Chapter 417: The Moon Goddess’s Mercy
Angelica was usually obedient and cheerful.
Truly, since she started serving Qin Chu, she had rarely been angry, always wearing a bright, infectious smile that brought joy to those around her.
But now, Angelica was furious.
The basket contained the freshest vegetables and the finest beef, carefully selected for her master, so he could enjoy his favorite meal upon his return.
And now, it was all ruined, the beef charred, scattered across the ground.
She glared at the Holy Knight leader. Did this bastard know how much time and effort she had spent selecting these ingredients?
Her soft, golden eyes were now cold and sharp.
But the leader, oblivious to her anger, continued his arrogant taunts: “See, Angelica…?”
“If you don’t surrender, my next attack won’t be so gentle.”
He was confident, believing she was simply putting up a futile resistance.
With so many men on his side, capturing her would be easy.
While her strength had surprised him, he still believed victory was within his grasp.
If not for his orders not to kill her, she would already be dead.
But if she continued to resist, he would have to disable her, perhaps cripple her legs, to prevent her escape.
He didn’t know that since her earlier experience, Angelica’s strength had been increasing rapidly, on the verge of breaking through to the Grand Mage level.
All she needed was a trigger.
And now, she had it.
Seeing her trembling, he assumed it was fear and gestured for his men to restrain her.
But then, something strange happened.
A bright light enveloped Angelica, as if the city’s moonlight was converging upon her, a hazy mist swirling around her.
Crack… crack… crack…
Strange sounds, like shattering glass, emanated from her.
And as the light around her intensified, the rest of the city seemed to plunge into darkness.
The moonlight flowed into her, transforming into pure energy.
The bottleneck that had been holding her back finally shattered.
Her body became a vortex, greedily devouring the moonlight.
A faint, beautiful figure materialized behind her, its outline shimmering.
A soft, silvery laughter echoed faintly.
With her host growing stronger, the restrictions on her were weakening. She could finally emerge.
A shockwave erupted from Angelica, sending the Holy Knights, who were approaching with chains, flying backwards, their armor shattering, their chests caving in.
Even their leader stumbled back, his mask falling away, revealing his bearded face, his eyes wide with shock and fear.
He felt an immense pressure emanating from her, his heart pounding, his throat constricting.
A Grand Mage…
That aura…
She had broken through?
He almost fainted. Had he inadvertently triggered this by destroying her basket of food?
His earlier confidence vanished, replaced by a chilling fear.
He wanted to retreat, but it was too late. They had committed to this.
Cain and Galbrain wouldn’t tolerate failure.
And if Angelica told Qin Chu… he wouldn’t be spared either.
Their only option was to capture her, to interrupt her breakthrough.
“Don’t run!” he roared, stopping his retreating men, his face contorted. “Attack! Capture her! Or we’re all dead!”
He charged, his battle qi surging, his greatsword blazing, ignoring the pressure, aiming for her waist.
But…
Clang! Screech!
As his blade was about to connect, a silver light erupted from her, and his sword struck something hard, like stone or metal.
Sparks flew, his blade vibrating, his hands numb.
His attack hadn’t even scratched her.
And it seemed to have completed her breakthrough.
Her eyes glowed silver, her eyelashes and even her emerald hair turning white, swaying in the moonlight.
She looked like a goddess descended from the moon, a vision of breathtaking beauty, yet also terrifying.
A shimmering figure materialized behind her, its arms outstretched, a silver bow forming in its hands, moonlight its arrows.
Wasn’t she a mage? Why a bow?
But they didn’t have time to ponder this.
“The Moon Goddess’s Mercy!”
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A barrage of arrows, like a rain of moonlight, fell from the sky.
Their piercing power was terrifying.
Screams echoed through the night.
Helmets, armor, swords…
They offered no protection, pierced effortlessly by the arrows, leaving gaping wounds.
Within seconds, the ground was littered with corpses.
