Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

"So Sister Grandin told me not to tell even Mr. Boll," Angelita smiled faintly. "As for Uncle Reslaufer, I think I have a better understanding of you."

"What did you find out?"

"Although you always mention gold coins, it's not what you really care about, is it?" The princess said in a playful tone, "First it was the white sword, then the black arrow, and next there will surely be others 'visiting'."

"You will get what you want. Is gold really more important than this?"

Reslaufer's expression turned grim for a moment, but he quickly returned to normal. He nodded slowly, "I was a little worried before, worried that you wouldn't give me the final payment. Now it seems I was worrying too much."

"Is that so?" Angelita smiled and quietly let out a breath of relief - she was pretty good at judging people, although this might not be a good thing.

"Don't worry, I don't care about that," Bella quickly continued, "The animals and plants in the wilderness don't need this."

"I--" Daisy also raised her hand, but gave up the idea of speaking before it was above her head: the other person took this out to treat herself, so how could she have the right to covet his wealth?

Doesn't that mean she is even inferior to these natives?

"But, Miss Barty..." Daisy was silent for a moment, then asked cautiously, "You're so rich, you must have a lot of gold coins, right? Why did you have to give this out? I'm afraid this 'gold...pound' of yours isn't for daily expenses, is it?"

"As you can see from their reaction," Angrita nodded. "But gold coins have their own ways of being spent. If it's all spent early, you'll inevitably have to try to break this gold brick in the future, and trouble is bound to happen sooner or later. As for the temple, I have reason to trust them."

The most important thing is that we are now in the city, a city under the rule of the empire, and there is a certain degree of security. If we are in the wilderness or in the "barbarian territory" outside the empire in the future and encounter a situation where we have to use gold, it is probably impossible to keep this gold brick without being stained with blood.

"Angora..." Bella pondered, and suddenly thought of something, "Is it because 'He' is a 'Light Drinker'?"

Although worshipped by the imperial family, Angora was not a benevolent deity. Quite the contrary, according to classic accounts, this deity was born a second before light, and the next second, the light's appearance burned his eyes. From then on, Angora became an enemy of light, hiding in darkness and shadows, dedicated to destroying all forces of light.

Thus, He brought all kinds of malice into the world, turned trust into suspicion, turned wealth into poverty, turned warmth into cold, turned life into death... and so on. Therefore, Angola also has some other powers, such as fraud, lies and concealment.

If Angelita doesn't want people to know that she has such wealth on her, then Angola is indeed a good choice. However, how can she prevent Angola's followers from becoming greedy?

Angelita did not tell her the answer to this question until the tavern owner came back with the donkey cart as quickly as possible and several people lifted Daisy, who could only move with difficulty, onto the cart.

Several waiters continued to serve the guests in front of the tavern, while their boss had already driven to another area of Xinmu City, where a tall tower, almost pitch black, stood, gloomy and full of death.

Chapter 73 Church in Angola

Leslaufer knew it was the Mage Tower of Master Jonata. Having lived in Xinmu City for a few days, he needed to have at least a basic understanding of landmarks of this magnitude. However, while learning about it, the mercenary hadn't noticed that at the foot of the Mage Tower, the two-story church was the place of worship for the Light Drinker Angora.

The church was built entirely of white stone bricks, interspersed with numerous arches and domes. The walls were covered in numerous religious reliefs, and even more strikingly, the church's windows were all stained glass. The sun was still in the sky, and once it shone, the area around the church displayed a variety of bizarre and dazzling sights.

"What a small church!" Daisy whispered as she lay in the car. "Could it be that the Light Drinker is one of those unwelcome righteous gods?"

"Angora's faith is indeed not very popular, and people worship him more out of fear than love. Outside the empire, you rarely see its temples," Leslaufer said casually, "but this should have nothing to do with your lament."

"Churches in Angola are structured like this. Their above-ground portion is very small, usually only one-third of the entire structure."

As they were talking, the donkey cart had arrived in front of the church. When the poet was helped off the cart and walked into the church, he finally understood the meaning of what Leslough had just said.

"This...its main door is on the second floor?!"

Entering the church, all you see is a circular railing. Opposite the railing is a massive statue surrounded by candles, but no one in priestly attire can be seen. Only when you lean over the railing and peer down can you see the actual hall.

