The Foretold Frenzy and the Flustered Heroine

Yelica couldn’t help but wonder if she was being played for a fool.

However, having learned her lesson, she suppressed the urge to beat that obnoxious fellow senseless and waited patiently.

“The person on horseback, do you see them?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Yelica glanced beside her, realizing it was Yodel speaking.

“What are you doing here? I can handle this myself!”

“Believe it or not, that horse is going to lose control.”

Yodel took a sip of his black tea, an expression that clearly read ‘watch the show’ plastered across his face.

“5”

“4”

“3”

“Ah!” Realizing Yodel was counting down, Yelica abandoned her stubbornness and immediately shifted into a battle-ready stance.

“2”

“1”

As he softly counted, Yelica gripped her staff tighter and tighter.

“0”

A piercing neigh echoed through the street, and the horse’s front hooves reared high, directly tossing its rider.

The runaway horse galloped wildly down the street, directly in the path of the table where a mother and her daughter were seated.

The mother froze, utterly bewildered, her mind a blank slate in the face of the sudden danger, unable to move.

She could only hug her child tightly, attempting to shield them with her own body, hoping to secure a sliver of survival.

Some onlookers wanted to help but hesitated, realizing that no one could possibly stop a nearly 400-kilogram horse in a full charge.

A brilliant light flared, as if a flashbang had detonated amidst the crowd.

The runaway horse was instantly struck by this sacred light and sent flying, spinning several times in the air before slamming into the third-floor wall, then crashing heavily to the ground, its hooves feebly kicking a few times before falling still.

The light on Yelica’s staff slowly diminished, the overloaded spell leaving her momentarily drained.

‘It was actually real, and the timing was impeccable. How did he do that?’

Looking back at the mother and daughter, they appeared merely startled.

Yodel, meanwhile, stood not far to the right of the mother and daughter, still sporting that infuriatingly smug smile.

Then, something Yelica hadn’t anticipated occurred.

Yodel began to applaud enthusiastically, cheering as he clapped:

“As expected of an Inquisitor from the Hymn Church! Who would’ve thought, not only is Miss Yelica powerful, but she’s also kind-hearted—this is truly how a clergy member should be!”

His shouts instantly roused the surrounding crowd.

In an instant, the citizens seemed ignited, joining in the applause, their cheers and excited shouts reverberating through the street.

“The Hymn Church is truly amazing! Believing in the Hymn Faith was indeed the best decision I’ve ever made!”

“Yeah, yeah, should I convert to the Hymn Faith too…?”

“She’s an Inquisitor? She’s too beautiful! Are all Inquisitors this stunning?”

“Wonderful, wonderful! Can you do it again?”

“What did you say?”

The kind-hearted citizens rejoiced that the mother and daughter were safe. The Hymn adherents swelled with pride, feeling honored. Even the thrill-seekers were delighted, having witnessed an extraordinary being in action for free.

Only Yelica stood flustered, surrounded by the crowd, completely bewildered by the sudden outpouring of cheers.

‘What should I do?

‘Should I seize this opportunity to preach the doctrine on the spot? But wouldn’t that seem too contrived?

‘Should I leave without a word? Would that make the faithful think I’m too aloof?

‘Should I speak up to maintain order? But everyone is so enthusiastic; wouldn’t I be a killjoy if I did that?

‘What am I supposed to do?!’

Yelica maintained an elegant smile on her face, but internally, she was on the verge of cracking.

Meanwhile, the instigator had long since retreated to the side, sipping tea and enjoying her predicament.

****

The joyous atmosphere persisted for quite some time before the crowd slowly dispersed, finally giving Yelica a chance to extricate herself.

Leaving her fellow clergy members to maintain order, she stormed towards Yodel, radiating fury.

“Look at the wonderful mess you’ve made!”

“Thank you for the compliment!” Yodel feigned ignorance of her sarcasm.

“This is all your fault!” Yelica’s face flushed crimson as she watched him play dumb. “I shook hundreds of hands until my arm went numb, and I recited blessings over a dozen times!”

“How have I harmed you?” Yodel feigned surprise.

“You see, I helped you save that mother and daughter, and all the credit for saving them goes to you, doesn’t it?”

“That’s true, but…”

“I even helped you liven up the atmosphere. With this, your public reputation has greatly improved, hasn’t it?”

“Hmm… that’s correct…”

“Furthermore, today’s incident significantly boosted the Hymn Church’s prestige, and you’ll likely receive commendation from the Church for it, won’t you?”

“…”

“You see, you should still thank me, shouldn’t you?”

“Uh, thank you?”

Yodel, struggling to stifle his laughter, nodded and said, “You’re welcome.”

‘Damn it, but why do I still feel so angry?’

“Alright, don’t dwell on it. The outcome was good, wasn’t it?” Seeing her still perplexed, Yodel quickly changed the subject. “Let’s discuss another transaction.”

“You again? Is someone else going to die nearby?” Yelica immediately reacted with alarm, looking around anxiously, fearing a fatality if she wasn’t careful.

Yodel cleared his throat, his tone turning serious:

“Once a week, right here at this table, I’ll provide the intelligence, and you’ll be responsible for saving the person. I only ask for a fee of 10 gold pounds.”

In truth, for Yodel, money was secondary; his real objective was to establish a long-term, stable connection with the Church.

Yelica, however, was unaware of his true intentions, and she was seriously contemplating the transaction itself.

To her, 10 gold pounds for a life seemed incredibly worthwhile, and she was more than willing to spend 10 gold pounds each week to save someone.

The deal appeared quite favorable.

Yelica took a deep breath; having been tricked by Yodel once, she didn’t rush to agree. “Since it’s a transaction, I need to understand the details.”

“Please ask anything you like, but I may not necessarily answer.”

“First, you need to explain why you can foresee the future. From my perspective, you’re not even an extraordinary being, so why do you possess such an ability?”

“No comment.”

Yodel’s resolute stance forced Yelica to abandon that line of questioning.

“Alright, new question. Are there any costs associated with using your ability? For example, does it require sacrifices, harming others, and so on?”

This question was one Yelica had carefully considered before asking.

Powerful and miraculous abilities often imply strict limitations on the user, such as requiring immense sacrifices with each use.

“There’s no cost; I can use it freely. Only people will be saved by it, and no one will be harmed.”

“Really? Is that true?” Yelica voiced her skepticism without reservation.

“Believe it or not, if you don’t agree, I’ll find another church. I’m confident there’s always a church willing to spend 10 gold pounds a week to earn itself a good reputation.”

“I didn’t say I disagree,” Yelica blurted out, only to see Yodel flash that infuriatingly smug smile once more.

‘Damn, I spoke too soon and revealed my true thoughts.’

That last statement was tantamount to telling Yodel, ‘I actually want to accept the deal; I’m just making a final confirmation.’

“So you agree then?” Yodel chimed in, smiling.

“I didn’t say I agree!” Yelica could only stubbornly deflect.

Indeed, it was unfair to expect an Inquisitor whose sole focus was combat to negotiate with an old hand like Yodel, who was well-versed in navigating social circles.

Seeing that Yelica hadn’t directly refused, but was merely playing coy, Yodel became even more certain of her true intentions. “I’ll take that as a yes. Let’s discuss the other terms.”

Realizing her thoughts had been seen through, Yelica could only concede defeat, Yodel having completely seized control of the negotiation.