Chapter 171: Variables

When we returned to the park, the light show had completely ended, and even the temporary stage had been dismantled and taken away. The surroundings were much quieter than before, finally giving a sense of gradually stepping into the late night.

Of course, a certain Holy Knight, nervously holding a sealed drink in each hand and wandering around the park, occasionally grabbing a few passersby to urgently question about a girl with a white fox mask, seemed quite out of place in this tranquil scene.

“Excuse me! Have you seen a girl with a white fox mask? She’s about this tall, has beautiful snowy long hair, and is wearing a red-and-white dress…”

Desperately anxious, Miss Edwina was gesturing to yet another new passerby, but before she could finish, the middle-aged man, who looked to be in his forties, nodded with a strange expression and pointed behind the blonde girl.

“Yeah, isn’t she right there?”

“Okay… so you haven’t seen her… huh?!”

…

“Honestly! Where did Miss Xī suddenly disappear to? I was about to freak out!”

In a secluded resting area of the park, just having sat down, the Holy Knight began to complain with great worry.

It was clear that Edwina was genuinely anxious; despite being a legendary powerhouse, her forehead, devoid of the helmet, was already glistening with a fine sheen of anxious sweat, likely due to running around frantically searching for someone who was missing.

Considering the high likelihood of such situations arising, the Priestess had decided to abandon her pursuit and return to the park instead.

“Haha, sorry, sorry, but I’m not some helpless child who can be abducted by bad guys. There’s really no need to be this worked up…”

Miss White Fox awkwardly scratched her head, accepting the hot drink from the Holy Knight that still carried the warmth of the girl’s palm.

While listening to the other babble about how “it’s terrifying to lose you on your first day in the Holy City!” without opposing her, she punctured the straw into the sealed cup and took a few sips. Once Edwina paused to catch her breath, she reluctantly explained.

“I didn’t leave just for fun, actually…”

After some time, Vilyric didn’t hide much and told Edwina about coincidentally discovering the doll girl’s whereabouts and, feeling weird, secretly trailing her, witnessing her battle with the Blood Clan Duchess Afalyj.

However, she omitted the details about following her as SP and finding that suburban manor, as Edwina and Vilyric had different positions. If Edwina learned the specific location of the Blood Clan, she might directly resort to some action, which was not what the Priestess wanted to see at this moment.

After all, these high-level blood clan members gave Vilyric the impression that they didn’t resemble the ones who activated the “Blood of the Reverse Cross” — otherwise, their actions would be more secretive.

Sure enough, after hearing the explanation, the Holy Knight’s pouty expression gradually turned serious, and she soon supported her chin in contemplation.

“Blood Clan, and an unidentified doll girl… This title ‘Patroller,’ I’ve indeed seen it in some intelligence from my family. If they truly exist… then it must be something the Lambert Family has concocted, as they’ve always managed this city.”

“And although my Cecelia Family is also of divine descent, in terms of influence within this Angel City, we are actually far less than Lambert. As for the Blood Clan…”

Without making an immediate judgment on this topic, Edwina only looked at the White Fox for guidance.

“Miss Xī, what do you think their appearance in the Holy City could signify?”

“Why are you asking me…?”

Shaking her head helplessly, though she grumbled under her breath, Vilyric indeed wasn’t clueless about this and decided to try and exchange some intel.

“Have you heard of the ‘Blood of the Reverse Cross,’ Edwina?”

“Uh? Reverse… what?”

However, the blonde girl merely repeated those few words with a confused look, providing no effective response. Seeing her like this, the Priestess quickly understood.

“You don’t even know it? Seems well hidden, indeed…”

Or rather, if it was not a common knowledge, belonging to the Goddess’s wider doctrine but instead likely from the Blood Clan’s magic, then… why did the Saint of Bright Light, Yuna, understand it so well, even recognizing its essence at first glance?

Thus, Vilyric selectively shared some of the intelligence and judgment she had gathered with the Holy Knight girl in front of her.

“I see… So, the ‘Blood Calamity’ that appeared in the Saint Bergen Mountains was indeed the forbidden spell ‘Blood of the Reverse Cross’ you mentioned earlier, and this spell itself was constructed jointly by the Blood Clan and the demons under ‘Killing,’ is that right?”

“In essence, that’s the idea, but it’s just my personal conjecture, so don’t suddenly look like ‘Oh, so that’s the truth!’…”

“Eh heh heh, I believe Miss Xī’s judgment!”

Saying this, Edwina changed the topic.

“The Blood Clan has not been frequently active in the outside world for a very long time. Although they are opposing factions in the doctrine of the Goddess, hence heretics, typically, as long as they don’t voluntarily cause trouble, the Temple won’t trouble them either.”

“I didn’t expect a Duke-level Blood Clan to have infiltrated the Holy City, especially at such a time… We must find a way to locate them quickly.”

Seemingly burying various bits of information in her mind for now, the Holy Knight drank the last of her beverage in one go, stood up, and brushed off her skirt.

“Alright, enough of that! Since Miss Xī has made a rare visit to the Holy Capital, I’m determined to take you to explore the night market and experience the local customs and specialty snacks! Although it took some time at the light show, the night market isn’t over yet! What do you say, Miss Xī?”

Watching the blonde girl look so excited and eager, Vilyric truly didn’t want to dampen her spirits.

Moreover, Edwina’s words genuinely intrigued the Priestess.

“Then thank you for that.”

“Hehe! Not a bother at all! It’s my honor!”

…

Meanwhile, in the Holy City’s core area, beneath the “Holy Court,” in a certain place.

A girl in a tattered bodysuit, her black hair occasionally crackling with electrical faults, stepped out of the automatically opening metal door into a world that was completely different from the surface.

There sat a peculiar girl on a throne, connected to numerous cables and various instruments in the hall, silently waiting for her arrival.

The girl returning from the outside stopped in a certain spot and spoke in a cold, mechanical voice.

“Mission report: Patroller No. 0327 has returned to base, mission failed, unable to eliminate the designated invasion target. Reason determined — enemy individual combat power index exceeded, surpassing the operational limit of this unit. Information determination: [Legendary Level], Blood Clan Duchess, possesses more than three pieces of dangerous-level weaponry — request support for handling and maintenance of the unit.”

The girl on the throne opened her inorganic, seemingly hollow eyes, assessing the girl standing before her who looked almost identical to her, then slightly closed her eyes for a moment as if calculating something.

Then, she responded with the same mechanical yet emotionally vibrant voice.

“Request accepted, maintenance approved. Stand by for orders after maintenance completion.”

“Command received.”

After speaking, the doll-like girl, now tattered from battle, turned to leave, leaving behind the girl who remained seated, her hollow gaze shimmering with countless data-like lights.

“The strongest Blood Clan Prince, Lucini Constans… Has the variable increased again, Father…”

   

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