36 The Blessing of the Goddess Part 1 (1/2)
After Saleen had used the power of his ring to give a warning to Canghong, he let Sika help him while Canghong helped Sarah and they made their way out of the battlefield in the Red Forest.
Saleen did not bury these people’s bodies. Burials in the Chaotic Swamp were meaningless; the various magic beasts would soon dig up the bodies from the ground.
The four of them sped up, carefully avoiding the dinodemons. These small creatures were rare in the Red Forest but were more dangerous than the soul killers. An attack by the dinodemons could even cause a mage to lose their combat power.
When approaching the edge of the Red Forest, their feet encountered muddy traps. They had no choice but to stop and rest up in a tree, since Canghong did not have a map of the area and Saleen had yet to recover.
Saleen had exhausted the power of the Grade 3 magic nucleus and had now replaced it with a new Grade 3 magic nucleus. He leaned on a thick branch and looked down at Canghong from a commanding height. The devilish-looking man now looked more pleasing to the eye, like a long-suffering wife, after losing his antagonistic air.
”Canghong, do you regret having hired me?”
”No. Such is life,” Canghong answered helplessly. The tides had changed, and he needed Sika and Saleen to protect Sarah. Sarah would need at least another day to recover her movement, much less fight.
”Life? Haha...” Saleen laughed softly and asked, ”You know the status of the oracle in the Holy See, right?”
”Of course. There are millions of people under him, but only one above him. Offending the oracle is akin to offending the Pope.”
”It would be great if that were the case. Actually, the oracle does not have to obey the Pope’s orders. The Holy See’s power comes from three great courts – the Privy Council, the Sacred Knights, and the Inquisition. However, in terms of holy attributes, the oracle is not within any of these organizations.”
”What does this mean?” Canghong, despite being a mature mercenary, had limited understanding on the Holy See compared to Saleen, who was a mage with lineage.
”The Pope’s power comes from the three courts and the Sacred Knights. As there is no war of gods at the moment, his power is dormant. The Privy Council is the core of the Holy See. The main forces amongst them are the deacons. The internal one is the red deacon, while the primary one for the Inquisition is the black deacon which specializes in disreputable matters. The oracles, with their own powers and known as the white deacon, are scattered throughout the various parishes.”
”Is there a difference?” Canghong asked, not seeming to care.
”The red deacon is in charge of the Holy See’s internal affairs, the black deacon is in charge of the external affairs, and the white deacon is in charge of god’s order. We have not just offended the Holy See. Actually, we have offended god directly.”
Canghong nearly fell off of the tree. He looked up at Saleen apprehensively.
”I cannot let us all turn back, as we may bump into the white deacon. Handling an affair with the white deacon would require someone who was at least Grade 6. If we really encounter them, we will not even have the ability to escape. That is why, Canghong, I am asking you if you are regretful.”
Canghong was indeed regretful. He had thought that even though they had marred the oracle’s mission, they would not take immediate action to look for him, this nobody…
”Ha, look at how scared you are. There will not be any connection between the oracle’s mission and the Qin Empire swordsmen. The Vulture Regiment must have been a spur of the moment occasion. If I am not wrong, they should be heading in another direction. Once we have passed the few hundred miles of Chaotic Swamp before us, we should be safe.”
Canghong looked at Saleen doubtfully; he did not understand why this young mage did not seem to be concerned that he had offended the oracle. It was not as though Saleen was ignorant. He was more familiar with the structure and power of the Holy See than he was. Was Saleen considered powerful? Perhaps, though not as formidable as the female Caucasus warrior next to him.
It would be impossible for a Grade 1 mage to be a match for a Grade 6 professional.
”The sacred Holy See, while formidable, has not been in power for long. The only people who can be controlled by them are the people of the Tanggulasi Empire. Their power is lacking in Sikeqinya. The people we have offended are high-ranking, but it would not be possible for them to make any major moves in another empire, lest it lead to war. Hence, you do not need to worry. Once we leave Sikeqinya and enter the Qin Empire, we should be safe. The Qin Empire is referred to as the empire of magic and it has always had a low tolerance for theocracy. Ah, no point in telling you…”
Canghong glared at Saleen, not understanding the main point to all of this. He only knew that if they did not run away, they could come under scrutiny by the white deacon at anytime. They were Grade 6 professionals, equivalent to a Grade 5 mage or a senior swordsman.
”Why are you telling me all of this? No matter which deacon comes after us, aren’t we all dead meat?”
”It is different. If it were the red deacon, as long as you are willing to embrace god and choose to believe in god, you will not die. If it were the black deacon, you could impress the inquisitors with your special powers and receive a chance of surrendering. If it is the white deacon, then you should just give up, because the oracle does not need anything.”