Chapter 367
Chapter 367
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 367 – Sigrid’s Sense of Reassurance
Beneath the eaves, Gloria held onto the deep brown lacquered wooden doorframe with one hand.
“Come in.”
She kept her senior-like coldness, casually allowing the two of them to enter.
After closing the door, Gloria quickly ran over to Sigrid’s side with a hint of worry. Her tearful eyes looked as though she had been missing her for a very long time.
Such a skilled shift of expression made Lan Qi think—indeed, she was raised by Sigrid.
“Your Excellency Bishop, are you all right?”
“Not very well, but Askson is suffering just as much.”
Sigrid replied briefly. She did not hide anything from Gloria—being a martial artist of the same lineage, Gloria should be able to clearly sense her current state.
Gloria looked at Sigrid and the Son of Annihilation in shock.
Even though the bishop had not yet explained in detail where the two of them had been for over a month, just these few words alone were enough to overwhelm Gloria with information.
When they entered the living room, Gloria invited Sigrid and Lan Qi to sit on the sofa, while she stood at the side like a dutiful attendant.
Sigrid sat elegantly on the sofa, maintaining her usual air of lazy dominance, while Lan Qi naturally sat on the other end of the same sofa.
This made Gloria start to say something, only to stop suddenly.
Although no other Son or Daughter under a Cardinal Bishop had ever dared to sit as an equal with the bishop, Gloria realized that as a student, it was not her place to tell the principal what to do.
Then, following proper etiquette as a servant, Gloria drew the heavy, dark-colored curtains of the living room. When she returned, her eyes could no longer hide her anxiety and concern.
“Your Excellency Bishop, you are finally back.”
The spacious living room became a private space for the three to talk. The soundproofing magitek device blocked out the noise from outside, creating a quiet background for their conversation.
“What happened?”
Sigrid frowned in confusion. She and the Son of Annihilation had indeed been away for a long time, but the imperial capital did not seem to be in great trouble at the moment.
“During the month or so you were away, many changes occurred in the southern part of the Protos Empire.”
Gloria sat down on the other sofa, her expression clearly grim.
“You have been formally charged by the Imperial military. They suspect you of carrying out a large-scale massacre in the north, and accuse you of ruthlessly killing many imperial citizens during your escape.”
Gloria also retrieved from the tea table compartment all the information and intelligence she had collected over the past days at the Ba’tian Branch.
In addition to various investigation evidence and traces of obvious Ba’tian Branch combat in the northern provinces, there were also fragments of memory crystals showing battle scenes.
From these images, it looked exactly like the Ba’tian Branch was destroying towns and slaughtering residents—while the Bishop of Annihilation was desperately defending and protecting the town.
“Now there is all kinds of evidence proving that you went to the northern border provinces, found Askson in the city-state, and engaged in a series of battles disregarding civilian safety—practically a massacre.”
Gloria’s pale face added to the gravity of the situation.
The enmity between the Ba’tian Branch and the Annihilation Branch was well known, but this was the first time they had fought so recklessly within an imperial city-state.
Since the northern frontlines were Askson’s garrison, it must have been Sigrid who went there first and started this battle.
The Ba’tian Branch divisions across the Protos Empire were now in turmoil.
The Resurrection Church already had a bad reputation, and if this could be used as a pretext to condemn them, many imperial officials and nobles would not miss the chance.
As the saying goes, once the wall falls, everyone pushes. Once a breach is opened, the enemies of your enemies will all pounce.
The southern Ba’tian clergy, who had finally gained some recognition, were once again being ostracized like never before, and there were even hints of plans to drive them out entirely. Since the Ba’tian clergy had long been taking the path of mutual prosperity with the people, they could no longer respond with force.
Losing the people’s trust was the most fatal blow to their chosen path.
“Askson…”
Sigrid flipped through the day-by-day news reports from the past weeks, her expression gradually hardening.
Askson must have contacted the capital immediately after that battle, twisting the truth, blocking every path forward for her, and even attempting to completely erase the Ba’tian Branch.
If she and the Son of Annihilation had been caught in the north by the Annihilation Branch, the next step would have been Askson sending his full force south to hunt down the Ba’tian clergy.
“There are also many people from the Annihilation Branch and other factions who disguised themselves as our clergy to deliberately harm civilians—or disguised themselves as civilians to stir up conflict. Many places fell for it, giving them the opportunity to keep smearing our branch and causing us to lose many comrades.”
Gloria’s expression was bitter with hatred, yet she was powerless.
Although for the Empire, the truth still needed investigation and judgment, for the imperial citizens, no such process was necessary. Public opinion was all they saw.
With the Annihilation Branch fanning the flames, the pressure was now overwhelming like a tidal wave.
Even though they all knew this was a war of public opinion, and that the Annihilation Branch was plotting behind it, without the Ba’tian Bishop present, the clergy could hardly fight back—they could only avoid making things worse and pray for her swift return.
Gloria knew the bishop would not recklessly slaughter innocents out of impulse, but the situation had already turned into this—even if the truth was that it was all Askson’s plot, they had no way to clear their name.
Sigrid set the papers down. Her eyes, once calm, now held an unprecedented fury. The killing intent radiating from her was enough to make Gloria shiver.
Even though the bishop’s aura was clearly weaker than her own at the moment, that tempered and unyielding willpower made Gloria feel like a mere child in her presence.
“Don’t worry, Sid. I’m here.”
Lan Qi’s gentle voice washed over Sigrid’s turbulent thoughts.
She stared at him in surprise, her killing intent instantly dissipating.
Lan Qi’s face remained as calm as ever, and he gave her a small nod—making her feel a sudden and unexplainable sense of peace.
Those steady emerald eyes conveyed an unparalleled sense of reliability, making her feel that as long as this man was there, every problem would be solved.
“If Askson thinks he has the advantage now, isn’t that all the better?”
Lan Qi leaned back on the sofa, smiling as if he and Askson were running headlong toward each other.
“…You aren’t worried that Askson might not dare to come to the capital for the election in a week, are you?”
Sigrid narrowed her eyes at him.
In that devastating battle in the north, neither Askson nor the man in black had discovered the true identity of the Son of Ba’tian.
And according to common logic, the Sons and Daughters of the Resurrection Church were not supposed to be public figures—their true identities should not have been conspicuous enough to affect the Empire on a large scale.
This should have been an absolutely neutral place, not leaning toward the Annihilation, Ba’tian, or Mourning Branches.
But there was one thing Askson never imagined, not even in his dreams—
The Son of Ba’tian was none other than the most sensational figure in Helrom right now—Rocky McCarthy.