Chapter 10: That Person from Last Night—They Must Be a Spy Sent by the Holy Church!

“So, this is what happened last night?”

—Lotai Church.

The grand hall shimmered with opulent splendor, golden light casting an air of solemn majesty throughout the chamber.

Within the lavishly adorned council room, Yalis sat before a wide chair—the subject of a formal inquest.

A faint, sacred radiance seemed to ripple through the air. Every so often, the crisp tolling of the cathedral bell echoed, so pure it felt as if it could cleanse the soul, compelling all present to turn toward the statue of the goddess Alicia and offer their most devout respect.

“…Yes, that’s what happened.”

Faced with the regional bishop’s direct questioning, Yalis—who had brimmed with courage the night before—now felt as fragile as a novice. She scarcely dared to lift her head, let alone meet his gaze.

She remembered nothing after losing consciousness. When she awoke, Meilin was there; then, Bishop Lotai himself had promptly escorted her here for questioning.

Even the bravest zeal fades in the cold light of morning. Now, all she could feel was unease.

“As a Saintess, your duty is to study the divine revelations left by the goddess Alicia and to carry out your orders—not to recklessly infiltrate the cult of the evil gods,”

Bishop Alec of Lotai, sole heir to House Perseus, paused before admonishing her further.

“If things hadn’t ended so cleanly, you’d be the one brought back to the Holy City for interrogation right now.”

The cult of the evil gods that had been lurking near Lotai had now been thoroughly uprooted.

Whether it was the cultists left at the scene or the infiltrators who’d slipped into the city intending to unleash chaos during the evil god’s resurrection, all had been hunted down and captured by the relentless Judgement Knights.

A few stragglers might have escaped, but they were of little consequence.

The only real complication was the testimony of Saintess Yalis, who now sat before them.

“A cultist capable of wielding holy power appeared at the scene.”

“And they even slew that Evil God… How could things become so convoluted?”

Alec had devoted himself to the goddess Alicia for many years.

He prided himself on his experience—what worldly complication had he not witnessed?

But this—an evil god cultist personally destroying their god—was truly beyond anything he’d ever heard of.

Especially… someone able to wield both holy energy and the power of the evil god.

What was this supposed to mean? Had some high-ranking church official defected and become a lackey of the evil god?

Still, matters of this magnitude could only be handled by the true authorities in the Holy City.

“I’ll compile a detailed inquiry report and send it directly to the Holy City for the Pope’s attention.”

“As for the specific punishment for your reckless actions, that too will be decided and issued by the Holy City.”

“I still have reports to finish. You may go, Yalis.”

Alec regarded her with a measured look. While her actions last night had been reckless, she was still the Saintess—and as Bishop of Lotai, he had no real authority to punish her.

“Then I’ll take my leave, Bishop Alec.”

So all these inquiry notes would be sent to the Pope?

She had already felt uneasy, but now Yalis’s heart thudded even faster.

How was she ever going to apologize to Her Holiness for this?

After all… the Pope was known for being extremely strict.

Not only did she hold Yalis to the highest standards, but she never hesitated to mete out punishment if Yalis failed in her duties.

“And I nearly ruined her plans, too…”

Yalis recalled the things she’d overheard before losing consciousness the night before.

There was no way she believed that the masked person from last night was truly a powerful member of the evil god’s cult.

He had gone out of his way to spare her, and had deliberately fed her information so full of holes it was almost laughable.

Rather than chalking it up to some “accidental slip of the tongue,” Yalis was far more inclined to see it as a secret message.

For all she knew, there might have been other cultists lurking in the shadows, and the only way to justify letting her go was to say something suspicious right in front of them.

He had to be a high-ranking Holy Church operative, planted deep within the cult of the evil god!

Scenes from every novel and tale she’d ever read tumbled through Yalis’s mind, her imagination running wild with possibilities.

“If only I could meet him again…”

She longed to discover his true identity, to beg him to take her on an adventure.

They would slay evil together, save the world, and then—when everyone learned she was actually the Holy Church’s Saintess—the whole world would be stunned.

Wouldn’t that be even more thrilling than simply becoming a Judgment Knight?

The images danced before her eyes, vivid and exhilarating.

Lost in these thoughts, Yalis felt a sudden, irrepressible urge for adventure bubbling up inside her.

But just then—

“Yalis, come to the room on the top floor.”

The sudden, commanding voice seemed to freeze everything in an instant.

It was a voice she knew all too well—one that made her tremble every time she heard it.

That solemn, sacred authority left no doubt as to its owner.

“That’s… Her Holiness!”

“You’re telling me someone else intervened last night to seal the Evil God? And they wielded both holy light and the power of the evil god?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Bathed in golden radiance, the Pope sat directly before her.

