CA – Chapter 110

Chapter 110

The Holy See regarded the matter of the Divine Ruins with extreme importance. Not only did they dispatch three Red-robed Archbishops, but the number of Holy Knights and priests mobilized from the Central Church was as high as a thousand. The bishops from the churches near the Gosse Church were also leading their own teams to this location.

Luxurious carriages emblazoned with the Holy See's emblem nearly filled the entire main street in front of the Gosse Church square. Holy Knights, clad in pure gold armor with golden longswords at their waists, stood guard before the carriages. Their helmets concealed their expressions, but their upright postures exuded an undeniable majesty.

When Tang Qiu and Reese came out, Vogt and Audrey had just stepped down from their carriage. The Holy Knights guarding the front automatically cleared a path. Audrey walked half a step behind Vogt as the two of them approached Tang Qiu and Reese.

Reese's gaze swept over Audrey's face. She glanced toward the carriages and asked, "Where is Archbishop Bruce?"

The individuals sent from the Central Church were Vogt and Bruce.

"Archbishop Bruce is getting old. He was afraid he couldn't complete the Pope's orders, so he feigned illness and pushed the task onto me," Audrey said, her tone flat and without fluctuation, as if she were merely commenting on the fine weather.

Tang Qiu was somewhat surprised by her overly direct statement. Standing behind Reese, she subtly raised her eyes to size up Audrey. The Holy See placed great importance on appearance when recruiting believers; anyone who entered, whether male or female, was bound to be exceptionally attractive.

Audrey was not bad-looking either. Compared to Reese, they each had their own unique charm.

Audrey's features were not as deep-set. Her brown eyes and hair of a matching shade gave her a somewhat Eastern allure. The upward tilt of her eyes held a hint of seductiveness. Even though she wore a loose Head Inquisitor's robe with a collar that nearly reached her chin, it still couldn't conceal her full and proud, shapely figure.

The ascetic and holy robe had no effect on her whatsoever.

If she were a noble of some country instead of the Head Inquisitor of the Holy See, Tang Qiu was certain that countless men would fall at her feet.

Of course, given the customs of the Statu continent, there would probably be quite a few noble young ladies falling at her feet as well.

Sometimes, being too beautiful was also a "sin." Recalling what she had experienced in Eden, Tang Qiu withdrew her gaze from Audrey and lowered her head slightly, concealing her thoughtful expression.

Audrey showed no deference to Bruce, directly exposing his feigned illness to evade the Pope's orders in front of more than a thousand priests and Holy Knights. Of the other two Red-robed Archbishops present, Reese lowered her head with a smile, while Vogt frowned, gave a dry cough, and called out a warning, "Audrey."

Audrey was completely unfazed by Vogt's warning. She turned her head to look at him and said with a smirk, "What? Is Archbishop Vogt trying to remind me that I should charge Archbishop Bruce with contempt for the Pope?"

"Speaking of which, my Inquisition has never had a Red-robed Archbishop as a guest," she added, her tone tinged with a hint of regret.

Vogt's face darkened, and he rebuked in a low voice, "Audrey, you must remember, you do not have the authority to judge a Red-robed Archbishop."

A cold glint flashed in Audrey's eyes. She let out a light scoff and said coolly, "You'd better not give me the opportunity."

The tension between the two grew thicker. Reese interrupted their conversation at the right moment, signaling for Mario at her side to lead Vogt and his party to the accommodations prepared for them.

Vogt refused Mario's offer to lead the way. He looked at Tang Qiu, who had been standing quietly behind Reese. His previously icy expression softened considerably. He lowered his voice and asked in a gentle tone, "You must be Bishop Grace?"

"I would like to understand the current situation in the Mentos Desert. Could you lead the way and chat with me?"

Tang Qiu hadn't expected Vogt to suddenly ask her to lead the way. She was startled for a moment, surprised, but she quickly composed herself. She nodded at Vogt and said with a smile, "Of course, Archbishop Vogt."

She took Mario's place, leading Vogt and his party away.

Mario watched her retreating back, frowned, and instinctively looked at Reese, asking, "Should I follow?"

Reese narrowed her eyes, slowly shook her head, and said in a low voice, "No need." Vogt had always remained neutral within the Holy See, one of the few who truly regarded the Light Goddess as their faith. Moreover, he was always strict with himself. Aside from lacking a certain sharpness, Reese saw no flaws in him.

It would be good for the blonde bishop to have more contact with people like Vogt. Reese had used unscrupulous means to climb to her current position, and consequently, she had made many enemies. She was destined to be a lone wolf in the Holy See, with no chance of mending relations with the neutral faction.

Besides, she couldn't do that.

But the blonde bishop was different. She could enter the Central Church in another way, a better way.

The simple exchange between Mario and Reese made Audrey notice something. She looked up at the distant figure of the blonde bishop and said thoughtfully, "So that's Grace?"

Reese glanced at her, her red lips curling slightly. "What about her?"

"The little priest from the Bill Church who was suspected of colluding with the Vampires?"

"You remember quite clearly."

Audrey scoffed. "Of course I remember clearly someone you personally intervened to save." She glanced at Reese and pouted. "And it cost me one of my Inquisitors."

If she hadn't been so busy, she would have come to see what kind of person this blonde bishop was long ago.

