Chapter 316: Demon and Priest-II

Kyle raised his eyebrow which was peppered between black and white, the wrinkles of his smile lift when he smiled, "Then I won't take up any more time. Might I just share another few talk, milord?"

Ian turned his eyes at Elise, seeing her nod but he also noticed there was a look in her eyes that seemed as if she needed to talk, "I will come back." and he left her side, walking toward the corridor with marbled floor.

"That man from earlier, he smells odd," chimed Hallow, who had been trying his hardest not to make a single squeak of comments. Being a talkative grim reaper, it was quite difficult for him to control himself from dropping any remark. 

Elise pulled her brows slightly, she didn't ask who and guessed, "Mr. Oliver, you mean?"

"Mm, that one," agreed Hallow he then put his wings underneath his round chin, "He smells like death, but not exactly death, more like souls?"

Silence grew as Elise sunk into a contemplation. She recalled the whisper that talk to her earlier, stating her to stay away. Was the whisper talk to her go stay away? If it's so, who was it that the whisper warn her not to get close?

"What do you think he smells like?" questioned Elise as Hallow was a grim reaper, he knew more creatures in this world which she never knows they truly exist like Demon, and Angels. 

"I don't know, it's just a strange smell. It's actually my first time smelling it," responded Hallow, "But he does smells like that— the Gallows!"

"Gallows?" Elise had never heard anything about the name before.

Hallow curled his brows, "They are the creatures who guards the purgatory, where people with sins are punished briefly there or to cleanse the attachment to the living world before walking to the entrance."

Elise pulled a deeper frown at this, why would the creature who guard the purgatory to come here, and he seemed to hold contempt toward Ian. Is it because the Gallows knows he is a Demon?

She then looked down when the chick begin to talk again, "But I am not very sure how much I am correct. Us, grim reapers never get the chance to see Gallows. I know this because I have read a book about them. They must have smelled like that. It does hold a question to me. If that man from earlier was truly a Gallows, I don't understand why he smells more like a human. Gallows never leave the purgatory. Ever."

Elise took a turn toward the left corridor where it was with less people so she could talk more to Hallow without being seen by the maids and thought as a madwoman to worsen her image amongst them, when Dalton had also chose to walk in the corridor.

"Lady Elise," said Dalton when they met again, he bowed politely. The man always had that gentle smile on his face that almost reminded Elise of Father Redrick as the two held the same gentle air with them. His curly brown hair fell on his eyes that he brushed away. "It must have been not a very good experience to see, is it? Mr. Oliver isn't a bad man, he is just a little strict with the cases that were given to him."

Elise returned the man's smile, "I see," she replied, but she can't see the man as passionate with his job. She could tell in clarity the dislike Oliver had against Ian which now after learning the possibility of him being a Gallows, it made more sense in her why the man would hate him. "Did you forget something sir?"

Dalton Lone shook his head, "It is quite embarrassing but I was searching for Kyle when I lost my way."

"It's difficult to remember the passage to enter and leave. I can help you to the way outside, Sir Kyle had left the garden earlier," offered Elise, being hospitable as she soon would be the Lady of the house.

"Thank you," and they both turn from the left corridor. "If I am not wrong," started the man when the silence started to appear, "Are your full name Elise Scott, the lady who had aced the first exam?"

"Yes, that is me," confirmed Elise seeing the man looked at her why interest.

"I think everyone must have said this to you, but to achieve such a feat is very amazing, Lady Elise. Actually, I know about you not due to the news that you have passed the first exam, I heard it from someone else," said the man.

Elise wondered who that was, there were little to few people who might know her, and most of them are not in this world any longer. 

"My little brother also followed my steps to work in the Church, he claimed to have seen a woman who had taken the Church's exam, something no one would do normally. He also express how impressed he was to you."

Now that the man had given more light to the question that lingered in her mind, it finally dawned to her, "Is his name Ernest Lone?" the man who had talked to her before the exam.

Hearing his brother's name brought a smile on Dalton's lips to widened, "That is he."

Elise looked at him, she recalled Ernest face and when one asked why she didn't remember the man being Dalton's younger brother it would be because the two didn't look alike. As if knowing what she thought, the man spoke, "We don't look like each other, do we? My brother and I are not related." the man didn't appear bothered with what he had revealed, but Elise felt that her gaze might have been too intrusive. "You will be entering the second exam soon, would you?"

Seeing how the man veered their talk, Elise felt grateful to him as she felt at loss, not knowing what to say earlier, "Yes, I have just received the letter from the Church today." and the man nod, 

"Lord Ian is very amazing," the man suddenly praise that got Elise to shift her gaze from the wall to the man, "I don't think if I were in his position I would let my bride to participate in the exam."

And Elise knew what Dalton meant, she was very grateful that Ian had never pushed his ideal to her, and let her achieve what she wish. Instead of telling her to behave, he asked her to be selfish, a word that she knows people would rarely tells her.

"He wishes to respect my choice, and I am very thankful to him," said Elise and the Church member smiled before nodding at this.

"It is incredible, I never thought the Lord would do that, no offense but he seems like someone who would forever treasure his dear one, making sure they won't get hurt." Realizing they drifted too much, Dalton spoke again, "It might be dangerous, I talked to my brother and asked him to consider his choice, but he won't agree. As we got older there are a few things that we can advise our younger siblings but most of the time they won't agree."

Elise's smile softened at this, "I think I understand that. I had a brother too."

Dalton had faintly heard about Elise's family as Kyle was the one to take care of the case, he nodded, "I think I can tell you a little about the second exam, it would be held in an abandoned village in Runalia. There was a case about a sudden death there and they would be taking the case as the second exam's material."

"Is it alright for you to tell me this?" asked Elise, because exams are meant to kept hidden, "I am thankful, however."

"It's not something to hide anyway, I have told this to my brother but not the details, that would be cheating. Take it as my thanks for showing me the way out."

At this point, they had reached the entrance. Dalton Lone bowed to Elise, and she returned his bow, "Until we meet again."

When Dalton left, Elise saw the carriage that had stopped in front of the entrance begin to move as the horse neighed. Her eyes shifted to Ian who came back on her side. There was a smile on his lips that widened, "Do you know the Church Member would come?" 

"I guessed it, seeing how Vella died it's sooner or later they'll wag their tails to the castle," Ian brought his hand to her waist, "What did you talked to Dalton?"