Ingrid's Return

"Miss Ingrid, you've finally arrived. I've been waiting for you. I am Hans Hammond, the Earl of the Empire, and the person in charge of this operation."

The man extended his hand in a gesture of invitation, a slightly ferocious smile appearing on his half-dragon, half-human face. "Welcome to, no, more accurately, welcome back to Dragon Head City."

"Thank you, Earl Hans."

Ingrid nodded. Standing at the city gate, she observed the familiar yet unfamiliar city and couldn't help but feel somewhat lost and helpless.

The city felt unfamiliar; the Sun Holy Emblem on the city gates had been replaced with the empire's Red Dragon emblem, and a ferocious dragon head protruded from the city walls.

The magnificent Temple of Amanata within the city has been transformed into the Dragon Oath Temple, the lighthouse with the Sun Disk has been replaced with the Tower of the Wyvern, and all the statues of the church saints have been smashed—replaced by the statue of the Embers of the Burned Emperor Keosius.

Sheriffs riding Wyvern often patrolled the streets, and every few dozen meters you could see Tiefling Guard with rifles, as well as Starfallers dressed in all sorts of different clothes wandering around.

However, many traces of the past are still preserved here: people tend to dress in bright colors such as yellow, red, and Holy Symbol; the emblem of Amanata is visible everywhere; and the distinctive "Fadlan- style" architecture is quite distinctive. Ingrid felt quite familiar with these things and couldn't help but recall those beautiful past years. She couldn't help but whisper the forbidden name.

"Collins City, I'm finally back." For some reason, glistening tears welled up in her eyes.

This is Dragon Head City, formerly Collins City under the rule of the Fadlan Empire, the central city of the entire North Aisel region, and Ingrid's hometown, the city where she was born and raised.

Several years ago, Ingrid was the Honorary Bishop of the Collins Parish, and she often led priests and believers in Sacrificial Ritual on the Summer Solstice to bask in the holy light of the sun.

And now, she has finally returned to her long-lost hometown.

But times have changed, and things are no longer the same. The once-powerful Holy Fadlan Empire has perished, and Ingrid has become a prisoner of the Embers of the Burned Empire, serving the emperor and spending several years in the remote north.

Ingrid recalled what Keosius had told him years ago, "In the near future, you will be able to return to your homeland openly, not as a prisoner, but as a bishop of the church belonging to the kingdom."

The Embers of the Burned Kingdom has now become a vast empire, and the Emperor has indeed fulfilled his promise to allow Ingrid to return to her homeland—albeit through violent conquest.

Looking down at her magnificent robe embroidered with the imperial emblem, Ingrid's feelings grew increasingly complicated.

She did return to her long-desired hometown, but she betrayed the Amanata Church, those who had trusted her, and her own past.

She is now even afraid to face the people of Aisel, fearing that former acquaintances will recognize her and denounce her as a "shameful traitor," a "claw of the dragon," and a "despicable apostate."

Earl Hans asked with concern, "Miss Ingrid? Are you alright?"

Ingrid snapped out of her reverie and quickly smiled apologetically, "Oh, I'm fine. I've just been away for too long, and the sights and sounds have brought back some memories."

Hans said, "That's good. The Empire has just occupied North Aisel, and there's a lot of turmoil in the city. The situation is complicated, and all the forces in Fei An Suo have their eyes on this city. There were twelve riots last month alone. Your arrival is very timely."

As they spoke, several Tiefling Guard appeared beside them, ready to stand guard at any moment. Hans then continued, "Miss Ingrid, please come with me."

"Alright." Ingrid tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and pulled up the hood to cover her face before saying with some confusion, "Earl Hans, why did you call me here? You should know that I'm afraid I can't provide you with much support right now."

With Amanata in a deep sleep and Ingrid surrendering to the Embers of the Burned Empire, her conscience was constantly tormented, and her faith gradually weakened.

She is no longer the powerful and legendary Light Cleric she once was; her power has waned to the extreme. It should be noted that Cleric need to pray to their god or beliefs for many years to gain a portion of divine power, and Ingrid no longer possesses this ability.

