Chapter 633
However, at the entrance, most of those gathered were not the nobles who had received help or the orphans who had risen to prominence after being rescued; rather, they were a number of extraordinary individuals who sensed something amiss.
The nobles were not as quick to react as the extraordinary ones.
Yet the crowd blocking the entrance made Xia Er feel somewhat awkward.
She had originally intended to enter discreetly and confront the Pope directly, but now even getting through the door seemed to be a problem.
Perhaps she should call Eleanor...
As Xia Er pondered whether to find Eleanor at the nearby Archbishop's residence and have her lead the way into the Church of the Savior Goddess, Tara, standing beside her, seemed to sense Xia Er's distress.
“Lord Xia Er, are we going in?” Tara asked softly, her head slightly bowed.
“I’m considering whether to have Archbishop Eleanor take us in,” Xia Er nodded. “But given the scale of this incident, she’s probably already inside the Church.”
“No need to trouble the saviors,” Tara turned her head slightly, glancing at Percie behind them.
Percie and Tara exchanged a knowing look, both seemingly understanding what the other intended to do.
Percie stepped forward, her fourth-tier aura unmistakable. Meanwhile, Tara discreetly raised her hand, the black chains in her grasp shimmering slightly. The white shadow beneath her transformed into a pure black silhouette, almost forming a carpet of shadows.
All present were extraordinary beings, and they quickly sensed the terrifying aura, retreating to the sides. No one dared to step on that black shadow.
“Who?”
“This is... fourth-tier!”
“What’s happening?”
At that moment, Percie slowly pulled up her hood and revealed the necklace hanging from her neck, letting it glimmer in the light.
“It’s a fourth-tier from the Tribunal!”
“Quick, bow your heads, don’t look at her...”
“I’ll report back next time...”
The crowd instantly parted, creating a wider path, and Percie turned to Xia Er, slightly bowing her head. “Lord Xia Er, let’s go in.”
Thus, Xia Er moved forward, with Percie and Tara following closely behind, walking directly into the Church in front of all the onlookers and clergy without raising a single question.
It wasn’t until they entered the Church that Xia Er shook her head with a smile.
She was all too familiar with this scene; previously, she had enjoyed disguising the Tribunal members as “Avengers” and “Judges.” This identity was simply too useful.
It seemed that Xia Er wasn’t the only one who thought so; the members of the Holy Ascendancy also found this identity quite handy. Tara had previously liked to impersonate Tribunal members, but Percie appeared even more adept at it, even coordinating with Tara.
However, this was the Church, and the aura they had created at the entrance quickly attracted the attention of some high-ranking church officials—an unreservedly released fourth-tier aura was enough to catch the attention of any extraordinary being.
In the high-level conference hall, nearly all the senior members of the Church of the Savior Goddess were gathered. Except for a gravely ill cardinal, all archbishops and higher-ranking officials were present, and even bishops did not have the privilege to attend.
“Have we confirmed it? Expand the search area...”
“Don’t make the search too conspicuous; we don’t want to raise suspicions from other churches.”
“If it’s confirmed that the ‘Uniqueness’ isn’t in the hands of the Church of the Savior Goddess, the consequences will be severe! So many eyes are watching us!”
“Silence.”
At that moment, the once high-ranking archbishops and cardinals were flushed with anger, arguing about something.
The “Uniqueness” belonging to the Church of the Savior Goddess had descended, but after their initial investigation, they found no trace of it among the internal clergy.
Whether the Church of the Savior Goddess could obtain this “Uniqueness” would greatly influence its future development.
This “Uniqueness” might not appear, but if it did and wasn’t in the hands of the Church of the Savior Goddess, not only would other churches react, but there would likely be significant divisions within the Church itself, potentially leading to widespread defections among its members.
From their arguments, it was clear that the Church of the Savior Goddess had largely lost its faith in the Goddess, almost certain that the “Uniqueness” had indeed descended, and their discussions revolved entirely around it.
“Tsk...”
This situation stirred a sense of disgust and aversion deep within Eleanor, who had been listening quietly.
