As a Human (Continued)

Maria paused for a few moments, then silently removed her hand from the long sword at her waist.

The priest's meaning was quite clear.

He didn't want Maria to get involved... Ultimately, this was a matter between him and the Laterano Church, and Maria had no reason to be involved...

The priest hoped to use his own power to meet the Pope, because only in this way could he truly convey his own consciousness to him out of his own will.

Maria agreed, and after a moment, she took two steps back, assuming the role of an innocent bystander...

The battle here quickly attracted the attention of others.

Before long, the Laterano Guard arrived.

They were initially surprised to see the scene in such chaos, but quickly recovered.

"Evacuate citizens and maintain order at the scene!"

The leader quickly gave the order, and the others carried it out.

Maria, too, took her own steps, standing in the shadows as if she were invisible.

The chaotic battle quickly caused quite a commotion, and the priest was aware of this, so he adopted an extremely silent fighting style.

It means those who are not afraid to die Blood-for-Blood.

Although the Pontiff's Knights are powerful, this does not mean they are not invincible.

With the blessing of Maria's blood, the priest's wounds were healing rapidly, while the Pontiff's Knights's injuries were real.

Despite the overwhelming force, the priest actually managed to subdue the three Pontiff's Knights in a short period of time!

In no time at all, he successfully escaped.

Of these three Pontiff's Knights, one was seriously injured and the other was slightly injured...

Everyone's expression changed upon seeing this result.

They had assumed the priest was just a fellow countryman who had fallen from heaven.

But...

But no one had ever told them that their fallen brethren would possess such formidable fighting power, had they?

He single-handedly fought off three Pontiff's Knights?!

What is this? An enhanced boost after turning evil?!

For a moment, everyone's face went numb, and their perception of its power changed like never before.

"This matter... needs to be reported to His Holiness the Pope immediately!"

Soon, a Catholic knight gave his conclusion.

This matter has exceeded their understanding and capabilities; the information must be relayed to His Holiness the Pope so that they can inquire about the next steps.

But he wasn't speaking to anyone present; he was speaking specifically to his companions.

The other two Pontiff's Knights nodded slightly, and after resting for a few moments, they got up and left.

The Laterano Guard members nearby, however, seemed quite used to this and began dealing with the battle scene.

Only...

"Miss..."

Everyone turned to look at Maria, who was standing quietly to the side, their expressions subtle.

They certainly hadn't considered that an ordinary person had been caught up in this operation.

Although this ordinary person showed no fear whatsoever.

Based on the current investigation, Maria should have no connection to these matters, and they have no reason to control Maria.

Only...

Everyone turned to look at Maria, who had her arms crossed and head slightly bowed, and sighed.

Regardless of the specifics, the current situation is that they haven't yet figured out who their fallen brethren are, or why Maria is here, displaying no fear.

After thinking for a moment, the leading guard stepped forward.

"I'm sorry to have involved you in these internal affairs... but unfortunately, you may need to remain in Laterano for the foreseeable future..."

"It doesn't matter..."

Thank you for your understanding...

The priest's matter has temporarily come to an end.

In fact, even if the guards hadn't said anything, Maria couldn't find anywhere to relax in the short term, so she naturally chose to stay in Laterano for the time being.

Occasionally, Maria would also go out to try some of Laterano's local delicacies...

Of course, they were mostly desserts.

The price wasn't particularly cheap, but fortunately, Maria had managed to amass quite a bit of money along the way due to various hunting activities... enough for her to rest peacefully here for a few years.

It's worth mentioning that, perhaps because the city itself is on the edge of Laterano, Maria often sees children on the streets...

The children, dressed in rags and with dirty faces, gathered in twos and threes, holding hands, looking bewildered at the Laterano people walking by.

Maria initially thought these people were also volunteers for some Laterano experiment... after all, she had seen quite a few children often causing strange things.

But as time went on, Maria realized that these children really were just a group of...

Refugee...

"..."

"Waaah..."

Maria walked home, looking at the children watching her.

They seemed to have been starving for a long time; their eyes were fixed on the desserts Maria was carrying, their gazes flickering...

Even so, they didn't cry or beg; they simply gathered by the roadside, like statues, watching the Laterano people walk by.

"..."

"..."

Maria approached the children. The children didn't say much, but simply looked up at this outsider who seemed too tall and imposing to them.

"... Is there anything I can do for you, madam?"

The one who spoke was a slightly older girl, but she looked only in her teens. Yet, she took on the responsibility of being the leader of the entire group of children...

Maria didn't say much, but silently handed the dessert to the girl.

Although she felt she had made her meaning quite clear, the girl still stopped the children beside her, somewhat incredulously, and hesitated before speaking.

"This dessert, you are...?"

"These are for you..."

Maria gave an answer.

Only after receiving a reply did the girl finally show some emotion.

She happily took a step back and nodded repeatedly to Maria.

"Thank you, kind lady, your compassion will be witnessed!"

After expressing her gratitude, the girl carefully distributed the snacks to her companions.

Everyone received about three pieces of bread, except for the girl, who only had half a piece of bread crust in her hand...

Even so, the girl's gratitude was genuine.

She didn't ask Maria for anything more, but simply savored the long-awaited food...

"Where... did you come from?"

Maria looked at the children with a hint of confusion in her eyes.

The children who heard Maria's call turned around, but it was the oldest little girl who spoke first.

"We come from the village over here..."

"Why?"

"Because my parents said war is coming..."

The little girl shook her head, her voice tinged with confusion.

For them, even the most basic literacy skills were incomplete, let alone understanding the essence of war.

All they knew was that war was terrible, and their parents were terrified, so they sent them here.

"War?"

Maria was somewhat puzzled.

But the children just kept talking.

"Mom and Dad say the Sarkaz are going to launch a counterattack... We need to run to a safe place to survive."

The children were not aware of the current situation; they could only repeat to Maria what their parents had said.

Maria frowned after a moment of confusion.

Sarkaz...

That's true.

At this juncture, having just left Sarkaz and with its internal threats eliminated, it's unlikely that any other nations will launch another attack on Sarkaz in the short term... And once it recovers, given Sarkaz's past behavior, it will certainly continue its counterattack through war...

It's natural to have such precautions on the border.

Only...

Even if it means you'll lead a life of constant displacement?

Maria sighed.

But the children couldn't provide an answer.

For girls their age, their parents are their only gods.

They followed their parents' wishes and went to various places.

And the influence of their parents on the Sarkaz was already deeply ingrained...

The only forces that can change the world are those that are equal to the world itself... such as time.

Maria couldn't answer whether these people's choices were right or wrong; after a moment of silence, she simply asked another question.

Where are your parents?

If these children came with their parents, why are they wandering the streets instead of being with them?

When this question was raised, all the children's eyes looked somewhat dejected.

But the girl in the lead still mustered her spirits and gave an answer.

"My parents are Infected... they are not allowed to enter the city."

"Um?"

Maria was taken aback, her gaze filled with confusion.

After discussing with the children for a while, Maria spent some money to buy them some food... Although she had no intention of taking care of them, she was not stingy with money.

After feeding the child a little something, she slowly left and went to the outskirts of the city.

When Maria first arrived here, the outside world consisted only of flat roads and a growing influx of caravans.

But at that moment, on both sides of the road, groups of people were kneeling and praying in an orderly fashion, with a devout posture, facing the white wall...

They were just like the other children; they didn't make a fuss or ask for more.

They simply knelt there, praying for something...

Sunlight fell on them, outlining their devout silhouettes.