others might appear who could take his power away."
"Then here’s another question, why hasn’t he stopped us from leaving?"
"It’s simple. The desire to keep the temple hidden is his own will, not that of the ’god’ he worships. That being might actually want more followers, but the Grand Priest refuses," Daniel reasoned calmly.
"And maybe the Grand Priest is just waiting for us to leave the city so he can use those spiritual restraints he placed inside us to kill us," Drael added, finishing the thought.
"The Grand Priest wouldn’t dare go that far, would he? That would mean going against his own god," Drael said, unable to fully believe it.
"All of this is just speculation without any real evidence. Naturally, it’s not one hundred percent accurate or reliable. I still need to investigate more before I can find out the truth," Daniel nodded.
It was only a general picture he had pieced together so far. The only thing he was sure of was the Grand Priest’s personality, someone who wanted to keep all the power to himself.
As for whether he was actually opposing his god, Daniel wasn’t certain. If that being really was the buried god, it might want to stay hidden from the world, while the Grand Priest might want to expand and strengthen the temple’s power.
In the end, as he said, these were all assumptions. Once he managed to put one of the priests under his control, he’d surely have a clearer understanding.
"So now you’re planning to talk to the people and figure out which priest is more popular?" Drael asked, clearly understanding the reason Daniel wanted to speak with the townsfolk.
"Exactly. Even though Mirena already told us which priest is said to be the most liked, that was still only her own guess, or what other priests told her. We need to hear it directly from the people to find out which priest is truly the most trusted and respected," Daniel nodded, not hiding his goal.
Drael nodded as well and said nothing more. Soon, they were among the crowd, walking through the busy markets and crowded areas of the city.
Even though their appearances were completely different from the locals and it was obvious they were outsiders, because of the clothes they wore, the people not only didn’t avoid them but treated them with kindness and respect.
Drael was a bit surprised by this kind of reaction, it was completely different from what he had experienced yesterday. It had no resemblance to that at all, and it made him sigh quietly.
The power and influence of the Crimson Temple among these people were truly great. They would probably even die for it. This wasn’t simple respect, it was obsession, a kind of fanatic devotion.
Daniel, meanwhile, spoke politely with the people, shopkeepers, and even small merchants, gradually befriending quite a few of them.
He didn’t stop there either; he made sure to get close to the children too, building a trustworthy and positive image of himself among both the kids and adults.
Of course, he didn’t forget to use his abilities to help himself settle even deeper into the hearts of the townsfolk.
Before long, he managed to steer his conversations with his new friends toward the topic of the priests, asking which priest they liked the most, who they trusted and respected more, and so on.
By the time he finished, the sky had already darkened. The city was slowly quieting down as shops began to close. He and Drael had to say goodbye to their new friends and leave.
As they walked back to their place, both of them were smiling. After all, they had gotten the answer they wanted.
Now, it was time to act.