Volume 1 Chapter 541

Chapter 541: The Strange Room

The closest town to the United Kingdom of South Sotua within the Holy Lieto Empire is called "New Dawn City."

Although situated on the border, New Dawn City is quite sizable, even hosting a higher military legion of the Holy Empire.

This legion ranks only second to the three Grand Knight groups of The Church of Light within the Holy Empire.

There are only seven such legions throughout the entire empire—what sets them apart is that, unlike the three Grand Knight groups named "Mercy," "Oracle," and "Judgment," which nominally serve only the Pope, these legions also serve the royal family of the Holy Empire or certain empires.

The "Second Imperial Guard Legion," stationed here, takes orders from the lord of the southern four counties of the Holy Empire, Duke Koni.

In New Dawn City, the Second Guard Legion has essentially taken over the roles of the City Master and the Archbishop, holding a dominant position.

This was something Lolth clearly felt as she approached New Dawn City with Dorothy.

Being located within the Holy Empire, New Dawn City lacks city walls or other defensive structures; the city sprawls openly.

As they walked along the road into the city, they passed numerous sentry posts on both sides, each bearing the flags of the "Second Guard Legion."

Though most were empty and unmanned, each sentry post was a closed pavilion, featuring an unactivated divine spell array inside.

Compared to any other place on the continent, Hillenbrand Town stood out for its wealth and grandeur.

Dorothy looked around with great curiosity.

"It really is… extravagant," Dorothy remarked with a sigh.

She vaguely felt that, aside from her own home, the Holy Lieto Empire probably had the most magical facilities.

However, Dorothy couldn’t quite recall which place she subconsciously considered to be "home."

Hearing Dorothy’s words, Lolth nodded gently.

"The four southern counties are among the most prosperous in the entire Holy Lieto Empire, known for their rich deposits of fine gold. The gold threads drawn from it are excellent conductors… Most of the advanced weapons, robes, armors, and even noble clothing decorations from The Church of Light use fine gold threads."

"Moreover, New Dawn City is a key area for the lords of the four southern counties and one of the few ports for trade… So this place has always maintained a style of ‘grandeur.’"

"After all, this reflects on the four southern counties, the Holy Empire, and even The Church of Light."

Lolth casually shared some knowledge about local customs with her student.

Although it was her first official visit, Lolth’s knowledge was vast.

Her knowledge could rival that of the Ailuo race’s library of ancient artifacts.

Dorothy listened to her teacher’s words and, though she didn’t fully understand, showed a look of admiration.

"I see!" Dorothy said, then wore a thoughtful expression.

"So, should we go to visit the duke or the leader of the legion stationed here?"

Lolth quickly shook her head upon hearing Dorothy’s words.

"I’d rather not; I dislike dealing with those guys," Lolth sighed. "It’s not as glamorous here as it seems."

Her understanding of the Holy Empire extended far beyond its customs and traditions.

Yes, there is precious metal here, but there are also numerous watchtowers, cities controlled by legions, and noble dukes who blend politics and religion…

Under the pristine roads lies compacted dirt.

This empire is not as luminous and sacred as it appears on the surface.

If it truly were, then Her Holiness, who is almost somewhat naive, wouldn’t be so eager for "reform."

However, after Lolth finished speaking, she realized that discussing this with Dorothy might not be entirely appropriate, so she added another remark.

"Most importantly, we must keep a low profile! We are just ordinary, returning dispatched priests to the Holy Empire!"

Lolth spoke with such seriousness that Dorothy, looking at her teacher’s expression, felt a strong urge to retort…

Where exactly is the low profile in that!

All along the way, aside from claiming to be at Elite Level and making a token effort at disguise, they always just whipped out their magic wand to thrash any legendary enemies!

But… there’s nothing wrong with that.

Dorothy found this trait of her teacher utterly endearing!

Though it felt somewhat presumptuous, Dorothy couldn’t suppress the thought.

It seemed she truly admired Teacher Lolth’s usual quiet demeanor, yet how dependable she was in crucial moments, always saying she wanted to avoid trouble but still helping even those she barely knew.

Her teacher was always so gentle and serene, with a personality that was irresistibly charming.

Dorothy knew this was distinctly different from anyone she had ever met before.

Although she still couldn’t recall how she had met and spent time with Teacher Lolth.

But she had already grasped… how she had come to adore her teacher.

Wait?

She actually liked Teacher Lolth!

As she continued walking with Lolth, Dorothy’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

A feeling, forgotten along with her memories, surged within her.

The girl felt her body temperature rise.

"I really like Teacher Lolth!"

The emotions from the tent at night, from the inn in Guomu Town, now found a new explanation.

This was the first thing Dorothy remembered.

In the past, she must have liked Teacher Lolth immensely.

Watching Lolth’s back, still oblivious, Dorothy bit her lip.

I wonder if Teacher Lolth knew about my feelings before.

Did I ever confess to her?

The girl’s thoughts were a tangled mess.

The scenery on either side of the road faded from the girl’s sight; everything clear became almost like a backdrop for Lolth.

This continued even as they entered and passed through the town.

In the end, it was Lolth’s voice that finally brought Dorothy back to reality.

"We have arrived."

"Ah—oh!"

Dorothy snapped out of her reverie and gazed at the small church before her, her expression one of someone waking from a dream.

Lolth couldn’t help but chuckle as she observed Dorothy, who seemed dazed on her horse.

"Were you daydreaming?"

After helping Dorothy dismount, Lolth gently tapped her on the head and teased her.

Dorothy’s face flushed with embarrassment.

"Well… I was just lost in thought, pondering over some things."