In response to Audrey's accusation, Reese just smiled faintly and said softly, "Your Inquisitor was probably dealt with by Bishop Anthony. What does that have to do with Grace?"

"Anthony's collusion with the Vampires has been confirmed."

At the mention of Bishop Anthony, Audrey's expression soured. She had sent two Inquisitors to find him, but not only did they come up empty-handed, she also lost one of them.

The crucial point was that the trail for Anthony had gone cold.

Seeing Audrey's dark face, Reese shook her head slightly. Her emerald eyes shone like gems in the sunlight. She beckoned to Audrey with a finger and said softly, "I've prepared tea."

Audrey raised an eyebrow. "An apology?"

"No, just simple hospitality."

---

Tang Qiu left after escorting Vogt and his party to their temporary residence in the Gosse Church. Vogt had invited her for afternoon tea, but she had politely declined.

When Tang Qiu returned to her small manor, Mario was waiting for her at the entrance. Seeing her approach, he said in a low voice, "Archbishop Reese and Head Inquisitor Audrey are waiting for you in the garden."

Tang Qiu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled wryly. "Waiting for me for what?"

She had thought the first thing Audrey would do was interrogate Lisa.

As Reese's most capable subordinate, Mario answered without fail. "Waiting for you for tea."

"I didn't think Archbishop Reese and Head Inquisitor Audrey's relationship was good enough for them to sit and have tea together."

Back then, Reese hadn't hesitated for a single moment when she told her to get rid of an Inquisitor.

She had thought the two of them were like fire and water.

Mario gave Tang Qiu a simple explanation. "Archbishop Reese and Head Inquisitor Audrey are on good personal terms."

Of course, given their respective positions, being on good personal terms didn't mean they were allies. Audrey had arrested many of Reese's subordinates in the past.

Although the Inquisition operated outside the power structure of the Central Church, with Audrey's pride, she wouldn't deign to become a subordinate to any Red-robed Archbishop and work for them.

She only wanted to defend the honor of the Holy See and would not let go of any Church member who might tarnish its reputation.

The relationship between Reese and Audrey was somewhat beyond Tang Qiu's expectations. She raised a hand to her chin and nodded thoughtfully. "I see."

She walked past Mario and headed directly for the garden. As she approached through the rose bushes, she could hear Reese and Audrey's laughter and conversation. If Reese hadn't ordered her to eliminate that Inquisitor back then, she would have thought their relationship was genuinely good.

Reese caught sight of the blonde bishop approaching from the corner of her eye. She stopped speaking, gestured for Tang Qiu to come over, then picked up the teapot on the table and filled the cup at the empty seat.

Audrey glanced to the side without changing her expression, her fingers gently stroking her cup, lost in thought.

Tang Qiu walked to the empty seat and sat down. Reese set the teapot aside, rested her chin on one hand, and looked at her. "What did Vogt say to you?"

Tang Qiu lifted her cup, took a sip, and said softly, "He asked about the situation in the Mentos Desert." And some things about her personally.

Although his inquiries were subtle, Tang Qiu, who had been on guard against him, still noticed.

This Red-robed Archbishop Vogt was a bit strange.

"I'm also concerned about the situation in the Mentos Desert." Audrey stared at Tang Qiu, her brown eyes deep. She smirked and said, "Bishop Grace, why don't you tell me about it as well."

Tang Qiu looked up and met Audrey's gaze. Her sky-blue eyes were clear and pure, without a hint of evasion. She took out something she had already prepared, gently pushed it in front of Audrey, and said in a soft tone, "All the information about the Mentos Desert is in here. Head Inquisitor Audrey can take her time reading it."

Audrey glanced down at the parchment pushed in front of her, casually flipped through a few pages, and let out a scoff. "You've prepared quite thoroughly."

Tang Qiu sipped her tea without speaking.

Audrey set the parchment aside, stared at Tang Qiu for a long moment, and then suddenly said, "Speaking of which, the Inquisition lost an Inquisitor last time. She ran into trouble right after leaving the Bill Church."

Tang Qiu nodded, her expression normal and tinged with a hint of regret. "I heard about that."

"I didn't find her body, but I saw the bodies of her Holy Knight and attendant priest." Audrey leaned forward slightly, her long brown hair draping over the table. "Because it hasn't been too long, their bodies were very well-preserved."

Tang Qiu smiled at Audrey but said nothing.

Reese glanced at Tang Qiu, then at Audrey, and took the initiative to ask, "And then?"

Audrey said flatly, "The wounds were from a werewolf attack."

Reese had sent Mario to confirm this, so she already knew. But in front of Audrey, she still feigned a hint of surprise. "Did Anthony also collude with werewolves?"

Tang Qiu echoed Reese's words, shaking her head slightly and sighing, "Bishop Anthony is truly bold."

Audrey: "..."

Although she couldn't be certain whether Anthony was responsible or if the two people before her were involved, Audrey's intuition made her suspect this bishop named Grace.

Her intuition had never been wrong.

"Bishop Grace," Audrey said, her expression calm and her tone slow. "The Inquisition will not let go of anyone who colludes with other races."

Tang Qiu nodded with a smile, her face gentle as she said, "Head Inquisitor Audrey, please rest assured. I am the most devout believer of the Light Goddess."

Audrey looked at her for a while longer, then coolly averted her gaze.

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