Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 460 Have you repented today?
Ivy was quite certain that she was conscious.

Two days after seeing a figure in the mirror, she ordered someone to replace the mirror first thing the next morning.

She first ruled out the possibility that the mirror was faulty—as far as she knew, the magicians in the astrologers' guild always used mirrors for their own purposes, either to see ghosts or to reflect people's deepest fears.

Therefore, there is only one answer left.

Her house is haunted.

However, in this heartwarming ghost story, she saw her mother, who had passed away many years ago, in the mirror. Her mother's eyes were full of tenderness and comfort when she looked at her, so even though it was late at night, there was no scary element in this scene.

Compared to her wariness during their first meeting, Ivy was much calmer tonight. She sat on the bed, looking at her mother through the mirror. The vexation in her heart dissipated, and she vaguely hoped that this time could last longer.

When she encountered troubles outside, she would run to her mother to complain and whine... Ivy had longed for such a scene like other children her age, but her father was not someone she could be willful with. She could imagine that if she did such a thing to her father, he would definitely have a sour face and say coldly, "Ivy, you are too fragile. How can you bear the responsibility of the whole family like this?"

So gradually she got used to burying the unhappiness that had been building up in her heart, and the emotional seal brought by the Holy Word spell helped her a lot.

Even though those moments were missing from her life, she still thrived.

Now, she is an outstanding graduate of the Truth Society, and she bears the responsibility not only for the Margaret family, but also for the future of the empire.

So, what will she do now, facing the ghost from the past reflected in the mirror?
Ivy looked down at her hands, calloused from holding a quill pen for so long—marks of her growth. She took a deep breath, changed her hand gesture, and raised her index and middle fingers, following the direction reflected in the mirror, toward the top of her head.

For the past ten minutes, Ivy has been carefully assessing the angle and force of her shot.

Through the clever calculations of a believer in the god of truth, the two fingers pierced straight into the figure's nostrils.

That gentle gaze vanished instantly.

First, she stared in disbelief, then a slap landed on her head, shoving Ivy's tuft of blonde hair into her hair. After that, the figure in the mirror completely disappeared.

Ivy's room remained quiet, but she could imagine what her mother would say if she were standing behind her.

—You unlucky kid!

Who taught you that?
If it were her aunt, she would definitely say that, and then she would press her down on the bed, grab her slippers, and launch a fierce attack on her buttocks.

If it were her aunt, whether real or ghost, Ivy would absolutely never dare to stick her finger up her nostril.

Come to think of it, it had been a while since she had been beaten by her aunt. On the other hand, that loud and boisterous Princess Sofia, ever since she became obsessed with filming, would do some outrageous things every now and then. A while ago, every time Ivy saw Sofia, she was sitting in that electric wheelchair, as if she had taken root in it.

Regardless, Ivy has at least proven one thing.

The ghost in the mirror is interactive; whether she sticks her finger into the other's nostril or gets slapped on the head, it's enough to prove her deduction.

That slap was well worth it.

Ivy touched her head and pulled the knocked-out golden retriever out of her hair.

She looked forward to seeing the ghost again, because she still had many experiments to conduct.

...........................

Meanwhile, in the far west, at the Cathedral of the Crown of Dawn.

Although it was late at night, leaders from almost all the sects had gathered here, and Pope Carlo personally presided over this pre-war meeting.

The advance forces of various small countries and kingdoms in the far west have already gathered at the border. They all know that this will be the largest war that mankind has faced since the beginning of the Sixth Era, and the whole world will be divided into two camps because of the outbreak of war.

No one knew where this war would lead humanity, nor did they understand the source of Carlo's confidence.

It is important to know that the Empire has maintained close ties with the Knights of Netheril for many years. Although Julius tried his best to weaken the ties between the two during his reign, all the rifts were repaired as the Knights of the Round Table were promoted to Knights of the Round Table. It is certain that if they start a war, the Knights of Netheril will stand firmly on the side of the Empire.

