章 16: The Fallen Saintess (12)

(Wester lands- City of Relanter)

(Governor's Mansion- Meeting Room)

"It is a pleasure to meet an official envoy of the church," a middle-aged man spoke politely as he sat down on a green couch.

This man was Lord Cain, and he was currently entertaining the former saintess and her entourage from the local temple.

He was a thin frail man with soft features and a gentle smile. He wore a thick pair of glasses and there was an aura of literacy surrounding his body.

He wore a simple white robe and bore a striking resemblance to the image of an ancient scholar.

"May the glory of the Lord of Light shine down on you," Elisa responded with a smile.

Everything was proceeding as planned.

Lord Cain was expecting a simple flock of sheep, but little did he know that he had accidently invited wolves into his home.

Lord Cain snapped his fingers and two elderly butlers walked into the room carrying heavy bags of coins.

"Please accept this humble offering to the church. I have always been inspired by the teachings of God Varion," Lord Cain proudly stated.

"I have lived my life adhering to his values of love, justice and righteousness."

Claire stepped forward and took the bags from the butler's hands.

She passed them to the knights standing in the back of the room and then resumed her position next to Elisa's side.

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" a young child no older than eight ran into the room screaming happily.

He was followed by a middle-aged woman dressed in a luxurious black evening gown.

She wore an expensive diamond ring on her index finger with the crest of a raven imprinted on its outer surface.

"My apologies dear husband… Elliot was just so eager to see you," the noblewoman whispered softly.

"Nonsense! I was just about to summon you all," Lord Cain chuckled as he gestured towards Elisa.

"We have a very special visitor from the capitol city. It is a great honour to be blessed by a high priestess of the Varion Church."

"Thank you for your blessings," the noblewoman bowed respectfully towards Elisa.

Her attitude was both humble and polite.

"I am but a vessel for the Lord of Light," Elisa spoke reverently as she clasped her hands together in prayer.

"Those who believe in him and follow his teachings should be rewarded for their service and dedication."

Lord Cain laughed joyfully as he placed his young son on his lap. His wife smiled at the pair and moved closer to her husband.

They were the perfect image of an ideal family.

A loving father, an adorable child and a caring mother who watched over them silently, but Claire could not help but notice that something was wrong.

Lord Cain's wife did not touch him.

It was a small detail, but Claire observed that her fingers trembled slightly as she came closer to her husband.

She hid it well behind an expression of happiness but there was a faint trace of fear in her movements that was impossible to ignore.

Claire narrowed her eyes and instinctively rested her hand on the hilt of her sword. Maybe it was nothing, but she felt as though something terrible was about to happen.

But why did she feel this way?

Sui Li searched the original Claire's memories but could find nothing on Lord Cain or his family.

To be fair the original Claire stayed in the capitol city until the day when she left the Varion Church and then she spent the rest of her life in a remote village.

She paid little attention to the current affairs and news that spread throughout the continent.

Claire furrowed her brows and subtly moved closer to Elisa so that she would be able to react quickly in case an emergency occurred.

Elisa did not seem to notice her small movements and proceeded to direct the nuns in the room to stand in a certain formation.

She pulled out a piece of chalk from the bag attached to her hip and began to draw holy symbols on the ground.

Shock appeared in the eyes of some of the more knowledgeable priests as they realised what the former saintess was about to do.

Elisa was preparing a grand blessing that would cover the entire mansion and would protect the governor and his family for generations.

One of the priests next to Lord Cain whispered in his ears about his speculation and the smile on the governor's face became even wider.

This was a level of holy magic that could only be performed by certain high-ranking members of the Varion Church.

Even some upper noble families in the capitol were unable to get this blessing.

Elisa closed her eyes and muttered a silent prayer.

A burst of holy light erupted from her fingertips and entered the holy runes drawn on the ground.

The white chalk soon glowed a yellow colour as the sounds of trumpets filled the room with an atmosphere of holiness and reverence.

"I will now proceed with the ceremony," Elisa whispered gently as she gazed at the loving family with a strange glint in her eyes.

The nuns clasped their hands together and began to sing praises to the Lord of Light.

"Bless us o Father! Bless us o Father!"

"For we are the lost sheep who need your guidance."

"We devote our body and minds to you o lord"

Elisa could feel the heavy pressure of faith entering her body and she directed this spiritual energy towards the ceremony.

The former saintess extended her arms outwards and screamed towards the heavens with a passionate fury.

"I call upon thee o Lord of Light. Blessed be he who drove back the forces of darkness!" Elisa loudly cried.

"Bless this land so that no harm may befall it! Let this family remain a noble bastion of justice and righteousness."

"For it is in your name that I…"

Claire darted forward and grabbed Elisa just as a loud explosion erupted from the center of the holy rune.

She wrapped Elisa's frail body in her arms and turned away just as a heavy cloud of smoke filled the room.

Screams of fear came from the nuns and the priests as they could not understand what had just happened.

One of the butlers hurriedly ran over to the window and opened it so that the smoke had a chance to escape the room.

It took around five minutes for the black smoke to dissipate and what was left behind was a scorched floor in the spot where the holy rune had been drawn.

Lord Cain sat on the couch with an expression of bewilderment while his wife had grabbed his young son and had retreated to the corner of the room.

He opened his mouth to inquire about what had gone wrong with the ceremony, but Elisa beat him to it.

"Dark magic… the ceremony was interrupted because of dark magic," Elisa snarled as her voice was filled with rage.

Her words instantly silenced the noisy room.

The atmosphere completely changed in an instant and Claire pulled out her longsword.

It was a serious accusation.

The Varion Church forbid the use of dark magic on the continent and those who were found guilty of that crime were to be sentenced to death.

There were no exceptions.

Counts, dukes, princes and even kings. All would be brought to trial or in some cases be executed on the spot.

Claire's face hardened as she observed the immediate surroundings for any traces of danger or threats.

"Search the mansion immediately for any traces of dark magic," Claire commanded in a firm tone.

"Now wait just a moment! How can you search my mansion without my permission!" Lord Cain furiously yelled.

"This is an outrage! I am going to complain to Father Amos about your rude behaviour!"

"Silence!" one of the knights stepped forward and shouted at the nobleman.

Claire nodded in appreciation at the no-nonsense warrior and then turned towards Lord Cain.

"I apologise if you feel upset, but this is legal according to the Treaty of Verina signed in the one hundredth year of the founding of the empire."

"Official paladins of the Varion Church are allowed to investigate private property when traces of dark magic are present and as a tier two knight, I have the authority to lead this inquisition."

Claire gestured towards three knights in the back of the room who quickly walked over to her side.

"Send a message to Father Amos and inform him of this event," Claire addressed the priest nearest to the door.

"Hold on! I must insist that I be allowed to accompany you all. There are rare and valuable artifacts in the mansion," Lord Cain explained in a more reasonable tone.

Claire froze for a moment and stared at the nobleman who sat on the couch.

He still resembled a gentle and educated scholar but now she could see something that she had not noticed before.

His eyes.

There was a hint of panic in his eyes.

Was he afraid of the dark magic? Or was it something else?

"I am sorry but for your protection… I cannot allow you to leave the room. Some of our knights will remain here to guard you and your family," Claire spoke in an even tone.

"There may be a dangerous individual or a group of individuals inside the mansion who are capable of using dark sorcery so I cannot allow you to put yourself in harm's way."

What she did not say was that there was a lingering suspicion in her mind that perhaps this seemingly perfect nobleman was not what he seemed.