At this point, Iver could finally determine what had just happened.
His previous intuitive judgment had indeed been correct. Someone really had been sending a message with their life!"...I see."
Sherlock realized it at the same time. "By cursing that troll Curse Master, he lured us here.
"That's why the curse only lasted for a brief instant. After being stopped, it didn't repeat. And although he knew he'd been discovered, he didn't move at all...
"It wasn't that an ambush had been prepared here—it was that this old troll was using this method to tell us where Red Wine Mister was."
But soon, Sherlock grew doubtful. "But how did you know we were near the Saintess at the time?"
That was the part he couldn't deduce. If the old troll had been imprisoned here, how had he learned what was happening on their side?
Could it be that, just as Cardinal Loki could monitor Theocracy, he could monitor Cardinal Loki from here as well?"No. I didn't know."
The old troll sat cross-legged on the ground and answered honestly.
He replied calmly and slowly, "But I knew those three would definitely come to Theocracy. And I also knew that, given their personalities, they would probably get themselves into some kind of trouble.
"I calculated the timing. They should have arrived a while ago. So, shortly before noon, I cursed Zumai Di. Given their personalities, they were probably looking for food around then. Once Zumai Di caused a commotion, I used the opportunity to curse Babu Lu... That should have been enough to lure you here.
"I can only say that luck was on my side. My first attempt succeeded."
...No wonder.
Bram gritted his teeth.
He had vaguely sensed that something was wrong just now.
"Old Rabbihe," who had remained silent