Chapter 538 Special Personnel in Charge
Chapter 538 Special Personnel in Charge
It's certain that such a dire situation couldn't be resolved by a passing adventurer. No one expected Chloe to wipe out the entire cult; escaping unscathed was already a stroke of luck.
After ordering a telegram to request reinforcements, Lieutenant Colonel Maye Macedon entered the compartment and handed Chloe a wallet:
"A total of 15,000 Felkin. On behalf of everyone in Tangara, I salute you for the intelligence you obtained at the risk of your life."
It was more than previously promised, even though Chloe didn't bring evidence linking the entire estate to the aurora borealis as agreed.
Although, in terms of this result, it's about right.
Chloe did not accept all the rewards; she immediately took out five 1000-fairkin bills and pushed them back.
"This horse was stolen from Sergeant David without my permission, and these are my compensation for the damage to the property."
I will apologize to the sergeant major in person later.
Lieutenant Colonel Meyer gave her a long, deep look:
"The situation is critical, which is completely understandable."
"But your decision is still admirable."
"There are very few adventurers of your caliber these days."
Chloe pocketed the remaining 10,000 Felkin and smiled slightly:
"I'm just putting my beliefs into practice."
As for whose faith she holds—perhaps Mr. Fool, perhaps the God of Steam and Machinery, or perhaps the Godfather—whoever taught her to fight against evil is the faith that guides her actions today.
The military and the church cannot afford to ignore the threat posed by the Aurora Society.
Half a day later, just as Chloe, with the help of Lieutenant Colonel Meyer, reached a reconciliation with the Bishop of the Eternal Sun regarding the desecration of the square using evil objects, someone reported to them that envoys from the church and the army had arrived.
"If I find out about this again, you will be purified immediately!" The young, fanatical bishop glared at Chloe. "Out of consideration for your fight against evil, I will pretend I don't know you are using corrupt magical artifacts."
The key point of the bishop's dilemma lies in Chloe's possession of the "Devil Jester" card—it has been proven that the "Devil Jester" card has the ability to corrupt other creatures and cause them to fall, making it a primary target of the church.
In the bishop's eyes, Chloe's act of demonizing the horses with the "Devil Clown Card" severely polluted the environment along the way.
This is something that needs to be purified—it could even condemn Chloe.
Chloe nodded solemnly, still offering her own explanation:
"With the church's help, I have initially subdued this sealed artifact. This is only for emergency use and will not be used again in the future."
"Shut up." The young bishop glared at him again. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Faced with a common enemy, the Aurora Society, the bishop of the eternal sun made concessions in his own way.
Sigh—the Extraordinary Ones of the Church of the Eternal Sun are such a nuisance—Chloe thought to herself, sticking out her tongue.
This was her first time communicating directly with the followers of the Eternal Sun; their fervor and aversion to filth and depravity were not just empty words.
The immediate priority was to meet the military and church representatives who had already arrived. Lieutenant Colonel Meyer and the young bishop went to greet them. After exchanging pleasantries in the church hall, they all turned their attention to the only stranger present, Chloe.
Lieutenant Colonel Meyer took the initiative to introduce the young girl who had made outstanding contributions:
"This is the enthusiastic adventurer who investigated 'Left Creek Manor' for us, Chloe Faucon—according to her own account, she once worked with 'Mechanical Heart' and is quite familiar with the handling of matters related to the Aurora Society."
The church that comes here represents the faith in the "Eternal Sun".
The missionary work of the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery relies on supporting industrialization, which requires a very high investment. Therefore, they only expanded to two colonial cities in the southern continent, controlled by Intis and Rune respectively. This did not include Tangara City, and they had very few believers, so they did not participate in this matter.
The church representative from "Eternal Sun" looked Chloe up and down, but unlike the local bishop, he wasn't indignant. Instead, he simply offered a word of advice:
"May you turn your gaze from the abyss and return to the embrace of the holy light."
He was considerably older than the young bishop and had seen more ambiguous things, not things that were simply black and white.
He then withdrew his gaze and looked at the bishop. "The church's airships and naval fleet are already on their way and will be able to establish a blockade within half a day. Before that, I need to see the evidence you have."
The evidence refers to the mixture of flesh and dirt left behind after Chloe dealt with the "Rose Bishop".
After releasing their extraordinary properties, they fused together in a short time, forming an unknown sealed object.
Here, the church serves as a seal, and it is located underground.
"Of course, please follow me."
The young bishop straightened up, turned around, opened an inconspicuous door, and led everyone down the stairs into the church's underground area.
