CA - Chapter 83

Chapter 83

Reese's manor was luxurious and grand on the outside, but the interior was actually very simple, even less extravagant than her residence at the Bill Church.

Tang Qiu followed Reese into the main hall. Because there was very little furniture, the hall was spacious and empty. Only a few pots of carefully pruned wild roses added a touch of life to the space.

"What are your plans now?" Reese sat down at a table, and Mario, who was behind her, took out an envelope and placed it by her hand.

Tang Qiu leaned against the table, met Reese's gaze, and said with a smile, "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

Reese raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly. She pushed the envelope toward Tang Qiu and lifted her chin slightly, gesturing for her to open it.

Simple leather envelopes were generally used only for very important documents. Tang Qiu picked it up, opened it, and saw a piece of parchment inside.

She already had an idea of what it was, but Tang Qiu still pulled out the parchment and read it carefully. "It seems our thoughts are aligned," she said with a smile.

The appointment letter for a bishop was in her hands. All that remained was to undergo the Light Baptism Spell, and then she could set off for the Gosse Empire.

Reese picked up an exquisite teapot from the table and poured a cup of rose tea for herself and Tang Qiu. "You don't need to go to Eden. Come with me to the Central Church tomorrow to receive the Light Baptism Spell, and then you can leave."

After a thought, she added, "I've already had someone select your attendant priests and Holy Knights."

Tang Qiu paused in the middle of folding the parchment. She looked up at Reese and frowned. "I already chose my Holy Knights." A thought occurred to her, and she asked, "Is there a curly-haired girl named Karen among them?"

"That very talented female knight?" It was clear Reese had also heard some rumors about Karen. She looked up at Mario, who shook his head. "She wasn't in the selection group at the time."

Her pre-selected Holy Knights had been forced into a re-selection, and Karen had been excluded from the group. It was obvious someone was deliberately causing trouble. Tang Qiu didn't even have to think to know who was behind it. She narrowed her eyes and said softly, "I'm taking this person with me."

She was determined to find out what secret this Karen held that made Lisa so insistent on transferring her to Cambecus's side.

To offer a beauty to Cambecus? In Tang Qiu's opinion, there were countless priests in Eden more beautiful than Karen. Because of her strength as a Great Swordsman? But every Holy Knight serving a Cardinal had the strength of a Great Swordsman or higher.

Reese glanced at Tang Qiu but didn't ask for a reason. She simply gave Mario a look. Mario nodded and replied in a low voice, "I'll go handle it now."

After Mario left, Tang Qiu sat down and took a sip of the rose tea. The rich aroma filled her nose, reminding her of Eden. She frowned slightly. "...What exactly was the poison I was exposed to in Eden?"

There were many types of flowers and plants on the continent that had an aphrodisiac effect on people or animals. Tang Qiu had once read through the Church's literature and made a point to remember some of them, but she had never seen the type of vine from Eden before.

Reese caressed the rim of her cup, as if recalling an unpleasant memory. The smile on her lips vanished. She was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "It was the Elf Race's Twin Flower. The one in your room was the female flower. You were poisoned because someone placed petals from the male flower under your window."

"The Elves' reproduction is different from humans. They rely solely on the fruit of the Tree of Life to bear offspring, and the Twin Flower allows their bodies to quickly enter a state where they can accept the fruit."

Moreover, the Twin Flower was also a very important tool for increasing their chances of reproduction.

Not all fruits could produce new elves.

Tang Qiu hadn't expected this to be related to the Elf Race. She thought of the Tree of Life inside Eden and frowned. "Do you know why the Elves broke away from the Church?"

Was it really because the Church didn't intervene when other races were hunting the Elves back then?

And where did the Tree of Life hidden in Eden come from?

Unfortunately, Reese couldn't answer this question. She wasn't particularly concerned with matters outside the Church, so she had never investigated such things.

Tang Qiu stayed at Reese's manor for one night. The next morning, she went with her to the Central Church to receive the Light Baptism Spell.

The Central Church was solemn and dignified, and its guards were extremely strict. The priests and officials serving here showed no signs of laxity. Walking in from the entrance and through the vast hall, Tang Qiu didn't hear a single whisper of idle chatter.

Judging by the Central Church's strict discipline alone, one would never imagine that its interior was already rotten with corruption.

The promotion to bishop required a Cardinal to administer the Light Baptism Spell. To prevent Cambecus from finding an opportunity to interfere, Reese planned to perform it herself.

Inside the small chapel dedicated to the Light Baptism, Tang Qiu stood at the bottom of the steps, bathed in a brilliant white light as the Power of Light within her was purified once more.

After unleashing the full power of the Light Baptism Spell, Reese slowly lowered the hand holding her staff. Seeing that the aura around the blonde priest had changed, she smiled faintly and said softly, "Congratulations, Bishop Grace."

"Your bishop's staff is in the storeroom of the Gosse Church." Reese paused, her tone carrying a deeper meaning. "Whether you can get it or not will be up to you."

