Hopeless Resistance: Part Six

"Has Her Highness still not been found?"

Upon hearing the report, the old man frowned.

"What on earth happened...? Logically speaking, they should have arrived at the Holy Autonomous Territory a week ago! Why have they been delayed for so long!"

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency."

The paladin before him also wore a solemn expression and bowed his head deeply.

"We have searched every inch of land, but have found no trace of Her Highness the Saintess. Even the paladins who escorted them are nowhere to be found. Although, according to our intelligence, they did indeed come through the Black Forest, but..."

What's the situation in the Black Forest?

"No news."

The paladin shook his head, looking slightly dejected.

"Keep searching. We must find Her Highness, no matter what."

Although the result was disappointing, the old man sighed and then regained his previous seriousness and solemnity.

"No matter what, we must find out exactly what happened! This is crucial to our negotiations with Dideyasi!"

"And the safety of Her Highness the Holy Maiden."

Hearing the old man's words, the paladin before him showed a hint of displeasure and whispered a reminder. After all, Catherine was highly respected among the young men of the Holy Autonomous Territory. After all, the Holy Autonomous Territory was a place for training paladins, and it was almost entirely male. For these young, vigorous paladins, the beautiful, kind, and holy Catherine was their only idol.

"Of course I understand that."

Upon hearing this, a hint of displeasure appeared on the old man's face.

Perhaps, by making that princess a saint, I've let a wolf into my house.

"Furthermore... we also suspect... that this was very likely done by those people."

Who are they?

Hearing the paladin's hesitant words, the old man raised his head and shouted in a low voice. His shout seemed to make the paladin before him make up his mind, and he spoke.

"Those guys... the ones who attacked Saint Rolante City! Those guys were so powerful, they not only killed representatives of the Five-Nation Alliance and the Temple, but even the Grand Knight Commander who was present couldn't stop them. We suspect that if they had their eyes on Her Highness the Saintess and were planning to attack her..."

"Stop talking."

The old man interrupted the paladin.

"Don't make such claims without sufficient evidence! Gather your forces again and continue the search. Even if they were attacked, there would be some trace left behind! Until then, I hope you won't waste your energy on such pointless rumors! Do you really think those evil heretics can be our enemies? Such a thought is blasphemous!!"

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

Upon hearing this, the paladin's expression immediately turned solemn, and he dared not say another word before turning and leaving the room. The old man stared at his retreating figure until he was certain the paladin was gone, then a helpless and somber expression appeared on his face. In truth, how could the higher-ups of the church not have suspected that these thugs were responsible? But what could they do now, even if they knew? Unless they were captured, the fact that the attackers had not only disrupted the alliance meeting convened by the Temple and killed the representatives of the Five-Nation Alliance, but had now even captured the saintess, would have a significant impact on the Temple if such rumors were to spread. Therefore, even knowing the possibility of this, as the bishop, he could only remain silent for the time being.

Moreover, this may not only be a negative impact on the Temple.

This Holy Autonomous Territory differs from other places; it's responsible for training future paladins. As guardians of God, they naturally lead a life of asceticism and purity. Simply put, an old man like him is "willing but unable," so a life of asceticism isn't difficult for him. But getting those energetic young men to truly settle down isn't something that can be accomplished simply through extensive training and memorizing holy texts. This holy princess is quite beautiful and behaves very well, which is why she enjoys considerable popularity within the Holy Autonomous Territory. However, the bishop sees this and is anxious. What a joke! These young men will serve God in the future; how can they worship a young girl? Even if she's a saintess, she's merely God's messenger, not God himself! And this holy princess, besides being a saintess, also has the identity of a princess. Even if she is a saintess now, it doesn't mean she will always be one. But...

Thinking of this, the old man shook his head.

The best outcome would be for this saintly lady to simply disappear without a trace, neither alive nor dead.

Meanwhile, in the cold dungeon, Catherine hugged herself, silently gazing at the swaying lamplight before her.

I can't believe I did such shameful, lewd, and disgusting things in front of strangers, and not just once...

However, as she recalled these events, the anger in Catherine's heart had lessened considerably, replaced by helplessness and sadness. She was a very responsible person and never shirked or shirked responsibility. That's why she felt so guilty. While she could blame Angela for the previous incidents, everything she did yesterday was voluntary. Even though she was threatened, she had still taken the initiative—and it felt good.

