CA - Chapter 96
Chapter 96
Delphine arrived quickly. Just as Tang Qiu was attempting to coax information from the elves, before she could even get to the point, Delphine emerged from the depths of the forest.
She also had a very strong impression of Tang Qiu, remembering that the blonde priest had introduced herself as a priest from the Bill Empire's Holy See. So, to suddenly encounter her within the borders of the Gosse Empire left Delphine somewhat surprised.
The elves surrounding Tang Qiu ran to stand behind Delphine as soon as she arrived. Delphine wasn't wearing her hood; strands of light green hair cascaded smoothly over her chest, and her pointed elven ears distinguished her from a human. She looked at Tang Qiu, blinked, and asked curiously, “Priest Grace, what are you doing here?”
Tang Qiu blinked back and said with a smile, “I'm with the Gosse Church now.”
“Oh?”
Delphine watched Tang Qiu for a moment, her fingers twitching beneath her cloak.
A deep green vine suddenly appeared from nowhere and crept stealthily toward Tang Qiu's feet. It lifted the hem of her cloak slightly, exposing a corner of the bishop's robes embroidered with a unique pattern.
Delphine lowered her gaze for a glance, a flicker of surprise in her heart. Her look toward Tang Qiu gradually shifted from its initial friendliness to something more subtle.
The vine at her feet tried to slip away, but Tang Qiu raised her foot and pinned it down. She glanced down at the vine struggling beneath her boot and remarked with admiration, “What a wondrous spell.”
Only an elf could perform such magic.
Delphine's right hand emerged from her cloak, a jade-green light flickering at her fingertips. The struggling vine paused for a moment, then suddenly lengthened and began to climb a nearby tree. The vines intertwined and wove together above their heads, sprouting tender green leaves, followed by clusters of vibrant flowers.
In just a few seconds, the barren patch of woods where they stood was transformed, now teeming with blooming flowers and vibrant life.
A flash of surprise crossed Tang Qiu's eyes, followed by a slight curve of her lips. She looked at Delphine with a gentle expression and said with a smile, “The elves are surely the most magical race on the Statu Continent.”
Delphine merely offered a faint smile at Tang Qiu's praise. She gazed up at the vibrant vines, her eyes distant, and said softly, “Perhaps not for much longer.”
If the elves were to go extinct, there would be no “most magical race” left.
Tang Qiu keenly sensed that something was off with Delphine's mood. She studied her discreetly and noticed a sense of distance and coldness in her expression, making her seem like a completely different person from the gentle, friendly elf of moments before.
Tang Qiu furrowed her brow and lowered her gaze in thought. She realized Delphine's attitude had shifted right after she discovered the bishop's robes. Her hand, hanging at her side, toyed with the edge of her cloak for a moment before she looked up at Delphine and said softly, “Perhaps I should reintroduce myself.”
She gave an elegant curtsy, her long golden hair rippling with the movement. “I am now a Bishop of the Gosse Church.”
“Congratulations.” Delphine watched Tang Qiu for a moment before saying, with a meaningful tone, “Becoming a bishop is when one truly steps into the Holy See.”
A bishop could already touch the edges of the Holy See's power, but that also often meant the blonde bishop was now mired deep in the quagmire that was the Holy See.
Tang Qiu paused, then smiled faintly. “Does my becoming a bishop mean our friendship can no longer continue?”
Delphine nodded honestly. “I have no desire to build friendships with the upper echelons of the Holy See.”
When Grace was a priest, Delphine's attitude hadn't been one of rejection. But now that she was a bishop, a subtle hostility emanated from the elf.
Tang Qiu discreetly observed Delphine, unsurprised by her hostile attitude. After all, the Tree of Life, which sustained the elven race, was currently in the hands of the Holy See, and the Holy See and the elves had severed ties long ago. It was only natural for her to harbor hostility toward a bishop of the Church.
However, Tang Qiu had no intention of letting this hostility deepen. After a moment's thought, she retrieved the leaf Delphine had given her from her Space Gem. Pinching it between her fingers, she gave it a little wave and said softly, “If friendship is impossible, what about a partnership? Your Excellency, Captain of the Saint Forest Mercenary Team?”
“I can double the payment.”
Delphine, who had been about to refuse outright, narrowed her eyes at the word “double.” Behind her, an elf whispered in support of the blonde bishop, “Accept her offer! She's so generous, she must be rich.”
“She must be here to rescue her companions. Over eight hundred bottles of Holy Water of Light... If we get that, we can return to our homeland.”
“Captain...”
Tang Qiu listened to the elves' whispers, a fleeting smile in her eyes. She bent down, took out several dozen bottles of Holy Water of Light from her Space Gem, and set them on the ground. Under the elves' burning gazes, she said with a smile, “A down payment.”
The elves instinctively looked to Delphine, who was also staring down at the “down payment.” The quantity was incredibly tempting. She had to admit, the elf's comment about being able to return to their homeland with that much holy water had truly swayed her.
Delphine relented. “What kind of cooperation?”
