Owen stood outside the church, curiously taking in the sacred yet nature-inspired building.
He had always known there was a church of the Church of Mother Earth in the South Bridge District, but because of his own faith, he had never been here before.
He was about to enter a church devoted to another deity. Instinctively, he wanted to tap his chest three times and pray to the God of Order and Machinery, apologizing for entering another god's church. But then he remembered that he was already standing outside another true god's church, and decided that would be rather impolite.
He was still wrestling with the dilemma when his legs carried him through the doors of Harvest Cathedral.
Then he saw the towering man by a table ahead, wiping down a candlestick. He stood over two meters tall, and his loose brown clerical robe was stretched tight over his massive frame.
He merely turned his head from where he stood, yet he looked like a small mountain, imposing and intimidating.
Gulp.
Owen swallowed, then drew back the foot he had just stepped forward.
He wondered if he had entered the wrong church. He had heard that many of the clergy in the Church of Mother Earth were mature, gentle women. So why was the only priest at their Backlund church someone who could punch him straight into the Land of Perfection?
He had always heard that the Church of Mother Earth and the Church of the God of Combat had a good relationship. Could this priest, who looked like a little giant, have switched sides?
Noticing the little giant of a priest by the table looking his way, Owen quickly gathered his thoughts and forced a smile.
"Is Father Utravsky here?"
The priest by the table set down the candlestick and gave him a slight nod. "I am."
The one thing Owen had hoped wouldn't happen had happened. He sighed inwardly, then walked over.
"Good afternoon, Father Utravsky. A friend of mine was attacked and suffered a gunshot wound. He asked me to come to you for a potion that could quickly heal his injuries."
Father Utravsky paused to recall, then asked, "The Apprentice?"
Owen was taken aback, then realized the other man probably didn't know Cyrin's name.
Good thing he hadn't mentioned Cyrin's name right away, or there would've been a mix-up. The guy should've explained that beforehand.
After grumbling to himself, he nodded to the priest. "He was indeed an Apprentice two weeks ago."
Father Utravsky gave a slight nod, then shook his head. "I'm not an Apothecary. I can't prepare potions with extraordinary effects."
"Huh?" Owen stared blankly. "But Cyr—my friend told me to come to you."
"Father, surely there's something you can do. My friend is badly hurt."
He was about to try to persuade him further, but under Father Utravsky's soothing gaze, he wisely fell silent.
"Come with me." Father Utravsky led him toward the back of the prayer hall.
"There is indeed an Apothecary here who can prepare potions with extraordinary effects. Your friend probably wants them to make him a potion, but it'll take some persuasion."
"Persuasion?"
"Have they had a falling-out?"
Owen was puzzled. Refusing to help someone in need didn't seem to fit the doctrines of the Church of Mother Earth. The only explanation he could think of was that Cyrin had clashed with the Apothecary here before, which was why they needed to persuade them.
Father Utravsky calmly nodded. "You could say that."
Following Father Utravsky, Owen pursed his lips. What a pain in the neck. He'd offended the Apothecary and then got himself hurt. Now I have to be the one to persuade them.
Soon, Father Utravsky led him to a closed stone door to a basement. Before Owen could ask anything, a voice behind it began to curse.
"Damn it, let me out! Let me out!"
"This is unlawful imprisonment!"
"The Sanguine of Backlund won't let you get away with this!"
"Damn priest, you'd better let me go now. When the Sanguine find out I'm missing and come looking for me, you and your church will be torn to pieces."
Owen stopped mid-step on the stairs. Listening to the clearly weakening shouts from beyond the stone door, he looked at Father Utravsky's utterly unmoved back, his expression turning strange.
He wondered if he had stumbled onto something he wasn't supposed to know, and hesitated over whether he should run.
Buying medicine for his friend was important, but he didn't want to be silenced—nor did he want to become another prisoner behind that stone door.
Fortunately, Father Utravsky's next words dispelled his doubts.
"He's the Apothecary here, a Vampire whom your friend lured into the church after he became bloodthirsty. I'm keeping him here for now."
The shouts from behind the stone door, which had just quieted down, grew louder again.
"Damn it, this isn't imprisonment. It's extraordinary confinement!"
"Even the Sanguine are lawful residents of Backlund. You have no right to imprison me!"
"That despicable bastard! I only needed to drink a little blood to regain my senses, but he lured me into a church. It's an insult to a noble Sanguine!"
"Wait, you're looking for an Apothecary, right? We Sanguine are the best Apothecaries around. But unless you let me out, don't expect me to make you a potion."
Owen looked at Father Utravsky in confusion. This was far beyond anything he'd expected, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.
Should he be amazed at how unlucky this Vampire was, or at how lucky Cyrin had been to lead the Vampire hunting him into a church while he was still an Apprentice?
Father Utravsky interrupted the Vampire's shouting. "You injured that Apprentice. Now he needs a healing potion. This is the compensation you owe him."
The Vampire behind the door shouted even louder. "He deserved it, that damn, despicable, shameless bastard!"
"Even if I make him a potion, it'll be poison. It'll double his injuries and keep him right on the edge of death."
Owen sighed to himself. Persuading this imprisoned Vampire to make a potion looked like a tall order. Cyrin's injuries might heal on their own before the Vampire agreed.
He sighed, cleared his throat, and spoke earnestly.
"Mr. Vampire, if you sincerely repent, perhaps they'll let you out."
He hadn't finished speaking before the voice behind the door cut him off. "I'm Sanguine, Sanguine!"
"Why should I repent? This damn priest is the one who illegally imprisoned me."
"Unless he lets me out, there's no way I'm making you a potion. Tell your friend to wait for death."
Owen sighed and shook his head. "His injuries aren't bad enough to kill him. Won't you reconsider? Maybe Father Utravsky will reduce your sentence."
"Get lost!" After shouting for so long, the voice behind the door had grown hoarse.
"I haven't committed a crime, so why should my sentence be reduced? No, why am I even being imprisoned?"
Owen turned helplessly to Father Utravsky. He didn't think he could persuade the Vampire.
"Father, could you make me a potion to speed up the healing? An ordinary one will do."
"After all, he just doesn't want to be stuck in bed."
Father Utravsky nodded slightly. "I can."
"Wait!"
"I could make the potion, but you have to find a way to make this damn priest let me out."
In the underground meeting room beneath Saint Hillan Cathedral, Carlson had returned from the hospital and was attending a meeting. The Church of Steam was taking the Backlund University incident very seriously, and its higher-ups had directly appointed a senior Machinery Hivemind deacon to take charge.
"According to our investigation, the attack may have been aimed at Cyrin Gray, a history student at Backlund University. But he himself has no idea why he was attacked."
"In addition, we've confirmed the attacker's identity: Zoila Hernandez, leader of the East District's Blood Axe Gang."
"All the members of the Blood Axe Gang mysteriously disappeared some time ago. Divination indicates that they're all dead. At the time, we couldn't divine anything about Zoila Hernandez, so her presence was likely concealed by a high-ranking being."
"Furthermore, Archbishop Horamick confirmed that an Angel had briefly been at Backlund University before he arrived."
"This incident involved an evil god, but no traces of its aura remained at the scene. An unknown Angel may have dealt with them."
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