Chapter 72 | Please Kill Me, Lady Saintess

“He is dead. Because what he did is strictly forbidden by the Church. Over the past few days, we have executed many others just like him.”

The bishop named Wade shook his head.

For the item inside the suitcase was the sword of the current Sarather family head's nephew—a blood-stained sword.

“Aether told me to harvest his organs and send them to you as a warning, but I felt that would be far too cruel to someone who is already about to die...”

“...”

“So, I brought his sword instead. Your brother received your letter yesterday, and then I killed him with my own hands. That is how he met his end—dying to protect a condemned criminal.”

Wade let out a sigh.

“If possible, I would like you to cooperate with me. On the day of your execution next week, tell the people from the Holy Academy not to try and challenge the Church's authority, all right? Those lunatics need your guidance. I have already buried your brother's remains, and I will bury you alongside him.”

“...”

Krulu continued to remain silent.

After that, she lost track of how much time had passed.

At first, fragments of thoughts would still drift through her mind, but eventually, her brain went completely blank.

By nightfall, she felt as if she were losing all sensation.

Once her emotions cooled down, she felt the surrounding air grow even colder than before.

Her nose tingled, so she rubbed her eyes.

She constantly told herself that this was the path she had chosen, so she had to bear the consequences herself.

If she hadn't chosen to side with the Saintess, she wouldn't have ended up in this state.

Did she regret it?

She didn't know. She simply believed she was doing the right thing. Yes...

The Church was in the wrong, but was it really her place to correct it?

Leaning against the wall with one hand, she used the other to continuously wipe away her tears.

She forced herself to calm down, holding back her sobs.

For she knew none of this should have happened, but once the gears of fate began to turn, they dragged her down into an endless abyss.

In the end, she still wept softly.

In her daze, the image of a young girl came to mind.

Velrose.

Was she still alive?

Yes, her support for the Saintess hadn't actually been for the sake of some grand justice. In truth, there was no fundamental difference between her and the people of the Church...

She had chosen this path solely out of her own selfish desires.

She loved Velrose.

Too afraid to directly confess her feelings, she had wanted to draw closer to her slowly, just like any normal girl in love, letting her feelings slip out naturally over time.

She wanted to be with her. If possible, and if Velrose agreed, it would surely be a love that money could never buy.

—But now, everything was gone.

No...

I rebelled for her sake. So, I must not give up.

Krulu clenched her fists, gritting her teeth as she forced her tears back.

It had been too long since she last cut her hair, and it had grown quite long now, obscuring her eyes and spilling messily over her shoulders.

For Velrose's sake, she had to endure until the day of her execution.

She was no ordinary girl, and her dream of a normal romance was nothing more than a fleeting illusion.

Yet at this very moment, she desperately wished that the girl would appear before her, like an angel, to take her away.

Would she come to save me?

...

The carriage traveled through the snowy mountains and reached the boundless wilderness. After crossing a few small hills, a castle rose from the ground.

Bypassing the castle, as the trees on both sides of their vision gradually disappeared, towering city walls slowly rose from the horizon. Under the blazing sun, the walls radiated a brilliant white light.

The carriage came to a stop at the station. The girls received a sum of money for transporting goods, which was originally meant to fund their journey ahead...

Of course, they had no use for this money.

Sathya held Tina's hand as they walked up to the city gates.

Guards quickly blocked their path.

“State your identities. Due to the current state of emergency, refugees and commoners are not permitted to enter or leave the imperial city.”

In response, Sathya pulled back her hood, revealing her long, silver-white hair, and slipped off her bracelet.

She smiled gently and said, “I am the Saintess, Sathya.”

“The apprentice Saintess?”

One of the guards gasped in surprise, then immediately looked back at their captain.

The captain immediately stepped forward, removed his helmet, and narrowed his eyes to study Sathya.

He then bowed deeply. “You are indeed Lady Apprentice Saintess, but we must ask you to wait while we verify this.”

With that, he gestured to a soldier behind him, who immediately ran toward the rear.

“You do not have the authority to do that,” Sathya said coldly.

She had originally wanted to return to the empire even sooner.

Thanks to the routes and information provided by the Rebel Army along the way, they had made their way back as quickly as possible. This was because something seemed to have gone wrong with the Saintess Faction at the Holy Academy...

By the time Sister Tina carried out the final step of her plan, the greatness of the Saintess had already become deeply ingrained in the minds of many. Sathya had even allied with the Sarather family to reach an agreement, ensuring that all the credit went to her.

However, before they even had the chance to meet the Rebel Army's leader, Rosa, they received news regarding the Sarathers.

She had originally intended to fly directly to the Holy Academy to bring everything to a swift end.

But an enemy had blocked their path to this city and activated the imperial defense system to lock down the skies.

Wade.

Cardinal Aether's trusted confidant, and one of the strongest combatants standing at the peak of this world.

At this moment, he stood atop the city wall, smugly observing the scene below.

Meanwhile, the captain actually drew his sword. Pointing it at Sathya's neck, he shouted, “Get away from here! You magical beast, don't force my hand! Don't make me kill you!”

“I will... burn them to death.”

A voice came from behind Sathya.

Beneath the hood, a pair of terrifying eyes suddenly widened. Her mouth parted slightly, revealing dragon fangs as her chest swelled with heat...

Deep blue flames erupted from Tina's mouth, engulfing the entire city gate in an instant.

The temperature spiked, and her cloak melted away, exposing her true appearance.

The young girl stood in the center of the flames. Lightning crackled around her spiral horns, her graceful body was covered in scales, and a dragon tail of silver and deep blue swayed behind her. Clearly, she was no human.

Leaning forward, her legs and waist bent together in a graceful curve.

However, the flames did not incinerate the guards; instead, they were blocked by a golden shield.

Yet the shield did not last long. It shattered with a sharp crack, and the guards were quickly consumed by the black and deep blue flames.

At that moment, Wade finally leaped down from the city wall, landing in front of the city gates.

As a price, his right hand had been burned to a charred black, but his weathered face remained completely expressionless, as if he were entirely immune to pain.