CHAPTER 15

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Chapter 15 – Transformation (2)

Amelia was on her way to the inspection team.

She wanted to ask if there’s any leads regarding the massacre, and ask about the street where the trace had vanished. Trudging on the broad square, she spotted a group of golden haired, blue-eyed teenagers who were being led by their lecturer.

Passing by them, Amelia overhead a teenager’s question: “How do you identify a witch?”

“If the accused seemed to be nervous during the interrogation, then she is undoubtedly guilty of being a witch, since her conscience gives her away. And if she somehow looks calm, and doesn’t have the slightest shame in her, then she is guilty of it as well. Remember, witches are used to deceiving others. They are shameless to the core.”

“If the woman was looking around frantically whilst being tortured, it means that she was looking for the devil, to come help her during her suffering. And if you see her eyes turn dull and gray, it means she has already seen the devil, and that she was communicating with him.”

“If you see her muster up all her strength to withstand torture, it means the devil is sustaining her with his grace, so she must be punished greatly to weed the devil out. And if her body breaks during her punishment, it means the devil intentionally let her die, as to not divulge any secrets pertaining to the cult.”

Amelia turned her head, and saw the young girls listening carefully to everything the lecturer said. They nodded their heads in understanding, taking the lecturer’s words to heart as they wrote on their notebooks.

Amelia took this class before, and she even memorized these words in exams.

Those unfounded words pollute the saints one after the other, making them lose their own sense of judgment as they idolized the God of light.

Amelia frowned in disgust.

Millions of people believed these fallacies as nothing but the truth.  They don’t think for themselves anymore, letting themselves be swayed by these teachings presented to them.

She didn’t want to hear more of this nonsense. She fastened her pace, and quickly left the square.

She looked back over her shoulder, the group growing smaller and smaller until she could no longer see them. Sighing, she turned her head to the front, and quickly halted her footsteps, running into the person she didn’t want to see.

“Amelia.” The pope said.

Amelia froze, “under the pope’s crown.”

“Amelia, there’s something I need you to do.” The pope said sternly, waving his scepter around, and a bind document appeared right in front of them.

“A massacre took place in the city center earlier. I hope you can help the patrol team in finding out who caused this.”  The pope said, handing the document to Amelia.

On the first page, there was a sketch of a building that she was quite familiar with. She flipped the document thoroughly, and she saw a portrait on one of its pages. It was a slave.

It was the slave market.

Still looking at the pages, Amelia realized that she could take this opportunity to know more about the massacre, whether it had anything to do with the dark elf she saved or not.

Given with the pope’s direct order, she could go around investigating without needing to explain herself, should anyone question her probing.

Amelia nodded. “Yes, under the pope’s crown.”

The pope relaxed, his shoulders dropping slightly as he encouraged Amelia. “This is your first task as chief, so you need to do well.”

“Yes, pope.”

The pope then turned around, and went straight to the Church. Amelia, who was staring at the pope’s retreating form, realized what she got herself into.

After graduation, she planned to leave the main Church to work in a more remote place, void of any prying eyes and unwanted attention.

Everything changed now that she was crowned as the newest chief And one of the things that came with the Papacy was to meet the God of light personally at the ceremony.  What would happen to her if she were found out to be a nonbeliever?

She could only imagine the consequences of her unfaithfulness. She knew she would be crushed by the God of light the moment He finds out, and she knew that once He is done with her, not a speck of her would be left in this land.

Amelia bit her lips.

Even with that in mind, she couldn’t let this opportunity go to waste, since this would be her only chance to find out who the murderer really was.

It would be difficult. She was sure of it.

‘Can I really do this?’ Various scenarios played out in her head, and she realized that overthinking would not do her any good. Given the circumstances, she really had no choice but to deliver, and she needs to play her cards right.

Even though she didn’t know what came over the pope to have him decide that she’s the best fit to become the next chief of saints, it doesn’t really matter since she was assigned the position anyway.

The crown that signified great power— was perched on her head.

If by any chance she messes up, the pope would think of her as someone who is inefficient, and he might strip the title right off her hands and choose another saint to preside over the Scripture.

Amelia grinned, clearly impressed by her own wisdom.

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