This was the difference between a Grand Mage and a level 79 mage.
Before her breakthrough, she had barely been able to defend herself. Now, she had annihilated them.
Only the leader, the strongest among them, managed to withstand the attack, his greatsword a blur, deflecting the arrows, his body seemingly enveloped in a crimson shield.
But each impact jolted him, forcing him to retreat.
His arms were numb, but he dared not falter.
Clang! He deflected another arrow, but his sword, reaching its limit, shattered.
His face paled. He tried to retreat, but it was too late.
An arrow pierced his knee, shattering it. He screamed, collapsing to the ground.
Before he could even rise, more arrows pierced his back.
He gurgled, blood frothing from his lips, his body convulsing before falling still.
Angelica waved her hand, and the moonlight converged, forming a chain that bound the corpses together. She didn’t return to the Residence, but headed towards the Holy See, dragging the bodies behind her, leaving a long trail of blood.
These… would be useful to her master, wouldn’t they?
Chapter 418: Ransack His Home!
The noise within the Holy See intensified.
Initially, the clerics had maintained some semblance of order, but their patience was wearing thin.
They had been waiting since morning, and now, late at night, with their stomachs rumbling and their future uncertain, they were growing restless.
And some individuals, having planted agitators within the crowd, were deliberately stirring up trouble, their chants echoing outside the sanctuary.
The sanctuary doors were besieged, the crowd of clerics chanting slogans:
“We want a new Pope!”
“No outsiders!”
“Only natives of the Heavenly Continent can be Pope!”
“The Holy See’s honor must be upheld!”
“We oppose Qin Chu as Pope!”
The sound was like a roaring tide, the sanctuary itself seeming to tremble under the pressure.
Inside, Cain, Galbrain, and the others smiled smugly. This was precisely what they wanted.
Not everyone in the Holy See was intelligent. Most were easily swayed, their emotions manipulated by those planted within the crowd, their sense of local pride and religious fervor easily ignited.
Even Qin Chu, with his thick skin, wouldn’t dare claim the position of Pope in the face of such opposition.
And his continued absence only fueled their anger and resentment. The effect was even greater than they had anticipated.
Wadsworth and Saint Monique, their faces impassive, watched the scene unfold, their thoughts unreadable.
Veronica and Upton sat with their eyes closed, seemingly unconcerned about the commotion outside.
The others exchanged glances, then Cain finally stood up: “Upton, Captain Veronica, it’s late. Qin Chu still hasn’t arrived. Perhaps we should disqualify him.”
Veronica, who had been sitting quietly, as if asleep, finally opened her eyes, glancing at the time: “There’s still half an hour. What’s the rush?”
“As long as it’s still today, his arrival is valid…”
Even if he arrived tomorrow, or the day after, or even a hundred days later, it would still be valid.
As Angelica had said, in this world, strength was paramount.
Cain’s face darkened: “But we’ve been waiting here all day. While we can endure it, Her Holiness Saint Monique and His Majesty Wadsworth are busy people. You’re wasting their time…”
“Oh, I’m not busy at all. I’m free today,” Wadsworth said quickly, smiling.
Saint Monique smiled sweetly: “I’m also free today.”
Cain was momentarily speechless, then, changing tactics, he pointed towards the sanctuary doors: “Look! Listen!”
“This is the voice of the Holy See’s followers!”
“I admit, the Hero has made great contributions, but he’s not qualified to be Pope! Even if we agree, the tens of thousands of believers won’t accept it!”
“Do you really want to force him upon us? You’re leading the Church to ruin!”
“Have you considered the consequences? The Church will crumble! Is this what you want?”
Ruin? Perhaps Qin Chu’s ascension would cause some friction.
But with them in charge, the Church would truly be doomed.
“Veronica, listen to me. It’s not too late. The Pope should be chosen from among us, the natives. It’s a tradition that has lasted for thousands of years.”
