Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

Everyone else looked at Ryūka, including Lindsay. The timid nun had finally calmed down and stopped crying. They knew even less than Ryūka and were even less clear about what was happening. But everyone seemed to have complete confidence in Ryūka, believing he could handle anything.

"As long as the half-dark elves are not discovered, there is room for a counterattack..."

Everyone was puzzled as to why Ryuka would say such a cold laugh. Shouldn't Ryuka be facing the possibility that Hinatil might use Atina's heretical status to attack him?

After all, Atina was both Ryusha's neighbor and the teacher he personally appointed in Linhu Town, so the two had a close relationship.

But Ryūsha looked directly at Lindsay, the timid and introverted orange-haired nun. From the beginning, he knew that Lindsay's presence was related to Tipalotura's plans in Lake Forest, but the problem was...

Besides her, there was also Luminova from the Holy City, and they only met when they were transferred to Linhu Town.

Lindsay, on the other hand, was born in the capital of Otto and was a true 'Ottoman'.

At this point, Ryūka had no choice but to get straight to the point.

"Sister Lindsay, whose orders led you to be transferred to Linhu Town?"

"Huh?" Lindsay blinked her tear-reddened eyes. Liu Xia's unexpected "sister" made her face turn bright red. She looked at the handsome younger man, hesitated for a moment, and then said:

"Yes, it is Lord Randall, the Cardinal in Purple Robes of the Imperial Cathedral of Otus..."

Purple clothes... Sure enough, Liu Xia's lips curled up slightly.

A purple-robed bishop is a highly respected clergyman, but is not eligible to run for the next pope.

In other words, the purple robe represents the highest position a clergyman from a non-holy city can reach. And it's impossible for him to serve as the Archbishop of the Otus Imperial Capital without any connection to the royal family.

In other words, both the royal family and the Papacy are very concerned about the Eastern Heretic Ruins. But just as the royal family is divided into different factions, the Papacy is not monolithic either.

After synthesizing all the information, Ryusha could confirm that Cardinal Carmela and Sinatil, mentioned by Earl Duke, belonged to one faction, and the fourth prince, Elias, had close ties with them. Cardinal Randall, a native of Otus, belonged to another faction, and it was possible that he sided with the emperor or the princess, or neither.

So he sent Lindsay, a clearly novice priestess, to Linhu Town.

The fact that the Holy City sent Luminova, a graduate of the Inquisition's Disciplinary Division, might be a manifestation of factional competition or distrust. Moreover, it's likely that Bishop Carmela, behind Shinatiel, is merely a member of one faction within the Holy City; otherwise, she would likely wield greater power.

The fact that the Holy City sent Luminova, a graduate of the Inquisition's Disciplinary Division, might be a manifestation of factional competition or distrust. Moreover, it's likely that Bishop Carmela, behind Shinatiel, is merely a member of one faction within the Holy City; otherwise, she would likely wield greater power.

Interestingly, the imperial heirs harbor different intentions, and so do the clergy. Indeed, as long as people exist in groups, they will inevitably split into different factions, engaging in open and covert struggles with different purposes.

Ryuu smiled slightly. Once he understood this, he could manipulate one faction against another, just as he had done by standing beside the Emperor against Clovis. Now, he could similarly exploit the conflict between the native Otus faction and the Inquisition faction. Most importantly, this was his territory! With even the slightest leverage, the advantage would be on his side!

Even without revealing more of his abilities, Ryūsha has plenty of ways to deal with a mere bishop, based solely on his status as the governor of Sochi province.

As for Luminova, this big-breasted, brainless white-haired nun, apart from her fierce fighting skills, Ryuka really couldn't see any of the qualities of a special agent in her. After all, her brain was really not suitable for collecting intelligence and providing feedback.

But precisely after she was summoned to Hinatil's side, the bishop turned and went straight for Atina. It was impossible for Luminova to know that Atina possessed heretical abilities…

Ryuka's mind raced. This was another world, where all sorts of extraordinary methods and magic could exist.

Memory reading? No… it should be a more mysterious method, one that can directly determine Atina’s heretical abilities through Luminova’s daily interactions with her…

"Sister Lindsay, did Lord Randall give you any instructions on what you're to do here? After all, look, besides you, the Holy City also sent Luminova. I guess this must be related to Princess Tipalotura, right? What exactly is Lord Randall's relationship with the Holy City?"

Ryusha asked Lindsay again, and the implication in his words made Lindsay realize the special nature of the current situation.

She herself was an Ottoman, as was Lord Randall… The main purpose of sending her here was to take over the position of church leader in Linhu Town. As for what would happen in Linhu Town, Lord Randall's intention was to turn a blind eye, not to contact her frequently, and to cooperate well with the local lord—that was her mission.