Chloe also spoke frankly, saying that she felt she probably wouldn't have been allowed in if the church representative hadn't made a request and hadn't explicitly excluded her.
This should have been the core of a church—even the Lever Church didn't agree to Chloe approaching the sealed core.
The underground space was more spacious than Chloe had imagined. A unique design refracted sunlight from the surface, and combined with oil lamps and carefully placed reflectors, made the normally dark underground area as bright as day.
But in fact, the most influential source of light was the young bishop himself.
After entering the underground, he clasped his hands together in front of his chest, and his whole body lit up, like a miniature sun.
Chloe then remembered that the sequence 8 of the "Sun" pathway was called "Lightbringer".
This ability is quite reliable in places like the Forsaken Lands and Silver City.
Chloe couldn't help but think of Mr. "Sun" and the Forsaken Land, forever shrouded in darkness.
After walking for a while, Chloe, who was in the middle of the group and whose view was blocked by the figures in front of her, suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice, praising with great emotion:
Praise the sun!
"Praise the sun." "Praise the sun."
Lieutenant Colonel Meyer and the two extraordinary members of the church were believers in the "Eternal Sun." They raised their hands in response to each other.
Chloe exchanged a glance with the military representative, and at the same time drew a steam-powered triangular emblem on her chest.
That appeared to be the guardian of the sealing device, responsible for registering people entering and leaving.
Clearly, this is only the first hurdle.
As Chloe passed by the registrant, a casual glance from him made her gasp:
"hiss!"
The man dressed in a white divine servant robe, with his gloomy black curly hair and northern continent face, was none other than "Mr. Z"!
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Chapter 539 Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Chapter 539 Obsessive-compulsive disorder
"Don't worry, he is a devout believer of ours."
Lieutenant Colonel Meyer turned around and explained to Chloe.
Perhaps seeing "Mr. B's" face lately has always been accompanied by bad things. Chloe stared suspiciously at the servant with "Mr. B's" face, and looking at his warm and peaceful smile, she realized that perhaps he really was different from the other "Mr. Z".
However, such a devout and enthusiastic smile appearing on this gloomy face made Chloe feel completely at a loss.
The other Inters officials, who were already used to dealing with "Mr. B," all nodded calmly, confirming this statement.
After passing by him for a while, the church representative gave a self-deprecating laugh:
"This is just the beginning, traveler. If you continue east and come into contact with local institutions such as churches, you will find that this is not an isolated phenomenon in the cities of East Bairan."
"Heh, if we're talking about who's left behind the most trouble, it's this 'Mr. Yi' from the Aurora Club."
"Many people who have been corrupted by him are beyond saving and can only be 'infiltrated'—it may not be responsible to say this, but to be honest, it is still relatively easy to handle."
"There are others who can still be saved, and it would be too harsh to impose 'inclusion' on them. However, their appearances have been altered and cannot be changed back. They can no longer return to society and can only be cared for by the church."
"The current practice is the same as here. After ensuring their absolute piety, we let them do some work as servants of the gods, producing simple handicrafts to make a living and support themselves."
This is the most common measure the church takes in dealing with the troubles caused by "Mr. Z".
Due to the nature of certain "sun" pathway seals, the Church of the Eternal Sun is fully confident in ensuring piety.
Chloe pondered for a moment, realized the difficulty of this approach, and then asked:
"But if things continue like this, as long as 'Mr. Yi' isn't caught, the number of victims will only increase. Even a church wouldn't be able to accommodate so many victims, would it?"
The young bishop of Tangara glanced back at Chloe, but there was a hint of evasion in his eyes.
The older church representative witnessed this scene and sighed:
"It's not complicated, we'll be able to solve this problem soon."
But I've already come up with more than one solution, and it shouldn't have any side effects.
Chloe knew the bishop of the Church of the Eternal Sun was putting on a brave face, so she tentatively asked:
"Isn't it possible to just recreate their faces as they were before?"
The solution is right in front of us—isn't this the sealed artifact that will soon unleash the "Rose Bishop's" characteristics? Theoretically speaking, although we don't know what the negative effects will be, this sealed artifact will definitely contain the "Rose Bishop's" abilities.
If we take advantage of this, it's relatively easy to change their appearance back.
Even if all else fails, they can use magical items with the "Faceless Man" properties to solve the problem—Intis's "Eighth Inning" will certainly not lack similar items.
While a true "Faceless Man" cannot actively change the appearance of others, if a "Faceless Man's" magical items are lost after altering the user's appearance, the altered parts will not be restored to their original state.
Although the question of how ordinary people could use extraordinary items remains unresolved, it is ultimately a feasible measure.
