As a villain, he could do whatever he wanted.

Page 128

"Hmm... if that's the case, then it's done. Please give me your guidance, Your Highness."

Nodding slightly to the white-robed woman before her, Nottica once again extended her hand towards Rosalind, who in turn extended her hand and grasped the pale blue ghostly entity before her. After a brief, cool handshake, they stepped back from each other.

"Now, we should consider the next steps of our cooperation. Ms. Roy, please listen in as well as we share intelligence; this will make our future actions easier."

"Ah, I am." Upon hearing this, Luo Yi glanced at the two and immediately understood. She nodded slightly to them, then stepped forward and led them into a nearby tent.

Under the blazing sun, the three closed the tent flap, separating themselves from the nuns standing outside the tent and giving everyone a private space.

“Then let’s begin with our current intelligence, Bishop Notica, you may speak first.” “Hmm, regarding our church, we have recently obtained the following leads.”

Inside the tent, after some time, the three discussed the traces of the cultists and the array points remaining within the main kingdom.

With the assistance of the two churches, and utilizing the intelligence they had obtained, as well as Nottica's own understanding and mastery of array formations, their operation progressed very smoothly. Before long, they determined the locations of some array cores related to the array formations and the flow of magic between the cores, and marked them one by one on the map.

After the final information was shared, Loy, who was standing next to him, was somewhat surprised to find that the Bishop of Notica's mastery of magic circles was almost at the top level, even far surpassing his own. This not only surprised him, but also made him more curious about this veiled young woman in her soul state.

“Bishop Notica, you have a deep understanding of formations. Did you start learning them a long time ago?”

"Hmm... I guess so. I've forgotten a lot about the past, even my experience of learning magic. I only have separate memories of my magic studies, and there may be some mistakes and errors in them. I hope you can point them out, Ms. Roy."

"Me? No, no, no, you're overestimating me. I only have some understanding of magic, but when it comes to formations, I'm just so-so. I'm nowhere near as good as you, Bishop Notica. Bishop Notica, you don't need to be so modest, hahaha."

Their conversation echoed in the tent, sounding lively and relaxed, which eased the previously tense atmosphere and brought a rare smile to Luo Yi and Nautica's faces.

As for Rosalind, seeing the two of them discussing so earnestly, she stayed to the side alone, not participating much in their conversation. She would only say a few words occasionally when discussing intelligence, and the rest of the time she stood silently by the table, staring at the two opposite her, as if she was thinking about something.

Finally, after everything had been recounted, Nottica and Roy breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the locations marked on the map in front of them with great satisfaction, and nodded to each other in tacit agreement.

"Alright, the approximate locations have all been marked out. As long as we send people to patrol and search these areas, we can quickly find the true location of the array's core, and then we can call on Young Master Lius to come and sabotage it."

"Yes, there's no time to lose. Let's get moving. The people outside are all ready. If we set off soon, our chances of winning will increase."

With that, Nottica and Roy walked outside, intending to give instructions to the cultists. "Your Holiness, aren't you planning to leave? Why are you still staying in the tent?"

Before leaving, they noticed Rosalind lingering there, so they turned back and Loy spoke to the pensive young woman in white robes, asking her a question.

"me?"

Hearing their greeting, Rosalind turned her head slightly, looking at their faces, especially at Nottica's. After a moment of silence, she slowly walked up to her and, in a questioning tone, spoke again:

"Before leaving, I actually have a few questions I haven't asked Bishop Notica. I wonder if I could answer them now?" Hmm? A few more questions? Notica's eyes widened in surprise.

“That’s right. Since this is a private matter, I didn’t bring it up in the meeting just now. Instead, I’ll ask you about it now that the meeting is over. I wonder if Bishop Notica would be willing to answer?”

"Personal matters?"

After a brief moment of surprise, Nottica gradually came to her senses upon hearing Rosalind's words. After hesitating for a moment, she finally nodded slightly.

“If it’s just a personal matter… then I don’t mind. Please speak, Your Highness.” “Very well, in that case, I will inquire…”

Looking towards Nautica, Rosalind, after a brief silence, finally opened her lips and asked the question she had been asking the ghostly young woman before her:

“I want to know, regarding your own background… do you really know absolutely nothing about it, Bishop Nottica?”

Chapter 261: Two Female Leaders (Part 3)

Hmm? About my own past? Hearing Rosalind's words, Nottica's eyes narrowed slightly, and then she showed a slightly melancholy look. She gently shook her head at the white-robed woman in front of her, and the veil on her face rose and fell slightly with her movement.

"No... I have no memory of my past. Even if Your Holiness asks me, I cannot give an accurate answer, because there are no answers in my mind. How can I answer your question?"