Ingrid now possesses the rank of Legendary Cleric and powerful perception, but she can no longer unleash those terrifying top-tier divine spells. She can only forcefully release some mid-to-low-level divine spells using her perception abilities.

Hans shook his head, looked at Ingrid, and said with a smile, "Miss Ingrid, I think you've misunderstood. What the Empire needs is not your strength, but you as a person."

"I?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Ingrid's beautiful eyes, but her expression quickly turned extremely ugly. At that moment, she finally understood Hans's purpose.

Yes, she was once the Honorary Bishop of Collins City, and an object of worship for countless people—and what the Empire wants to do is to take advantage of her status and crush people's faith under its feet.

But as Imperial Citizen serving the emperor, she could not refuse, nor did she have any reason to resist.

Hans, however, did not notice Ingrid's expression, or perhaps he did notice but did not care. He simply continued to lead the way, chatting casually.

When the nearby Aisel residents saw the Tiefling Guard beside Hans, they quickly and nervously moved away, fearing that if they bumped into them, they would be identified as "rebels" and even shot to death by the guards.

Hans turned his head and asked somewhat abruptly, "By the way, Miss Ingrid, do you know which force in the city is the most restless?"

Suddenly, Ingrid had a bad feeling, but she still shook her head silently.

"The Dawn Crusader".

As Hans spoke, he pulled a brand-new parchment scroll from his uniform pocket.

He said in a cold voice, "The Dawn Crusader is the largest rebel organization in Dragon Head City. Since the Empire took control of Dragon Head City, the Dawn Crusader has launched eleven riots, causing great damage to the Empire's order and social stability."

According to Imperial intelligence, the organization's main aim is to overthrow Imperial rule and restore the Church's theocratic rule. It is highly seductive and inflammatory, and many of its leaders are former members of the Amanata Church. Oh, by the way, we've compiled a list and identified these damned thugs." At this point, Hans unfolded the parchment scroll, which was densely covered with names.

"This is."

Ingrid's heart sank to the bottom. In just a fleeting glance, she saw many familiar names.

Hans grinned again, but this smile seemed particularly terrifying to Ingrid, like that of a devil. "Miss Ingrid, I truly abhor this act of instigating a riot. In fact, I originally intended to kill all of these people."

He didn't continue speaking, but simply made a throat-slitting gesture.

This sent chills down Ingrid's spine. She quickly reached out to stop him, saying, "No, Earl Hans, please don't!"

Hans patted Ingrid on the shoulder and softly "comforted" her, "Don't worry, now that I've come to you, I certainly won't let such a tragedy happen."

After all, these priests had considerable influence over the people of Aisel; killing them all would certainly damage the empire's reputation and His Your Majesty Keosius's prestige.

He shoved the list into Ingrid's hands and said, "Miss Ingrid, I'm giving you a chance to save their lives."

As for how many people you can save, that depends on your performance.

Ingrid remained silent for a long time, her pretty face flashing with hesitation, struggle, and shame. In the end, she nodded blankly and replied with tears in her eyes, "Okay."

As they spoke, they arrived at the Ceremony Square, a place where Ingrid once led priests and believers in worship and sacrifices, but now it had become a place where officials of the Embers of the Burned Empire gave speeches and promoted their policies.

The enormous Sun Holy Emblem on the ground disappeared, replaced by the vertical pupil emblem of the Embers of the Burned Empire. The people of Aisel were driven and coerced by the guards to gather here, crowding together and making the square extremely noisy.

Hans clapped his hands with a smile and encouraged her, "Go, Miss Ingrid, reveal your identity to the people and influence those rebels hiding in the shadows."

Ingrid lowered her head, wrapped herself in her robe, and her voluptuous body trembled.

But under Hans's slightly intimidating gaze, she still slowly walked up to the podium under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands of people.

Who is that?

"Why would she stand there if her face is obscured?"

After much hesitation, Ingrid finally lifted her hood, revealing her beautiful face. Her golden hair shone brightly in the sunlight, as if shrouded in a sacred glow.

" By On Amanata, it is Bishop Ingrid! Wasn't she deceased?"