In the center of the hall and the circular structure below, another statue, strikingly different from the one on the "first floor," tilted its head upward, surveying everyone who came to observe it with its bull-headed, snake-eyed skull. The floor tiles beneath its human form were carved with four interlocking rings of flame, surrounding the deity.

This is an extremely rare structure. Generally speaking, priests and believers prefer visitors to look up at their gods rather than looking down like this. It's like—

"It's like a prison visit, isn't it?" Bella whispered. "That's what Angora teaches. They compare the world to a great tree. The Light Drinker stands beneath the tree, serving as the foundation of the world while observing its evolution."

"And extinguish all the light, by the way."

"False light leads people astray, and disguised kindness is harmful. Erasing them is no small matter," a deep voice came from below. A priest wearing a dark purple hood looked up at the crowd. "The stairs are on either side of you. Please come down and talk."

The metal spiral staircases wound down. In this building where the main part was underground, it was as cold as one could imagine. Even more ruthless than this was the statue of Angora that everyone saw after they came down.

When they were up there, they looked down at the god, and when he came down, he wouldn't even look down at them.

"A fleeting light is a poison that makes people forget the eternal darkness," the Angolan priest said, his hands folded before his stomach as he stood beside the statue, waiting for them to approach. "While the other gods indulge in pathetic joy, my Lord sets an example by placing himself in darkness, always ready to correct their mistakes."

"That's a nice thing to say." Bella rolled her eyes and stepped aside consciously.

"A follower of Eldas? They're quite rare in Xinmu City," the priest said, sizing Bella up in surprise. "But your heart is full of ups and downs. I'm afraid it won't be easy for you to serve the Serene One."

"This guy looks like something special." The druid's face changed and he muttered softly.

"But in my opinion, it's probably not you who needs help today," the Angora priest turned to look at the bard, whose clothes were stained with blood. "You look like you need treatment."

"You have a good eye," Daisy said, grinning. "I hope your magic is as effective as your eyes."

The priest was unfazed by Daisy's teasing. "It's just physical damage. I'm still confident. But... free charity is like poison."

"Of course, giving alms for free is indeed very inappropriate, but," Angelita interrupted the priest, "'What I ask for is not alms, but compensation.'"

"You..." The priest in dark purple robes was stunned for a moment, but immediately walked towards the corridor as if nothing had happened. "Please bring the injured here. Although we may not be able to bring the miracle of the Goddess of Resurrection, I don't think our Lord would force someone whose destiny has not yet been fulfilled to enter the realm of the dead to serve Him."

"The injured man needs someone to take care of him. Please come with me. Please forgive me, even if we are willing to make concessions, we still need to sort out the accounts."

"Please wait a moment! And I—" the tavern owner said quickly, "Priest, I need some help too."

The priest looked at him in confusion. "Ah, I think I remember you, but you seem to be in good health?"

"He has some issues to deal with here," Angelita said, moving a little closer to the priest. "You will need him later, too."

The Light Drinker's followers immediately understood what this distinguished figure meant. He waved his hand, and two of his colleagues took Daisy, Bella, and the tavern owner to two different rooms. Leslough stood there without moving, just quietly waiting to be led by the priest.

"this……"

"He's with me." As Angelita gestured to the other party, the priest no longer insisted and led the two into a room where it was almost pitch dark.

There are no statues like those outside here. Apart from the murals, there is only a group of huge, four intersecting flame rings on the wall, which is the holy emblem of the Angolan sect.

"Give my regards to the Archbishop," Angelita's demeanor changed slightly as Leslaufer closed the door behind her. "Because of some unspeakable problems, I have to leave Magpares."

"He has already conveyed His Majesty's decree to us," the priest in charge of Xinmu City nodded slightly. The disappearance of the imperial princess was a major event, and it was even more strange for someone of his rank to be unaware of it. "Logically, I should report your whereabouts to the higher-ups, but... an agreement is an agreement."

“Unless His Majesty the Emperor appears here in person, before me, your will is the will of the Matt family and the will of the empire.”

"But just to be safe...can I see your credentials?"

Chapter 74 A Sudden Shock

"Of course, here."

The moment Angelita revealed the gold brick, the priest had already confirmed her identity—not everyone could carry such a thing, let alone take it out. But just to be safe, he used some special magic to check the Matt family emblem hidden on the gold brick.

Although the badge can only be detected by magical means, it itself is not a magical effect, so it cannot be tracked. However, people with corresponding detection means can verify its authenticity after obtaining it.

