CA - Chapter 171

Chapter 171

It was already completely dark when Audrey came out of Tang Qiu's room. As soon as the door opened, she saw Liz standing outside, frowned, and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Liz had moved away from the door after hearing no movement from inside the room. She detected the displeasure in Audrey's tone, her heart tensing slightly. She lowered her head and said, "Archbishop Reese is waiting for you."

Audrey looked at her for a moment before saying flatly, "I know."

She walked past Liz, who let out an imperceptible sigh of relief and turned to follow behind Audrey.

Audrey's steps paused. She turned her head to the side and ordered, "You don't need to follow me. Leave."

Liz nodded. "Yes."

The footsteps faded into the distance. Liz looked up at Audrey's departing back, her eyes darting around before she turned and left in the opposite direction.

After leaving the residence where Tang Qiu was being held, Audrey went straight to the reception room. Finding it empty didn't surprise her much, so she turned and went back to her own bedroom.

The Holy Knights guarding near the bedroom heard footsteps. They turned to look at her, then glanced toward the bedroom, seeming hesitant to speak. Audrey raised a hand, signaling for them to withdraw, then pushed open the door, which wasn't shut tightly.

Unlike her glamorous appearance, Audrey's life was very simple. The decorations in her room were as plain as could be; aside from a bed and a bookshelf, there was only a single table by the window.

But now, the spacious and monotonous room was filled with pots of vibrant, blooming roses. A tea set was placed on the tidy table, and the teapot, currently being heated, bubbled and steamed. The fragrance of roses permeated the air.

Audrey leaned against the doorframe, a strange look in her eyes as she watched the person who had usurped her nest. She let out an exasperated laugh. "What are you doing?"

Reese, who was leisurely trimming flower stems, looked up at Audrey. In a rather good mood, she replied, "Your room is too dull. I brought you some flowers to decorate it."

"I carefully selected all of these from the garden. What do you think?"

She stroked a rose petal, looking at Audrey with a smile as she awaited her answer.

Audrey looked at the no-longer-tidy room and felt a headache coming on. "Remember to take them all with you when you leave." She walked into the room, closing the door behind her.

Waves of rich fragrance drifted through the room. Audrey went to the window and opened it wide. The night wind poured in, dispersing the scent, which finally allowed her brow to relax a little.

The host expressed her displeasure through her actions, and the guest tactfully put down her scissors. She walked to the table, adding fresh petals to the teapot while casually asking Audrey, who was standing nearby, "In a bad mood?"

Audrey shot her a glance and sneered sarcastically, "You see I'm in a bad mood and you're still not leaving? Be careful I don't take it out on you."

Her obviously annoyed tone left Reese feeling a bit baffled. She placed the brewed tea by Audrey's hand, then looked up to observe Audrey's expression. "Did Grace say something to you?" she asked thoughtfully.

Audrey snorted coldly. Instead of answering, she questioned Reese's purpose for coming. "What are you really here for?"

Originally, she had wanted to come and sound Audrey out to see if she could get Tang Qiu released. But seeing Audrey so infuriated, Reese was no longer in a hurry to probe.

It seemed the blonde bishop hadn't come out on the losing end.

With a better sense of the situation, Reese reverted to her nonchalant demeanor. She picked up a rose, lowered her head to smell it, and said with a smile, "Didn't I just say? I brought you some flowers."

"If you don't like them, I'll have someone move them."

Reese had no intention of provoking the ill-tempered Audrey. She put the rose down and was about to turn and leave when Audrey suddenly spoke. "Grace is colluding with the werewolves. I won't let her out until she confesses her crimes."

Of course, if the blonde bishop did confess, whether or not she would be released would depend on the severity of her crimes.

Reese's steps faltered, and her brow furrowed slightly. Audrey's voice came from behind her again. "That woman has too many secrets. She is not fit to remain in the Holy See."

So far, she had only found a thread of a connection between the blonde bishop and the werewolves. But Audrey knew that Tang Qiu was not only colluding with werewolves, but also had ambiguous relationships with the Vampires, Black Witches, and even the Elves. It was just that Audrey hadn't found any proof yet.

"By the Inquisition's standards, there are many people unfit to remain in the Holy See, not just her." Reese turned around, a hint of pity in her eyes as she looked at Audrey. "Knowing that the Holy See is rotten to the core, yet always being unable to find the hidden darkness—isn't it painful?"

Audrey's expression changed. She stared at Reese with a dark gaze and said, word by word, "Then you tell me where the real darkness is."

Was she in pain? She wasn't.

Audrey only felt powerless and angry. The Inquisition was always on the periphery of power.

The Inquisition seemed to be feared by the members of the Holy See, but that was only on the surface, or rather, it only applied to the lower and middle ranks. In reality, whenever she targeted high-ranking officials, she was met with layers of resistance that made it impossible for her to act.

Forget being a sharp blade; the Inquisition was now a dagger with a dulled edge.

