Chapter 357: She must be a Saintess!

As Charlotte's greatest cheat, the Gospel of Blood with its 『Divine Ritual Counter』 could intercept and modify almost any divine spell.

However, the reason it was "almost" was that not all "divine spells" could be detected by 『Divine Ritual Counter』.

The solidified divine spell 『Eye of Truth』 was one such exception.

Strictly speaking, solidified divine spells could not be considered true divine spells.

These spells, solidified on the caster's body, were no different from "magic."

More accurately, they should be described as solidified magic with a "church" background.

Because of this church background, people usually referred to them as "divine" spells.

Charlotte was most familiar with the Holy Court's Demon Hunter Bureau's 『Eye of Truth』.

When she first transmigrated and underwent the church's inspection, she had seen the Captain of Borde Demon Hunter, Kara, use it, and at that time, the Gospel of Blood had no reaction.

Later, during the Inquisition's siege of the Rose Society, the Inquisition Knight also used this spell on her.

To this day, Charlotte still doesn't understand the principle of this spell, only speculating that it was related to mental magic and might even involve soul essence and mental waves.

Facing this spell, she had to answer carefully and try not to lie, or the Archbishop might detect something wrong.

Thinking of this, Charlotte took a deep breath and carefully chose her words.

"In the illusion, you invited me to become the church's Saintess, but I declined."

Hearing this, Grand Inquisitor Bernard and Hunter Cardinal Joseph both froze.

They instinctively looked at Archbishop Charles, seeing his expression remain calm, so they followed suit and hid their surprise.

Charlotte took note of the reactions of the three Legendary clerics and continued.

"After the worship, I returned to the rented estate and soon received an invitation to a noble banquet…"

"The invitation was from Duke Gaston. I attended his banquet, which was graced by many nobles of the kingdom, including major nobles from various regions…"

"However, as I entered the banquet hall, all those nobles revealed their true identities… They were mostly bloodbornes!"

At this point, Charlotte's face turned slightly pale, showing a look of lingering fear.

She paused, took a few deep breaths to calm down, and continued.

"The leader of the bloodbornes told me that the banquet was prepared for me. They summoned the Blood Demon Archduke and wanted to devour me…"

"And I chose to resist…"

"Then I woke up…"

These were all truths.

Charlotte had experience dealing with such inspections.

She skipped the key points, choosing what she could say.

After speaking, Charlotte looked at Archbishop Charles, observing his reaction.

This Legendary cleric's expression remained calm, seemingly deep in thought.

He was clearly more experienced than the clergy in Borde, not ending the probing but contemplating for a moment.

Then he asked.

"Countess, please forgive my impertinence. Can you show us the power you used in the illusion?"

Hearing the Archbishop's words, Charlotte showed a troubled expression.

She shook her head and said,

"Sorry, Your Grace, I'm afraid I might disappoint you…"

"In the illusion, when facing the Blood Demon Archduke, I faintly sensed a discomfort and realized I might be in some kind of illusion."

"After that, I discovered I could imagine extraordinary powers, so the power I used was actually what I imagined."

Hearing this, the three Legendary clerics were stunned again.

This time, even Archbishop Charles seemed surprised.

The Hunter Cardinal and Grand Inquisitor looked incredulous.

They exchanged glances and couldn't help but whisper to each other, looking at the girl with increasingly peculiar expressions.

Archbishop Charles thought for a while and continued to ask.

"Then, countess, what power did you imagine in the illusion?"

Charlotte hesitated for a moment, looking a bit embarrassed.

"It was… the divine power."

"I've read many magic books and knew how to deal with illusions, so I imagined myself unleashing the divine power capable of fighting the Blood Demon Archduke."

"And then… I woke up."

Hearing Charlotte's words, Grand Inquisitor Bernard and Hunter Cardinal Joseph seemed even more shocked.

Hunter Cardinal Joseph hesitated, scrutinizing Charlotte with a look of doubt and contemplation.

Grand Inquisitor Bernard's eye twitched, looking at Charlotte with more astonishment and some confusion.

