Chapter 549

Chapter 171 – In the Shadows Unreachable by Sacred Light, Part 2

“Pontiff.”

The petite woman with a baby face knelt on one knee, her right fist resting over her heart.

She wore simple green robes and loose, somewhat worn trousers that seemed like men’s clothing. Her hair was tied in a ponytail at the back of her head, and when she bowed, bandages could be seen around her wrists and ankles, along with a patch on her right cheek.

Beside her stood an elderly man with white whiskers and a sharp spirit.

The old man also bowed to Angel, but only slightly, with a smile on his face. The church-style white and gold robe he wore had more intricate patterns than a typical bishop’s, making it look more solemn.

Behind the old man and the woman were a dozen or so monks standing in neat rows.

Angel descended from the dais and walked up to the woman, helping her to her feet. “Have you been injured?”

“It’s nothing serious.”

The woman stood up and said in a low voice, “Thank you for your concern, Pontiff.”

The Pontiff nodded slightly and patted her head. “Good, it’s nothing. Your absence would make things difficult for our next move…”

He then shifted his gaze to the old man and pointed at the monks. “Send them all away. You and Anna come with me, we’ll talk outside.”

“Yes.”

Angel led the way out of the dark chamber, followed closely by the others. After passing through the stone door, the old man waved silently, dismissing the clergy members. Then, without a word, he followed Angel and the silent woman through a larger stone chamber and several caves.

In the distance, faint cries could be heard from all directions, but none of the three paid them any mind. Occasionally, they encountered clergy members who hurriedly bowed upon seeing Angel. He nodded and smiled warmly, appearing approachable. Eventually, they reached the end of a cave. The old man stepped forward and took out a key, opening a decaying wooden door. The Pontiff went in first.

This seemed to be a meeting room.

The stone room inside wasn’t large, lit by flames on the walls, revealing a long, round table in the center. Around the table were wooden chairs. The nearest room was at least a hundred meters away, making the place unusually quiet.

Angel sat casually at the table and gestured for the two to sit down as well. Soon, a monk brought hot tea, placing it before them. Angel took a sip, finding it too hot, and made a face. Once the monk left and the wooden door closed, he lifted his eyelids.

“Anna, do you understand what you need to do?”

The woman, who had deliberately chosen a corner to sit in, slowly nodded in response to Angel’s question. “To kill the clown.”

“No, no.” Angel immediately waved his hand. “Your mission has changed.”

He picked up the teacup again and took a small sip to moisten his throat. “Anna, what you need to do now is to fully assist the Pontiff Knight named Silvija. Use whatever means necessary, regardless of how many people might die. Whether or not we have the orb, you must ensure she can safely enter the Dragon Homeland. That is the top priority now. Do you understand?”

The woman frowned lightly.

“You cannot kill the clown alone. What I mean is…”

“I can,” the woman interrupted the Pontiff. “I can kill him.”

Looking at her face illuminated by the firelight, showing a serious and determined expression, Angel couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t overthink it. I’m not blaming you. It’s not because of your failure that things turned out this way. Actually, there will always be unexpected events we can’t foresee. The situation now isn’t just about killing a clown… There’s another troublesome woman…”

The young Pontiff paused.

“That woman is currently in Deer Town. She gives me a headache. A clown can still be planned for; given the right timing and the Church’s full encirclement, killing him wouldn’t be too difficult. But this woman is different. I have a guess about who she is… With the power of the inferno at her level, it’s almost impossible to completely eliminate her…”

As he spoke, he tapped the table twice with his fingers.

“Miss Silvija is our only chance.”

“Her strength… yes, her frost order perfectly counters the inferno. Only she might have a chance… I’m not blaming you, but your lightning order is indeed hard to leverage against powerful heretics. You already know this firsthand, but frost is different. So, Anna, I hope you will assist her wholeheartedly. Meanwhile, I need you to pay attention to her… state, yes, state.”

