Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 464 The Murder in the Church Garden

The assassination of the leader of the Divine Word sect instantly plunged the already tense atmosphere in the church to a freezing point. In the evening, all the sect leaders, including Pope Carlo, gathered together, each with a solemn expression.

"The cause of death has been determined; the fatal injury was a laceration to the chest."

The high priest's reward struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer, and combined with what they learned from the scene, a terrifying atmosphere instantly spread through the crowd.

According to the Heartbinders of the Holy Word Sect downstairs, there were no sounds of fighting coming from inside the house. When they realized something was wrong and went to the attic to check, Darrant was already dead. He was sitting upright at the table, and the expression on his face could only be described as horrifying. When the Heartbinders went forward to try to move Darrant to investigate, the broken pieces of his body terrified them.

"They're assassins sent by the Empire..."

One of the sect leaders muttered to himself, "This is the second one."

"It's the chorus...this is their doing!"

"I told you long ago, nosebleeds are a bad omen!"

The whispers of the crowd left Carlo speechless with bitterness. These people were unaware that Solaris's death at the border and the chorus he had planted around him were all means he had used to instigate war. But he never expected that after Darrant's death, this would backfire and cause him to shoot himself in the foot.

These sect leaders, now living in fear, are nothing but a rabble; they would be utterly useless should war break out.

Worse still, with Darrant's death, Julius's trump card planted in Ivy Margaret was also destroyed.

Bad news kept coming all afternoon.

Many church clergy members witnessed the frivolous bishop mentioned by the Heartbinders in the churches, and one important clue caught Carlo's attention.

Although the nun being embraced by the bishop had her face covered with a headscarf and veil, they still noticed that the nun had unusual white hair, and there was also a very young girl with heterochromatic eyes and twin ponytails who was always by the bishop's side. These were all extremely rare features in the far west.

White hair and red eyes, which is highly consistent with a group in the empire called the "Northern Clan". The Winter Witch who caused a great uproar in the empire a few years ago was a descendant of the Northern Clan. Carlo almost immediately thought that since the Winter Witch left the empire and joined Dream Eclipse, she had been hunting down empire officials.

Those were among the few opponents that were beyond Julius's control.

Darrant's murder... seems more like Dream Eater's style.

Breaking into the victim's residence and killing the victim without anyone noticing, the crime scenes are often highly "creative." This reminded Carlo of when Julius angrily rebuked the Winter Witch, and also mentioned the witch's partner—Lovina, who was proficient in cutting magic and was once a notorious fugitive of the Empire and the Astrologers' Guild.

Based on the lacerations that caused Darrant's death, Carlo can almost confirm that the heterochromatic twin-tailed girl mentioned by the Heartbound Ones is Rowena, and she is also the real culprit who killed Darrant!
While other sect leaders were discussing the matter, Carlo was having a brainstorming session.

However, when he looked at the fearful sect leaders, he couldn't tell them the conclusions he had drawn.

Because both Winter and Rowena are genuine followers of evil gods, and Dream Eclipse is a terrorist organization that even the Empire at its peak could not deal with.

This is fundamentally different from ordinary people who were labeled as believers in evil gods because they resisted the Vatican.

Once someone like Darrant encounters a member of the organization alone, their only fate is to be brutally murdered.

As Carlo gazed at the darkening sky outside the church, he had a premonition that this was destined to be a terrifying night. Each of them could encounter the two killers who had infiltrated the Dawn Crown Cathedral at any time and in any place. Perhaps the next crime scene would be even more chilling than Darant's.

"Don't stay here for long!"

The sect leaders, who had been discussing the matter, came to a conclusion. Several of them stood up and made to leave. The specific identity of the murderer was no longer important to them. What was truly important was that they get away from this place of trouble before the next murder occurred.

"If you leave now, you will be falling right into the assassin's trap!"

Carlo quickly replied.

