When Olivia appeared before Mirabelle once again, she gave the other girl quite a fright.
Olivia was currently drenched in blood, looking as though she had just returned from a gruesome hell. The vivid crimson was exceptionally jarring, and the metallic scent of blood wafting from her inevitably caused a wave of nausea.
"What... what did you do?"
Mirabelle couldn't help but ask, her eyes wide with shock at Olivia's current state.
Olivia replied, "I simply did what I had to do."
Her gaze swept across the cafeteria, noting Georgina and the obese chef lying on the ground. She knew Mirabelle had already dealt with them. As for how Mirabelle had done it... that didn't matter. There were far too many methods available to a high-ranking transcendent.
Exhaling deeply, Olivia said, "It's time to notify the church to handle the aftermath."
As nuns, no matter what happened, the church was the first authority they were to report to, followed by the constabulary.
Devout believers followed the same protocol. To many, the constables were optional; the church was the only place worthy of trust.
Mirabelle instinctively turned to follow the suggestion, but her footsteps faltered as she exited the cafeteria. A thought surfaced: 'Why am I listening to her?' However, it really was time to notify the church, so she didn't dwell on the matter.
The church officials arrived quickly.
Brittany Mason had mentioned back at the monastery that many members of heretical organizations had gathered in Kaliron recently for specific reasons. Naturally, the church was prepared with emergency measures to ensure that any incidents involving the supernatural were handled with maximum efficiency.
Consequently, the church response to the orphanage incident was swift. Clergy members entered the building and immediately divided the labor.
Specific individuals were assigned to question Olivia and the other nuns.
Others took Georgina and the chef away—Mirabelle hadn't killed them, merely knocked them unconscious.
The cellar was inspected, Ashley’s identity was quickly confirmed, and her body was processed.
The children were also led away. Since there were issues with this orphanage, Bates Orphanage would cease to exist. The children would naturally need to be reassigned.
Olivia asked the priest questioning her about the children's fate and learned they would likely be dispersed among the other orphanages in Kaliron.
"We will be conducting a thorough investigation of all orphanages. I suspect the tragedy that occurred here will not be repeated," the priest said with a look of compassion, tracing a pentagram over his chest.
Olivia followed suit and traced one as well.
The priest, a man with wavy brown hair and emerald eyes, then asked, "Olivia, why did you kill Ashley Hewitt? Perhaps if we had kept her for interrogation, we could have gained more information."
Olivia remained composed as she gave her answer: "I could not guarantee my own safety or the safety of everyone in the orphanage. She was a Pilgrim already undergoing a second advancement ritual. Her class rank was higher than anyone present. I could not be certain whether she would still be able to use supernatural abilities after the ritual's backlash. That would have posed a danger to us."
This was the truth. She hadn't killed Ashley just to vent her anger and mania; the woman's presence was an inherently unstable factor. Leaving her alive was too great a risk.
Father Will Max understood the explanation perfectly. "Perhaps this was Ashley's fate. These heretics are always so evil, so extreme. I imagine the Goddess did not wish to see Ashley remain in this world any longer."
The questioning ended quickly. Will was merely gathering facts, as the nuns were, after all, on the same side.
Finally, Will told Olivia that killing a heretical transcendent of the Pilgrim rank was a significant achievement. She would certainly receive a generous reward, though the specifics were yet to be determined.
Will said with a smile, "You are still a novice nun, aren't you? You should return to the monastery. In a day or two—it won't be long—the monastery will inform you of your reward."
"I only did what was expected of me," Olivia replied, her expression unchanged.
After Will got up to leave, Olivia thought of another problem—one she hadn't considered carefully before.
Rose said she saw Leila being taken away this morning, Edmond three days ago, Jemina a week ago, and many others even earlier.
But why was Rose able to notice such things?
She was just a young child. If she noticed these things so frequently, how could Georgina have failed to notice Rose?
If Georgina had realized Rose was paying attention to things she shouldn't have, Rose would have been dealt with long ago. How could she have played such a critical role today?
'That child is a bit strange.'
Olivia intended to find Rose to learn more. She went to the front yard of the orphanage and watched as the children boarded the church carriages to leave.
In the residential buildings near the orphanage, many curious people opened their windows to watch, pointing and whispering. They were extremely curious about the large number of church personnel; the bolder ones had even come downstairs to ask what had happened.
Olivia didn't see Rose.
All the children were already there, which meant Rose must have boarded a carriage and left earlier.
'Never mind, I'll look for Rose next time. I'll ask the church which orphanage she was reassigned to later.'
