The woman appeared serene, dressed in simple yet clean white winter clothes, giving off a soft and transparent yet dignified feeling that perfectly matched the atmosphere of the church. If she were to stand at the altar and lead a Mass, no one would find it inappropriate—if they ignored the thing on her back.
It was a tal backpack, attached to which were four tallic arms brimming with a futuristic, sci-fi vibe. This ultra-modern elent clashed with the classical church setting, making her a paradoxical blend of contradictions.
However, the woman called Fiore wasn't deliberately trying to disrupt the church's atmosphere. She carried the chanical arms simply because it made cleaning more efficient. Under her control, the four tal arms were more dexterous than human hands: one swept the floor with a broom, another mopped, and the remaining two wiped down the benches and chairs with rags. Even her hands weren't idle—one held a bucket, the other a dustpan.
She alone handled the workload of three people. Other than the Autonomous rcury Maid created by Kenneth, no one could surpass her in this regard.
In just a short ti, she had already cleaned all the core parts of the chapel, including the crucifix, icons, and altar, leaving them spotless. After cleaning the icon and crucifix, she didn't forget to silently pray before the statue, her expression grave and her attitude so reverent that it exuded genuine piety.
Witnessing this, Riesbyfe couldn't help but curl her lips and remarked with an odd expression, "Is she not a saint of the church? I've seen cardinals pray and none of them can reach her level."
"I'm not surprised you think that; I often think the sa," said Ciel.
"Even our damn Director unconsciously restrains her killing intent in front of her. Honestly, I've never seen that bloodthirsty woman smile so... innocently."
Riesbyfe's expression grew even more peculiar at Ciel's revelation.
"That Narbareck... This isn't at the level of a sain' anymore; she's a holy maiden... She really reminds of Lady Martha. Don't you think so?"
Ciel observed for a mont and said, "I think she's more like Lady Mary."
At this point, Fiore had finished her prayer and turned to the two official clergy mbers.
"I'm not as great as you think. I'm just an ordinary wandering magus. By your standards, I probably count as a heretic."
"If you're a heretic, I'm the first one who won't believe it," Riesbyfe said, standing up from her chair and shaking her head repeatedly.
"If soone like you is a heretic, then what does that make and Ciel?"
"You're different from . Everyone in the Burial Agency, myself included, is a heretic," Ciel corrected, frowning.
"What's the difference? As the head of the Heretic Inquisition Knights, I say you're not a heretic, so you're not. If anyone has a problem with that, let them co find ! I'll convince them!"
Riesbyfe waved her fist stubbornly, making it clear that her thod of convincing was very physical.
That's just the kind of person she was—clear about her likes and dislikes. If she thought you weren't a good person... well, maybe her two-ton fist could help clarify things. But if she thought you were decent, it didn't matter if you were a vampire or a demon—you were her friend. Even now, she maintained contact with Shion and Akiha.
"I think I understand why so many people admire you," Ciel murmured to herself, too quietly for anyone else to hear.
"That sincerity is sothing to envy."
"Ciel," Fiore stepped forward and sincerely grasped the eternally sixteen-year-old girl's hand.
"Being a saint or a heretic isn't determined by your origins, but by your heart. I can assure you, you, Caren, and your Director are not heretics—though, admittedly, it's a bit awkward for , a magus, to be saying this."
At the end of her speech, Fiore lowered her head awkwardly, providing yet another opportunity for Riesbyfe to chi in.
"There you go again, saying you're not a saint. This is exactly what a saint would say!"
"I..."
Fiore was just about to correct her when suddenly, she turned her head toward the side door of the chapel. Ciel and Riesbyfe also reacted the sa way.
The next second, the side door creaked open, and a small, petite girl in a black nun's habit walked into the chapel.
"Why are you out here?"
Ciel waved to the girl.
"Did sothing go wrong with the Spirit Board?"
"No, the Spirit Board itself is fine," the girl shook her head.
"It successfully established a connection with the leyline and retrieved basic information about the Servants. But there's an issue with the number of Servants displayed."
"What kind of issue?"
"The Spirit Board shows that there are currently sixteen Servants in Fuyuki City."
"What? Sixteen Servants!"
Fiore, usually calm and composed, exclaid in shock.
Ciel quickly followed up, "Are you sure, Caren?"
"Yes. And there's no sign of the separation into red and black factions that Fiore ntioned."
Upon hearing this, Ciel's expression darkened.
"It seems this is the rule change Roa was talking about. As much as I hate to admit it, that bastard is very good at finding loopholes in the rules."
At this point, Fiore had regained her composure.
"Sixteen Servants... What's the composition of their classes?"
"The usual seven classes you ntioned, with two Servants per class. The extra two are of the Faker class."
"Faker..."
Fiore softly repeated the na of the additional class, her expression troubled.
"Did you discover sothing?"
Ciel looked expectant.
"No, this is a completely unheard-of class," Fiore sighed, her pure white face showing a trace of regret.
"It seems my information is no longer relevant to the current situation in Fuyuki. I'm sorry to have let you down."
Ciel quickly waved her hands.
"No need to apologize, Miss Fiore. You've already helped us imnsely."
"You've always been the one helping us," Caren added.
"And besides, the more Servants there are, the better it is for us," Riesbyfe said, cracking her knuckles.
"With so many heroic spirits around, there's bound to be so who don't take kindly to monsters. When the ti cos... hehe!"
"You're not thinking of challenging those heroes, are you?"
"Ah, you caught ."
Ciel had intended her remark as a joke, but to her surprise, Riesbyfe admitted it, drawing strange looks from everyone, especially Caren, whose expressionless, unblinking stare—tinged with subtle disdain—made the Holy Shield Knight feel imnse pressure.
"Don't look at like that. I promise I won't act recklessly. I'll get your approval before doing anything, I swear I won't trouble the Overseer."
Hearing this, Caren gave a faint "hmm" of acknowledgnt. A small, pleased smile curled the edge of her lips, but none of them noticed.
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