"God, she's still alive!"

"She cured my illness back then!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar. After all, she was a former bishop who had been rumored to have died long ago, and Ingrid's appearance caused a great sensation.

"Sometimes, cowardice is also a kind of original sin."

Hans gazed at Ingrid from afar, a slight smile playing on his lips. His face gradually transformed, taking on the appearance of the "Lord of Mercy" of the Embers of the Burned Emperor.

In the basement of a house in Collins City, the surrounding environment was dark and damp, with flickering candlelight. On the walls that were occasionally illuminated, the Holy Symbol of Amanata appeared.

Several people in long robes sat around a round table, whispering and talking in hushed tones, seemingly discussing something.

"Gentlemen, I suspect there is a traitor among us."

The speaker was a man who looked to be in his fifties. His name was Yarn Strauss, a former priest of the Amanata Church and the leader of the Dawn Crusader.

"Otherwise, those Evil Dragon Claws wouldn't have gotten the news so quickly. That was a top-secret operation. I even suspect that the traitor is among us." Yarn tapped the table rhythmically, glancing around with a sharp look in his eyes.

"Should we continue our operation?" another man asked somewhat anxiously.

Yarn sighed and replied, "Let's postpone it for now. We lost a lot of men in the last operation, and we can't let them die in vain."

"But, but those damned Evil Dragon Kin actually held a propaganda event in the sacred Ceremony Square! That's where Bishop Ingrid frequents the most, it's simply unforgivable!" The speaker was the same man from before.

The man looked to be in his thirties, with a stubble beard and messy hair, appearing quite unkempt, but his face was filled with anger.

His name is Feier Burroughs, formerly of the Amanata Church, and now a key member of the Dawn Crusader.

Fair harbored extreme hatred for the Embers of the Burned Empire and plotted numerous assassinations and sabotage operations, wishing he could devour the flesh and blood of the Red Dragon alive.

Because the person he admired—the former Honorary Bishop, Ingrid Garses— was said to have died at the hands of that Red Dragon.

Fair was originally just a blind boy, but Ingrid entered his dark world like the sun, easily healing his eyes and bringing light to his world.

In his memory, the young bishop was so gentle and beautiful, and he vaguely remembered the scene of Ingrid leading them in singing hymns in the sunlight.

At that time, Ingrid was radiant and dazzling, like a magnificent goddess statue that he could only look up to.

Even just looking up from afar was a great happiness for Fair; he wished he could stay in that beautiful moment forever.

Rather than saying he believed in Amanata, it would be more accurate to say he became a believer in the young bishop.

Fair thought this kind of life would continue forever, that he could continue to admire Ingrid, worship, pray, and sing hymns with her.

But the good times didn't last long. Soon after, Ingrid went on a journey and was said to have died at the hands of the Embers of the Burned Emperor in the north. The beautiful scenes in Fair's memory were also crushed by the dragon's claws that fell from the sky, turning them into something bloody.

Even now, with that enormous Red Dragon, a nightmare-like creature, descending upon Collins City and the temple that held his fondest memories being smashed to pieces by the Evil Dragon Kin, the hatred in Fair's heart is now etched into his very soul.

Yarn sighed again and advised, "Fair, don't rush. I know you're eager for revenge, but your recent actions have been too reckless and could easily leave you vulnerable."

Another woman comforted us, saying, "The enemy is in the open, we are in the shadows; we have many opportunities."

No one would consider Fair a traitor, after all, his hatred for the Embers of the Burned Empire was too deep, to the point of madness, and he always disregarded his own life and rushed to the front line of the operation.

Despite everyone's attempts to dissuade him, Fair remained silent for a long time before finally standing up and saying firmly, "You don't need to say anything more; my mind is made up."

I must kill that Evil Dragon Claws gave the speech in front of the people, to disgrace the dragon, and to let the people witness the bravery of our Dawn Crusader.

"Well"

Yarn did not speak again.

He knew that Fair was about to give his life to exact final revenge on the shining figure in his heart.

This was an assassination attempt undertaken with the determination to die.