The scene shifted. Vivian found herself on a desolate battlefield.
Countless gods spilled their blood, countless mortals wailed.
Here, gods were no different from humans—their only fate was death.
The progenitor bird, the God of Birds, Seiz, was impaled atop a high mountain by a bone spear radiating boundless divine authority.
In the domain it once took pride in—the sky itself—it was pinned down by a single spear.
Golden divine blood dripped from the spear, falling onto the scorched earth below. From this, new flowers and plants sprang up, gently swaying in the breeze as if offering thanks to the god who had brought them new life.
Its divinity quickly dissipated, returning once more to the world.
Vivian gazed up at the immense figure on the cliff. A profound sense of melancholy gripped her, and tears unbidden streamed down her face.
"To those who inherit my will, may you follow the teachings of the Lord and bring renewal to this world."
"I…"
Vivian hesitated. She did not know whether she should accept this. The church had never acknowledged a God of Birds—this entity was considered heretical, even a demon.
But seeing how, even in death, it sought to bring renewal to the world, Vivian's faith in the Lord of Light wavered for the first time.
"I…"
Before she could speak, everything before her dissolved into a vision, and she was once again in her small room, clutching herself tightly.
By now, her body had completed its transformation; the excruciating pain had ceased.
A message was implanted directly into her mind:
"I am… the sovereign of birds… a Bird Witch?!
I am… a witch."
At that moment, Vivian finally understood her innate ability to communicate with birds.
It was not a blessing from a god, but a curse of a witch.
"Sorry… Dean Theresa, I'm sorry… Grandma Mery…
I'm sorry…
I'm sorry…"
Vivian whispered softly, each word bringing a flash of someone significant in her life into her mind.
Finally, Hel's face appeared before her.
"Sorry, Count Hel. Perhaps I will never witness the prosperous world you spoke of."
She wiped away her tears. She needed to leave.
As a member of the church, she knew too well the fate that awaited witches. Not only would witches face church judgment, but those close to them who failed to report them would also be implicated.
If her identity as a witch were discovered, Hel would face endless trouble.
Moreover, if the church captured her, her mentors and caretakers who had raised her would also be implicated.
For that reason, she had no choice but to die alone in a place where no one could find her, sparing others from harm.
At that moment, a gentle knock sounded at her door.
"Lady Vivian, we've just received word that the new archbishop of the principality is arriving soon. You are needed to make arrangements for the reception."
"Archbishop? When was this message sent? When will he arrive?"
"In about an hour."
Vivian froze. Normally, any major church news would be transmitted instantly via the church's magical network.
Even if some relay stations were destroyed during the Beastman invasion, this message should not have been delayed.
Unless someone wanted to keep her unaware and catch her off guard… could it be Gerhard's elder brother?
Thinking this, Vivian instructed the person at the door:
"Prepare the reception as usual for a church envoy. You may go ahead; I will arrive shortly."
After sending them off, she exhaled in relief.
She looked at the wings on her back and carefully retracted them into her body using the knowledge from the implanted message.
Once fully retracted, she jumped off the bed, pulled a set of nun robes from her wardrobe, and dressed herself.
She checked herself in the mirror to ensure nothing seemed unusual, then hurried out.
In her current state, she had no choice but to face the immediate challenge head-on.
Unnoticed, the luminous card she had previously been lying on shimmered slightly. As Vivian left, it wavered and dissolved into tiny points of light, vanishing as if it had never existed.
At the city gate of Heim's inner city, Niv—disguised as Hel—stood with six fourth-tier knight puppets and a squad of third-tier knight puppets.
She needed to make a show of strength to temporarily suppress the calculations of their opponents, buying Hel enough time to deal with the trouble using her unique abilities.
The city gates slowly opened, and a convoy of lavish carriages rolled in, followed by fully armored church knights.
They passed through the main streets of Heim's outer city and arrived at the inner city gate.
Upon seeing Niv and her group awaiting them, the carriages came to a halt.
The doors were thrown open. Orad leapt out at the front, frowning slightly as he took in the sight of Niv blocking the gate.
"Ah, you must be the lord of the Heim territory. You are quite imposing in appearance."
"You flatter me. Welcome, Archbishop Orad, to my domain. A banquet has been prepared in the castle; I hope you will honor us with your presence."
Niv imitated Hel's tone as best as she could, while Vivian led the church entourage to arrange accommodations.
Orad and his few attendants followed Niv to the castle.
Unnoticed by all, the middle-aged man accompanying Orad quietly trailed behind Vivian.