“Five minutes… one hour and twenty-five minutes? How is it almost two hours already!”
This was Idledra’s special training, counting the ticks of the clock on the wall.
If she could identify the time the hands pointed to, she could use the training to hone her Mana Perception.
However, that was not the real goal.
Her true motive was to pounce into Hailey’s arms the moment she opened the door.
Hailey was always very puzzled.
Even if she left work on time, there would always be some delay or another on the road.
How did this girl manage to fall so perfectly every single time?
Idledra didn’t say a word.
She had already practiced until she could perceive Hailey’s footsteps from outside the door, then she would creep to the stairs and fall right into Hailey’s embrace.
But now, the clock had already ticked past nearly three numbers, yet the familiar scent and familiar voice had not arrived.
“Where was Hailey?”
With a sudden slip, she fell.
“Feeling a small, red patch on her head, Idledra felt that today was truly eerie — eerie and unlucky…”
‘It’s fine. Hailey is probably just entangled with the children again, right? Or maybe she’s helping someone else because she’s too kind, and that’s why she’s late.’
‘Hailey is just too soft-hearted sometimes. To me, and to everyone else… If only she could leave a bit more of that softness for me and spend more time with me.’
‘But there’s no need to worry. Hailey knows the way home. Even if she’s a bit of a klutz with directions, she wouldn’t be so silly as to forget the path home, would she? Hahaha…’
Idledra kept muttering to herself, but her hands were already trembling slightly, and cold sweat dripped from her forehead —
“How could she possibly not worry?! “
“Who wouldn’t appear for 3 hours 17 minutes and 25.4 seconds past their expected time?!”
She suddenly stood up, wanting to walk down the steps, but a momentary sense of weightlessness made her fall back.
She was only a hair’s breadth away from tumbling straight down the stairs!
Only then did she remember that without Hailey by her side, she couldn’t rely on Hailey’s mana to regain her sight.
She was still that weak Saintess.
Without the nourishment of mana, Idledra was still in a state of blindness.
Although she could still perceive the mana signatures around her, it was still difficult to move.
“But where on earth was Hailey right now…”
***
In front of an altar somewhere in the Imperial Capital.
It had actually been abandoned for quite some time.
As the power of the Holy See gradually expanded, these small, original altars were slowly forgotten.
However, these were still buildings belonging to the Holy See, so they were preserved.
Like desolate towers, they became another kind of landmark in the Imperial Capital.
“I say, I’m a Saintess after all. Do you understand treating captives well? Let go, I can walk myself!”
The Temple Knight’s expression became awkward.
Although he wore a helmet, his speechlessness was still palpable.
After all, the person they were escorting this time was the noble Saintess.
Under Hailey’s dissatisfied gaze, the knight carefully and awkwardly untied her.
With so many people around, a little girl wouldn’t be able to escape anyway.
Priest Hydra hadn’t given any specific instructions.
For the sake of the Goddess, it was better to let the Saintess be more free, lest they be scolded by the Pope again.
He still remembered how Grand Master Maguire had returned with a frustrated face.
Even if they were the captors now, the other party was still the Saintess.
“No one will find you here, you hypocritical doll. If not for the fact that your appearance seems to have gained the favor of the Goddess, I would certainly not let you live.”
Hydra was also a bit frustrated.
Clearly, this was just a doll used as a replacement.
Why was there still residue of Holy Magic on her body?
Because of the existence of this high-level magic, he actually couldn’t execute her directly.
Unless someone of a higher rank… only His Holiness the Pope could do it, but he would not allow it.
‘I must find a way to strip that power away first!’
“What’s wrong, old man? You can’t kill me, can you? I just love seeing that look on your face where you hate me but can’t get rid of me.”
Anyway, she was going to be finished.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and stepping back would only lead to an early grave.
Today, she was going to curse this old man to her heart’s content!
Facing Hailey’s incessant provocation, although Hydra didn’t say anything on the surface, his teeth were already itching with rage.
He forced himself to stay calm and revealed a smile.
“Rest assured, I will always find a way to deal with you, you blasphemous creation. It’s only a matter of time…”
***
At this time, in the church of the Imperial Capital, Ran, the gatekeeper, finally managed to drive away all the believers.
The task ordered by Priest Hydra was truly difficult for his old bones.
After the Saintess was forcibly taken away by the Temple Knights, the entire church had turned into a mess.
It was with great difficulty that he and a few followers had calmed the people down.
The official story had changed from the initial “True and Fake Saintess” to the Saintess having a sudden illness and needing to be brought before the Pope to be personally healed.
This finally settled the people.
“If the people found out that the Saintess was to be privately executed by Priest Hydra, even if she’s a fake…”
As Ran muttered to himself, his peripheral vision suddenly caught a trembling figure curled up in a corner.
It turned out that Little Mary, who had been threatened at the beginning, hadn’t left at all!
“Saintess sister… was taken away by them…”
This little girl… surely she hadn’t heard everything he just said?
It seemed she couldn’t be left alive, even though she was just a child…
Ran’s eyes instantly became cold.
The kind and honest appearance he usually wore had already faded, replaced by a killing intent, and a majestic sense of pressure.
In this solemn church, there was only him and this little girl.
No one would notice if he quietly dealt with her.
He just needed to do it like he used to back when he was a knight.
Although children might not be sensible, they were most sensitive to the malice of others.
Little Mary hugged the doll in her arms, retreating into the corner with a terrified face.
“I’m sorry, child. This is also a last resort — “
The next second, a hand suddenly choked the gatekeeper, dragging him and slamming him against a nearby pillar.
It seemed the person intended to strangle him to death directly.
“Where… is… she? What did you do to her?”
Pink eyes had become hazy, as if wrapped in a layer of faint Black Mist.
Ran, who finally caught his breath, finally saw the newcomer clearly, his eyes full of horror.
He didn’t even need to see the other person’s face clearly.
Just the pure aura of death, and that pitch-black mana emanating from her were enough to make him feel fear from the bottom of his heart.
Those eyes, that face — he knew them all too well.
“But why would she appear here?!”
“And that vast darkness that was comparable to Holy Magic…”
“This subordinate… Ran, former Grand Master of Holy Knights, greets the Messenger of the Goddess… Saintess Idledra.”
Those eyes held only indifference and killing intent.