Far from over... Charlotte instinctively drew a breath, and the anticipation she had just felt at the prospect of obtaining a potion faded considerably.
She had thought the ambush at the printing factory was the final loose end. With the Gray-Clothed Beggar and the Black-Clothed Woman captured by the Church, the danger she had faced ever since transmigrating into this body should have been over, at least for now.
Instead, Viève had opened with bad news.
Father was actually right. There really is someone more dangerous behind them... Charlotte muttered inwardly as she sat on a wooden chair beside the long table, placed her hands on her knees, and braced herself for the serious conversation ahead.
Viève noticed her tension and gave a faint smile, her back to the stained-glass window, like an angel surrounded by a halo.
"Interrogating cultists isn't easy, especially those whose faith is misguided but firm," she said, her voice as gentle as ever. "And many methods that work in ordinary cases are unsuitable for them. Excessive pressure, repeated provocation, or even making them utter certain names and prayers can contaminate the brothers and sisters conducting the interrogation."
Charlotte had already grown accustomed to these clergy calling one another brothers and sisters. Frowning, she asked:
"What is contamination?"
"You can think of it as an outside force eroding the mind, spirituality, and body all at once," Viève explained simply. "In mild cases, it causes confusion or unconsciousness. In severe cases, it causes a loss of control, or even turns the victim into a medium through which that being can influence reality."
Spirituality... loss of control... influencing reality... As these words, clearly different from her usual understanding of them, reached Charlotte's ears, memories surfaced again: the shattered fragments of that sacrificial ritual, the incomprehensible prayers spoken by the cultist in black robes, the screams in her ears, and the darkness before her eyes.
She shook her head to dispel those images and continued:
"How did the interrogation turn out?"
"A serious problem arose midway through. Both cultists died on the spot, and others were nearly caught up in it. Fortunately, before that happened, we still obtained three crucial pieces of information."
The sunlight in the room was still bright, carrying a reassuring warmth, but what Viève said next made Charlotte feel cold sweat seep down her back.
"First, they were indeed hunting the final sacrifice who escaped that ritual-you. Your escape caused the ritual to fail, and they had to make amends for that failure. Of course, taking revenge on the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun was another of their goals."
So I really was the eighth sacrifice... Hearing Viève confirm it extinguished the last trace of hope Charlotte had clung to.
"Second, that sacrifice wasn't simply an ordinary ritual performed by cultists to please a god," Viève continued. "Their purpose was to obtain power from an evil god. Based on the information we currently have, had they succeeded, the person presiding over the ritual would very likely have received a boon at the level of a Saint."
"A Saint?" Charlotte picked out the unfamiliar yet clearly important word.
Viève nodded slightly.
"In mysticism, that usually refers to a high-Sequence Beyonder at Sequence 4 or Sequence 3. A few powerful believers granted saintly titles in the Church's history belonged to this level, such as Saint Roch."
Charlotte couldn't help glancing at the Sun Holy Emblem on the wall.
Saint Roch Cathedral... So it wasn't named after just some devout believer from history, but a Beyonder powerful enough to be called a Saint? What powerful Beyonder abilities did they possess? Charlotte's imagination wandered before she asked another question a moment later:
"What about a boon?"
"It's another way of obtaining power, distinct from potions," Viève said, her tone growing slightly more cautious. "Potions require formulas and ingredients, and take a long time to master. Only after thoroughly drawing out their power can you choose to advance. A boon, on the other hand, is power bestowed directly by a higher being upon a lower one. It's very rare, and the Church has few records of it, but it's said to bypass many steps and raise an ordinary person directly to a higher level of power."
Isn't that basically cheating? One little ding, and you're a Saint? Charlotte was startled. She couldn't help feeling a flicker of interest in such a rapid way of obtaining power, but profound fear followed.
According to Viève, Saints were both rare and powerful. Yet if that ritual had succeeded, it could easily have produced a high-Sequence Beyonder close to Saint Roch, who had a cathedral commemorating him, leaving every street, church, and noble residence in Suhit City unsafe.
Reining in her thoughts, she continued:
"And the third?"
"There are still undiscovered followers of the evil god lurking in the city," Viève answered calmly. "He, or they, don't take part in operations directly, but provide intelligence. They probably planned the ambush you encountered on Tuesday, then entrusted its execution to other followers with Beyonder powers."
There are still cultists alive, and they're hidden agents who don't take part in frontline operations... Charlotte couldn't tell whether she felt frightened or helpless. She had thought she had escaped the shadow of that sacrificial ritual, only to discover that she was still on the altar, surrounded by indistinct figures sharpening their knives for the sacrifice.
Unless she truly gained power of her own, she would have no means of resisting.
Viève seemed to wait until she had digested this news before speaking again:
"So, before we discuss your reward, I need to confirm something."
Something stirred in Charlotte's heart.
Here it comes.
"Is your faith in the Eternal Blazing Sun sufficiently devout?"
Of course. I can be the most devout believer... Charlotte instinctively started to answer, but suddenly remembered that "lie-detecting" Holy Bible, the information Viève might possess, and the fact that she had already admitted part of the truth in the confessional.