Neither the bishop of Tangara nor the church representative responded. The group silently walked to a heavy door inscribed with mysterious runes and stopped.
"Please wait, I will go behind the door and retrieve the evidence." The young bishop, as if facing a formidable enemy, opened his arms as if embracing the sun before opening the door, "Praise the sun!"
With a flash of golden light, the door opened, the bishop stepped inside, and then the heavy door closed again.
So this is what the church's seal looks like. Surprisingly, Chloe didn't find this scene particularly novel.
She recalled the "Starting Line Orphanage" in Backlund, where the Godfather stored extraordinary materials, behind a similar heavy door engraved with mysterious runes.
It seems that the principles of sealing are always interconnected. There is a simple sealing room hidden underground in the orphanage.
Chloe didn't ponder who had built such a high-level seal for the orphanage. The idea that "Godfather" Thierry was all-powerful and capable of anything was already ingrained in her subconscious.
A few minutes later, the bishop of Tangara carefully carried a clump of flesh and blood that was constantly growing and withering as he walked out of the sealed gate.
"This is the 'Rose Bishop' that Miss Chloe killed."
The church representative looked at the scene before him, and it seemed as if a miniature sun appeared in his eyes.
He frowned, making no attempt to hide his disgust:
"It truly possesses the aura of a 'real creator'—write that into the report, and at the end of the year, send it to the church with the reporting team for centralized destruction. In the name of Saint Adley, it must not be used again until then!"
"As you command." The young Bishop Tangara had anticipated this outcome and even breathed a sigh of relief. He bowed his head, once again cradling the tree of flesh and blood growing haphazardly in the crimson soil, and disappeared behind the sealed gate once more.
"The Holy Task Force will depart immediately to clear out 'Left Creek Manor.'" The church representative looked solemnly at Lieutenant Colonel Meyer. "We won't linger any longer. Be wary of cult groups taking advantage of the chaos to launch a sudden attack in the city and distract us."
This instruction was given to Lieutenant Colonel Meyer.
In dealing with cult members, the church is the absolute dominant force; even the military must obey the church's commands.
Lieutenant Colonel Meyer had no objection:
"I will have the security forces increase their vigilance."
"good."
After leaving a brief reply, the representatives of the army and the church turned and walked to the ground—it was time for the professionals who would cleanse the filth and evil to make their appearance.
Chloe and Lieutenant Colonel Meyer escorted the two outside the church, where they each boarded their carriages and headed to their respective units.
Chloe watched the carriage disappear into the distance, tilting her head in confusion as she looked at Lieutenant Colonel Meyer.
"So why not just use the sealing artifacts with the 'Rose Bishop' trait to change the faces of those victims back to normal?"
Maye Macedon gave her a deep look:
"It's clear that you've been dealing with the 'Mechanical Heart' a lot—you shouldn't have come into contact with the 'Purifiers' during this time."
The Purifiers—this is the name of the extraordinary ranks of the Church of the Eternal Sun.
"They have an abnormal 'cleanliness obsession' regarding the sealed artifacts left behind by the Church of Storms, the Church of Knowledge, and the Aurora Society," Lieutenant Colonel Meyer added. "Unless it's a very special case I haven't seen before, basically no one is willing to use them."
Chloe was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke:
"What if there were a similar, reliable item that could help them restore their original appearance?"
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Chapter 540 Kind-hearted Chloe
Chapter 540 Kind-hearted Chloe
Lieutenant Colonel Meyer suddenly looked at Chloe:
"This—" Miss, are you really willing to help us solve our problem?
Chloe shrugged:
"I have never had a good impression of organizations like the Aurora Society—especially since I am the one who has been hurt by them. If I can help them get out of their current predicament, I am of course willing to do so."
"but-"
Lieutenant Colonel Meyer waved his hand:
"Money is not a problem. We'd be overjoyed if you could promise to solve our predicament—especially McKinley. Don't be fooled by his apparent ability to solve things; what's the reality?"
McKinley was the bishop of the Church of the Eternal Sun in Tangara.
Lieutenant Colonel Meyer paused, then added:
"He himself knew that after the investigation of Zuoxi Camp was completed, and after we found all the victims in Tangara City, including some accomplices, the church underground would not be able to accommodate so many people."
"So, as long as you tell him you have the ability to solve it, the reward is not an issue—as long as it doesn't offend them. But that's easy to handle; just claim it's your 'secret' as an adventurer, and that's it, right?"
"You know, the church might lack other things, but gold? They definitely won't lack it."