In the flickering firelight, Angel tilted his head, seemingly pondering his words. “She is quite fond of food. When hungry, she… goes crazy, and when she goes crazy, bad things happen.”

…?

The woman sitting in the corner showed a puzzled expression and looked at the Pontiff for clarification.

“This is complicated…” Angel rubbed his forehead. Of course, he wouldn’t really explain to Annesilis. “You don’t need to know why. But I need to warn you beforehand, if she truly goes mad, absolutely, absolutely do not try to interfere or stop her. No matter what happens, do not attempt it.”

“If such a situation arises, our Miss Silvija gets hungry and starts biting people, not biting, but eating… well, not quite right, anyway, don’t ask questions, don’t have unnecessary curiosity. This is also why I like you, Anna. You only need to guarantee two things.”

“…civilians?”

“No.”

Angel shook his head, leaning back so half his face was hidden in the shadows. “Ensure that besides you, only dead people witness everything. And before she enters the Dragon Homeland, no matter who has the orb, it must not be eaten by our hungry lady. This is your task…”

The man’s voice was low and slow, and his lips curved into a friendly arc under the flickering light. “The reward for this mission will be generous, enough to cure your mother’s illness and give her a peaceful old age.”

“I understand.”

The Pontiff Knight named Annesilis stood up and exhaled.

She glanced at the Pontiff, bowed respectfully, and said no more. Turning, she walked out of the stone room, her thin figure gradually disappearing behind the door.

Bang—

The wooden door closed.

In the small space, there was silence for a moment. Soon, Archbishop Ansheel, who had been quietly sitting with his eyes closed as if sleeping, opened his eyes. “Do you trust her?”

Tap, tap, tap…

Angel tapped the table with his fingers.

He lowered his eyelids, thinking for a moment, then shook his head. “No.”

As he spoke, his gaze met the old man’s, with a faint smile at the corners of his mouth. “But there is no one more suitable than her.”

The old man also smiled. “How so?”

“…lowborn,

A person who understands human nature and social conventions, and is adept at dealing with hidden dangers and intrigues, yet has a simple mind and trusts no one. Since there is no trust, there can be no betrayal. Such people are actually the easiest to handle; just pay them. As long as our compensation is generous, she won’t ask any questions. That would be meaningless. Anna isn’t stupid; she needs money to treat her mother’s illness, and her mother is currently being taken care of in the Fosserl parish by our people.

“It sounds like she has no other choice, but the risk is still too high. How can we trust a woman’s promise? When you give her enough money…”

“Who said I was going to give her money?”

Angel raised his eyelids and glanced faintly at the old man.

That glance made the old man swallow his words.

He understood His Holiness’s plan.

That woman, along with her poor mother, would likely not survive after the matter…

The old man laughed again: “It seems that I am worrying unnecessarily, fretting over trivial matters.”

“But you can’t say that.”

Angel shook his head: “There is no such thing as a surefire success in anything. Whether it succeeds or fails, even if we have prepared thoroughly, situations often take an unforeseeable turn. You see, I originally thought I could see that bead in Aretheon City, or even earlier, but what happened instead?”

The man looked at the old man, his emerald eyes showing little emotion, but the old man felt that gaze was like a sharp object, so he lowered his head and avoided the gaze of His Holiness.

“I don’t blame Anna, but I will certainly blame you. You know,” Angel said.

“…Yes.”

“How is the situation with the ruins?”

The old man replied, “There hasn’t been any new progress. We…”

“Who is holding that bead now?”

“…There was a mishap. That woman suddenly changed her mind. Perhaps she planned to save the jester before the Dragon Homeland was opened… or perhaps had another plan… We still can’t open that door, nor can we find any trace of the dragon. Time is running out, and ultimately, we may still need to rely on the power of that bead, but there seems to be a problem with the Door of Truth as well. In the worst case, many more people might have to die.”

Angel fell silent.

