Chapter 331: Hostile, Neutral, Friendly
Southwest of Philadelphia, in front of Longwood Gardens.
A large number of reporters had gathered here.
"Archbishop Megos, please comment on the defection of Jolan Borgia..."
On the steps at the garden entrance stood a white canopy, inside which sat a person in a wheelchair.
"The Vatican has already issued an official statement regarding the Jolan incident. We ask our friends here to rely on official news," a black-robed Holy Clergy Member stepped forward to respond.
"I heard one of Jolan's subordinates participated in a commission personally issued by the Archbishop..."
"Regarding that..." The black-robed Holy Clergy Member glanced back at the canopy.
Only after receiving an instruction did he continue: "The Archbishop and that priest merely had normal working interactions. We are also very disappointed that such a fallen one appeared in the Church."
"Sister... Faya," at this time, Jose Megos inside the canopy suddenly spoke, his voice intermittent.
"You accompanied that person last time... Why don't you... tell everyone here what happened."
Hearing this, a black-robed nun below the steps instantly trembled, then slowly stepped forward.
"I... only participated in one commission with Father William," hesitation flashed in her eyes, but she ultimately said it.
"During that time, he communicated with the evil spirit in the commission. I had already expressed my doubts back then..."
As soon as these words came out, the scene instantly erupted in an uproar.
"Sister Faya, please describe the course of events in detail!"
"There are rumors outside that cultists have infiltrated the Church! Please comment on this!"
North America, Michigan, a border town.
One of the secret bases of the Lord Knights.
"Two thousand and three, two thousand and..."
Henry's forehead was bulging with veins as he swung a "sledgehammer" made of a massive boulder.
Even though his face was already completely flushed red, he just couldn't shout out the word "four."
"Henry!" At this time, someone came running and shouting.
"Zero, zero..."
"Henry! Something huge happened, look!" Pence grabbed a newspaper, repeatedly slapping the former's shoulder, his tone full of disbelief.
"Zero..." Henry gritted his teeth, but deflated the next second.
Thud!
A muffled thud echoed on the ground, kicking up a lot of dust.
"Squire Pence! When calling out to someone in the base, please use their title. This concerns a knight's honor!" Henry shouted loudly.
"Also! Don't put your hands on someone while they're training. Be careful, I might report you for sexual harassment!"
"Y-Yes!" Pence immediately stood up straight. "I apologize profusely, Knight Henry!"
Only then did Henry ask: "What happened?"
"There's news from the Church!" Pence hurriedly handed over the newspaper.
Henry took it, and his brows quickly knitted together: "Father William... This time the North American churches might undergo an 'earthquake.'"
"Father William?" At this time, a girl carrying a life-size crusader sword walked over, her face full of curiosity. "You guys know Father William too?"
Henry and Pence looked at each other, then handed the newspaper over.
After reading it, the girl's expression quickly changed.
"Percy, how... how do you know him?" Pence asked curiously.
Percy's face was full of worry: "I... in order to raise money for my mother's medical treatment, I once took a commission from a Philadelphia official. At that time, Father William gave a portion of his reward to me."
"I don't believe he is that kind of person! Can we go help him!"
The girl's eyes were full of anxiety.
"The Knights Templar's actions must be decided by a council meeting. We cannot act on our own authority," Henry shook his head.
"But..." Percy bit her lip tightly.
"Right, did you need us for something?" Pence changed the subject.
Only then did Percy remember: "The council meeting is about to start! We're going to discuss the Church's matters! Let's go quickly."
She hurriedly reached out to drag the two.
"Squire Percy! Do not pull and drag within the base!"
New Orleans, Witch Academy.
The Assembly Hall.
A round table was placed in the center, surrounded by eight or nine witches.
At this moment, several newspapers lay on the table. The cover featured photos of two men.
And the headline boldly declared—Shocking Twist! Church Traitor Actually Colluded with Demons, One of Them is in North America!
"He saved the Academy before. We must go help him!" Zoe, wearing a long black dress, stood up.
Jenny also said with a serious face: "I agree with Zoe's proposal."
The newly appointed Supreme, Fox, raised her hand: "I understand your concerns, but this matter has yet to be verified. If Father William truly colluded with demons..."
"Impossible!" Zoe and Jenny spoke simultaneously.
"What's impossible? I've always thought that kid was rotten to the core!" At this time, a dissenting voice suddenly rang out.
The crowd looked toward the voice, only to see a witch sitting in the corner of the conference room.
Despite her face being covered in wrinkles, her posture was incredibly elegant.
"Fiona, don't forget what you did to us before!" Jenny said coldly.
Fiona blew a smoke ring and smiled slightly: "And you don't forget that it was you who took the initiative to resurrect me."
Hearing this, Zoe frowned and clenched her fists.
Not long ago, a guy claiming to be the "Supreme Sorcerer" suddenly appeared at a warlock school in New Orleans.
