Chapter 399: Prelude to Chaos

Chapter 399: Prelude to Chaos

After experiencing numerous events recently, they began to notice some issues with the deity they worshipped.

This was also why His Holiness the Pope chose to leave the church. Of course, it cannot be ruled out that he might have received a divine oracle in secret.

In the days without His Holiness, the church seemed no different from usual, but there was a strange feeling in the air.

At that time, they simply thought that too many things had happened recently, causing unrest among the people. Without the Pope to stabilize the situation, such phenomena were bound to occur.

Unexpectedly, the entire Eternal Sun Church had been almost hollowed out from within.

The evil god who dared to challenge the Eternal Sun had already secretly extended his influence here.

More critically, the god had not provided them with the necessary revelations!

Does this mean that their god is no longer able to care for what is happening here?

The four surviving bishops had complex expressions and differing thoughts, while the sound of agonizing screams echoed in their ears.

The Pope's pyre was different from ordinary ones; it wouldn't easily burn sinners to death. Instead, it would slowly burn from the outside in, from the flesh to the soul, burning and scorching everywhere.

Cleansing the soul and washing away sins were not just empty words for His Holiness.

The two bishops who had abandoned their faith couldn't withstand the pyre for long. After just five minutes, their piercing screams had gradually become inaudible. Their bodies were completely burned away, and their souls turned into wisps of smoke in the golden flames.

When everything was over, Ross Hurley did not put away the pyre but looked at the remaining four bishops. "The firmer your faith in the god, the less you will be tempted. Only those with impure thoughts will be led astray. They are a warning to you. I hope I won't have to personally send you to the pyre in the future."

"Praise the Sun!" The four bishops bowed deeply to the statue and said loudly.

"The seeds of impurity have already begun to spread. Find them and send them to the pyre one by one. This is the best loyalty to the god."

Ross Hurley then taught them how to identify the heretics within the church whose faith had been corrupted.

They worshipped the newborn sun, not the eternal blazing sun.

Just bring them before the statue, have them drink the holy water that had been polluted, and recite the church's classic hymns, praising the sun.

Any believer with impure faith would reveal themselves before the god.

After the four bishops left, Ross Hurley finally put away the pyre and sighed heavily.

This was only a temporary solution, not a permanent one.

Corruption was permanent. No matter how pure the faith, it would eventually be completely consumed by long-term contamination.

Moreover, conducting this on a large scale would disturb the hearts of the believers, giving the evil god an opportunity.

But it couldn't be ignored either, or the rot would reach the heart. Cutting flesh was better than cutting bone.

Solving this problem at its root was a matter for the god. What he could do was alleviate the process as much as possible.

At least until the god fell, His temple must still shine brilliantly.

Ross Hurley stood silently in the temple for a long time until he felt a sense of connection and then left the temple.

Outside the capital Trier, sitting in a carriage that had not yet entered the city gates, Bernadette glanced at Cattleya, who was quietly sitting beside her. "You should find a place to stay first. I'll come to find you when I have time."

"Where are you going..."

Before Cattleya could finish her sentence, Bernadette's figure had already disappeared.

Looking at the empty seat, Cattleya sighed silently, pulled open the curtain, and saw the capital Trier right in front of her.

The carriage drove smoothly into Trier. Cattleya got off and walked along the street, taking in the unfamiliar sights of her hometown while looking for a suitable place to stay.

Originally, she had planned to buy a suitable villa as a residence for the queen, but now that she was alone, staying in a hotel seemed more appropriate.

Finally, she found a hotel with the best decor and a particularly grand appearance. She deliberately booked only one room to avoid missing the chance to meet the queen.

When she followed the staff to her room, the door of the room opposite opened, and a couple walked out.

The man had striking blond hair and wore clothes that clearly indicated he came from a noble family, though his appearance did not look like someone from Intis.

The girl wore a black court dress that was completely out of place with Intis's style, along with a small black hat, looking both exquisite and beautiful.

