Chapter 307: There Is No Way to Mature
Translator: Subudai11 Editor: Chrissy
Two days finally pa.s.sed. It was a fine sunny morning.
The Holy Woman of Holy Light Religion Marina got out of the bed early, and after was.h.i.+ng, she began her routine prayer.
After breakfast, she let the servant carefully tidy up her room and also trim and rearrange the flower and plants in the garden. She then quietly waited at the door, waiting for the arrival of the two zealous girls.
Before long, a beautiful like-a-rainbow colored dress appeared in the distance, followed by a string of sweet and clear laughter.
The edges of Marina’s mouth slightly tilted upward. Whenever she heard that familiar voice, her mood would always lift up and become carefree.
The young Nine Regions girl Liu Li has such a magical charm. And by Liu Li’s side, Bai s.h.i.+xuan was always so simple and elegant that whenever Marina met her, even the slightest uneasiness in her would immediately vanish.
In accordance with the order from Archbishop Rowan, Marina could not meet them again. However, Marina was someone who believes that anything that started well should end well also. After all, both sides did not do anything wrong, and even if they could not meet again, they should at least have a proper goodbye.
And the day to say goodbye… was just that, one day. During which, she would explain the religious doctrine of the Holy Light for the last time, and then bid farewell to them. Marina has firmly made her decision.
"Aunt Marina, we’ve carefully thought about the previous matter!"
When they met, Liu Li went straight to the point. However, Marina smiled and shook her head. "Let’s talk about that latter. Today we’ll finish the rest of religious doctrine."
"Finish them all? You seem tense." Bai s.h.i.+xuan was doubtful. "Is there something wrong?"
Marina marveled about how keen the opposite party was but denied it, "It’s nothing. I just feel that with your understanding, you guys can learn faster."
"Well, okay then."
The time spent in explaining the religious teachings was swift, and in the twinkling of an eye, the sun has already set in the western sky. The long half-day course has also come to an end.
"Aa, today’s gain is good enough!" Liu Li took a long stretch. "By the way, about joining the church…"
Marina lightly interrupted, "I have something to tell you before that..."
However, before she could continue, the frightened voice of the servant suddenly came from the outside, "You guys can’t go in, Holy Woman is now…"
"Get lost!"
That violent roar and the pained cry of the servant came at the same time, which surprised Marina.
Who dared to be rude in the Dragon City Cathedral ground? Trespa.s.sing the private dwelling of the Holy Woman was a serious provocation to the dignity of the Holy Light Religion! In Brettonia, no one would have such a gut!
A moment later, seven to eight people, all with different looks, barged in. The gloomy atmosphere was thick. They all wore a uniform with a unified golden lightning on the chest.
"Inquisitor!" Upon seeing the shape of that emblem, Marina’s facial expression greatly changed. "How could it be the Inquisitor?"
Inquisitor, as the name suggested, was an inst.i.tution used by Holy Light Religion to punish heresy, an elite force of the church. They were radical, powerful, and infamous. They were fanatics of the Holy Light, and they dared to kill anyone in order to spread their faith. And because of them, the blood shed from the chaos of war was countless.
It was just that, in Dragon City, perhaps it was because of the repression from the Dragon City Guards, but the work of the Inquisitor has been low-key for many years. And Marina’s contact with them was also very few. Nevertheless, she never thought that they would suddenly appear in front of her at this time!
"What are you guys doing? Even inquisitor can’t just arbitrarily break into my place!"
Marina did not like to pressure other people with her ident.i.ty, but upon seeing that the others had come with a bad intention and even hurt her servant, her face inevitably turned gloomy.
The inquisitor delegation was headed by a tall knight. Seeing the Holy Woman, he had no choice but to stop his footsteps. However, his expression was not in the least bit respectful. He lightly said, "We have received a reliable report that the two women here are spies sent by the heretics of Nine Regions, so they need to be immediately investigated by the inquisitor."
"Spies?" Marina was startled. "That’s ridiculous! They have been strictly vetted by the Dragon City Guards, and you tell me they’re spies!"