But Luminova never knew why her sister had come.

Today's events also gave Lindsay a whiff of unusual tension. She was timid, but not stupid. The open and covert struggles between Linhu Territory and Sochi Territory over the past year were exactly the same as the struggles in the history of the Holy See that she had studied at the convent.

Lindsay instantly understood that she was now one of those minor characters in the book, standing at a crossroads between forces and making choices.

The new bishop of Sochi hadn't even informed her before turning her district, Linhu Town, into a mess and even causing her to be besieged by the townspeople. This angered the usually reserved Lindsay.

What else is there to say? Compared to the events mentioned above, Lindsay is just an ordinary nun. She doesn't care about the power struggles of important figures; she only cares about those around her. (The rest of the text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated to the main topic.)

Whether it's Atina, Ryusha, the townspeople of Linhu Town, the children who come to school and call her Sister Teacher... even Luminova, whom she now has some doubts about, these people are Lindsay's life, her allies.

"I understand what you mean, Ryuka."

Behind the thick, cracked lenses, her orange eyes gradually hardened. Lindsay pursed her lips at Liuxia, stood up, brushed the dust off her nun's habit, and replied to the boy:

“I want to help Atina! And I want to get some answers from Luminova! So, I... I'll stand by everyone! I'll explain my mission, and Ruka, you just need to tell me what I can do next!”

Chapter 25 The Goddess's Domain

"Is that so..."

Looking at Lindsay, Liuxia realized that apart from her somewhat pretty appearance, she was an ordinary, unremarkable nun. If she had changed out of her black and white nun's habit, Lindsay would have been no different from any other ordinary girl from Linhu Town.

Aside from leading regular prayers, she neither preached the virtues of faith to the people nor condescendingly condemned their original sins. Quiet and introverted, she always kept the church spotless, would get angry when Luminova made a mess, and would feel tired while preparing meals for the children, responding with a subtle nod when they passed by and said "Sister Lindsay."

For this reason, Ryuka felt somewhat heavy-hearted about whether to involve this girl in the conflict.

That's why you need to ask clearly.

"Sister Lindsay, do you really believe in Goddess?"

"Hey?"

Lindsay was somewhat surprised by the question. She didn't even realize what Liuxia meant for a moment, and her long eyelashes fluttered twice behind her glasses.

Ryūka said earnestly, "If we do as I suggest, it might harm your faith, and it might even put you at odds with the entire Holy See. So..."

Is that so? Lindsay hesitated. She wanted to help Atina, wanted to find Luminova and get some answers, and disliked the actions of Hinatil and her clergy. But was it really as serious as Ryusha made it out to be?

She looked at the boy before her, recalling what she had witnessed him do over the past year, and watching Linhu Town slowly come to life from a lifeless, marginal town. The simple nun began to ponder what she, the Holy See, and their goddess had done in this process.

Finally, she spoke softly, asking the boy, "Ryusha, is it just because of this incident that you want to oppose the Holy See? Or is it...?"

Lindsay paused, somewhat afraid and nervous, seemingly unaccustomed to questioning others, but she still mustered her courage and asked Ryūka, word by word:

"Regardless of the purpose or means, can you ultimately improve people's lives?"

Ryuka was taken aback for a moment, then smiled at Lindsay: "That's the kind of question a priest should ask~"

Everyone was taken aback, then Evelyn and Elena burst into laughter first, followed by Lindsay's face turning bright red. Amidst this gentle laughter, Ryūka nodded, making a promise:

"That's exactly what I want, so I will work hard."

That was enough. Lindsay pursed her lips slightly and nodded subtly yet firmly.

Seeing this, Ryusha said confidently, "Fine! Then let that new bishop know that this is not a place where she can do as she pleases!"

Hina Til's face was somewhat gloomy, and her usual cold and aloof demeanor carried an even more intimidating aura. She walked alone through the mountains east of Linhu Town, each step in her white high heels covering several meters, yet her posture was as casual as if she were taking a leisurely stroll.

A dull ache settled in her chest. The bishop's robes, which clung to her beautiful figure, were torn, their edges stained with blood, and the wounds beneath were slowly and laboriously healing. It wasn't that her holy energy was weak, but rather that the thorny vines and petals were truly eerie.

The blonde, red-eyed girl brandished the demonic sword that manipulated silver vines, leaving heretical wounds on her noble and devout body, injecting paralyzing poison. This made Hinatil clench her scepter in anger, her body trembling slightly.

