CA – Chapter 67
Chapter 67
The carriage traveled for several days and nights without stopping, and Tang Qiu, Monica, and the others finally returned to the Bill Empire’s Holy See.
With Bishop Ralph having gone to the Shas Principality to rescue them, the church was missing two of its leaders. Monica had expected the Bill Church to be in chaos, but to her surprise, it was being managed in an orderly fashion.
However, after learning who was in charge, Monica’s surprise completely turned to disgust. She would rather see the church in chaos than see Reese and Cambecus in Bill.
Feeling annoyed, Monica used the excuse that she needed to recuperate and went straight back to her room, refusing all well-wishes.
Tang Qiu, not being an invalid like Monica, had no such leisure. After escorting Monica to her room, she was intercepted halfway to her own bedroom by Jennifer, who had come looking for her.
Jennifer had originally wanted to visit Monica but was stopped at the door by the guarding cleric. On her way back, she happened to see the golden-haired priest.
“Priest Grace, are you injured?” Jennifer carefully looked Tang Qiu over. Seeing that her complexion was rosy and everything seemed normal, the worry she had been carrying ever since they parted in the Gru Empire slowly eased.
Tang Qiu smiled at her and said in a relaxed tone, “Just some minor injuries.”
“How is Priest Monica?”
“She has mostly recovered.” She just looked a bit haggard, which was understandable. After all, Monica had been imprisoned for so long, lost a lot of blood, and the Power of Light within her had been suppressed the entire time.
Jennifer breathed a sigh of relief. “I was so worried about you both.”
Tang Qiu raised a hand and patted her shoulder, her voice gentle. “It was all thanks to the Light Goddess’s protection.” With that, she started to walk past Jennifer, but her arm was suddenly grabbed.
Jennifer met the golden-haired priest’s questioning gaze and looked away, feeling a little guilty. She cleared her throat and said in a low voice, “...A lot of church affairs have piled up while you were away.”
Tang Qiu was speechless.
She replied good-naturedly, “I just got back.” The journey was long and tiring; couldn’t she be allowed to rest a little?
Jennifer also felt it was inappropriate to drag the golden-haired priest off to handle church affairs immediately, but… “Those noble ladies and young misses only want to see you.”
Ever since word got out that Tang Qiu was returning, the banquet invitations sent to the church had piled up on a table. The name on them was only that of the golden-haired priest; even if they wanted to find a substitute, they couldn’t.
Before escorting the believers to the Holy See, Priest Monica had already been considering expanding the church. Now that they were at a critical juncture, the church desperately needed the support of these nobles.
Tang Qiu looked helpless. “At least let me go back and change my clothes first.”
Jennifer thought for a moment, then let go of Tang Qiu’s arm, but she followed right behind her.
Tang Qiu, who had planned to use this opportunity to slip away from Jennifer, glanced at the figure trailing her and shook her head slightly.
After returning to her room and changing her clothes, Tang Qiu had barely sat down to rest before she was dragged away by Jennifer, who had been waiting outside.
The sky outside was bright, the sun shining warmly, which was not a suitable reason for slacking off. Tang Qiu sighed helplessly and could only resign herself to her fate.
Ever since Tang Qiu took charge of the church’s diplomacy, the number of invitations sent by the nobility had increased day by day. If before they sent invitations simply because of the church’s status, now it was entirely for the golden-haired priest herself.
Thanks to the fervent adoration of the golden-haired priest within noble circles, when people in the Bill Empire mentioned the church now, the first person they thought of wasn’t Bishop Ralph, but the gentle and beautiful Priest Grace.
As for Monica… in reality, only the church and the royal family knew that she held the true power. Some nobles who weren’t very familiar with the church and the common people didn’t actually know Monica.
Jennifer’s claim that the invitations filled a table was no exaggeration; it was the reality. Tang Qiu was a little surprised herself as she looked at the overflowing table. She casually picked up a few and glanced through them. Each invitation had a long, effusive message written on it.
Tang Qiu’s expression was strange. She suddenly felt as if she were reading fan letters.
Watching Tang Qiu look through the invitations, Jennifer suddenly remembered something and said, “Actually, many gifts were sent along with the invitations, but your room couldn’t hold them all, so I’ve temporarily stored them in the storage room.”
Tang Qiu blinked, looked up at Jennifer, and said with a smile, “Thank you for your hard work.”
