The goddesses attempted to gain my salvation.

------

The priestess of Lavara was a woman who was around fifty years old.

Time has left many wrinkles on her face.

Accompanying them were many guards dressed in armor and carrying triangular flags.

Upon arriving at the scene, the middle-aged priest stepped down from the carriage and nodded slightly to Nancy.

"Lord Nancy, hello."

"I heard something happened at the An'i Church, so I rushed over immediately."

Nancy didn't say much formality. After briefly introducing the interior of the church, she ordered the guards to bring the middle-aged priest to the church.

Like Veranica, the middle-aged priest was also awestruck by everything he saw upon entering the church.

Having been a clergy member for so many years, she has witnessed countless trials and tribulations.

Famine, war, and plague.

However, everything before her eyes was still beyond her comprehension.

The middle-aged priest trembled as he looked at the children's faces and the old priest's mangled body.

"Who on earth would do something so outrageous!"

"Once this is discovered, the perpetrators must be severely punished!"

The middle-aged priest slammed his staff heavily on the ground, making an angry clang.

Nancy answered in a low voice from the side.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency."

"We haven't yet obtained any important evidence in Lavala City."

"However... there are two people from the Vatican here. You can ask them about the situation."

The affairs of the Vatican should be handled by the Vatican itself.

This is the best result.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged priest immediately pressed for details.

"Oh?"

"It would be best if someone from the Vatican were present."

"Then, which one is from the Vatican?"

Veranica stepped forward, faced the middle-aged priest, placed her right hand on her left chest, and bowed slightly.

"Greetings, High Priest. I am a tutor from the Magic Academy."

Veranika.

Upon seeing Veranika, the middle-aged priest secretly marveled at her beauty.

Knew it.

The people of the Vatican are all so outstanding in both temperament and appearance.

The middle-aged priest nodded, then noticed Ryan standing to one side.

Immediately afterwards, his pupils contracted.

Nancy was a merchant from the Duchy of Ferrante, and she was not in the royal city of Canosa when the People's Assembly was established.

Therefore, she did not know Ryan.

I only heard my father say that the current Speaker Claire has a very powerful person helping her.

However, the middle-aged priest had an extremely clear memory of this face.

After all, after the Scarlet Eyes incident, many high-ranking members of the Vatican knew about Ryan, a young archmage who had awakened dual-attribute magic.

"You are... Mentor Ryan?"

Ryan didn't recognize the middle-aged priestess, but he still showed her enough respect.

"I'm Ryan."

"Hello, priest of Lavala City."

The middle-aged priest frowned slightly.

Because she knew that Ryan was someone who had been expelled from the Church.

Having left the Papacy, Ryan is now a free man.

He is free to do what he wants and where he wants to appear.

The problem is that he wasn't alone; he was with his tutor at the academy, Veranica.

This inevitably leads to speculation.

“However, Your Excellency, I am no longer a member of the Holy See.”

"You don't need to use the title 'mentor' to address me."

"As for why I'm traveling with Veranica and why I'm here..."

After saying that, he gestured to the priest, meaning to go somewhere secluded to talk in detail.

The middle-aged priest didn't think much of it, ordered the guards to wait to the side, and followed after them.

After confirming that no one was around and there was no hidden detection magic, Ryan finally spoke.

"Master Priest."

"First, let me state my conclusion. The massacre at An'i Church was perpetrated by a dual-attribute mage. You can investigate the scene later. The remaining magic does not belong to any of the seven basic attributes."

"As for the motives and purposes, as far as I know, they are related to the recent turmoil within the Vatican."

At this point, Ryan narrowed his eyes and sized up the middle-aged priest in front of him.

He was observing the priest's reaction after hearing about it.

He needed to ascertain whether the priests of Lavala were enemies or friends.

If it's an enemy, then take care of them on the spot.

If they are friends, protect them to prevent them from being killed like the old priest.

Upon hearing that it was related to Orina, the middle-aged priest immediately frowned and said in a serious tone.

"Within the Vatican...you mean...?"

The middle-aged priest did not say the rest aloud.

The two exchanged glances, and then...

I understand.

Ryan said.

"Yes."

“The An’i Church is just a remote little church, far from the center of the power struggle. Even the recent turmoil that swept through the entire Duchy of Ferrante did not cause any damage to the An’i Church.”

"This also shows that even those greedy lords and nobles would not think of doing anything to the An'i Church."

"If there really is a necessary reason... it is this place, the place where Lady Orina once lived."

The middle-aged priest's eyes were somewhat unfocused, as if he were recalling something.

While keeping an eye on the middle-aged priest's subtle movements, Ryan continued to speak.

"Furthermore, in my previous investigation, I discovered that all the documents that recorded Olina's background and chastity test results were missing."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged priest showed a very surprised expression.

Ryan maintained his calm tone and continued, "If these documents are altered or destroyed... Lady Orina will lose evidence to prove her innocence."

"At that time, Lady Orina will face the most severe charges ever brought against her by the Church of Bysma."

"Not only will they lose their status, but they might also be... burned at the stake."

Chapter 191 Split Up

After listening to Ryan's words, the middle-aged priest gently leaned his scepter aside.

Then, he leaned against the tree.

I looked up and saw dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves above me.

The tone is heavy.

"Actually, after hearing about this, I reported it to the Vatican."

"Lady Orina, she did indeed pass the chastity test successfully. I was a witness and signed the document."

"However... it seems the Vatican has no intention of adopting my views."

"hehe......"

The middle-aged priest chuckled self-deprecatingly a few times: "Then I understood. Someone in the Holy See wanted to frame Lady Orina."

"Lady Olina, who dedicated so much to the Holy See, was not defeated by external forces, but was instead betrayed by her own former colleagues. It's ironic now that I think about it."

The middle-aged priest's words and the emotions he expressed were quite genuine.

At least for now, this middle-aged priest should not be an enemy.

but......

Ryan remained on guard.

"Master Priest."

"At present, the tragedy at the An'i Church is the result of internal strife within the Vatican."

"And behind this matter are many high-ranking officials of the Vatican, even... the Council of Elders."

"Once confirmed, the Vatican may face the largest crisis of confidence and bloodshed in its history."