Despite all the preparations, she still managed to slip away! She disappeared halfway there! She's probably hiding in the heretical ruins to the east!

The ruins of Dongtian Lake were no secret to either the Ottus or the high-ranking officials of the Papacy; however, for a long time, they were unable to deal with them and were thus almost forgotten. In fact, the eastern part of the continent has always been a region prone to heresy and incidents. A hundred years ago, the Ottus nobles, led by the Duke family, gradually expanded Ottus' territory to this area, and to this day, the eastern part of the continent remains a sparsely populated, impoverished, and backward place.

"Judging from Luminova's memories, that girl must have obtained the demon sword no more than a year ago, yet her heretical abilities have grown to such an extent... More than a decade ago, that nobleman sacrificed half the people in his territory but still couldn't awaken the heretical evil power and gain recognition..."

Hinatil's tone was filled with resentment. She recalled that after recalling Luminova, she had only wanted to find out how far Linhu Town's plan to take Princess Tipalotura had progressed, and more about Ryukyu, so that she could find leverage to apply for more support from the Holy See.

Judging from his ability to resist the oppressive force of his own scepter at the banquet, that junior governor is definitely not normal! There are only three possibilities: either his strength is above the Heavenly Rank, or his willpower surpasses that of ordinary people, perhaps even possessing inhuman willpower…

There is another possibility, which is the one that Hinatil believes is the most likely!

“That kid has a ‘heretic demonic seed’ on him…”

Heretical demons—even most of the clergy of the Holy See didn't know what this term meant; it was a name used only by high-ranking members of the Holy See.

That is the seed to become a 'demon god', after all, there is only one god in the world, the 'goddess', and the others are just heretical demons!

In the Vatican's millennia-long research, the forms of 'demon seeds' have become incredibly diverse, with some even lacking any physical form and existing merely as a form of power. The demonic sword possessed by the girl named Atina is also, according to the Vatican's speculation, a type of 'demon seed'.

Only immense power could have driven Viscount Anthony to such madness over a decade ago! But the Vatican only speculated that he sacrificed himself to gain the Demon Seed's approval, and ultimately only found silver spores in the corpses of Viscount Anthony and his men. At the time, they didn't know that the true form was a sword...

Over the millennium, various heretical doctrines and remnants of different races have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, and the Papacy has been unable to eradicate them no matter how hard it tries. And now, it is happening even more frequently.

That's it! That little girl from the Otus royal family! She actually wants to open a portal to the heretical continent! And she's even lobbying within the Papacy, claiming it's for some kind of holy war!

It was clearly just about the curse within her family and trying to find an outlet for the internal pressures of the Otus Empire!

And those ungodly individuals within the Vatican turned a blind eye to this for their own benefit! Some even colluded with secular authorities under the guise of holy war! Disregarding the Vatican's principles and pride!

It was precisely because of the fear that the power shift in Sochi would cause the Vatican to lose control over the matter that His Holiness Carmela sent himself to replace the Sochi bishop of the Randall faction.

But unexpectedly...

Not only is that young governor problematic! The town of Linhu also harbors a demonic seed that went undiscovered for over a decade! It's a silver demonic sword!

A demonic sword! Even in the records of the Vatican, it's considered one of the most dangerous heretical abilities! Not to mention a demonic sword qualified to become a demon god! It's likely that its ability to slip away from Lady Carmela's nose over a decade ago was due to its extremely strong premonition and manipulative power! You want to chant, you want to chant, you Lin Zai Zai, are you there...?

"Heh... Even though that young governor named Ryusha's growth is terrifying and he can withstand my pressure, it still doesn't necessarily mean he has heretical abilities. I was worried about summoning the Judgment Knight... but I didn't expect to find the Demon Sword here. I'll take care of Lady Carmela's stain from over ten years ago... Hmm!"

As Hinatil was pondering and murmuring, her body swayed involuntarily, causing her to stop and lean against a tree to catch her breath.

Damn it! Damn it! That girl! That sword! The final blow before she disappeared from his sight! It actually damaged her body so badly!

This is a body belonging to God, used to serve the 'Goddess'!

Hina Til tore open her collar and watched the silver veins spread along her skin. Her senses gradually blurred, and she probably wouldn't be able to recover without some time of recuperation with holy energy.

As she paused to suppress the toxins in her body with her holy energy, some indigenous people from the mountains and forests were quietly approaching.

A mixed tribe of snow goblins and goblins, drawn by the scent of blood and flesh emanating from Hinatil, slowly approached.

They were armed with cheap, primitive weapons, and filthy saliva dripped from their cracked mouths, as if they were witnessing the most beautiful scene in the world.

