Volume 1 Chapter 553

Chapter 553: Everything Is Just a Coincidence!

Lolth definitely did not want to teach any imperial princess.

Her real intention was to show Dorothy the change of power, not to take part in it.

Taking kids to the monkey mountain at the zoo to see monkeys and being locked in the monkey mountain and thrown bananas were two very different things.

But now it seemed there was no choice.

The only thing that comforted her was that her status was mysteriously rising higher and higher. At this rate, it wouldn’t be difficult to take Dorothy to find a Holy Spring with enough Holy Light for healing.

Lolth hardly paid attention to what those guys said next.

However, just ten minutes later, the secret meeting came to an end.

"Let’s go, Dorothy."

Saying this, Lolth led Dorothy back the way they came to leave.

Before leaving, she exchanged a distant glance with Patricia, then…

They confirmed their gaze; the other person also wanted to find a chance to talk.

After a while of leaving this place, she had to at least find out what the other person came here for!

Although it was highly likely that there wouldn’t be any conflict with her own actions…

But, Lolth thought it would be better to know a bit more!

Now, Lolth had a natural respect for any "changes."

It was best to keep them as few as possible.

Soon, Lolth returned to the little room she had been in before.

To her surprise…

In the room, there was already a person waiting for a long time.

However, it was not Patricia.

It was the gentler one among the young cardinals who had spoken earlier.

Lolth was somewhat surprised to see him in the room.

"Could it be that I was discovered?"

Lolth thought this, and a glimmer of killing intent flashed in her heart.

To ensure Dorothy’s safety, she would not mind breaking the neck of this cardinal directly.

But before he could be harmed, he seemed to sense the sign of danger…

This young cardinal suddenly knelt down before Lolth.

But this was not a plea for mercy.

"Lord Director, member of Team Seven, Nora."

As he said this, he showed a respectful expression.

Lolth was stunned at that moment.

This title made Lolth connect all the events.

She instantly understood everything.

Why her infiltration went so smoothly, and why there was a hidden room in Giloviev Church…

This was all a secret plan set by the Heretic Tribunal!

And by some strange twist of fate, she was even mistaken for the legendary Lord Director by a member of the Heretic Tribunal!

Although she knew that the Lord Director was very mysterious, it was strange that even their own direct subordinates did not know what they looked like!

And what went wrong at which point…

Lolth was completely puzzled.

Was it Carpenter who let something slip, or did she really have some kind of strange connection with the Lord Director of the Heretic Tribunal, like a quantum entanglement…?

Lolth couldn’t understand.

But no matter if she could understand or not, the situation had already gone wrong.

"Sigh…"

Lolth could only let out a deep sigh, accepting everything, and then continue playing her part.

That sigh nearly made the cardinal in red kneel and bow his head.

"Lord Director, I have failed!"

He lowered his head deeply, showing a look of fear.

"Although Derek fully trusts me and has given me full authority for the ‘meeting,’ his personality is too stubborn, so I have no right to interfere with the selection of the bishop for Eden…"

"After all, Bishop Hume’s reputation is too good… But I can assure you that both Hume and Derek are clean behind the scenes."

"I will try my best to find out who the other forces have placed in the ‘meeting.’"

Lolth looked at the other person, who seemed very anxious, and didn’t know what to say.

In the end, she simply gave a gentle pat on the shoulder of the cardinal named Nora.

"Get up."

"You don’t have to think too much about what happens in the Holy Capital… Besides, it is just one spot."

Lolth said this in a pretentious way, and the other person slowly got up.

He still did not dare to look up.

In the not very spacious room, Lolth also didn’t know what to say.

She did not know how the director of the Heretic Tribunal usually communicated with her subordinates.

Luckily, just before she was about to begin talking with the other person…

The door to the room was pushed open from the outside.

Lolth looked outside with the Cardinal.

A short girl dressed in a bishop’s robe walked in.

"I say, you this…"

As she spoke and walked into the room, she saw someone inside, more than she had expected, and instantly fell silent.

It was, of course, Patricia, who had come following her intuition from New Dawn City.

She looked at the young Cardinal and then at Lolth.

She asked with her eyes, trying hard to communicate.

"What’s happening?"

I thought this succubus was just here for fun, but why is the red-cloaked cardinal treating her with such respect…?

If I’m not mistaken, this should be the one who led the meeting earlier, right?