Reese's lips curled into a light smile. "The Inquisition is a very safe place. If you don't touch this darkness, the position will still be yours after the next Pope takes power."

Audrey frowned, displeased. "Are you mocking me?"

Reese knew Audrey's personality well; her previous words were just a casual remark. She looked at Audrey with a grin and, before she could fly into a rage, readily answered her question. "Eden. The origin point of the darkness."

Eden... Audrey frowned. The most special thing about that place was that it was where the Holy Son and Holy Daughter went into seclusion. Secondly, it was used to train priests.

Seeing the Holy See beset by troubles both internal and external was what Reese most wanted to see, so she didn't hesitate to give Audrey a hint on how to intervene. "Remember Lisa? There are many priests like her in Eden. It's just a matter of whether you can find the clues."

Priests like Lisa? Audrey narrowed her eyes, her gaze deepening. "I understand," she said in a low voice.

---

Late at night, a troop of armored knights cloaked in darkness set out from Edry, heading for the Gosse Empire under the moonlight.

Because of Edry's small territory and its consistently strict defenses, the Black Witches had not found an opportunity to set up their formations there. When darkness fell, Edry had experienced a period of chaos due to monsters pouring in from neighboring countries.

However, Edry's army had been personally trained by Lucille. Anna and several ministers issued orders overnight, and the knights worked tirelessly for nearly ten days, finally clearing out all the monsters that had entered Edry.

Although Edry had no established church, it possessed several elite knightly orders. After sealing the city gates, Edry's crisis was resolved, but everyone knew this was only temporary.

The journey from Edry to the Gosse Empire could be completed overnight. The Gosse Empire was vast and a primary target for the Black Witches' "special attention." Even with the help of the Elves, the knights guarding the empire's borders dared not let down their guard.

The bodies of the monsters were piled almost as high as a mountain. Jennifer, leading a few priests, stood several paces from the corpses and raised her staff. A flame of light fell upon the bodies, incinerating them to ash.

Karen stood nearby, cradling her longsword and guarding the safety of Jennifer and the others.

A Holy Knight hurried over and said to Karen, "Knight Commander, there's a group of people outside who want to enter the city."

Karen asked, "Who are they?"

"They say they're from Edry." The Holy Knight paused, his expression a little strange. "They claim to be Bishop Grace's knightly order."

"And, I don't know if it's my imagination, but the dark aura around them seems very strong."

Karen was taken aback for a moment. She lowered her sword and said, "Take me to them."

Who were these people, trying to steal the job of the Holy Knights?

At the city gate entrance, Anna, dressed in a sharp and dashing knight's uniform, sat restlessly on her horse, swinging her feet. Her sharp eyes spotted Karen approaching from a distance. She whispered to the person beside her, who was completely concealed by a black cloak with only a single lock of red hair visible, "Why isn't it Grace?"

The person beside her didn't speak, but the aura around them was no longer as gentle as before.

Karen looked at Anna's group, a flash of vigilance on her face. Her longsword was already unsheathed. With just a brief glance, she had already identified several Vampires concealing their auras.

Anna paid no mind to Karen's hostility. She jumped down from her horse and introduced herself with a beaming smile, "My name is Anna, from Edry. I'm a knight greatly favored by Bishop Grace."

Karen: "..." What nonsense.

"Who are you really?" Karen raised her longsword and asked in a deep voice.

A dark red riding crop pressed against Anna's shoulder, signaling her to step back. The crop's owner urged her horse forward and asked in a cool voice, "Is Grace not in the Gosse Empire?"

The familiar voice made Karen pause. She slowly lowered her longsword, looked at the speaker, and let out a small sigh of relief. "Ah, so it's Your Excellency Lucille."

"Bishop Grace returned to the Central Church some time ago."

Lucille frowned, tapping the riding crop against her palm. "I see," she said in a low voice.

She glanced at the dark clouds in the distance. "We'll guard this place. You can take your people and withdraw."

As she spoke, she made a gesture to those behind her. The Gangrel Vampires who had come with Lucille from the Blood Domain dismounted and vanished into the city in a flash.

The remaining knights gathered behind Anna.

The city behind them was situated right next to a Dark Formation, making it particularly difficult for Karen and her group to defend. Hearing that Lucille was willing to take over, Karen's expression relaxed. She nodded and said, "I'll take my people and leave right away."

After she finished speaking, she turned to leave. Anna trotted a few steps to catch up and whispered to her, "Can you deliver a letter to Grace at the Central Church for us?"

Karen thought for a moment. Instead of answering right away, she asked doubtfully, "What kind of letter?"

"Just a normal letter. Tell her Marshal Lucille misses her and wants her to come back soon."

Karen: "..."

Behind them, Lucille, who had been speaking with Lola, paused. She lightly tapped Anna on the head with her riding crop and called out in a warning tone, "Anna, don't talk nonsense."

Anna shrank her neck and quietly quickened her pace for a few steps, moving out of Lucille's striking range.

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