"How is Mr. Boll?" Angelita took the gold handed back by the other party. Although it could be exchanged for gold coins of equal or even greater value, it was obviously not necessary to do so this time. She only needed to show it to the other party, and the priests of Angola would serve her wholeheartedly.

"No news. He's hiding well," the priest said, which relieved the princess. However, he immediately changed the subject, "But Ms. Grandin may not be so lucky."

"What did my father do to her?!"

"Well, I heard she was dismissed and investigated. You know, although I understand that you were kidnapped by Boll, that excuse would only save her from the death penalty. But from what I hear, the little princess seems very unhappy about this, so she may be called back one day in the future—at least, that's what I hear from my sources."

Mercenaries have their own information network, druids have their own spies, and priests certainly have their own communication channels. As a priest of one of the eight main gods of the empire, the words of this priest are relatively credible.

"That's good..." This time Angelita was truly relieved. "Any other questions? My friend's treatment shouldn't take long. I should go back to her."

"There's one more thing, two things, Your Highness," the Angora priest hesitated, but finally spoke. "I know it's not my place to speak to you like this, but I beg you to listen—you can't leave like this. Your family is worried about your safety. No matter what the unpleasantness between you and His Majesty is, he is still your father, and you are his daughter."

"That's what I'm worried about," Angreta sighed. "I'll take your advice, but I won't do it."

"That's the second thing," the priest said, taking a step forward. This action immediately elicited a reaction from Reslaufer, but the latter did not flinch. "If you don't plan to go back, how about staying here?"

"My Lord's authority contains the power to keep secrets. You will be safe, and no one will be able to find you. You are the most precious canary in the empire, and no mistakes can be made."

"Well, now I have one more thing to worry about," Her Royal Highness the Princess waved her hand. "That's not your turn to worry about. Remember to clear your memory afterward, and don't remember that I was here."

After saying that, Angrita did not linger any longer. She turned around, opened the door, and left. Instead, Reslaufer lagged behind and stood at the door, looking at the priest inside. "Sir, can I ask you something?"

"Speaking?"

"You should have also received the news released by Earl Xinmu. Xinmu City is now threatened by demons, and according to some clues we have observed, there may be something unusual underground. Have you noticed anything?"

In the darkness, the priest took two hesitant steps, as if wanting to leave the room, but ultimately retreated into the shadows.

"Friend, if you had no other responsibilities, I would tell you our findings without hesitation, but now I have no comment. And please stop meddling in other people's affairs. It will do you no good."

"Xinmu City has the churches of eight major gods, four arcane masters, and a Lord Earl. We can handle everything."

Leslaufer knew that the other party was not doing this for his own good, or even for Angelita's good. However, if the princess died unexpectedly in Xinmu City, the entire Angora Church would probably be implicated.

"Okay, so is there anything we should be aware of?"

"Be careful of those you feel you can rely on - please note that this is a suggestion, not an invitation to sow discord," the priest offered his own warning. "Those who can be your solid support, but they can also be a source of danger."

Someone he could rely on? He thought?

Reslaufer thought the priest was talking nonsense: He hadn't relied on anyone in years, so what in Xinmu City could he rely on? To be more conceited, he might be the one being relied on!

Regardless of whether it was true or not, the words of these gods' servants should be taken at least 50% seriously—after all, their warnings didn't come entirely from them. Leslaufer thanked them and was about to rejoin Angarita and the others when he suddenly felt the entire temple shake violently!

This wasn't an illusion! Soon, the other three people who were traveling with him and the priests from the temple also gathered together. Everyone looked confused and clueless, completely unaware of what had just happened!

"What happened?" The priest in charge had already appeared and began to assign people to search for the source of the violent vibration. "You, go outside and take a look! You two, go to the side hall! You, take someone downstairs and look at the holy relics!"

"How are you guys?" Seeing Angarita and the others gathered together, Leslaufer asked hurriedly, "What happened? Where's the boss?"

"We don't know. The priest here has just finished treating Daisy!" Bella said quickly, "That gentleman will be in a coma for a while. Wait until we leave before leaving to prevent his memory from being reawakened."

"Is this going to be an earthquake?" Daisy did look much more energetic than before, but at this moment, she was clearly at a loss. "Should we get out of here quickly? My magic can't solve a problem of this scale!"

"What about your injury? How is it?"

"Everything is fine now, but it looks like it can only support me running outside!"