Olivia looked at her blood-stained clothes and decided now wasn't the time to question a child anyway; she would only scare them.
Some of the children still in the yard sat down on the ground the moment they saw her, clearly terrified. Olivia could only turn away helplessly, intending to go back inside and wait for the children to leave before she departed.
Sometime later, Olivia, Mirabelle, Bethany, Evel, and Lena boarded the carriage back to the monastery.
On the way, they discussed the day's events, though Bethany, Evel, and Lena were somewhat dazed. They hadn't truly participated in the incident and only understood what had happened after the fact, so they could only listen.
Olivia and Mirabelle, however, exchanged what they knew and became quite familiar with each other in the process.
"I thought I was the only special one. I was truly surprised when I first saw you defying the cycle. It's clear that you are a special person as well, Olivia." Mirabelle smiled, looking at Olivia with an appreciative gaze.
Olivia felt a bit uncomfortable under the look; she felt as though the other girl was looking down on her from a position of superiority.
But considering Mirabelle's true identity, it wasn't surprising. She was a princess of the kingdom. Even if she was hiding her identity and choosing to be low-key, the pride in her bones would occasionally manifest itself unconsciously.
Olivia said in a tone of relief, "My mental strength is simply quite high. Fortunately, I spend most of my time in meditation. It was also lucky that Ashley Hewitt's forbidden artifact, the Oblivion Pocket Watch, was only a sealed-grade artifact."
After Ashley's body was brought out by the church, the existence of the Oblivion Pocket Watch was confirmed. Everyone now knew why they had been trapped in a loop.
At the mention of the forbidden artifact, everyone's expressions varied.
There were massive differences between various forbidden artifacts. The least dangerous were sealed-grade forbidden artifacts, which could be neutralized using specific sealing methods.
However, there were other forbidden artifacts that could not be sealed. The holder had to constantly struggle against the artifact, and a single slip-up could mean death. Any one of those artifacts could cause immense harm to society.
"If it were an unsealable forbidden artifact, I think it would have drawn attention much earlier. We wouldn't have been the ones dealing with it," Mirabelle pointed out.
Olivia nodded in agreement.
They continued to chat about forbidden artifacts, and the sense of distance between them gradually vanished through the shared experience.
Even Bethany managed to join the conversation with her talkative nature. Only the soft-spoken Evel and Lena remained silent due to their personalities.
The topic eventually shifted from forbidden artifacts to talismans.
"Olivia, you made your talismans yourself, didn't you? I saw that the copy of 'The Goddess's Revelations' you carry was... well, you know. To be able to craft talismans so quickly, your talent is amazing."
Mirabelle was truly impressed. She hadn't expected someone so talented to be in the same batch of nuns entering the monastery.
Olivia shrugged. "It was just luck. I only made a few of the simplest talismans. Fortunately, the Flash Talisman happened to be a direct counter to Ashley, otherwise I would have been thinking about how to escape."
This was also the truth. Before she had learned about the vampire's second advancement ritual through the magic mirror, she had indeed considered running away, because the five types of talismans she could make didn't seem like they would be effective.
She couldn't exactly use a Laxative Talisman to make Ashley defecate on the spot, could she?
Actually, that wouldn't even work. Not all talismans were activated by simply tearing a corner and channeling magic.
For example, a Laxative Talisman needed to be dissolved in water and ingested to produce the desired effect and provide a smooth experience.
It was worth noting that among the talismans the church bestowed upon its followers, the Laxative Talisman was one of the most frequently requested.
Amidst their conversation, the group arrived back at the monastery.
The first thing they did upon returning was bathe. For Olivia, this was a necessity; the lingering scent of blood on her had drawn many stares as she stepped out of the carriage.
"We should all wash up properly. It's really hot outside, and I actually fought a battle." Mirabelle looked toward the bathhouse.
The only place to bathe in the monastery was the communal bathhouse. There were no private bathrooms, so seeing each other naked was a normal occurrence among the nuns.
Olivia hadn't thought much about this before, but as she followed Mirabelle's gaze to the bathhouse nestled behind several trees, the realization suddenly hit her.
She felt a sudden wave of nervousness and looked at Mirabelle awkwardly, only to find that Mirabelle seemed perfectly fine with it.
Bethany chimed in, "Yeah, it's way too hot. I wanted to bathe the moment we got to the orphanage, but the environment didn't allow for it. Let's hurry and wash up. Brittany might have something to say to us later, and if we're too slow, she might be displeased."