A woman! A woman with an amazing figure and appearance! Big breasts, a slim waist, a perky butt, and long legs! Even from afar, the snow goblins and goblins were aroused by the femininity emanating from Hinatil, and their loincloths were lifted one by one.

Hinatil also noticed the approach of these filthy creatures, but she just smiled coldly.

What an inhuman race! How dare they look at me with such filthy eyes!

"Scraps".

She glanced at them only, scoffed lightly, as if paying any more attention to them would be beneath her status.

Holy light emanated from the scepter, and Hinatil's fingers brushed across the long handle, the rhythm of her fingertips like the gentlest touch of a lover, full of affection and respect.

But to the snow goblins and goblins, her appearance was nothing short of the prelude to a beautiful woman performing a pole dance. They could no longer contain themselves and charged forward with a roar. Some of the filthy little creatures even tried to shoot paralyzing poison arrows from behind, but they were all pried to the ground by their companions with a single blow.

Fool! Such a beautiful woman! You'd feel bad if she had even the slightest wound!

They charged, drew closer, watching the woman still act as if she were in heat.

Generally, they stroked their scepters, showing no intention of resistance, and began to tear at their loincloths, ready to fight in an instant!

However, just as their pointed noses were about to touch Sinatiel, Sinatiel's scepter suddenly burst forth with intense holy light.

"God, I beseech your great kingdom to appear around me, and allow your believers, your slaves, your people, to find a moment of rest in your divine realm..."

As Hinatil chanted, the light barrier surged forth like a tsunami, obliterating the snow goblins and goblins in front of her like dust. The outermost monsters, reacting in time, screamed and scattered. One unfortunate creature, however, was caught in the attack; the front half of its face vanished, revealing only its skull and trembling half-brain, before collapsing to the ground, convulsing…

The light screen stopped.

The monsters stared at the white sphere of light before them, which enveloped Hinatil like a barrier, even obliterating the ground beneath her feet. Hinatil floated in the center of the sphere, which seemed to be weightless. Moreover, her movements grew increasingly slow, and even the healing of her wounds seemed to halt, as if time itself had vanished.

The only change was that the holy light was constantly clearing away the silver toxins injected into her body by Iduniel.

This is God's kingdom, God's domain, which no one can cross and no one dares to offend.

Hinatil's eyes slowly moved, casting a disdainful glance at the goblins outside, before she closed them and fell into a deep sleep...

She didn't notice that the earth, air, water, and vegetation outside the sphere of light seemed to be extremely repulsed by this new area around her, as if an uninvited guest had entered her home...

Chapter 26 Shift of Focus and Preparation for Counterattack

Hinatil had no idea what a grave mistake it would be to fall into a deep sleep in an attempt to purify the toxins from her body. In her mind, no one dared to defy the Holy See, and besides, she had already discovered Ryukyu's weaknesses; requesting the Holy See's support was only a matter of time. It was merely a matter of sleeping for ten days or half a month; once she awoke, it would be time to eradicate the heretics here.

The holy orb of light slept peacefully in the forest, while a girl with short white hair leaped through the woods, carrying two plump wild rabbits on her shoulders, their ears tied together like a sack.

Vitry, who was planning to take a stroll around Lake Forest, heard the noisy cries of goblins and snow goblins from afar. She nimbly landed on a tree branch. Since coming into contact with the humans of Lake Forest through Ryusha, apart from habitually avoiding Luminova, whose scent made her feel somewhat uncomfortable, she had become more and more accustomed to moving in human form rather than beast form. Her short white hair was adorned with bright, fragrant little flowers in the spring.

"Linhu Town, today's celebration, Liu Xia might come. Roast rabbit, have him make it..."

She examined the little flower tucked in her hair, unable to explain why she would do something like 'adorning herself,' something only birds in their mating season would do. But the thought of seeing Ryuka from time to time always made her want to do it, and even her sister Melanie, who liked to get close to her, would always give her a meaningful, mischievous smile.

But this does not mean that she has lost her wildness as a snow spirit.

The girl let out a deep, muffled growl, which violently shook the air. The beast-like pressure caused the goblins below to flee in panic.

Compared to the unfamiliar clergy, this barbaric yet familiar greeting was the warning they could understand.

"Ball, strange, can't eat it, is someone there?"

Vitris looked at Sinatiel in the sphere of light with a puzzled expression. She hadn't met many humans, and everyone she'd encountered had been kind to her. But Ryūka had also told her that not all humans were good, and that she should sometimes trust her gut feeling.

If Luminova's inexplicable aura made Vitris feel dangerous and uncomfortable, then Sinatil's aura made Vitris feel even stronger.