Chapter3: Holy See

A gentle, long hand helped Arabella out of the carriage. After a long time of not getting out of bed, the girl's legs felt a bit weak, and she carefully held the Priest's hand to maintain her balance. A gust of wind swept by, blowing away the bandage from her eyes. The long-lost sunlight stung Arabella's eyes, and it took her a moment to slowly open them.

The High Priest with silver hair stood before her, dressed in a fitted white long robe that outlined his lean figure. Over it, he wore a long coat adorned with golden trim, and the holy sash, embroidered with golden crests, draped over his shoulder, prominently displaying the tail-cross emblem of the Temple of Light at its end. His silver eyes, devoid of expression, conveyed a somewhat cold and handsome demeanor, and his chiseled features were exceptionally good-looking. To Arabella, who had just regained her vision, he seemed to radiate Holy Light.

"Have your eyes recovered?" the Priest asked.

Arabella nodded, feeling somewhat flustered as she lowered her gaze, realizing her hand was still holding onto the Priest's. Nervously, she withdrew her hand.

"Let's go," the Priest said without further words, turning to continue leading Arabella. She followed closely behind him, and in the next moment, she was left speechless by the magnificent building before her.

The enormous white Cathedral stood before them like a mountain of marble, its exterior adorned with exquisitely carved stained glass windows. Towering spires soared into the clouds, each pillar decorated with gilded sculptures of deities, showcasing extreme magnificence.

In a daze, Arabella followed the High Priest, the overly luxurious scene around her leaving this inexperienced girl stunned and questioning her life choices. Passing through the intricately decorated Cathedral, they entered the area where the Clergy resided. Here, the buildings were still primarily made of white marble but were much simpler in design; the spacious courtyard emanated an air of majesty.

"This place is too big…" Arabella could not help but exclaim.

"The Sis Holy Court not only handles the daily affairs of the Temple, but also conducts teachings and training for newcomers, cultivating new Priests and Executors. The Sis Seminary is located here, so it will naturally be larger," the Priest explained.

Dorian held a relatively high status here; as they walked, the younger Priests they passed, dressed more simply than him, saluted him, and he returned their nods gently. Many Priests cast curious glances at Arabella as they brushed past. Arabella lowered her head closely behind Dorian, and before long, the two of them arrived at the inner courtyard.

Once again, the girl was stunned by the beautiful scenery before her.

It was like a paradise from a mythological tale, where clear streams flowed beneath the lush trees, and white goddess statues and fountains stood among the colorful blooming flowers. Even more eye-catching were the beautiful girls living there, some frolicking and others resting, resembling fairies from a mural.

A woman dressed as a nun walked towards them with a smile: "Dorian, you're back."

Dorian nodded to her and gestured for Arabella to come forward: "Vivienne, this is the new Witch Arabella I mentioned in my letter."

Arabella mimicked Dorian's gesture and greeted the nun, who had soft, light green hair, as she appraised the somewhat timid girl: "She doesn't seem to need much treatment."

"Her wounds are healing faster than expected; her self-healing ability is exceptional, even among Witches. However, just to be safe, a thorough examination is still needed," Dorian replied.

"Understood, I'll take care of the next steps," Vivienne said, smiling as she introduced herself to Arabella: "I am Vivienne, the nun responsible for taking care of new arrivals. I will oversee your life at the seminary from now on, and you can come to me if you encounter any problems."

After handing Arabella over to the nun, Dorian turned to leave. "You're leaving?" The girl, who had been relying on him during this time, appeared visibly anxious.

"I have other matters to attend to. Vivienne will assist you with everything; we are all in the same Holy See. Once you become an Executor Witch, we'll meet again."

"Rest assured, I'm here for you," Vivienne said, taking Arabella's hand and addressing Dorian: "I'm more experienced at taking care of newcomers than you are. By the way, have you not yet found your desired Demon Attendant?"