A very well-matched couple.

Cattleya only glanced at them briefly before entering her room and closing the door.

She vaguely heard a few words from the couple outside.

"Interesting."

"What do you mean?"

"Just interesting."

Cattleya frowned slightly. What kind of conversation was that? It left people confused.

People who liked to speak in riddles were annoying, always being mysterious and never saying a complete sentence.

She didn't think too much about it and went to the window, opened it, and leaned forward slightly, observing the city with its unique style.

The customs of Intis were different from other countries, and even the buildings here were unique. It was said that during the time of Emperor Roselle, he had single-handedly pushed for nationwide reforms.

But after his sudden fall at White Maple Palace, the Sauron family that succeeded him worked hard to amend the various laws and traces left by Emperor Roselle.

This back-and-forth resulted in Intis's architectural style being extremely polarized. Coupled with the strong individuality and freedom of the Intis people, the country did not have a unified style like others.

Cattleya watched the distant scenery for a while, then looked down at the street.

The couple who had passed by her earlier were now strolling down the street. The girl entered a clothing store to browse, while the man stayed outside at a café, sipping coffee.

She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but it seemed the man was also observing her. However, when she looked over, he was leisurely enjoying his coffee.

After confirming that she had been mistaken, she looked away and focused on a distant square.

Intis had a tradition of publicly executing criminals in front of ordinary citizens.

But today's execution scene was strange. The eight criminals were all believers of the Eternal Sun Church, still wearing the white robes issued by the church.

Moreover, they were being executed for the crime of blasphemy.

The firewood was ignited, and the roaring flames quickly consumed the sinful believers of the Eternal Sun Church.

...

At night, Cattleya still hadn't seen Bernadette in her room but heard new sounds from the room opposite.

She wasn't one to eavesdrop on others' privacy, but the noise and voices from the other room were loud.

After listening for a while, Cattleya understood what was happening.

Tonight, she happened to encounter a patrol team searching the hotel for suspicious individuals. According to the two soldiers, they were looking for a priest who had escaped from the church.

Knock, knock.

Cattleya's door was also knocked on, and she had to open it and cooperate with the questioning.

"If you encounter any suspicious individuals, remember to report it. If the information is accurate, you will receive a substantial reward."

The two patrol soldiers continued to knock on other doors, comparing a picture they had with the people they found.

"It seems there are serious problems within the Eternal Sun Church. What a coincidence," the man suddenly spoke.

"Your luck has always been good," the girl with the delicate appearance said calmly.

"I'll take that as a compliment," the man said, then glanced at Cattleya. "Miss, are you here in Intis for tourism?"

"Yes."

Cattleya nodded lightly, not wanting to engage in conversation, and closed the door.

After the brief interruption, everything returned to normal.

She thought the night would pass quietly, but in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, Cattleya suddenly sensed the presence of the queen. She immediately got up from bed.

To her surprise, the queen's presence was coming from the room opposite.

Could the queen have entered the wrong room?

After a moment's hesitation, she opened her door and walked to the room opposite.

Looking in, the room was brightly lit, and three figures were faintly visible.

The most familiar figure was the queen she had been waiting for, and the other two figures were likely the couple.

Did the queen know them?

Were they discussing something? Should she avoid interrupting at this moment to avoid seeming clingy and immature?

As Cattleya's thoughts raced, the queen's voice came from inside the room, "Are you planning to stand outside until dawn?"

Cattleya hesitated no more and pushed open the slightly ajar door, entering the room. She silently stood behind Bernadette, not speaking, but curiously glanced at the couple.

"You should have met them today," Bernadette said to Cattleya. "Hastur, Sharon, they are from Backlund in Ruen and are my friends."

"Cattleya, the queen's follower," Cattleya introduced herself briefly.

Hastur naturally recognized Cattleya, the Star Admiral who roamed the seas, known as Huang Jia Jia.