Although she had successfully secured the position of Bishop of Gosse for Tang Qiu, the Gosse Church had, after all, been Cambecus's territory, and it was still filled with his people.

Tang Qiu understood Reese's hint. She looked down at her own palm, then looked up at Reese with a smile. "I certainly won't disappoint Cardinal Reese's expectations."

She had long anticipated that taking control of the Gosse Church would not be easy.

Perhaps Cambecus had truly decided to behave himself, as he didn't even show up to cause trouble while Reese and Tang Qiu were at the Central Church.

There was nothing else to do after receiving the Light Baptism Spell. Normally, a newly appointed bishop could stay at the Central Church for a few days, but Tang Qiu had no desire to do so. She left with Reese, planning to depart for the Gosse Empire as soon as possible.

As Reese led Tang Qiu through the hall, about to leave, they ran into another Cardinal, Vogt. Vogt was also one of the most senior cardinals in the Church, but he was steady and reserved. Ever since the Pope had gone into seclusion, he too had begun to keep a low profile.

He never participated in the "war" between Reese and Cambecus.

Reese had no fondness for anyone in the Church. Facing Vogt, she merely paused her steps, gave an indifferent nod, and left with the blonde priest.

The attendant priest beside Vogt frowned at Reese's arrogance. He subconsciously glanced at Vogt, only to find him still staring in the direction they had left, lost in thought.

He called out in confusion, "Archbishop Vogt?"

Vogt came back to his senses slightly. The attendant priest thought he had been looking at Reese, but in reality, he had been looking at the blonde priest behind her. He seemed to be lost in a memory as he frowned and asked in a low voice, "...Who is that priest behind her?"

The priest was taken aback. He looked closely and said with some uncertainty, "She seems to be the attendant priest Cardinal Reese selected from the Bill Church. She was promoted to bishop and appointed to the Gosse Church." Even though Vogt chose to protect himself by staying out of conflicts, he still had people investigating the things he needed to know.

Otherwise, he would have lost his position long ago.

"The Gosse Church..." Vogt frowned. "Do you know her name?"

The priest thought hard. "I think it's Grace?"

Vogt's eyes flashed, and he asked thoughtfully, "Grace Augustine?"

"No, Grace Barton."

Vogt wore a profound expression as he watched the blonde priest's gradually disappearing figure, his eyes narrowing slightly. He didn't snap out of it until his attendant priest called his name twice more.

The blonde priest's figure was no longer in sight. He slowly withdrew his gaze and turned to continue walking into the Central Church.

After Tang Qiu and Reese returned to the manor, Tang Qiu, wanting to depart as soon as possible, went to help Mario take inventory of the retinue that would be accompanying her to the Gosse Church.

After the blonde priest left, Reese sat alone in the deserted hall for a while. The teapot in front of her had gone cold, but she couldn't muster the energy to brew a new one.

She recalled how back at the Bill Church, even while enduring Monica's cold glares, she still had the heart to brew new tea.

A flash of self-mockery appeared in Reese's eyes. She sighed silently and was about to get up to take a walk in the garden.

A priest hurried in, bowed his head, and said, "Cardinal Reese, His Highness the Holy Son has arrived."

Reese frowned, a flicker of displeasure on her face. She was silent for a moment before saying coldly, "I know. You may leave."

After entering the manor, the Holy Son happened to pass by the garden. Seeing that the sunlight was pleasant, he decided to sit on a bench there. His short silver hair shimmered under the sun.

Seeing Reese approaching from a distance, he gestured for the priest standing beside him to cut two roses.

Reese sat down opposite the Holy Son, the coldness on her face now concealed. She curved her red lips into a light smile and asked, "Isn't Your Highness going to Eden for seclusion?"

Eden had a special place prepared for the Holy Son and Holy Daughter to enter seclusion. The Pope's intention to pass on his position was already very clear, so the Holy Son had been working hard to increase his Power of Light in recent years.

The priest placed the cut roses on the table. The Holy Son glanced at them and pushed a cup toward Reese. "I leave tomorrow."

Reese glanced at the cup, picked up a rose from the table, and carelessly plucked its petals, dropping them into the cup. Then she took the teapot offered by the priest, filled the cup, and pushed it back to the Holy Son.

The Holy Son took a sip and then stated the purpose of his visit. "I heard your sister's injuries have healed?"

Reese's hand, which was plucking petals, paused. She asked nonchalantly, "Who told you?"

"Cambecus."

Reese lowered her eyes, hiding the cold glint within them, and said flatly, "She has a scar on her face."

The Holy Son frowned. "I heard it's not that serious." He looked up at Reese and said, "Transfer her to the Central Church. I want to see."

The person opposite him remained silent. The Holy Son grew displeased. "Reese?"

Reese picked up her cup and took a sip of water. The still-scalding tea slid down her throat, allowing her to regain her composure. She nodded and said in a low voice, "I understand."

The corners of the Holy Son's mouth curved up slightly in a satisfied smile. "When I come out of Eden, I hope to see her at the Central Church."

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