“In my family, there’s an old saying—’If you find a Divine Advent Church cultist in a district, chances are the entire district is already under their control.’”
“Their higher-ups and mbers only communicate through one-way channels. They have a unique indoctrination thod that ensures they never fear exposure or internal traitors.”
“Every major sacrificial event they’ve carried out has targeted the Church of the Savior Goddess, as if deliberately seeking revenge. They are locked in a never-ending conflict with the church...”
Avena took a deep breath and looked at Ciel, her voice slightly hesitant. “You’re not about to tell ... that Sherlon’s potion ca from the Divine Advent Church, are you?”
“Most likely.”
Ciel nodded.
“Can I ask... where you got this information?”
Avena seed unwilling to accept it without further proof, seeking confirmation from Ciel.
“...My intelligence network.”
Ciel replied without hesitation, her expression unreadable. “They inford that the Divine Advent Church in Berren City already knows we disrupted the ritual.”
The worst-case scenario Avena had feared had co true.
They had dealt with Sherlon, only to discover that he had been backed by the Divine Advent Church.
She felt the distinct sensation of having kicked a steel wall—except this ti, the wall had actively moved toward her.
“Avena.”
Ciel suddenly spoke, watching Avena’s troubled expression. “Do you know what thod they use for indoctrination?”
Having gone through it herself, Ciel wanted to know if Avena had any way to counteract it.
To Ciel, Avena was like a walking treasure trove—always capable of pulling out so expensive or impossibly rare artifact just when it was needed.
Like that hair dye potion.
“I don’t know the exact thod they use.”
Avena shook her head. “But when I left my family, I was given sothing that provides resistance to brainwashing.”
She reached into her collar, tracing along a silver chain around her neck, and slowly pulled out an odd pendant resting over her heart.
It was a small, intricately designed golden cage, inside of which was a pitch-black, irregularly shaped object.
“A Sacrificial Saint’s Relic—it’s not classified as a sealed artifact.”
Avena explained, “If you place a drop of your own blood inside, your consciousness will temporarily switch places with the relic. After a few seconds, it will return to your body.”
“Upon returning, any external influences on your mind—including deep hypnosis, contractual bindings, or spiritual imprints—will be transferred into the relic. It bears the burden of those effects, allowing you to beco aware of any manipulations affecting your thoughts.”
“I use this relic once a week to ensure I haven’t been unknowingly compromised. Right now, I estimate there’s only enough left for about one more day of use.”
Wait.
Ciel suddenly realized sothing.
This relic... could remove ntal influences and allow soone to recognize changes in their behavior?
It could even temporarily resist the Eye of Order’s contract effects?
“Co to think of it, I haven’t used the Sacrificial Saint’s Relic this week yet...”
As Avena spoke, she habitually grasped the golden cage.
The sharp barbs inside pricked her fingertip, drawing a single drop of blood that seeped into the black substance.
Imdiately, Ciel’s instincts scread at her.
Damn it!
No wonder Avena had been so willing to sign that one-month binding contract with her! She had a way to nullify its effects!
Back in the simulation, Avena had hidden plenty of things during their conversation. Now, it turned out she had been playing tricks with the contract as well!
A faint purple fla flickered inside the golden cage.
Avena’s body suddenly went limp, collapsing sideways toward Ciel.
Reflexively, Ciel reached out to catch her.
What now?
Before she could think, Avena stirred and woke up, her nose catching the faint scent of Ciel’s presence.
Realizing sothing, she imdiately straightened up, scooting to the other side of the couch and lowering her head. “I... I didn’t do that on purpose. Using this always makes faint for a few seconds...”
“But it’s fine. My behavior over the past week seems normal. I don’t appear to have been influenced by the Divine Advent Church.”
Avena looked up and noticed Ciel studying her with a puzzled expression.
“What’s wrong, Ciel?”
She...
Hadn’t realized the contract existed?
But the contract had clearly taken effect. So why hadn’t she noticed that she had been unconsciously allowing Ciel to get too close? Why wasn’t she rejecting those mories?
If she wasn’t aware of it...
That ant that even without the contract, Avena wouldn’t have revealed her secrets—nor would she have resisted Ciel’s touch?
Ciel had taken advantage of the contract to do so rather excessive things—pulling Avena’s clothes, even biting her! And yet, Avena didn’t seem to mind at all?
Had she... wasted that contract?
While Ciel was deep in thought, Avena stood up and looked at her.
“Ciel, if what you’re saying is true, and Sherlon really was working for the Divine Advent Church, then this situation is beyond what we can handle.”
“The Divine Advent Church operates on a one-way contact system. If the cultist who knows our identities reports this in their next scheduled communication, we’ll be placed on their wanted list... Do you have any evidence proving they were behind Sherlon’s actions?”
“If you do, we could report this to the Church of the Savior Goddess ahead of ti and have them take care of the cultists for us.”
Let the church handle it...
Ciel wasn’t sure if there was enough ti. She also didn’t have solid proof.
She had no way of knowing how much the cultists, especially Kitty, had already learned.
Should she eliminate Kitty before their next eting?
Kitty was a second-tier “Missionary.” Ciel would need to be at least second-tier herself to ensure she could take her down.
“Judicator” potion...
Ciel sprang to her feet and hurried toward her room, with Avena following closely behind.
She didn’t know what Ciel intended to do.
Ciel entered her room and grabbed the potion bag Avena had given her earlier. She pulled out a tightly rolled scroll from inside—it contained the Reconstitution Ritual for “Judicator.”
She untied the seal and unrolled the scroll, revealing the requirents.
【The Soul of Judgnt must be forged in the blood of heretics.】
【Purge fifty traitors, heretics, and blasphers. Interrogate a heretic of at least the second tier and deliver judgnt before consuming the potion.】
The mont she finished reading, the parchnt ignited, quickly turning to ash.
Kill traitors? Heretics? Blasphers?
Did that an the heretics identified by the Church of the Savior Goddess? Or the heretics perceived by the Divine Advent Church?
If the target wasn’t clear... she might as well kill them all, just to be sure.
“Avena.”
Ciel turned to Avena, who had caught up to her.
“There’s sothing I need to ask of you.”
“What is it?”
“Can I borrow your ‘Sacrificial Saint’s Relic’?”
Ciel’s plan was simple.
If she didn’t know which side to kill—she would just kill them all.
Her strategy, if everything went well, would only require two simulations.
She could gather all the necessary information while simultaneously completing the Reconstitution Ritual for “Judicator.”
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