Chapter 22: Saint Louise

Time rewinds to a little earlier.

In the depths of the Holy Temple, within the sanctuary that mortals could not set foot in.

The viscous, dark-red ground, like the chamber of a giant creature, suddenly trembled violently.

The roiling blood mist on the dome turned into a rain of blood.
Countless opening and closing pores contracted crazily, emitting a terrifying shriek.

“ROAR—!!!”

A roar sounded deep within the souls of all Holy Blood believers, a roar containing endless pain and furious rage.

In the Holy Capital of the Royal Court, inside the grand Holy Blood Cathedral, the Blood-Robed Bishop, who was leading the believers in prayer, suddenly stopped his prayer.

“My Lord… is enraged?!”
The Blood-Robed Bishop screamed in alarm.
He could clearly feel that the vast, sea-like source of life force that sustained the foundation of the Royal Court was collapsing!

A sense of despair for impending doom, originating from the instinct for life, instantly spread to every believer through the link of the contract.

A pious nun, holding a chalice full of fresh blood, suddenly collapsed to the ground; a sturdy knight’s flesh under his armor began to rot; ordinary believers, everyone felt the drain of their life force.

The God of Holy Blood, that twisted existence composed of the remnants of a god and the faith of all beings, had fallen into an unprecedented madness tonight!

It had sensed it.
The contract that sustained its life force had been severed!
And without this contract, the body of the Holy Blood was being continuously eroded by an unknown power.

The speed of its flesh and blood collapsing exceeded the speed of its recovery, breaking the fragile balance and making the Holy Blood feel the fear of death once again.

Death!
Real, complete death!
Like the shadow of that great cataclysm five hundred years ago, it once again enveloped this decaying divine body.

Its only remaining instinct for survival was completely aroused!
It was no longer stingy, no longer restrained.

A vast, ocean-like life force, in an unprecedentedly violent state, frantically surged out along the veins of the contracts!

It was using its own authority, burning its own power, desperately searching for Lilith’s aura!

The entire power system of the Holy Blood Royal Court was also on the verge of collapse.
The priority of the Holy Blood Contracts was forcibly lowered, and countless contractors were having their life force drained!

In the depths of the endless sea of stars, in a strange temple constructed of golden contracts, under a vast golden light screen of constantly flowing billions of runes and numbers.

Each string of runes represented an ongoing Holy Exchange Contract.
The flow of resources in the world, the rise and fall of civilizations, all were within this temple.

On the throne in the center of the temple, a vague figure composed of a pure stream of information, its attention was instantly focused on an alarm light screen flashing with a dazzling blood-red light.

“Oh? The collapse coefficient of the Holy Blood has exceeded the critical threshold?”
The emotionless voice said to itself.

“I thought the Holy Blood was going crazy again, but I didn’t expect it to feel fear…”

It raised its hand and grasped.
Countless streams of information gathered in its palm, searching for news about the Saintess of the Royal Court.

In almost an instant, everything that happened in Twilight Town, through Louise’s perception, was all acquired by the Holy Exchange.

A contract composed of golden runes was instantly generated and, through the magic net that covered the continent, was directly projected into the chaotic and enraged core consciousness of the Holy Blood.

This was a price list, for information about Lilith.

The Holy Blood did not hesitate in the slightest.
Although this Holy Exchange guy was a treacherous merchant, at least his goods were real.

This contract was instantly completed, and the Holy Blood also learned what had happened in Twilight Town.
It would also take time for it to teleport its believers there now.

Besides, there wasn’t much of its power in that remote place.
Even if the believers went, the strength they could muster wouldn’t be too strong, and they would probably be no match for the heretics of the God-Burying Society.

And at this moment, a new contract was transmitted.

「Holy Exchange Contract · Divine Advent」

Use the divine power of the Holy Exchange to rescue the Saintess of the Royal Court, guaranteeing the continuation of the Holy Blood’s core contract.

Price: Priority trading rights for the Holy Blood’s resources for the next 100 years, permission to research fragments of the Holy Blood’s divinity…

The terms of this contract were so harsh that they were enough to allow the Holy Exchange to use various means to bankrupt a kingdom in the future!
It even touched upon the most core secrets of the Holy Blood.

However, at this moment, the Holy Blood, on the verge of extinction, its remaining instinct for survival overrode everything!

“Deal!!!”

Without any bargaining, this contract to borrow the power of the Holy Exchange was instantly concluded under the will of the two gods.

“The contract is established.”
Louise spoke, her voice no longer the slightly lazy tone from before.

It was an indifference where emotion was so faint it was almost non-existent, like a lofty god.

“Mission objective: Rescue Saintess Lilith Lancaster.”

“Price: The Holy Blood has paid.”

“Executor: Holy Exchange Apostle No. 995.”

As soon as her words fell, Louise casually swiped her right hand in the void.
The Merchant’s Contract floating in front of her shone brightly.

Countless fine golden runes flowed, and then formed a white metal disc about two meters in diameter.

The edge of the disc flowed with gilded energy, and it floated half a foot above the ground.

“Get on.”
Louise’s golden eyes turned to Bai Jin, her command concise to the extreme.
“Show the way.”

Bai Jin’s scalp tingled from the shock of this sudden turn of events and the technological creation that surpassed her common sense.

She didn’t dare to hesitate in the slightest.
Forcibly enduring the intense pain in her body, she scrambled onto the disc with her hands and feet.

With Louise’s will, the disc flew up rapidly, and through the crack in the blood-red light screen, rushed into the darkness.

Vera was held tightly by Director Emma.
Watching Bai Jin’s figure disappear into the night, her small face was filled with a complex expression.

The surface of the disc was as smooth as a mirror, and it was exceptionally stable to stand on.
After taking off, a golden light screen covered the two of them, isolating the fierce wind pressure.

In this enclosed space, alone with this being who was like a god’s representative, Bai Jin’s breathing became cautious, but her mind was constantly guessing.

‘Another Contract of Fate. Does that mean the Holy Exchange is also a god?’

‘Then does that mean I also have my own Contract of Fate, and I’m actually a god too?’

‘What kind of god can’t even hold on to her own divine power!!!’

‘But why did the Holy Exchange suddenly intervene?’

‘Louise said before that the price had been paid by the Holy Blood. Could it be a PY transaction between gods?’

‘Then does that mean…’

‘The Louise in front of me is actually the God of Holy Exchange?’

Thinking of this, Bai Jin couldn’t help but get goosebumps.

She thought of her own Contract of Fate, the authority in her mind, 『Reversal』.

‘Could there be some kind of detection method between gods? Just like her 『Reversal』, which can detect the existence of contracts.’

Bai Jin didn’t dare to think further.
She was afraid that the being in front of her would directly attack her.

‘Right now, I have no death energy, which means I can’t use my authority. So right now, I’m just fish on a chopping block.’

Bai Jin’s body trembled involuntarily.
She couldn’t tell if it was physical pain or fear from her heart.

“What are you afraid of?”

Louise’s sudden voice made Bai Jin’s heart pound even more wildly.
Her mind was full of how to reply.

So she asked cautiously, “Your Eminence, are you… that one?”

“Heh, I am not the Holy Exchange.”

This answer instantly put Bai Jin at ease, but on second thought, ‘could she be tricking me?’

“Then… who are you exactly?”

“I am Saint Louise, the master of the Merchant’s Contract Alliance. You can also see me as the Saintess of the Holy Exchange…”