The First Pope - Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Chloe hated humanity's betrayal, but she also knew Cynthia's proposal was more beneficial for the future of the God Race. So, despite her consistently cold words, she never used her authority as clan leader to stop Darcy and the others, nor did she force them to draw a line with the humans.

The journey to their territory should have taken less than seven days, but because they were searching for potential Light Believers and knights, it was unexpectedly extended to a month.

Although their pace was a bit slow, the number of humans joining their group grew day by day.

By the time they reached the God Race's territory, the group that had started with only a few dozen people had expanded to over a thousand.

Among them, only about a hundred humans possessed the "Light Constitution"; the rest were healthy young men and women.

Although the valley where the God Race resided was remote, its environment and climate were very suitable for living. It wasn't damp or cold, and occasional sunlight would shine in. A few clear streams and some crooked but sturdy trees were the God Race children's favorite places to play.

After returning to the territory, Chloe's perpetually cold expression softened slightly. When a God Race child saw her, they happily ran over and hugged her leg.

Chloe bent down, stroked the child's head, and said in a low voice, "Go find Doris. Have her take you to the back mountain to pick some fruit to serve our guests."

The child nodded obediently, then pulled a friend along and ran off.

Guided by Darcy, Cynthia and Olivia stepped into the valley. The valley was lush with green grass and beautiful scenery. Simple wooden cabins sat by the stream, and the air, tinged with the faint scent of flowers, was as pleasant as the view.

Even Olivia was satisfied with the environment here. The coldness in her brow melted away slightly, and the corners of her lips curved into a subtle arc.

Cynthia was surveying the valley when she caught a glimpse of Olivia's slightly brightened expression. She, too, raised the corners of her mouth. "Our God Race territory isn't bad, is it?"

Her tone was like that of a host showing a guest around their domain.

Olivia glanced at Cynthia, who had been wandering outside and was also returning to the territory for the first time, and said flatly, "The God Race's territory is indeed nice."

She emphasized the words "God Race."

Cynthia rubbed her nose, pretending not to notice the cold aura emanating from Olivia. She sidled closer to her and asked with a grin, "Is the Elf Territory as beautiful as this?"

"I wonder if I'll have the chance to visit?"

Olivia looked at the arm Cynthia had placed on her shoulder, raised her own hand to push it away, and said expressionlessly, "If you keep touching me, you won't have a chance."

With that, she walked past Cynthia. Cynthia watched her back, a slight curve on her lips. She didn't take Olivia's coldness to heart and followed after her.

If Olivia were truly angry about the physical contact, she wouldn't have just pushed her away; she would have shot an arrow at her.

The God Race's wooden cabins couldn't accommodate a thousand guests, so Darcy had the humans in the group rest outside the valley. Only the God Race and the Elves entered.

In an open space by the stream, four or five wooden tables were joined together to form one large table. Cynthia, Olivia, and the others were invited to take their seats. God Race children brought out plates of fresh fruit and placed them on the table, then ran to the side to observe them secretly.

After settling the humans, Darcy walked directly to Cynthia's side and sat down. She casually picked up a piece of fruit, sniffed it, and then handed it to Cynthia. "Try it."

Cynthia took it, glanced at it, brought it to her lips, and took a bite. She smiled and said, "Not bad."

Darcy's lips curved. "Chloe has already gone to discuss our departure with the clan members. We should be able to set off tomorrow morning."

She stood up, spread a map on the table, and pointed to the location of their next destination, Hatz City. She frowned. "It will take at least half a month to get from here to Hatz City."

If it were just the God Race, they could travel at night, but that wasn't possible with the humans outside.

"Longer than that." Cynthia stood beside Darcy, looking down at the map. "We'll encounter other towns and villages controlled by the Vampires along the way."

That would definitely slow them down again. Darcy lowered her gaze to Hatz City on the map. Suddenly thinking of something, she asked, "By the way, is the ally you mentioned reliable?"

Hatz City. If she remembered correctly, the master of that city was supposed to be a pawn of the Vampires.

Cynthia thought about it seriously. "Not very reliable."

Darcy froze, looking up to meet Cynthia's eyes.

Cynthia winked at her. "Don't worry, I'll make her reliable."