There were too many invitations, so Tang Qiu planned to choose one from the most distinguished person to attend. As she and Jennifer were checking the names one by one, Linda walked in carrying another stack of invitations, clearly stunned for a moment when she saw Tang Qiu.
Jennifer took the initiative to walk over and take the invitations from Linda’s arms. “Thank you for your trouble, Priest Linda.”
Linda came back to her senses and shook her head with a smile. “It’s nothing.” She then looked at Tang Qiu and said softly, “Long time no see, Priest Grace.”
Tang Qiu gave her a slight nod, her eyes gentle and affectionate, a smile playing on her lips. “You’ve worked hard during this time, Priest Linda.”
“It’s nothing.” Linda paused, then said gently, “It’s wonderful that you’ve all returned safely.”
“The journey was indeed perilous, but thankfully we had the Light Goddess’s protection.” Tang Qiu took the invitations from Jennifer, casually pulled one out, and looked down at it.
Seeing that she was busy again, Linda shrugged and tactfully said, “I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t disturb you.”
Tang Qiu looked up and nodded at her with a smile, watching her back disappear before turning her head to Jennifer. “While I was away, was Linda handling these church affairs in my place?”
Jennifer shook her head and mentioned another priest’s name.
Tang Qiu raised an eyebrow, fiddling with the invitation in her hand, and said thoughtfully, “Priest Linda seems to be in a very good mood.”
When she came in, the corners of her eyes held a hint of smugness, though she had reined it in slightly upon seeing her.
Jennifer frowned. “I heard that Archbishop Cambecus intends to transfer her to the Central Church.” Although no order had been issued, the fact that such a rumor was circulating meant there was a certain degree of credibility to it.
“Oh?” Tang Qiu smiled, glanced at the signature on the invitation, and said casually, “Then her luck is quite good.”
Jennifer’s opinion of Linda was not as favorable as before, so she didn’t want to discuss her further and proactively changed the subject. “Have you chosen one?” She looked at the unread invitations on the table.
“I have.” Tang Qiu held up the one she had been holding and said nonchalantly, “This one.” It was an invitation from a duke, a high enough rank.
After accepting the duke’s invitation, more invitations fluttered in like snowflakes, piling up ever thicker. Tang Qiu had barely had any rest before she became completely swamped with work.
Meanwhile, Monica couldn’t stand being idle after a few days of recuperation and returned to the meeting room to focus on church affairs.
However, just when she wanted to concentrate, someone always came to disturb her.
After having Jonas send away batch after batch of clerics and priests, Monica wearily raised a hand to rub her brow. “Tell them not to come again.”
She had long since had Jonas inform everyone in the church that she had fully recovered and didn’t need special visits, but some people still didn’t get the hint and came to see her.
Jonas had also been injured in the Blood Domain, and his face was still pale. He was about to nod in agreement when he caught sight of a figure standing at the door. He froze for a moment, then alerted Monica, who hadn’t noticed. “Priest Monica, Archbishop Cambecus is here.”
Monica was taken aback. She looked up, then rose to her feet with a blank expression, giving a slight bow and greeting coolly, “Archbishop Cambecus.”
Cambecus was one of the most senior Red-robed Archbishops in the Holy See. Although the Power of Light could slow aging, the marks of time were still visible on him. As a member of the church, he was undoubtedly handsome, and his short, gray-white hair made him look steady and benevolent.
He nodded at Monica and said kindly, “Please, sit down, child.” He looked Monica up and down, his gaze lingering on her face. “Truly a miracle of the Light Goddess. You and Archbishop Reese look exactly alike.”
Cambecus seemed to recall something and said gently, “You are the only twins in the Holy See.”
Monica frowned, unsure of his purpose in saying this, so she didn’t reply.
Cambecus furrowed his brow imperceptibly at her cold attitude, but his expression quickly smoothed out as he said with a smile, “Everyone in the Holy See has witnessed Reese’s qualifications and talent. So, when I heard that her sister was still just a minor priest in Bill, I was deeply saddened.”
“You shouldn’t be languishing here. The Holy See cherishes every outstanding individual.” Cambecus extended an invitation to Monica. “I believe the Light Goddess would surely wish for you to serve her in the Central Church, closest to her.”
Was he trying to transfer her to the Central Church… Monica lowered her eyes and remained silent for a moment before politely declining, “The Light Goddess treats all her believers equally. Even if I remain in the Bill Church, she can still see my devotion.”