The inquisitor Knight was somewhat impatient. "That will be decided by the Chief Inquisitor. If Sister Holy Woman has any objection, you can bring it to the Chief Inquisitor!"
Marina angrily said, "Then call your Chief Inquisitor here so that he can tell me in person! You can’t just casually take away people, you guys are ignoring the law and natural morality!"
Seeing that the Holy Woman was resolute, the Inquisitor Knight’s complexion turned gloomy and uncertain. But then he looked at Liu Li and Bai s.h.i.+xuan, and he maliciously asked, "So, you’re dead set on protecting these two people?"
Marina didn’t budge even for an inch. "I can’t let you just take them away!"
"Oh, I understand." That Inquisitor Knight nodded and then said to the companion behind him, "It’s certain, the Holy Woman is their accomplice. We now can make our move."
"You!" Marina, feeling startled and furious at the same time, immediately released a pale golden Holy Light s.h.i.+eld, trying to keep all the Inquisitors out. Although she didn’t understand any fighting skill, as a Holy Woman, her ability was comparable to that of high order profession. The s.h.i.+eld, though hastily put out, has no less defensive power than a large city wall, which was hard to shake.
However, the inquisitor Knight was not talentless. During his speech, he already drew out a scarlet sword that was overflowing with killing intent and wielded it at that protective s.h.i.+eld, shaking it.
At the same time, the rest of the inquisitors also made their moves. Before their departure, they expected that they would be in conflict with the Holy Woman. Therefore, everything has already been prepared in advance. A priest released a golden lightning. This extremely targeted spell instantly destroyed the s.h.i.+eld. Marina felt that the Holy Light in her mind, in a split second, became scalding hot, which stimulated her seven orifices to overflow with blood and made her unable to move.
Seizing this opportunity, two fast-moving inquisitors swiftly stepped forward towards Liu Li and Bai s.h.i.+xuan, tied them with a golden chain, summoned a steel cage and put them inside.
"Don’t go too far!" Marina reached out, wiped the blood from her face and the magnificent power of Holy Light came pouring into her body.
The inquisitor Knight’s countenance greatly changed. "Holy Light Descend? You’re going to go all out on us? Are you crazy?"
Regardless of how unskilled the Holy Woman in the fight was, she was, after all, a high order profession, thus, when she went all out, her power was exceptionally astonis.h.i.+ng. And although the inquisitors were all adept at fighting, they were actually still below high order professions, thus, they couldn’t help but be shocked at the amazing power of Marina.
But at this time, the front door of her place was suddenly opened, revealing a curious and slightly frightened small head.
"Mom, what’s going on there?"
Marina’s face was suddenly drained of color. "Irene, don’t come out!"
The inquisitor Knight was slightly startled, and then grinned fiendishly. "Sister Holy Woman, restrain your magical ability. I think we don’t want to see any accident to happen, right?"
"D-Did you just use my daughter to threaten me?"
"I don’t want to threaten anyone, we’re here just to follow orders, so please let us do our job!"
"Shamelessly despicable!" Blood seeped down from the corner of Marina’s mouth; her anger had actually shocked her gum that it burst.
"Hehe." The Inquisitor Knight sneered. "Yes, shamelessly despicable. Honor and glory belong to the Holy Woman, but shamelessness belongs to us."
With that, two inquisitors sealed the cage and immediately withdrew from the courtyard.
Before going out, the Inquisitor Knight turned his head and jokingly said, "Sister Holy Woman, goodbye."
Marina bowed her head but eventually didn’t try to stop them. She couldn’t let her daughter take the risk.
However, deep inside, she wanted herself, who was incompetent and cowardly, to die.
At this time, there was only one person who could help her.
—
"Alas, I have already told you, don’t meet with them again, but you didn’t listen to me, see what happens because of that?"
Seeing the lingering blood on Marina’s face, Archbishop Rowan could not help but take a deep sigh.
With eyes red from crying, Marina said, "They are innocent!"
Rowan said, "Of course I know they’re innocent. Otherwise, how could I tolerate them from repeatedly entering the Cathedral ground?"