As she spoke, Dorothy’s expression betrayed a hint of guilt.

Fortunately, Teacher Lolth didn’t press her about what she was thinking—had she done so, Dorothy might have stammered and struggled to fabricate an answer on the spot.

Yet, it was precisely Lolth’s lack of curiosity that left Dorothy feeling slightly vexed.

She stole a glance at Lolth and noticed that she had already tethered the horse to a nearby trough and was heading towards the church’s large doors.

This place seemed to be on the outskirts of New Dawn City, surrounded by modest houses and lush trees. The road, though clean and quiet, was much narrower, and the weeds on either side weren’t as neatly trimmed as those in the city.

It was odd that in a city as large as New Dawn City, which served as the "face" of the Holy Empire, there would be such a "small church."

The walls bore the marks of time, with cracks and peeling paint revealing the gray stone bricks beneath. The edges of the gaps were smooth, suggesting the church had stood here for over a century.

Although the city center boasted a more grandiose church where residents typically gathered for worship, singing, and prayers, this church appeared untouched by repairs or renovations, which was somewhat eerie.

The plaque beside the church had golden letters that were nearly worn away, but they could still be faintly discerned.

"Giloviev Church."

Lolth stepped forward and pushed open the half-closed double wooden doors, which creaked with an ear-piercing sound.

Inside, the church was old but bright, showcasing interior features that were popular a thousand years ago—while the exterior style of the Holy Lieto Empire and The Church of Light had remained largely unchanged, the interior had evolved.

A small square window near the dome cast beams of light that shone directly on the smooth white stone pathway in the center, making it sparkle.

Wooden benches were arranged in a fan shape on both sides, surrounding the prayer altar at the end of the aisle.

The cast iron Holy Light annulus glowed softly above the prayer altar, while indistinct angels were painted on the walls, with several portraits of "saints" hanging on either side.

The portraits included the Lady of Light and the Pope.

Lolth walked softly down the aisle, with Dorothy following closely behind.

"Teacher, why are we here?"

Dorothy asked in a hushed voice.

"A place to stay," Lolth replied softly, "but there is nothing here in the cathedral of New Dawn City that can help you."

The holy spring water that can nourish the soul must have enough power of Holy Light.

Lolth did not sense sufficient concentration here—though it made sense, as no matter how "luxurious" it was, this was still a border town of the Holy Empire.

The conditions required to create enough holy water for Dorothy’s bath were too stringent.

Luckily, there was this small church where Lolth could stay.

Most churches, besides allowing the public to pray daily and handle various tasks such as healing and exorcising monsters within the jurisdiction of The Church of Light, also serve as "homes" for the clergy employed there.

Visiting priests can lodge in any church.

If it weren’t for this small church, Lolth would never have considered this option.

Staying near the central church, which is adjacent to the Second Guard Legion, made Lolth feel it would be better to just turn herself in.

The priests inside The Church of Light and those outside are two entirely different concepts.

In New Dawn City, there must be at least a bishop-level figure, and with a Paladin who is likely at the deputy commander level in the legion, there might even be two epic-level individuals here.

Perhaps they could discern her identity without any doubt.

They might not realize she is a succubus, but if they were like Bishop Carpenter and saw through her disguise, considering her a significant figure… that would be quite troublesome.

After all, she was already within the territory of The Church of Light!

If they summoned a real "higher-up" to meet her and her true identity was revealed, it could become very problematic.

So, when Lolth sensed the presence of this small church, it was a pleasant surprise.

An outside priest staying in a hotel within the Holy Empire is somewhat suspicious.

The timing of this small church’s appearance was perfect.

Leading Dorothy through the front hall of the church and around the altar, Lolth quickly found the "back door."

This is typically where the clergy, such as priests and nuns, reside.

However, it was somewhat odd that no one was on duty in the church during the day.

Lolth grasped the doorknob, ready to turn it, when she suddenly felt a resistance.

"Huh—?"

Lolth showed a curious expression.

Then the wave of Holy Light emanating from the door made it clear to Lolth.

This door was actually locked with a divine spell.

But it makes sense; this probably signifies "No entry for the idle."

Only clergy members can enter, so they need to filter out regular people.

Lolth didn’t think much and easily unlocked the spell created by the Holy Light on the door.

Then, she pushed the door and walked inside.

A rather long corridor, about twice as long as she had imagined, appeared in front of Lolth, and portraits still hung on the walls.

The portraits were covered in dust, but through the dust, Lolth saw that she mostly didn’t recognize the people in them.

Compared to the popes and Holy Maidens hanging in the front hall, these figures seemed to be important members of The Church of Light, yet they looked unfamiliar.

This puzzled Lolth a bit, but there was no time to think about it; she continued to walk forward.

Eventually, she arrived in front of a wooden door.

This wooden door was also very old.

Lolth gently knocked on the wooden door.

"Knock, knock."

The sound echoed in the empty hallway, but no one answered.

"Is anyone there?"

Lolth called out to the wooden door and then opened her senses.

Then, she discovered again…

This wooden door was also covered with a sealing divine spell.

"This is strange…"

Lolth did not think too much and then unraveled the divine spell.

It was more complicated than the previous one, but still not difficult for Lolth.

The moment the divine spell was unraveled, the wooden door slowly opened by itself.

Behind the door appeared…

A scene that seemed out of place for this church.

It was definitely not a room for the priest or the nun to work or live in.

This place was simply too small.

In the corner stood a row of shelves, a box, and on the opposite side was a simple bed.

It also looked quite dusty, but it just didn’t have much dust on it.

There were no windows and no tables or chairs, not even a book of teachings.

Lolth even felt that this place was more like a prison cell!