“Well, there haven’t been any outsiders for the past thousand years. Even if they wanted to, they didn’t have the opportunity,” Saint Monique said, a strange glint in her eyes.
Wadsworth’s eyes widened, sensing something, but he remained silent, a strange smile playing on his lips, observing the unfolding drama.
Cain, thinking he had found an ally, was delighted: “You agree, Your Holiness?”
“Of course. And if we’re choosing from among the natives, I believe Miss Veronica is a suitable candidate.”
Saint Monique’s words stunned the others.
If Veronica became Pope, then what was the point of their scheming?
“Isn’t that natural? She’s the Captain of the Holy Knights. With Augustus dead, Loseweisse gone, and Douglas dead, she’s the highest-ranking cleric in the Holy See.”
Veronica, surprised, was about to speak when Wright interrupted: “While she is indeed the highest-ranking, she’s still young and inexperienced. I’m not sure she can handle such a responsibility.”
“So, perhaps someone more… senior? Like Upton. He’s a veteran, one of the most senior members present. He’s certainly qualified…”
Cain shook his head vehemently: “No, absolutely not! He embezzled six million mana and had an affair! Someone so… tainted can’t be Pope! It would disgrace the Church!”
“We need someone senior and virtuous!” he declared, puffing out his chest. Clearly, he was referring to himself.
Wadsworth shook his head, watching them. These nine fools, even combined, were no match for Qin Chu.
And they were now fighting amongst themselves.
Idiots.
As they argued, their faces red, Wadsworth and Saint Monique suddenly stiffened, their gazes fixed on the ceiling, as if they could see through it.
The others were puzzled.
Then, something terrifying happened.
A powerful gust of wind tore through the ceiling, sending rocks and debris flying. Moonlight streamed in, illuminating their shocked faces.
The stone, exposed to the wind, rapidly disintegrated, turning into dust.
Not just the ceiling, but even the walls began to crumble.
What was this power?
Their hearts pounded. While they could shatter stone with their strength, reducing it to dust was beyond them.
Even Saint Monique and Wadsworth couldn’t do that.
Then, a soft, white, holy light descended from the sky, drawing their gazes upwards.
They saw a figure hovering in the night sky, bathed in holy light, two massive, white wings, at least three meters long, unfurled behind him.
Like an angel, dispelling the darkness.
Was this… a miracle?
They stared, awestruck.
The divine aura made their souls tremble.
The chanting outside ceased, replaced by a stunned silence.
Some instinctively prostrated themselves, tears streaming down their faces, chanting prayers to the Goddess.
And their actions seemed to trigger a chain reaction. More and more people fell to their knees, their bodies trembling, until only a few remained standing.
A miracle. It was a miracle.
The Holy See hadn’t witnessed such a miracle in thousands of years.
Those within the sanctuary, shielding their eyes from the brilliant light, saw the figure within: Qin Chu.
Veronica and Upton breathed a sigh of relief.
He had finally arrived.
Cain and the others, however, their faces darkening, glared at him.
That bastard, Qin Chu, actually showing up like this… it was an illusion, a trick to deceive the believers, to make them think he was an angel, a divine being.
It was a rather effective display.
Even Saint Monique and Wadsworth were stunned.
Where did he get those wings? Wadsworth wondered. Such a show-off.
The wings flapped gently, and Qin Chu descended, landing softly in the sanctuary, his wings vanishing, the holy light fading.
He smiled, nodding at Saint Monique and Wadsworth.
Then, his gaze settled on Cain: “Archbishop Cain, was it? I believe I heard you mention Upton’s embezzlement of six million mana, his… impurity?”
Cain, surprised by his directness, but not backing down, nodded: “Yes.”
“Such a person should be expelled from the Church!”
He wouldn’t show weakness.
Upton’s face paled. He felt ashamed of having caused trouble for the Pope, and was about to apologize when Qin Chu waved his hand: “Veronica, my first order as Pope…”
His voice turned sharp: “Ransack his home!”