He could not possibly let these people leave, because he knew very well that these people were already wavering in their attitude towards participating in the war. Once they left, they were very likely to publicly announce that their sect refused to participate in the war in order to avoid following in Darant's footsteps.

In this way, the coalition he had painstakingly assembled would collapse without a fight.

"Even Darrant has been killed. What else do you want to say now?"

The man who had been stopped by Carlo raised his voice and retorted sharply. The old man looked around suspiciously. "He mentioned Ivy Margaret in the meeting, and the next day she was murdered. What a coincidence! I suspect that the murderer of Darrant is hiding among these people!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the other sect leaders changed.

This sentence made them think of something terrifying. They remembered that Darant had a nosebleed at the meeting, and now it seemed like a death omen!
"Don't you understand yet? This is the murderer's true purpose! Once the seed of suspicion is planted, even the strongest alliance will crumble, and then the empire will win without a fight!"

"So what? In the end, it's clearly you who wants to drag us all into war with the Empire!"

"Then let's talk about issues that are closely related to you."

Carlo gritted his teeth and said, "Do you think you can leave this city alive?"

"Carlo, are you threatening us?"

"The reason the murderer has hesitated to make a move is precisely because we are united at this moment!"

Carlo said loudly, "That means he doesn't have the ability to confront us head-on, but what will happen to you once you leave the Cathedral of the Dawn's Crown and are separated from us?"

That shout successfully startled everyone.

The sect leaders, who had originally planned to flee the church, exchanged bewildered glances, for Carlo's words had indeed hit the nail on the head.

They had planned to sever ties with the Church of Life after leaving in order to save their lives, but... what if the assassin never intended to spare any of them in the first place?
They glanced out the window.

It was getting dark.

The thought of encountering a burglar in their hotel or being stopped by figures emerging from the sides of the road on their way out of the city sent chills down their spines.

They regretted it.

Coming to Saint City in response to Carlo's call was the worst decision they ever made in their lives.

Perhaps before the day of redemption that Carlo promised them arrives, they will die a miserable death somewhere in the church, just like Darrant.

Aurora... is gone!

Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, such a voice suddenly came from the crowd.

The somewhat unfamiliar name left Carlo stunned for a long time before he remembered a small sect called the "Forest Speakers Cult," which had fewer than a hundred members. They were marginal figures whose absence would not have a substantial impact on the battle. The Forest Speakers believed in the existence of invisible natural spirits, especially the spiritual essence contained in plants.

It's no wonder that it took so long for anyone to notice a sect leader who responded to the call simply because of conformity.

Just as Carlo was about to say something, a woman wearing light mithril armor and holding a long staff ran quickly into the church.

Many people recognized the woman immediately; she was Veronica, a Vatican adjudicator who had earlier led the Vatican's enforcement team in posting arrest warrants throughout the city for someone impersonating a priest and engaging in terrorist activities. Veronica whispered a few words in Carlo's ear, and his expression changed drastically. After several deep breaths, he finally managed to express his grief perfectly, "My heart is filled with mixed emotions of sorrow, but I must tell you this news—Ms. Aurora has left us forever."

The news immediately caused a sensation among the crowd.

Led by Veronica, the group walked nervously toward the church garden.

The once unique floral fragrance has long since disappeared, replaced by a pungent smell of blood.

When the sect leaders at the front saw the figure hanging from the tree by vines from afar, they couldn't help but gasp.

Her suspended body was still swaying slightly. As they took a few steps closer, they immediately saw the expression of extreme terror remaining on Aurora's face. Her beautiful face was now wide open, her pupils dilated, as if she had seen something far more terrifying than she could comprehend in her last moments. Her mouth was slightly open, as if the vines had forever choked her final scream in her throat.

They also saw that Aurora's emerald green robe had been torn into shreds by countless sharp cuts, and through these tears, they could see that her skin was covered with deep cuts that revealed bone, as if she had been repeatedly cut by countless invisible blades.