"I suppose I can only be considered a lukewarm believer," Charlotte answered carefully. "If I had to name my most devout moment, it was probably when I threw that bottle of holy water at the cultist."
Having said that, she lowered her head guiltily.
Viève smiled again, however, and said:
"Honesty matters more than pretending to be devout.
"In that case, you have two choices for now. The first is to formally join the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun's Inquisition and become one of the Purification-ers. But that requires further trials. You'll also need to go to Fauville Monastery for secluded training, studying the Holy Bible, rituals, combat, and confidentiality rules. This path is only suitable for those who are sufficiently devout and willing to devote their entire lives to their faith."
The image of Jellen spreading his arms in that narrow corridor and praising the Sun with a fanatical expression immediately surfaced in Charlotte's mind. She closed her eyes and asked:
"What's the second?"
"Become one of our Peripheral Members," Viève said. "You'll receive limited assignments and protection, and shoulder limited responsibilities. The restrictions are relatively light, but the resources, protection, and subsequent advancement pathways available to you won't be as reliable as those of a formal member... Of course, given your contribution to us this time, and the circumstances you face, you can receive a Sequence 9 potion in advance."
Charlotte barely hesitated:
"I'd like to hear more about the second option first."
Viève wasn't surprised. She nodded and said:
"The pathway the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun possesses in its entirety is the Sun pathway, the one closest to the Sun. Its Sequence 9 is Bard. If you become one of the Purification-ers, then as long as you make sufficient contributions, advancing along this pathway will be smoother and safer."
She paused, then continued:
"Peripheral Members have a limited selection of potions, and none of those pathways has a complete set of Sequences available. We currently have three Sequence 9 potions: Arbiter, Lawyer, and Assassin."
Etienne is on the Lawyer pathway. Strange. The Church's complete pathway is called Sun, but its Sequence 9 is Bard. That's different from what I learned about pathways being named after their Sequence 9 potions... Charlotte pondered this and asked casually:
"Only three?"
"There are twenty-two potion pathways in total, but some aren't in the Church's possession. Others are more dangerous and prone to loss of control, or we lack the corresponding ingredients. That makes them unsuitable for you at present."
Twenty-two pathways!
Charlotte had thought the Beyonder world was merely a hidden corner made up of churches, cultists, a few potions, and certain strange abilities. Now she suddenly realized that this entire system was far larger than she had imagined.
Even if she limited herself to the names of Sequence 9 potions, she had only brushed its edges, without glimpsing the whole picture.
She took a deep breath and quickly decided that Lawyer, which could improve her eloquence and attack weaknesses in other people's minds, would do little to help with the problems she faced. She therefore asked directly:
"What abilities would Arbiter give me?"
Viève answered quickly, evidently prepared:
"You would gain a convincing presence, the authority to maintain order, an imposing air that compels others to submit, and excellent fighting ability."
A few days ago, in the printing factory's Storage Room, the Black-Clothed Woman had driven her into a corner. She had only been able to buy time with a bottle of holy water and an improvised feint. Before that, Etienne had sent her fleeing in panic, leaving her no choice but to seek Baron Gustav's help... With excellent fighting ability, things would have been completely different.
"What about Bard?"
Rather than rushing to decide, she asked another cautious question.
Viève touched the Sun Holy Emblem on her chest and said:
"It strengthens your constitution and brings strength and courage to you and your companions through praising the Sun. It's also the most suitable starting point for believers in the Eternal Blazing Sun."
Praise the Sun... Charlotte struggled to keep her expression under control, afraid of becoming a fanatical Sister Charlotte.
"And Assassin?"
"Assassins excel at hiding in shadows and moving silently. They can fall from heights without injury, and possess the explosive power to kill in a single strike," Viève continued. As Charlotte sat up straight and widened her eyes, however, she changed tack. "But the Inquisition forbids women from choosing the Assassin pathway. A secret organization considers this a serious taboo and will do everything in its power to kill any female assassins it learns of."
Charlotte froze for a moment.
"A secret organization?"
"I can't tell you too much." Viève shook her head gently. "Besides, the Church doesn't possess the subsequent formulas for this pathway. If you want to advance later, you'll have to seek opportunities elsewhere, and that will attract their attention."
It sounds like choosing a class that's great early on, but guarantees a hidden villain will target you later... Considering that a bunch of surviving cultists are already after me, going out of my way to provoke another secret organization would be rather irrational... Charlotte decisively abandoned this pathway. Then something occurred to her, and she asked:
"Was the Black-Clothed Woman who attacked me on Tuesday an Assassin?"
"No," Viève answered with certainty. "Her powers were very strange, unlike the Assassins described in our internal records. We've already reported the relevant details to Sacred Heart Cathedral in Trier and are waiting for a further response."
Charlotte didn't press the matter. Instead, she quickly weighed the advantages and disadvantages in her mind. For the sake of safety, she even considered joining the Inquisition, which had a poor reputation but had given her considerable help this week, and becoming one of the Purification-ers. Her own circumstances, however, quickly made her reject that option.
A moment later, she raised her head and looked at Viève:
"I choose to become an Arbiter."