So, you have indeed lost your past memories?

Looking at the young woman in ghost form before her, Rosalind nodded slightly, then changed the subject and asked another question:

"Regarding your current appearance, why are you here in this form? According to my observation, Bishop Notica, you still have a kind of vitality in you, and you don't look like you're dead. But you were previously in a ghostly state. Is there something you can't say about it?"

"To be honest, I also have a lot of confusion about this. In general, my current consciousness is in a world composed of consciousnesses, including our church, while my physical body exists somewhere in this real world, and I cannot return to my original body right now."

"Why? Is there some kind of barrier that has severed your connection with your physical body, or... is it because of some reason that you lack the power necessary to return to your body, thus making it impossible for you to go back?"

Faced with Rosalind's statement, Nottica seemed unsure how to respond for a moment and fell into a brief silence.

Just then, Roy suddenly realized what was happening, scrutinized Nautica with a serious look, and gradually formed some ideas. He tentatively spoke up:

“I think… given Bishop Notica’s current condition, it’s not that she lacks the power to return to her physical body, but rather that someone has blocked her physical body, deliberately forcing her consciousness out of her body and keeping a close watch on her. Otherwise, without someone watching over and taking care of her body, and without the drive of her soul, Bishop Notica’s body would quickly rot away.”

"Hmm... So, it's true that someone has imprisoned my body to prevent me from returning to reality?"

Listening to Roy's deduction, Nottie looked thoughtful, her hands unconsciously touching her body as if sensing the power flowing within.

But...why, why would anyone do this? What have I been through? Why would anyone want to imprison my body? Is there some kind of reason behind this?

“We don’t know either, but I’m a little curious about you, Bishop Notica… how did your consciousness go to the world of consciousness after it separated from your body, and how did you establish the church there? Could you tell us about it?”

Looking at Nottica, Roy asked with a hint of curiosity, and Nottica nodded slightly, then began to tell the two people in front of her about the history of her church.

"Actually... although there are many legends circulating in the church, even I can't fully understand the history of the church. After all, I didn't found the church. I just happened to discover the church in the world of consciousness and joined it."

“Bishop Notica, is your church... founded on the world of consciousness from the very beginning?” Roy continued to ask.

"That's right. According to the church's scriptures, this is a kind of historical circumstance. Several hundred years ago, the church split in reality. Two groups of people within the church split because of their different beliefs. One group won the struggle in the church and founded a new sect, while the other group, in order to avoid persecution by the Protestants, practiced a special magic to transform their bodies into an energy body that was controlled by their consciousness."

As Nautica spoke, she slowly exhaled and then extended her right hand, gathering a portion of her magic power in her palm.

As she reached out, a part of her body—or more accurately, a body composed of her soul—merged into this magic, transforming into an energy composed of herself that enveloped the veiled beauty, forming a force that could not be ignored.

Is this the power you spoke of, Bishop Notica? It is indeed quite wondrous. Watching all this, Roy exclaimed with interest, while Notica nodded slightly, withdrawing the power and transforming it into her own body.

"As I just said, through this magic, the ancestors of the church transformed themselves into energy, transcending the realm of the physical body, thus being able to transcend this real world and come to another plane, a world of consciousness composed of pure energy, where they continued the original church. This is the origin of our church."

As she spoke, Nottica turned her head slightly to look at Rosalind on the other side, as if to declare the orthodoxy of her church with these words. Then she continued to look at Roy and said, "Although it is very blurry, with my only memories... after I separated from my body, I entered the world of consciousness. Perhaps because my body had not yet dissipated, even though I was not able to convert my body into energy, I was able to keep my consciousness in that vast and strange world. It is because of this that I was able to come into contact with those church scriptures and thus understand that buried history."

"So this is your story, Bishop of Notica? It's quite peculiar. No wonder Prince Lius was so interested in you before; you are indeed very interesting!"

Hearing Nautica's words, Roy's eyes lit up, and he said to her with a smile.

Upon hearing Lius's name, Nottica blushed slightly, seemingly feeling somewhat embarrassed by his "attention to her".

"Does Prince Leus treat me well?"

“Of course! When he told me about Bishop Nottica earlier, his expression was quite animated. He seemed very excited, which shows how much he values ​​you. To be honest, I was a little envious.” Roy smiled and nodded as he looked at Nottica.

"Is that so... That's quite surprising. I thought that Young Master Lius wouldn't say too much in front of outsiders. It seems that you, Ms. Loy, hold a very high position in Young Master Lius's heart."

"Huh? Is that so? Ha... You sound pretty happy." In response to Nautica's words, Roy couldn't help but chuckle, showing that he was very happy inside, which made the atmosphere around him more harmonious and pleasant.

