### Chapter 77 Return Journey (Part 2)
I tilted my head and thought for a moment.
“Well… unclear, but very strong.”
Everyone fell into deep thought.
After a moment, the old man in the robe spoke up, “You’ve all witnessed it firsthand. Miss Silvya’s power is undeniable. If she also thinks it’s very strong, then I believe it must be the bl**d Sacrifice.”
“Little Shay, how long did he sustain the third stage after he ascended?”
“Not long, about a minute.”
“Well… this situation is a bit different from what I know. Even during the most active times at the Gate of Truth, we’ve never encountered an enemy like this. Very few can adapt to the third stage—extremely few. By your account, it’s clear this person can’t adapt to the third stage, but Infernal Fire still manifested. Is that person… the one with the burn scars?”
“Yup.”
“Think carefully about the scene back then. Was there anything strange… or unusual about it?”
Strange? I thought these people were all strange from the start!
That kind of flame that can consume itself, the Sin Fire. I can’t comprehend who other than a lunatic would want to do such a thing—gain temporary super strength only to be burnt to a crisp! What’s the point? What are these madmen thinking?
Is the power of “faith” really that terrible? I mean, there are examples from my past life of people falling for the most ridiculous beliefs, but while I may not understand this principle, I get it; however…
Whether it’s Valar, the Golden Mask, or even those masked assassins, none of them strike me as the type to blindly believe in some vague, abstract concepts.
They seem quite practical. Valar even has grand ambitions. So what’s the point of their actions? Is it to control the lifeblood of the Valen Empire through Edward?
That’s the most likely scenario, but doesn’t it seem a bit extreme? Don’t they understand the principle of steady streams?
I believe that the so-called God of Truth, aside from making them self-immolate, must also provide them with something else.
Right! I remember Valar mentioning someone… some lady, what was her name?
I can’t recall.
Suddenly, I remembered a detail and immediately said, “One thing. They, before releasing the flames, inhaled Lotus Seed Grass.”
Everyone paused at my words.
“Inhaled Lotus Seed Grass? Both of them?”
“Yup.”
“Well, this is a bit strange… Doctor Chris, what do you say?”
Carlos turned to the bird-beaked knight who was seated nearby. After waiting two seconds, he received no response.
“… Doctor.”
He looked over and gently nudged the knight’s shoulder.
“… Huh? Ah, sorry, I was lost in thought. What’s up?”
“… You fell asleep?”
Faced with Carlos’s inquiry, the bird-beaked knight quickly denied it: “What? No way!”
“What were we just talking about?”
“About heretics… uh, they were transporting goods to the Royal City…”
“Uh-huh, you were asleep right here.”
“… I said I was thinking!” The knight denied again, and since he was wearing a mask, no one could see his face. “In front of the beautiful lady, how could I be so rude?”
“So, what do you suggest regarding the heretics and Lotus Seed Grass?”
“Heretics and Lotus Seed Grass? That’s obvious.” The knight rested his chin on his hand and comfortably propped up his legs. “From what I know, there are some heretics in the Eastern Continent who firmly believe that Infernal Fire can free them from suffering. Generally, those with such beliefs tend to be downtrodden or lazy. But getting burned… isn’t exactly a walk in the park. So, I don’t know when it started, but some choose to numb their senses with Lotus Seed Grass before burning themselves… maybe it’s just a long-standing habit?”
Carlos shot him an irritated glance.
“It can’t be that simple, come on, be serious.”
“I am serious! Your understanding of Lotus Seed Grass is superficial at best. Do you know, besides causing hallucinations, the smoke can also make people lose their fear?”
While he knocked the front of his mask, he continued.
“The difference lies in the amount inhaled. It’s like drinking alcohol: a little gets you tipsy, too much and you wake up with a hangover, not recalling what you did the night before. The same goes for Lotus Seed Grass. Inhaling the right amount turns people into mad dogs—they won’t feel fear and will do everything possible to shred their enemies to pieces, even with their teeth.”
“Over two hundred years ago, there was a small nation in the West called Willard, where the king had his soldiers do this… eventually, he was stabbed by his own guard who overdosed on Lotus Seed Grass, mistaking him for the enemy. So those heretics are probably imitating them…”
“Sometimes we tend to overthink things, but most people are rather simple. They’re just not happy. As long as you can make them feel happy—what the heretics call liberation from suffering—they’ll do anything. And in this regard, Lotus Seed Grass is a powerful tool.”
