Chapter 104

Chapter 77 Return Journey Part 2

I tilted my head and thought.

“Hmm… I don’t know. But very strong.”

Everyone fell into deep thought.

After a while, the old man in the robe spoke up. “You all have seen the scene. There’s no doubt about Miss Silvija’s power. If she thinks it’s very strong, then it must be the blood sacrifice.”

“Little Silvia, how long did he stay at the third stage?”

“Not even a minute.”

“Hmm… This situation is quite different from what I know. Even when the Gate of Truth was most active, we never encountered such an enemy. Few can adapt to the third stage. According to your description, this person clearly cannot adapt to the third stage, yet the inferno still erupted. Is this person… the one with the burn marks on his face?”

“Mm-hm.”

“Think carefully about the scene. Was there anything strange or abnormal?”

Strange places… That question is asked as if everything is normal. In my opinion, these people are strange from beginning to end.

That kind of flame that can devour oneself, the sin fire. I can’t understand why anyone would want to do this for temporary strength, only to be burned to death moments later. What’s the point? What are these lunatics thinking?

Is the power of ‘faith’ really that terrifying… Although there were examples in my previous life, no matter how absurd the heretical ways, some ignorant people would always fall for them. While I don’t understand this, I know it’s true. But…

Neither Varal nor the Golden Mask, or even those masked assassins, give me the impression of blindly believing in something intangible.

They seem quite pragmatic, and Varal even has ambitions. So, what is their purpose? To control the lifeblood of the Valen Empire through Edward?

This is the greatest possibility, but is it necessary to go to such lengths… Don’t they understand the principle of steady progress?

I believe that the so-called God of Truth must bring them more than just self-immolation.

Right, I remember Varal mentioned someone at the end… It seemed like a lady, what was her name again?

I don’t remember.

Suddenly, I recalled a detail and immediately said, “There is one thing. They, before releasing the flames, inhaled the grass.”

Everyone was stunned by this.

“Inhaled the grass? Both of them?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, this is odd… Doctor Chris, what do you think?”

Carlos looked at the Knight in the bird mask sitting aside, waited for two seconds, but received no response.

“…Doctor.”

He looked indifferent, gently nudged the bird-masked knight’s shoulder.

“…Hmm? Oh, sorry, I was thinking. What’s up?”

“…Were you sleeping?”

Facing Carlos’s questioning, the bird-masked knight immediately denied, “What? How could I!”

“What were we talking about?”

“About the heretics… the one who transported goods to the royal city…”

“Hmm, you fell asleep here.”

“…I said I was thinking,” the bird-masked knight continued to deny, after all, he wore a mask, no one could see his face, “How could I be so rude in front of a beautiful lady.”

“So, what do you suggest about the heretics and the grass?”

“Heretics and the grass? Obviously,” the bird-masked knight rested his hand under his chin, comfortably crossing his legs, “According to my understanding, there are some heretics in the Eastern Continent who firmly believe that the inferno will free them from suffering. Of course, most of these people live in hardship or are lazy. However, being burned… doesn’t make anyone feel good. So, some people started using the grass to numb their senses before burning themselves… Maybe it’s a habit over time?”

Carlos glanced at him impatiently.

“It’s not that simple, please take this seriously.”

“I am serious. Your understanding of the grass only scratches the surface. Did you know, besides causing hallucinations, the grass can also eliminate fear.”

As he tapped the beak part of his mask, he continued.

“The difference lies in the amount inhaled. Just like drinking alcohol, a small amount can make one feel slightly tipsy, but too much can cause a hangover, and the next day one might not remember what they did last night. The same applies to the grass. Inhaling the right amount makes one like a mad dog, fearless, and they will do everything in their power, even with their teeth, to tear apart any enemy in front of them.”

“Over two hundred years ago, there was a small country called Willard in the west. The king had his soldiers do this… Later, he was killed by his own guards who had inhaled too much of the grass. So, those heretics are probably emulating them… ”

“In fact, we often complicate things too much. Most people are actually quite simple. Because they aren’t living happily, as long as you can make them happy—what the heretics call escaping suffering—they would be willing to do anything. In this regard, the grass is a powerful tool.”