Susan was a smart person. Even if she had started to hesitate again about whether to cut ties with the Vampires, she would surely make a decision once she saw them.

Of course, even if her final decision didn't align with Cynthia's wishes, she didn't care. At worst, they would just conquer the city and live there themselves.

Having spent this time together, Darcy trusted Cynthia a great deal and was also very fond of her personality. She placed a hand on Cynthia's shoulder and leaned in to joke with her.

The sight of two equally beautiful members of the God Race chatting and laughing together was a lovely one. Any passing God Race member couldn't help but smile upon seeing them.

Olivia, sitting opposite Cynthia, raised her eyes slightly. Her gaze shifted between Cynthia and Darcy before finally resting on the hand Darcy had placed on Cynthia's shoulder.

The sound of their laughter reached her ears, causing Olivia's brow to furrow unconsciously. She suddenly felt a bit irritated, and even found that hand to be somewhat of an eyesore.

Why was she letting this God Race member stir her emotions again? And such negative emotions at that.

Olivia expressionlessly withdrew her gaze and set down the water she had half-drunk. The stream water that had tasted sweet just a moment ago now held no appeal.

Still, were all God Race members so fond of putting their arms around each other's shoulders?

Polly, who was sitting next to her eating fruit, keenly sensed Olivia's unusual mood. She turned, leaned closer, and asked in a low voice, "Her Majesty the Queen, what's wrong?"

Olivia's tone was cold. "The water isn't to my taste."

Polly thought for a moment, then pushed the plate beside her over. "Then would you like to try this fruit? I think it's quite delicious," she said tentatively.

Olivia glanced at it and saw that the fruit on the plate was the same kind Darcy had just given to Cynthia. Her brow furrowed again.

The clear sky suddenly became overcast with dark clouds, and large raindrops began to fall with a patter. Polly touched a drop that landed on her face and looked at Olivia in surprise.

Olivia was also taken aback. Noticing Polly's surprised gaze, she lowered her eyes slightly to hide a trace of unease. Her fingers, resting on her lap, twitched, and the dark clouds that had suddenly appeared in the sky just as suddenly dispersed.

Darcy, who was chatting with Cynthia, let out a sound of surprise. She looked up at the sky and said, "It doesn't rain much here."

Let alone rain that comes and goes so abruptly.

Cynthia also looked up at the sky, a little puzzled, but didn't dwell on it.

The weather on the Sitatul Continent was strange to begin with.

In a small wooden cabin not far from the stream, Chloe stood by the window, gazing at Darcy and Cynthia, lost in thought. A beautiful young woman with her long hair in two braids walked in. She came to Chloe's side, looked in Cynthia's direction, and asked, "Is she the Cynthia you mentioned?"

Chloe nodded.

The young woman sized Cynthia up for a few moments and said with a smile, "It seems Darcy likes her a lot."

"Darcy strongly agrees with Cynthia's proposal to ally with the humans." Chloe turned to the young woman and said in a low voice, "Doris, do you think this God Race member can be trusted?"

Doris stared in Cynthia's direction for a while, her expression troubled. "I'm sorry, Chloe, I can't see this person's future."

She tapped her forehead, her tone dejected. "Do we really have to leave this place? I have a constant sense of unease."

This feeling of unease might have been because they were leaving the home they had lived in for so long, or it could have been something else.

Chloe was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "We must leave."

Their territory was beautiful and warm, but it was all an illusion, just like their previous one. If they didn't strive to become stronger, their home would sooner or later be destroyed by the Vampires again.

Chloe would absolutely not allow that tragedy to repeat itself.

Although leaving their home was difficult, the God Race still packed their belongings early the next morning. They took the clan's children and the humans from outside the valley and set off on the journey to Hatz City.

With the Elves accompanying them, all the Vampires they encountered along the way were dealt with in advance. Though the journey was arduous, they faced no danger. By the time they finally reached Hatz City, their group had nearly doubled in size again.

Late night. A heavy downpour.

Just as Susan was drifting off to sleep to the sound of the rain, the clamor of footsteps suddenly woke her. She opened her eyes in annoyance and shouted toward the door, "What is it?"

The knight commander carefully pushed open the door, wiped the rain from his face, and said with a grave expression, "City Lord, there's a werewolf outside."

