This is a colossus with a clear mission, transparent paths to advancement and power system, holding massive financial resources, distributed all over the world, in both the human and demon worlds, and even having cooperative interests with many evil organizations.
Anyone who gets targeted by them would probably find it bothersome, wouldn’t they?
Moreover, considering the feeling of being tracked in Forest Crown Town, it’s clear that this organization did not just coincidentally notice him for the first time at Flute Castle; rather, they have been keeping an eye on him for a long time.
On a small scale, the people tracking him might just be minor birds of the Dragon Worship Sect, but thinking bigger, could it be that Tiamat, the Mother of Five-Colored Dragons, has set her sights on him?
Even though Tiamat’s power is greatly restricted, and one of the ultimate goals of the Dragon Worship Sect is to bring Tiamat back to the material world, no matter what, this is a deity.
A deity of weak divine power, yet with an extremely strong presence.
The Lake God Metela, who currently shelters him, he hadn’t even heard of before; evidently, she can’t contend with this evil dragon queen.
"Mr. Gauss, Mr. Gauss..."
The voice in his ear interrupted his thoughts.
Upon realizing that he was being focused on, Captain Alek continued speaking.
"Please come with us for a record, would you?"
"Alright."
After a soldier brought over a horse, Gauss mounted it and followed them to the station.
...
"Thank you for being willing to cooperate with our work."
After meticulously recording the events of that morning, the woman responsible for registration shook Gauss’s hand with great solemnity.
"May I leave now?"
"Of course, please feel free."
Gauss pushed open the door.
An unexpected figure was waiting, leaning against the wall outside.
Though entirely cloaked in a hooded grey robe, Gauss recognized the person instantly.
"Lord Pleos, what brings you here?"
The one waiting for him was none other than the Tiefling Paladin who had met with him yesterday.
"Shh."
Pleos gestured for silence.
Gauss then noticed that it seemed only he could see him, as other people passing through the office corridor couldn’t detect his presence.
Gauss followed him into a room.
"I came to apologize to you."
"Hmm?"
Gauss was puzzled.
Pleos’s face immediately showed guilt.
"I thought asking someone from the Golden Eagle family to pass on a message for our meeting yesterday was sufficiently discreet, but unexpectedly, yesterday’s events seem to have leaked out."
Gauss remained silent, listening quietly.
"In fact, based on our analysis of the current intelligence we possess, the prime suspect responsible for the Tieflings’ disappearance appears to be Dragon Worship Sect followers."
"Of course, we don’t have direct evidence for this as of now."
"But it seems they found out about my secret meeting with you through some special channels, which is why they sent people to monitor your movements this morning."
Pleos said in a heavy tone.
He also hadn’t expected the usually cautious Dragon Worship Sect followers to be so "reckless" with Gauss’s affair.
In fact, even if Pleos hadn’t mentioned it, Gauss wouldn’t have known, but unable to turn a blind eye, after his subordinates reported the "troubles" Gauss had gotten into, Pleos rushed over to ensure Gauss’s safety.
"This city has become less safe for you. If you need, I can arrange for someone to safely escort you out."
"The followers of the Dragon Worship Sect in this city might mistakenly believe you’re helping me, and once you leave, they probably won’t bother you anymore."
Gauss looked into Pleos’s eyes.
He somewhat understood its cause.
It turned out Pleos had misunderstood the situation.
In fact, according to his own speculation, being targeted by the Dragon Worship Sect probably had nothing to do with yesterday’s secret meeting but was simply due to his unique qualities.
However, because of privacy concerns, he couldn’t directly explain why these Dragon Worship Sect fanatics were naturally attracted to him.
Thus, he could only display a bitter smile.
He knew that, even if he left this city, Dragon Worship Sect followers in other cities would continue tracking him, just as they did in Forest Crown Town.
Unless his mighty scale bloodline and various dragon-related abilities were stripped from him, those people would follow him like sharks that had caught the scent of blood.
"The Dragon Worship Sect targeting me likely has nothing to do with yesterday’s matter."
"No need for the trouble."
Gauss waved his hand, taking a deep breath, as if making a decision.
While Pleos thought Gauss wasn’t appreciating the gravity of the situation, Gauss said something surprising that delighted Pleos.
"Lord Pleos, I’ve accepted the investigative commission you spoke of yesterday."
Gauss said seriously.
This decision seemed hasty, but it was actually not.
Since Pleos also mentioned the Tieflings’ disappearances might be linked to the Dragon Worship Sect, and they had already targeted him, why not accept the commission and turn passive into an active stance?
At least this way, he could gain intelligence and other support from Pleos, along with the commission’s reward.
The Dragon Worship Sect is indeed fearsome, but only as a continent-spanning entity. In a specific city or town, their power isn’t as strong; otherwise, they wouldn’t need to act secretly.
What Gauss lacked was precisely information.
He sensed that as his talents and lineage strengthened, his future entanglements with this sinister sect would only increase.