Ileya reacted quickly, immediately adopting an embarrassed expression.
“Um… in a practical sense, I can only really be considered an ordinary believer.”
‘Is the clear stupidity in this girl’s eyes… or rather, her simplicity, an act, or is it natural?’
‘I need to keep observing for a while, but maybe I should test her just a bit more…’
While these thoughts swirled in Ileya’s mind, she shook her head outwardly and said, “I haven’t… had much of a chance to come into contact with the beloved Sanctuary.”
Upon hearing her words, Bellelily’s brow furrowed slightly. ‘Did she feel my topic was too sensitive?’
‘Exactly, I shouldn’t have taken such a large step. Perhaps a more gradual approach…’
“Hmm… it would be a shame for a devout believer like you not to join the Church.”
However, the Captain’s subsequent words left Ileya in a daze.
‘What?’
“How about this? Why don’t you join the Inquisition? Members of the Inquisition hold a rank equivalent to a Pontifical Governor in the Holy See. For you…”
“That! Captain! Captain, wait a minute!!”
Sigrid, her forehead covered in sweat, immediately interrupted Bellelily’s words.
She believed she understood her Captain quite well. Although the Captain was exceptionally reliable and possessed a personality that always followed through on her word, this was insane.
But… what kind of joke was this? The other party was the daughter of the Marquis of East County! How could they possibly let her join the Holy See?!
How would they explain this to the Royal Family? If word of this reached the Holy See, Lord Cardinal and His Holiness the Pope would…
“Huh?” Bellelily frowned slightly and looked at the member of her squad.
Although Ileya could see a clear simplicity in the Captain’s eyes, in Sigrid’s view, the Captain’s gaze was like a blazing sun, making it impossible to look her in the eye.
“That… we should at least… discuss this matter with Lord Cardinal first…”
Even under the immense pressure, Sigrid forced the words out with a bitter face.
As she spoke, she dared not meet her Captain’s gaze again. She turned toward Ileya instead, hoping the girl would help speak up. After all, as a Noble Lady, the girl should understand the stakes involved, right?
The moment their eyes met, however, Sigrid felt as if she had fallen into an endless sea of blood woven by those red eyes…
Why… why did she feel that this Lady, who had been so friendly just a moment ago, was looking at her so strangely now?
Even though the girl had a smile on her face, Sigrid felt a chill run through her entire body.
In an instant, the scythe-wielder felt as if she were caught between two giant dragons.
One was a golden dragon with a crushing pressure like a torrential downpour, forcing her head down. The other was a black dragon, as poisonous and dark as ink, making her too terrified to even look up.
“Hmm… true. If she is to join, Kohls Blot should indeed be notified.”
Fortunately, the Captain had no desire to bully her subordinate. She reached into her clothes and pulled out a circular crystal lens.
The lens was azure blue. It seemed to change colors under different lighting, sparkling like a diamond in the sun.
On the metal frame of the lower half of the crystal lens, numerous complex and twisted runes were engraved, just like those on Ileya’s Lightning Baton. These runes continued downward, even covering the silver chain meant to hang over the ear.
This was a Transcendent Item. Moreover, it was much more advanced and sophisticated than her Dog Training Rod.
Bellelily did not place the monocle over her own eye. Instead, she reached out and handed it to Sigrid.
“Contact Kohls Blot.”
This item was called the Linking Lens. Simply put, it allowed for long-distance communication with another person who possessed a corresponding lens. However, it required a Transcendent to serve as a carrier.
Ileya soon understood what this “carrier” meant.
Clink, clatter…
The silver chain that was supposed to hang over the ear began to squirm like a mass of insects. The runes on it glowed as they drove the entire chain to twist incessantly.
Slowly, the silver chain crawled into the scythe-wielder’s ear.
In the next second, Sigrid’s eyes became hazy, and she slowly closed them.
Ileya raised an eyebrow. ‘This twisted world really doesn’t have many normal tools.’
“Um…” Holly looked on, hesitating to speak.
‘Isn’t this… a communication tool?’
‘Is it really necessary to go this far just for a conversation… This is too depraved.’
‘Compared to this, that blue iron rod that only discharges electricity is much cuter, even if it is ugly.’
A dozen or so seconds later, Sigrid slowly opened her eyes.
Her eyes were now entirely black, with no white visible at all. Her aura had also become incredibly gloomy.
“It seems… things are even more troublesome this time than the intelligence suggested?” the scythe-wielder spoke, but the voice had changed.
It was now the gloomy voice of a middle-aged man. Furthermore, those pitch-black eyes swept over Ileya, Insmouth, Holly, and Amisa with heavy scrutiny.
“The intelligence was completely wrong. They summoned a phantom of a False God,” Bellelily said, her tone cold as she stepped toward “Sigrid.”
“I see. Those two-faced fellows in the Truth Group… it truly is time for a change of blood.”
The two of them chatted calmly, but the surrounding squad members felt a chill. They knew that the information revealed in this conversation likely signaled a bloodbath within the Holy See.
“However, you didn’t contact me just for these matters, did you?” “Sigrid” turned her head to look at Bellelily.
The Captain of the Inquisition held a rank equivalent to a Purple Bishop in the Church hierarchy, second only to the Pope and the Cardinals. But as the “Blade” of the Holy See, her actual status was nearly equal to that of a Cardinal.
“Yes. I have found a devout believer favored by God. She assisted us during this incident.”
Bellelily’s personality was clearly not one for pleasantries. She pointed directly at the young Lady sitting on Insmouth’s palm.
“Oh? I noticed her earlier. If I remember correctly… you must be the eldest daughter of the Bateos Marquis Household?”
“Sigrid’s” pitch-black eyes fixed on Ileya. Her tone carried a gentle smile as she performed a Holy Rite toward the girl.
“May my Lord bless you. I am Kohls Blot, a Cardinal directly under the Holy See. I thank you for your support in the Inquisition’s work of purification.”
‘There it is… That’s more like it.’
Ileya thought to herself. Full of flowery language but without a single sincere word; a self-introduction that was actually an attempt to suppress her using his status and intelligence network…
“Ileya Bathios. May my Lord bless you. It was only right for me to do so. After all… we are all the Lord’s representatives in the mortal world, and we are all the Lord’s favorite children. Helping one another…”
The corners of Ileya’s mouth curled up. For some reason, the expression on her face was much more relaxed than when she was facing the simpleton.
“…is only natural.”