Chapter 96 : Bearing the Burden

Xavier led the way. Aside from that brief, harsh command in the dungeon, he hadn’t spoken another word.

Tifna, supporting Milly, followed closely, her eyes fixed on his back.

Something was wrong.

Xavier’s steps were stiff, almost robotic. The full-body armor was restrictive, but not enough to cause such a rigid gait. Each step was like a puppet pulled by invisible strings.

“Xavier?”

Tifna called out tentatively. The knight in front of her didn’t even pause.

It was too strange. The man who had been spewing insults in the dungeon was now completely silent.

She remembered the scent of blood, though it had been fleeting. After the crusade, after seeing the fields soaked in red, she knew she wasn’t mistaken.

It was real blood.

It had vanished in an instant, but through the slit of his helmet, she had glimpsed a writhing shadow.

Had the Fell God’s follower struck then?

A Platinum Knight, taken down in an instant, his presence perfectly concealed. Was Xavier now being controlled?

If the infiltrator was that powerful, then no one in the Church was safe.

After the purification ritual, she would have to report this to the Pope.

Just then, Xavier whirled around. “What are you waiting for? Hurry up.”

Tifna flinched. His voice was normal, his steps no longer stiff. It was as if the previous scene had been a hallucination.

“What, you want me to carry her for you?”

“No.”

“Then hurry up.”

His tone was back to normal, no trace of confusion. It was the same man she had seen before. So what had happened?

Just as Tifna was about to probe further, Xavier stopped.

Light footsteps echoed down the corridor. Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting a halo around the Saintess as she rounded the corner.

Her pure white robes were immaculate, her golden hair shimmering in the light.

Lillian’s smile was the same as always, but when Tifna met her eyes, a flash of crimson in their violet depths made her breath catch.

It was a coldness she had never seen in Lillian’s eyes before, as if they were coated in frost.

“Xavier, thank you. Go over there. I have a mission for you.”

Lillian’s voice was still soft, but it seemed distant, as if through a veil.

The knight knelt, his head bowed, like an obedient servant.

She had seen this before, but now, it felt… wrong. Tifna’s instincts screamed at her, but she couldn’t pinpoint why.

Her gaze shifted. When Lillian looked at Milly, a shadow crossed her eyes.

She hadn’t noticed yesterday. The little one’s eyes seemed to have a problem.

“I will take her to the purification ritual.”

Without waiting for a response, Lillian took Milly’s hand.

Her physical wounds had healed, but her eyes were dull, as if covered in a mist.

The eyes had been missed.

Was the healing power of her body limited?

She supported the little one, her back to Tifna, so she wouldn’t see her use her magic.

Her fingers gently touched Milly’s eyes. A warm, healing light enveloped them. But when the light faded, the mist remained.

Ordinary healing wouldn’t work. And with so many people around, she couldn’t try anything else. Tonight, when they were alone in the cell, she would use a special treatment.

Tifna followed them toward the sanctuary. There was no conversation. But she noticed that Lillian’s fingers would occasionally brush against Milly’s, as if searching for something.

In the sanctuary, Oswell was waiting.

“Where is Xavier?”

“The Church is short-staffed. I’ve given him another task.”

Hearing Lillian’s answer, Oswell said no more. The same as yesterday, two nuns came forward and bound Milly to a cross.

She couldn’t see, but she knew what was happening.

The same questioning as yesterday. If she revealed the location of Stacy’s library, they would consider forgiving her sins.

They called it a purification ritual, but it was just torture, a way to pressure her until she broke.

“That’s too bad. Even if Milly knew, she wouldn’t tell that old fool a thing.”

“I’ll say it again, old man. Go ask her in hell.”

“Stubborn.”

A pity she couldn’t see. The old fool’s angry face must be hilarious.

Just then, she felt someone approach. The sound of sloshing water.

So, after all his blustering, all he could do was throw holy water.

Before the searing pain came, she felt a cool touch on her neck.

It was the same finger as before. So, the Saintess was the one pouring the holy water today.

Why did she and Stacy have the same habit of touching her? Stacy liked her collarbone, and this Saintess, her neck.

No… she felt something familiar on her neck, as if something lost had returned.

“Hold still.”

The holy water poured down. Milly gritted her teeth, but instead of searing pain, it was just a slight sting.

Almost negligible.

What was happening? Was the holy water diluted?

No, the smell was the same.

As the pitcher was emptied, it didn’t hurt much, but she still let out a suppressed scream, for show.

She was getting good at this. The fake and the real were indistinguishable.

Lillian left the sanctuary with the empty pitcher. As she passed Tifna, Tifna noticed her body was trembling, as if in great pain.

It was as if the holy water had been poured on her, not Milly.