Chapter 36

The Holy See was undoubtedly a transcendent and exceptional force on the Western Continent.

The Creator God's radiance shone upon all things in the world.

As servants of the gods and beings closest to them, the Holy See possessed absolute authority and the right to handle certain matters.

Gadayat was a small country. To demonstrate its respect and reverence for the Holy See, it had specially built a grand and magnificent temple and an imposing church in its royal capital, Kaies.

The church covered an enormous area, with sturdy, heavy walls, semicircular arches, and towering domes... Its interior was decorated with exquisite murals and sculptures.

The front half of the church contained the central hall and prayer rooms where nobles and commoners came to pray, as well as more private rooms for mourning family members.

The back half was an area only church clergy were permitted to enter.

Marco Case had no choice but to carry Xia Zuoyi and flee toward the back.

Fine relief patterns were carved into the corridor walls. The windows were set high up, but the colored glass paintings embedded in them made the light dim and shadowy.

Refracted through the corridor, it created an atmosphere of mystery and solemn majesty.

Using the church's turns and corners, Marco Case shook off the royal capital knights who were relentlessly pursuing them.

After the footsteps gradually faded away.

He flashed into a room at the very end of the corridor with Xia Zuoyi in his arms.

Xia Zuoyi hurriedly struggled down and said, "You're hurt."

Although he had been tucked under Marco Case's arm and was inevitably a little disoriented, he had heard the sound of a spear piercing flesh.

And there was an unmistakable smell of blood.

Using the weapon he had seized as support, Marco Case slowly lowered himself against the wall.

A knight's spear had stabbed into his back. Blood soaked through his robes, and his brows were tightly furrowed as he endured the pain. He could not help but smile bitterly at Xia Zuoyi's words. "I'm old. My movements have become clumsy. Otherwise, I definitely could have gotten you out of the church."

"Why did you save me?"

Xia Zuoyi looked confused, his gaze complicated. "By doing this, you've already made an enemy of Bass Riches..."

Marco Case shook his head. "If I don't stand with him, then I can only stand against him."

"How could I watch a child be killed before my eyes?"

"Besides, I could never agree to let Bass Riches become king. He planned all of this and orchestrated the murder of the prince and the entire royal family. His crimes are grave..."

"Bass Riches has no right to ascend the throne."

He said slowly, "And Bishop Bolton was involved as well. He violated the Holy See's sacred will. That is disrespect toward the Creator God."

"Thank you." Xia Zuoyi thanked him sincerely. The situation just now had truly been dangerous for him.

Marco Case had saved him.

Noisy, chaotic sounds continued to drift over from somewhere far outside the room.

Someone had broken into the church, so there were not many knights pursuing them.

Marco Case was about to answer when his expression suddenly tightened. He held a finger to his lips and silently indicated: They're back.

Heavy footsteps rang out in the corridor again, caused by armor-clad figures walking nearby.

Marco Case quietly opened the door a crack and looked outside.

The room they had hidden in happened to be at the intersection with another corridor. The moment they stepped out, their whereabouts would be exposed.

And the three knights searching for them were checking the rooms one by one...

Marco Case could not help tightening his grip on his weapon. The pain in his back made him exceptionally clear-headed. He knew there was no way he could take Xia Zuoyi away now.

Therefore, he would go out alone and lure the knights away, allowing Xia Zuoyi to hide here...

However, just as Marco Case was about to rise, a pair of small hands forcefully pressed down on his shoulders. The strength was so great that he paused, and the strength he had painstakingly gathered instantly drained away.

Before Marco Case could react, Xia Zuoyi pulled a gold coin from his clothes and quickly tossed it through the door crack toward the far end of the corridor...

The coin clattered against the wall along one side of the corridor, immediately drawing the attention of all three knights.

The instant they turned their heads.

Xia Zuoyi slipped out through the door crack and ran in the opposite direction.

Marco Case only had time to hear the nearly inaudible words Xia Zuoyi left beside him—"Don't come out. I'll lead them away."

If Marco Case left again, he would definitely die.

Xia Zuoyi could not bring himself to let an innocent person die for him.

He could only take a gamble.

Walker, you have to break into the church faster...

Fortunately, Xia Zuoyi had trained together with Ferdinand and Walker in Visas.

Xia Zuoyi darted through the corridors at incredible speed, relying on his small size to dodge nimbly.

Of course, the knights' heavy armor also restricted their movements to a certain degree. That was the only reason Xia Zuoyi managed to gain some distance in such a short time and successfully lure the three men elsewhere.

However, having short legs was a problem.

Xia Zuoyi's strength was also quickly running out.

He panted, and it felt as though he could smell the cold, sharp scent of weapons.

Light streaming in through the high windows struck the tip of a spear, then flashed brightly across Xia Zuoyi's eyes. He could not help narrowing his eyes as a sense of dread rose within him.

Sure enough, in the next instant.

A piercing chill carrying immense pressure swept toward Xia Zuoyi's neck, making the hairs all over his body stand on end as a powerful sense of danger surged up.

He wanted to dodge.