“Oh, I didn’t expect you to have some research on this.”
“Ha! I’m a doctor, a great doctor. How could a doctor not understand such marvels of nature?”
“I meant the heretics.” Carlos leaned back against his seat, putting his hands behind his head. “Chris, do you remember the previous Pope’s words?”
The bird-beaked knight quickly replied, “Don’t try to understand the thoughts of heretics, or you’ll likely end up like them… something like that, right?”
“You know that’s enough.”
“But there’s another saying—that to defeat your enemy, you must first understand him.”
“Ha! You make a good point.”
“You two…”
“Shh—”
“Oh, look, look…”
“Little Shay is dozing off…”
“Ha ha, how amusing…”
“You’re in no position to mock others…”
“… Let her sleep a while…”
…………
Not sure how much time passed, in my hazy state, I vaguely felt someone gently shaking my shoulder.
“… Little Shay… wake up…”
Impatient, I swatted it away and turned to the side.
“… Let me… sleep a bit more…”
In my daze, I heard the lady’s voice.
“She’s very tired… Skarlij… carry her…”
“We… the diocese…”
“Time to go back…”
A pair of warm hands lifted me in a princess carry.
His chest radiated warmth, and soon after, I caught a whiff of pleasant cologne mingling with the faint scent of the fireplace.
Must be a duke.
So I nestled comfortably in his arms and drifted back to sleep.
#### Interlude: Under Currents
The long night stretched on.
The night sky was tranquil, an endless darkness. Especially late into the night, it felt as if the dark were a devouring beast, swallowing all the lights of thousands of homes.
Inside a quiet little church, only the windows on the third floor flickered with firelight. Through a large floor-to-ceiling window, a blonde man could be seen hunched over a wooden table, still awake in the dead of night, absorbed in reading a scroll.
The scroll seemed to be a letter. The blonde man read intently, not even a trace of fatigue could be seen on his face, perhaps due to oversleeping during the day. He stretched out his left hand, gesturing over the table, before reaching for a nearby goblet.
Inside the goblet was a deep brown wine. If there were anyone knowledgeable around, they’d immediately recognize this wine as expensive, the kind to be savored slowly.
However, the blonde man raised the goblet, tipped his head back, and chugged a few big gulps of wine with little ceremony, then unaffected, grabbed the wine bottle on the table and filled his goblet again, paying no mind to the drips spilling on the table.
He filled it, drank it down. After several rounds, he finally finished reading the letter.
He looked up, ruffled his messy hair, and let out a soft sigh.
Then, as if talking to himself, he said, “How did Little Black Charcoal recognize them so quickly? Much faster than I expected… How can it be so quick? Well, that’s a good thing, I suppose.”
“For it to integrate into human society so swiftly, this abyss truly is more interesting than I thought… Hm, very intriguing.”
He gently clapped his hands, perhaps due to having drunk too much, he seemed a bit light-headed, and began to hum an off-key tune, almost like singing.
“The stage is set~ what will you do next~ for the unfolding plot, I’m very much looking forward to~ I wonder if it will follow my predicted direction~ Just follow my lead~”
After a few incoherent hums, the blonde man pondered for a moment.
“Hmm… why haven’t they come yet~ Little Margaret~ you can’t keep me waiting too long~”
Not long after, the door to the room opened, and a woman dressed in nun’s attire walked in.
She appeared very young, perhaps around twenty-five years old. Her porcelain skin was flawless, and her delicate features bore a pair of extremely bright phoenix eyes gleaming with sharpness.
She walked straight up to the blonde man and paused at his table.
“Oh, my dear Margaret, you came just in time.”
“Your Holiness, aren’t you resting yet?”
The blonde man was, of course, Angel. He shook off the wine stains on his hand, looking around for something to wipe it with, but finding nothing, he nonchalantly wiped his hands on his robe. The sight caused the nun to frown slightly.
“You called me for something?”
Even though she couldn’t stand his earlier behavior, she said nothing.
As the current Saintess of the Holy Church, Margaret had long grown accustomed to this man’s messy habits. She knew complaining was pointless; he was clearly the type who wouldn’t change for anyone.