The Priest's silver eyes dimmed slightly: "Such matters cannot be forced." The nun sighed: "It's been a year; some things must be let go." Dorian fell silent, reaching out to pat Arabella's head before turning to walk back the way they came.

Vivienne watched the Priest leave with a slightly worried expression. When she turned back to Arabella, her professional warm smile had returned: "Come on; I'll take you back to your dormitory."

Those parasitized by the Inner Demon were referred to as Witches here, and the Witches' living area was located in the center of the Holy See, surrounded by the areas where the Priests lived. This arrangement ensured that if anyone were to fall into corruption, they would be swiftly dealt with by the nearby Priests before the Demon could escape the confines of the Holy See.

Arabella followed Vivienne to an elegant small building. Her room had already been prepared, simply but warmly furnished with all high-quality materials she had never used before.

The nun asked Arabella to remove her clothes and lie back on the bed, placing one hand on the girl's lower abdomen. A warm, soft light radiated from her palm, enveloping Arabella's entire body. After a moment, the nun withdrew the Holy Light: "Your body is recovering well; there are no major issues, just that you are a bit underweight." She smiled gently at Arabella, "Make sure to eat more from now on."

Sitting up, Arabella looked at her body, noticing the large, shocking scars left by the fire.

"Don't worry; Witches have a healing ability far superior to that of ordinary people. These scars will disappear in time," Vivienne said, helping the girl tidy her singed honey-colored short hair.

"Why are they called Witches? Can't Inner Demons possess men?" Arabella recalled that since entering the inner courtyard, she had only seen girls and no men at all.

"It's not that there are none; it's just that men find it very difficult to resist the temptation of power. After being parasitized by an Inner Demon, they will fall into corruption in a very short time and won't wait for the Holy See to bring them back, which is why their numbers here are very few."

"Then… what is a Demon Attendant?" After hearing the conversation between the nun and Dorian, this term had been lingering in Arabella's mind.

As if seeing through the girl's thoughts, the nun smiled slightly: "When a Witch enters the Holy See, she will form a Binding Sigil with a Priest, thus becoming that Priest's Demon Attendant. The Sigil serves two purposes: one is a Punishment Spell, which can suppress the Demonic Aura within the Demon Attendant when her Dark Power spirals out of control to prevent her from undergoing Demonization; the other is a Destruction Spell, used to kill Witches who have undergone Demonization. On a daily basis, the Priest is responsible for purifying the Demonic Aura within the Demon Attendant to prevent the Dark Power from becoming uncontrollable. Once the Sigil is inscribed, it cannot be undone until the Demon Attendant dies."

Arabella felt a chill in her heart. She had thought that joining the Holy See meant working for it like the Priests, but she did not realize it meant completely entrusting her life to someone else, thus becoming subject to their control.

"This is the only way to prevent those already possessed by Inner Demons from falling into Demons," the nun reassured the girl, whose face had turned pale. "Things may not be as bleak as they seem. Once two people form a contract, their fates become intertwined, dependent on each other for life and death, which can sometimes be a beautiful thing."

"Is Dorian also bound by this?" Arabella recalled their earlier mention that Dorian did not have a Demon Attendant.

"His Demon Attendant sacrificed herself during a mission a year ago," Vivienne said, a trace of sadness flickering in her eyes. "The strength of the Sigil depends on the Priest's power; a stronger Witch requires a stronger Priest to control her. If the Priest is not powerful enough to suppress the Demonic Aura within the Demon Attendant, leading to Demonization, he can only kill her. If the Priest dies, the unmoored Demon Attendant will also be killed by the Sigil. Therefore, the Holy See assesses each person's strength for matching. Dorian is a high-ranking High Priest, and his former Demon Attendant Seraphina was also one of the most powerful Executor Witches in the Sis Holy Court. Since Seraphina's death, the Holy See has attempted to find a new strong Witch for Dorian to contract with, but he has refused every offer."

Arabella felt an emptiness in her heart. It was clear that she had little connection to the word "power," destined only to look up to the High Priest standing on a cloud.