“Oh, I didn’t expect you to have studied this.”

“Ha! I’m a doctor, an excellent one. How could a doctor not understand the miracles of nature like the grass?”

“I meant the heretics,” Carlos leaned back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head, “Chris, do you remember what the former Pope said?”

The bird-masked knight quickly replied, “Don’t try to understand the thoughts of heretics, because you might be assimilated… Is that what he said?”

“You got it.”

“But there’s another saying: to defeat your enemy, you must first understand him.”

“Haha, that makes sense.”

“You two…”

“Shh—”

“Oh, look, look…”

“Little Silvia is falling asleep…”

“Haha, how interesting…”

“You have no right to laugh at others…”

“…Let her sleep…”

…………

I don’t know how long passed, in a daze, I felt someone gently shaking my shoulders.

“…Little Silvia… wake up…”

Impatiently, I pushed away and turned over.

“…Let me… sleep a bit more…”

Faintly, I heard Lady’s voice.

“She’s tired… Scarlidge… hold her…”

“We… parish…”

“Go back…”

A pair of warm, strong arms lifted me up.

His chest radiated warmth, followed by a pleasant scent of cologne mixed with the faint smell of a fireplace.

It should be the Duke.

So, I found a comfortable position in his arms and fell asleep again.

Interlude Undercurrents

The long night stretched on.

The night sky was tranquil, endless darkness, especially at night, the dark seemed like a voracious monster, swallowing all the lights of the world.

In the quiet chapel, only the third-floor window was lit. Through a large window, one could see a blonde man伏在木桌前伏在木桌前

The rod appeared to be a letter. The blond man stared intently at it, showing no signs of drowsiness despite what seemed to be excessive daytime sleep. He extended his left hand in front of the desk as if grasping something, then reached for a highball glass next to him.

The wine in the glass was dark brown. If there were an expert present, they would instantly recognize that this wine was quite expensive and needed to be decanted for three hours before tasting. However, the blond man picked up the glass and drank it like a bull, gulping down the entire cup in a few large swallows. Without changing his expression, he then picked up the bottle on the table and continued to fill his glass, not caring at all about the wine dripping onto the table.

He filled the glass again and drank it down. After repeating this several times, he finally finished reading the letter in his hand.

He lifted his head, ran his fingers through his messy hair, and let out a soft sigh.

Then he began to speak as if to himself.

“Why did Little Black Charcoal recognize them so quickly? It’s much faster than I expected… How could it be so fast… Well, it’s also good news.”

“Being able to integrate so quickly into human society, this abyss is more interesting than I thought… Yes, very interesting.”

He clapped his hands gently. Perhaps due to the alcohol, he looked somewhat dizzy and started humming off-key words as if singing.

“The stage is set~ Next~ How will you perform… I’m looking forward to the follow-up plot… I wonder if it will go according to my expectations~ Just follow my thoughts~”

After mumbling these ramblings, the blond man pondered for a moment.

“Hmm… Why haven’t they come yet~ Little Marguerite~ You can’t make me wait too long~”

Not long after, the door of the room opened, and a woman dressed as a nun walked in.

The woman looked very young, probably around twenty-five years old. Her skin was flawless, and her delicate features were accentuated by a pair of sharp phoenix eyes.

She walked straight toward the blond man and stopped in front of his table.

“Oh, my dear Marguerite, you’ve arrived just in time.”

“Pontiff, are you not resting?”

This blond man was none other than Angel. He shook off the wine stains on his hand, looking for something to wipe it with. Seeing nothing suitable, he simply wiped his hand on his robe without a care, which made the nun-wearing woman frown.

“Did you call me for something?”

Despite her dislike of the man’s behavior, she said nothing.

As the current Holy Virgin of the Sacred Church, Marguerite was used to the man’s slovenly actions. She knew it was useless to say anything; he was one of those stubborn people who never cared about others’ opinions.

“Oh, that… well… what was it again?”

