Gospel of Blood

“Huh? Where is she? She was here just a moment ago!”

The tavern owner stared blankly at the spot where the little girl had been standing.

He turned back stiffly, looking at the increasingly grim faces of the Judgment Knights, sweat beading on his forehead.

“So… um… Judgment Knight Sirs, may I ask… what did the child do to be pursued?”

The owner asked weakly.

The Judgment Knights did not answer his question.

The leader of the squad simply glanced at him coldly and said indifferently.

“The Inquisition is handling a case. Don’t ask about things you shouldn’t know, or you’ll be suspected of being an accomplice to heresy!”

Then, he looked around the entire hall and ordered the other knights.

Quickly, the Judgment Knights sprang into action, and chaos erupted in the tavern.

In a corner of the tavern, the spots where the “apprentice mage” and “knight squire” had been chatting were now empty, their figures long gone.

All that remained on the table were half-drunk mugs of ale, an untouched piece of grilled meat, and a few shiny new silver tana.

…

Outside the tavern, in a secluded alley.

With a faint blue magical glow, a complex circular magic array slowly appeared. As the array spread, the surrounding space trembled slightly.

Amidst a series of spatial distortions, two cloaked figures gradually emerged and stepped out of the array.

They were Sebastian and Nice, who had left the tavern.

“Phew… I really can’t get used to those commoner taverns. The air feels so much cleaner outside.”

Nice said, stretching and taking a deep breath.

“You’re just used to the comfort of being with our master.”

Sebastian retorted, gracefully setting down an unknown creature he had been holding under his arm.

If the tavern owner saw it, he would recognize the “unknown creature” Sebastian had brought out as none other than the little girl who had “wandered” into the tavern.

While Sebastian had her under his arm, the girl struggled continuously.

Once set down, she immediately tried to run.

“This alley isn’t far from the tavern, and the streets are still patrolled by Judgment Knights. If you want to be caught, go ahead and run.”

Nice said with a sneer.

The girl froze in her tracks.

“Judging by your reaction, you’re really being chased by the Judgment Knights, aren’t you?”

Nice added.

The girl widened her eyes, filled with innocence and anger, realizing she had been tricked by his earlier words.

Nice, finding the girl interesting, wanted to tease her further but was quickly stopped by Sebastian.

“That’s enough, Nice. Stop teasing her.”

He then turned to the girl and asked gently.

“Child, what is your name? Why are those Judgment Knights chasing you? And where did you get that necklace?”

Hearing Sebastian’s words, the girl immediately became vigilant.

She quickly hid the necklace behind her back and shrank away, like a frightened little rabbit.

“Don’t be afraid. We mean no harm. If we did, we wouldn’t have saved you just now. We’re just curious.”

Sebastian reassured her.

The girl remained unconvinced, her eyes still full of caution.

A growling stomach broke the silence, and the girl’s face flushed with embarrassment.

Sebastian’s expression turned peculiar.

“Nice, do you have any food?”

He glanced at Nice.

“Here, something good to eat.”

Nice pulled out a bag of dried fish.

“Damn it! I meant food for humans! Keep that for yourself.”

“Discrimination! That’s discrimination! This is a special supply from the Starfall Red Palace for Master Cat! Cleaner than human food!”

“Cleaner than human food? So it’s not for humans, then?”

“Shut up!”

The two started bickering again, leaving the girl bewildered.

“Hehe…”

She couldn’t help but giggle.

Sebastian and Nice immediately stopped arguing and turned their attention to her.

The girl’s guard went up again.

“Alright, I’ll handle it.”

Sebastian sighed.

With a wave of his hand, he “produced” a box of exquisite chocolate velvet cake and a cup of special sweet milk from the Northern Pasture.

Nice was speechless…

“Here, it’s not poisoned. Feel free to eat.”

Under Nice’s strange, subtle gaze, Sebastian took a small piece of cake and ate it himself before placing the cake and milk in front of the girl.

The girl hesitated.

But eventually, the aroma of the cake and milk overcame her caution, and she carefully picked them up.

She took a small bite, and her eyes widened, her entire body freezing in place.

Then she started devouring the food hungrily.

However, halfway through, she suddenly slowed down, eating cautiously and taking tiny bites as if afraid that eating too fast would make her forget the wonderful taste.

“Go ahead and eat, I have more.”