"...!!"

A flush ran through her face; even without looking in a mirror, Catherine could feel that her face was very red.

How could this be? Does this mean that all girls have bodies like this? Do they all experience this pleasurable feeling?

Catherine kept asking herself questions, trying to recall the girls her age in the palace and Temple. However, such things were, after all, girls' private conversations. Catherine was a princess and a saint, always alone, and didn't have any particularly close female friends. Even if she did, who could bring up such things to a friend like that? What if Catherine looked down on her? Wouldn't that be just asking for trouble?

"..."

However, Catherine, who was completely unaware of this, naturally had no idea that there were such "human affairs" around her. She racked her brains for a long time but could not find any evidence in her memory that could reassure her that "girls all grow up like this," which made her increasingly uneasy.

"Crackling."

Just then, the iron prison gate was opened.

"Is it time?"

Catherine quickly gathered her scattered thoughts and looked at the priest before her, asking a question while also harboring some doubts. Although she couldn't keep track of time while confined in this cell, after several days, Catherine had managed to discern a general pattern in her daily routine. Judging from her assessment, it shouldn't be time for "training" her yet, right?

Catherine was completely unaware that she had instinctively forgotten to resist the idea of "accepting discipline."

"Plz follow me."

It was the same voice and manner of speaking as usual. Although Catherine had some doubts, she still left the prison and followed the priest.

However, as they walked, Catherine grew increasingly suspicious. They weren't on the same path leading to the training room. What was going on?

"Excuse me..."

Thinking of this, Catherine finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked.

"Where are we going? This road doesn't seem to be..."

However, the other party showed no intention of answering Catherine's questions. Although Catherine was also terrified and uneasy, she suppressed her fear and followed. Led by the priest, the two climbed several flights of stairs and went around in circles until Catherine was finally led to a lavishly decorated door. Then, the priest beside her slowly pushed open the door.

"Your Highness, please come in."

"..."

Catherine took a deep breath to calm herself down, and then she went into the room.

Catherine was immediately stunned.

The soft, white bed was draped with luxurious bedding made of fine fabrics. A crystal chandelier, emitting a soft glow, hung from the ceiling, casting a hazy, beautiful light over the entire room. An elegantly decorated fireplace, a beautiful, transparent table, and comfortable sofas were all meticulously arranged. Add to that the stunning forest views easily visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and this far surpassed ordinary standards; even Catherine's bedroom in the palace wasn't this luxurious.

"Here it is..."

"This is Your Highness's room."

"Why?"

Upon hearing the priest's reply, Catherine's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the priest behind her. She even wondered if she was hallucinating due to her long period of imprisonment.

"My... room?"

"Yes."

The other party showed no agitation in response to Catherine's question.

"From today onwards, this will be Your Highness's room. This is the bedroom, and the door on the left leads to the bathroom. As for your everyday clothes, everything has been prepared for you. If you need anything else, just ring the bell here."

"Ouch... Ah..."

Faced with this unexpected situation, Catherine was completely at a loss for words. She could only nod mechanically. Then, the priest bowed slightly to her and left the room.

"What... what's going on?"

Barefoot on the soft carpet, feeling its unparalleled comfort and warmth, Catherine simply couldn't understand why she was being treated this way. Wasn't she a prisoner? Then why was such a luxurious room prepared for her?

Despite her doubts, Catherine quickly inspected the room. Sure enough, the wardrobe was piled high with elegantly tailored clothing, and these were all quite ordinary clothes, not the kind of dominatrix outfits one might expect. In the bathtub, the steaming hot water was enough to wash away the day's fatigue. Even on the coffee table, a small, exquisite vase held a single white lily, adding a touch of elegance to the room.

"Is this my room?"

Although she had seen it with her own eyes and touched it with her own hands, Catherine still couldn't accept this reality. Could it be that the woman named Angela had changed her nature? Or... was it that evil sorcerer's idea?

However, the most important thing Catherine needed to confirm right now was not that. She gripped the doorknob, took several deep breaths, then gritted her teeth and turned the handle.

The door opened.

They didn't lock the door? No, there must be guards watching them from the outside.

Thinking of this, Catherine mustered her courage and peeked out, but in the dark corridor, she couldn't see a single person.

Nobody here?

