CA - Chapter 203
Chapter 203
On a dark and windy night, all was silent. In the not-so-spacious study, the Holy Son leaned against the desk, his arms crossed and his head bowed. Behind him, a map with yellowed edges but clear ink markings had slid off the corner of the desk and piled up on the floor.
The map was chaotically scribbled and marked with black lines, resembling the tangled, rope-like thoughts of the person who had drawn them.
The deathly still environment was broken by a flurry of hurried footsteps approaching from a distance. A knock sounded on the door, and the voice of a Holy Knight rang out from outside. "Your Highness, something isn't right."
The Holy Son lifted his head slightly, his expression shifting. "Come in and speak."
The Holy Knight pushed the door open and entered, his expression grave. "Archbishop Gabriel has disappeared, and the few bishops he trusted have also withdrawn from the vicinity under the pretext of sealing a Dark Formation."
In this manor, and even in this city, only they and a few bishops loyal to the Holy Son—but completely unaware of what was happening—remained.
"So?" The Holy Son glared sullenly at the Holy Knight. "What are you trying to say?"
"...Th-this place might not be safe." The Holy Knight knew the Holy Son had been in a foul and sensitive mood lately, so he didn't dare say much more. He answered cautiously, "The Black Witches are insidious and cunning. It would be best if we escorted you away from here. We can return to the Holy See first and report to His Holiness the Pope."
He thought mentioning the Pope would calm the Holy Son, but he hadn't expected it to hit a sore spot, causing him to fly into a rage.
The desk was violently flipped over, its contents scattering across the floor. The Holy Son's eyes bulged as he roared furiously, "I can handle a small matter like this! There's no need to go back and bother the Pope!"
"Go." The Holy Son pointed at the door, veins bulging on his forehead as he commanded through gritted teeth, "Send a message to Vogt and the others. Tell them to come find me here."
"Gabriel..." The Holy Son sneered. "I'll kill him and feed him to the dogs."
He would have been a fool not to see who was responsible for his recent predicament. Still, the Holy Son harbored doubts about Reese's betrayal.
Maybe... Reese was threatened? The Holy Son sat in his chair, his face dark. His chest heaved, and his eyes held a complex, struggling expression.
After the Holy Knight accepted his orders and departed, the Holy Son was once again alone in the room. He leaned his head back against the chair, his golden eyes slowly closing. His messy silver hair made him look utterly disheveled.
Footsteps sounded outside again, their chaotic rhythm jarring in the dead of night. The Holy Son frowned and shouted, "What's all the noise?"
A bright white light suddenly flashed outside the window. With a bang, the door was kicked open, and a Holy Knight in armor collapsed to the floor. A long black arrow was embedded in his neck, blood gushing from the wound. He struggled for a moment before falling limp.
The startling sight of blood made the Holy Son's pupils contract. He pulled out his staff, and a golden barrier enveloped him.
A dozen or so Holy Knights rushed into the room, forming a protective circle around the Holy Son with solemn expressions.
Outside, a chaotic battle had erupted. The bishops who had remained nearby rushed over with their men but were blocked by a Blood Domain. The Holy Son gripped his staff and asked with relative composure, "What's the situation outside?"
"It's a fourth-generation vampire," answered the Holy Knight closest to him. "There also seems to be a dark elf."
"...And people from the Holy See."
Although the other party was intentionally concealing themselves, the moment they drew their longswords, their identity as Holy Knights was exposed.
There were also priests hiding in the shadows using light magic... The ones confronting them were clearly people from the Holy See.
The Holy Son was stunned for a moment, his face turning ugly. "Who is it? Gabriel?"
Just as he finished speaking, a chill ran down his spine. The Holy Son instinctively tried to turn, but before he could move, he caught a glimpse of a dark shadow pressed against his back.