Even Archbishop Charles was slightly taken aback, seemingly surprised.

"Your Grace, do you have any other questions?"

Charlotte asked.

The Archbishop pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"One last question…"

"You said in the illusion, I invited you to become a Saintess, but you declined."

"Can you tell me why you declined?"

Hearing the Archbishop's question, Charlotte showed a hesitant expression.

She looked conflicted, seeming to hesitate about whether to speak.

After some struggle, she sighed as if resigning herself to fate.

"Because… I don't want to be controlled by the church…"

"I must admit, after the incident with Borde's Bishop, my trust in the church has significantly declined. I believe the church has become somewhat corrupted, and many clergy have long forgotten their faith…"

"Although they can wield holy power, they no longer deserve to do so."

"I even… regret my vow in Borde."

As she spoke, Charlotte repeated her refusal to the Archbishop in the dream.

Listening to Charlotte's account, Grand Inquisitor Bernard frowned thoughtfully.

His expression gradually became serious and earnest, and he nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with some of her criticisms of the church.

Cardinal Joseph also nodded quietly.

He looked at Charlotte with a knowing expression, and his gaze towards her was less suspicious and more admiring, with even a hint of fervor.

Archbishop Charles remained as calm as ever.

However, Charlotte keenly noticed that although she was speaking ill of the church, the highest cleric of the Crescent Diocese's gaze became increasingly gentle.

"Archbishop, I'm done. Can this examination… end now?"

Charlotte asked timely.

The three Legendary clerics exchanged glances.

Archbishop Charles looked at his two colleagues, and both Grand Inquisitor Bernard and Cardinal Joseph nodded slightly.

Seeing his colleagues' attitudes, the Archbishop also withdrew his gaze and nodded slightly, saying,

"Thank you for your cooperation, Countess. I have no more questions."

"So… can I leave now?"

Charlotte asked.

Her expression returned to calm, and within that calm was a hint of coldness and detachment.

Archbishop Charles was momentarily stunned, then smiled wryly.

"Of course, the suspicions on you have been cleared. If you wish, you can leave at any time."

As he spoke, the brilliance in his eyes gradually faded, clearly dispelling the 『Eye of Truth』. He then bowed apologetically to Charlotte and said,

"Countess, please allow us to offer our sincere apologies once again…"

Charlotte's expression softened, and she sighed lightly.

"Archbishop, if all the clergy of the Holy Court were as earnest and responsible as you, perhaps… my impression of the church wouldn't have deteriorated so much."

This time, she addressed the Archbishop not as "Your Grace" but as his title.

With that, Charlotte picked up her skirt, bowed to the three Legendary clerics, and then turned to leave.

Watching the decisive departure of the young girl, Cardinal Joseph hesitated.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but seeing the silence of the other two Legendary clerics, he eventually closed his mouth again.

Charlotte's figure disappeared from their sight.

However, with their powerful Legendary senses, the three clerics could still sense the girl's movements.

In their perception, the girl quickly left and returned to the cathedral's prayer hall.

A small service was being prepared in the cathedral's prayer hall.

As the largest cathedral in Lutecia, numerous services were held here daily, and at that moment, it was time for a holy service.

The girl instructed her attendants to leave a large chest of gold tana as donations from the believers, then walked towards the church's exit.

However, as she reached the door, she hesitated for a moment and chose to join the service.

Like the most devout believer, the girl blended into the crowd in the hall and prayed with her eyes closed before the statue of the Lord.

As the cleric prayed, the hall was bathed in light, and a holy radiance enveloped the entire place.

The three Legendary clerics keenly sensed that at the moment the holy light descended, most of it fell on the girl. Even the cleric leading the service had less light on them than the girl.

Sacred, pure, beautiful…

Even without being there in person, the three Legendary clerics could almost imagine the scene through their senses.

Perceiving this, the expressions of the three clerics varied.

Cardinal Joseph's eyes widened, and he became instantly excited. He instinctively wanted to rush to the prayer hall, but restrained himself under Archbishop Charles' signaling glance.