But he had already missed the moment. There was no way for him to evade it in time.

Just then.

Clang!

A curved blade swung in from nowhere and blocked the spear thrust aimed at Xia Zuoyi.

The two weapons collided with a resounding crash, causing Xia Zuoyi to look up instinctively.

The owner of the curved blade was an exceptionally tall and burly man. His entire body was wrapped in a long black robe, completely airtight, with only a pair of cold, sharp eyes exposed at his face.

Before Xia Zuoyi could react, he suddenly felt his waist and abdomen tighten.

The next moment, he was lifted up and carried away from the fighting.

Xia Zuoyi instinctively tried to pull away the hand wrapped across his chest, wanting the person behind him to let go.

But he was immediately held even tighter.

The hand, with its long, elegant knuckles, turned over to envelop his small hand and firmly trapped it in its palm.

Although he did not know whether they were enemies or allies.

In the blink of an eye, the three knights who had been chasing him were all killed by the man wrapped in black robes. Blood flowed across the floor, spreading in rings of crimson.

The black-robed man sheathed his curved blade and approached respectfully, assuming a submissive posture before the person holding Xia Zuoyi.

The person behind him did not pause, directly carrying Xia Zuoyi into a room off the corridor.

Once he saw the situation inside.

Xia Zuoyi's struggling body stilled. His eyes widened slightly, and surprise appeared on his face.

Besides four other burly men dressed in the same full black robes, Bishop Bolton and the acting bishop who had previously stood beside him were actually kneeling on the floor.

The two of them no longer looked calm and composed as they had before Bass Riches.

Their faces were pale, sweat trickling beside their ears, their expressions tinged with terror and panic.

As Xia Zuoyi stood stunned, the person holding him set him down on a table in the room.

Xia Zuoyi was finally able to see the man's face clearly.

He had long black hair with slightly curled ends, handsome features, fair skin, and rosy lips.

Most strikingly, he possessed a pair of beautiful, utterly captivating molten-gold eyes. Countless glimmers of light seemed hidden within them, gathering all the splendor in the world.

Golden eyes...

Xia Zuoyi was somewhat stunned.

At that moment, the man reached out and lightly tapped Xia Zuoyi's nose. A trace of amusement colored his pleasant voice. "You're quite strong. I almost couldn't hold on to you."

Xia Zuoyi snapped back to his senses and immediately drew away, asking warily, "Who are you?"

As he spoke, his gaze casually swept over Bishop Bolton and the acting bishop before returning to examine the person in front of him.

Clearly, he was still a youth.

He wore an unadorned black robe that looked entirely ordinary, yet its workmanship was exceptionally fine and its fabric carefully selected. It was likely very expensive.

His appearance was flawlessly handsome, and the imposing aura around him was no less than that of an adult.

Even a casual glance from him toward the two bishops could make their bodies tremble, vividly demonstrating what it meant to be frightened out of one's wits.

Xia Zuoyi suddenly recalled the rumors Judith had told him about the current Pope. He could not help forming a vague guess about this person's identity... yet he did not dare confirm it.

Because the truth was simply too astonishing to believe.

Bishop Bolton and the acting bishop remained kneeling on the floor, not daring to move. Their heads were bowed, and neither said a word.

Seeing the way the two of them behaved.

Xia Zuoyi fell silent and decided to be obedient for the time being.

After all, a wise man knew when to yield.

He was a "wise man" now.

"Why aren't you speaking?" the man asked with a smile.

Xia Zuoyi said, "Thank you for saving me. If there's nothing else... may I leave now?"

He wanted to go. The sooner, the better.

Segalot watched his feigned composure and obedient little act, feeling pleased. Smiling, he shook his head. "Not yet. It's chaotic outside, and you could run into danger."

But Xia Zuoyi felt that it was quite dangerous here too...

Outside, people were shouting and fighting.

Yet this place seemed separated by an unrelated space, silent and equally suffocating, making it hard to breathe.

Segalot said, "How about we have a chat?"

Xia Zuoyi asked, "About what?"

Segalot said, "Tell me, what is your name?"

"...Xia Zuoyi Desinia."

"Aren't you going to ask what my name is?"

Segalot slowly leaned closer to Xia Zuoyi. His golden eyes shimmered brilliantly, beautiful enough to take one's breath away. He said softly, "It seems... you already know who I am."

Xia Zuoyi pressed his lips together. "It wasn't hard to guess."

Segalot smiled again. "What is my name?"

Xia Zuoyi opened his mouth. "Seg..."

Just then.

A wave of commotion suddenly rose outside. Someone shouted things like, "Search over here," "Lord Earl," and "Where is he?"...

Xia Zuoyi heard a familiar voice, and joy immediately appeared on his face.

Segalot sighed softly. "The people who came to save you are here. Be careful when you go out."

Xia Zuoyi thought that perhaps Segalot truly meant him no harm, so he thanked him again.

Segalot said, "If you want to thank me, then give me something instead."

"What?"

Segalot slowly hooked a finger beneath the bird whistle hanging from Xia Zuoyi's neck. "This one."