After the incident concluded, Luo Wei and the other two continued their journey toward the town.
The commotion had already alerted the people in the city, and the city lord hurriedly led a group of guards to welcome Evelyn.
"Is that you, Miss Evelyn?"
"Why didn’t you inform me of your arrival? I assumed you’d come by the main road, not from that direction..."
The city lord was a human, a representative of a branch family under the Abraham household. In fact, many of the Abraham family’s external affairs, including dealings with council members, were handled by humans.
The city lord quickly escorted the three into the city and personally arranged the finest guest rooms for them—none other than the chambers within the lord’s estate.
Once everything was settled, Evelyn dismissed the overly eager city lord and turned a serious gaze toward Luo Wei in the room.
"Something about that earlier incident feels... off."
"You felt it too?" Luo Wei set down his luggage and met her worried emerald-green eyes.
"Mmm..." Evelyn pulled open the curtains. In the distance, the group of knights had long since dispersed.
"For Bishop Lawrence, a representative of the Church, to attend my father’s birthday banquet was already unusual. But I think the man himself is even more suspicious."
Evelyn’s expression grew doubtful. "His dynamic with that priestess, Feilin... it was just too strange."
Luo Wei frowned. She was right.
Helena blinked her large, azure eyes, her gaze darting between their faces.
Luo Wei smiled and posed a sudden question to her. "Clever little Helena, did you notice anything?"
"I did!" Helena nodded obediently. "Bishop Lawrence acted all timid, while Feilin seemed more like his superior!"
"Exactly!" Evelyn’s vague unease was put into words by Helena.
Though Helena’s interpretation was bolder, it wasn’t impossible.
"Smart girl. You’ll get a reward today!" Luo Wei gently patted her head with a soft smile.
Helena beamed, relishing her brother’s affection.
It felt so good to be helpful!
But aside from the peculiar dynamic between those two, Luo Wei had another, even bigger concern.
"Feilin’s divine magic... there’s something wrong with it."
"Wrong?" Evelyn was even more surprised. "What do you mean?"
Luo Wei wasn’t sure how to explain. "That divine magic... was just too divine."
Evelyn gave him a helpless look. "Is this some new kind of joke? Or a tongue-twister?"
"No, no..." Luo Wei frowned. "Why did the Church fall? Why was it replaced by secular regimes? Of course, it’s partly due to centuries of human struggle to break free from its shackles. But a crucial reason was that divine magic, like sorcery, became tainted."
He met her gaze solemnly. "If mages were cursed, how could the Church’s clergy, also wielders of the supernatural, be exempt?"
"The power of divine magic weakened. People could no longer hear the guidance of the God of Light. In my opinion, He was either slain or replaced by a malevolent deity. Some high-ranking bishops, once mighty in divine magic, even heard terrifying voices and went mad."
"But the power I sensed from Feilin was completely different—it was true divine grace. A gaze so gentle and compassionate, filled with love and goodwill for humanity. That is the true Creator the Church was meant to worship..."
"To say that..." Evelyn sucked in a breath, feeling the mystery deepen.
...
On the other side of the city, within the cathedral of the Holy Edict Church, Lawrence dismissed the knight captain and the nuns.
Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting a glow over the sorrowful smile of the divine statue. The cathedral was as solemn and sacred as ever.
"What was that earlier? Were you trying to expose yourself?"
Lawrence glared at Feilin with reproach.
But Feilin remained absorbed in prayer, seemingly uninterested in responding.
Lawrence’s irritation flared. "If something like this happens again—if I’m dragged into it—then perhaps this trip to Thornflower Castle should be canceled!"
"Do you even know how the Empire treats spies? And with your identity? The Church would never let me off easily! My career is already at its end. Can’t you just let me retire in peace and enjoy my wealth?"
Feilin slowly opened her eyes and let out a soft laugh.
"Don’t act so innocent. If not for your own greed, why would we have chosen you?"
Lawrence stiffened, his expression darkening further.
Feilin ceased her mockery and adopted a soothing tone.
"I know what you want. The Holy Light Church will not forget your efforts. One day, the Holy Maiden will rule Weignar, spreading her radiant light into every dark corner of this continent."
"And when that day comes, as a contributor, you will become the Archbishop of the Weignar Diocese, commanding the faith of all its people. Perhaps... you might even rise to become a Cardinal of the Holy Light Church, a candidate for the next Pope."
"Let’s not go that far..." Lawrence chuckled dryly. He knew all too well what had happened to the last Pope.
Though the Holy Light Church claimed the Pope had reached the end of his natural lifespan and returned to the embrace of the divine... anyone with half a brain knew the truth. It was undoubtedly the doing of that all-powerful Holy Maiden.
He still wanted to live a few more years, so the title of Pope? No, thank you.
Becoming the Archbishop of the Weignar Empire was already the highest ambition he dared entertain.
Feilin smiled knowingly at him. Lawrence, fully aware of her control over him, could only sigh in resignation.
"Still, no matter what, I hope what happened earlier won’t be repeated."
A bishop of Weignar’s Holy Edict Church, subverted by their greatest enemy, the Holy Light Church? If this were exposed, he’d be finished.
But Feilin’s next words caught him completely off guard.
"I understand. But that divine magic earlier... it wasn’t my doing."
"What?" Lawrence’s eyes widened.
"Indeed." Feilin was equally puzzled.
The reason the Holy Light Church had grown increasingly dominant, even resembling the glory of the Church a thousand years ago, was simple.
Under the Holy Maiden’s reforms, all clergy now needed only to add her name after the usual prayers for divine blessings when casting divine magic.
The Holy Maiden was the Chosen One, the Child of God—invoking her name was only natural. But today, when she cast divine magic on that man, Luo Wei, she couldn’t stop herself. This had never happened before, so she immediately concluded that he possessed an affinity for divine magic, favored by the gods themselves.
But now, as she prayed again, things grew increasingly strange...
Because after closing her eyes, that faint and hazy holy light seemed to be murmuring a name over and over.
Luo Wei.
Luo Wei, Luo Wei, Luo Wei, Luo Wei, Luo Wei, Luo Wei...
Feilin wondered if she had gone mad, perhaps like those corrupted archbishops from the past.
Yet she knew she was perfectly sane—her heart even felt warm under the divine gaze...
Moreover, divine miracles never erred now!
She had been fortunate enough to witness the Saintess perform a miracle—God had truly returned His grace to these lost lambs!
So perhaps this was divine revelation.
Feilin thought that, during the journey ahead, she ought to pay close attention to Luo Wei, the one favored by the divine.
Should she try to recruit him as well?