A golden light, bright enough to illuminate the darkness, erupted from the Holy Son's body. The necklace around his neck fell to the ground as he was sent flying by a powerful force. As the golden light flared, the dark shadow that had been pressed against him was violently ripped away.
The dark shadow was blasted away by the golden light, landing in the doorway.
A blonde woman in a black cloak had appeared in the doorway at some point. She bent down to help the dark shadow up, her nonchalant tone laced with mockery. "I told you he had protective gear, yet you still went for a sneak attack."
Lola stood up with Reese's help, bent over to cough a few times, and then pouted without saying a word.
Despite the chaos outside, the Holy Son, who knew Reese well, recognized her voice immediately. His expression changed as he pushed away the person helping him up and ran toward the door. He stopped abruptly halfway there, staring at Reese in disbelief. "You... your face... How did you end up looking so ghastly?"
His tone was filled with reprimand and blame, as if Reese had failed to protect his most precious possession.
Hearing the Holy Son's voice, Reese glanced up. She let go of Lola and touched the bracelet on her wrist, her red lips curving into a mocking smile. Her tone was cool. "What way do I look?"
"Don't you like me?" Reese touched her face. "I've only suffered a small injury, and you're already speaking to me in this tone?"
The Holy Son choked, his tone slowly softening. "I'll find an ointment to heal you." He stared at Lola, who stood behind Reese, and said sternly to Reese, "Where on earth have you been lately? And what is this you're doing now?"
"What have I been doing lately? Don't you know?" Reese walked toward the Holy Son, her expression so natural and composed that the knights blocking her path involuntarily stepped aside. She went over, bent down to pick up the map from the floor, and shook her head with a sigh. "Without me and Gabriel, you're truly useless, aren't you?"
"The Pope wasting his time on you must be the biggest regret of his life."
"Do you know why he refuses to abdicate even at this point? Because he knows if the position of Pope were handed to you, you probably wouldn't even last a single day."
Reese spoke while shaking her head and sighing. Her beaming smile, an expression the Holy Son usually loved to see, now made his face twist in anger.
"You-you shut up!" The Holy Son's long-held inferiority complex had been laid bare by Reese, and his face instantly flushed red. He roared at the knights before him, "Seize her!"
Half of the Holy Knights retreated with the Holy Son, while the other half charged at Reese, swords drawn. Reese's lips moved slightly, and a golden flame she had prepared earlier enveloped her.
A dark shadow flashed past, and the Holy Knight who had just reached Reese collapsed limply to the ground, his heart crushed.
The Holy Son was not one to remain calm in the face of danger, especially when the person opposing him was Reese, whom he had trusted wholeheartedly. He threw out instant-cast magic scrolls while roaring with resentment, "You woman! I trusted you so much, and you dare betray me!"
Reese took off her bracelet and slammed it on the ground. Golden light collided with golden light, and a dazzling flash illuminated the night, instantly reducing the manor to ruins.
The Power of Light was too overwhelming; Lola's Blood Domain was torn apart. She retreated to Reese's side. Reese glanced at her, then raised her staff to cast a barrier.
After Lola's purge, only a third of the Holy Knights around the Holy Son remained. The Knight Commander shielded the Holy Son from the impact of the colliding golden light. He spat out a mouthful of blood but forced himself to speak. "...Your Highness, we should retreat."
He knew the Holy Son had many high-level magic scrolls, but so did Reese. They were consumables, and once they were used up, they would be at a complete disadvantage. Moreover, Reese's Power of Light was far stronger than the Holy Son's, and she had a fourth-generation vampire by her side, with a dark elf possibly lurking in the shadows.
For once, the Holy Son wasn't stubborn. Hearing the Knight Commander's words, he silently took out the life-saving teleportation scroll the Pope had given him. Just as he was about to unfurl it, a long arrow condensed from dark energy approached silently under the cover of night. By the time the Knight Commander noticed, it was too late. He could only use his body to block it. The arrow pierced his chest, its momentum only slightly slowed, before continuing toward the Holy Son.
