Chapter 7 : The Night Visit

Night fell.

The once-bustling streets of the main city were now deserted and cold.

News of the approaching beast tide made people prefer the safety of their homes.

A carriage bearing the crest of the Verald family stopped at the back gate of the Church of Radiant Light, concealed by the darkness.

Count Theodore Verald, accompanied by only two servants, entered the church through the rear entrance.

The Count’s communication with the Emperor that afternoon had not gone well.

He learned from the Emperor that the entire southern border of the Radiant Empire was under assault by beast tides.

The lords of the territories surrounding Verald were all preoccupied with their own defenses.

Imperial reinforcements would not be able to arrive for some time.

Based on the projections of his staff, Count Verald knew that defending against this beast tide with the strength of his domain alone would come at a terrible price.

What the Count wanted was a healthy Verald domain, not a piece of fat meat left gasping for breath after the war.

Since the Emperor’s army could not provide timely support, Count Verald’s only remaining option was to seek help from the Church of Radiant Light.

Although the Count did not want the Church to extend its influence into his territory, he now had no other choice.

Count Verald paused at a fork in the path deep within the church.

To the left was the residence of Bishop Fletcher, the nominal ruler of the Verald Diocese.

To the right was the residence of Veronica, the transcendent and independent Saintess.

Count Verald had met both Bishop Fletcher and Saintess Veronica once.

He stood at the crossroads for a long time.

Finally, the Count chose to go right.

The Count’s choice nudged the hands of fate.

The destinies of Bishop Fletcher, Count Theodore Verald, and Saintess Veronica would diverge in completely different directions after this night’s visit.

Inside the Saintess’s residence, Veronica was entertaining the Count who had suddenly come to visit.

The Saintess, clad only in a thin nightgown, and the Count sat at opposite ends of a long sofa table.

The diligent maid, Serra, had already poured two cups of hot tea before their conversation began.

When Veronica first heard the news of the Count’s visit, she was relieved.

Although she didn’t know why the Count sought her out, she was glad that he had come to her first, not Bishop Fletcher.

Despite Count Verald’s best efforts to hide it, Veronica saw the exhaustion and anxiety in his eyes.

Veronica, as Su Luo in his past life, had seen many people like this.

She decided to wear down the Count’s patience first.

After all, negotiations are a game of information asymmetry.

Only by understanding the other party’s intentions could one name the right price.

At this moment, Veronica was like a fox studying its prey, sizing up the Count.

The maid Serra, on the other hand, remained as calm and composed as ever.

“Your Holiness, I have come this time to…”

“This tea is too bitter.

Serra, bring me a sugar cube!”

Veronica interrupted the Count before he could finish.

This greatly annoyed the Count; in the past, anyone who dared to interrupt him like this would have been tired of living.

But Count Verald could not lose his temper now, not only because of Veronica’s status as the Saintess, but also because he was the one asking for a favor.

Watching Veronica slowly place the sugar cube into her teacup and stir it, the Count spoke again, “Your Holiness, I…”

“Don’t be in such a hurry, my Lord Count.

Would you like a sugar cube?”

Veronica interrupted the Count again, pushing the small bowl of sugar cubes in front of him with a smile.

The Count ignored her offer of sugar, instead grabbing his own teacup and downing the black tea in one gulp.

“Your Holiness, I wish to borrow troops from the Church.”

“Borrow troops?”

After Count Verald recounted the full story of the beast tide, Veronica immediately sensed that something was amiss.

According to the Count’s narrative, the Church only needed to send troops to fight alongside his army for a month, after which imperial reinforcements would arrive.

But if that was the case, what was Count Verald so anxious about?

After her two consecutive interruptions, the Count’s anxiety had clearly increased.

Was it the scale of the beast tide, or the imperial reinforcements?

Where had Count Verald lied?

Although Veronica didn’t know which part of his story was false, she knew that Count Verald intended to use the people of the Church of Radiant Light as cannon fodder.

However, Veronica didn’t care about that, because she, the Saintess, was not the one in charge of the Verald Diocese.

Veronica was merely a puppet Saintess controlled by Bishop Fletcher, but the Count didn’t know this.

“Very well, I agree to your request.

However, I have one condition.”

Veronica’s reply overjoyed the Count.

He quickly said, “No problem, Your Holiness.

Whatever the Church’s condition is, as long as it is within my, Theodore Verald’s, power to grant.”

Veronica chuckled softly, “My Lord Count, please don’t misunderstand.

This is my condition, not the Church’s condition.

But you can rest assured, my request is but a trivial matter for you, my Lord Count.”

After weighing Veronica’s proposed condition, Count Verald ultimately agreed.

Once they reached an agreement, the Count asked, “Then, Your Holiness, what is the Church’s condition?”

“For that, you will have to speak with my agent, my Lord Count.”

Veronica pushed open the door.

Bishop Fletcher, fully dressed and accompanied by several Church knights, was already waiting outside.

Although Veronica was currently Bishop Fletcher’s puppet, only the Bishop himself and a few of his confidants knew this.

In public, Bishop Fletcher had always claimed that Saintess Veronica was a devout believer who was not interested in diocesan affairs, and that he, Bishop Fletcher, was the agent she had chosen.

Although Veronica didn’t know what Bishop Fletcher and Count Verald discussed, when she woke up the next day, the news of the collaboration between the Count and the Church was already common knowledge.

“Serra, another slice of roasted beast meat.”

Veronica was in a good mood today.

Although this female body of hers didn’t have a large appetite and got full quickly, a hearty meal had always been Su Luo’s way of celebrating a successful endeavor.

“Bliss.”

As the juices of the charcoal-grilled beast meat burst in her mouth, a contented smile appeared on Veronica’s face.

The maid Serra stood by, her expression still impassive, but her mind was not as calm as her face suggested.

Watching the Saintess enjoy her meal with a look of satisfaction, Serra recalled her conversation with Bishop Fletcher in the church’s secret chamber last night, after the Count had left.

Most of the conversation was of no concern to Serra, but one sentence had remained in her mind.

“Serra, do you think Veronica has changed?”