Cornflower Witch

Chapter 269 The Unknown Distance

The Descendants? What was that? Hilti didn't understand. She could only guess that it was some kind of high-ranking identity within the cult.

Seeing the 'magician' kneel down, the other believers in the group looked at each other, unsure of how to react.

About ten minutes later, the group came to a complete stop. The Demon Pacter led about ten of the stronger second-tier members to stand in front of Sylvia.

"My Lord, our mission is to prepare the offerings needed for the cult's rituals," he stated directly, revealing the purpose of the operation.

"A ritual, offerings." The girl rubbed her temples, sensing that she had encountered a very troublesome situation.

"First, tell us about the sect you belong to, and how you usually live and develop your lives." She also wanted to know what the Hundred-Eyed Sect was all about.

Then this 'magician' began to explain in detail the various structures within the Hundred-Eyed Cult and how it usually survived and developed.

In a sense, the Hundred-Eyed Cult is very similar to other extraordinary schools of thought. They are all composed of people who focus on a particular path and profession. The earliest Hundred-Eyed Cult was born in the Seventh Age, when 'alien stars' descended upon the world, bringing with them many astral life forms. These life forms were bizarre and varied, and some of them included creatures like the Eye Demon.

People who worshipped and envied these astral beings began to study and imitate them. In that era, various sects that worshipped astral beings were born. However, not every astral being was suitable for humans. Some were impossible to imitate, some were impossible to control, some were too difficult to learn, and some were too weak. In the end, only a few kinds of beings were mastered by the sects, among which was the Hundred-Eyed Cult that worshipped the Eye Demon.

The Hundred-Eyed Cult worships a great being in the astral plane named the 'Lord Who Sees All Truth'. This great being is said to have 740 million eyes, capable of witnessing the birth and destruction of countless worlds simultaneously, and is himself an immortal being.

In order to get closer to this great being, members of the Hundred-Eyed Cult take pride in mastering multiple eye techniques and having multiple pairs of eyes, which means they can see the world more clearly and grasp the truth.

Because of their expertise in eye techniques, members of the Hundred-Eyed Cult possess strong investigative abilities and can also use these techniques to deceive ordinary people, providing them with various conveniences in their lives and actions. This greatly increases the cult members' ability to survive.

Normally, the sect would establish strongholds far from cities, where only core members could reside, while other ordinary members and peripheral members would be scattered throughout the communities of ordinary people in various places.

They would collect donations from believers as operating funds, but this was often not enough. More often, they would collude with nobles, providing them with special potions, helping to eliminate rivals, or doing things that were not convenient to be seen in the open. Compared to ordinary people, nobles were always much richer and brought the majority of the sect's income.

However, since most powerful nobles possess the 'castle' rank, it is difficult for the sect to use their eye techniques on these nobles and control them. Therefore, it has always been a difficult task for the Hundred-Eyed Cult to develop nobles into believers.

Unable to gain access to higher levels of power, the Hundred-Eyed Cult remained confined to the lower strata of society for a long time, recruiting disillusioned superhumans or easily deceived villagers as members.

Those who truly become the core of the sect are those who worship the power of the 'alien' but are also exceptionally clear about the essence of the sect. They possess the inheritance of the Hundred-Eyed Sect, are skilled in various rituals and secret arts, and often serve as the leaders of branches in various places, uniting the scattered believers in the area and bringing new members and power into the sect.

After listening to the 'Magic Pacter's' story, Hiltiya realized that even within cults, becoming a high-ranking member often requires a clear mind and learning ability. Those who are fanatical but unable to grasp knowledge mostly become cannon fodder.

She thought to herself, "Reading is indeed the fastest way to change one's life."

After learning about the general situation of the Hundred-Eyed Cult, Hilti asked about their current situation and that of Prince Gabriel.

"His Highness the Prince is currently at the valley outpost with the leader, preparing for the next ceremony. We have also found enough people to serve as sacrifices for the ceremony."

"Prince Gabriel has also become a follower of your sect?" Hilti asked, slightly surprised.

“There isn’t one yet, but I and many others feel that he will become one of us sooner or later,” the magic practitioner said confidently.

