The Priest and the Pope's Knights

"Gurgle..."

A low growl came from the darkness, and what Maria saw was a scene both familiar and strange.

The fearsome three-headed hound lay peacefully on the ground, surrounded by lush green plants. Its body appeared slightly younger than Maria remembered, but still very small.

I saw you in the future...

Maria whispered, her voice calm.

But the hunting dog in front of it opened its eyes in confusion.

At this moment, it still had the strength to speak.

"Who are you?"

"You are not... one of my kind..."

Perhaps because it had never spoken before, the Three-Headed Hound's speech was somewhat awkward, but this did not prevent it from being certain that the Maria before it was not one of its kind.

She is a person...

"That's not important."

Maria shook her head and looked around again.

Just as in the future, at this moment, this three-headed hound had already begun to infuse this land with its life.

Judging from its posture, it has been here for a very long time.

So long that its body became one with the land, inseparable from it.

"If this continues, you will die."

Maria casually remarked, revealing the other person's future fate.

But the three hunting dogs didn't seem to care.

It barely wiggled its tail as it looked at the figure in front of it.

What is death?

"..."

Maria was clearly aware of this outcome. This time, her interaction with the other party was less about any particular purpose and more about Maria simply wanting to see the hunting dog.

After all, when he first faced Gordan in the future, Godan had also helped him...

How long do you think you can wait here?

Maria asked again, but the hound seemed listless.

"I will keep waiting..."

"..."

"This is the boss's home... When he comes back, he'll be so happy to see me..."

The hound whispered, burying its head in front of its legs, its head pressed against the ground.

His raised eyebrows and eyes were gazing at the sky.

It felt that it had changed a lot, and the surrounding environment had changed a lot too.

It's not very smart and doesn't think of many things.

But it knew that this was its boss's territory, and that it would return here sooner or later.

Then we can all play together again...

I want to roll around in the grass...

I want to eat the meat on the bone...

I want it...

Thoughts are piling up, but the emotions weighing on my chest are becoming increasingly blurred.

It felt as if something had entered its head, but when it tried to bite it, the memory quickly vanished.

Left with no other choice, it turned its head and looked at Maria in front of it.

Do you know anything?

"I feel like I've forgotten something."

"..."

Maria didn't speak; she simply stepped forward and gently touched the forehead of the big dog.

In a daze, the hound found that its mind seemed to have cleared up considerably.

But...

Maria withdrew her hand.

Maria let out a soft breath under the hound's questioning gaze.

"You don't want to know that result."

"You're talking strangely..."

The hound shook its head helplessly, but it couldn't find anyone else to help it... In all these years, Maria was the first person it had approached without fear. When it couldn't find anyone else, it could only wag its tail.

"Please help me... okay?"

"Something's stuck in my chest, I'm so sad..."

The hunting dog shook its head; although its size and aura were terrifying, its thinking was no different from that of a dog.

His round, dark eyes looked at Maria with a hint of expectation.

The hound didn't know about equivalent exchange.

It simply believed, believed that everything would be alright...

There are no bad people in this world!

"..."

Maria was silent for a moment, but then chuckled softly.

She silently reached out and slowly pulled a section of Umbilical Cord from thin air, placing it quietly beside him.

Mariah whispered to the hound's questioning gaze.

"With this, you should be able to solve the problem that started at the beginning of your life. Perhaps then you'll understand what those memories trapped in your mind are all about."

"Waaah~"

The hound's face lit up with excitement; it even seemed eager to nudge Maria.

Unfortunately, because it had been lying on the ground for too long, it was now unable to move.

As Maria turned to leave, it fluttered about anxiously.

"Wait a minute!"

It was speaking.

As Maria turned around, it moved with effort, causing the small flower beside it to fall and be offered to Maria.

"This is for you... Thank you!"

The big dog was very happy.

Is there anything I can do to help you?

The big dog wasn't a bad dog that would ask for favors; it knew that if someone gave it something, it should give something back in return.

Only...

But Maria simply looked at the fallen flower and picked it up.

"You'll be able to help me in the future."

After saying that, she turned and slowly walked away...

After leaving the forest, Maria continued her journey eastward.

She had no destination; she went wherever the road took her.

From Bolivar to Columbia, to Victoria, to Kjerag, to Leithanien.

Maria waited for the right moment to return to Aegir while observing the entire Terra.

Watching the refugees flee, witnessing the Catastrophe, seeing one tragedy after another unfold, and...

Look at her own actions, the scene of her destroying the Allied Forces in Kazdel.

"Back then, quite a few things did happen..."

Maria murmured, looking at the city she had burned, a sense of wonder washing over her.

As the person involved, Maria never realized just how horrific her actions were.

However, such travel does not continue indefinitely.

After some time, Maria finally arrived at a place she had heard about ever since she came to Terra, but had never actually seen...

Its name is...

Laterano...

408

Chapter 408 The Priest and the Pontiff's Knights

Laterano is a religious country...

This was something Maria already knew before she came here.

Maria was not very clear about the specific descriptions of Laterano.

When Maria actually arrived here, she was indeed taken aback by the architectural style.

Everywhere you look, the buildings are pure white... Even if they aren't, Laterano people are used to using a near-white, off-white gray as the main color for their buildings.

Magnificent Roman columns stand orderly on the ground, and beautiful statues and murals can be seen everywhere along the streets.

The entire Laterano Kingdom is like a giant cathedral!

Besides the distinctive architecture, Maria was also somewhat surprised by the local customs.

The children you see everywhere aren't playing the usual games like kicking a ball; they prefer to compete in shooting skills.

The air was filled with a cloyingly sweet aroma that could suffocate even someone who doesn't like sweets.

The sugar has already seeped into the air!

Maria walked on and on, then suddenly stopped.

Before Maria stood a man dressed as a guard, speaking sternly.

"Please stop, ma'am."

It was a woman's voice... She reached out and stopped Maria from going any further.

As Maria tilted her head in confusion, the other person continued speaking.

"An experiment is underway... Under the supervision of Notarial Office, we should rule out any possible accidents..."

"Test?"

Maria looked somewhat puzzled, but the other person nodded seriously.

She turned to the side so Maria could see that right there on the roadside, several obviously overactive children were trying to fill some kind of substance into several machines, while various packaged desserts were neatly arranged nearby, ready to meet their fate.

Another person, dressed in thick protective clothing like a snowman, stood next to the explosive device.

It seems they're about to be bombed?!

"We are currently investigating whether conventional desserts are still edible under close-range high pressure, and whether citizens can draw temporary strength from desserts in cases of severe injury..."

The woman dressed as a guard spoke in a calm and objective tone, saying things that Maria could not understand.