Rosalind, watching the two young women chatting back and forth, gave a soft snort, seemingly unimpressed by their reaction.

"Hmph... It's outrageous that you would show such an attitude in the face of a mere boy."

"Hmm? Does Your Highness think we're being childish? I don't think so. Prince Leus is a very nice person, and naturally we like him very much. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Upon hearing Rosalind's words, Roy raised his head slightly and smiled at her, while Rosalind gave another soft sound and turned her head to the side.

"In any case, when facing a man like this, I would never lower my status and dignity like you would. I have faced Lius before, and my impression of him was just so-so. Don't think that I will give him any preferential treatment because of his status. You all need to be careful."

"Oh? You won't be like us, attracted to Prince Lius?" Hearing Rosalind's words, Nottica narrowed her eyes slightly, then muttered thoughtfully, a meaningful smile appearing on her lips.

Chapter 262 Two Female Leaders (Part 4)

Oh? Your Highness, you're saying you would never be attracted to Prince Leus like we are?

Upon hearing Rosalind's words, Nottica lowered her eyes, then revealed a meaningful smile, and asked her again. Rosalind maintained her indifferent expression and replied, "That's right, I have the dignity of a church leader and will not grovel before those nobles. What do you think, Bishop Nottica? Do you have any objections to my thoughts?"

"As for my opinion," Nottica looked at Rosalind, gazing at her face for a moment before temporarily suppressing the meaningful glint in her smile and reverting to her usual calm smile as she continued speaking to the Pope before her:

"Hehe, in any case, Your Holiness will learn more about Prince Lius's matter later. For now, do as you please. You should have finished asking your questions, right? In that case, let's hurry out and prepare for battle. The nuns outside must be getting impatient."

Looking towards Rosalind, Roy greeted her and walked out of the tent. "Wait a moment."

Rosalind then pulled Notticara into the conversation again, slowing her pace as she looked at her with a serious expression and continued speaking:

“Wait a moment, I have another question to ask. If Ms. Loy and Bishop Nottica have finished their conversation, then it’s my turn again. I have one last question for you, Bishop Nottica.”

"Hmm? Is there one more question?"

Hearing Rosalind's words, Nottica glanced at her, then nodded and gave a friendly smile, signaling the white-robed woman in front of her to speak.

"Well... I only have one question to ask now. I want to ask... Bishop Notica, do you know someone...?" Someone? What kind of person? Is this the person Your Holiness is looking for?

Hearing Rosalind's words, Nottica tilted her head in confusion, seemingly surprised by Rosalind's last question and asking it in return.

“That’s right. I want you, Bishop Nottica, to put all your effort into thinking about every memory in your mind, and to explore even the smallest and most inconspicuous corners, in order to find this person.”

"So, Your Holiness, who exactly are you looking for? With such a grand display, it seems to be someone very important... What does she look like? What is her age, or rather, what is her name? Could you tell me about her in detail? Perhaps I can actually recall something."

Sensing the earnest look in Rosalind's eyes, Nottica gradually became serious as well, temporarily ignoring the differences between the two sects, and asked her this question. Rosalind, sensing Nottica's tone, slowly exhaled and then asked in return:

"The person I'm looking for is, to be precise, a member of our church. I know her situation very well. The only thing I want to know now is whether Bishop Nottica has any impression of her."

"My own impression..." The person I'm trying to learn about is named... Anne, a bishop in our church, who is quite close to Prince Lius. Bishop Nordaca, do you know anything about this Bishop Anne?

Upon hearing the name, Anne's eyes narrowed slightly, a glimmer of light flashing in them, as if something had touched her heart, causing her to freeze in place for a moment.

After a moment of silence, Nottica came to her senses again, pursed her lips, and seemed to be trying to think of something, but in the end she could not come up with any conclusion and could only shake her head again.

"No... I do seem to recall that name, but... I really can't remember. No matter how hard I try, I still can't. But she... must be a very important person, which is why she left such an impression on my mind..." So, Bishop Nordaca, you do indeed have an impression of this person? And a very deep one at that?

Upon hearing Nottica's words, Rosalind quickly asked her again to confirm, and even reached out and grabbed her shoulder, shaking her slightly as she continued to speak.

“The name Anne…you’re familiar with it, aren’t you? That’s why you remember it so well. Have you met Anne in the current situation? If so, what are your feelings for her…” I…I really can’t remember anything. Your Highness, please calm down… Faced with Rosalind’s shaking, Nottica bit her lip and struggled. Loy, who was next to her, quickly stopped the Highness’s slightly out-of-control behavior and separated the two of them again.

