What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

Leon stepped forward, took the document, and glanced at it. It seemed that his decision to join the Church of the Prophets and choose to receive the blessing of the Supreme God was now finalized.

"May I ask a question?" Leon put down the documents and looked at Bishop Beckett.

"About Bishop Weiss?" Bishop Beckett seemed to sense Leon's question. "As I've said before, this isn't something you should know right now."

“Sir, Bishop Weiss is very keen on research. She is interested in the medicine that Selene Hershey is researching, and she is also interested in my conjectures. If I have dealings with academic figures in the Prophet Church in the future, publishing some things might attract her attention again. You only told me that she is the Count’s enemy, but I know nothing about the reason. In the future, when you are not here, how am I supposed to control and deal with her on my own?” Leon said.

“What you say makes some sense…” Bishop Beckett pondered for a moment, then looked up at Leon and asked, “Have you heard of the Rose School within the Church?”

Leon shook his head: "Never heard of it."

“You know that the Church often regards thorns as a symbol of the primordial witch Moirai and the witches, right?” Bishop Beckett said.

"Yes."

Leon knew, of course, that the imagery of thorns was always present in artistic depictions of the primordial witch Moirai, and the church also used this imagery to refer to witches. There is a famous metaphor in the scriptures that a witch is a snake covered in thorns.

"In the church, witches are an absolute taboo. However, at the St. Rosalia Institute, there are many academics in the church who believe that the heretical power of the Moirai is not entirely without value. They advocate reform, relaxing the control over the power of the Moirai, fully studying the power of the Moirai, and applying it."

These people gradually formed a school of thought, and one of the bishops said, "If the gods can create the world, they can certainly make roses bloom from thorns." Bishop Beckett said.

"The rose among thorns, refers to witches? So they are called the Rose School?" Leon immediately realized that Bishop Beckett was referring to the academic group that Weiss had mentioned to him.

In this world, the word "thorn" can refer to all thorny shrubs. Roses are actually a type of thorn, but they can bloom beautiful flowers and be used to make herbs.

The Rose School uses the rose as a metaphor for witches, believing that although witches are dangerous and thorny, they still have value, and the great gods will not mind them developing this value—in fact, he and Weiss had discussed similar ideas.

“That’s right. The Rose School was originally a derogatory term used by others in the church to refer to these people, but it was accepted by them. Most of the Rose School members are young researchers from the Church of the Creator. Saintess Weiss Rogers of the Church of the Creator is a key figure in the Rose School. They have proposed many times to relax the research on witch potions. Their ultimate goal is to put potions into practical use.” Bishop Beckett looked at Leon and said, “You should understand that this proposition has a fundamental conflict of interest with us.”

Leon naturally understood what Bishop Beckett meant; without the Church's strict prohibition, the potion business could not possibly be so profitable.

It is precisely because those powerful and wealthy people cannot obtain magic potions through normal channels that they can earn such high profits from the magic essence and magic potions they obtain at the risk of their lives.

If the church were to sell various potions like it sells holy water, the profits from the potions would be taken by the church, and the church would crack down even more severely on private businesses like counts.

If the church were to further liberalize and legalize the production of magic essence and potions in the general public, the situation would be even worse for them. Countless competitors would appear with legal status, profits would plummet, and the Earl's position as the supreme ruler of the underworld would have to be maintained by other industries.

Therefore, while the Rose School's propositions may seem to relax restrictions on this industry, they are actually at odds with the Earl's interests.

But Leon didn't care about this; on the contrary, he might be even more supportive of the Rose School.

You see, he has already earned enough money to live on for a lifetime. He would rather the witch's power be used openly to benefit the world. If the church relaxes the law, he can retire from this business and no longer have to worry about his past involvement.

But Leon still raised a question: "But can their claims really be accepted by the church?"

“Of course not, they are still a minority in the church,” Bishop Beckett said.

“Rose Society poses almost no threat to us right now, and Bishop Weiss isn’t a powerful figure either, so why should we be so wary of her?” Leon asked.

Bishop Beckett's reasons are clearly insufficient to fully explain their avoidance of Bishop Weiss.

“The problem isn’t really with her, but with her father, Archbishop Rogers, whose influence is not something that can be ignored,” Archbishop Beckett said.

"Is he also a member of the Rose School?" Leon asked.

“No, he has other reasons. That’s all you know for now. You just need to understand that this father and daughter have an absolute conflict with us, and try not to get involved with them. You will know the answer sooner or later, don’t worry,” Bishop Beckett said earnestly.

"Okay." Leon didn't ask any more questions.

Bishop Beckett still didn't reveal any particularly useful information. Weiss had actually told him about the Rose School before, and this time he only learned the name.

"Then I'll go take care of these first." Leon took the documents and prepared to leave.

“Wait a minute, there’s something else!” Bishop Beckett called out to him.

Leon suddenly felt nervous.

"Don't forget what the Earl mentioned to you. After you take over the work here, people will come to visit your labyrinth. Make preparations for receiving them as soon as possible," Bishop Beckett reminded him.

"Yes." Leon breathed a sigh of relief and took his leave.