He tapped his fingers on the table, pondered for a long time, then said, “Look, this is another variable.”

His Holiness adjusted his posture comfortably, crossing his legs: “This matter cannot be done by us.”

“Of course.”

The old man understood the meaning hidden in the young Pope’s words, and he smiled: “Your Holiness, you’ve actually thought of this, haven’t you? I mean, the jester won’t obediently follow a woman’s orders. Given this opportunity, he must try every means to kill the Northlands… at least all the people in these nearby villages.”

“No.”

Angel waved his hand: “I’m not some god of wisdom; how could I really think things would go this far? And I truly hope they don’t.”

“But didn’t you send Miss Sylvie alone here, feeling so at ease… not afraid that she might lose control in front of so many people? You didn’t think that way before, did you?”

Because you have already made your plans. After tonight, there will be no survivors left in the Woodworth Forest border, even if there are any, Miss Anna will clear them for you… The old man naturally wouldn’t say that directly.

Some things are better left unsaid, everyone knows. He actually admired this young Pope who hadn’t reached thirty, capable and resourceful, with a compassionate heart, yet decisive when making choices. Often, his thoughts were far ahead of those stubborn old men in the Church, a man destined for great things.

But while admiring him, the old man couldn’t help but start thinking about what he should do afterward to avoid being on His Holiness’s list of clean-ups…

“Haha, Archbishop Ansheel, you truly know how to jest.”

Angel laughed: “No one likes taking risks except for madmen. No one wants to see death happen. I wish very much that no one would die, that no one would be harmed, and that all problems could be solved. But that’s impossible. There are no such good things.”

“There are no set facts in this world. Things won’t always go as you wish. Take one step, look ten steps ahead, decide on the optimal direction, take another step, and reassess the next ten steps. Win the game with the least loss. Those skilled strategists are no different.”

“Your Holiness, you are far beyond that.” The old man gave a slight compliment.

“Haha, jesting, jesting…”

Angel didn’t want to continue discussing this topic, so he asked, “So, has the choir started?”

“Yes.” The old man nodded.

“Then… wish them victory for me.”

“…Alright.”

The old man smiled in response.

He knew that this blessing might only be said when a tombstone was erected.

“In short, since things have come to this point, what we previously considered is no longer important. Archbishop Ansheel, next, I will go to another place to make some preparations… As for here, please take care of it. Please ensure that Miss Sylvie can smoothly enter the Dragon Homeland and come into contact with that… thing sealed inside.”

“Haha.”

The old man laughed in disbelief: “Your Holiness, you really dote on that little girl.”

“Who made her so adorable…”

Angel did not deny it. He restrained his smile, stood up, and Archbishop Ansheel also stood up. They shook hands across the table. Angel said seriously, “Please do your best this time. The enemy is very strong, and necessary sacrifices are inevitable. Just don’t let yourself suddenly become ‘blind’ again, missing that crucial shot like last year.”

When mentioning “blind,” His Holiness emphasized the tone, with a hint of teasing.

The old man knew he was referring to the first time he saw Miss Sylvie’s “Abyss form” appear. During their fight with the knight order, he had held back, deflecting what would have been a fatal blow, giving Sylvie a chance to counterattack and escape… It was really close then, Carlos almost killed her.

“You can rest assured. This time is different. What we’re facing is a real enemy.”

“Mm.”

They released their handshake, and His Holiness nodded: “As for the subsequent matters… let’s pray sincerely. We only hope that when Sylvie comes out of the Dragon Homeland, her state… won’t be affected too much by that thing. We will arrange everything, and leave the rest to fate.”

…………

Not long after, they left the stone chamber.

Pope Angel reactivated teleportation, and under the golden light, went to a place unknown to anyone. Archbishop Ansheel, with his white beard, also left the dungeon, heading towards Woodworth Forest under the dim moonlight.

In the distance, the town of Buckhorn, nestled between the mountains and the forest, was engulfed in towering flames.