Terrorist Attack

The Holy Kingdom, Church headquarters.

Grand Duke Lucas, a core executive of the Goddess of Light Association which controlled the former Kingdom of Karmi—now known as the Holy Kingdom—and the publicly recognized representative of the Church, asked in a deep voice, “What does the Empire have to say?”

Count Merlin bowed his head and reported cautiously, “...They say that the coastal city where their ships can still dock, Cadiz City, which was the territory of the former Baron Roton, remains intact. They plan to use it as a stronghold to launch another counterattack.”

Grand Duke Lucas sneered. “Talk is cheap. Is transporting military forces across the sea really that easy?!”

The responsibility for the failure of this offensive lay entirely with the Empire.

If they had not greedily rushed forward to claim glory instead of advancing steadily as agreed, both sides would not have suffered such a crushing defeat.

Count Merlin hesitated, his eyes sweeping across the tightly closed door, before lowering his voice to say, “To be honest... perhaps this is actually a good thing for us?”

Grand Duke Lucas snorted, his eyes sharp as a hawk's. “Indeed. Thanks to those monsters attacking the golem-led vanguard of the Imperial army first, the forces we sent out were able to retreat safely.”

Of course, the root cause was not the arrogance of the Imperial army, but the brand-new mutated species deployed by the swarm.

There was no doubt that even if the two major powers joined forces, they would still be unable to withstand the charge of those giant mutants without a countermeasure.

Although the operation had failed, both men present, and even the Goddess Hestia, secretly rejoiced that their own forces had been preserved through the sacrifice of the Imperial army.

Grand Duke Lucas absentmindedly rubbed the ring on his knuckle, his tone tinged with curiosity. “However, I heard that when our forces were pursued and on the verge of total annihilation, they managed to retreat with almost zero casualties entirely because of her?”

Count Merlin hesitated for a fraction of a second before bowing his head to answer truthfully, “Yes. Apostle Marianne and Special Commissioner Celia assisted Marquis Lumiere, playing a vital role in ensuring everyone's safe return.”

The conversation naturally shifted to Celia and Marianne.

Rumors regarding them had already spread throughout the kingdom.

It was said that without the martial prowess and leadership of these two, the expeditionary force sent beyond the high walls would have suffered total annihilation.

The two already enjoyed immense popularity within the Holy Kingdom, and now rumors were flying everywhere. Some said Marianne had slain hundreds of monsters single-handedly, while others claimed Celia had foreseen the future to avert the crisis, causing their prestige to soar even higher.

“They are indispensable talents to us, especially the Special Commissioner. Although the reforms she pushed forward caused quite a few conflicts at first, looking back now, they were all necessary measures.”

Grand Duke Lucas also highly acknowledged Celia's abilities.

It was truly rare to find someone who, despite not receiving any blessings from the Goddess, could outshine the favored elites blessed with divine protection within the Church, standing proudly on the front lines of resistance.

“S-Something terrible has happened! An attack has occurred in the center of the capital!”

But just then, an event occurred that was enough to plunge the peaceful capital into complete chaos.

It was none other than those dissatisfied with the Church and the reforms, colluding with one another to launch a terrorist attack.

What was more, it was a deliberate attack specifically targeting Celia.

“You damn pieces of trash! How dare you do something like this!”

Inside the underground interrogation room, which reeked heavily of blood and charred flesh.

Marianne pushed aside those trying to block her and strode inside. Without a moment's hesitation, she threw a punch, smashing the face of one of the heavily battered, bound attackers like a ripe watermelon.

Looking at the blood-spattered wall, her voice was as cold as ice. “Do you have any idea what you have done?”

Seeing the horrific sight of his companion's head exploding like a rotten watermelon, the surviving attacker showed no fear. Instead, he grinned, letting out a grating sneer. “Heh, we only did the right thing, what we were supposed to do.”

A cold light flashed in Marianne's eyes as she whipped her head around.

Meeting her murderous gaze, the man still smiled savagely. “I only came for revenge! For my family, who were completely wiped out because of that witch's instigation!”

Marianne frowned. “I investigated you long ago. You're just a bastard son, yet you dare use your filthy blood...”

He violently jerked the iron chains binding his wrists, making a loud clanking sound. “Even so! The Lord Baron was still my father!”

This man claimed to be a member of the old noble family that had been wiped out by Celia's plans, roaring through gritted teeth.

Although he had escaped the purge back then due to his status as a bastard, he had always maintained close ties with the family and considered himself one of them.

“All that talk about fighting the demons outside the high walls is just an excuse! To me, you are the real demons!”

“Is that so? Then die!”

Meeting his vicious gaze, Marianne sneered. With a backhand punch, she smashed him to pieces like a watermelon.

Even as brain matter and blood splattered across her face, Marianne did not even blink.

“That's enough. If there are other masterminds or accomplices, how are we supposed to investigate if you kill them all?”

Just then, someone firmly grabbed her shoulder.

The newcomer was Gilbert, one of the five who had awakened as Apostles of the Goddess alongside her. A former knight, he possessed rugged features and a muscular build.

Perhaps because of his intervention, Marianne did not kill the remaining captives.

She averted her gaze from the remaining prisoners. “Deal with them yourselves. I'm going to check on Celia.”

Watching Marianne prepare to walk away and leave this mess behind, Gilbert sighed and couldn't help but ask, “Hey, why do you like that woman so much anyway?”

Hearing him ask why she was so obsessed with Celia, Marianne's eyes lit up. “Do you want to know?”

Looking at her blood-stained face as she wore a mischievous expression, Gilbert couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh. I shouldn't have asked. I'm just asking for trouble.