“Thank you for the offer of promotion, Your Excellency.”
Cambecus looked at Monica silently. Seeing her resolute expression, his eyes flickered for a moment before he said cheerfully, “I believe you are a devout believer.”
After leaving the meeting room, the smile on Cambecus’s face slowly vanished, and his expression became inscrutable once more. The attendant priest beside him observed his expression and said, “This Monica is a bit arrogant.”
Cambecus glanced at him and said flatly, “She’s still a far cry from her sister.”
Having been rebuffed, the attendant priest fell silent.
After Cambecus left, Monica lost the mood to handle church affairs. She leaned back in her chair, frowning as she pondered Cambecus’s motive for inviting her to the Central Church.
Because he cherished talent? She didn’t believe it for a second.
Cambecus had sought her out, eighty percent because of Reese… At this thought, Monica’s expression turned cold. She didn’t like being dragged into their open and secret struggles.
When Tang Qiu came to find Monica, Monica was still troubled. Her expression softened slightly upon seeing her, and she took the initiative to ask, “Is there any progress on the expansion?”
Tang Qiu had come for this very reason. “Some. Although the royal family has yet to give their approval, several nobles are willing to fund the church.”
Monica was startled and a little surprised. “Really?” She knew that among the nobility of the Bill Empire, there were some old, established families whose foundations could rival those of the royal family.
And besides their deep foundations, their roots were not easily shaken. Even the King of Bill would have to think twice before moving against them.
This was truly good news. Monica’s expression brightened somewhat, and she nodded at Tang Qiu. “Thank you for your hard work.”
Tang Qiu found a place to sit down and looked at Monica, noticing her looking as if she had something heavy on her mind. She asked with concern, “Did something happen?”
Monica was silent for a moment before telling her about Cambecus’s invitation to the Central Church.
Just like Monica, after hearing the story, Tang Qiu also felt that Cambecus had other motives. After all, everyone in the Holy See knew that he and Reese did not get along.
Although Monica and Reese’s relationship was also terrible, in the eyes of outsiders, they were still bound by blood.
Whether Cambecus wanted to use Monica to threaten Reese or to deal with Reese, Tang Qiu believed that Monica would certainly not like being used.
As soon as she thought this, she heard Monica say coldly, “I refused.”
Tang Qiu glanced at her, then lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment before saying softly, “You just need to make a decision according to your own heart.”
She felt that Monica would be much more at ease staying in the Bill Church than going to the Central Church. After all, the only things separating her from Bishop Ralph were a title and a Light Baptism.
Monica nodded at Tang Qiu. She clasped her hands together, her thumbs rubbing the space between her thumb and forefinger for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Would you be willing to go to the Central Church?”
She looked up, her calm gaze meeting Tang Qiu’s, and said softly, “If you want to, I can recommend you to Archbishop Cambecus.”
“You have no connection to Reese, so you wouldn’t have to get involved in their struggles after entering the Central Church.”
The smile that was always on Tang Qiu’s lips faltered for a moment. She was somewhat tempted by the proposal. She met Monica’s gaze for a while, falling into deep thought.
In her current situation, as long as she was careful, entering the Central Church wouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Although she had no memory of the night of the full moon, knowing herself, she would have definitely taken the opportunity to test all the things she had brought from the Wolf Race.
She had already learned from Lucille that the ice-blue fruit could indeed suppress her heat.
However, her Space Gem contained not only the fruit from Jemma that could suppress her heat, but also a good amount of Silla Grass.
Although it was still unclear whether the scent of Silla Grass could have the same calming effect on her as Lucille’s, Tang Qiu believed that if it hadn’t been effective, she surely would have left herself some kind of message or reminder before her transformation wore off.
No reminder meant that these things were effective.
If both of these things worked, she felt that she should no longer be as dependent on Lucille as before.
As Tang Qiu was lost in thought, Monica watched her without disturbing her.
Jonas, returning from outside, saw Linda standing at the door and asked in confusion, “Priest Linda, why don’t you go in?”
Linda, who was eavesdropping, was flustered for a moment, but she quickly composed herself. She nodded at Jonas, then raised her hand to knock on the door. Under the gazes of Tang Qiu and Monica, she entered and said calmly, “Priest Monica, people from the Inquisition have arrived.”
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