"Huh?"

"A werewolf," the knight repeated. "From the Wolf Race, the ones whose combat strength is even greater than the Vampires."

Susan was wide awake now. She sat up in bed and asked in a deep voice, "How many werewolves? What do they want?"

"Just one." The knight commander's expression was a bit odd. "I don't know what she wants. She's just been standing on our city wall shouting for us to open the gate."

Susan: "..."

She's already on the wall, so why is she asking them to open the gate? Is the Wolf Race always this strange?

Susan threw back the covers, grabbed a thick cloak from the coat rack, and draped it over herself. She frowned. "I'll go take a look."

The downpour outside was so heavy it was hard to keep one's eyes open. Susan stood under an umbrella held by a knight, squinting at the white wolf on the city wall. Hanni was pacing back and forth on the wall. When she looked down and saw Susan, she sized her up, thinking she resembled the person Cynthia had described, and jumped down.

Seeing her jump down, the Silver Knights all drew their longswords and shielded Susan. Susan watched Hanni warily and shouted, "What is your purpose in coming to my Hatz City?"

Hanni landed in front of the knights and handed a letter she was holding in her mouth to the nearest one.

The knight looked at the white wolf's sharp fangs, hesitated for a moment, then carefully took the letter and turned to give it to Susan.

Susan glanced at the envelope. There was no name on it. She frowned and asked, "Who is this letter from?"

The white wolf bared her teeth and replied, "Cynthia."

Susan's hand, holding the letter, paused. In just a few short months, she certainly hadn't forgotten who Cynthia was.

She pulled out the letter, unfolded it, and scanned it quickly. Her expression immediately became complicated.

The knight commander beside her asked curiously, "What is it?"

Susan pressed a hand to her forehead and said through gritted teeth, "The moment this God Race member shows up, she brings me trouble."

How could her small city possibly hide several thousand God Race members plus several thousand humans?

The storm raged all night, and Susan's mood was just as foul. However, despite her displeasure, she still had the knights open the city gates early in the morning to welcome Cynthia and the others.

It was already afternoon when Cynthia arrived at the gates of Hatz City with the God Race and the humans. Olivia and the Elf guards did not enter the city, instead finding a nearby forest to make camp.

When Susan heard the knight's report that a large group of humans and God Race members was approaching, she went out to wait. Draped in her cloak, she looked at the silver-haired God Race member at the front, then at the procession behind her, her expression complex.

Cynthia walked up to Susan and stopped. With a slight curve of her lips, she gave an elegant curtsy and said in a soft voice, "It's been a while, City Lord Susan."

Susan also curtsied, gave a perfunctory smile, then leaned in and said in a low voice, "It's too audacious of you to come here so openly."

Several cities near hers were garrisoned by Vampires. With such a large group, including several thousand God Race members, Susan was certain that within three days, every Vampire in the vicinity would know.

Cynthia reached out and smoothed the upturned collar of Susan's cloak. Her golden eyes held a smile as she reassured her, "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

"But I don't have room for all of you here."

While Cynthia and Susan were talking, Darcy was already leading the God Race and humans into the city. Susan watched their backs, her brow furrowed tightly.

"We're not staying here."

Susan froze, looking up at Cynthia. She narrowed her eyes. "Oh?"

Cynthia gestured for Susan to enter the city, then began walking as she said nonchalantly, "I'd like to borrow your meeting room."

Susan stared at her back, wondering what trick she was playing, but had no choice but to follow. "As long as you're not staying here, you can take the meeting room with you for all I care."

After returning from Ochester, she had taken in many more humans to train as knights. The city was already short on housing; there truly wasn't enough space to accommodate Cynthia's group.

Susan's city lord manor was large, and so was the meeting room. The long table could seat more than a dozen people.

Cynthia had already decided on their residence before coming to Hatz City. She spread a map on the table, pointed to an area near the Slade Sea Region, and said to the God Race members present, "This entire area can be designated as our territory. Where would you like to live?"

Darcy and the others bent their heads to study the map, while Susan's eyes widened. She spoke up to remind them, "There are still Vampires over there."

She didn't know what was going on with the Vampires lately. In the past, you might not see a fourth-generation vampire for a year, but recently they had been staying in the cities almost every day.