Before Patricia could think more about it, the red-cloaked cardinal spoke up first.

He had a very surprised expression, then he said,

"Bishop Hume Valentina!"

Then, he looked at Lolth with surprise.

"No wonder Lord Director didn’t want me to think too much; you were indeed prepared…"

"I didn’t expect that Bishop Hume was also a secret agent placed by Lord Director!"

Soon, he showed a look of regret.

"It is my fault that Lord Director has to handle such trivial matters personally."

In Cardinal Nora’s eyes, Hume Valentina, the bishop who appeared very innocent and upright in rumors and investigations, actually came to see the director in such a familiar manner…

What does this mean?

It means this is the director’s card!

The director is indeed more secretive than I expected.

Just in this one "meeting," there is already such an ultimate trump card. How much more has the director managed behind the scenes in The Church of Light and the Holy Empire, Nora dared not imagine!

Although the director handled these arrangements without going through her, Nora felt no displeasure due to a lack of trust.

In fact, her first reaction, besides happiness for the strength of the Heretic Tribunal and Lord Director, was more fear.

If it weren’t for her own issues with not fully mastering all the powers of the "meeting," why would she make the director reveal his trump card?

At the same time, the director was definitely giving her a warning…

Not only had she not mastered it, but her investigation work was also insufficient!

She hadn’t even found out that someone as key as Bishop Hume Valentina was actually on her side!

This was truly a failure among failures.

Nora was sweating nervously.

Looking at Nora, who was shaking for unknown reasons, and the curious Bishop Patricia, Lolth sighed.

"You can step back for now, Nora. I need to talk to Bishop Hume Valentina."

She sort of accepted the other’s guess; after all, she was really too lazy to correct it.

At least let’s get rid of this guy first.

Lolth really did not want to face him anymore.

When she heard Lolth’s words, Nora also let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes, understood, Lord Director!"

Saying this, Nora quickly walked out from where Patricia had entered.

Then, the door was slammed shut.

Patricia looked at Lolth with a playful expression on her face.

"Director—my lord?"

Patricia stretched out her voice and asked slowly with emphasis.

Clearly, this Great Sage was not lacking in common sense.

Inside The Church of Light, there was someone who could make a cardinal bow respectfully and even feel fear while calling him "Lord Director"…

Who else could he be?

Of course, he was the director of the Heretic Tribunal…

Lolth noticed the teasing tone in the other person’s voice and sighed.

"Don’t ask, it’s a long story."

As she said this, Patricia giggled.

"It’s okay, just tell me everything! I want to know all the details!"

Lolth looked at Patricia, who was still so lively after meeting for the second time, and felt a flicker of pained confusion in her eyes.

"If we have to say… we can only say it’s a coincidence."

As she spoke, Patricia nodded and pouted a little.

"A coincidence could lead to being the ‘Director of the Heretic Tribunal,’ right? Why couldn’t you get lucky and become the Lady of Light instead?"

As Patricia said this, Lolth seemed to be touched on a sensitive spot and looked at her with a sad expression.

"How do you know there isn’t one?"

Lolth replied with a question, clearly remembering the scene in Hillenbrand Town when the Rod of Eden, the Lady of Light, and Janine Irene worked together so openly.

Patricia was momentarily stunned by these words and then burst into hearty laughter.

"Hahahahaha—you’re really something!" she laughed so hard that tears came out, "This is too funny… you… were seen as the Lady of Light and the Director of the Heretic Tribunal… what an incredible joke! Who would believe that?!"

As Lolth listened to Patricia’s laughter, her expression turned even more lifeless.

"Yeah, who would believe that?"

She murmured as Patricia stood up, wiped away the tear-stains from her eyes, and said seriously to Lolth.

"So, what do you want to do next… Could it be… Could it be… run for pope? Hahahahaha!"

Mid-sentence, Patricia’s forced seriousness vanished again, and she laughed loudly.

"Hey, stop laughing," Lolth said impatiently, reaching out to flick the arrogant Great Sage on the forehead. "What about you, Bishop Hume Valentina—are you here to run for pope too? You’re quicker than me since you’re almost chosen for Eden Palace!"

Lolth said grumpily, and Patricia finally realized she was just as bad, instantly feeling worried.

