Chapter 88: The Found Child

After hanging the exquisite pendant in the shape of a single wing around her neck and properly covering it with her collar, the Priestess sitting across from them asked the sisters about their feelings. Upon confirming that a connection had indeed been established, she finally felt relieved.

Equipment of Sacred or higher tier needs to be bound to the user. Even if temporarily taken away, it would be difficult for others to wield its original power. With this pair of 【Wings of Benevolence】, the combat ability, mainly their survival capability, of the two should be better secured.

“Alright, we’ll use this for now, and I’ll prepare other equipment for you later based on the situation. By the way, the captain of the team called 【Grim Reaper’s Scythe】 that was mentioned before has also appeared in Mingguang City, and there was a conflict with that mask… Is it definitely him? And why is only 【Soul】 here? Where are the other team members?”

Leila and Renée had seen all members of 【Grim Reaper’s Scythe】 and were aware of the unique ability of mutual reinforcement among them, so they understood what Vilyric was referring to and nodded immediately.

“There shouldn’t be any mistake. It’s just 【Soul】, and aside from his appearance and attire, he’s marked by those seven distinctive swords he carries. We don’t know where his teammates went.”

“Ha… this kid… quite bold, huh? Going alone to chase after such a bizarre thing, and how did he even know the exact location of the other party…?”

After a moment of thought, the Priestess nodded once more and stood up.

“Well then, that’s enough for today. If there’s anything, we can discuss it tomorrow. You both have worked hard; go home and rest early. I will check on Tilysha’s situation.”

“Yes, Lady Vilyric. You take care and rest as well.”

“Mhm~”

The sisters exchanged a knowing glance and stood up, quickly leaving the Priestess’s room.

After watching the two winged girls, or should I say angelic maidens, leave, Vilyric slightly turned her head as if casually glancing at the pitch-black night sky outside the curtain, then donned the 【Mask of the God Fox】 she had set aside, transforming into Lady Xī before stepping out.

Actually, this morning, before heading to the Lingyin Merchant Association, Vilyric had already assigned tasks to the four idle companions. Leila and Renée were to go investigate the possible site of the 【Throne of Immortality】 in the territory of 【Star Bear】 that the Priestess had sensed through clues.

The reason they could track the rough location was actually quite simple: some of those guys had sneaked into the sale held by the Lingyin Merchant Association last night.

Or, to be more precise, the Priestess had caught a faint whiff of a smell reminiscent of the undead.

Naturally, to even be called “faint” by Vilyric of the Divine race meant it was incredibly subtle; for an average person, standing right next to it would probably make it hard to notice. The other party must have concealed their presence using some means.

Therefore, the Priestess didn’t really know where exactly they were hiding and had no interest in hunting down these “mice in the sewers.” Just then, Leila and Renée had just completed their breakthrough and were eager to prove themselves, so she sent them to check it out.

As for why it was judged that their base was hidden in the Star Bear area, it was even simpler. That faint, foul odor had come from the crowd in the east, while the Summerfield Family’s ancient castle was divided by the West City region, with a total of eight entrances.

If coming along the main road from the Star Bear area, it was highly likely that one would sit in the eastern part of the recently established venue upon entering the castle.

While it was possible to take a longer route through other entrances, usually, no one would be that bored. After all, Vilyric was just guessing; besides, there was no punishment for guessing wrong, right?

And the remaining Tilysha and Little Dragon Daughter were dispatched to do another task.

Search for clues regarding “demons.”

As the Priestess walked along, she had subtly revealed information indicating that not only in the currently stormy eastern region of the Holy Kingdom, but also in the vast western territories centered around Mingguang City, traces of demon activity had long been spreading.

Kleisius’s solo appearance might not indicate much, but the rumors circulating in the streets of Holy Star City, along with the so-called “Demonized Girl” that the Priestess had encountered, seemed to provide a certain degree of proof to this information.

The key question was only one—who had spread the rumors about the “demon ravaging, and the corruption within the church,” and what was their objective?

Though it was just a matter of trying their luck with the thought that it wouldn’t matter if they found nothing, they surprisingly stumbled upon significant gains.

When Tilysha and the others came back, they brought back a person.

To be precise, a little girl.

“How is she?”

“Ah, Miss Xī…”

Seeing Miss White Fox gently push the door open, the blue-haired girl sitting by the bed, constantly wiping the sweat from the girl’s face with a damp towel, quickly turned her head. Meanwhile, the Little Dragon Daughter, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and an expression of impatience, perked up and approached to briefly explain the situation.

“Master, she’s dying.”

“Has it worsened this quickly…?”

Noticing the girl’s obvious deterioration compared to before, Vilyric quickly realized the problem, closed the door, and walked straight to the bedside, patting Tilysha’s shoulder.

“Let me take a look.”

“I’m sorry for causing you trouble again. It’s all my fault for being so useless; I clearly hold some power over life, yet…”

The blue-haired girl hung her head, and her inexplicable apology left Vilyric momentarily stunned. Soon, Vilyric understood Tilysha’s meaning and smiled as she took off the mask, returning to her original appearance.

Seeing the girl on the bed already completely unconscious and devoid of awareness, there was no need for pretense.

“What trouble? I didn’t take her in just because of you; the reason I’m willing to step in is simply because I see value in this girl. Now come on, let me see her quickly.”

Switching places with Tilysha, the Priestess sat at the bedside but didn’t rush to take immediate action. Instead, she lifted the girl’s bangs and began to examine her carefully.

Although Vilyric had seen the girl when they brought her back to the inn earlier, she at least had retained her consciousness at that time, and her changes hadn’t reached such an obvious state.

Otherwise, in this Holy Empire’s environment, she would have likely…

Because, this girl was undergoing demonization.

Dark purple markings had spread from her flat clothing collar up to her neck and even her face, glowing ominously with a strange light. Two short, curved horns began to extend outward from the sides of her head; undoubtedly, these were features belonging solely to demons.

However, compared to the visibly changing body, the girl’s own aura, or rather her bodily functions, were in rapid decline.

If Vilyric remembered correctly, the demonized girl they encountered on the streets of Holy Star City also displayed very unstable life signs at that time; she had been in a semi-unconscious state the whole time. Even when taken away by Kleisius and that Holy Knight Bowen, she had shown no resistance whatsoever.

Demonization… what on earth is happening?

With similar doubts, the Priestess gently placed her hand on the girl’s forehead marked with strange patterns.

   

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