In that instant, Olivia felt as if her mind were about to explode. Her pupils constricted, and her entire body tensed instinctively... Since when had someone been standing beside her?
She quickly took two steps back to look, and a familiar figure came into view.
It was the lady, dressed in a moon-white silk gown and a pearl-white lace shawl. She had light red hair and azure eyes, looking like someone from a middle-class background.
It was Fiona Cortez!
After a brief moment of shock, Olivia let out a silent sigh of relief, calming her pounding heart.
"I want to read this book too. Do you still have a use for it?" Fiona asked with a smile.
She didn't immediately act as though they knew each other, still testing the waters, though a hint of surprise lingered deep within her eyes.
Unlike the last time, she hadn't come looking for Olivia on purpose today; she had simply been passing by. She hadn't expected to run into Olivia here, let alone witness her hiding a note in a book.
'Since she's putting notes in books, she should be open to communication now, right?' Fiona thought to herself.
Olivia exhaled. "Ms. Fiona, no one is watching me this time, but your appearance really gave me a fright... Well, just like last time."
Hearing this, Fiona pulled the note from the book and gave it a casual glance. A flicker of fire then sprouted from her fingertips, quickly reducing the paper to ash.
She gave a slight smile. "It was inevitable that I would find you. I assume you know that one of our people was captured by the church. Do you know the specifics?"
"I do."
Olivia didn't hide anything. She recounted the encounter with Robert Jack, even admitting that she was the one who had taken him down. However, she explained that it had been unavoidable, as there were church personnel watching nearby at the time.
Once Olivia finished her explanation, Fiona nodded slightly. "It seems that fellow's luck has run out. We have no choice but to abandon him."
"Abandon him?"
"Of course. We have to abandon anyone who is imprisoned by the church."
Fiona's answer was matter-of-fact.
Unless an individual possessed significant value, the Rose Legion would not risk a rescue operation for a captured member—especially not for someone like Robert, who was merely an Initiate and knew very little about the organization's inner workings. He simply wasn't worth it.
Olivia could only respond with silence.
Fiona quickly shifted the topic. "You'll be staying at the Sunlight Cathedral for the foreseeable future and won't be able to return to the monastery?"
This was the information Olivia had written on the note just now.
Olivia nodded. "That's right. It's related to the large number of transcendent organizations converging on Kaliron. The church needs more hands, so I won't be able to have much contact with Mirabelle for the time being."
The Rose Legion's previous directive had been for her to investigate the secret behind Mirabelle's genius.
Fiona tucked Politics and Society back onto the shelf. "Understandable. Then wait until you have the chance to interact with her again before investigating her secrets. By the way, have you become a Pilgrim?"
"Yes."
As Olivia answered, she felt a flicker of surprise. She didn't know how Fiona had figured it out. When had she exposed herself? Was it the magic fluctuations that leaked when she instinctively recoiled in shock earlier?
"Which transcendent path did you choose?" Fiona asked again.
Thoughts flashed rapidly through Olivia's mind before she provided the true answer: "Ascetic."
She didn't know how much the Rose Legion knew about the church. If they were already aware of the Ascetic path, lying would undoubtedly lead to a very poor outcome for her.
The Rose Legion would surely use devastating means to deal with anyone they deemed disloyal.
"Ascetic?" Fiona sounded surprised by the name. "What kind of path is that? Tell me about the Ascetic's abilities."
'Does Fiona really not know? Or is she pretending?'
Olivia couldn't find the answer on Fiona's face.
Maintaining a neutral expression, she slowly described the abilities of the Ascetic, limiting her explanation to the Pilgrim class rank.
Even if Fiona truly didn't know about the Ascetics, the other high-ranking members of the Rose Legion might. Being honest in this regard wasn't a bad thing; she couldn't afford to leave any hidden risks that might put her at a disadvantage later.
"Combat Expert, physical enhancement, endurance enhancement, body control, pain spell... interesting." Fiona became thoughtful after learning about the Ascetic's abilities.
Although most of the Ascetic's abilities at the Pilgrim rank were passive, they were highly effective, providing the user with sufficient combat power for that level. Furthermore, as a hidden class rank of the church, it was bound to be impressive in the future.
Fiona smiled. "You've done well, Olivia. It's clear the church thinks highly of you to let you walk a hidden transcendent path. Discovering this path is a significant gain for us as well. When your class rank increases in the future, remember to tell me about the subsequent Ascetic abilities."
"I understand," Olivia nodded.
They spent the next few minutes discussing other matters.
Olivia asked about the gathering of various transcendent organizations in Kaliron, but Fiona didn't know the reason behind it either.
"Perhaps the higher-ups know what's going on, or perhaps they don't. Regardless, when multiple transcendent organizations converge on Kaliron, others are bound to come once they hear about it, just to make sure they don't miss out on anything."
Hearing Fiona's assessment, Olivia's expression turned strange. Was this some kind of bandwagon effect among heretical organizations?
But weren't they worried about the danger this might bring... Well, heretics were often mad, extreme, and arrogant; they likely didn't fear danger.
Besides, the major heretical organizations hadn't arrived in full force. They had likely only sent small groups to investigate the situation. Even so, it was enough to cause endless trouble in Kaliron.
Fiona then asked about the incidents Olivia had faced within the church. Since Fiona could learn about these through other channels anyway, Olivia had no choice but to answer.
Fiona showed particular interest in the matters regarding the Paradise and the playground.
"This feels like someone is playing a grand game of chess. I recall the church hasn't officially labeled Dreamland Paradise as heretical yet, right? But I think there's a high probability that Dreamland Paradise is behind this. Perhaps the church will have to change its stance on them soon. Hmm... there's also a small chance it's another faction. But even if it's the latter, they would definitely leave traces related to Dreamland Paradise to muddy the waters."
She could feel Kaliron becoming increasingly chaotic, which was exactly what she wanted to see. What heretic wouldn't love chaos?
Fiona was very satisfied with the information she had gathered from Olivia, but Olivia's heart felt heavy.
Having to reveal everything she knew to others was a sickening feeling. An instinctive resistance grew within her, making her want to escape the Rose Legion's control even more.
Finally, she brought up a question, attempting to use it as a subtle way to push back against the Rose Legion.
Rate on N.U.