"Oh… right, that’s true…"

The little girl said with a frown, tugging at her golden hair, common in the Holy Lieto Empire, which had changed color.

"I just knocked out a bishop and sent her to my Mage Tower to let my students take care of her for a while. Who would have thought I’d capture someone so important…"

Then, she looked at Lolth, as if she found some comfort, and nodded gently.

"Well… at least you are not the key part."

Lolth looked at Patricia, who was still trying to annoy her, and felt her anger growing stronger.

"Stop with the attitude, so what exactly are you here for?"

Lolth forced down her anger and replied sharply.

Patricia finally stopped bothering Lolth and nodded, saying, "Actually, I just came to… take a look…"

"Take a look?"

Lolth showed a confused expression.

"Yes, because The Church of Light and the Holy Empire are both having a change in leadership, and I heard there are quite a few outsiders trying to assist their favored factions in this big reshuffle," Patricia spread her hands, "We held a Great Sage meeting and discovered that someone in Cloud City has broken the neutrality principle to meddle in the affairs of The Church of Light and the Holy Lieto Empire… So, I came on behalf of the Great Sages to investigate who is causing this trouble — and when we find out, we’ll clear out Cloud City and bring those who overreach to be used in the magic power supply furnace."

As Patricia said this, Lolth showed an expression that wasn’t surprised.

"So, you decided to replace a bishop who attends secret meetings… But speaking of which, your disguise as Holy Light is quite good, no wonder they chose you to infiltrate The Church of Light… The last time I saw you, you didn’t have this skill."

Patricia listened and slightly curled her lips.

"I was afraid you would be proud, but this skill I actually learned from you the last time I saw you," she shrugged and said, "and if it weren’t for this skill, the measures taken by Cloud City and the Wizard Association would probably be to first clear out the suspects, using Star Spirit Magic to cleanse their souls, and giving them true Magic Potions and such…"

As Patricia said this, she suddenly bowed slightly to Lolth seriously.

"In any case, I really have to thank you for this."

Lolth showed a surprised expression.

"No, the technique you developed is all your own. I’m just a little inspiration, why thank me… I can feel that your simulation method is completely different from mine!"

"Yes, yours is truly the proper power of Holy Light," Patricia said with an annoyed tone, "I’m just using a combination of magical power along with pieces of Divine Artifacts I’ve collected to create a disguise… But my thanks to you isn’t only because of this."

Patricia said, looking at Dorothy behind Lolth.

The little girl stood quietly, watching her teacher’s performance.

At that moment, she was suddenly noticed and showed a look of confusion, tilting her head.

"Seeing this little girl alive makes my guilt lessen quite a bit… Thank you, Lolthlinda."

As Patricia said this, Lolth paused for a moment.

"You really did try to save her that day…"

Although she heard it from Dorothy, Patricia was not someone who harmed her, and even seemed to try to help her.

But Lolth didn’t expect…

Patricia would be so troubled about not being able to save Dorothy.

"Of course, but it’s still very embarrassing," Patricia scratched her head, "I was determined to protect that little girl, but in the end, I was tricked…"

Saying this, Patricia’s eyes showed a hint of fierceness again.

"The people from the Golden Peacock… I will make them pay one day."

As Patricia said this, Lolth nodded her head.

"Of course, I even met them on my way to The Church of Light, where they attacked me," Lolth said, her expression slightly unhappy. "I can only say that when the time comes to settle scores, I will surely play my part."

Lolth said this with a cold tone.

Patricia looked at the succubus in front of her in surprise, then glanced at Dorothy.

"But it seems that little sister Dorothy’s soul is a bit unstable right now… What’s going on? Is this a side effect of last time?"

"Of course not. Have you ever seen a side effect from spatial magic that affects the soul?" Lolth rolled her eyes. "This is something else… and that’s why I came to the Holy Empire and The Church of Light… Dorothy is experiencing some memory loss, so I want to use the Holy Light spring from The Church of Light to heal her soul."

"Oh—what a good idea," Patricia nodded. "Wait, did you forget? Does that mean your little lover doesn’t know her identity?"

"Little lover?! Are Teacher Lolth and I in that kind of relationship?!"

Dorothy, who had been listening quietly, finally couldn’t hold back and shouted.

Her face suddenly turned red, clearly shy to the point of embarrassment.

But instead of being angry, Dorothy seemed more surprised and secretly happy!

