Chapter 52  Wind-Filled Tower (Part 2)

The room was spacious, luxurious, and imposing. The heavy black furniture and decorations exuded an air of grandeur and solemnity, and it felt as though this room was a condensed version of the entire St. Peter's Cathedral. Sitting firmly in the center of the room was the Bishop, resembling a deity in the middle of the cathedral. Perhaps he had intentionally or unintentionally designed the room this way, but the authority he radiated truly matched his position.

"Knight Talice, is this the reason you had me wait here in the middle of the night?" The Bishop frowned as he looked at the disoriented girl in front of him. His stern gaze scanned her briefly before he averted his eyes dismissively. "She's just suffering from mental trauma caused by excessive fear. Although it's serious, Celeste should have three or four people capable of treating her. Was it really necessary to summon me via magic to wait here for this?"

As the Bishop of Alrasia, his status was comparable to that of Queen Catherine. Yet here he was, on a stormy night, waiting like a doctor to treat someone. If it weren't for Talice, if she weren't the only disciple of Lancelote, Bishop Aescher would never have the patience or temperament to remain here and speak with her.

Talice quickly bowed and said, "Please forgive me, Lord Aescher. But there are complex circumstances behind this matter. I dared not bring this girl to Celeste, and my teacher, Lancelote, is recovering from injuries, so I didn't want to disturb him. I brought her here to you for treatment and also to report the matter."

The Bishop furrowed his brows and nodded. Since the girl had already been brought here, he saw no harm in observing her. Often, he unconsciously slowed his movements and became even more solemn, making his impatience seem as though it were part of a divine message. His gaze shifted to the girl, who was muttering the same words repeatedly.

"May the merciful Lord, with the lives of His followers, bring down Your mercy and protect their fragile souls and lives…"

Her voice was low, her words indistinct, and her vacant expression made it seem like she was lost in a trance. However, her words carried a somber authority, as though her soul was resonating with them, not merely speaking them.

If the Bishop's authority was like the grand and imposing cathedral, meant to make all who witnessed it look up in reverence, then the girl's words, though ordinary and even ugly like a stone lying by a riverbank, were imbued with a profound, world-shattering power. Only those who understood their true meaning would be moved by them—it was a resonance that existed with the very essence of life and earth.

"This is the prayer of Divine Protection," the Bishop said, visibly moved. To him, the spell wasn't particularly complex, but no one could ignore a spell that only the most devout, high-ranking priests could cast, one that required all their life and magic to perform. Even Aescher had only seen this spell used a few times during his decades of magical experience. His gaze locked on the girl, and after a slow scan, he suddenly stiffened, his voice trembling slightly as he said, "She…"

"Do you see something?" Talice asked cautiously.

Aescher's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he slowly nodded. "This girl must have been saved by the Divine Protection spell. The situation at that time must have been terrifying and blood-soaked. The trauma she suffered from that event is what led to her mental breakdown."

"How do you know?" Talice asked in shock.

The Bishop gave a slight smile, one filled with both authority and compassion, much like a statue of a god. "It's simple and clear. When someone who's mentally broken from excessive trauma repeats words like this, it's not just the trauma itself but something directly related to it. And as for Divine Protection, you know well that the one who sacrificed their life to protect her must have been someone very close to her. The one who cast the spell would not have been protected by it—they must have been killed before her eyes."

"You truly live up to your reputation as the continent's foremost mind-mage," Talice said, completely convinced. She knew Aescher's mental magic skills were extraordinary, but she hadn't expected him to deduce the entire backstory with a single glance, as though he had witnessed it firsthand.

Aescher's face didn't show any pleasure or pride in her compliment, perhaps seeing it as a mere statement of fact. His gaze swept over the girl a few more times before, seemingly lost in thought, it shifted toward the upper right corner of the room.

His neat, imposing white eyebrows furrowed slightly. Talice didn't speak again. She could tell the Bishop was contemplating or recalling something, so she remained silent.

Gradually, the only sound in the room was the girl's low muttering. The wind and rain continued to rage outside, but the air inside the grand, imposing room began to take on a strange, heavy weight. Talice felt an unease creeping in, though she didn't know where it came from, or if it was simply the illusion created by the stillness inside and the chaos outside.

A loud thunderclap suddenly echoed, making the flames in the room flicker. Amid the flickering lights, Aescher turned his gaze back to the girl. After studying her carefully, he spoke, "If I'm not mistaken, this girl must be quite a talented mage, with elemental magic at the level of a mid-tier mage… But what puzzles me is, why do I sense the presence of white magic in her? From the way you've been secretly bringing her here, she isn't a believer, nor a legitimate user of white magic… Also, who cast Divine Protection on her? I haven't received any reports of a priest casting such a spell recently."

Talice nodded and answered, "Yes, this is another matter I need to report. This girl, along with her brother, was raised by Priest Relas of the former Pingsburg district. It was Priest Relas who taught them white magic. And it was him who used Divine Protection to save them during a critical moment."

"Pingsburg… Isn't that where the priests were stripped of their position when His Majesty ascended the throne?" Aescher hummed in thought, his deep voice almost drowning out the sounds of the storm. "Even though he was excommunicated, teaching sacred white magic to others without permission is a serious violation of Celeste's rules. White magic is a gift from the Lord to protect the faithful. Using it outside of the faith is sacrilege."

