The curtains were tightly closed, sealing off all the commotion from the outside world.
Vera sat at the dining table, recounting the events of the past few days while she ate the food her brother had brought.
"After Big Sister Freya returned from the Royal Capital, she came to see me every day..." A complex mix of emotions flickered across Vera's face. "She was always pestering me for stories about your past, and she asked for every little detail..."
Vera was actually reluctant to share stories of her brother's childhood with others, as those were precious memories belonging only to the two of them.
But Big Sister Freya was an exception because she was truly kind to her. This warm-hearted Holy Maiden of the Church showed none of the hypocrisy typical of high-ranking figures; she genuinely looked after Vera as if she were her own younger sister.
Of course, Vera was also well aware of Freya's little schemes regarding her brother.
However, she didn't show the same resistance toward her as she did toward her brother's female boss; she had her own little schemes in this matter.
During her time studying with Master Danielle, she had increasingly realized that Hailey Lawrence's identity was far from simple. That so-called official transcendent organization was likely just an excuse from the very beginning...
A bad woman who radiated an aura of darkness and displayed murderous intent at any moment... Vera wouldn't be surprised if she was a major criminal on a wanted list.
So! To counter that bad woman, Vera needed Big Sister Freya to stand on her side! They needed a united front!
Her own current strength was weak, but Big Sister Freya was different. She was the Holy Maiden of the Church of Holy Light and a powerful God-Awakened!
Light will surely triumph over darkness!
Could that evil female boss really stand against the power of holy light that countered her most?
At the thought of this, a small smile couldn't help but curl at the corners of Vera's mouth.
"What are you smirking at?" Ansu suspiciously waved a hand in front of her eyes. "Why did you stop talking and start laughing?"
"Ah!" Vera startled, her face reddening as she snapped out of it. "It's nothing, Brother. I'll continue..."
Her thoughts had wandered a bit too far. Vera pulled herself back and continued her story.
The turning point had occurred last week.
"We heard the news of the Pope's passing, and Archbishop Paul rushed back to the Royal Capital. Big Sister Freya was supposed to go back too, but unexpectedly, trouble broke out with demihumans in Benalu City..."
"Demihumans causing trouble?" Ansu raised an eyebrow.
"Mm." Vera nodded slightly. "They said it was similar to that Squirrel Party from before. Those demihumans were planning to take advantage of the Church's internal chaos to launch a terrorist attack. Because the Church was short-staffed, Big Sister Freya had to stay behind to help."
The battle had taken place in the Black Harbor District. Vera didn't know exactly what had happened, but the entire city had been in chaos that day. It wasn't until nightfall that the disturbance was completely suppressed.
But at the same time, a rumor began to spread rapidly through the city—Freya, the Holy Maiden of the Church, was actually a demihuman?
"Master Danielle told me that there was definitely no so-called terrorist attack. This operation was a trap specifically designed for Freya. The demihumans of the Staya Tribe carry an ancient combat instinct in their blood; if they are pushed into an extreme combat environment, they are bound to reveal their true forms..."
As Vera reached this point, her gaze became somewhat vacant. She had never imagined that Big Sister Freya could actually be a demihuman.
Although demihumans were always associated with poverty, danger, heretical faiths, and the prejudiced negative terms that circulated in the streets...
Big Sister Freya was absolutely not that kind of person in her heart! Vera preferred to believe what she saw with her own eyes rather than the education she had received since childhood.
However, the idle rumors in the streets were filled with malicious speculation.
People were calling it a "carefully planned infiltration by evil forces," claiming the enemy was trying to penetrate the inner circles of the Church...
All the kind deeds Freya had done in the past were now being reinterpreted as "disguises" with ulterior motives. After all, how could a demihuman possibly be a good person...
Hearing this, Ansu let out a scoff.
If even a girl as pure and kind as the little Holy Maiden could be doubted, then there wasn't a single good person left in this world.
He looked at Vera and voiced his thoughts. "The fact that public opinion could ferment so quickly means it's definitely being guided. The mastermind's target isn't Freya, but her guardian, Archbishop Paul."
Vera nodded thoughtfully. "I heard that Archbishop Paul was secretly detained before he even reached the Royal Capital. His current whereabouts are unknown..."
"Then, back here in Benalu City, everyone close to him was either arrested or placed under house arrest... I was practicing swordsmanship at Master Danielle's place that day when several Church enforcers burst in and took me away for interrogation without a word..."
At the mention of that day's interrogation, Vera's small face puffed up with anger.
"They kept beating around the bush, trying to trick me into giving testimony that would harm Big Sister Freya! But how could I let them have their way? Besides... I really didn't know about Big Sister Freya's identity, nor did I know anything about Archbishop Paul's supposed conspiracy..."
Regardless of whether this so-called "infiltration conspiracy" existed, Vera was just an outsider. Her close association with Freya during this time had stemmed from other reasons.
And because Danielle had guarded her every step of the way, even going so far as to declare, "If anyone dares to frame my student, I'll tear the roof off the Holy Dome Cathedral!" the Church enforcers had found her a massive headache. In the end, they could only send Vera back home for house arrest while they awaited further instructions from their superiors.
After hearing all this, Ansu felt even more grateful to Danielle and even more relieved that he had found such a good teacher for Vera.
He quietly walked to the window and pulled back a tiny gap in the curtains.
As if venting her frustration, Danielle had already beaten the guard captain black and blue. Meanwhile, more Church enforcers were arriving to provide backup.
Danielle suddenly glanced toward the window of the mansion. The moment her gaze met Ansu's, she knew she had completed her task.
Glancing at the juniors rolling on the ground in pain, she let out a disdainful sneer.
"Is this all the Church of Holy Light has left these days? This is pathetic!"
With that, she didn't bother to give those fellows another look. She turned and waved her hand coolly. "Alright, alright! Today's lesson is over. I'm in a hurry to get home for dinner. I'm leaving!"
"Stop..." The captain struggled to his feet, suppressing his suppressed rage as he said, "You think you can just come and go as you please? Do you think the enforcers of the Church of Holy Light will allow you to humiliate them like this!"
"What... you're not letting me leave?" Danielle arched an eyebrow, turning back with a cold smile as she approached the captain step by step. "It seems the lesson just now wasn't deep enough. Come, let's go another twenty rounds!"
The captain's entire body shuddered, and he hurriedly said, "No, that's not what I meant..."
He looked frantically at the reinforcements arriving at the street corner. However, those clergymen also seemed to fear Danielle; they only surrounded her from a distance to observe, but not a single person stepped forward...
Danielle scanned the area. Surrounded by the crowd, she showed not a hint of fear; instead, she wore an arrogant and disdainful smile.
"If you don't want trouble, get the hell away from me! Then go back and tell your master, Archbishop Leonard, that if I hadn't given up the competition back then, someone like him wouldn't even touch the position of chief demon hunter in this lifetime!"
Her formidable strength and deep seniority were naturally the capital that allowed Danielle to treat these small fry as nothing.
Once she slowly walked away from the mansion of the Morris family, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
From a distance, Danielle looked back at the house, a faint trace of worry appearing in her eyes.
While she could protect Vera for a while through sheer stubbornness, it wasn't a long-term solution.
Now that Archbishop Paul and Freya had both lost their power, although Ansu was quite clever, he was ultimately just an ordinary citizen with no power or influence...
She wondered how he would resolve this crisis born from the Church's internal struggles...
Rate on N.U.
