บท 177: The Bishop’s Visit
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
"The truth is, Fanny does possess something that would pique the interest of a mage."
Indeed, Ladia sat quietly across from her, waiting for her to continue.
"Six months ago, she awakened her potential in magic."
"Is that so? Did you guide her?"
"No!" Helen shook her head emphatically. "At the time, I was studying magic under a mentor, driven by coincidence and curiosity."
"But as I grew and realized how difficult it is for mages in this society, while I don't regret my decision, I didn't want Fanny to follow this path. In case something went wrong..."
"Someone else?"
"Not exactly..."
At this point, Princess Helen's face showed a mix of pride and concern.
"Fanny, she awakened on her own."
"Awakened on her own?"
Ladia was shocked! Someone who could awaken their magical potential on their own was a legendary figure among mages!
"Helen, are you really saying this?"
Helen confirmed with unwavering certainty, "I am sure. Fanny has been under my guardianship, and I know exactly whom she has interacted with."
"She didn't realize what it meant at the time, so I made sure she never displayed this ability in front of anyone except me."
"Sister, it seems someone aware of her awakening," Ladia said. "Someone like Fanny, so young, might not understand how to control her own power."
"Yes, I wasn't careful enough."
Regret tinged Helen's voice.
"Now is not the time for this," Ladia was about to offer her suggestion when a knocking sound came from outside.
"What is it? I'm with a guest."
The voice of the same servant came from outside, "Your Highness, Bishop Elvis of Niceport has come to visit."
"The Bishop?"
Helen and Ladia frowned. Due to the Southern Witch Hunt and their own identities, they had an instinctive aversion to clergy.
"Tell him to leave for now; I'm busy."
"Um... He left a box with me and said if you didn't wish to see him, I should deliver the box to you."
"Bring it in!"
The door to the room opened, and the servant came in, placing a box carefully on the table in front of them before exiting.
Helen opened the box, filled with suspicion.
"This... this is..."
The Duchess was suddenly in a stunned state.
Ladia peered into the box—it contained a necklace.
"Sister, what's special about this necklace?"
Helen picked up the necklace, examining it repeatedly.
"This is Fanny's necklace! Yes! That's right! This necklace, I personally gave it to her as a gift."
Finally, there was a clue. The Duchess's face showed a mixture of sorrow and joy.
"Why would Fanny's necklace be in the hands of the local bishop?"
Helen suddenly calmed down, contemplating the Church's influence, the witch-hunting movement, and Fanny's latent magical potential, which led her to imagine the worst scenarios.
"Sister, speculating won't help. Let's meet this Bishop Elvis."
"You're right."
...
Bishop Elvis of Niceport entered the embassy's reception room accompanied by a servant.
Seeing Duchess Helen already waiting inside, the bishop promptly approached and bowed.
"Your Highness! Thank you for taking the time to meet with me."
Helen waved her hand, "Skip the pleasantries, Bishop. Please, have a seat."
Once Elvis was seated, Helen lifted the necklace and asked, "Could you explain what this is about, Bishop?"
"Oh, Your Highness, I'm sure you recognize this necklace."
There was a hint of mockery on Elvis's face.
"Here's what happened: the Church recently raided a stronghold of evil witches and encountered someone unexpected there."
"Fanny?"
"Exactly, it's your sister who was kidnapped not long ago—Baroness Fanny. This necklace belongs to the Baroness."
Helen was shaken. On one hand, she was relieved to finally hear news of her sister, but on the other, she was alarmed that her sister had fallen into the hands of the Church.
She composed herself and said with a slightly authoritative tone, "Thank you for rescuing my sister, but why didn't you just send her back?"
Bishop Elvis's expression was inscrutable.
"Your Highness Helen, apart from this necklace, we found some interesting things on the Baroness."
Helen felt a sense of foreboding. "What things?"
"Magic, Your Highness. We discovered traces of wizardry on the Baroness."
"Nonsense!"
The Duchess rebuked sharply.
"Not at all, Your Highness Helen. Given the gravity of the situation, we had all the witch hunters stationed in the city confirm it, and they reached a unanimous conclusion—Baroness Fanny is a witch, or on the path to becoming one."
Helen stood up abruptly, "She's just an eleven-year-old child!"
Elvis responded immediately, "She is indeed an eleven-year-old child, but also an eleven-year-old witch. Age doesn't absolve her of her deeds."
"Deeds? She feels guilty even for accidentally stepping on an ant! Even if there's magic found on her, it's because she was misled by evil witches. She has no idea what it means!"
"Your sister claims ignorance, Your Highness, but as you know, witches are adept at deceiving and manipulating."
Helen stared coldly at Elvis, "I will have the Grand Duke lodge a protest with the Archbishop of Angle Bay!"
The bishop smiled calmly, showing no concern on his face. "You don't need to invoke the Archbishop to intimidate me. When it comes to dealing with witches, the Archbishop and I stand on the same ground."
Helen's heart raced, wanting to immediately order the arrest of this insolent man and gather troops to search the Niceport Cathedral.
But she calmed down. While her sister had fallen into the Church's hands and they hadn't returned her, they also hadn't made it public.
Thinking carefully, Fanny was still a noble with a high status, the sister of the Duke of Eaton. No matter how arrogant the Church was, they wouldn't dare make their own decisions. This would provoke the fury of the entire Angle Bay nobility.
Helen took a breath, her tone returning to calmness.
"May I ask, Bishop, how do you intend to deal with my sister?"
"Deal? Your Highness, that's a heavy word."
"Isn't your method of dealing with so-called 'witches' to tie them to the stake and burn them alive?"
Elvis shook his head repeatedly. "That's for ordinary peasant witches. For someone like Baroness Fanny, she has merely strayed from the path. There have been precedents; we generally have their families strictly manage them, reflecting on their actions and returning to the right path."
"After all, you nobles always enjoy privileges!"
There was a strong sense of sarcasm in his words.
(End of the Chapter)
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