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Chapter 367: Sigrid's Reassurance
Chapter 367: Sigrid's Reassurance
Gloria stood under the eaves, her hand resting on the deep brown lacquered door frame.
"Come in," she said, maintaining the aloofness of a senior student as she casually invited the two inside.
As soon as the door was closed, Gloria rushed over to Sigrid with a worried expression, her eyes brimming with tears as if she had missed her dearly.
This seamless change in attitude impressed Lanci, and it was no wonder, as she had been raised by Sigrid.
"Your Grace, are you alright?" Gloria asked with concern.
"Not really, but Askersan has had his fair share of troubles as well," Sigrid replied briefly. She did not hide anything from Gloria, knowing that as a fellow martial artist, Gloria would be well aware of her current state.
Gloria looked at Sigrid and Lanci with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. Even though the bishop hadn't given her the full details of where they had been for the past month, the little information she had received was overwhelming.
In the living room, Gloria invited Sigrid and Lanci to take a seat on the sofa while she stood by like an attentive attendant.
Sigrid gracefully sat down, her posture exuding her usual lazy dominance, and Lanci naturally took a seat beside her on the same sofa.
Gloria opened her mouth as if to say something, but then stopped abruptly.
Though no Cardinal Bishop's Saint or Saintess had ever been so bold as to sit side by side with their bishop, Gloria realized that as a student, she shouldn't be instructing the principal on how to act.
Subsequently, Gloria demonstrated her refined manners as an attendant by drawing the heavy, dark curtains of the living room, and when she returned, her eyes could not hide her anxiety.
"Your Grace, you've finally returned," she said, her voice filled with relief.
The spacious living room became a private space for the three of them, as the soundproof magic device blocked out the noise from the outside world, providing a quiet backdrop for the upcoming conversation.
"What's wrong?" Sigrid asked, confusion furrowing her brow. She and the Saint had indeed been away for a long time, but as far as she could tell, there didn't seem to be any major issues in the Imperial Capital.
"In the month since you left, a lot has happened in the south of Protoss," Gloria began, her face grim as she took a seat on the other sofa. "You've been charged by the Imperial Army. They suspect that you carried out a large-scale massacre in the north and cruelly killed many Imperial residents during your escape."
Gloria retrieved the information and intelligence summary she had gathered during this time from the compartment under the coffee table, including various investigation evidence and traces of the Battle of the Northern Province, which clearly showed the involvement of the Baptist Church.
There were also fragments of video crystal recordings. From these images, it was clear that the Baptist Church was destroying towns and slaughtering residents, while the Bishop of Extinction was defending and protecting the town with all her might.
"Now there is a plethora of evidence to prove that the Baptist Church went to the Northern Border Province and engaged in a series of battles in the city-state of Askersan that disregarded the safety of the residents and could be described as a massacre." Gloria added, her face pale.
Many people were aware of the grudge between the Baptist Church and the Bishop of Extinction, but it was the first time they had fought so recklessly within the Empire's city-state.
Since the Northern Border frontline was guarded by Askersan, it was clear that Sigrid had taken the initiative to go there and initiate the battle.
The Baptist branch in Protoss was in a state of chaos, with its divisions across the Empire overwhelmed.
The reputation of the Resurrection Church was already tarnished, and many imperial officials and nobles would not pass up the opportunity to denounce it if they could.
As the saying goes, when a wall falls, everyone pushes it, and once an opening is created, the enemy's enemies will rush in.
The Southern Baptist branch priests, who had finally gained some recognition, once again faced unprecedented ostracism, and there were even signs that they would be expelled. The Baptist branch priests had long since adopted a path of co-prosperity with the residents and could no longer take a hard line with them.
Having lost trust was the most detrimental blow to their development.
"Askersan..."
Sigrid flipped through the newspaper reports from the past few days, her expression turning grim.
Askersan must have contacted the Imperial Capital immediately after the battle, distorting the truth and blocking off all her escape routes. He even intended to completely erase the existence of the Baptist Church.
If she and the Saint had been successfully captured by the Bishop of Extinction in the North, Askersan's next move would likely be to send his main forces to the South to hunt down the Baptist clergy.
"There are also many members of the Extinction branch and other forces who disguised themselves as our clergy to harm the residents and cause conflict. Many places have fallen for their tricks, allowing them to continuously smear our Baptist clergy and even causing us to lose many colleagues."
Gloria's expression was bitter, and she could only say this helplessly.
Although the truth was yet to be determined and evaluated by the Empire, it didn't matter to the residents; public opinion was all they saw.
With the Extinction branch fanning the flames, the pressure was now overwhelming, like a tsunami.
Knowing that this was a war of public opinion and that the Extinction branch was orchestrating everything, the Baptist clergy, who were the target of the accusations, could do little to fight back in the absence of their leader. They could only try to prevent the situation from worsening and hope for the Bishop's return.
Gloria knew that the Bishop would not act on impulse and indiscriminately kill innocent people in the city-state, but now that things had turned out this way, even if the truth was Askersan's plot, they had no way to defend themselves.
Sigrid put down the paper, her eyes calm but filled with an unprecedented anger. The killing intent emanating from her made Gloria feel chilled to the bone.
Even though the Bishop's current aura was not as strong as hers, that thousand-refined spiritual will made her feel like a little girl in front of him.
"Rest assured, Xide, I'm here."
Lanci's gentle voice soothed Sigrid's agitated thoughts.
She looked at him in surprise, the killing intent dissipating instantly.
Lanci's expression was as calm as ever, and he nodded slightly to her, causing her to unconsciously relax.
Those steady emerald eyes gave an incredibly reliable feeling, making her believe that as long as this man was here, all troubles could be resolved.
"If Askersan thinks he has the advantage now, isn't that perfect?"
Lanci leaned back on the sofa, smiling naturally as if welcoming Askersan's challenge.
"...Are you worried that Askersan won't dare to come to the Imperial Capital for the election in a week?"
Sigrid looked at him, her eyes narrowing.
In the previous battle in the North, where all three parties had suffered losses, neither the Bishop of Extinction, Askersan, nor the man in the black robe had discovered the true identity of the Baptist Saint.
According to common sense, the Saint of the Baptist Church would have been someone kept hidden from the public not long ago, and his true social identity would not have been too conspicuous. Therefore, he shouldn't have been able to exert much influence within the Empire.
Originally, the Imperial Capital should have been an absolutely neutral ground, not favoring any of the three branches: Extinction, Baptist, or Mourner.
But there was one thing that Askersan could never have dreamed of—
This Baptist Saint was none other than the talk-of-the-town, Rocky McCarthy.
(End of Chapter)
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