Sebastian said, feeling a bit sorry for the girl as he watched her careful enjoyment.

After feeding her, the atmosphere between the girl and the two men finally eased.

“Child, what’s your name? Why are the Judgment Knights chasing you?”

Sebastian asked the same question again.

This time, the girl finally let her guard down and said pitifully.

“My name is Ellie. I’m an orphan from the Gray Swan… Those knights in red are bad people!”

Gray Swan Orphanage?

Nice and Sebastian exchanged glances, recalling the news they had overheard in the tavern.

“Ellie, where did you get that necklace?”

Nice asked.

At this question, Ellie suddenly became wary again, hiding the necklace behind her back.

Nice sighed.

“Don’t worry, we’re not here to take your necklace. We’re just curious.”

“Despite how we look, we are actually devout followers. We sensed a power similar to ours from your necklace.”

As he spoke, Nice extended his hand, releasing the holy power temporarily granted to him by Charlotte through the faith network.

Ellie’s eyes widened instantly.

She stared at them, her large eyes welling with tears, her voice trembling with excitement and mixed with sobs of joy.

“Light! This is the light from my dreams!”

“Holy Messengers! You are the Holy Messengers from the oracle!”

Holy Messengers?

Oracle?

Nice and Sebastian looked at each other in confusion.

They were about to ask more when Ellie suddenly knelt before them.

With tears streaming down her face, her big, watery eyes full of pleading and hope, her soft voice quivered with uncontrollable sadness.

“Holy Messengers! Holy Messengers! Please save Sister Susan! Please save Sister Susan!”

“This necklace was given to me by Sister Susan. It’s hers!”

“Sister Susan is not a witch! Sister Susan is definitely not a witch!”

Susan? A witch?

Could she be the headmaster of the Gray Swan with connections to the Inquisition?

Sebastian and Nice exchanged another thoughtful look.

“Don’t worry, Ellie, take your time and tell us everything.”

Sebastian said gently, soothing her with his increasingly soft voice.

…

“Decline all these invitations as well. Also, inform the church that before the official start of the ceremony, I plan to refuse all diplomatic activities to devote myself fully to holy prayers.”

Charlotte said, rubbing her temples as she handed yet another salon invitation to her maid, Sherry.

A week had passed since she had performed the “miracle” and moved into the Holy Palace.

During this week, she had lived relatively peacefully in the Holy Palace.

Although countless eyes watched her every move, no one had openly caused her trouble.

The deterrent power of the “miracle” was strong, and her identity as the Saintess provided many conveniences.

The Sun Temple seemed to be lying low for now.

The only headache for Charlotte was the near-fanatical enthusiasm of ordinary clergy and believers after the miracle.

Faced with the endless stream of invitations, Charlotte had no choice but to resort to her last measure—”seclusion.”

To be honest, Charlotte suspected this might be a deliberate move by the Sun Temple.

Whether it was the recent wave of praise for her in the Holy City or the increased guard of the Holy Palace for her safety after the assassination attempt, it seemed they all aimed to keep her in place.

Fortunately, Sebastian and Nice were adept at disguising themselves. Once outside the Holy Palace, their activities were unrestricted and unmonitored, serving as her eyes.

“I wonder if they’ve found any new information after these few days.”

Charlotte murmured, sipping a special sweet milk from the Northern Pasture and tasting a piece of chocolate velvet cake.

She trusted Sebastian and Nice’s skills.

The Sun Temple’s recent actions were significant, clearly the aftermath of her “miracle.” The bigger the commotion, the bigger the mistakes they might make.

As long as the Sun Temple was eager to see her dead, they would inevitably slip up.

After finishing the snack, Charlotte elegantly wiped her mouth.

At that moment, she felt a sudden intuition, hearing soft prayers and calls.

It was Sebastian and Nice.

“Great Master, Nice and I have uncovered important information and urgently need to report to you!”

Sebastian’s voice came through her thoughts.

Charlotte felt a surge of energy.

Exhaling slowly, she connected with them and sent her voice back.

“Return to the palace immediately and report to me.”

Communicating across distances was risky and not always clear. This was the Holy City, and who knew what sensory artifacts might be in place?

Even though Charlotte had the ability to descend through her connection with them, she would only use it as a last resort.

To be safe, it was best to hear their report in person.

Within an hour, Nice and Sebastian, having shed their disguises, returned to Charlotte’s room one after the other.