Her sound seemed to draw the ire of others; the blonde cardinal Madeline, sitting next to the Pope, glanced at Eleanor and slowly spoke, “Archbishop Eleanor seems to have a better idea.”
With Madeline’s words, the previously noisy conference hall gradually quieted down, and everyone turned their gaze toward Eleanor.
“Feel free to share your thoughts, be honest,” Madeline narrowed her eyes, looking at Eleanor.
“I don’t think there’s a need for a search,” Eleanor’s hoarse voice emerged from beneath her mask. She slowly raised her head, scanning the room before continuing, “If it’s a divine gift, the Goddess will bestow it upon the most faithful. We just need to pray sincerely...”
Eleanor’s words caused several faces in the room to change. Though they didn’t dare to say it outright, their mocking expressions confirmed their thoughts.
“If prayer worked, you wouldn’t be in this state,” Madeline retorted, looking at Eleanor with a smirk. “Or is your faith not pure enough, Archbishop Eleanor?”
Madeline’s words elicited a round of “good-natured” laughter in the conference hall. They seemed to think discussing faith in such a critical matter was somewhat inappropriate.
Listening to the laughter, Eleanor felt increasingly disillusioned with the Church of the Savior Goddess. If even the high-ranking officials had abandoned their faith, what could be expected of the common people?
Perhaps the only ones still holding onto their faith in the Goddess were those truly helped by the Church of the Savior Goddess—the poor and the afflicted.
Under the influence of the potion, Eleanor’s anger was gradually ignited by the mockery. She let out a cold laugh and said, “Heh... in terms of purity, the Holy Ascendancy is even more pure. Perhaps the Goddess’s gift is with them...”
The mention of the Holy Ascendancy seemed to strike a nerve with some present, even causing Madeline’s expression to shift. She stood up, looking at Eleanor, and said, “Archbishop Eleanor, you need to take responsibility for your foolish words!”
No one dared to imagine the implications of the “Uniqueness” being in the hands of the Holy Ascendancy; it would undermine the legitimacy of the Church of the Savior Goddess significantly.
And their self-proclaimed “orthodoxy” would likely be called into question.
“Ha... I’m merely suggesting a possibility...” The words made those who had been mocking her jump in outrage, as if Eleanor felt a weight lift from her chest. She slowly stood up and said, “It seems an uninvited guest has arrived; I must go see...”
“You all can stay here and discuss at your leisure...”
Tara and Percie had indeed approached Eleanor as Xia Er had instructed, seeking her support, but Eleanor had not made a clear statement about facilitating the Church’s integration.
At the very least, in terms of faith, Eleanor did acknowledge the Holy Ascendancy; it was indeed pure enough, and mad enough.
However, Eleanor did not fully agree with the Holy Ascendancy’s theory that “Sadana” was the true Mother Goddess.
“Oh?” Just as Eleanor stood up, preparing to leave, she sensed something and looked curiously toward the entrance. “Looks like I don’t need to go after all...”
What were Tara and Percie doing here? And who else was...
“Who is it?” Madeline, also a fourth-tier, turned her gaze toward the entrance, her brow furrowing slightly.
She too sensed the approach of an unfamiliar fourth-tier. Madeline slowly moved closer to the Pope, ready to protect him at any moment.
At that moment, the tightly sealed door, made of special extraordinary materials, was penetrated by a shadow, and the seemingly indestructible door was crushed by an overwhelming force.
As the shadowy door gradually dissipated, a red-haired girl walked in calmly, surveying the surroundings before nodding in satisfaction and murmuring, “Looks like everyone’s here...”
“Tara...?”
The elderly Pope adjusted his glasses perched on his nose, seemingly in disbelief as he looked at the figure dressed in a maid outfit.
The Holy Ascendancy had split from the Church of the Savior Goddess, and many inside were former acquaintances. Clearly, Madeline also recognized a familiar face.
“Percie?!” Madeline nearly screamed. “It’s the Holy Ascendancy!!!”
Table of Contents