The other party's sorcery was incredibly strong, breaking numerous past sorcery trial records in a short time.
He also directly defeated many powerful warlocks, drawing intense attention from the Sorcerer Association.
But after Fox came into contact with the other party, she discovered a shocking secret—the other party's soul had some kind of connection to Hell.
Therefore, this so-called "Supreme Sorcerer" was very likely a demon descended to the world!
And that person had already announced he would once again lead sorcerers toward unity, issuing a challenge to the Rosicrucian Order.
If the former won, the Witch Academy would have to unconditionally submit to him.
The group of witches, of course, was unwilling to agree.
To deal with this trouble, the witches ultimately had no choice but to resurrect Fiona, who had been defeated in the last "United Sorcery" incident and was eventually burned to death by the witches.
"She's right... right now, our focus must be on that reincarnated demon." Fox sighed.
"But..." Jenny's face was full of unwillingness.
The other witches also remained silent.
Seeing this scene, Fiona slowly curled the corners of her mouth upward.
Louisiana, Allard Manor.
"Let me go! I have to go to Philadelphia. It must be very dangerous around him right now!" Sadie gripped her gun holster tightly.
"Sadie, tonight we still have to meet with officials from the State Guard!" Scott grabbed the former's arm.
"This is a massive business deal, an opportunity to promote exorcism ammunition throughout America!"
"Father!" Sadie stared dead at Scott. "Have you forgotten how the Allard family got all of this!"
"I... I'm not..."
"Ralph! You tell me! Should I go or not!" Sadie turned to look aside again.
"This... you should... but..." Ralph scratched his beard, hesitating to speak.
"Coward!" Sadie snorted coldly.
"Sadie! Do not be rude to people!" Scott's tone was stern.
Hearing this, Sadie turned her head away, remaining silent.
"Father, Sister." At this time, a female voice rang out.
Ofy Allard wheeled her wheelchair into the room.
Her gaze was calm, her past arrogance long gone.
"The Church has already issued a wanted order. This matter will be very difficult to change in the short term," Ofy said softly.
"Why don't Father and Sister attend the procurement meeting first, and Mr. Ralph and I will go investigate the intelligence regarding Father William."
Scott clapped his hands: "That's exactly what I meant!"
"Mr. William is an incredibly important guest of the Allards. Even if we have to make an enemy of the entire Church, we must stand behind him!"
"Right! Right! I'll go with Miss Ofy." Ralph hurriedly chimed in.
"Sister, what do you think?"
Sadie clenched her fists, ultimately only able to nod.
Vatican, Holy See Priest Order Headquarters.
Temporary prison.
"Sister Bettis, the identities of these two are currently sensitive. Therefore, you only have 10 minutes for visitation. Please understand," a Holy Clergy Member opened the iron door.
Bettis carried a cloth basket containing clean water and bread.
Hearing this, she drew a cross on her chest and smiled: "May the Lord bless you. This is already more than enough."
Immediately after, she stepped through the iron door.
A damp smell hit her nose, and the lighting became dim.
Bettis walked all the way to the end, looking at the figures inside the iron bars.
"I brought you some fresh food."
The people inside the cell heard the noise and rushed to the iron bars.
"Sister Bettis! How are things outside? Has Lord Jolan been released? Where is William!"
Looking at this beautiful face covered in dirt, Bettis shook her head inwardly.
"Lord Jolan has already been stripped of his status as a Cardinal Candidate. Currently, the Church is investigating the commissions he handled in the past," she sighed.
"As for his personal whereabouts, the higher-ups have not made it public yet."
"How could this..." Caroline's eyes were full of disappointment.
"And William, he..." Bettis's gaze was complex. "He has also been expelled from the Church. Although his whereabouts are currently unknown, the Church has already issued a wanted order for him."
Caroline reached out and grabbed the former's sleeve.
"Bettis, can you talk to the higher-ups? How could those two possibly collude with demons? Last time in the Land of the Holy War, it was because..."
"Stop talking!" At this time, a voice sounded from the adjacent cell.
Bettis turned her head, only to see a scruffy man leaning against the wall.
"Bishop Hugh..."
"Bishop? Heh... right now I'm just a sinner."
Hugh sneered: "Whether those two colluded with demons or not is no longer important. No one will believe it."
"But Bettis could..." Caroline still refused to give up.
"Most people associated with Lord Jolan have been implicated, yet this sister is perfectly safe." Hugh looked Bettis up and down, his eyes full of contempt.
"Who knows what kind of deal she struck in secret."
Bettis clutched her collar, hurriedly shaking her head: "It's not like that, I..."
But before she could finish, a memory from not long ago surfaced in her mind—
"Bettis, I understand you have a favorable impression of that William, and your father also thought very highly of him before."
"But you finally managed to enter the Priest Order. This is a massive opportunity for the Mason family. Any decision you make will implicate all of us. Therefore, you cannot be as willful as you were in the past."