"Alright, alright, Your Highness, please relax. Let's talk things out slowly. If outsiders see what's going on here, they might think we're arguing again." Faced with Roy's obstruction, Rosalind managed to regain her composure. She clenched her fists slightly, then slowly released them and waved to Roy, who was blocking her way, signaling her to leave for the time being. She then started walking out of the tent without explaining anything, simply heading towards the direction where the nuns were gathered.

“My question… has been answered, thank you, Bishop Nottica. I hope we can maintain a harmonious relationship in our future cooperation.”

"As Her Majesty the Pope watched Rosalind's departing figure, Roy showed a look of surprise, not quite understanding what had happened. Meanwhile, Nottica gradually calmed down, straightened her clothes, and followed Rosalind into the crowd of believers outside."

“It’s time to get down to business. We can talk about the rest later.” Bishop Notica sensed the unspoken understanding between the two. The surprise on Roy’s face showed no signs of disappearing; instead, he looked even more puzzled, seemingly unsure of what expression to make.

Finally, considering the current situation, she forced herself to calm down and focused on commanding the team. Together with the two leaders, she went outside the tent to begin further operations.

Chapter 263 Two Female Leaders (Part 5)

After everyone had finished preparing, the nuns stood on a small sand dune in the desert, gazing at the white-robed young woman in front of them with serious and solemn expressions.

"Your Holiness, please give the order! We are fully prepared."

The leading nun spoke these words, her eyes filled with respect for Rosalind, who in turn nodded slightly and reached out to gently place her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"According to the information previously conveyed by Prince Lius, what we need to do next is to go to the array points in various places to prepare and set up the corresponding arrays. After Prince Lius arrives, we will have him absorb the magic power in the array points to eliminate the power contained therein."

"So, everything depends on Prince Leus's arrival?"

Hearing Rosalind's words, the nuns' eyes became even more serious, and they continued to confirm with her, "Is it really necessary for Prince Lius to come? Your Highness, if we encounter any unexpected situations, such as a meeting with cultists and an attack, are we just supposed to stay there and guard them? Can't we absorb the magic power in the array's core ourselves? That would speed up the process."

Before Rosalind could speak in response to the nuns' words, Bishop Notica approached and softly addressed the crowd below:

“No, the magic power within the array is too immense. You alone cannot absorb all of it on your own. In fact, if you operate it improperly, it may exceed the limits of your bodies, causing it to explode under the turbulent flow of magic. Therefore, you absolutely cannot take any risks. Just wait for Young Master Lius to arrive.”

"Hmm? A heretic..."

Upon hearing Nottica's words, the nuns below clearly showed some displeasure, but under Rosalind's scrutiny, they suppressed their dislike for her, simply taking another step forward to continue speaking to Nottica:

"If that's the case, then how do you know that Prince Lius can successfully complete this task? Although we have heard of many of Prince Lius's achievements and know that he has some skill in magic, is it really possible that he could absorb such a huge amount of magic power all by himself? Isn't that too hard to believe?"

In response to the nuns' statement, Luo Yi also stepped forward, and with a serious and earnest expression, addressed the group:

"You don't need to know too much about Prince Lius. I can only assure you that as long as Prince Lius arrives, he will be able to absorb all the magic power in the array eye. You just need to protect the array eye before he arrives. You don't need to worry about anything else, understand?"

"Are we just going to act with this mindset? Is it because they don't trust us?" The nuns frowned and muttered to themselves.

"It's not that I don't trust you, but the matter is quite complicated and can't be explained immediately. Moreover, as the executors, you don't need to object to or question your superiors' proposals. You just need to quietly carry out your tasks. This is also the responsibility you should bear as members of the church. I believe Her Highness the Pope has the same idea."

As he said this, Roy looked at the white-robed woman beside him, while Rosalind nodded slightly, not offering any explanation, but continuing to give her orders to everyone in a serious tone.

Begin your journey according to the route I have laid out. Each person should record their direction and distance on time. The teams should communicate with each other using communication stones to prevent getting lost. If any accident occurs, report it to us immediately without error.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Rosalind's rallying cry prompted the nuns, who had previously harbored doubts, to nod vigorously and respond to their Pope with the utmost sincerity and respect. They then took their wands, turned, and walked into the tents behind them to carry out their final preparations before embarking on this perilous journey.

"I must say, after all this time, your Protestantism has a very strong sense of cohesion. Is all the power in the church concentrated in the hands of Your Holiness the High Priestess? Is that how you manage to command so many priests?"

Seeing this scene, Nottica approached and spoke to Rosalind, who shook her head slightly and turned her face toward Nottica.