Centered on the tree trunk, the surrounding flowers, benches, and even some of the church's stained glass windows were splattered with dense, dark red bloodstains. The entire crime scene resembled a blood-splashed ink painting by a mad artist. The strong smell of rust attracted the first swarm of flies, which hovered around the corpse.

The blood, still dripping, meant that Aurora had just been murdered, perhaps while they were in the church.

No one suggested leaving anymore; Aurora's death ruthlessly shattered their last illusions.

They all knew that the Forest Speakers were just a group of people dedicated to improving the environment of the far west, but even Aurora had been killed.

"Veronica, please give Ms. Aurora a proper burial."

Carlo said sadly that this sudden death had actually helped him stabilize the situation. At least the sect leaders who had just been threatening to leave had calmed down and were willing to return to the church with him to work together to discuss countermeasures.

Veronica nodded.

She and the other members of the enforcement team stayed in the garden; so much had happened that day.

Her day began with the young man posing as a priest in the confessional. She visited some penitent citizens who mentioned the name "Old Sen," and the insults the young man wrote on parchment at the scene to Pope Carlo now seem to be more than just provocation; they are a murder premonition.

This was absolutely the most insane assassin the Vatican had ever encountered in the far west. She never expected that after leaving a "murder warning," the other party would not only not escape, but would instead brazenly sneak into the Cathedral of the Dawn.

Two sect leaders died at his hands in a single day, and perhaps even the murder of Bishop Solaris at the border was related to him.

"Put the person down."

Veronica gave the order in a sullen tone.

She questioned Darant's men carefully, and the Heartbinders mentioned some intriguing clues.

According to them, the killer did not break into Darrant's residence, but rather, after being informed, swaggered upstairs to meet Darrant.

He mentioned the names Ivy Margaret and Selvia.

Ivy Margaret needs no introduction—she is now the Prime Minister of the new Imperial Cabinet and the number one enemy of the Far West. But what about Sevier?
This is a completely unfamiliar name.

However, it was this unfamiliar name that made Darrant lower his guard and invite the murderer to his presence without any suspicion.

Veronica also carefully investigated the crime scene. When she arrived, Darrant's body, which had been broken in two, was lying on the ground because he had been pushed by his men.

The important thing is the expression that Darrant still retains on his face.

Fearful, yet incredulous.

This means that until the moment he was killed, he did not expect that the other party would kill him.

Veronica's intuition told her that Sevier might be the key to everything.

With that thought in mind, she waved to the members of the enforcement team and walked out of the garden.

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

Late at night, outside the holy city.

Aurora slowly opened her eyes, and almost immediately she felt the cold sand.

The holy city had long since receded from her sight. She abruptly rose from the sand and looked in terror at the young man standing not far away with his back to her.

She remembered that she chose to escape when no one was paying attention, but she encountered this young man when she passed through the garden. Almost the moment she saw him, she knew that he was the murderer mentioned by the witnesses.

Even though she explained to the young man that the Forest Speakers would not participate in the war, told him that the Forest Speakers were just a group of people dedicated to improving the environment of the far west, and even cried and begged him for mercy, saying that she only wanted to leave this place of trouble, she still could not escape her fate of death.

In an instant, it felt as if countless sharp blades had sliced ​​her body to pieces.

but……

Why now?
Why would she appear in the desert outside the Holy City?
The wound that should have appeared was gone, and she didn't feel any pain at all.

"Ms. Aurora, thank you for your wonderful performance."

The ruthless young man seemed to have become a different person; his tone became gentle and calm, which inexplicably calmed Aurora's heart.

"What's wrong with me?"

You are doing well now.

The young man said, "Now, let's take the Forest Speakers home."

In a daze, Aurora saw the strange woman beside the young man.

She had seven eyes, and the hem of her form-fitting skirt resembled wriggling fleshy buds.

That appears to be a demi-human.

She vaguely heard the two whispering.

"As expected of you, Old Ba, the crime scene setup is absolutely perfect."

"Don't forget, that's my main job."

(End of this chapter)