Startled by the hot blood splattering from the Knight Commander, the Holy Son stumbled. The arrow, which had been aimed at his chest, shifted upward, piercing through his shoulder and tearing off his arm.
The immense pain made the Holy Son's face turn pale, and he cried out. The teleportation scroll fell to the ground. He collapsed, curling into a ball as large drops of cold sweat poured down his face.
Hidden in the shadows, Patricia coolly lowered her longbow. Her fingers paused in mid-air for a moment as a new long arrow condensed between them.
The scent of blood wafted through the air. Lola licked her lips, her gaze scanning the area before locking onto the Holy Son.
Seeing the Holy Son's miserable state with her own eyes brought a flash of pleasure to Reese's. She smiled and said softly to Lola, "When you vampires feed, don't you inject toxins into your prey to paralyze their nerves?"
She stared at the Holy Son and said, word by word, "I want to watch him die in pain and fear."
Lola frowned. "But it won't taste good that way."
Reese glanced at her and patted the back of her neck. Perhaps because she was in a good mood, her voice held a hint of laughter. "Hurry up and go, little dog."
Lola pouted but went anyway.
When Patricia saw Lola grab the Holy Son, she dispersed the arrow that had not yet fully formed. She put away her longbow, appeared beside Reese, and said flatly, "I'm leaving."
Delphine was with Tang Qiu and Lucille. Gabriel was clearly much harder to deal with than the Holy Son, and she was a little worried.
Reese nodded at Patricia. "Alright. Lola and I will be over in a bit."
Patricia turned and left, her figure quickly disappearing from sight. Mario came in from outside and asked in a low voice, "What should we do with the people outside?"
"Kill them," Reese said flatly, rubbing the ring on her finger. "Clean up the Holy See's trash."
The Holy Son's pained and terrified screams echoed from a distance. Reese's hand paused, and the corners of her mouth lifted into a smile. She waved her hand to dismiss Mario, then walked over to where Lola was.
It was very easy for a vampire to torture someone. However, when prey was in pain and despair, their blood tasted awful. Some vampires enjoyed that flavor, but Lola truly did not.
"It tastes awful." Lola tossed aside the Holy Son's corpse, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth with a look of disgust and revulsion. "I'm going to be sick."
Reese picked up the teleportation scroll from the ground and studied it, replying perfunctorily, "Picky eater."
Lola licked her lips, her mood souring. Hearing Reese's comment, her eyes narrowed, and she grabbed Reese's wrist. "It's all your fault," she said, displeased.
Otherwise, she could have enjoyed a delicious meal. Lola lowered her head to bite Reese's wrist, mumbling, "Let me have a bite to wash the taste away."
Reese frowned, but since she was in a rare good mood, she let her bite down.
The sounds of battle outside grew fainter until they disappeared completely. Reese gestured to Mario, who had come to report, signaling for their forces to withdraw. Then she pushed Lola away, shaking her slightly sore wrist. "We should go, too," she said with a frown.
Lola licked her lips with satisfaction. Just as she was about to speak, her expression suddenly changed.
A black mist suddenly appeared at their feet, completely blocking out the already dim moonlight. An aura of darkness instantly filled the air around them.
"...A Blood Domain... Tzimisce." Lola's expression turned grave, and she stepped forward to shield Reese.
Reese touched the ring on her finger again and took her staff back in hand. "Can you sense how many fourth-generation vampires there are?"
Judging by the strength of this Blood Domain, it didn't seem to be the work of a single fourth-generation vampire.
Lola was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "Possibly three, maybe even four."
Otherwise, they wouldn't be suppressing her to the point that she couldn't even deploy her own Blood Domain.
Reese clicked her tongue, her eyes turning cold. "Gabriel certainly has his methods."
She pondered for a moment, then decisively put away her staff and took out the teleportation scroll the Holy Son hadn't had time to use.
