As a villain, he could do whatever he wanted.

Page 118

Looking at Leon, Leus asked him this question without changing his expression, and Leon, looking thoughtful, slowly replied to Leus:

"I think her actions are not simple. Recently, similar cultists have been frequently captured in the kingdom. They also show the same cooperative attitude, but after the interrogation, they all disappear inexplicably, which shows that they came prepared."

"Disappeared... just like the information I received earlier, hmm."

"I believe that their actions were an attempt to probe our military, especially during interrogations, where they even tried to extract information from the interrogators in order to gather intelligence."

Leon moved closer to Lius, his voice growing more serious as he continued speaking:

"Therefore, my order now is that anyone captured as a cultist near the kingdom should be temporarily imprisoned and prevented from contacting the outside world, especially the army, in order to prevent such incidents as much as possible. Today, I have only brought this one to you, Lius, to see what your thoughts are on this matter."

"Hmm, listening to Leon's words and recalling the information he had learned from the church, Lius became more and more certain that these people were deliberately leaking information, whether it was Ershu or the other members."

The more Lius looked at Ershu's meaningful smile, the deeper his suspicion grew. "Miss Leon."

Just then, feeling the gazes directed at her by Leon and Lius, Ershe suddenly smiled and spoke, waving her small hand slightly before the two could react:

"Regarding the upcoming interrogation, could Prince Leus and I be alone together?" Huh? What did you say!

Upon hearing the words of the girl in black robes, Leon and Lius frowned in unison, surprised by her sudden suggestion that took the initiative.

Chapter 237: The Beginning of the Operation (Part 4)

“I’m sorry, Miss Leon, but during the upcoming interrogation, I wonder if it would be possible for Prince Lius to be alone with me? I promise to tell him everything I know.”

Looking at the two people in front of him, Ershu smiled slightly and made a suggestion. Upon hearing this, Leon was stunned for a few seconds before revealing a look of anger.

"Leaving Lius here alone... what do you want to do! Try to take him hostage or attack him? Don't dream about it. As a prisoner, you should know your place and not expect to get any breathing room from us!"

With cold and sharp words, Leon frowned and growled at the black-robed girl who had taken the initiative, while Ershue maintained her smile and nodded slightly to the two in front of her.

"Hehe, if this is Miss Leon's idea, then I don't care. However, there is one thing I must inform you in advance: regarding what I am about to say, whether it is information about myself or about the church, I will only inform Prince Lius. Even if Miss Leon wants to ask, I will not tell you directly."

"you!"

Hearing the black-robed girl's words, Leon's brows furrowed even more. He was about to interrogate Ershue further and even took out a whip from the side, intending to whip the girl.

"Wait a minute, Leon. Before we begin the interrogation, let me ask you some further questions."

Seeing the increasingly tense atmosphere, Lius quickly moved closer, gently tugged at Leon's shoulder, and said the following.

"Lius, do you want to talk to her... Don't fall into this prisoner's trap. She suddenly said this to us, there must be some conspiracy. In my experience, the best way to deal with this kind of person is not to follow her words, but to use force to coerce her."

"Well, I know that too, but..."

However, she and I are actually very warm-hearted people, and if I communicate with Ershu, she will definitely reveal information.

Such thoughts surfaced in Lius's mind, and although they were quite strong, he did not reveal them at the moment. Instead, he adopted a serious demeanor and continued to explain to the female general before him:

"However, even knowing that her actions might be a trap, I have to take the risk. Otherwise, I will never be able to get any more information. So please trust me, I am confident that I can keep the situation largely under control."

"Lius looked at the boy in front of him, and Leon's eyes clearly showed a mixture of worry and admiration. Then he gently reached out and shook hands with Lius."

"No matter what dangers may arise, I will protect you and prevent you from getting hurt. Lius, you must also promise to protect yourself when the time comes."

"Yeah, I promise."

Lius nodded slightly to the female general in front of him, then turned to look at Ershu, who was watching with a smile.

Although he was unclear about the purpose of the black-robed girl and the cult, Leus could not yet reveal his suspicions. After a moment of contemplation, he took a step closer to Ershu and slowly spoke to her:

"Leon just said that you would reveal anything if it were me? Well then, I'll ask you, what's your name? And what's your status among the cultists?"

Oh? So you've finally spoken to me first. Is Prince Leus interested in my name?

Earl closed his eyes, then his smile deepened, and he spoke sweetly to the boy before him:

"My name? Hehe, let me formally introduce myself. My name is Ershu, and I am a member of the Order. As I have already told Ms. Leon, I am a member of the Order who serves the Supreme God and the Leader. I don't have any particularly special status, so please take good care of me!"

