"Sorry, after I saw the box I hid it and didn't tell anyone." Luo Wei asked awkwardly. "But why include me? Isn't the prophesied hero supposed to be a commoner?"

  Morrison: "Heroes need companions to fight alongside them. Luo Wei, if the hero appears, will you help him overthrow the Church?"

  Luo Wei: "If the hero needs me, I'll gladly help."

  Hessel looked between them, frowning. "What are you talking about? What's this 'world's truth'?"

  "Let Luo Wei tell you later. I can't mention their names." Morrison pointed upward. "Names provide guidance to them. Sometimes they listen to mortal words."

  Luo Wei's hair stood on end. She'd need to stop saying these gods' names so much. Say them too often and the gods might notice her.

  Morrison asked: "Any other questions? I can answer anything—but only tonight."

  "Yes." Hessel asked coldly. "Who besieged the old Silver Dragon back then? Who ripped out his tendons and skinned him?"

  She would kill them first.

  Morrison was silent for a few seconds. "The Pope gave the order. The previous Holy Knights carried it out. But they died not long after."

  "Dead?" Hessel refused to believe it. "They're all dead? How?"

  "Holy Knights' lives are very short." Morrison lowered his voice. "Church knights with light element affinity go through strict selection. They can only become Holy Knights after turning twenty-four."

  "Every year, Holy Knights must donate holy blood to the Pope and the gods. That year, the Pope wanted to use holy blood and dragon blood to refine a longevity potion. Shortly after, news spread that the Holy Knights had heroically sacrificed themselves fighting evil."

  Luo Wei: ...So that generation of Holy Knights were all bled to death?

  The Church really did seem like an evil cult.

  Moreover, the Church of Light seemed to constantly be slaughtering Light itself.

  They recruited all people with light element affinity into the Church, then made them sacrifice themselves to the gods. Forbade them from marrying or having children. Used holy blood donations to accelerate their consumption. Wasn't this an extinction plan?

  If they kept this up, people with light element affinity would only become fewer. Light mages would eventually disappear from this world.

  After all, light mages were already very rare.

  Luo Wei suddenly frowned. Light element was so rare—why had she randomly picked up Roman, who had pure light element affinity?

  Was it really just luck? Or had someone placed Roman near her?

  Or perhaps, because she'd adopted Roman and he became her subordinate, he'd gained light element affinity?

  ...

  Night deepened. Luo Wei and Hessel bid farewell to Morrison, left the chapel, and walked side by side toward Rose Castle.

  This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

  In the headmaster's office, Morrison extinguished the oil lamp, stood, and walked to the moonlit window.

  "Alfried..." he murmured.

  Other princes' ambitions had endpoints. When they climbed high enough, they'd stop to enjoy themselves, satisfying their desires. They indulged in money, beauties, fame...

  But Alfried's ambition was endless. He could sense this. More terrifying—he couldn't see through Alfried's desires. Aside from power, he seemed to care about nothing.

  No, he wasn't even passionate about power. Otherwise, with his cunning, how could he let other princes suppress him?

  For years, Alfried had lived ascetically—no alcohol, no women, no wealth. He seemed to truly live like a saint. What did he actually want? Nobody knew.

  Morrison raised his head, gazing at the deep night sky.

  The full moon shone bright, starlight dim.

  Perhaps he wanted that moon in the sky.

  The night wind was cool. Luo Wei and Hessel also raised their heads, quietly gazing at the moon.

  Tranquil, pure moonlight always easily stirred longing.

  Longing for the past. Longing for... those who'd passed away.

  Among the Death Penalty Squad's seven members, aside from Theodore and Gladys, the remaining five were like duckweed floating in this world—alone and helpless.

  Laura, the last cat beastman. Hessel, the last dragon. Sebastian, the last Doom Clan member. The lich Hol, who'd never once mentioned family. Plus her, the transmigrator. The Death Penalty Squad really was without relatives to rely on, their backgrounds tragic.

  Returning to her room, Luo Wei, exhausted from the entire day, could finally rest.

  She took off the heavy gown, changed into comfortable pajamas, washed up, and climbed onto the soft bed.

  Before sleeping, she let Nicole out as usual. Looking at the Infernal Arachne's tilted head, she found it amusing.

  "Nicole, put out the lamp!"

  Nicole whooshed onto the table in one bounce, jumped next to the oil lamp, and used her back legs to kick the iron cover over the flame.

  The lamp went out. The bedroom plunged into darkness.

  "Good night, Nicole."

  Luo Wei closed her eyes. Her constantly tense nerves finally relaxed, and she quickly fell into dreams.

  During the night, lightning flashed and thunder roared outside. Wild wind howled.

  A ball of fierce fire descended from the sky, smashing into her window. Luo Wei sat bolt upright to see a figure wrapped in flames standing in the center of the room. Scorching heat waves struck her face.

  "Who?"

  She stared intently at the figure, one hand quietly reaching under her pillow for her wand.

  Overwhelming divine might surged forward like raging seawater. Luo Wei's body sank as if bearing a thousand pounds. Her chest felt so compressed she could barely breathe.

  An extremely aggressive gaze shot out from the flames. Yet a trace of strange familiarity rose in her heart—it seemed when she'd viewed the divine statue at Siria Temple, such a gaze had also been watching her.

  Luo Wei silently watched the ball of flame. Could it be that wrapped inside was a messenger of Hephaestus, the Fire God?

  The flames exhaled angrily: "Follower of the Undead God! Do you know where you went wrong?"

  The figure immediately started with accusations, and even knew she was the Undead God's follower. Luo Wei's heart sank. While calling out to the Undead God in her mind, she dealt with the visitor: "Messenger, could you please clarify?"

  "Your memory is truly terrible!" The flames burned and roared. "You imprisoned my faithful devotee on Demon Island, starved him until he's skin and bones—how vicious!"

  "I'm giving you three days. Release my weak, pitiful little devotee! He's so honest, devout, cute, and innocent. You cunning human, annoying just like the Undead God—how can you torture him so cruelly!"

  Luo Wei: ...

  So many things to complain about, she didn't know where to start.

  Good news: Not the Fire God's messenger. Bad news: The Fire God had personally descended to demand justice for their devotee.

  Zachary Bunian—the nearly two-meter-tall hammer-swinging strongman, the Northern slave trader boss, the high-level Mystical Smith—was being called weak and pitiful?

  So it wasn't just devotees who had super thick filters for gods—gods also had fifty-meter-thick filters for their devotees?

  And where had she been cruel? She'd only had the undead on the island give Zachary a little less food, let him go hungry for a bit. This counted as vicious?

  Plus saying she was annoying like the Undead God—this was pure slander! Pure guilt by association! The Fire God had an old grudge with the Undead God and was taking it out on her!

  Thinking of the Undead God, Luo Wei realized something was wrong.

  What the hell? The Undead God wasn't responding to her prayers today? The moment someone came knocking, the goddess started playing dead?

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  patreon.com/BZDXG - Unlock a HUGE stash of advance chapters now!

  Dive deeper into the story ahead of everyone else!