The nameless cannon-fodder priest was as frustrated as could be. From the very beginning, he had never intended to confront Solam head-on. His plan had been excellent, and so far, its execution had been nearly flawless.
The cannon-fodder priest's plan was simple. Once he learned that the vampires and the Slaughter Cult had set their sights on Solam, he made two preparations. If the vampires and the Slaughter Cult's attack went smoothly, then all would be well—they merely needed to ambush those vampires and Slaughter Cultists afterward.
In any case, those two factions were enemies rather than friends of both the Church of Bane and the Church of the Dead Three. Dealing with them was only natural. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it.
If the vampires and the Slaughter Cult proved too weak, they would take over and continue the attack. However, their target had never been Solam himself. That was simply too difficult. They were not backwater factions like the Slaughter Cult and the vampires, who dared to foolishly rush in and cause trouble without even knowing what Solam had done in the Abyss over the years. That was less like picking a fight and more like courting death. Directly dealing with Solam was far too difficult—not only would it cause massive casualties, but it might also lead to the complete failure of the plan.
The Church of Bane's harsh punishments for failures were known throughout the continent. The cannon-fodder priest had struggled to climb to his current position; how could he casually throw away his life and everything he possessed? He had no desire whatsoever to become one of those mindless "failures" behind him. He would rather die.
Therefore, his target had been clear from the start: the people around Solam. He did not want Solam's life,