Chapitre 18: The Fallen Saintess (14)

(Wester lands- City of Relanter)

(Governor's Mansion)

Claire took a deep breath and glanced down at her longsword. The cold steel of her blade was stained in crimson blood.

She had taken a life, but she felt nothing.

There was no feeling of guilt or regret… or even remorse.

Sui Li wasn't sure if her emotions and mentality were affected by gaining the original Claire's memories…

Or perhaps she was this kind of person from the start.

Lord Cain was dead.

She had personally beheaded the gentle scholarly man who was nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing.

No kind man would have done what he did to those dark elves. Claire furrowed her brows as she recalled the whip and scar marks on the slaves' bodies.

No… there was one thought running through her mind as she recalled the horrific sights in that dark basement.

She had killed him too quickly.

Lord Cain was fortunate that she had killed him on the spot instead of turning him over to the confessors of the Varion Church.

He would have died a much more painful death in their hands.

The faint traces of dark magic that were found lingering in the cellar proved that he was guilty beyond the shadow of a doubt.

And the Varion Church were merciless to those who dealt in black magic.

Claire pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind and focused on what to do next.

No one could have expected that the governor had a secret room built that he used to imprison dark elf slaves.

What should she do now?

Was the best plan to just wait for Father Amos?

He was the head of the local temple in the City of Relanter so this investigation should normally be handed over to him.

But Elisa was a high priestess which meant that technically she had the highest level of authority in the church just below the pope and the saintess.

Claire turned to the knights who were following her and gave them a new set of orders,

"Seal off the governor's mansion and make sure that no word of this investigation leaks outside."

"Clearly Lord Cain was not the only one aware of the secrets hidden in the cellar, so we are potentially dealing with multiple sinners."

"When reinforcements from the local temple arrive gather all the remaining servants and begin the interrogation process."

The knights nodded in acknowledgement and then left to pass on her commands to the church members scattered around the mansion.

Claire waited until they left her sight before reaching into the brown bag attached to her hip.

She pulled out a worn-out rag and began to wipe the blood off her sword.

She could not get rid of the faint scent of blood still lingering on her weapon but at least now it was clean enough to go back in her sheath.

Claire roamed through the mansion while taking casual glances at the opulent displays of wealth and nobility.

Suits of armour were placed along the sides of the corridor, famous paintings were hung up on the walls and marble statues could occasionally be seen.

Lord Cain was a man used to comfort and wealth.

Claire kept walking for around ten minutes until she finally arrived at the door leading to the meeting room.

She knocked on the wooden door twice and then opened it.

Elisa was currently comforting Lord Cain's wife who kept sobbing while the other members of the church stood around with tense expressions on their faces.

Everyone's attention shifted over to the paladin who strode into the room with slow confident steps.

Claire was an imposing presence normally but now the cold look in her eye made it hard to stare at her directly.

Thin flecks of blood stained her armour but everyone in the room was aware that it was most likely not her own.

"My husband… where… where is he?" Lord Cain's wife sobbed desperately.

Claire did not say anything but stared at the grieving noblewoman.

Lord Cain's son was affected by the somber mood and also began to cry. His young body trembled as he rushed into his mother's arms.

"What do you think happened to him?" Claire suddenly asked in a casual tone.

Lord Cain's wife froze in place as she heard Claire's simple question.

The noblewoman looked at Claire and just for a moment…. a fierce deep hatred flashed across her eyes.

It was quickly hidden behind her grieving expression but now Claire had the answer that she needed to confirm.

Claire stepped forward and spoke in a cold tone,

"Beneath Lord Cain's mansion was a secret basement where traces of dark magic were found. He has also been in contact with foreign races and as such… he has been punished for his crimes."

"By the authority invested in me as the lead inquisitor for this investigation… Lord Cain was immediately sentenced to death."

Shocked gasps rang out in the room as Lord Cain's wife fainted on the spot.

Serious expressions appeared on the faces of the church members and even Elisa's face hardened in disgust.

This matter was more severe than what anyone could have anticipated.

Elisa walked over to Claire and stood on tip toes to whisper in her ear, "What did you find in the basement?"

"He was keeping dark elves as slaves to torture them," Claire replied in disgust.

"Using the Lord of Light as a shield to commit atrocities in his name. What he did to those helpless innocents sicken me."

Elisa remained silent but her hands faintly trembled as she heard Claire's tone.

This holy paladin was genuinely angry over the treatment of her supposed enemies.

She didn't care that they were dark elves… she saw them as innocents.

Elisa stepped back and for the first time…

She felt lost and confused.

Claire was saying something else but the only sound that Elisa could hear was the frantic beating of her heart.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

No… she could not afford to get distracted.

Claire may have sympathy for her kind but as the princess of the dark elves Elisa knew that her fate was to one day destroy humanity.

"How are the dark elves? Are they injured severely?" Elisa asked with concern.

"They… they aren't in a good state," Claire admitted truthfully.

The holy paladin subconsciously dropped her hand to the hilt of her sword as she remembered the wounds on the dark elf children.

She had been too merciful. That bastard deserved to suffer for his crimes.

"Can you bring me to the basement? I want to heal them," Elisa's soft voice echoed through the room.

Claire considered the matter for a moment and opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by several voices of protest.

Several of the priests and nuns in the meeting room overheard their conversation and Elisa's suggestion was too radical for them to support.

"No… no… Lord Varion's power should only be used to protect humanity!"

"Priestess Elisa you mean well but those foreign races can't be trusted!"

"We should leave them to die! The only good dark elf is a dead one"

A cacophony of voice filled the room each trying to dissuade Elisa from wasting her healing power on dark elves.

Elisa's fingers curled up into a fist and for the briefest moment she was tempted to unleash a curse and kill everyone in the room.

The former saintess took a few deep breaths and forced herself to calm down.

Well, it didn't matter… she would find a chance to sneak into the basement tonight and heal her people.

Claire quietly observed the situation and saw the pained look on Elisa's face.

The former saintess was a kind-hearted girl and she wasn't surprised that Elisa wanted to heal the injured slaves.

Claire decided to make a move, so she closed her eyes and gathered her strength.

A terrible pressure suddenly descended on the room which forced the noisy crowd to their knees.

Elisa turned around in surprise and saw a harsh glint in Claire's eyes as she reopened them.

The paladin's body was glowing slightly as waves of spiritual light wrapped around her.

Holy runes and symbols appeared in the air above her longsword and a trace of killing intent was directed towards the crowd.

"Did you forget something?" Claire hoarsely growled.

"High Priestess Elisa has the highest level of authority in the church second only to the pope and the saintess."

"Her decisions are not for the likes of you to question much less refute. I expect you all to obey her commands or I will personally execute you for insubordination."