Marina said, "They… put their trust in me, only then they came out of the barrack and met me. If not for me, they would’ve still stayed in the barrack, still under the protection of Bedivere, and would not be arrested by the inquisitors!"
Rowan sighed. "I know that you blame yourself for this. You do have responsibility for this, but now, what can you do? They’ve already been caught, do you want to go to the inquisitors and save them?"
Marina said, "If there’s no other way… so be it. I can’t just leave this matter alone."
"Preposterous!" Rowan was furious. "You’re not a child anymore, so stop acting willfully! Where do you think those inquisitors are that you can just go in?"
Marina suddenly smiled. "Am I? They’re just two innocent children. How can I be willful if I just want to save innocent people?"
"This is not a simple matter of black and white like that!"
Marina didn’t yield. "But we are the Holy Light Religion! If as the amba.s.sador of the Holy Light we can’t even distinguish between the black and white, how would this world turn into?"
"That’s enough specious words! I think you need to calm down. Go to the quiet room for a bit!"
The Archbishop waved his hand, the dark portal was opened and immediately sucked Marina into it.
"Come and find me after you calm down."
—
Behind the dark portal was a dark, narrow room, with no sound or light.
This was the quiet room situated underground hundreds of meters below the Cathedral. It was a place usually used by the priests to soothe themselves when they were irritated. In the quiet room, there was only absolute quiet, which could let people clearly see their own heart.
Feeling the damp and cold after being sent here by the Archbishop, Marina’s body trembled, and her feverish mind cooled down.
"When I think about it, what Archbishop said is actually true. Although Liu Li and Bai s.h.i.+xuan are innocent, they have already been taken by the inquisitors, so what can I do? Breaking through their place? That would only make the situation worse."
A mature person should know how to accept reality. One could try infinitely hard before the result arrives, but once the result appears, one must learn to accept it.
"Unfortunately, I’m probably doomed unable to mature." From the moment the Archbishop granted her the emblem of Holy Woman, since she vowed to use all of her life to spread the Holy Light in all kinds of weather, she was doomed to not be able to mature as other people.
It was impossible to spread silly rumors with impunity, it was impossible to violate her conscience for the so-called future, and even more impossible… to turn a blind eye to the wrongful treatment that happened before her eyes!
"I’m sorry, Your Grace Rowan, I… might still let you down."
Marina silently took out a ring from inside her garment. A gift given to her by Bedivere a long time ago. It was a very precious transmission ring. As long as she stimulated the magic spell on the ring, she could move to another place immediately. Unfortunately, the two then soon broke their relations.h.i.+p, and after that, she never used it.
Now, she could only rely on his strength...
The woman rubbed the surface of the ring. The next moment, strange fluctuation spread out, which twisted the s.p.a.ce along with it, and Marina’s figure also disappeared.
—
Meanwhile, inside the inquisitor’s jail.
"Sister Bai, I’m so bored." Liu Li looked at the shackles on her hands and feet. "Senior Brother told us to pretend to be caught, but he didn’t tell us when to stop pretending, I’m already hungry…"
Bai s.h.i.+xuan lightly smiled. Even when they were inside a jail, it didn’t change her calm temperament. "Senior Brother said that someone would soon save us, and at that time, we will get out. So be patient a bit, okay."
Liu Li hung down her shoulders. "Can I just save myself?" With that, she put a secret seal on the shackles, which with a clanking sound, immediately broke, and the broken parts were extremely smooth.
Bai s.h.i.+xuan smiled and shook her head.
Liu Li looked at her with a pitiful look. "But I’m really hungry."
Bai s.h.i.+xuan sighed and then shook her head. "Sure enough, just like what Senior Brother said, you can’t hold yourself. Very well, here it is."
While speaking, the shackles on Bai s.h.i.+xuan’s hands also naturally fell and many tasty chicken legs appeared in her hand.
"Senior Brother said, if you can persist in the inquisitor’s jail without complaining, your reward will be these chicken legs. So please bear with it."
"Oh, no problem then!"