The vibration came and went quickly. In less than a minute, everything seemed to have returned to normal, but no one really dared to think so. Everyone held their breath and carefully checked the parts that might have problems.

But strangely, according to the priests who went outside to observe, it seemed that only their area was experiencing a significant tremor, and the surrounding residents felt nothing at all. And the feedback from those who went to the side halls and the lower underground level also indicated that there seemed to be no problems there.

So, what exactly is going on?

Chapter 75: Water Room Explosion

"The bathroom! It's the bathroom! It exploded!"

Just as everyone was panicking, a young man, soaking wet, crawled up from below, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Run!"

"Nonsense! What's the point of being in such a panic?" the pastor in charge scolded him with a stern face. "What's the point of running away just because the bathroom exploded? Was it a pipe that exploded? Who was using the water there just now?"

The priests looked at each other in bewilderment – they were all adults, who would use water in such a way as to explode the pipes?

"No, it's not the water pipe!" The scolded young man turned pale, but fortunately he was able to speak in complete sentences, "It's the wall! The wall collapsed, and water was shooting everywhere!"

"Isn't that just a burst water pipe?" someone in the crowd questioned.

"I told you it wasn't a water pipe!" the young man stamped his foot fiercely. "There's someone there—never mind! Go over and take a look!"

Seeing that this guy couldn't explain himself no matter what, everyone could only rush down. Naturally, Leslaufer and his companions followed behind, wanting to see what was going on.

The church's water room is located on the second-to-last floor, connected to the living area, and far away from the area where religious relics are sealed. Therefore, other priests did not notice the abnormality here just now. Only this young man, who was lazy nearby, discovered the source of the vibration.

The water room seemed to be fine from the outside, but when the door was opened, the priests in the front were immediately knocked off balance by the rushing water, and the two weak priests were simply knocked to the ground.

"Meir, Oceanasion--" A calm incantation was chanted from behind the crowd. It was the priest in charge. An astonishing water-blue light burst out from his eyes under his hood, and his hands were also filled with surging magic power. He used his shoulders to push away the people in front of him, stretched out his hands, and suddenly grasped the oncoming water column, then tore it hard to both sides!

Under his power, the water flow was torn into two halves as easily as paper, and flowed onto the floor next to him - even the flow rate was greatly slowed down!

"Wow--" Daisy made an exaggerated sound. In fact, the reactions of Angelita and others were similar to hers, but only the bard would express it so obviously.

"Let me see who's behind this!" The priest was inevitably embarrassed by his fellow believers' embarrassing themselves in front of the empire's most noble princess. After controlling the situation with a water flow spell, he took the lead and walked inside. "Someone must be behind this! Don't let me catch you, or else—"

The priest's oaths and curses came to an abrupt end, for when he entered the water room, he discovered that finding the culprit was not difficult at all. The current had already brought the man to him.

A hole as big as a person was torn open on one wall of the water room by wild and brutal force. All the water pipes inside were destroyed, revealing an underground tunnel that had been there since who knows when - it might have been dug by the workers in the past to facilitate their work.

The rushing water was rushing out from the broken water pipe, and in it, everyone found a being that definitely did not belong to their church. At this moment, he was lying unconscious in the ankle-deep water in the bathroom.

This was a tall dwarf with a strong physique and a large beard, the hallmark of the dwarves. Although it was soaked through, its yellow color could still be seen. The most important thing was that in the dwarf's hand, he was holding a round, stone-like, metal-like spherical object.

"Smoke powder bomb!" The priest's eyes twitched. He recognized it immediately, and now his lungs were almost bursting with anger. "Tie him up! Tie him up! He did it!"

"That bastard! He blew through our outer wall from the other side! How dare he!"

"We should sacrifice him to the Lord! With a 'snake sacrifice'! Throw him into the snake pond. Only then can he be cleansed of his sins!"

Even though this dwarf had committed such a crime, using such torture was a bit excessive, but everyone present could understand his anger, so they stepped forward and tied up the dwarf in a hurry, preparing to wait until the person in charge calmed down a little before taking further action.

However, when Leslaufer and Angarita saw the dwarf's face, they both froze in place.

"Master Vondar! Is this Master Vondar?" Angelita didn't intend to look for other people on the field. She immediately squeezed over and carefully checked the other party's condition. "This is Master Vondar, no doubt! He is seriously injured. You can't treat him like this!"