"It seems a lot has happened during this time." Hilti didn't ask for the specific reasons; now it was time to rescue those who had been imprisoned and taken away.

At Hilti's request, the magician ordered his members to untie the prisoners.

Although some believers harbored doubts and confusion, they knew they were no match for the powerful magician and the mysterious girl, so they dared not disobey.

Half an hour later, the rescued miners thanked Hilti again, and were even somewhat incoherent.

"If it weren't for Lady Siltia, we probably wouldn't have escaped this fate either."

These two consecutive experiences left these people with a severe lack of security. After thanking Hilti, they desperately wanted to gain the power to protect themselves.

"Don't worry, I've already found you a few suitable teachers." Karen rode over on horseback, beckoned and guided by Hilti.

She hadn't been chasing Siltia down the hillside for long when she saw the girl directly stop the group and successfully subdue the strange cultists.

"Tiya, what is this?" She had many questions.

“I’ll explain it to you later, Karen. First, let’s help bring these people back.” Hiltiya pulled Karen over and introduced her to the refugees who had escaped from Scorched Stone City.

Among these four hundred people, a few happened to have met Karen in Jiaoshi City. After some introductions, the two sides immediately became friendly.

Karen quickly gathered these people together and prepared to return to the direction of Scorched Stone City.

After dealing with the refugees at the hideout, there were still many people from nearby villages who had been arrested. They were not far away and most of them could find their way, so Hiltiya simply released them.

As for the small number of Antioch soldiers, Hiltiah had a bit of a headache.

They belonged to different garrison units, many did not know each other, and some did not even know how to get to their original garrison locations.

“Who holds the highest position among you?” Hilti asked one of the leaders.

“Me.” A second-tier officer stepped forward, clutching a wound on his shoulder. His left arm had been pierced by the eye demon of the demonic cultivator during the battle, leaving him with only one arm.

“You should familiarize yourself with Antioch’s garrison in Legas. Take the soldiers here and leave,” Hiltiya instructed.

The other person stared at the girl for a few seconds, seemingly trying to memorize her appearance.

"Thank you, foreign maiden." He knelt on one knee and bowed solemnly, then stood up and loudly commanded the soldiers to gather around him.

After all, they were soldiers who had received training, and they were easy to gather and obey orders. Under the officer's guidance, they found a direction and left.

At this point, apart from a few people who had not yet found a place to go, the rest of the people on the plain were all members of the Hundred-Eyed Cult.

Hilti approached the group of people who were standing still and asked them why.

One of the boys, a tall and thin one, was standing there. He was about 11 years old, and his sister, who was 7 years old, was with him.

"Why aren't you leaving?" Hiltiya asked, crouching down.

"I want to learn powerful abilities from you and then protect my sister." His eyes were particularly bright as he stared at the girl.

“Really?” Hiltia blinked, looking at the girl beside her. “And you, do you have any other family members?”

"I... I have no other family members," the girl said timidly.

"Dad was killed by the Anti people, and Mom, Mom passed away yesterday too. I'm with my brother now."

"I see." Hiltiya thought for a moment.

“How about you go live with that older sister somewhere first? I’ll go there later and teach you some basic knowledge, okay?” She pointed to Karen, who was not far away.

The boy seemed somewhat reluctant, stubbornly believing that it was Hilti who was coaxing him, while the girl beside him nodded in agreement.

"Okay, thank you sister."

Seeing his sister agree so easily, the boy became anxious and wanted to cover her mouth, but seeing Siltia in front of him, he hesitated to use violence.

“There’s no need to be in such a hurry,” Hiltiya said, seeing through his thoughts.

"You guys go ahead."

At this point, the boy realized he couldn't be willful anymore, so he let go of his sister's hand and slowly walked towards Karen in the distance.

However, he turned back halfway.

"Sister...no, sir, could you please get rid of those bad guys?"

“Many people died at their hands: my mother, my father, the grandmother next door, and the uncle who used to bring us fish.”

"Who exactly are these bad guys you're talking about?" Hiltiya asked.

