Chapter 257: The Truth

Aland furrowed his brows in confusion.

“But Miss Xī, based on our later examinations of the corpses we found in the forest, many of them were pierced through vital points by long, sharp objects, having their blood forcefully drained. Those wounds are almost identical to the sharp branches once exhibited by the Blood Tree…”

Instead of directly answering the question, Miss Vilyric waved her hand and shifted the conversation.

“Have the captured blood kin regained consciousness?”

The missionary briefly paused, then nodded candidly.

“They woke up, but their minds seem to be influenced by some external force. They can’t communicate normally with the interrogators, and they’re shouting and attacking anything that comes into their line of sight, even themselves.”

“Out of necessity, we had to separate them and confine them individually, tightly binding them with magical ropes to prevent self-harm.”

“Hmm ~ have you not realized anything yet?”

Miss White Fox placed her now mostly empty teacup back on the table, and Xavier quickly filled it for her again.

Aland seemed to suddenly catch on and looked dazed.

“Oh! Miss Xī means that tree is like them, being…”

“—The Lord of Killing, Slutut.”

Following the missionary’s words, Vilyric naturally spoke that name.

“That’s the mastermind colluding with the blood kin to conduct evil rituals deep in the forest, the ‘Blood Disaster’ of the St. Bergon mountain range, all orchestrated by him.”

“And that fellow’s activities are likely still proceeding steadily. It won’t be long before he shows his true colors again. Mr. Aland, you should be aware of what ‘Demon Lord’ means; it signifies an existence as powerful as a god, and every action they take brings catastrophic destruction to the mortal realm.”

Aland frowned, seemingly sensing the dire future suggested by that warning, and looked puzzled again.

“The Lord of Killing is indeed a terrifying presence, but Miss Xī, does he have any relation to our current discussion about handling that tree?”

“Of course there’s a connection.”

Miss White Fox chuckled softly, continuing to steer the conversation.

“Slutut embodies the will of Killing akin to that of a god. His goal is to bring endless bloodshed and death to this world. But he is not the only deity; there exists another god in this world who is equally powerful but stands in stark contrast to him, and that deity is deeply related to this Blood Tree.”

“You can refer to her as the Life Goddess, Xi Fu Lin.”

Finally realizing some of the other party’s intentions, Aland’s lips twitched slightly, and his expression grew oddly.

“Miss Xī, you’re not planning to evangelize to us, are you?”

The White Fox Girl shook her head and smiled.

“I don’t believe in the Life Goddess; she probably doesn’t have any religion under her wing, you can rest assured. I only say this to guide you while achieving some of my goals.”

“The power of gods can only be countered by other divine existences. I know you of the Church of the Light have your own beliefs, but right now… that probably won’t help you withstand the invasion of Killing, will it?”

Miss White Fox turned to gaze at the bright sunlight streaming in from outside, the potted plant on the windowsill gently swaying in the warm breeze, and her pure white mask seemed to reflect a faint sheen.

“Mr. Aland, while we have this opportunity, could you tell me about the core doctrines of your Church of the Light?”

“Is that about the gods? Or perhaps something more profound and elusive?”

…

“This is the mercy granted by the Primordial Light, little one; your prayers have been answered.”

Bathed in the glow of the morning light, the blood-covered Holy Knight (female) extended her hand, just a moment ago gripping the holy cross shield, toward the girl curled up on the ground.

Nearby, buildings consumed by fierce battles lay in ruins, corpses sprawled across the debris, and beneath the golden-haired girl rolled the massive head of a Blade Demon, the headless body already collapsed on the ground, lifeless.

“Who… who are you?”

Before Edwina stood a raggedly dressed girl no older than a dozen years, with a pair of delicate deer horns on her head. She nervously extended her dirty little hand, her clear eyes filled with confusion and unrest after the sudden change.

The Holy Knight (female) also planted her bloodied holy sword into the ground, gently pulling the girl up, a hint of gentle smile shining in her light golden eyes.

“Little sister, we are the Knights of the Gods, the messengers of Holy Light. The demons attacking here have been completely eliminated, so you don’t need to be afraid anymore.”

“The messenger of the gods? Did the Goddess really come to save us?”

The girl’s bewildered expression slowly transformed into joy, and she hurriedly turned around.

“Then, Sister Messenger, please ask the Goddess to grant mercy once more and let my mommy and daddy, and everyone in the village wake up, okay?!”

At her feet lay a rural couple, appearing about forty, embracing each other on the ground, their backs facing outward, but bearing horrifying wounds that nearly severed their spines.

All the blood had been drained, just like their already ethereal lives.

Edwina’s comforting smile gradually faded as she patted the girl’s frail shoulders.

When she arrived, this small village had already turned to hell under the iron hooves of Killing. If not for the couple who desperately shielded their daughter from deadly attacks and covered her before they perished, perhaps…

Seeing the Holy Knight (female) remain silent, the flickering hope in the girl’s eyes quickly dimmed again.

“Is it impossible…? I’m sorry, I said something excessive to the Goddess…”

“But… why is only I saved?”

Tears began to well in the corners of the girl’s eyes as she spoke, seemingly lost in memories,

“My mommy and daddy are very devout people. They prayed to the Goddess morning and night, and every month we would go to a faraway big city to visit the temple…”

“They always told me… Little Lin, when you pray, keep your heart free of distractions and don’t just think about asking the Goddess for candies and picture books. The grace of the gods… is to protect the people and homeland. You must be sincere, and the Goddess will listen to every believer’s wish… sob…”

As she spoke, the girl could no longer hold back the tears flowing down her face, her clear voice tinged with a cry. She tried to wipe her tears away, but the blood and dirt smudged on her palms turned her face into a mess, and her body continued to tremble.

“But… sob… but why… why did only we encounter such terrible things? Isn’t the Goddess protecting us? Were my mommy and daddy and everyone else not devout enough? Why is the Goddess treating us like this! Does she really exist?!”

“… She does exist.”

After a long silence, once again, the Holy Knight (female) spoke.

“Then… why…”

Letting out a soft sigh, Edwina touched the girl’s disheveled hair, which had come undone in the chaos, and hugged her gently, speaking softly.

“Child, the Goddess surely exists, but you must understand that the grace and protection of divine beings are not limitless. She possesses wisdom and power beyond our imagination, but she is not omniscient or omnipotent.”

“There are corners that her gaze cannot reach, which is why she personally walks the earth and mountains, traversing valleys and rivers, witnessing the birth and death of all things in the most genuine form, watching the sun rise and set…”

“Gods exist, but because they truly exist, there are things that cannot be done, rather than it being just an empty claim of omnipotence.”

“She is a compassionate divinity, but she is not an unconditionally saving master. We must seek her out, rather than ask her to bestow everything upon us. Thus came our knights and messengers.”

“So we came here, for this is the will of the Primordial Light, the path she guides us toward.”

“We are merely mortals, unable to revive the deceased, but at the very least… we can prevent the next tragedy from occurring.”

“Child ~ dry your tears. You must remember, you must discern — who the true perpetrator is.”

   

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