“Oh, it’s about that… um… what was it again?”
Angel seemed to have forgotten entirely what he summoned Margaret for.
Seeing this, Margaret frowned, impatience clearly on her face.
“Your Holiness, if it’s nothing important, I’d like to rest… it’s been a long journey, and I’m quite tired.”
With that, she turned to leave.
Angel immediately stood up to stop her.
“Wait, wait, I was just joking! Really, Little Margaret, you’ve become less adorable.”
Margaret turned to face him.
“Your Holiness, if you have something to say, then say it directly.”
“Uh… about the recent activities at the Gate of Truth, do you know?”
“Are you referring to the happenings in the Eastern Continent?”
“No, I’m talking about the Western Continent.” Angel picked up the scroll in his hand and waved it at Margaret. “Look here, this information was just sent by Carlos, still warm. The heretics in the Western Continent have been increasing, especially in Silgaya and Valen.”
Margaret’s brow furrowed; she always looked so stern.
“Mr. Carlos was in Silgaya not long ago, wasn’t he?”
“He left with Little Black Charcoal and returned to the Valen Empire… Ah, Little Black Charcoal, you know, that’s Miss Silvya…”
Margaret suddenly showed an expression of clear annoyance.
“I know that. No need to emphasize it every time.”
“Alright, maybe I just forgot… so, about Oblivion on your end?”
“… No movement yet.”
“Continue monitoring then. Should Abyss Mud start boiling, notify me immediately. At that point… you and Carlos can go together.”
“Uh-huh.” Margaret gently tapped her toes against the floor. “Your Holiness, is there anything else?”
“Nothing, you can go rest.”
Hearing Angel’s words, Margaret didn’t say another word and turned to leave. After taking two steps, Angel’s voice sounded behind her again.
“Oh, right, keep an eye on those old fellows. If you see one of them laying hands on Little Black Charcoal…” At this point, a gloomy light flashed in the blonde man’s eyes, “No need to report back, I grant you direct authority to k*ll.”
He thought for a moment and added, “If you can’t handle it, just come tell me.”
The girl paused mid-step.
“Understood.”
Then she pushed the door and left.
The blonde man slowly sat back down, shaking his head and closing his eyes.
“Ah— another sleepless night—”
…………
At the same moment, in the Eastern Continent.
On the large dock, flickering sparks reflected on the sea, with numerous ships of all sizes either setting sail or returning to port to rest, as the gentle sea breeze blew.
A woman’s silver hair was lifted by the wind.
She stood straight at the harbor, the wind blowing her light dress snug against her body, revealing her alluring curves.
Her star-like eyes gazed silently at the sea. Not long after, someone approached from behind.
The newcomer was a hunched old man. He stopped two meters away from the woman, bowing deeply in a servile manner.
“Miss Ailna.”
After uttering this, the old man fell silent. After a moment, the woman spoke with her lips slightly parted, “Speak.”
Her voice was slender and clear, revealing no emotional fluctuations.
After hesitating for a moment, the old man continued.
“Miss, the Infernal Fire of Valar and Langman extinguished two hours ago.”
The woman did not speak for a long time, staring steadily at the majestic sea, her expression calm, lost in thought.
Time passed slowly, and after a moment, the old man couldn’t resist speaking again.
“Um… Miss Ailna…”
He was about to say something, but was interrupted by the woman.
“I’m waiting for you to speak.”
“Uh… we received information that there are currently as many as four Pope Knights staying in Winter City… their deaths may be related to this.”
“… Who?”
Still the calm language.
“The King of Deception, Skarlij, Silver Flash, Carlos, and… the recently appointed, the youngest Pope Knight in history, Hilvigia Rabithermos.”
“Uh-huh.” The woman nodded slightly and then added, “Hilvigia, is she a girl?”
“Uh… yes.”
“I understand.”
“Miss Ailna, what should we do next?”
“Set aside matters regarding the Valen Empire for now.”
“But…”
“There’s no but. We can move regarding Silgaya.”
The old man lowered his head.
“Understood, Miss.”
“Step down for now.”
“… Yes.”
A gentle breeze swept across the sea, stirring up layer upon layer of ripples.
