Chapter 33: Spreading the Faith

At the central square of Twilight Town, a temporary camp for the Royal Court’s people had now been set up.

Magnificent tents, emblazoned with crimson cross insignias, had been erected, clashing with the low, simple houses of the common folk.

The carriage belonging to the Saintess stopped at the edge of the square.
The door opened, and Lilith, lifting her plain white skirt, elegantly stepped onto the temporarily swept stone ground.

Bai Jin followed closely behind.
Not far behind them, Abraham and Cain reined in their horses and stopped, their gazes sweeping over the surroundings, searching for hidden dangers.

Bishop Carlos, who had already received the news, had a respectful smile plastered on his face and hurried forward to greet them.
His magnificent deep-red bishop’s robe was exceptionally dazzling under the sun.

“Welcome, Your Holiness the Saintess! May the glory of the Holy Blood forever shine upon you!”
Carlos bowed deeply, his posture impeccable.

Lilith let out an annoyed “tsk,” her gaze passing directly over him and landing on the large tent in the center of the square, which was like a small palace.

“The things I asked for, are they ready?”

The smile on Carlos’s face stiffened slightly, then returned to normal.
“The supplies Your Holiness requires, I have already urgently allocated. Please, Your Highness, come and inspect them.”

Carlos led them into the tent.
The space inside was vast, the ground covered with a thick, deep-red velvet carpet.
In the most conspicuous position were several specially made metal boxes.

Carlos personally stepped forward and carefully opened one of them.

Inside the box, fist-sized, dark-red crystals were neatly arranged.

These crystals were not completely transparent.
It was as if viscous blood were slowly flowing inside, emitting a pure fluctuation of life force.

Lilith stepped forward, picked up a piece, and examined it before her eyes, then nodded in satisfaction.
“The quality of these blood crystals is not bad. My Lord Bishop has really gone to great expense~”

The corner of Carlos’s mouth twitched.
Looking at the crystal being played with so casually by Lilith, his heart was bleeding!

These blood crystals were his annual salary as a regional bishop, a reserve prepared for developing the diocese and cultivating his trusted followers!

One blood crystal required the Shepherds to harvest an entire pasture to form.
The life force it contained could completely replenish a contractor who had exhausted their life force.

Now, a large part of it had been taken away by this Saintess with a light sentence, to be used to supplement the tattered barrier of this remote town!

This was simply gouging out his heart!

‘Damn God-Burying Society! Damn attack!’

Carlos roared crazily in his heart, attributing all the resentment from his losses to the God-Burying Society.

He forcibly endured the pain in his heart, his face still wearing a humble smile.
“It is my honor to be able to share Your Highness’s worries.”

At this moment, the town mayor of Twilight Town was peeking in from outside the tent.
Only after getting permission did he cautiously enter, bowing repeatedly to Lilith and Carlos.

“May Her Holiness the Saintess be well, may My Lord Bishop be well…”
The town mayor’s voice was filled with trepidation.
“It’s like this, the foremen of the Merchant’s Contract Alliance are in a dispute with the townspeople.”

Carlos frowned.
‘Bothering me with such trivial disputes?’
He was about to scold him, but then he remembered Lilith’s previous order.

He immediately straightened his back and put on a majestic posture.
“Hmph! The people of the Merchant’s Contract Alliance are too outrageous. This is a land under the protection of the Holy Blood. We will not tolerate their mischief.”

“Take two Holy Blood Knights with you and go resolve the dispute. If they dare to cause trouble again, have their person in charge come see me!”

His righteous speech carried a faint hint of seeking credit from Lilith.
The town mayor, as if granted a great amnesty, repeatedly thanked him and withdrew.

However, Lilith didn’t even raise an eyelid from beginning to end, as if she hadn’t heard the conversation between the town mayor and Carlos at all.

Her attention was entirely on those blood crystals.
Her slender fingers tapped lightly on the surface of the crystals.
She had completely disregarded Carlos’s petty thoughts and performance.

Seeing this, Carlos felt even more stifled and sullenly closed his mouth.

The group walked out of the tent, preparing to return to the carriage.
The square was bustling with people.
Besides the busy Holy Blood Knights and clergy, there were more townspeople who were curious and filled with awe.

Just then, Lilith’s gaze froze, stopping at the edge of the square.

Several Shepherds in white robes were surrounding a small group of townspeople.
One of them was holding a thick Holy Blood Bible, eloquently proclaiming the greatness and redemption of the Holy Blood.

Their words were full of incitement.
Some of the townspeople around them had a dazed yet longing expression on their faces.

Lilith’s small face instantly darkened.
She whipped her head around, her cold gaze shooting towards Carlos like a sharp sword.

“Bishop Carlos! Is this what you call strict restraint? Tell me, what are they doing now?”

Carlos was startled by Lilith’s sudden anger, but he was self-righteous and quickly bowed to explain.

“Your Highness, please quell your anger! I have followed your order and strictly ordered them not to disturb the nuns of the church, and not to show any disrespect!”

“As for preaching…”
He raised his head, his face showing a perfectly appropriate enthusiasm.

“Spreading the glory of the Holy Blood, leading the lost lambs back to the embrace of our Lord, this is the natural duty of us believers of the Holy Blood!”

“Is this not a reasonable and compliant matter? I really don’t know where I have angered Your Highness?”

His words were watertight, leaving Lilith speechless for a moment.
She couldn’t just say, “I forbid you from developing believers in my territory,” right?

Lilith stared at Carlos’s face, anger churning in her eyes, yet she was helpless.

She forcibly suppressed her anger.
“Fine! Preaching, is it? You can! But—”

She took a step forward, her small body erupting with a shocking pressure.
“I’m warning you, Carlos! You are not allowed to force anyone!”

“And you are not allowed to induce or deceive them into signing a contract and becoming believers, otherwise…”

She didn’t finish, but the threat in her unfinished words made Carlos break out in a cold sweat.

“Yes! Yes! I will strictly follow Your Highness’s decree! I dare not overstep in the slightest!”
Carlos quickly bowed and promised, his posture extremely low, as if he were completely convinced.

However, under his lowered eyelids, a sinister glint flashed quickly.

‘Not allowed to force? Not allowed to induce? Heh… Her Holiness the Saintess, you are still too naive.’

‘Once the seeds of faith are planted, there will naturally be people who long to grow and thrive.’

Just then, a burst of hurried footsteps and commotion came from the other end of the square.

“Make way! Make way! Help!”

“Quick, find the adults of the Holy Blood!”

Several townspeople were carrying two simple stretchers, rushing over with panicked expressions.
The people lying on the stretchers had ashen faces and purple lips.

Their bodies twitched violently from time to time, and on their exposed skin, a few ominous black lines were faintly visible.

“What’s going on?!”
Carlos’s face changed, and he questioned sharply.

The person carrying the stretcher fell to his knees with a thud, his voice choked with sobs, “My Lord Bishop! Her Holiness the Saintess! Please, save them!”

Lilith’s gaze swept over the familiar ashen-black death energy on the stretchers, and her pupils suddenly contracted.

The first thing she thought of was not to use the power of the Holy Blood, but the small figure from the incident at the orphanage.

“Vera…”
She subconsciously whispered that name, a complex light mixed in the depths of her azure eyes.

The clamor in the square froze at this moment.
Everyone’s gaze focused on the two poor people entangled in death energy, and on the solemn-faced Saintess.