eurekapd Chapter 541 Please Witness
Chapter 541 Please Witness
ended.
Daniel's body completely dissipated in the pure white flames. After a few spells, the Perktur Cathedral returned to its previous appearance. The miserable screams and the splattered blood and flesh were gone at this moment.
Only the air was still filled with the smell of blood. Angel was trembling all over. She was not afraid. There was nothing to be afraid of. It was just that when she was in Goletia, she indulged in the beautiful dreams created by others and neglected her studies. After not using magic so frequently for a long time, she felt cold all over due to lack of mental strength.
The pent-up hatred was vented at this moment, but her brother would never come back. Angel felt lost for a moment because she had lost her target. No one spoke in the temple for a long time.
"Why are you dawdling? I'm in a hurry."
Unexpectedly, it was Leila who broke the silence first. She seemed to have lost her patience and took a step forward while saying this.
The red mist on the door shattered as she approached. The red-haired female knight opened the door, and the sunlight and breeze from outside immediately blew in, diluting the bloody smell a lot. She did not look back, but just crossed her hands and faced the door with her back. Every movement revealed a silent urging.
Catherine did not feel any resentment towards her knight's rudeness. She patted Angie's shoulder and hesitated for a moment before telling her frankly: "When winter comes, Daniel's mother will be informed of his sacrifice."
Only then did Anqi turn her head and look at Catherine in a daze.
"This is the condition proposed by your grandfather." Catherine knew that this would make Angie dissatisfied, and Daniel would also die as a martyr, but if it were not for the premise of preserving the reputation of the Russell family, today's revenge would not happen.
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, An Qi just nodded and said, "I understand."
There was no anger, no questioning, and no hysteria. Such a calm Angel made Catherine feel a little dazed. In a place she had not paid attention to, Angel was also growing quietly. She was about to say a few more words of comfort, but Angel seemed to have made up some kind of decision and mustered up the courage to run forward.
"Miss Leila, Miss Leila!" Angel was exhausted and staggered. She finally stopped when she saw Leila's cold and sharp eyes when she turned around.
The sunlight had already pierced through the clouds, and the temperature outside the door was completely different from that inside. As soon as she stepped into the sunlight, Angel felt like she was back to the world. Even though Leila's eyes were so strange and full of rejection, she still walked over with her sword in hand.
"Miss Leila..." Anqi took a deep breath and saluted Leila.
The person opposite her looked her up and down wantonly, and when he saw the sword in her hand, he finally turned around to face her.
"Thank you. Although it was Lilith who fought for me in the end, I remember you were the only one who responded." An Qi said sincerely, "I owe you sisters so much."
"I'm here to thank you, and more importantly, to apologize, Miss Leila." Angie straightened her back. "I'm not asking for your forgiveness. I know that's too much. I just want you to know that I remember. I remember Marcia's death, and I remember...your rebuke."
Leila just glanced behind her. She seemed to be only concerned about whether Her Royal Highness the Princess had caught up or not. She remained cold and silent.
"I often think about what you said to me in prison these days." Angel clenched her sword. When she thought of the tragedy she had caused, she still felt a little ashamed in front of Leila.
"It's my fault... Letting the vulnerable bleed to uphold truth and justice is not sacrifice, but offering a sacrifice to unjust laws and unjust rulers. The goddess Marcia shouldn't have to endure this."
As a noble, she clearly possessed greater power than Marcia, yet she allowed a powerless Shen Da to stand before her. Before that, An Qi had never felt so cowardly. It turned out that she always stood behind others... such as Daniel, Her Highness Catherine, and Lilith...
Leila's words were like a slap in the face, reminding her over and over again how she had put her own will above the safety of others.
As if because of her incessant chatter, Leila finally glanced at her. Her eyes did not soften at all because of Anqi's sincere confession. Instead, the corners of her mouth curled up in a very faint and cold arc, with a hint of sarcasm.
"Your 'remember' is worthless."
Her words were firm and left no room for negotiation.
"...You're right." Anqi's voice was dry and hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor. She looked down at her sword-gripping hand. "My confession cannot bring back any lost lives. It is truly worthless, but—please bear witness."
Leila then tilted her head in interest.
"From now on, I will stand in front, no matter what lies ahead." She raised the sword in her hand, as if taking a knight's oath. The girls from the two most prestigious knight families in the Gaia Empire finally began to communicate in the way of knights.
Even if my power remains insignificant, even if my path is paved with thorns, I will act like a knight, truly shouldering responsibility and protecting others. Not to atone for my sins, but... so that 'justice' will no longer be dishonored by my folly, and that innocents will no longer be sacrificed because of my choices. This is the debt I owe, and the future I choose.
—Please bear witness.”
The girl's voice was trembling but firm.
Leila held out her hand.
