Gil, Bern, Alisha and Cathy looked at each other as their eyes were telling them what to do.

The words that Elise uttered was something that they can't pass as a mere joke. It was because of what she said that...

​​

'She's not from here…'

They knew what she was talking about. They knew that it was about Evelyn... but how? How did she know?

Gil could think about a few things, reasons about how she knew the secrets that weren't supposed to be known aside from the spirit kings of each element.

"I could tell you some things just let me go for now…"

Alisha smirk.

"You think we will be satisfied with that?"

"It's about Lady Evelyn you know… ahh~ I really didn't think that she was the one that they were talking about in…"

Gil, Bern, Alisha and Cathy were anticipating when Elise decided to cut her words.

"Oops~ I almost spilled the secret."

Then she smiled like she now has an upper hand.

"I'll tell you a little freebie then, Evelyn was cursed, right?"

The face of the contracted spirits of Evelyn was flat like they tried hard to not give Elise the satisfaction that she wanted if she saw them react.

"Oh… you guys are no fun at all…"

"Sigh… tie her up and gagged her mouth."

Bern just gave a suggestion because the things that Elise were saying was making them sway.

Evelyn is important to them so whatever topics or rumors that are about Evelyn they want to know and possibly wrap them up before the person itself hears about it.

However, they also knew that some things cannot be helped and not all of it can be done by them.

"Haaa…"

Gil also sighed.

"Mmmphhh… mmmpff"

"Shut up!"

Alisha tied Elise up tight that she winced in pain and stuffed her mouth with a ball of clothing and tied it around her head.

For now, they need to secure the Saintess. It's because she knew things that could help them when they engage in the battle with the Temple of Light and the one behind them.

"Let's wrap this up… we still need to meet up with Eve."

Gil announced and all of them except for Elise, nodded their head in response.

***

The knights that allies with Ricardo started the operation that they've been planning for a long time.

Explosions after explosions resonated in the holy grounds of the Temple of Light. A lot of the people that were not far away from the temple also heard the commotion.

"What is happening inside?"

"There's a loud noise coming from the temple…"

"I wonder what is happening.."

The concern of the citizens that sees the Temple of Light as their salvation was making a whole lot of commotion.

They stand in the wide entrance of the Temple but because there are holy knights stationed at the gate, they can't go in.

"Hey… what is happening inside?!"

One of the people outside asked.

"Go back… there's nothing to see here!"

The holy knight that was guarding the temple's entrance was one of the allies of Ricardo who also knew what the priest of the Temple of Light was doing to fill their stomachs with money from the dirty doings.

Besides the continued explosions was making the citizens fear what was happening inside.

Boom! Bang! Thud!

"Aaahh!"

"Noo… the bell tower!!!"

The left side of the tower cracked and a part of it slowly fell down.

Whoosh! Boom!

"You should go back now…" the other knight said.

"What did you say?! Tell us what is happening!!" one of the angry citizens asked again.

They heard heavy footsteps and saw a holy knight coming closer.

He stands in front of them candidly, his actions didn't look like a trained knight but because he was dressed as one, no one bothered to doubt who it was or if he was really part of the Temple.

"Go back… the temple was just doing some renovations that is why there's a lot of explosions…"

A holy knight… rather, a person dressed like one of the holy knights said.

It was Bern. Gil asked him to try to suppress the possible commotion that the explosion from the inside was making.

"What? Is that what's happening?"

"You should have said so earlier…"

"Ha… I thought the Temple was being attacked, thank goodness it was just a renovation."

The holy knights that were stationed in the gate felt a sigh of relief after the commoners decided to leave.

"Ohh… I wonder what they're building."

"Maybe a shrine for the Saintess…"

"Ohh what a good news if that is true…"

Bern sighs as he thought that the people who were still affected by the magic of the statues that were scattered in the Levingstone Kingdom would do when they heard the truth.

It would be different if the people knew that they were the ones who attacked the Temple. It would be a disaster if the people get to know this and it causes panic in the citizens.

Evelyn already told them that it would be a disadvantage for them if the commoners learn about the attack first and not them revealing what the Pope and the others were doing to them.

Of course, Evelyn was talking about the brainwashing and the cruel sacrifices that the Temple must be doing to get the black liquid that was concentrated with black mana.

"Make sure that no citizens could enter… we need to secure all the priests and make sure that no one could escape."

"Yes, Sir Bern!"

Bern turned around and looked at the vast land of the Temple and the beautiful buildings that must have been built because of the donation of the people as well as the corruption that was prevalent in the Temple .

"Hmmm… there's a lot of cleaning to do…" Bern mumbled.

***

At the same time, the Pope and the other twelve councils were now in the plain carriage and were going through different locations.

They already know where they would meet once the commotion died down, but first they need to get out of there.

The carriage of Pope Nelson was now outside the capital. He made the coachman stop the carriage and he called his pawn.

"Nine…"

Pope Nelson called the assassin that he knew could answer his question.

"Yes, your holiness…"

Nine immediately entered the carriage like it was nothing, as the designated guard of the Pope, he was always by his side, lurking in the shadows.

"Tell me, what happened to Elise."

The cold gaze of the Pope sent Nine shivers to his spine. Even though the Pope looked benevolent, Nine knew that behind those masks was a cruel man that would do anything to make all his plans succeed.

"I'm sorry, your holiness. Because of the commotion I didn't get the chance to know what happened to the Saintess."

"Tsk… Useless!"

Pak!

Nine was slapped in the face when the Pope heard about his answer. Still, his head was still looking at the wooden floor of the carriage.

"Go back and find Elise. I still need her for my plans!"

The eyes of Nine that was covered because his head was looking down was sharp like a knife. He swallowed his anger before he answered the Pope like he used to.

"Yes, your holiness…"

Pope Nelson looked at the bruised cheeks of Nine before he smirked.

"If the enemies kidnapped the Saint then make sure that she didn't talk about unnecessary things… If she does…"

Pope Nelson's sharp eyes looked outside as he uttered the words…

"You know what to do."

Nine didn't have to think about what he needed to do as the Pope suggested. He already knows that the Pope means to kill the Saintess if she ever talks about the "plans" that only the higher ups know.

"This servant heard your order…"

With that said, Nine immediately left the carriage, it was also an opportunity for him to report to Evelyn.

However, when Nine was nowhere out of sight, the Pope called another assassin.

"One…"

Swish!

The assassin yet again appears out of nowhere.

"Tail Nine and make sure that he does his jobs right… and if you ever saw that he does something out of my orders then kill him immediately, and contact the King… tell him I need his help and I'll call him after I settled things..."

"This servant heard and obey…"

"Tell the King that this is the time to pay me back and if he won't, he knows what will happen…"

"Yes, your holiness."

Swish!

One vanished as quickly as he came. And Pope Nelson who has doubts about Nine could only think about discarding him if he betrayed his words.

But there was something that he was curious about.

"Did they know about the curse of oath? How much does they know?"

Pope Nelson started to ponder about Evelyhn's intel and how much of informations she knew or how long did she plan to infiltrate the Temple.

"Tsk!!!"

He clicked his tongue when he thought about the plans that was abrupt because of her.

"I really need to kill her no matter what…"

Pope Nelson said as he the carriage starts to move again to the destination where he will make new plans to counterattack them.