"It's those people in red robes, those Antian who left, those nobles who usually bully us, the bandits who robbed our house, and..." He seemed to want to recount all the people who had bullied them from his memory.

“I understand your feelings and thoughts, but I’m afraid I can’t teach all the people you’re talking about a lesson, and I don’t even know who they are or where they are.” Hilti shook her head.

"If you want revenge, then train hard from now on. Besides revenge, your sister is also very important. Right now, the only one she can rely on is you. You two are the last family you have left."

After listening to Siltia's words, the boy looked at his sister behind him, and his originally indignant eyes finally softened a little.

"Yes, you're right." He knelt down, picked up his sister, and held her in his arms, tears welling up in his eyes again.

"But it's so painful, I'll never see those people again."

Hearing his words, the younger sister was at a loss and could only comfort her brother in a childish voice.

Watching their departing figures, Hilti stood still, motionless for a long time.

She suddenly felt a strange sadness. Whether it was the innocent civilians caught up in the chaos, the ordinary Antioch soldiers, or the fanatical and ignorant lower-class believers, although these people belonged to different factions, they were all just dust being crushed in the clash between the upper echelons.

The Kingdom of Antioch occupied Regas, and countless high-ranking officers and nobles made a fortune, living a life of luxury and debauchery. However, most ordinary Antioch soldiers were simply changing their post location. The common people of Regas used to pay taxes to the local nobles, but now they paid taxes to the people of Antioch and had to endure the suffering caused by the war and invasions from all sides.

As for the lower-ranking members of the Hundred Eyes Cult, they will never have their prayers fulfilled, and throughout their lives, they will be nothing more than waste material squandered by the cult's higher-ups.

Even in such a magical and magnificent world, much of history remains the same as what she learned and experienced on Earth. What can she change? This is the nature of living beings: to seek advantage and avoid harm, and to admire strength and power.

Forget it, I shouldn't think about these things anymore. If I keep thinking about them, I'm afraid I'll feel uncomfortable again. She's not the kind of person who's keen on power, and she doesn't want to get involved in the vortex of the times.

Turning around, Hilti looked at the cult members who were waiting for her orders.

“You…” She was feeling a bit troubled, unsure of how to deal with these people.

Clearly, these cultists have difficulty integrating into normal social environments. If they are released, they will likely repeat the same pattern as before: recruiting followers, seeking resources and sacrifices, and pursuing powerful 'alien' forces.

What if we kill them all here? That would be far too cruel. After all, many of the lower-level believers have been deceived. Although they have done a lot of bad things, they don't deserve to die.

How exactly should we decide whether these people should stay or leave? Hiltiya pressed her finger to her brow, trying to find a better solution.

"My Lady, Descendant." At this moment, the Spellcaster once again knelt before Hiltiya on one knee.

"Please follow me to the headquarters in the valley. The cult leader will be very pleased with your arrival."

"And with you here, the success rate of the ceremony will be greatly increased." But she had no idea what the Hundred-Eyed Sect's ceremony was like, and why the other party was so sure that she could preside over it.

"I understand." She waved her hand, signaling the magic practitioner to stand up and wait to the side.

This time, she walked towards the only remaining middle-aged man, whose whereabouts were still undecided.

"Why aren't you leaving either?" Hiltiya looked at the figure with numb eyes and a weathered face.

Upon hearing the girl's question, the other person slowly raised their head.

"I'm not leaving. I have no home, no family, and no will to live."

“Let me go with these cultists. I just want to see things in this world that I’ve never seen before.” After saying that, his eyes dimmed again.

Hiltiya discovered that he was seriously ill and had been suffering for a long time. Without treatment, he would only have one or two months to live.

Hilti wanted to offer a few more words of comfort, but when she saw those weathered and sorrowful eyes, she couldn't bring herself to say anything more.

With a silent sigh, Hilti stopped trying to persuade her.

"Then come with me. I'll go and see what kind of ceremony is brewing at the headquarters in that valley."

Waving goodbye to Karen, Hiltiya followed the group in the direction they had come from. Hidden among those mountains was the headquarters of the Hundred-Eyed Cult, and an unknown grand ceremony was taking place.

(End of this chapter)