Catherine felt increasingly uneasy. What was going on? Such a luxurious room for her, yet no guards? Although she had suspected that this room might belong to that evil sorcerer, the entire room was decorated with a distinctly feminine taste and preferences. No matter how evil the sorcerer was, he couldn't possibly have such hobbies. Catherine simply couldn't imagine Li Lin living in this bedroom filled with "girlish sentiments."

Catherine was completely unaware that her confused expression had been seen by certain "interested individuals."

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh... Master, look."

Looking at Catherine in her illusion, Angela laughed triumphantly.

"So what if she's a saintess? Isn't she still just a pampered young lady who's never suffered? That's not something that can be changed by traveling with knights for a few days or mingling with commoners. A person's quality of life determines their fate... Look at this saintess now, doesn't she resemble a little dog that's happily wagging its tail after moving into a comfortable kennel?"

"I have to admit, your training is really interesting... really interesting. I've never observed someone's transformation process so directly before."

Looking at Catherine, who had already sprawled on the soft bed and was enjoying herself, Li Lin had no choice but to raise his hands in surrender. He had never imagined that this saintly lady would show such an expression.

"Some humans are like dogs; they won't learn their lesson unless they get a few lashes."

Angela looked at her own work with great pride and spoke eloquently.

"If you, Master, had sent this saintess to such a fine room the moment you captured her, she probably wouldn't have been grateful. But what about now? Does she really have the resolve to refuse me now? If I told her to go back to the dungeon now, she certainly wouldn't be so willing to leave... Humans are truly simple and easy to understand."

"Perhaps I should record your training process and study human psychology properly sometime."

Theory is never as good as practice.

As she spoke, Angela chuckled softly and handed the leather whip in her hand to Li Lin.

"When does Master intend to personally investigate this matter?"

"At least not now."

Faced with the whip Angela offered, Li Lin raised an eyebrow and pushed it back.

"When the time is right, it will naturally be my turn to shine."

Although Li Lin rejected Angela's suggestion, Angela only smiled even more enthusiastically.

"It seems you, Master, are not without knowledge of human psychology."

"Just the surface."

At this point, Li Lin shrugged, gestured to pause his conversation with Angela, then closed his eyes, and soon, Nia's face appeared in Li Lin's mind.

"Li Lin, how's the situation on your end?"

"The little guy did an even better job than I expected. Maybe I should record the process so you can see it when I get back. This is a rare specimen."

"Since even you say so, then I'll have to look forward to it. However... there's a very important matter right now that might concern us."

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Li Lin raised an eyebrow slightly. To properly enjoy Angela's "training" drama and to allow himself peace of mind to ponder and resolve the historical issues surrounding the "Pillar of Magic Essence," he had already ordered Nia not to contact him unless it was something exceptionally important. But now Nia was proactively contacting him via soul link—had something gone wrong?

"According to our current intelligence, a mysterious assassin has appeared on the mainland."

"Assassin?"

Li Lin frowned. What did this have to do with him?

"Yes."

Nia nodded slightly, then looked down, clearly observing the intelligence.

"The enemy initially appeared near the Southern Mountain Range... and then traveled north along the Dideyas River, passing through five villages and three cities, and is now about to enter Dideyasi territory."

"You really know a lot about these things..."

Hearing this, Li Lin became even more puzzled. How could an assassin like Nia have investigated the other party's information so thoroughly? And what was her purpose in doing so?

However, Nia's answer far exceeded Li Lin's expectations.

"I didn't investigate."

"No investigation?"

"Because the enemy fought their way up, along this route, all the armies flying the flags of the Five-Nation Alliance were killed, with no survivors. This has become the hottest topic on the continent."

"... Wait, you mean...?"

"That's right, I've already confirmed it with Suoxiate. It seems some lonely child can't wait to find their father."

"... Anna?"

Hearing this, Li Lin felt extremely conflicted and didn't know what to say. However, Nia had clearly seen through his thoughts.

"Suoxiate's view is that this is not a problem we can interfere with, therefore... Li Lin, that child likes you the most and listens to you the most. I don't know what she'll think if she finds Miss Angela around you. Anyway... this is your problem, solve it yourself."

"... It seems I have no other choice."

Li Lin let out a long sigh, then severed his mental connection with Nia. When he opened his eyes, what he saw was Angela and lovely smiling face.

"Master, is that Sister Nia? What's wrong?"

... The future looks bleak.

For some reason, Li Lin suddenly started to feel a headache.