To prevent the church from rediscovering their secret base, they had moved to a new location this time. This new hideout was known only to the hero’s party and Ped.
“You… you actually did it…”
Ped, his body swathed in white bandages, gazed at them with utter astonishment. When he had been dragged to the execution ground, he had never imagined that these heroes could truly defeat the Blood Church.
To him, it felt nothing short of a dream.
“I’m sorry, I killed the Bishop of Pard City…”
Nona, feeling a pang of guilt, believed she had brought trouble upon the Church of Life. However, Ped merely let out a hearty laugh, waving a dismissive hand.
“It’s fine, you don’t need to apologize. Even if you hadn’t done it, there would have been no peaceful coexistence between us and the parishioners of Pard City.”
In truth, the moment the heroes arrived in Pard City, the Church of Life had completely severed ties with the Blood Church. Even if Nona hadn’t slain the Bishop, they would have found it difficult to continue living there.
Moreover, this incident had made him fully understand. Although Pard City was their homeland, it was now occupied by divine powers. Their meager resistance would achieve nothing; instead, it would only make life worse for the elves residing there.
What did killing a bishop truly change? In the future, only more bishops, archbishops, and even apostles of the Evil God would grace this city.
“What will you do next? Will you continue to stay in Pard City?”
“If you wish to obtain the Hero’s Sword and subjugate the Evil God, you still lack some assistance, don’t you?”
Ped’s words made Nona’s heart skip a beat. She looked at him, already anticipating his next move.
Dropping to one knee, he pledged his allegiance. “From this day forward, you shall be the leader of all us elves, and simultaneously the leader of the Church of Life. We shall follow you out of Pard City and embark on the quest to subjugate the Evil God!”
He had finally understood. To restore Pard City to its former glory, they had to truly defeat the Evil God.
Today, they had achieved the impossible by defeating the Bishop of the Blood Church. In the future, they would surely overcome the rumored invincible Saintess, and ultimately even slay the Evil God!
With such heroes providing protection, Pard City would naturally return to the embrace of the elves. Everything the Church of Life had lost would eventually be reclaimed!
“Ah? Ped, this…”
“Do not refuse, Lady Nona. Only by subjugating the Evil God can we hope to reclaim our homeland. Otherwise, all that awaits us is endless days and nights of trepidation.”
Ped did not want Nona to refuse. For the elves of the Church of Life, leaving Pard City to follow her was almost their last resort.
“And although I don’t know your mother’s true identity, I’m sure she would want you to accept. After all, you are a hero, the one most likely to shoulder the future of the Church of Life.”
Clutching the ring in her hand, Nona remained silent for a moment before giving a firm nod.
“I understand!”
“With their help, our hero’s party will also grow stronger step by step, right, Nona?”
“Mm!”
Seeing her truly become the leader of the Church of Life, Hia tilted her head, clearly delighted. Nona, too, tightened her grip on the ring in her hand, her heart brimming with hope for the future.
Pard City’s elves were painstakingly, step by step, changing the future of the elves and the Church of Life.
****
That night, having rescued Gad, the elves held a celebratory banquet at the hideout. They brought out all their hidden reserves, long stashed away, and drank to their hearts’ content.
Of course, most of them drank fruit juice; only a few unconventional elves opted for alcohol.
Even then, the alcohol was fruit wine.
Nona, however, declined the invitation to drink fruit juice. She went to the balcony alone, resting her chin in her hands and leaning against the railing as she gazed out at the city.
The evening breeze brushed against her cheeks, stirring her golden hair.
After losing its Bishop, the Blood Church showed no signs of panic. The head of the Tribunal, who had escaped the execution ground, had assumed the duties of acting Bishop, managing all affairs within the city until the arrival of the next Bishop.
Was it her illusion? Losing a single Bishop seemed to mean nothing to the Blood Church, unable to even slightly disrupt the operations of this colossal entity.
Such was the terrifying power of the Evil God Beacai.
Yet, she was not afraid.
The hero’s party, the elves of the Church of Life… imperceptibly, along this journey, she was no longer alone. Many accompanied her, even lessening the frequency with which she missed her mother.
Further on, she would gain even more companions. Under her leadership, the Church of Life might grow increasingly united and powerful. She might even come to know some deities…
Of course, the latter part might be her overthinking; deities were so high and mighty, how could a mere hero like her easily befriend them?
Still, one shouldn’t abandon hope. What if a deity *was* willing to befriend her? Humans always needed a little fantasy to live.
What would the Church of Life become under her leadership in the future? Frankly, she was filled with anticipation. After all, in the past, the Church of Life’s influence was almost nonexistent, but now she was an acting Bishop.
It was truly the foremost church, the church of Yggdrasil, the World Tree.
The World Tree’s reputation alone was awe-inspiring to her.
Although she did not know her mother’s identity, as a high-ranking member of the Church of Life, her mother must have hoped that Nona would carry the banner of the Church of Life and restore this ancient church to its former glory.
Behind her, the celebration’s lights intertwined, golden beams illuminating her back. She appeared far less lonely. She smiled faintly, lifted her head, and extended her right hand towards the night sky, as if wishing to pluck down the round moon.
Tomorrow, she would depart from Pard City, continuing her journey to seek the Hero’s Sword.
Perhaps it was a legendary sixth sense, but she felt that her reunion with her mother was drawing even closer.
****
Though the Divine Birth Festival celebrations had ended, the festival period itself continued. Many people were still on holiday, planning to leave Prelley for a few days of travel.
Consequently, carriage prices in Prelley soared, rising from twenty silver coins to sixty, and still climbing.
Isis, however, had abandoned her plan to flee Prelley, so she naturally had no such worries. After waking up in the early morning, she took Beacai to the Church of Life.
As for Anna the witch, whom they had previously settled in an inn, she had vanished by the time they awoke, leaving behind only the lodging fee—truly mysterious.
Arriving at the gates of the Church of Life, she knocked. Soon after, an elf opened the door, and upon seeing Isis, their eyes visibly brightened. They eagerly ushered her inside.