Faced with Lius's question, Ershu smiled slightly and introduced herself, just as she had when she first introduced herself to Lius, her tone full of profound meaning, sounding both alluring and seductive.

In response, Lius remained calm and moved closer to the girl in black robes, continuing to ask her, "Ershu, is that right? Well then, Miss Ershu, please tell us everything you know, especially about your order's current plans. Don't hide anything, understand?"

“Oh, our order’s plan? Very well. I shouldn’t reveal too much about these things, but I happened to meet Ms. Leon and you, Mr. Lius, today. So I have nothing to worry about. It’s quite a coincidence. Hehe, I have to thank you for this, Mr. Lius.”

"Stop interrupting, tell us quickly!" Upon hearing Ershu mention Lius's name again, Leon frowned and shouted sternly.

"Hehe, don't be in such a hurry, Miss Leon. It is said that only Young Master Lius can ask about these things. If he hadn't asked, I wouldn't have said it so easily. If you want to know more information, just listen quietly from the side."

As she spoke, the girl in black robes glanced at Leus, gave him a knowing wink, then looked at Leon, closed her eyes, pondered for a moment, and then spoke to the two before her:

"Hmm, where should we begin? Right, let's start with our purpose! Our church's purpose is very simple: to awaken our supreme God. And for all of this... we must expend the entire nation's manpower. After offering our souls to the supreme God, she will descend before us. Once you witness the authority of the supreme God, you will understand why we are doing this."

"What!!" The Supreme God looked at Ershu, and Leon's eyes widened suddenly. After a brief moment of stunned silence, he frowned and continued, "You...you people really want to sacrifice the entire country!"

"You could say that this is a grand vision that our church has cherished for hundreds of years. In order to achieve this goal, we will advance this plan in the name of the Most High God, and we will not hesitate to use any means necessary."

Faced with Leon's astonished yet furious expression, Ershu maintained his previous calm and composed smile, as if he were talking about something he was used to. Then, he looked out of the tent, stretched lightly, and let more words flow from his lips:

"And... right now as we're talking, the church's actions have already begun, including my current behavior, which is also part of the church's plan."

"What did you say?"

Hearing Ershe's words, Leon frowned even more deeply, grabbing Ershe's collar as if to question her further. Just then, Lius seemed to realize something, gently waving his hand at the silver-haired female knight before Leon could speak, signaling her not to act impulsively.

"Leon, leave the interrogation of her to me for now. I have some private matters I want to confirm with her. Can you give us enough space?"

"Hmm? Let Lius ask him alone."

Faced with the boy's statement, Leon seemed a little surprised for a moment. After glancing at him, he asked in a worried tone, "Are you sure you can interrogate him alone? This cultist clearly has bad intentions, which is why she came up with this idea. If she wants to hurt you, I can't protect your safety immediately without me by my side."

"It's alright, don't worry, I won't get hurt. With her mediocre magic, she can't harm me. Besides, I have a feeling she won't attack me today. Leave everything to me." Despite still feeling a bit worried about Rius's words, Leon nodded slightly in agreement after seeing the confident look in the boy's eyes.

“Since you say so, Leo, then I’ll stand guard outside the tent. Call me if you need anything, and I’ll come in immediately. Alright, it’s up to you, Leon.”

"Be careful." "I promise."

With that, Leon slowly left the tent, leaving only Leus and the black-robed girl in front of him alone in the tent.

At that moment, Lius immediately changed his expression, walked to Ershu's side, untied the chains wrapped around her arms, allowing her to move freely again, and then looked at Ershu with a serious and earnest gaze.

"What exactly is the Church doing right now? Why did you come alone, Ersh, and what is your purpose?"

"Ah... I can finally be honest with the leader alone. Whew. I've been pretending for so long, my arms are a little numb, I almost couldn't lift them up." When they were alone, Ershu reverted to her previous respectful demeanor towards Lius, stretching her stiff arms and giving him a slight smile despite the pain. Then she leaned forward and hugged Lius's arm, rubbing it gently like a cat.

"I've been separated from the leader for so long, and I felt like I couldn't bear it any longer. I never expected to be able to meet the leader again on this mission. Although it was an accident, I'm willing to believe that it was the blessing of the supreme god. It's really great."

“Let’s talk about your feelings later. Now, explain your plan properly. Did you deliberately expose your whereabouts to divert other people’s attention so that you could carry out your real actions in secret?” Leus asked, frowning as he looked at the girl in black robes in front of him.

