### Chapter 47: Viki’s Actions (Part Two)
[As I pondered these matters, I broke out in a cold sweat… The human heart can truly be the source of all evil. Power, greed, malicious intent—ultimately bringing the most horrifying disasters and risks to the unsuspecting ordinary people. It leads them to their doom in hell, leaving only bones scattered in the wilderness. As for us… people like you and me are merely small pawns trapped in this chaos…]
[I later skimmed through that autobiography written by Teresa, The Sorrow of Love… I only read a little but was deeply struck by one sentence. She said that all the sufferings in this world stem from the human heart—that’s it… Setting aside the deeds she has done and whatever experiences she may have had beforehand, I now find myself agreeing with her on this point.]
[What Her Majesty could tell me was merely a one-sided fragment related to what she needed me to do next; even so, it was enough for me to understand a lot. The fact that she was open about the church’s dirty dealings around her communication with Cardinal St. George showed that she regards both me and Sharman as her most trusted confidants… just like that.]
[After all, she’s no longer the same person she was back then.]
[Without the interference of the Lax family, without the pressure from Her Majesty the Empress in previous years, Her Majesty the Queen now governs the kingdom with increasing smoothness. She started to flex her muscles, and those who previously distanced themselves because they doubted the royal family gradually realized just how capable this queen under twenty-five really is and how strong-willed her character is…]
[Slowly, all sorts of characters began to showcase their merits before her; by now, a great crowd of capable individuals has gathered around Her Majesty. The fate of Ethanbel almost depends solely on her… She is no longer that isolated queen who felt shackled by everything she did, and there’s no longer only me and Sharman as her loyal followers… Sometimes, looking back, it really makes me sentimental… A lot of things are hard to judge whether they’re good or bad at this point…]
[But no matter what, Her Majesty only trusts the two of us.]
[As for what she said she wasn’t sure about, it’s clear that Her Majesty has decided to ally with Cardinal St. George. Even though she didn’t state it outright, neither Sharman nor I are fools; we can see that Her Majesty intends to do something with that old guy… and it’s likely to be earth-shattering… And those matters will definitely involve you.]
[I don’t know what those two intend to do, but you get it, right? Regardless, it means that, in the near future, they might go against the entire Church and that young but cunning Pope… If anything goes wrong, it could drag Ethanbel down with them…]
[Of course, I wouldn’t oppose her actions. I’m someone who will always stand by her side. As long as she remains the queen of Ethanbel, the Sword of Kanli will pledge to follow her to the d*ath. I’m telling you this just to make one point clear: I know, and Sharman knows, that the reason she made such a decision, which may be a detriment to the kingdom, is solely because of you.]
[That night, she instructed Sharman and me on several matters and ordered me to take people to Silgaya to look into everything about you… But don’t worry. So far, only Her Majesty, I, and Sharman know the things I’ve just told you. The people I brought from the Sword of Kanli are unaware of our exact mission here; they just need to follow my orders…]
[However, perhaps soon they’ll start to guess the ugly truths behind the Church… We’ve already uncovered quite a bit, which brings me to the second thing the Sword of Kanli needs to clarify while we’re here—it’s something that’s related to you as well.]
[In March, I arrived at Woodward Forest with my people and saw you along with the heretics and that so-called… sealed dreadful demon? The source of heretical power? I don’t know what it was, but the traces left from that battle were evident. The entire forest was almost burned to the ground, the soil completely destroyed. When I stood at a height, all I could see were cooling, pitch-black rocks coiled like enormous, lifeless worms…]
[That must have been a grueling battle. You made remarkable strides, but at a heavy price—one that surprised you as well as Her Majesty. I suspect that’s the reason you’ve been missing for nearly two years, leading everyone outside to believe you were dead, right?]
[If you don’t want to tell me, then I’ll investigate and draw my own conclusions. I gather you’re in a position where continuing to appear openly is unwise, especially in front of the clergy… What do you know? Ha, there’s no need to explain it to me. Just… when you feel ready, take the time to clarify everything with Her Majesty.]
[For now, I’ll only share what I’ve found, leaving the rest up to your judgement…]
[Woodward Forest is currently heavily sealed off by the Church, with nearby villages relocated. I recall you had some relatives around there, didn’t you? Well, no one remains now…]
[After some sniffing around, I learned that all the nearby villagers have been gathered in a small town called Taan. The town isn’t too far from the Emerald City but not right next door either—a three to five-day journey, perhaps… It’s managed uniformly by the Church’s clergy, so it should be safe… probably.]
[When we tried to venture deeper into the burn zone, we found ourselves stopped. The perimeter around the burned forest is heavily guarded, with those war-time observation towers still in use, and numerous clergy members scuttling about doing who-knows-what. We had a tough time sneaking in and couldn’t risk exposing our identities. Instead, we pretended to be travelers exploring the area, and to avoid raising suspicion, we didn’t linger long and left the next day… Still, we managed to gather some intel.]
[That molten wasteland is now forbidden for civilians to approach, mandated by the Church. They claim it’s for safety, worried that remaining demonic powers could seriously harm ordinary people… We disguised ourselves as travelers who had come to pay tribute to heroes after hearing about it, which is a common sight in that area and raised no eyebrows. But we could only go where they designated us to lay flowers and pray…]
[The Second Knights Order has stationed themselves there, with their Commander apparently present, along with numerous clerics and nuns. I chatted with some folks and learned that deep within the forest, there are several well-known archbishops, like Anseier and Pius, who have been there for almost a year… Saint Margaret was said to have been there too, but she left early this year… Also, Cardinal Michel has been spotted as well.]
[How long has it been since the war with the heretics, leading to the appearance of the so-called demon, until now? Why are these people still frequently appearing in that area? I think it must be greatly connected to your battle of yesteryear…]
[I can feel that the Church is eagerly seeking something from there, or maybe they want to clarify something… I’ve considered many possibilities, the most significant being that rumors say someone wants to obtain divine power… That’s hardly a demon, right? You were right there as it happened; you should know better than I do.]
[Though I only stayed there for a day, one thing I’m sure of is that it might be the very thing Her Majesty wants me to clarify for her completely.]