The elves happily stepped forward to gather the Holy Water of Light. Tang Qiu glanced down; their excitement was practically overflowing. She asked curiously, “What do you need with so much Holy Water of Light?”
Holy Water of Light was a valuable item, but surely not enough to warrant such fervor from the elves?
Hearing her question, the elves immediately reined in their emotions. They shot her a few wary glances, and after stowing the Holy Water of Light, they retreated behind Delphine without another word.
Delphine was already hostile due to her status as a bishop, so Tang Qiu knew better than to tactlessly press the issue. She suppressed her curiosity, took out a letter requesting aid, and handed it to Delphine.
Delphine took it with a puzzled expression. After opening it for a glance, she said in surprise, “Are you sure it's alright to show me an internal letter from your Holy See?” It was a request for rescue.
The letter was from the Cinico Holy See in a neighboring country.
When she saw Tang Qiu shake her head, she unfolded the letter again. Her eyes scanned the lines quickly as she murmured, “The clergy from the Cinico Holy See were indeed captured. They're being held right over there; I saw it myself.” She pointed in the direction of Rose Manor.
“Are you going to help the Cinico Holy See rescue them?”
Paying such a large sum for the clergy of another branch of the Holy See... Delphine gave Tang Qiu a strange look. Could there really be someone so “righteous” in the Holy See?
Tang Qiu met Delphine's gaze and guessed what she was thinking. She shook her head with a light laugh, correcting her. “Rescuing them is incidental.”
“Then what's the main objective?”
“To drive Rose Manor out of the Gosse Empire.”
Delphine knew there were vampires in Rose Manor. She rubbed the parchment in her hand, hesitating. On one hand, she was very tempted by the eight hundred-plus bottles of Holy Water of Light. On the other, she truly didn't want to help the Holy See fight against vampires.
Seeing Delphine's hesitation, Tang Qiu lowered her gaze slightly and decided to reveal a little information about the dark elves fighting over the Elf Fruit. “I encountered some elves in Rose Manor not long ago.”
Delphine looked at her, puzzled. “Elves?” The population of her people was dwindling. Aside from those left guarding their homeland, the rest were all with her.
Unless... A thought occurred to Delphine, and her eyes flickered. Before she could voice her suspicion, the blonde bishop answered, “Dark Elves.”
The elves behind Delphine looked astonished and began to whisper among themselves. Delphine frowned slightly and asked, “Do you know where they are now?”
Tang Qiu shook her head. “At the time, they were fighting with a red-robed witch and some werewolves over something in the manor.”
As she spoke, she glanced at Delphine out of the corner of her eye and was surprised to find that the elf didn't seem shocked by the presence of a red-robed witch and werewolves at Rose Manor. Tang Qiu paused, a thought stirring within her. She suddenly asked, “I forgot to ask earlier, why are you here?”
Seeing Delphine's calm reaction, Tang Qiu had a sudden realization. Dark Elves, a red-robed witch, werewolves, and now this elf who clearly held a high status among her people—they had all gathered in the Gosse Empire.
If they were all here to seize the Elf Fruit from the vampires, Rose Manor should have been destroyed long ago without her needing to lift a finger.
It seemed these groups had gathered in the Gosse Empire for another purpose entirely. The chaotic battle that night looked more like a convenient skirmish.
Delphine blinked and said with a smile, “I was following the captured clergy. I planned to rescue them and collect a small reward.”
Tang Qiu gave her a suspicious look. “Then why didn't you act while they were on the road? It would have been much easier to rescue them then.”
Delphine: “...”
Why hadn't she acted on the road? Because, of course, the clergy weren't her real target; their paths had merely crossed by chance. In fact, she hadn't even decided if she would bother collecting this “reward.”
Delphine hadn't expected the blonde bishop to be so perceptive. She calmly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and replied, “I wanted to see if there were more clergy at their place of imprisonment.”
The reason was flimsy, and of course, Tang Qiu didn't believe it. She raised a hand to her chin and said thoughtfully, “Could it be that something has appeared in the Gosse Empire?”
Something that would attract a red-robed witch, Dark Elves, werewolves, and others to gather here.
If they were just ordinary black witches, elves, or werewolves, Tang Qiu wouldn't have given it much thought. But judging by the dark elf's powerful aura and the werewolf's formidable domain that night, their status within their respective clans could only be high.
It was the equivalent of the Holy See dispatching a Cardinal, and the missions undertaken by Cardinals were always of the utmost importance.
Delphine acted as if she hadn't heard Tang Qiu and tried to change the subject. “You said you wanted to drive out Rose Manor. I've thought it over, and I've decided to accept your offer.”
“The payment will be determined by the number of captured clergy.” Delphine paused before adding, “But it must be done within a month.”
Tang Qiu raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on her lips. “Can't let it interfere with your real business, can we?”
Delphine knew Tang Qiu was already suspicious, so she dropped the pretense. A slight smile touched her lips as she nodded graciously in admission. “That's right.”
Tang Qiu watched her for a moment, then gave a faint smile and looked away, her lowered eyes concealing a deep contemplation.
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