"I heard the Church is going to hold an ancient blessing ritual recently. You must seize the opportunity to participate."
"Let's drop the matter concerning that priest..."
Bettis opened her mouth, but ultimately remained silent.
Seeing this, Hugh turned around: "Since you've already signed that 'testimony,' then leave early. I don't want to stay with someone who betrayed their companions."
"Is a person who murders their companion worthy of praise?"
At this time, another voice echoed in the corridor.
The three looked in the direction of the voice, only to see another nun stepping out of the darkness.
"Sid..." Bettis muttered.
At this moment, Sid had heavy dark circles under her eyes, and her face looked extremely exhausted.
She wore a pure black robe, with a white petal-patterned brooch pinned to her chest.
"If we're talking about involvement with Lord Jolan, then we should have been the first ones thrown into prison," Sid stared straight into Hugh's eyes.
"But right now, we neither signed a so-called testimony, nor have we been implicated because of it."
"And ever since Kerson died, that person has completely vanished. Who do you think I should believe."
"I... I..." Hugh opened his mouth, but found it hard to refute.
"But William saved you guys in the Land of the Holy War!" Caroline said from the side. "He saved me before too!"
"A person's heart can be hidden, and human nature can also change. Perhaps everything in the past was merely a lie." Sid turned her head.
As she mentioned the last sentence, pain flashed in her eyes.
"If that person bears no guilt, why didn't he step forward to defend himself." She took a deep breath.
"Did you know... when the Priest Order investigation team went to the scene, they only found chunks of Kerson's remaining corpse."
Sid crossed her arms over her chest: "Merciful Lord, exactly what kind of person would be so cruel."
"Whether you believe it or not, I was indeed asked to sign a testimony," Hugh spoke again.
He recalled the scene back then. The papers were densely packed with text, but throughout the whole document, it essentially conveyed only one word—lies.
"Even if Father William hasn't shown up, the higher-ups haven't provided any substantive evidence either, have they." He looked into Sid's eyes again.
"Isn't it too early to jump to conclusions now."
Hearing this, Sid sneered.
"Forbidden from stepping into any church in the world, and led by the Priest Order, uniting Holy Clergy Members everywhere to conduct searches. Anyone who provides information can receive a massive reward."
"Even the North American authorities have publicly announced they will minimize the impact caused by this incident to the greatest extent."
She recounted the contents of the official notice: "Are you trying to say... the Church went through all this trouble just to falsely accuse a single priest."
"If he really was framed, then I will personally apologize to him. But right now..."
She looked at the two people in the cells.
"I ask that you reveal everything you know as soon as possible, so the guilty can receive their deserved punishment."
After saying this, Sid turned and walked outside.
"Sid!"
Bettis set the cloth basket down on the edge of the iron bars, then hurriedly chased after her.
Philadelphia, Dei Seminary.
Hearing the Vatican envoy's announcement of William's crimes, Judy immediately retorted: "You're slandering him!"
The white-robed Holy Clergy Member instantly frowned.
"Sorry." Lorraine hurriedly stepped forward and pulled Judy back.
"My Lord, we found something!" At this time, another person stepped forward to report.
Immediately after, a few men were seen carrying a wooden chest out from the shop. Upon opening it, it was filled with holy artifacts.
"Ten-year vintage, fifteen-year vintage... they are actually all high-quality holy artifacts!"
"There's even a thirty-year vintage bottle of Holy Water!"
"..."
The crowd instantly erupted into discussions.
"Hmph, where would a priest from an ordinary community church get so many high-tier holy artifacts?" The white-robed Holy Clergy Member snorted coldly.
"He definitely used his position to steal them in large quantities from the Church!"
"You're lying!" Judy broke free from Lorraine's grasp, ran to the wooden chest, and slammed the lid shut. "You're the robbers!"
But the next moment, she felt a heavy blow to her nose, and her entire body flew backward.
Thud!
Judy crashed heavily onto the ground.
When she scrambled back up, blood was already seeping from her nose.
"Judy!" Lorraine cried out in alarm.
"Hmph, this is not something a child should touch. Are you trying to destroy evidence!" The white-robed Holy Clergy Member looked the dusty, disheveled girl up and down.
"You're so agitated. Could it be that you know the whereabouts of the sinner William?"
"No... no." Lorraine clenched her fists, ultimately suppressing the anger in her heart. "She's just too young and doesn't understand things."
"She is indeed too young." The white-robed Holy Clergy Member snorted coldly.
The Church and children being mentioned together had always sparked criticism.
If it weren't for the fact that they were facing the public right now and needed to avoid bringing unnecessary trouble to the Church, he would have long since taken this child away for interrogation.
But what the white-robed Holy Clergy Member didn't notice was a figure crouching on a rooftop not far away.
William looked the white-robed Holy Clergy Member up and down, firmly committing the latter's face to memory.
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