Bethany also seemed perfectly natural about the idea of the communal bath.
All the nuns were like this, weren't they?
Olivia looked left and right and let out a sigh.
Fine. Since everyone else was being so open, it would be strange for her to be bashful. They would go together.
Just as Bethany had predicted.
After bathing and changing into fresh habits, Olivia and Mirabelle were summoned by Brittany.
Inside the cavernous church, Brittany Mason stood with a solemn expression. The only light in the vast space came from the rose window, casting a hazy glow that lent Brittany an air of mystery.
"I have already been informed of what happened at Bates Orphanage today. Both of you performed very well and are worthy of commendation. However, we will set the rewards aside for a moment. I need to summarize the incident now, and I want you to provide any additional details."
Brittany was not one for small talk. Her opening words made both Olivia and Mirabelle turn serious.
Because her hair wasn't dry yet, Olivia wasn't wearing her nun's hood. She felt inexplicably nervous, wondering if her performance would reveal anything.
Even if Mirabelle was exposed, it wouldn't be a disaster. A high-ranking transcendent attached to a soul was surprising but within the realm of understanding.
But what about her magic mirror?
If the magic mirror were discovered, it would likely be treated as some terrifying forbidden artifact. However, the mirror shouldn't be that easy to find.
Unaware of the thoughts racing through Olivia's mind, Brittany began her summary.
"You are already aware that many heretical organizations have gathered in Kaliron recently. Without a doubt, Ashley Hewitt was among them. In fact, she wasn't the only member of the Bloody Sickle who came. It just so happened that the time was right for her to undergo the vampire's second advancement, so she went to Bates Orphanage today.
"As for Bates Orphanage, a quick investigation has confirmed that it has been a stronghold for the Bloody Sickle for a long time. They have been adopting orphans from all over, not out of charity, but to provide them to the Bloody Sickle. As for the reason, I believe you already know—vampire advancement rituals require children... It is truly a repulsive affair."
At this point, Brittany couldn't help but trace a pentagram over her chest, clearly disgusted by the ritual.
She continued, "Ashley's ritual preparations began ten days ago; she needed children whose time of death met certain criteria. Our decision to perform social service at Bates Orphanage was only made yesterday. This disrupted Ashley's plans slightly, but she didn't intend to change her mind. She was confident her advancement would be silent and that a group of novice nuns wouldn't notice anything amiss.
"After making her preparations, she began the ritual. At first, no one noticed anything. But then, Olivia, you learned from a child named Rose that a child named Leila had been adopted today. Thus, you asked Georgina Bates for the adoption registry to take a look.
"This was a common enough action, but Georgina knew the registry contained no such information. Making it up on the spot would be a hassle, and she worried you would investigate further, so she secretly reported the matter to Ashley. Ashley, likely thinking it would be easier, simply used the Oblivion Pocket Watch to reset everything to the starting point.
"She herself was unaffected by the watch, and by proactively waking Georgina, she could have Georgina intervene and change the original trajectory. For her, this was easier; she had plenty of ways to handle the time discrepancy later—entering dreams, illusions, there are many methods.
"However, Ashley didn't expect that both of you would notice the problem. Georgina followed Olivia to prevent any accidents. But Mirabelle, because of the time loop, realized there was a problem at the orphanage. During your investigation, you reached the cafeteria and met Tali Hayrick, the obese chef, who was also in the know. You defeated Tali and approached your destination. But Ashley also noticed the external changes and used the Oblivion Pocket Watch again to reset everything.
"After another reset, Georgina went straight to the cafeteria to join Tali and try to stop the coming trouble. The repeated use of the watch made them realize someone was likely resisting the memory loss. In other words, their exposure had become inevitable. All they could do was ensure Ashley's successful breakthrough and then leave together.
"Olivia, Mirabelle, you both reached the cafeteria and, through cooperation, successfully resolved the situation. During this process, the Oblivion Pocket Watch was activated a third time, but Olivia, you managed to resist it. It is clear your mental strength is exceptionally superior, which is not a bad thing..."
Brittany summarized the event at a steady pace, combining Olivia and Mirabelle's accounts with the information gathered at the scene.
However, after finishing the summary, Brittany's expression suddenly turned grim. "But now, a problem has arisen—an unexpected, even absurd problem."
Olivia was startled. "What problem?"
Brittany's gaze fell on Olivia. "We cannot find the child named Rose. The other children from the orphanage all say there was never a girl named Rose among them, including Leila, who has regained consciousness. Even Georgina and Tali claim they never took in such a child. So... who is Rose?"
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