"Lord Bishop, please consider this. Although the old priest was excommunicated, his faith has never wavered. The fact that he could cast Divine Protection proves his devotion to the Lord. As for the girl and her brother, I can vouch for their pure hearts and conduct with the honor of a knight of the temple." Talice hurriedly defended. "And the matter I wish to report is in fact a true desecration—desecration of the sacred white magic. Please, allow me to finish."

Aescher nodded without expression.

"The story goes like this… This girl and her brother were part of a caravan from the Alrasian Merchant Guild to Orford. On the night they were returning…"

The female knight recounted everything in great detail, as if she had witnessed it herself. Aescher listened intently, though his expression remained unchanged. His face and eyes showed no outward sign of surprise or emotion, as if he were simply absorbing the information.

"Whoever used paralysis spells, and even Heaven's Blessing… The caster must have been at least a bishop. Though it's hard to believe, I couldn't take the risk, so I didn't dare bring the girl to Celeste directly, and came here to report to you first…"

"Knight Talice, do you believe this story?" Aescher suddenly interrupted, speaking in a calm voice.

"Uh…" Talice hesitated.

"A servant of the Lord, a bishop blessed with the power to spread the Lord's light, going to the barbaric and desolate land of Orford, using sacred white magic to kill a group of merchants just to have some wild beasts do it?" The Bishop sighed deeply, then asked once more, "Do you think this story makes sense? If someone else told me this, I'd have them burned at the stake immediately."

A flush of red rose on Talice' face. She paused for a moment but her tone didn't waver: "He wouldn't lie to me, and this girl couldn't have been hurt in any other way."

"He?" Aescher raised an eyebrow at her choice of words. "Who? The girl's brother? The young man who helped you?"

"Yes."

The Bishop straightened his back, his expression stone-cold and as impassive as a statue. His gaze became unyielding, filled with divine authority. "I can see in your eyes an inappropriate, misguided affection. As a knight who has devoted her life to justice and the Lord's glory, this is a fall from grace."

"No, I…" Talice' body shook, her face filled with confusion.

"Even if this girl was indeed saved by Divine Protection, that doesn't mean the young man told you the truth. Hasn't blood been spilled by beasts in the wild lands? Over the past few centuries, countless innocent souls have been lost to those beasts. Now, do you believe someone would use sacred white magic to frame them?"

"No, Lord Bishop, it's because…" Talice opened her mouth but faltered again.

"What a person believes in is not necessarily because the thing is credible, but because they are willing to believe it. If you believe such a clumsy lie, it shows that your heart has already been moved and you're willing to believe this story. Because this story turns those few who are skilled in white magic into victims, making their crimes seem less severe within this fictional narrative. This is nothing but a trick by that young man to divert attention, trying to cure his sister while simultaneously attempting to clear his name."

Talice looked at Bishop Aescher, confusion, anxiety, and unease flickering across her face, emotions intertwining in constant change.

"I can see weakness, confusion, and unease in your eyes. And also, the evil temptation." The Red Bishop's gaze on the female knight grew more commanding and intense, almost as if he could see through her, breaking her down. His voice became increasingly stern. "Feel your own heart—does it reflect the resolute spirit and devout faith a Temple Knight should have?"

The light in Talice's eyes shattered silently like glass under the Bishop's nearly tangible gaze, scattering, and she finally nodded softly. "Yes. I know I was wrong."

Bishop Aescher's voice and gaze softened. "You, as the youngest Temple Knight of Celeste, and Lancelote's disciple, have unparalleled talent and intellect. What you lack is experience in the world, an understanding of the human heart, and insight." The Bishop sighed and spoke with great gravity. "You must understand, many things in this world are not as simple and pure as they seem on the surface."

"Yes." Talice lowered her head, but suddenly lifted it again, and the light in her phoenix-like eyes refocused, now burning with determination. "But I still request that you cure this young woman. As for whether those things are true, we can investigate later."

A look of surprise flashed in the Bishop's eyes. Bishop Aescher nodded, revealing a rare smile. "Of course, I will cure her. By the way, has her brother, the young man you mentioned, arrived? Call him here."

Talice paused, looking at the Red Bishop, whose face had now softened with kindness. She nodded with joy.

It wasn't until the female knight turned and left that the Bishop, alone in the room, retained the kind smile on his face. Despite the storm raging outside, a warm atmosphere seemed to permeate the once stern and serious room.

The wind howled outside, and the rain continued to pour. It was unclear which lightning strike had briefly illuminated the dark sky, but the thunder was so intense that the entire cathedral seemed to shake. In the midst of this, two shadowy figures were pressed against the window outside, but from inside the room, no matter how hard one tried, they could not be seen.

Both figures were soaked, their bodies and muscle contours clearly outlined by the rain. Yet, they remained perfectly still, as if there was no heartbeat or breath, blending seamlessly with the stone wall and the storm, like statues.

One of the smaller shadows moved slowly. The figure's body was graceful, delicate, yet filled with an almost wild allure. In the darkness, she resembled a demonic statue of an alluring woman. Her movements were slow and careful, not daring to make the slightest noise even amidst the storm and thunder. She looked at the other shadow, slowly pointing toward the reflection of the Bishop in the window and made a downward motion with her hand.

The other shadow slowly shook its head, parted its lips, and though no sound emerged, it made a motion as if speaking one word:

"Wait."