The priest returned with the map, carefully unfolding it on the table.


    "All the children vanished three days after their baptism, always at night."


    His fingers smoothed out the worn parchment, revealing a detailed depiction of the region.


    "No one ever saw the culprit. Whoever it was snuck in without a sound, left no clues, and took them away like a ghost."


    La frowned.


    "That''s ridiculous! No footprints? No dragged furniture? No one sign of forced entry?"


    The priest shook his head.


    "Nothing. It was as if the kids just ceased to exist. As you know, we reported this to the Faraja, but they refused to help. imed the children must''ve run away... that we weren''t taking good enough care of them."


    Malik let out a snicker, shaking his head.


    "That''s almost hrious... So the church is just telling you to shut up, huh?"


    The priest sighed, his shoulders slumping.


    "That''s what it seems like."


    "Hm. A Temr bigwig has their hands on this, don''t they?"


    Malik continued before they could answer his question, his eyes narrowing:


    "This bigwig doesn''t have their men do the kidnapping themselves, but they pass on the information after the baptism. The... menu gets distributed to those interested. So the buyer gets to pick their merchandise. If they find a kid worth the trouble, they ask for them, and their friendse to pick them up."


    La mmed her hands on the table.


    "That''s sick! I swear if I ever get my hands on one of these bastards—"


    Malik raised a hand.


    "Easy. We''re dealing with a crafty fucker. Gotta be smart about this."


    He leaned in, studying the broader geography of thend.


    At the center was a colossal dark sphere—Al-Fawra, the Maw of the Devil.


    Surrounding it was the Markaz, where the Holy Kingdom sat, taking most of the southeast.@@novelbin@@


    It was and popted by grand houses, mansions, manors, towns, and cities, all surrounding the Holy Pce.


    Below that was what they were currently traveling through. And further below that was endless desert—Dawaha, an unforgiving wastnd filled with dunes, canyons, and towering ss monoliths, remnants of a forgotten war, jutted from the sand like jagged teeth.


    To the easty the Dark Continent, La''s home, separated by vast bodies of water. The Ten Seas. A stretch so treacherous that even the most seasoned of sailors hesitated to cross.


    There, towering ziggurats weremon, houses of worship of all kinds, and tombs, all were under the cover of a gigantic forest, likely a result of divine intervention.


    Thosends weremonly known as the first to house humankind.


    The north mirrored the south—except instead of desert, it was a frozen wastnd, an abyss of eternal night. An unfathomablyrge storm sat in its center, a never-ending one.


    To the west, however, were rtively lush grasnds, where most of the''s poption thrived. The only ce untouched by the''s cruelty, making it quite curious... wanted.


    Many had fought over thatnd, and an empress took hold. Scheherazade.


    That too wasmon knowledge, yet that wasn''t what Malik focused on.


    Next to the main map was a much smaller one. It originated from a dot in the southern region, one that indicated their current location.


    This map focused entirely on the vige, disying its buildings in detail.


    Malik tapped it.


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    "Quite remote for a trafficking operation. Hm. Before I start, you got questions to ask?"


    The priest flinched but nodded.


    "I... I do… why us?"


    Malik nced at La before answering.


    "Ain''t it obvious? Like those from the East, you''re seen as a liability. For them, it''s just because they look different or were born in a differentnd. With you? It''s because you messed with their money. The taxes they pay end up reaching you, no matter how little, and that erks them. Instead of hating the vige Caliph, the one cutting into their profits, they hate you, knowing their heads would be cut otherwise. And they do so even though they all know that you''re doing a great thing."


    La smiled at him while the priest exhaled shakily.


    "I understand… But what does that mean for us now?"


    "Since the disappearances began, how many caravans have passed through? Besides us, of course."


    The priest furrowed his brows, thinking.


    "None that I know of."


    Malik nodded.


    "Then the kids are being stored somewhere nearby."


    La raised a brow.


    "Couldn''t they have just sold them right away?"


    He shook his head.


    "Depends. But I wouldn''t bet on it. Judging by the state of the orphanage, even the best-looking kid here isn''t high-value. They wouldn''t be worth selling one at a time. The vers need to move them in bulk to make a profit. That means they''re stockpiled somewhere, pretty secret but essible, waiting for a carriage."


    La and the priest stared at him in disbelief. Huda too looked thrown off, almost twice as much as them.


    "Why do you… know so much about this?"


    Malik shrugged.


    "Had vers as roommates once. You pick things up..."


    "Ha~ guess you never know when things might be good for you."


    The priest softly nodded at La and cleared his throat, clearly unsettled.


    "In that case… there are some abandoned buildings around. Here, here, here, and here."


    He pointed at four different locations on the vige map.


    "There are more, but those are regrly used by the homeless."


    Malik''s eyes lingered on the spots, then he pointed at a building slightly northwest of the cluster.


    "This is the church, right?"


    "Yes."


    The priest confirmed and La suddenly perked up, eyes lighting with realization.


    Before Malik could, she pointed to the closest building near the church.


    "Then it has to be this one!"


    The priest looked at them, confused while Huda seemed... shocked, gasping.


    Ignoring their reactions, Malik simply gestured towards La, giving her the chance to exin.


    "It''s obvious, no? Halling cargo makes a lot of noise, and in this case, it''s kids. They aren''t exactly quiet. Even if they''re knocked out, they aren''t easy to move. As he said, if they''re stockpiling them, it has to be somewhere close enough to get them out quickly but also somewhere people wouldn''t question odd noises. And what better ce than right next to the church?"


    Malik stood up, cracking his neck.


    "We''re hitting that ce tonight. Get prepared... oh, and go get me your pouch. I ain''t doing this for free."