"There's also Ophira of the Western Continent, and Yug and Ivy-Margaret of the Deep Sea Council are closely connected. The steam-powered machines they created can replace troops on the front lines. I've seen the battlefields they built; they are defenses that are absolutely impossible to break through with flesh and blood."

A leader of a small sect said gravely, “Moreover, since the situation became tense, the Western Continent has raised tariffs, and if this continues, they will cease all trade with the far west.”

They could only pin their hopes for trade on small organizations like the Neutral Asian Chamber of Commerce, but due to the size of the chamber, it was simply unable to meet all their needs.

“Carlo, we have fulfilled our promise, now it’s your turn.”

What exactly is your hidden plan?

Carlo remained silent, but a dark-skinned man with dreadlocks sitting next to him spoke up, "Ivy Margaret."

The man who spoke had no pupils; only the whites of his eyes remained visible. "There is a mark on her that even she herself is unaware of, and that will be the key to our victory."

"This is all thanks to our great pioneer, Julius."

Carlo finally spoke, "He was the most steadfast warrior, and even when he was tied to the stake by those evil gods' lackeys, he never yielded to the Imperial Inquisition!"

Although Carlo and the leaders of those major sects still disliked speaking plainly, these few words gave them great confidence.

Both the Holy Word Cult and the Voodoo Cult possess numerous secret techniques for manipulating people's minds. Given Ivy Margaret's position in the new cabinet, as long as they can influence her judgment or even control her actions, many of their concerns will be resolved!

The blind man was named Darant, and he is now the leader of the Church of the Holy Word, as well as the most powerful Heartbinder in people's minds.

They are adept at using illusions to control people's minds and then turning them into their puppets.

Even in the far west, Darant's Mindbinders were one of the most notorious organizations. These people had no morals or conscience whatsoever. They used their abilities to interfere in sect elections and push for policy implementation. Their followers were scattered all over the world, and even many politicians in major countries maintained close ties with them.

After Carlo came to power, he transformed the reputation of the Holy Word Church, turning them from almost a cult into one of the three pillars of the far west.

A mocking smile appeared on Darrant's face as he raised his right hand, seemingly manipulating invisible threads. "Ivy Margaret has nowhere to run."

However, these words failed to invigorate the sect leaders present. They all stared at Darant, their faces grave.

Just as he was wondering, Carlo frowned and pointed to his nostrils.

Darrant reached into his nostrils and immediately touched the warm, viscous liquid.

The climate in the far west is dry, and most areas are shrouded in sandstorms all year round. Nosebleeds have long been a part of people's lives, but now it's just a matter of time.

Everyone here is a follower of different sects, and getting a nosebleed before a big battle is definitely not a good omen—especially when Darrant confidently says that he has Ivy under his control, the nosebleed is like a silent slap in the face.

..............................

While the strategic meeting was in full swing, Ethan and his entourage were not idle either. Compared with the tense atmosphere among the Vatican's high-ranking officials, their atmosphere was relaxed and harmonious. They were like a group of travelers carrying their bags down the mountain, crossing the desert area, and finally arriving at Santo Barra, known as the "desert oasis," before it got completely dark.

The entire city was shrouded in silence, with only occasional groups of papal inspectors carrying long canes to be seen on the streets.

The impending war weighed heavily on everyone's hearts, including the followers of the Church of Life, not to mention the ordinary residents of Bara.

For them, their recent life can only be described as absolutely terrible.

First, working hours were increased in mines, smelters, and other places, leaving them with almost no time to go home. Then came the conscription order from the royal family. This was a mandatory conscription, and many people did not even have the opportunity to prepare for action or say a proper goodbye to their families before following the main force to the border.

Regardless of the outcome of the war, most of them would die on the battlefield.

The Vatican's "Salvation Contribution Points" became their last hope. Pope Carlo declared at the last war mobilization meeting that after they died in battle, the contribution points accumulated on the front lines would be returned to their families at a rate of 1.5 times.

