The Liars of the Gods

They are messengers, bringing the word of the gods to the world, illuminating the path and guiding people forward—thus, they are the spokespersons of the gods, and even the incarnations of the gods.

They are the Holy See.

Regarding her familiarity with the Holy See and their omnipresent existence—Fatenai recalled that noble manors invariably had a chapel, and that her own, or rather all noble awakening ceremonies, were presided over by the Holy See.

Or rather, whenever something related to this creation god named Allentia was involved, they would do their best to make their presence felt.

As soon as Merlin finished speaking, Fatenai remembered an unpleasant incident during the awakening ceremony. She frowned and pulled her hood over her head—the wide hood obscured her face.

More importantly, she didn't know which parish this Holy See personnel belonged to. Holy See personnel appearing in the Unclaimed Forest could potentially be from the Heivag Fief—especially Merlin's mention of "disadvantage" made her highly sensitive.

Just as she pulled up her hood with a sense of vigilance, the sound of rustling grass being pushed aside announced the approach of a group of people.

The person at the forefront wore a white robe, adorned with sacred patterns drawn in red and yellow that clung tightly to the white fabric. Following the patterns upward, one could see a tall, thin old man with graying hair, holding a golden holy staff, his expression akin to a mold used by a craftsman for shaping. He looked down upon Fatenai, Helise, and Merlin.

Besides this elder, there were no fewer than ten Holy Knights clad in silver armor surrounding him.

"On lands watched over by the divine Allentia, are you adventurers?" Although the sentence was phrased with piety and humility, it carried an air of superiority—Fatenai was already accustomed to the ways of the Holy See, and found Helise's struggle to contain her anger novel and amusing. It was truly incredible that such an unrestrained girl could suppress her emotions.

"We are mages," Helise stated coldly, correcting the Holy See's misstatement.

There were only two types of mages: nobles and commoners. The former were supporters of the Holy See, while the latter were looked down upon by them. Although commoner mages had been striving to step into the spotlight in recent years, their inconsistent quality made it difficult for them to achieve significant success in this regard.

This was also why Fatenai had barely heard of these mages before.

It was also why the Holy See wasn't particularly wary of commoner mages—in fact, it was a sign of disdain.

Fatenai narrowed her eyes suddenly. She recognized this figure from the Holy See.

He was a priest from the Wittier Parish, formerly an assistant deacon in the Heivag Fief. Fatenai had met him years ago when he visited their manor to pray for her mother, who was gravely ill. She remembered that stern face and now hoped that someone as haughty as him wouldn't remember her.

"Mages? Commoners?" the priest said slowly, glancing at them and drawing his conclusion. Helise trembled slightly with anger, but Fatenai tugged at her, hoping to avoid any conflict. "I hope your activities do not interfere with Allentia's arrangements."

Helise frowned. Perhaps reminded by Fatenai, she knew she couldn't oppose the Holy See and shouldn't engage in a war of words. She ultimately chose silence.

However, as they passed by, the priest stopped and turned to Fatenai, "Who are you?"

A bad premonition arose in Fatenai's heart. She also realized that her platinum-blonde hair had slipped out from under her hood. These Holy See members, while seemingly respectful, never reasoned with others. They were, after all, feudal lords superior to kings, nobles above all nobles.

"What business is it of yours?" Helise tried to protect Fatenai, but other voices rang out. They all turned their heads; Wickel appeared in their line of sight, looking at the priest. "Don't forget why you're here."

"Wickel," the priest's voice paused. "You're still alive."

A hint of disdain flickered in Wickel's eyes. He walked in front of Fatenai and Helise, looking down at the group from the Holy See. "I won't die until trash like the Holy See is gone."

Wickel's tone was fierce, like a wild beast. This was the first time Fatenai had heard this usually polite adventurer speak so savagely. She could even see his rock-solid muscles tense.

As soon as he finished speaking, a rustling sound arose. The Holy Knights drew their swords, their boots with embedded metal plates scraping against the ground. They simultaneously unsheathed their blades, their eyes fixed on Wickel—in their eyes, this blasphemer needed to pay a price.

"Enough," the priest stopped them, much to Fatenai's surprise. Then she heard him say, "Wickel, you are so unfaithful to the gods, and one day you will pay the price you deserve. But we have always looked forward to you embracing the divine—these were the words of my bishop."

Wickel remained silent, his demeanor expressing his resolve. The priest knew he couldn't gain anything here and chose to leave.

The Holy See arrived quickly and left just as fast. Soon, only the few of them remained. Fatenai fell into thought. Who were the enemies of the commoner mages? The Holy See, the nobles, or both?

These commoner mages all had stories hidden behind them, especially Wickel—this was what Fatenai was most interested in, but she wouldn't approach the Holy See.

Moreover, she had almost been discovered just now... To these Holy See members, her current appearance was a violation of her faith, even though she had never acknowledged any faith in Allentia.

"These disgusting charlatans," Helise couldn't help but say after they had gone. "I bet they're going to start their pretense of investigating the Black Mist now and then go back to spread rumors unfavorable to us."

Fatenai was slightly curious, "Black Mist?"

"Legend says it's the substance that caused the Rose Month, a fundamental elemental magic—you'll learn about these things when you get to university," Helise explained. "As for Wickel, is it really okay for you to attract the Holy See's hatred like this? Their evaluation of you is already quite low, isn't it?"

"It doesn't matter. I have too many identities; not everyone can recognize me," Wickel waved his hand, his expression relaxing. "However, Lonai, have you ever offended the Holy See? You've offended the Beast Speakers and the Holy See; in a way, you're quite formidable."

Fatenai was speechless. "Thank you for the compliment, but I don't have much interaction with the Holy See. Perhaps I resemble someone the priest knows."

Even in the forest, she had almost been recognized twice. Fatenai decided she wouldn't go near any proper cities for the next few years.