Inside the Council Hall of the Temple of Light, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost suffocating.
Several white-haired elders sat upright in the hall, their expressions darker than the next. The Temple Knights on both sides all hung their heads and held their breath, not daring to even exhale loudly.
Beyond the thick oak doors of the Council Hall, faint whispers could be heard from the end of the corridor.
A few young nuns who dared not approach were staring at the tightly shut door from afar, exchanging uneasy glances.
They hadn’t seen the council of elders summon the Saintess with such fanfare in many years.
As footsteps drew near, Seraphina pushed the door open, holding Yisela’s hand.
Sylvanas followed behind, her posture tall and straight.
Her gaze swept across the hall, pausing for a moment on the face of the elven elder accompanying them. That elder lowered his head slightly, avoiding the Queen’s gaze.
The moment the three stepped into the hall, all eyes instantly focused on them.
The leading First Elder slammed the table first, his aged voice carrying immense pressure, pointing directly at Seraphina.
“Lady Saintess, you’re finally here! The crack in the holy mountain barrier continues to widen, and border monsters have slaughtered three villages. When exactly do you plan to solve this?”
Seraphina’s expression remained calm, and she pulled Yisela slightly behind her with a backward hand.
The movement was small, but everyone present saw it.
She spoke calmly.
“I will personally go to the Holy Mountain to repair the barrier, and I will immediately send troops to suppress the border monsters. I have already arranged everything. There is no need for the elders to be impatient.”
“Not impatient?”
Second Elder stood up as if he had a plan.
“Lady Saintess, the Holy Light Kingdom hasn’t been peaceful lately. It must be that someone has angered the gods, bringing this disaster.”
“We have served the God of holy light diligently all these years, and the Holy Light Kingdom was always peaceful! It’s all because of this Silver Dragon brat! Ever since she was cursed by the heretic God, the evil energy on her body has polluted the power of the God of holy light, causing all these disasters!”
Yisela immediately poked her head out, glaring angrily at the Second Elder, her voice urgent and bright.
“You’re lying! I’ve been staying in my room. I haven’t even touched the edge of the Holy Mountain. How could I have polluted the barrier!”
“You were born a calamity for the Dragon Clan! You made a huge scene at the Temple back then, and staying in the Temple now is the greatest ill omen!”
Third Elder followed up with a harsh rebuke, his white beard trembling from agitation.
“Lady Saintess, for the sake of the Holy Light Kingdom, you must expel this brat from the Holy Light Kingdom!”
As soon as this was said, the surrounding believers immediately started murmuring.
“I’m not leaving!”
Yisela’s hair stood on end. She stepped forward on her short legs, tightly clutching Seraphina’s clothes, but still tried to straighten her back.
“This isn’t my fault. You’re just targeting me.”
“Targeting you?”
First Elder let out a cold laugh, his gaze pressing toward Seraphina.
“Lady Saintess, you should be well aware that the Code of holy light instructs that the Saintess holds the power of holy light and is the executor of faith; the Elder Hall is responsible for supervision and judgment and is the guardian of doctrine.”
“We have the right to supervise your actions. Don’t let a troublemaker disregard the thousands of believers. We trust that the Lady Saintess can make the right choice.”
“Otherwise, for the safety of the Holy Light Kingdom, the Elder Hall must initiate impeachment against you before the Temple Master. When that time comes, it won’t be as simple as just handing over this little silver dragon.”
Yisela was stunned.
She had never heard of this. She thought the elders were just being harsh, but she never expected they actually had the power to supervise her Saintess sister.
She subconsciously turned to look at Seraphina, and for the first time, there was a hint of panic in her eyes.
But Seraphina still stood straight. She had long known these rules, but she didn’t back down an inch.
“When have I ever disregarded the people?”
Her tone remained gentle but each word was firm.
“I will naturally protect the Holy Light Kingdom, and I will also protect Yisela. The two are never in conflict.”
“How are they not in conflict!”
The elven elder accompanying them couldn’t hold back any longer. He immediately stood up, bowed to Sylvanas, then turned to glare at Yisela.
“This silver dragon ruined my elven princess’s coming-of-age ceremony back then and repeatedly encroached on our elven territory. My elven subjects have deep grievances. If she is not dealt with today, my clan will not let this go easily!”
Sylvanas raised an eyebrow and smiled. ‘I didn’t expect my own accompanying elder to be in cahoots with the Temple elders.’ Then she stepped forward to block beside Yisela and retorted coldly.
“The rights and wrongs of that matter have long been clear. She didn’t do it intentionally. Now she carries a curse and has lost all her power, and you still want to hunt her down?”
“Your Majesty, you…”
The elven elder looked utterly incredulous.
“I only speak for justice. I won’t shield anyone.”
Sylvanas glanced at Yisela behind her and said firmly, “She didn’t do it, so no one can pin a crime on her.”
“You!”
The First Elder of the Temple was so angry his beard trembled as he pointed at Seraphina.
“Fine! Since you remain stubbornly unrepentant, we will initiate the impeachment procedure. The Elder Hall and the Saintess are of equal rank, but we have the right to judge your actions. The Temple Master will make the final judgment!”
“Don’t you dare impeach my Saintess sister! It’s all my fault, it has nothing to do with her!”
Yisela suddenly shouted, violently breaking free from Seraphina’s hand, and stood in front of the two of them.
Her small body stood straight, her face flushed but stubborn, facing all the elders without a trace of retreat.
Her eyes were already red, and her lips were trembling slightly, but she clenched her back teeth tightly, suppressing the bitterness back into her throat.
She knew these old men really had the power to expel her and also to punish her Saintess sister.
Ever since she lost her power, her Saintess sister had been using holy light to soothe the curse in her blood.
She had bullied her Saintess sister before, yet her Saintess sister still gave her cake to eat and chose to believe and protect her in the face of so many accusations!
So this time, it was her turn to protect her sister. Even if she could only be tough with her words, even if her voice was trembling, she had to say it all.
“I didn’t pollute the barrier, I didn’t harm anyone. Why are you bullying me like this!”
“You just want to drive me away, right? I can leave, but you must not trouble my Saintess sister anymore!”
“When I recover my power, I will personally repair the barrier and drive away all the border monsters, proving that I am not a jinx!”
Second Elder let out a sneer, his face full of disdain. “You? A little silver dragon who has lost all her power dares to talk big like that? Ridiculous!”
“I’m not talking big!” Yisela’s eyes were red, but she bit her lip hard to keep the tears from falling.
“My Saintess sister has been protecting me all along. This time, it’s my turn to protect her! I won’t be naughty anymore. I’ll get stronger properly. I will never let you bully her!”
Seraphina’s heart trembled.
She looked down at the small back standing in front of her. That brat who had once arrogantly called her a “fake saintess” in the Holy Temple was now using her own way to shield her from all the accusations.
She gently hugged Yisela, resting her chin on top of her silver hair.
When she looked at the elders, her eyes were no longer just gentle and firm; they held an undeniable anger. The holy light around her flowed slowly, like a silent declaration.
“Elders, I have already decided on this matter. I will never hand over Yisela. I will solve the Holy Mountain barrier and the border disaster alone. Regarding her, I will make no concessions or compromises.”
Sylvanas also raised her hand, natural force swirling around her fingertips, and coldly chimed in.
“And me.”
The two strong figures jointly protected Yisela. The faces of the elders in the hall alternated between pale and green, and the situation was completely deadlocked.
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