The Pope would not accept it, claiming that all the evidence pointed to him as the biggest loser, so he couldn’t be the mastermind.
The Pope’s words were vehement, from an initial denial to a gradual admission, insisting that his subordinates acted on their own, misinterpreted his intentions, and in truth, he had a high regard for Wayne.
Seeing that the Pope couldn’t justify himself and his defenses were weak and unconvincing, Gavin started to have some doubts.
Indeed, it was all too deliberate. Every single accusation was pointed at the Pope, as if someone was hiding in the shadows, framing him.
The Pope himself had put himself on the grill and even handed the carving knife to Saina, suffering a loss no less than the Great Prophet. It wasn’t like his usual way of doing things...
After a moment of thought, Gavin still suspected the Pope.
Now, the Pope’s predicament, awkward as it seemed, was based on the assumption that the assassination attempt had failed. If Vigil and Sercy had succeeded in killing Wayne, with Saina and Tubie left with nothing, the two of them couldn’t make any trouble together.
Even if they did stir trouble and expanded their own power, the Pope would still come out ahead.
In a headache, the Pope, to prove his innocence, had Gavin and Saina form an investigation team. If it wasn’t him, they should investigate further.
Of course, they were only allowed to investigate the true culprit behind the assassination attempt on Wayne, nothing else.
Those in the know understood the implications—what if the investigation uncovered something else?
Darkness and death intertwined, emitting an eerie aura.
Two figures knelt weakly on the ground, surrounded by a shimmering red light which slowly peeled away from their bodies.
Every time the red light diminished, their vitality waned.
Opposite them, a figure cloaked in a long robe held the Ruby. The stone, forged from an unknown substance, had a golden-red liquid flowing within, resembling blood, filled with a surging essence of life.
The bloodline of the Phoenix.
The world before Regina’s eyes gradually grew dark and dim. A chilling deathly aura struck her heart, and she slowly leaned back against the tree behind her, too weak to even move a finger.
She glanced at Ottilia, who was trapped in the same fate and smiled. If not for Ottilia stepping in, it would have been her and her sister lying dead today.
It was good, at least one of the sisters was still alive.
Why did it have to be , why should she die, and even bear the stigma of fleeing from her crimes after death?
Ottilia stared blankly at the woman holding the Ruby, life slipping away, too weak and dispirited to resist. The pain was like a raging torrent, suffocating her.
The figure holding the Ruby trembled slightly. She had changed her appearance, disguised herself as another person, but was still recognized by her student.
Looking at her student’s pale face and the sorrowful eyes beneath the glasses, Flora’s heart also twitched.
This child she had raised from a young age, though treated as a tool, strictly and ruthlessly disciplined, was still someone to whom she couldn’t help feeling an attachment.
Her voice was hoarse as she said, "The Pope has been troubled these last few days. To prevent the investigation team from getting any leads on him, you must disappear for a while, you’re no longer a disciple of The Church. Everything is the result of your own doing."
Theories can be bold, but convictions must be cautious; speculation without evidence cannot be used in court.
The Pope didn’t want to admit that he had arranged for Ottilia and Regina to intercept Wayne, and had Flora clean up the aftermath, having the two witnesses take responsibility and disappear for a while.
Disappearing did not mean leaving Austria, that would be naïve. To disappear meant to leave the God-chosen Continent, a physical disappearance.
And incidentally, to reclaim the bloodline of the Phoenix, to cultivate the next candidate for Holy Maiden.
The Pope gave Flora a chance to prove her loyalty, to work solidly, stop daydreaming, and focus on reality.
What is given to you is yours; what is not given has its reasons. You cannot grab for it.
The Pope appreciated Flora’s ambition. It was good for a person to have desires, and he believed that Flora would come to understand after wandering for a while, realizing the hardships of starting a venture, and having learned to hide her ambition.
The upper echelon had already monopolized all power. Power only transferred and did not leave room for new factions to seize control. Work hard, and your spot as the Divine Oracle High Priest is secured, and perhaps even the position of Pope is within reach.
Pope: Flora, you see this pie is both big and round, why not have a taste?
Flora took a taste; it was dry, bitter, and hard to swallow. As she watched the life fading from her students, hatred welled up in her eyes.
She detested this Church!
Detested the Goddess high above, detested the Pope who made her kill her own students, detested Hefei who opposed her, and also detested Wayne, who popped up from nowhere.
At the same time, she loathed herself, and her students with their limited talents.
After an unknown length of time, Flora held the cold Ruby, with two equally cold corpses before her. Feeling the resentful energy in the air, she abruptly raised her hand...
Paused for a moment, then let it fall.
She waved her hand, casting a magic spell, burying the two corpses in the ground. As the cold wind howled past, it seemed to carry the shrill curses of resentful spirits.
The Misty Hidden Forest had two new resentful spirits added to its midst, and if nothing unexpected happened, there would be more to come.
Flora left with heavy steps, guessing these resentful spirits weren’t obliterated on the spot, and their situation was probably similar to hers and Ottilia’s.
"My chest really hurts!"
Wayne lay on a wicker chair, massaging his chest, and said mournfully to Veronica who was reading beside him, "Big brother fought hard to protect his little sister, almost died even, and what happens? During recovery, his sister completely ignores him, reading and even humming tunes to herself..."