Angel seemed to have forgotten why he had called Marguerite.

Seeing this, Marguerite frowned and showed clear signs of impatience.

“Pontiff, if there’s nothing else, I’d like to rest… I’m quite tired from the long journey.”

With that, she turned to leave.

Angel immediately stood up to block her.

“No, no, no, I was just joking. Really, little Marguerite, you’re becoming less and less cute.”

Marguerite turned back.

“Pontiff, please get to the point.”

“Hmm… Have you heard about the recent activities of the Gate of Truth?”

“You mean those things in Eastland?”

“No, I’m talking about Westland.” Angel picked up the scroll in his hand and waved it at Marguerite. “Look, this is fresh intelligence sent by Carlos not long ago. More heretics have been appearing in Westland recently, especially in the countries of Xierjiaya and Valen.”

Marguerite furrowed her brows, always looking serious.

“Mr. Carlos was in Xierjiaya recently, wasn’t he?”

“He’s already returned to the Empire of Valen with Little Black Charcoal… Oh, you know Little Black Charcoal, right? That Miss Silvija…”

Marguerite suddenly showed a very impatient look.

“I know, you don’t need to emphasize these things every time.”

“Alright, maybe I forgot… So, regarding the matter of disillusionment?”

“…There hasn’t been any movement yet.”

“Good, keep monitoring. As soon as the mud in the abyss starts boiling, notify me immediately. At that time… Carlos and you will go together.”

“Mm-hm.” Marguerite tapped her foot lightly on the floor. “Pontiff, is there anything else?”

“No, no, you can go rest.”

Upon hearing Angel’s words, Marguerite didn’t say anything extra and turned to leave. After taking two steps, Angel’s voice echoed behind her again.

“By the way, pay attention to the movements of those old fellows. If anyone wants to harm Little Black Charcoal…” The blond man’s eyes flashed with a sinister light. “Don’t report to me, I’ll give you the authority to kill directly.”

After thinking for a moment, he added another sentence.

“If you can’t handle it, come tell me.”

The girl paused in her steps.

“I understand.”

Then she pushed open the door and left.

The blond man slowly sat back down, swaying his head and closing his eyes.

“Ahh—, I’m going to be insomniac again tonight—”

…………

At the same moment, Eastland.

On the huge dock, starlight reflected off the sea, and countless ships, big and small, either set sail or returned to port. A gentle breeze blew.

It stirred the silver hair of a woman standing at the port. Her thin dress clung tightly to her body, revealing her graceful curves.

She stared at the sea with her star-like eyes, saying nothing. Soon, someone approached her from behind.

The person was an old man with a slightly hunched back. He stopped two meters away from her, bowing low with an obsequious demeanor.

“Miss Elina.”

After uttering these words, the old man remained silent. After a while, the woman softly opened her lips: “Speak.”

Her voice was thin and clear, devoid of any emotion.

The old man hesitated for a moment.

“Miss, the fires of Valar and Langman went out two hours ago.”

The woman didn’t speak for a long time, gazing calmly at the vast sea, lost in thought.

Time ticked by second by second. Moments later, the old man couldn’t help but speak again.

“Um… Miss Elina…”

The old man was about to say something when the woman interrupted him.

“I’m waiting for you to speak.”

“Uh… We received information that four Pontiff Knights stayed in the Winter City during this period… Their deaths are likely related to this.”

“…Who are they?”

Still in a monotonous tone.

“The King of Deceitful Troops Scalliger, the Silver Flash Carlos, Tulip Chris, and that youngest Pontiff Knight ever, Sylvia Rabishemes, who was recently ennobled.”

“Mm.” The woman nodded slightly, then added, “Sylvia is a girl?”

“This… yes.”

“I see.”

“Miss Elina, what should we do next?”

“For now, put aside the matters of the Valen Empire.”

“But…”

“There are no buts. We can move in Xierjiaya now.”

The old man bowed his head.

“I understand, Miss.”

“Go down first.”

“…Yes.”

A gentle breeze brushed over the sea, stirring ripples.