That shout instantly silenced the entire square.
Eyes that were previously mesmerized by Wendy’s beauty shifted in unison toward Astreia’s iconic figure.
News of the great victory at Sunset Fortress had clearly spread through various channels to the heart of the continent.
However, in the eyes of ordinary people, defeating several thousand Orcs was already an incredible legend.
Repelling more than 100,000?
That was simply a fantasy, a load of nonsense boasted beyond all reason.
“And the one next to you must be the infamously beautiful Prince Wendy!”
The priest apprentice pointed at Wendy.
“To think such a beauty would follow an ugly woman like you to deceive the world. Truly a seeker of hollow fame!”
The surrounding crowd began to point at Astreia and Wendy, their whispers merging into a low hum.
“More than 100,000? Is that real or fake…”
“It has to be a boast. How could it be that exaggerated?”
“I knew it. How could one person scare off an entire army? They’re just liars.”
Astreia’s brow furrowed instantly.
Within her emerald eyes, a hint of dangerous purple light surged.
“What nonsense are you spewing!”
Laxana was so angry she was about to pull out her staff on the spot.
But someone was faster than her.
A figure dashed out like a bolt of lightning.
With a dull thud, the clamoring priest apprentice was kicked to the ground.
He curled up like a shrimp, clutching his stomach.
Wendy retracted his leg and drew the short sword Astreia had given him from his waist.
The cold tip of the blade pressed directly against the apprentice’s throat.
Not a single trace of emotion could be heard in his voice.
“Apologize.”
The apprentice was stunned by the sudden turn of events, but his face soon flushed red.
He stiffened his neck and spoke provocatively, “You… you dare strike me? I am a member of the clergy…”
Wendy ignored the man’s shouting.
He could feel Astreia’s aura behind him becoming unstable.
If he let the situation continue to escalate recklessly, heaven knew what would happen.
With that thought, the Prince turned to scan the crowd filled with skeptical and scrutinizing gazes.
His voice suddenly rose, drowning out all the discussions.
“Do you even know what you are doubting?!”
“The battle reports from Sunset Fortress were verified by the Valoran military and jointly certified by the Mage Association and the Church headquarters! Doubting the authenticity of this achievement is not just questioning Her Highness Astreia alone—it is questioning the entire Kingdom of Valoran! It is a slap in the face to the Mage Association and the Church!”
Wendy tapped the blade against the apprentice’s chest, his tone chilling.
“For someone like him to openly spread rumors in the Academy and deny officially certified merits, there are only two possibilities. Either he is stupid to an irredeemable degree, or he was instructed by certain shady forces to intentionally smear a hero and unsettle the people!”
These words rang out with such force that they instantly jolted the onlookers.
They only then realized that they had almost been used as tools!
Doubting the achievements of a Heroine was a grave offense!
In an instant, the crowd’s gaze toward the group of priests became filled with a hint of disgust and wariness.
Just then, a calm and gentle female voice came from the back of the crowd.
“Prince Wendy’s words are sharp, and they make a great deal of sense.”
The crowd automatically parted to create a path.
A woman wearing the robes of a High Priestess, with a gentle and dignified temperament, slowly walked out.
She first signaled her subordinates to help the pathetic apprentice up, then turned her gaze to Wendy.
A soft smile played on the corners of her lips as she posed a question.
“Then, I must ask… do you believe in the Gods?”
‘Uh???’
Wendy was somewhat baffled by the sudden targeting from these two priests.
But when he saw the craftiness in the High Priestess’s eyes, he immediately understood that this was a trap to frame him.
If he answered that he did not believe, he would be a heretic, a sinner who blasphemed the Gods, and taking him down in public would be perfectly justified.
If he answered that he did believe, the other party could use the name of a “Divine Oracle” to make him obey her every command, holding him firmly in her grasp.
What a masterful stroke of psychological warfare.
“Do you believe in the Gods?”
the High Priestess spoke again.
Her voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone’s ears.
A pure and sweet smile hung on her thin face, as clean as a mural on a cathedral dome.
But in Wendy’s eyes, he saw how treacherous the trap behind that smile truly was.
Even the most vicious crocodile would seem like an innocent lamb compared to her.
Seeing that Wendy did not answer, the High Priestess took a step forward.
Her gaze was filled with the judgmental air unique to the clergy.
“Prince Wendy, please answer my question!”
“Do you, or do you not, believe in the Gods!”
The waves of sound were heavy with pressure.
The surrounding citizens also held their breath, all eyes focused on Wendy.
In the next second, the Prince finally moved.
He did not answer.
Instead, he rubbed his chin, revealing a very confused expression as he murmured to himself.
“To believe is to not doubt, and to doubt is to not believe. To believe or not to believe… that itself is a question…”
His intentionally profound act made the High Priestess’s brow furrow.
She instinctively felt something was wrong.
Wendy looked up, his clear eyes meeting hers as he asked in return, “Your Excellency, before I answer your question, may I first ask you one?”
“What do you want to say?”
Cathy asked warily.
“The Gods love the world, correct?”
Wendy asked.
This was a fundamental doctrine.
The High Priestess could not refute it and could only nod.
“Of course. The radiance of the Gods shines upon every living being.”
“Then… do the Gods love me?”
A hint of perfectly timed confusion appeared on Wendy’s face.
The High Priestess immediately replied, “As long as you hold piety in your heart, the Gods will surely love you.”
“Oh?”
Wendy dragged out the syllable, and then his hidden intent finally showed.
His voice suddenly became sharp.
“In other words, whether or not the Gods love me depends on whether I believe in them? So, is this selfless Divine Love, or is it a… transaction that requires me to exchange ‘faith’ for it?”
“So the Gods’ love for the world actually comes with conditions?”
“A God who would stop loving her children just because they do not believe in her… such love is far too cheap and narrow-minded!”
Boom!
These words were like a clap of thunder exploding in the crowd!
The people were instantly in an uproar!
They had never considered this issue from this perspective!
That was right; the Gods love the world, so how could there be a prerequisite?
What was the difference between that and a trade of interests between mortals?
“You… you are distorting the Doctrine! This is blasphemy!”
The High Priestess’s face turned pale instantly.
She had never expected Wendy to dismantle her question from this angle.
Wendy pressed on, giving her no room to breathe.
“I am merely seeking the truth, while you are busy labeling me.”
Wendy scanned the area, his voice spreading across the square.
“Whether I believe in the Gods is a matter between me and the Gods. Yet you, a servant of the Gods, use the name of the Gods in public to interrogate and frame a Prince of the Kingdom, a hero who has just brought a great victory to humanity.”
“I would like to ask you, who gave you the courage?!”
“Is this your own idea, or is there someone behind you who doesn’t want to see Valoran prosper, and is using the name of the Gods to suppress a hero and stir up the people?!”