They could only hope that their families would safely weather the darkness before the Seventh Age, witness the return of the Right and Middle Gods, and the arrival of the Day of Redemption.

"Ethan, now that you're here, don't you want to try out the unique entertainment options of the far west?"

Having just booked a room at the hotel and unpacked her luggage, Winter couldn't wait to ask.

"Entertainment projects? What do you mean?"

Ethan looked around warily, and when he saw Little Dark lying face up on the bed, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Even the evil Winter Witch wouldn't lay a hand on him in front of Xiao An.

This was thanks to Pope Carlo's recent summons of all the religious leaders from the far west to Santo Bara. Their entourage was accommodated in hotels in Santo Bara, and when they checked in, only two rooms were left.

"repent."

"repent?"

Ethan looked at Winter with a suspicious gaze.

Generally speaking, this is hardly something that can be called an entertainment activity.

"This is the daily life of people in the far west. Everyone living in a big city goes to church to confess in their spare time, which is said to purify their souls."

"I think I can try it."

However, when Ethan heard about the effects of "purifying the soul," he immediately changed his views on repentance.

He believed that Winter desperately needed to purify her soul and repent for her actions of using magic potions to harm her before her departure!
The black cat on the bed also pricked up its ears.

"I also need to go!"

She didn't understand repentance; she only knew that Winter wanted to engage in some entertainment with Ethan.

How can any entertainment program be complete without her?

"But at this hour, shouldn't the priest in the confessional still be at get off work?"

Ethan glanced out the window at the pitch-black sky and expressed his concern.

“The priest will listen to your troubles at any time—this is the Vatican’s promise to everyone.”

Ethan felt that Winter seemed to know the city very well; she led him and Darkness to the Cathedral of the Dawn without the need for a map.

Of course, according to the rules of the Vatican, such unauthorized persons are not qualified to enter the church.

They set up a special confessional on the west side of the church, and the lights inside were still on. To Ethan's surprise, even at this hour, there was still a long queue in front of the confessional.

Seemingly noticing Ethan's confusion, Winter took the initiative to explain, "The worse the environment is, the more people come to repent. In fact, you can tell the residents' views on life from the number of people queuing in front of the confessional."

Ethan stood at the end of the line, staring at the still-lit confessional in the distance for a while.

It seems that confession is indeed a form of entertainment for the inhabitants of the far west—those who looked exhausted, as if they were about to be crushed by life, all relaxed their brows and walked with much lighter steps when they came out of the confessional.

A person's confession time is about five minutes. If it can sweep away people's fatigue and rejuvenate them in just five minutes, it can indeed be called a direct and efficient form of entertainment. Perhaps they can promote similar activities after returning to the Empire.

"I'll take the lead!"

Ethan had a bad feeling that Little Dark had volunteered.

He immediately launched a surprise inspection: "Little spy, do you even know what repentance means?"

"What's there to not know? Do you think I'm stupid?"

The black cat glared at Ethan defiantly. "This is an ancient ritual that originated in the First Age. Simply put, it's about confessing all the crimes you've committed."

The crimes committed by Xiao An...

Ethan's heart skipped a beat. For the sake of the unknown priest's mental and physical health, he felt it necessary to remind Xiao An, "Just start talking from the time after you came back to the capital with me, don't bring up the past."

"Ok."

The black cat was somewhat reluctant, but as soon as the first person came out of the confessional, she quickly ran inside.

Thinking about it carefully, Xiao An has become much more restrained since moving into their home, and has shown signs of transforming from a naughty cat into a good cat.

The time allotted for confession remains five minutes, or perhaps even less.

After a period of anxious waiting, Ethan saw the priest, whose steps were "light," walk out of the confessional.

This is a middle-aged man in his forties who is already balding.

He walked briskly across the fire, running wildly until his canvas shoes almost sparked from the friction.

"Hey, don't leave!"

From the confessional came Xiao An's plea to stay, "There are still three little boys we haven't talked about!"

(End of this chapter)