"Let's go." Reese grabbed Lola's wrist and unfurled the scroll. A white light enveloped them, and their figures instantly vanished.
Just as the white light faded, the black mist surged in from all directions, only to find nothing. Four vampires in black robes emerged from the darkness. They looked at each other for a moment before one of them spoke. "That scroll..."
A teleportation scroll that could ignore domains hadn't been seen in a long time. The Holy See only possessed three of them, and the Pope certainly wouldn't have informed the vampires of this.
"They got away." The leading vampire thought for a moment, then said in a low voice, "The information Gabriel gave us was insufficient. We can't be blamed."
With that, he turned. "Let's head back and report."
In the wilderness, Gabriel read a book by candlelight, time passing slowly with each turn of the page. A Holy Knight hurried over from outside, subconsciously slowing his pace as he neared the tent. "Archbishop Gabriel, there's been activity at the Holy Son's manor."
"Oh?" Gabriel paused, his hand hovering over the page. He looked up. "Tell me everything."
Because of the chaotic battle outside, the knight hadn't been able to get too close to the manor, but the power of the high-level light magic had been immense, eventually reducing the entire estate to ruins.
After the knight recounted everything he had seen, Gabriel nodded, quite satisfied with the result. "That woman, Reese, truly cannot be underestimated."
Fortunately, Reese had always hated the Holy Son. If she had been devoted to him, it would have been a very tricky matter for Gabriel.
Gabriel closed his book and chuckled. "Go keep watch. Tell those Tzimisce lords to act according to the situation. Don't let a single one of them get away."
The Holy Knight nodded and turned to leave, but a second later, he stumbled back, his voice tense and trembling. "Archbishop Gabriel, outside... there are werewolves..."
Gabriel froze. He put down his book, stood up, and pushed the Holy Knight aside to step outside. He was stunned for a moment by the scene before him, then his eyes slowly narrowed.
Tang Qiu tossed aside the breathless corpse in her hand, flicking the blood from her fingers as she looked up at Gabriel. A mask covered her face, but the laughter in her voice was unmistakable. "Archbishop Gabriel, why are you hiding all the way out here? I've been looking for you for a long time."
She had deliberately lowered her voice. Gabriel found it somewhat familiar but couldn't place it. He glanced at the corpses outside the tent, mentally calculating how many guards he had left, before raising the corners of his mouth into a gentle smile. "And which elder of the Wolf Race might you be, Your Excellency?"
"The Wolf Race and the Holy See haven't had any dealings for a long time, have they?" Gabriel spread his hands. "At a time when the Black Witches are running rampant across the continent, the Wolf Race comes to kill my guards. What is the meaning of this?"
"Have you allied with the Black Witches? I never thought the ever-proud Wolf Race would stoop to conspiring with them."
Every sentence he spoke mentioned the Wolf Race and the Black Witches, implicitly suggesting that the witches were the common enemy of both the Holy See and the wolves. Hearing this, Tang Qiu couldn't help but laugh.
As Gabriel spoke, the guards patrolling nearby and the bishops resting in the vicinity heard the commotion and rushed over. However, they were blocked by an earthen wall that had suddenly appeared. The wall was so sturdy that not even the longswords of the Holy Knights could leave the slightest crack on its surface.
The earthen wall trapped them firmly in a small clearing. Delphine, holding a green longbow, jumped down from the wall. She waved at Gabriel and greeted him with a smile, "Long time no see, Archbishop Gabriel."
Although she was smiling, her eyes were ice-cold.
Seeing Delphine, Gabriel was taken aback. The relaxed expression on his face slowly vanished. He frowned and said in a deep voice, "So it was you."
"Are you surprised?" Delphine slung her longbow over her back and came to Tang Qiu's side. With a calm expression, she asked, "How much longer does the Holy See intend to occupy the Elf Race's Tree of Life?"
At the mention of the Tree of Life, Gabriel fell silent.
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