“That’s right, that’s right, as expected of you. We haven’t even informed you yet, and you already know about our plan. So, would you like to join us? To display the supreme authority of the highest god together?” With a radiant smile, the black-robed girl asked Leus with shining eyes. But upon seeing Leus’s serious expression, she immediately adopted a serious demeanor and explained to him:

"Ahem, of course, Your Excellency, you don't need to be too anxious. Our plan is still in its early stages. The Church's current task is simple: to find a way to divert the kingdom's attention in order to plan our next move and make it easier for us to find the pure substance necessary to activate the array."

"Having found something pure... does that mean you've found it?" Looking towards Ershe, Lius gradually realized the meaning behind her words, and Ershe smiled and nodded, explaining the current situation to Lius:

“That’s right, Your Excellency. We have found the pure thing we have been searching for, or rather, the person who carries this pure power. And she… is the person you know well, Your Excellency.”

As they said this, after a pause, almost simultaneously, Ershu and Lius uttered the name they had already anticipated: "Lilith, she is the one who is pure."

Chapter 238 The Beginning of the Operation (Part 5)

“Lilith, she is indeed the sacrifice you are looking for.”

As the black-robed girl and the man before him uttered the name in unison, Lius frowned and stared at Ershu, who smiled happily and nodded vigorously at Lius.

"That's right, Your Excellency. After some investigation, we have finally determined that Lilith is the pure being we have been searching for, and also the necessary object to awaken the Supreme God."

Looking at Lius, Ershu smiled and said, then suddenly noticed Lius's words and realized that he had also mentioned Lilith's name. A slightly surprised and delighted look appeared on his face. "Read? Your Excellency, you... already knew? About Lilith being a pure being?"

"Well... after all, I recently learned about Lilith's background, and I can deduce some inside information from it, so making such a judgment is not difficult."

"Wow... As expected of the leader, you even knew the intelligence before us!" After a brief moment of surprise upon hearing Lius's words, Ershu once again showed a delighted smile. He extended his hand to the boy in front of him, respectfully grasped his hands, and shook them while uttering excited words:

"So, Your Excellency, you already knew our purpose. Was your questioning of me just now a test to see if we were proceeding according to plan? Your Excellency is truly far-sighted. Heh heh, in that case, the matter of the resurrection of the Supreme God will surely be carried out smoothly."

"Wait a minute, didn't you say before that the plan to resurrect the Supreme God would be postponed until the bishop returned? And I also told you not to take any overly conspicuous actions recently, so why are you suddenly doing these things now?"

Looking at the girl in black robes in front of him, and recalling the series of events he had recently experienced, as well as the rules of the church where Ershu belonged, Lius frowned and asked her.

"Well, it's actually a bit complicated. Leader, do you remember what I mentioned before about the bishop? She is related to our operation."

"At the words of His Excellency Ershu, the Bishop, Lius's eyes narrowed slightly. Then, as if he had thought of something, he had a new idea after a brief moment of stunned silence."

"Could it be that your bishop has returned?"

After a few seconds of silence, Leus tentatively spoke to Ershu, who then nodded and smiled at Leus, saying:

"That's right, Leader. Actually, she's not completely back. The Bishop is still on a mission outside. She only re-established contact with us after a communication stone was blocked. We also told her about your situation, Leader."

"You've been able to make contact... In that case, what did your bishop say? What are his thoughts on my suggestion?" Leus continued, looking at the girl before him.

"As for the leader's style of dress... well..."

Hearing Lius's words, Ershu narrowed her eyes slightly, showing a thoughtful expression, then slowly raised her head, giving Lius a warm and lovely smile, and continued sweetly:

"The bishop's attitude towards you, Leader... is naturally very respectful! Especially after hearing our description and opinions of you, Leader, she was overjoyed and kept expressing her anticipation for your abilities. She said that she must find time to meet you after things are over, and she will serve you with the highest level of courtesy."

After saying this, Ershu revealed a mischievous smile, gently stretching out her fair, bare feet and rubbing them against Lius.

"Your Excellency, you can look forward to it. The Bishop is very gentle and virtuous. If she can accompany you, Your Excellency, she will surely bring you supreme joy. If it satisfies you, it is the wish of the Bishop and all of us."

"Ah. Is that what you all think?" Looking at the black-robed girl before him, who had once loved him and now eagerly urged him to add more members to his harem, Lius swallowed hard. He then gently removed the small feet rubbing against him, and resumed his serious tone, continuing to speak to Ershu:

"In that case, I will look forward to it... Let's get back to business now. Now that your bishop has returned, does she agree with my plan, the one that tells you to stop for now and not to awaken the Supreme God?"