He returned to his office, took care of some things, and when the clock approached six o'clock, he packed his things and quickly left the Inquisition.

He still remembered the old place Weiss had mentioned. He soon arrived at the third intersection east of the Inquisition, remaining vigilant for possible surveillance and tracking along the way.

This was the place where he had last met with Weiss in private. Then he saw the familiar black carriage slowly drive towards him, stop in front of him, and open the door itself.

Leon got into the car and smelled that familiar scent of incense again; Weiss was sitting opposite him.

“Now, you can speak with confidence,” Weiss said.

Chapter 128 The Medicine That Cures Salinization Disease

Leon nodded to Bishop Viss, feeling extremely uncomfortable wearing the badge that could be used for eavesdropping.

However, once he got here, he was still a little uneasy, so he checked his body again, even though he had actually checked it many times before.

“This carriage is absolutely safe. I’ve also checked the surrounding area beforehand, so don’t worry.” Weiss gently touched the carriage wall, where runes were faintly visible and flickered with light.

Leon realized that this carriage seemed unusual. Since Weiss had said it was absolutely safe here, it must be genuinely secure.

Thinking of this, he finally felt a little relieved.

"So you meant that someone was spying on us?" Bishop Weiss asked Leon for confirmation.

“I was carrying the badge that Bishop Beckett gave me, which I used to contact him. I thought he could hear our conversation. I’ve returned the badge now. It’s still best that he doesn’t know about our meeting on this train last time,” Leon said.

“Bishop Beckett does indeed possess the blessing of teleportation, just as I thought,” Bishop Weiss realized.

"Teleportation? Is that the kind of divine magic that can transmit sound?" Leon asked Bishop Weiss for confirmation.

“Yes, did you happen to have that thing with you when you went on the mission? According to church rules, Bishop Beckett should have informed you that you couldn’t wear the badge when talking to me.” Weiss looked puzzled. “Or is this what he required?”

Since the Mysterious God's magic could be used for eavesdropping, the Church would naturally impose regulations and restrictions on it.

Except when necessary for carrying out a mission, those who possess this blessing are forbidden from using it to eavesdrop on conversations of other members of the church, especially superiors, without permission. Weiss's rank is higher than Beckett's.

If Bishop Beckett allowed Leon to carry the badge, it would undoubtedly be a violation of discipline, but if it did not involve confidentiality, it was not a serious problem.

Leon nodded; he had no intention of taking the blame for Bishop Beckett's actions.

"What is the reason?" Bishop Weiss asked.

“I’m not quite sure either. Do you have some kind of grudge against him? Or do you have some differences in opinion?” Leon asked in return.

Although he had secretly told Weiss about Bishop Beckett's eavesdropping, he couldn't explain the specific reasons to Weiss because they involved the Earl.

Of course, he couldn't reveal any clues about helping the Earl create magic essence.

“I don’t have much interaction with Bishop Beckett, but… there are indeed quite a few people opposing us in the Church of War,” Bishop Weiss said after thinking for a moment.

“You mean your school of thought?” Leon tried to ask.

“Yes, our school of thought has always been criticized by many within the Church. Changing traditional views within the Church is not easy,” Bishop Weiss said with a somewhat forlorn expression. “Has Bishop Beckett mentioned this to you?”

“He told me once that your school of thought is called the Rose School, and he advised me that even if I’m interested in academia, it’s best not to join you,” Leon said.

“That’s not surprising.” Weiss said thoughtfully.

Weiss believed that Bishop Beckett opposed the Rose School because of traditional beliefs, and that eavesdropping was naturally the best thing for Leon, so that it would not involve the Count or Leon himself.

Moreover, this is not exactly a lie. Bishop Beckett's current explanation is that he opposes the Rose School, but it's not because he cares about tradition, but because it touches on the interests of the Earl behind him.

But Leon was still very curious about the reasons why the Earl was hostile to Archbishop Rogers and Bishop Weiss. The most useful information that Bishop Beckett revealed to him during his conversation with Bishop Weiss was that the matter was more related to Archbishop Rogers, Bishop Weiss's father.

After thinking it over, Lyon decided to ask tentatively: "However, he did mention Archbishop Rogers."

Weiss looked surprised upon hearing this.

“Your Excellency, I remember Archbishop Rogers is your…”

“He is my father.” Weiss admitted it frankly. In the church, it is not uncommon for the children of bishops to become bishops and the children of knights to become knights. Family inheritance is a very natural thing in this country.

“When Bishop Beckett mentioned you, he also mentioned Archbishop Rogers, but he didn’t say that he had any relationship with Archbishop Rogers. Do you have any clues about this? I don’t mean anything by this, it’s just that… after all, I was recommended by Bishop Beckett to qualify for the main selection examination, so I still need to be careful about his interpersonal relationships.” Leon gave a suitable reason for inquiring.

“Well, I can’t imagine what kind of relationship he could have with my father. They’re not in the same department, and their ranks are very different.” Bishop Weiss also looked completely bewildered.

"Could this be related to the Rose School?" Leon asked tentatively.

Although the Rose School poses no threat at present, things would be different if it had the support of Archbishop Rogers, who is about to become a cardinal.