That aura of untouchable sanctity and chilling dignity was unmistakable, even though his features were lost in the glow.

Yalis sat with her head bowed, answering obediently.

She never imagined she’d run into the Pope here of all places.

When had she even arrived?

Bishop Alec hadn’t mentioned a thing, and now she’d been summoned to this secluded room for a private audience.

So, just as she’d suspected, last night’s events were far from ordinary—was that masked figure truly a righteous knight secretly dispatched by the Holy Church?

Just thinking about it made Yalis’s palms sweat with nervousness.

She didn’t even notice the Pope’s expression, her brows furrowed in shock beneath the holy light.

Of course, she hadn’t openly revealed herself as the Pope.

After all, in the eyes of most believers, the Pope was supposed to remain at the Holy City, maintaining order and morale. Besides, there was always the risk someone might discover her secret marriage.

But still… this terrifying piece of intelligence had almost shocked her enough to let her holy radiance slip.

Fortunately, the one before her was her own easily managed little Saintess. Otherwise, she might have been exposed on the spot.

“Well then… that will be all for now.”

Someone capable of wielding both holy light and the power of the evil god did indeed exist.

He was once a member of the Holy Church—one whose betrayal had indirectly led to the death of the previous Pope.

A traitor, infamous throughout the entire history of the Holy Church.

But under normal circumstances, he shouldn’t possibly be here.

Could it be that a new traitor had quietly arisen?

Whatever the case… this was not a problem she could solve right now.

Having gathered all the available information, Veya took a deep breath, deciding to leave and ponder her next move elsewhere.

If she ran into Meilin, things could get far more complicated.

Still… seeing Yalis sitting there, head bowed and face taut with nerves, Veya reconsidered. For safety’s sake, she decided to give one last warning.

“Everything about my whereabouts and this conversation must remain absolutely secret.”

“I understand!”

The plan was far too sensitive—she had to eliminate any possibility of exposure.

Yalis instantly understood what the Pope meant, her guilt deepening to the point she couldn’t even meet her eyes—especially after nearly disrupting Her Holiness’s carefully laid plans.

“Until everything is officially announced, you are not to share what you know with anyone. Not a single soul.”

“Understood! I absolutely won’t say a word!”

Still, it seemed the Pope wasn’t truly angry with her.

Maybe, even though she’d almost thrown everything into chaos, she hadn’t caused any real harm in the end. Was it possible she’d be forgiven this time? Maybe, since she’d already gotten involved, the Pope was even considering letting her join in the secret plans?

“And also—”

But that hopeful thought was snuffed out by the Pope’s next words.

Looking at this daring girl—who’d actually snuck into an evil cult’s stronghold—Veya couldn’t help but feel exasperated. Even back when she herself was a Saintess, she’d never dared to pull such a stunt!

If she didn’t hand down some punishment, there was no way to keep this girl in line. At this rate, who knew—maybe in a few months, she’d be sneaking off to fall in love, too.

“When you return to the Holy City the day after tomorrow, be sure to report to me for your punishment.”

Her tone was a clear warning.

With a gentle snap of her fingers, Veya’s form dissolved into golden light and vanished in an instant.

“So I have to face punishment after all!”

All the excitement that had been surging through Yalis vanished with the Pope’s departure. She collapsed onto the floor, as if all the strength had drained from her at once.

Her delicate, adorable face scrunched up, and she muttered softly as if on the verge of tears.

But in the end, this was her own mistake—there was no escaping the consequences.

Still… the Pope had said she didn’t have to return to the Holy City until the day after tomorrow.

“There are supposed to be a lot of labyrinths around Lotai, aren’t there?”

Maybe a little adventure would help ease the sting of impending punishment.

Clenching her fists, Yalis thought about what she could do next.

She gave a determined nod, and some of her energy returned.

Having left Lotai Church, Veya made her way back toward where Lin Wei was waiting.

As she walked, she mulled over the information she’d just received.

The casualty reports checked out—after all, there hadn’t really been a battle last night. The Evil God had already been sealed away before Meilin even arrived.

But according to Yalis’s testimony, the lingering aura at the scene was deeply unsettling.

“Not only could that person use holy energy, but also the power of the evil god…”

“What kind of monster is this…? Could it be some fully awakened Evil God?”

“When did things around Lotai get so dangerous?”

The first subjugation squad had vanished in Aurens Town, the Demon Lord was rumored to have hidden there in the past, and now this mess?

The more Veya thought about it, the more anxious she became. Suddenly, her mind turned to her own Lin Wei.

“Wouldn’t it be far too dangerous to leave Lin Wei alone in Aurens Town with things like this going on?”

Absolutely not. There’s no way I can let him stay in danger—I have to find a solution, and fast.