"As long as they don't know I'm using the 'Rose Bishop' trait artifact item I got from the Aurora Society, that's fine," Chloe nodded in response.
"Actually, I'm not very sure either, because that item isn't actually in my possession, and I don't even know if its owner sold it during this period."
"However, I am confident enough to borrow it, but it may take a few days. After all, even sending a letter takes time."
"That's it." Lieutenant Colonel Meyer nodded, his eyes full of anticipation as he looked at Chloe. "Then we'll wait for your good news—well, I think it might not be a bad thing if we can't come up with a solution soon. The church representative you met seemed more flexible than McKinley, but he wasn't. The fact that he was sent to deal with matters related to cults proves one thing—this bishop's most outstanding quality is that he hates evil as if it were his enemy, and he can't tolerate even the slightest injustice, especially when it comes to hostile forces like the 'Aurora Society'."
He looked up at the sky—in the distance, several shadows slowly enlarged; those were the church and military airships: "At least wait until they've resolved their problems and left Tangara, in case they investigate your methods. I'll try to take on the mess myself—well, I should also use this opportunity to ask for some funding."
"By the way, to thank you for your stay, as I said before, I will offer you appropriate compensation—starting today, 100 Felkin per day, how about that?"
"Then convert it into 'purification bullets' for me." These small change really weren't much to Chloe. "Hmm, I've realized now that when traveling in the Southern Continent, methods for dealing with evil creatures are essential. By the way, is that purchase request still valid? I should probably replenish some before leaving Tangara."
Lieutenant Colonel Meyer gave her a strange look:
"What do you mean by dealing with 'evil creatures'? — Have you forgotten that just this morning, you let the blood of some 'evil creature' spill onto this very square? And you made McKinley spend time purifying it; you were arguing just an hour ago."
Chloe chuckled awkwardly twice and then shut her mouth.
Behind him, the young bishop McKinley of Tangara also hurried out of the church. Seeing Chloe and Lieutenant Colonel Meyer chatting in front of the church gate, he knew that the elite team representing the church and the military to purge the cultists had already left.
Lieutenant Colonel Meyer glanced at him but did not mention Chloe's desire to save the victims whose faces had been altered by "Mr. B".
He merely raised his chin, guiding the young bishop to look up at the sky:
"If Miss Chloe hadn't risked her life, who knows when we would have been able to get these guys here. Shouldn't you thank her?"
The bishop ignored him—Chloe's casual use of demonic power to corrupt innocent lives had also left him with a bad impression of the girl.
He simply gazed at the airships that were faintly visible in the clouds in the distance, and sighed to himself:
"It would be ideal to discover potential problems in advance. However, if they cannot be eradicated, the contradictions and problems will eventually accumulate to the limit until they can no longer be tolerated."
The young bishop did not say what was troubling him, but Chloe and Maye Macedon both knew perfectly well what it was.
They exchanged a knowing glance, and neither of them spoke.
As the three watched, the airship painted with a golden sunflower symbol slowly passed over the city and headed southwest.
A few days later, above the gray fog, the Tarot meeting took place.
Chloe waited silently, using Mr. "Patient's" reading time to organize her thoughts—a few days ago, when Mr. "Fool" invaded "Left Creek Manor," he had responded to Chloe's prayers and knew that she was fighting against the "Aurora Society."
However, such achievements are still worth sharing with everyone in the Tarot Club.
Combating matters related to the "Aurora Society" has always been one of the themes of the Tarot Club.
Finally, Mr. Fool let the illusory diary of Emperor Russell in his hand dissipate, and leaned back comfortably in his chair:
"You may begin."
The transaction process is paramount. Just as Chloe judged after the demigod war, at this stage, the members of the Tarot Society have basically achieved full armament, and those who need to advance have also completed the collection of potion materials and recipes.
They either lack the ritual or the opportunity, or they haven't fully digested the information, so the promotion process has mostly stalled, and there's actually nothing to trade.
Therefore, Chloe's tentative deal becomes significant enough in comparison.
This deal is open to the "world".
Chloe cleared her throat and asked "the world" directly:
"Mr. World, when you were introducing the magical items before, you mentioned a ring called 'Blood Flower.' I'd like to know if you still have it? Something happened in East Byron that makes it very likely that the people there have an urgent need for it."
"I might be able to facilitate the purchase of it, but even if I don't, I need to borrow it for a period of time to resolve the troubles facing East Bayron."
7
"The World" raised its head and said without any emotion:
"Of course, I still keep it now."
"But I'm more curious about what kind of trouble requires the 'Blood Flower' ring to solve."
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