From Bishop Beckett's description, this was the only possibility Leon could think of. Bishop Beckett denied that Archbishop Rogers was a member of the Rose School, but he still wanted to confirm it carefully with Weiss.

But Bishop Weiss immediately denied it: "That's unlikely. My father is opposed to our school of thought, and everyone in the church knows that. Even in private, he has been trying to persuade me to leave the Rose School, saying that I would be inviting trouble."

My father was a rigid and principled man who favored a strict approach to controlling heresy. In his youth, he even served as an inquisitor for heresy and is said to have achieved considerable success in punishing heretics.

"He even served as an inquisitor for heretics? That Archbishop Rogers?" Leon was a little surprised.

“It happened a long time ago, and I don’t know the specifics. I only heard about it from others. Because of our different beliefs, I rarely communicated with him,” Bishop Weiss said calmly.

“But I saw that when he went on his previous pilgrimage, he had you accompany him,” Leon said.

If Archbishop Rogers is worried that Weiss might get into trouble, then he must be quite concerned about his daughter.

“He doesn’t support my beliefs, but he’s still willing to support me within the church. After all, I’m probably the most successful of his children,” Bishop Weiss said.

Having served as an inquisitor for heretics... could it be that he had some interaction with the Count when he was advancing his cause? Leon pondered to himself.

However, Weiss didn't seem to be familiar with Archbishop Rogers' career, so he couldn't ask too many questions or bring up the topic of the Earl. It seemed he would have to investigate on his own in the end.

Leon snapped out of his thoughts and looked up: "Your Excellency, could you please not tell anyone about what happened today?"

“I understand that, of course,” Bishop Weiss nodded in response.

By exposing Bishop Beckett's eavesdropping, Bishop Beckett will eventually find out that it was Leon who betrayed him.

Leon took the risk and deliberately reminded Weiss that this matter also involved the potion recipe that Weiss gave Leon when they met privately before. This not only further involved Weiss's illegal research, but also the crime of encouraging others to use potions. Of course, Weiss would not just report Bishop Beckett's minor violation and implicate herself and Leon.

"By the way, did you take the medicine I gave you last time?" With no risk of being eavesdropped on, Weiss was finally able to bring up the topic of their last meeting.

"Thanks to you, I have fully recovered." A smile appeared on Leon's face.

Although he was eventually cured by gaining the power to transform into a werewolf, Leon was still very grateful for Vice's risky act of giving him the prescription.

“That’s wonderful.” Weiss nodded. “How is Selena Hershey doing?”

"That's the situation for now, but it seems we can hold on for a while longer," Leon replied vaguely after thinking for a moment.

He could not have secretly drugged Selene without Bishop Beckett's tacit approval, which also involved the terms between him and the Earl, and he couldn't explain it to Weiss.

Weiss shifted her gaze elsewhere, a moment's hesitation crossing her face, before speaking, "This afternoon, I persuaded you to take a position at the St. Rosalia Institute. Besides wanting you to participate in the Creator Church's research on atomism, I also had another purpose. I originally intended for both you and Selena Hershey to be transferred to the St. Rosalia Institute. But since you've chosen to stay here, you must be preparing to take over the current acting position held by Bishop Beckett?"

“Yes, that’s what I’m planning to do,” Leon replied.

"I'd like to ask, to what extent do you intend to help that lady?" Weiss asked Leon seriously.

"Degree?" Leon was a little puzzled.

“What I mean is, now that you’re the head of the Inquisition here, you have direct jurisdiction over the prison where Selena Hershey is being held. Do you plan to have her receive treatment in prison? I mean, methods other than holy water,” Weiss asked seriously.

“Well, if all the conditions are met…” Leon carefully chose his words to answer.

He had been secretly administering drugs to Selene for some time and planned to continue giving her special care after becoming the director. He was unsure of Weiss's purpose in asking the question, but Weiss had previously given him the potion formula and also expressed her intention to research a cure for the salt disease. Leon felt that it wouldn't hurt to reveal his intentions to her.

"So, if there were a new treatment option, even if it had some risks, would you be willing to accept it?" Weiss asked further.

"Your Excellency, what exactly do you mean by this?" Leon frowned slightly.

Weiss's words made it seem as if she already had other new treatment options, which she could secretly use on Selene as long as he became the head of the Inquisition.

"..." Weiss didn't speak, but gently pulled open her collar and reached inside, as if she were feeling for her necklace pendant.

Then, she took out a small black bottle that was hanging on her necklace.

Leon's eyes widened in surprise; he remembered that Weiss usually hid contraband in this spot.

"What is this?" Leon asked.

“This is a prototype I improved based on the prescription left by Selene Hersh, intended to treat halogenation disease,” Weiss said slowly. “Theoretically speaking, it has the potential to cure halogenation disease.”

Chapter 129 Snow White and the Magic Mirror

"get well!?"

Leon repeated the word unconsciously; it sounded like a thunderbolt to him.

The cure for chlorination disease that he and Lena had been searching for has now been achieved by Weiss.

“Actually, when we parted last time, I had already made up my mind to try this kind of research. Hersh’s research has found the right direction, and it would be a real shame not to continue it,” Weiss said.