Otherwise, Susan wouldn't have been so worried upon seeing Cynthia's group. She didn't yet know that for the current God Race, a few fourth-generation vampires were no longer a big deal.

"They won't be for long," Cynthia said breezily.

Susan blinked. Before she could speak, a God Race member sitting next to Cynthia suddenly looked at her and asked, "Which city in this area has more luxurious buildings?"

Susan looked down at the map and said, "Manden City." A third-generation vampire had once lived there for a time, so many castles were left behind.

Darcy nodded thoughtfully. "Then let's conquer that city first."

She wanted to live a little more comfortably.

Manden City.

The once-simple city was now filled with magnificent castles. Since Della's departure, it had become the territory of fourth-generation vampires. A blood-red mist floated silently in the air. Not a single figure could be seen on the wide streets, though occasionally, the figures of lavishly dressed men and women could be seen gliding past the castle windows in an elegant dance.

Unlike Hatz City's constantly closed gates, the gates of Manden City were always open, with only a few sixth-generation vampires sitting lazily on the city walls, guarding them without much care.

Some Vampires disliked intense sunlight, and as it happened, the weather in Manden City was often overcast and rainy, which the Vampires found very enjoyable. A sixth-generation vampire was sitting on the wall, resting with his eyes closed. Suddenly, as if sensing something, he opened his eyes slightly. Below the wall, a group of knights was protecting a beautiful woman as they ran toward them in a sorry state.

The Vampire tilted his head, recognizing the woman as the city lord of Hatz City. He jumped down from the wall, watched them run in, and asked with narrowed eyes, "What's the matter?"

Susan hid behind her knights, panting as she said in a panic, "The God Race! Many members of the God Race have come to my city."

"Oh?"

"They are very powerful." She clutched her chest and said fearfully, "I need to see the lord."

How powerful could the God Race be? The Vampire sneered contemptuously, turned, and gestured for her to follow. "Come on, I'll take you."

Susan smoothed her hair and glanced at the knights behind her. The few knights behind her, who were neither particularly strong nor tall, winked at her.

Susan: "..."

She hoped these few God Race members were really as powerful as Cynthia claimed.

Susan and her knights followed the Vampire into the castle. A few minutes later, a dazzling golden light suddenly erupted from within, followed by the screams of Vampires.

A pure and overwhelming Power of Light filled the castle. The fourth-generation vampires, caught completely off guard, were trapped inside. Some of the fourth-generation vampires' subordinates managed to escape the golden light and jumped onto the castle roof, trying to flee.

But their bodies were intercepted by an invisible force. Hanni had raised a werewolf domain, enveloping Manden City, and just as Cynthia had instructed, she didn't let a single vampire escape.

Killing the fourth-generation vampires within Manden City took a considerable amount of time, but cleaning up the other vampires was not as troublesome. By the time dusk began to fall, not a single vampire could be seen in the vast city.

Susan sent a knight back with a message. She herself stood on the castle's terrace, gazing in a daze at the silver-haired God Race members who had already shed their knightly attire.

These God Race members were unexpectedly powerful. When Cynthia had told her that her clan members were as strong as she was, she hadn't believed it.

She leaned against the terrace, looking down at the God Race members, a slow smile spreading across her lips. But, no matter what, this was good news.

After receiving the message delivered by Susan's knight, Darcy, who was still in Hatz City, went to Cynthia's room. When she entered, Cynthia was looking down at a piece of parchment, a pure white dove perched on her shoulder.

"What are you looking at?" Darcy walked over and relayed the news the knight had brought back. "Doris and the others have taken Manden City. We can move in."

On the way to Hatz City, Doris and the other God Race members who had stayed in the territory had also begun to practice Light Magic. However, many of them had no experience fighting Vampires, so Darcy had suggested they handle this siege.

Cynthia folded the parchment in her hand and said with a smile, "That can wait. Tell Doris and Susan to go conquer another city."

Darcy raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we say we'd take the other cities slowly?"

Cynthia waved the parchment in her hand and said with a smile, "We have new allies coming. Let's prepare a place for them as a gift."

Darcy was curious. "New allies? Who?"

"The Witches."

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