As they headed toward Ershu, Lius frowned, observing the girl's reaction.

To Lius's surprise, Ershu's smile faded slightly upon hearing his question, replaced by a thoughtful expression. He seemed hesitant and unsure how to answer. "Hmm, the Bishop's attitude... oh... what's wrong, Ershu? Why aren't you answering? Does this mean your Bishop still disagrees?"

Looking at the stammering black-robed girl before him, Lius gently touched Ershe's shoulder, almost certain of the answer in his heart. Ershe, unexpectedly, shook her head slightly, exhaled, and seemed to have made up her mind. She looked at Lius, her lips slowly parting:

"Well... regarding the plan you proposed, Your Excellency... well, how should I put it, the Bishop didn't really give much of a response, nor did she express much of an opinion." Hmm? She didn't comment on my plan at all? Hearing Ershu's words, Lius paused slightly, then asked again. "Yes, I did, as Your Excellency requested, relay those words to the Bishop verbatim, but she didn't directly answer the question. She just nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with Your Excellency's statement but unwilling to actually speak."

Nodding... As he listened to the girl's story, Leus's confusion deepened, and he continued to ask questions:

Since the bishop has nodded, doesn't that mean she agrees to my suggestion? If that's the case, then your plan should have stopped. Why is it still continuing? Could it be... that she changed her mind later?

She didn't intend to back out; that wasn't her nature. Once she spoke, she never went back on her word. However... Ershu paused slightly, as if pondering something, a look of confusion appearing on her face, the same as Lius's.

"However, even knowing the bishop's personality, I was still puzzled by her next move, just like what you, leader, were wondering about. Although the bishop nodded in response to my words, she then instructed us to take further action and prepare the necessary preconditions for awakening the Supreme God."

"So, you're telling me to take further action, meaning she didn't stop her movements as I instructed?" Leus paused, then frowned and asked further.

“That’s right. The bishop personally gave the order, telling us to prepare for battle and to finalize the arrangement of the array. She said that everything must be prepared except for the final step of awakening, including the sacrifices and the magical energy channels in the arrays. No mistakes are allowed.”

"Hmm, faced with the words of the girl in black robes in front of him, Lius's doubts deepened, especially after seeing the same puzzled expression on Ershu's face. He also reconsidered what had just happened in his mind."

They agreed with my suggestions, but took no action whatsoever. This contradiction is highly unusual and must have a deeper meaning. Are they being coerced by some force, or something else entirely?

As he pondered in his mind, a sudden thought flashed through Lius's mind, causing him to open his eyes abruptly after a moment of surprise.

"Does this reaction mean that she is also undecided?"

As soon as the words left Lius's mouth, about a minute had passed since he began to think.

During this period of contemplation, Ershu stayed by his side, looking at Lius with a concerned gaze. Upon hearing Lius's sudden words, she glanced at him and quickly spoke:

"Huh? Your Excellency, what did you say?"

"She's indecisive, unsure of what to do next, which is why she's so confused." The leader watched Lius muttering to himself, and Ershu tilted his head slightly, asking him again with a puzzled look. Lius, at this moment, came back to his senses and looked at Ershu.

“I’m sorry, I was a little engrossed in it and forgot that Ershu was here. I’m so sorry…” Lius said, shaking his head slightly and stroking the black-robed girl’s head. He then gestured for her to sit down on the chair next to him and slowly explained to Ershu:

"Based on what you said earlier, Ershu, your bishop... may not have had such a strong motivation for this action, or there may be some reasons, such as her mindset or fear of the future, that made her actively restrict her behavior, thus affecting the bishop's actions."

"To affect His Excellency's actions?"

Looking at the boy in front of him who was deep in thought, Ershu tilted his head slightly, his eyes showing even more doubt.

"Please forgive my ignorance, Your Excellency, but... I still don't understand what you're trying to say. You just said that the bishop's actions have been affected. Does that mean you believe she was attacked by some enemy? Is that why she took such contradictory actions? Should we investigate and offer our assistance?"

Faced with Ershu's statement, Lius did not immediately give a direct answer. Instead, he turned his head slightly and spoke to the black-robed girl in a serious tone and with a self-assured air:

Ershu, how much do you know about this operation to awaken the Supreme God? When did this plan begin, and when did it reach its climax? Do you know any of this?

"When did it start...? This..."

Faced with Lius's sudden question, Ershu paused for a moment, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. After a brief hesitation, he replied to Lius thoughtfully:

"The plan probably began... from the very first day the bishop became bishop." "Yes, I knew it." Listening to the girl's words, Lius's eyes deepened, and his thoughts became clearer...