Grand Inquisitor Bernard's expression changed slightly, becoming contemplative, yet he did not seem surprised.

It was as if, in his understanding, the girl was supposed to be like this.

And after the service ended, the girl quickly stood up, looking devout and content.

She declined the cleric's enthusiastic invitation and turned to leave.

This time, she truly left the church.

"Archbishop, are you just… going to let her go like that?"

Cardinal Joseph couldn't help but ask.

Archbishop Charles glanced at him and replied somewhat irritably.

"She is not an Evil God's follower, and she is a noble of the kingdom. If she wants to leave, why shouldn't we let her?"

Hearing this answer, cardinal Joseph finally became anxious.

He said excitedly.

"Archbishop, you must have sensed that holy light on her, brighter than that of a third-tier cleric, right?!"

"Not everyone can have such holy light. She passed the 'Eternal Sacred Realm' test and even imagined the power of creation in the 'Eternal Sacred Realm'!"

"You know, even we can't imagine the power of the Lord in the 'Eternal Sacred Realm'!"

"That is the power of creation! Even if it was just a projection of the power of creation, it is still the power of creation!"

Hearing Cardinal Joseph's rambling, archbishop Charles sighed.

"So, what are you trying to say?"

"A Saintess! She must be the Saintess chosen by the Lord!"

Cardinal Joseph said excitedly.

"To project the power of creation in an illusion, there are only two possibilities: either… she possesses the power of creation herself, or… she is protected by the power of creation!"

"Either way, it means she is the Saintess we have been longing for!"

"Archbishop, I know matters concerning the Saintess are under your jurisdiction, and I have no right to interfere, but why did you let her leave?"

"Our Crescent Diocese hasn't had a Saintess for a long time. Having a Saintess would greatly ease the pressure on the Demon Hunter Bureau and the Inquisition!"

"By the Lord! I knew the cardinals in the Theocracy were getting out of hand. Clearly, a Saintess has appeared in our Crescent Diocese, yet they didn't convey the divine revelation to us!"

"The Saintess was right. These people… have almost forgotten their duties for the sake of their power, and now they even try to suppress the Diocese, hiding the news of the Saintess!"

Seeing the overly excited Cardinal Joseph, Archbishop Charles looked helpless.

This guy really had become more like a Demon Hunter Knight after spending too much time with them.

He even called her Saintess without hesitation!

Archbishop Charles glanced at Cardinal Joseph and said,

"So, should we have forcibly detained her? Didn't you hear her previous refusal?"

Cardinal Joseph was stunned and then said sheepishly.

"But, if we treat her sincerely, show her reason, and meet her needs as much as possible… would she agree?"

Archbishop Charles shook his head.

"It's not as simple as you think…"

"I have already communicated with the Saintess Palace of the Theocracy. The Great Cathedral indeed has not received a divine revelation about the Saintess, or more accurately, there has been no new revelation in the past two years…"

He sighed slightly.

"Since the Lord's slumber, the church has indeed been declining, and the number of corrupt clergy has been increasing, but no one dares to conceal a divine revelation…"

"Moreover, we are Legendary clerics of the Crescent Diocese. If the Saintess descended in Crescent, we should also sense the Lord's will."

Listening to Archbishop Charles, cardinal Joseph gradually calmed down.

He frowned, hesitating as if in deep conflict.

"No… that's impossible… All signs indicate that she is indeed the Saintess of our Lord. Could the power of creation be disguised?"

Archbishop Charles sighed and said,

"In any case… we need further judgment. After all, she is a lord of Crescent and won't run away. We can try to pray to the Lord and inquire about this matter. The matter of the Saintess is of great importance. Although it has become increasingly difficult to establish a connection with the Lord in recent years, if she truly is the Saintess, the Lord will surely give a sign…"

"No… Archbishop, perhaps the Lord has already given a sign."

Grand Inquisitor Bernard suddenly said.

Hearing his words, the two Legendary clerics turned their eyes to him, and the Grand Inquisitor said solemnly.

"Do you remember the miracle from a year ago?"