I find it very sacred to pick someone up and make them a saint.

Mien was very satisfied with his conversation with Lucia and felt he could continue to move things forward.

He then used the communication ring to tell Augusto:

Inform the Fourth Princess Rachel and Prince Phoenix that a suitable candidate for the Holy Woman has been found.

Oh, and Archbishop Phil too.

Before even reaching the administration tower, a splash of red could be seen from afar at the entrance.

Scholar Phyllis had been waiting for half a day.

"What's wrong?" Mien asked.

"We've discovered traces of the Cult of Contractual Truth." Phyllis's expression was grave.

"Oh?" Mien raised an eyebrow and immediately led Phyllis upstairs: "Let's talk upstairs."

Phyllis shook her head: "The situation doesn't seem simple. You'll need to see for yourself now. Let's talk on the way."

Mien was somewhat surprised, then a serious look appeared on his face: "Let's go."

He immediately summoned a cloak, which, driven by magic, transformed into a flying carpet, carrying Phyllis into the air.

"Where?"

"Walgan City-State".

The city of Gondwan is located right next to the capital.

It was right next to the capital, but only one-sixth the size of the capital, almost like the capital's appendix, practically superfluous.

Some people believe that Gondwane was part of the royal capital, while others believe it was not at all.

"Speak." The wind from the high-speed journey ruffled Mien's scholar's robes.

Phyllis nodded: "I sent scholars from the capital and those stationed throughout the country to search nationwide. They all disguised themselves as local civilians and concealed their faces, so they would not be recognized by ordinary people."

Even so, not a single clue was found.

Just then, a researcher in Valgon reported that energy fluctuations had been detected in a town bar.

"bar?"

"Yes, and then I immediately sent seven or eight men into the city of Vargan to conduct an in-depth investigation and surveillance."

I initially thought it was just an incident involving a few people, like in the Iron Can Street incident, but I discovered that the bar was merely an intermediary point.

It involves two local underground gangs, with nearly a hundred members.

Despite being mentally prepared, it still took Mien by surprise that a few people could destroy an entire city block, with a destructive force of nearly a hundred...

"What have they been doing now?"

"This is what confuses me the most, and I must ask you to investigate it with me."

Because they're doing almost nothing right now?

"You didn't do anything?"

"Yes." Phyllis sighed.

"The investigation team, centered around the tavern, involved nearly a hundred people, and more than twenty of them were found to possess the power of the Contract Truth Faith."

But they really didn't do anything. After several days of in-depth investigation, we found nothing unusual, and the locals didn't notice anything either.

Therefore, I suspect they have a much larger plan.

Mien's gaze darkened.

Phyllis's judgment was correct; the opponent's behavior was too restrained, especially given the amount of energy they possessed.

This requires sufficient organization and a more far-reaching objective.

However, I felt a little relieved, at least it hadn't caused huge damage yet, and there was still room for maneuver and control.

Phyllis continued:

"Just when I felt I couldn't find any more clues and was writing a report, a scholar suddenly discovered a murder, so I immediately returned to the Academy to tell you."

"You did the right thing, Professor Phyllis." Mien quickened his pace. "Take me to the scene immediately."

High in the sky, the prosperous capital city recedes into the distance, and a quiet and peaceful small city-state emerges before your eyes.

There aren't as many people dressed in fancy clothes here, but everyone still lives in an orderly manner.

The two continued deeper into the area and arrived at a remote place, in one of the crowded residential areas.

The houses here are small and cramped, with narrow passageways that even block out much of the sunlight.

But most of it is empty and uninhabited.

As the two fell from the sky, Mien smelled a strong stench of blood.

Three scholars from the Academy of Scholars stood at the entrance, bowing to Mien and his companion.

A bloodied head was hanging on the door frame, its eyes closed and the eye sockets hollowed out.

Upon entering the house, one finds all the necessary household items scattered haphazardly, with trash strewn throughout, suggesting that people have lived there for a long time.

A corpse lay on the floor, appearing to have suffered greatly before its death.

Looking at the scene before him, Mien felt a sense of doubt: "Has anyone found out what kind of ritual this is?"

I couldn't find any corresponding sectarian knowledge in my mind.

Phyllis shook her head: "This is not a church ceremony."

It was done by local gangs, which is very common here. If someone lends money at exorbitant interest rates and can't repay it for a long time, or even tries to default on the debt, they will be treated this way.

We weren't drawn to this by a simple murder case—there have been many before—but by the extraordinary energy discovered in this particular incident, specifically by the Cult of Contractual Truth.

Mien was somewhat surprised; perhaps he had been working for too long in the upper echelons of the imperial capital and in the ivory tower of the academy.

They only knew that the empire was slowly declining, but they never expected that such a thing had already happened and become the norm in a corner that no one cared about.

This gave him a deeper understanding of the empire's situation; the Cassirer Empire was no longer what it once was, but rather riddled with problems.

A sense of urgency subtly intensified within me.

Phyllis walked to the corpse, reached out her hand, and a familiar purple energy emanated from its chest.

His chest had long been hollowed out.

To the naked eye, it wouldn't seem out of place, as removing the internal organs of a dead person is a common gang tactic used to intimidate.

However, judging from the signs of extraordinary energy, the internal organs were not hollowed out, but rather sacrificed.

It is dedicated to "Mother Goddess of Contractual Truth".

Mien examined it carefully:

"What were the survey results?"

"It was done by the gang we were investigating, but we don't know why they suddenly used the power of the esoteric sect this time."

The victim didn't seem like anyone special; just an ordinary debtor.

Mien thought: Perhaps it was because he was so ordinary that he was used as a sacrifice for the sword.

Having a huge amount of energy stored up in your body and constantly holding it in is indeed unbearable.

This further confirms the scale of the scheme behind it.

Mien channeled a stream of purple energy into the energy storage ring on his left hand, and his heart suddenly trembled.

This time, the remaining power of faith was even purer than before, closer to the primordial power of the Mother Goddess, as if the Mother Goddess had been awakened and was directly touching the Cassirer Empire.

I sensed a hint of high-stakes gamble.

Mien initially thought the person behind him was still testing him, but all signs indicated that they seemed to be going all out.

The first battle is the final battle; one battle can determine the fate of the world.

A figure suddenly rushed into the house; a young scholar, panting and looking anxious, appeared.

"Your Excellency, Lady Phyllis."

We were just tracking a prime suspect, and it seems he's about to strike again!

"Where?" Phyllis asked loudly.

"It's at the other end of this street."

Mien and Phyllis rushed out the door immediately.