An Qi hesitated for a moment, but still reached out her hand to shake hers.
"What are you doing?" Seeing that she had misunderstood, Leila wordlessly avoided him and reached out again, "Give me the sword."
...So that's what you mean. She was saying why it was different from the knight tradition she knew—Angel withdrew her hand awkwardly, but still held the hilt reluctantly and said:
"I originally wanted to return it to Lilith in person and then—"
Leila made an impatient click of her tongue.
An Qi quickly handed over the sword.
"You..." After a heartfelt confession, Leila remained indifferent. Anqi felt a little embarrassed. Seeing that Miss Leila just lowered her head and carefully examined the blade, she said inexplicably, "You seem to have grown a lot taller."
Unexpectedly, Leila looked up in shock, and looked at Catherine who was walking up from behind Angel in disbelief, as if she wanted to confirm something from her face.
Of course, Catherine heard their conversation. She looked hesitant, but nodded in agreement.
Leila showed a look of resignation and left first while muttering to herself. However, she became half a head shorter in the few steps she took. Now she was closer to the height of Leila in Catherine's memory, which made Angie stunned.
"She, she--" Angel pointed at Leila's back and stuttered.
"We are going to the palace. See you next time." Catherine was not in a position to explain, so she gave Angel an awkward smile and chased after "Leila" away.
Never mind...it's normal for everyone to have secrets. An Qi silently lowered her finger and turned to walk to the other side.
The temple was no longer as peaceful as before, and was in a mess because of the busy reconstruction. They had no time to distribute Holy Communion to the ascetics. Now only the priests in white robes were carrying silver incense burners burning with dream nutmeg, walking down the stairs while ringing the bells - just bathing in the holy incense was already a gift from God the Father.
Angel followed them downstairs, and seeing that the long steps that used to be crowded with people were now sparsely populated, her heart grew more and more excited as she walked.
This white cage could no longer hold her, and—
"Nora!"
Next to the carriage printed with the Russell family crest stood a thin girl. She didn't dare to get into the luxurious carriage alone and could only stand outside waiting eagerly. When Anqi saw her, she ran straight over and gave her a big hug.
"Lady Anqi, you look so beautiful and energetic like this." The girl was short of words, but kept exclaiming in a low voice.
Nora had grown thinner. She had openly defended those who slandered the Temple in the courtroom. Although Angie was ultimately found not guilty, one could imagine how difficult Nora's life would be. Angie hugged her, feeling her protruding shoulder blades, her eyes filled with soreness. She had come today not only for Daniel, but also to take the child away.
"Don't call me sir. We are not Shen Da anymore." An Qi let go of the little girl and said softly, "You can call me senior."
"Senior?" Nora felt curious about the title and let Angel pull her into the carriage.
"Well, when summer comes, you can enroll in Gloria. By then, I will be your senior. You have a third-level affinity for light elements, just like me." Angel patiently described everything about Gloria to the girl.
"Will I clean the floor using divine arts like an adult...like you, Senpai?"
"Magic." An Qi corrected seriously, "It's more than that. You will learn many kinds of magic and even create your own spells. Nora, magicians have the power to change the world. In the future, you can use your own power to protect yourself and no longer need to pray to the gods for mercy."
The carriage slowly started, its wheels crunching over the white gravel of the Temple Square. Sunlight poured generously onto the street, and through the open window, Angie could be seen sitting sideways, patiently responding to the thin girl beside her, whose rapid-fire questions, filled with anxiety and a hint of longing, were questions.
"...I won't lock you up in the punishment room, and I won't deny you food." Angel's voice was tinged with laughter. "Golatia has five restaurants, Nora. There's even a greedy elf dragon in the Rose Building. You can even secretly give it some food. It will be very friendly to you and even give you seasonal fruits."
"So many restaurants?" Nora's voice was weak, filled with incredible hope. She leaned on the windowsill, greedily looking at the rapidly changing world outside, which was no longer framed by the towering white walls. The huge white outline of the temple was shrinking and blurring in her vision.
"We really left the temple, senior sister." Nora said in a low voice.
Anqi didn't turn around. She simply reached out and gently grasped Nora's nervously clenched fist, which rested on her knees. The girl's fingers were cold and rough, and Anqi wrapped them with her own warmth, conveying a silent strength.
The groom flicked his whip lightly, and the two chestnut horses pulling the cart moved at a quicker pace. The sound of the wheels rolling over the cobblestones was gradually absorbed by the wider, smoother road. The spire of the distant temple finally disappeared completely between the dense branches of the sycamore trees.
…………
"Please be careful." Catherine dared to whisper a warning to the person beside her when they walked into the empty corridor in the palace.
There was no response from behind, and when Catherine turned around again, the knight who had lagged behind was gone.