"What nonsense are you talking about," Lolth felt like punching Patricia. "She is my student… I have taken her as my disciple!"

As Lolth said this, Patricia nodded.

"Oh—disciples, I have many disciples too…"

Then, she mumbled something.

"It looks just like a couple…"

Although Patricia lowered her voice, in this small secret room, with only three people speaking in such a quiet environment…

What is the point of lowering her voice?

This still made it very clear for Lolth and Dorothy to hear.

Now even Lolth’s face turned red.

She seriously suspected that Patricia was doing this on purpose, but there was no proof.

Hearing this made Dorothy even more happily faint.

"Does it really look like that?"

Even though the possibility of being a couple with Teacher Lolth was denied, thinking about it, there was never really a possibility!

So when Patricia said they looked like a couple, Dorothy felt even more dreamy.

Thinking about how the mercenaries viewed her and Teacher Lolth, it seemed they didn’t quite believe their relationship was just teacher and student or sisters. When they heard Teacher Lolth introduce herself as the younger sister, their first reaction was, "Really? Is that true?" Dorothy felt even more dizzy.

"Dorothy!"

If Lolth hadn’t called her name quickly, Dorothy might have fainted on the spot!

After Lolth called Dorothy’s name, the little girl finally came back to her senses.

"Teacher… I’m sorry…"

She said with a red face.

However, Dorothy didn’t completely notice that Lolth, standing opposite her…

Was actually blushing all the way to her ears.

Patricia looked at the pair of "teacher and student" and shook her head slightly.

"Alright then…"

She felt that it was the right time for her to come, but it also seemed like the wrong time…

Is this the charm of a succubus?

In her memory, that fairy was like this too…

Or could it be, that it is the succubus’s fault?

And looking at little Dorothy now, could it be that not saving her back then was actually a good thing?

Patricia fell into deep thought.

Then, she decided to stop thinking.

I always feel that if I think too deeply, I will seem very pitiful.

So, Patricia gently cleared her throat.

"Ahem… You two…"

"Anyway, since we have now been ‘bound’ by the Church of Light, especially by the Heretic Tribunal, we might as well really cooperate."

"Your goal is the Holy Spring, and my goal is to find out who in Cloud City is causing trouble… In a way, our goals are not in conflict and are even somewhat aligned."

"I will find a way to help you both create an opportunity to contact the Holy Spring, and you help me keep an eye out for anyone from the Wizard Association… What do you think, you two?"

As Patricia said this, Lolth also came back to her senses, a bit dazed.

Feeling the warm blush on her cheeks, Lolth gently cleared her throat.

"It’s a deal!"

Lolth said, showing a serious expression.

Dorothy nodded as well.

"I will listen to the teacher."

She softly agreed.

"Okay… then I wish you both good luck! I will see you at the next stop!"

Patricia said this and turned to leave the little room.

After leaving, Patricia took a few steps and her expression completely fell apart again.

"What on earth is all this…"

She thought carefully for a moment…

Why am I inside the Holy Lieto Empire, making a deal with a succubus?

And the most shocking thing is, when I think about it, I actually have the upper hand.

After all, that succubus is the director of the Heretic Tribunal…

While my position is just as a mere bishop!

Although this bishop is quite respected, compared to the director of the Heretic Tribunal… I am much lower in status!

Even though I have seen this succubus use the power of Holy Light in such an incredible way before…

But when I truly realize that she can perform like this even in the headquarters of the real users of Holy Light, and that the people of The Church of Light and the experts of the Heretic Tribunal can’t even recognize her as an imposter, thinking of her as the Director of the Heretic Tribunal…

Patricia still feels that her understanding of the world has been greatly challenged.

The Chief Interrogator of the Demon Army is also the director of The Church of Light’s Heretic Tribunal; who would believe that?

"What is this succubus all about?"

The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed.

At the same time, while finding it absurd, Patricia also realized something very important.

That is, the director of the Heretic Tribunal seemed to have prepared a lot for this papal election and the imperial heir.

All of these arrangements ended up in Lolth’s hands.

A strange thought appeared in Patricia’s mind.

"It seems this succubus doesn’t realize that…"

"If she follows the original plans of the Director of the Heretic Tribunal… she wouldn’t really manage to sneak into the Holy Capital, would she?"

As Patricia thought this, she felt…

This trip has become even more interesting!