As a villain, he could do whatever he wanted.

Page 34

With just a thought, the swordsman could preemptively take Helen's head before she could act.

"Gu..."

Staring at the blade hanging over her neck, Helen swallowed silently. Before answering her question, Leus placed his other hand on the bishop's hand holding the dagger and patted it gently a few times, as if to give her some kind of hint.

"Miss, shouldn't you put down that dangerous weapon before you talk to me? If you keep holding it, you might get hurt!"

"Well……"

After being half-reminded and half-threatened by Leus, Helen bit her lip, and finally seemed to accept reality. She sighed, loosened her grip, and let the dagger fall to the ground. She then raised her hands to her sides and lowered her head helplessly.

"Alright, as you wish, you've put down your weapons. So... now can you tell me how you figured me out?"

"Of course, it's actually very simple. After all, your reaction is so obvious, how could I not notice anything unusual?"

"My...reaction?" Helen repeated in confusion.

"Yes, it was your reaction to me, Bishop, that made me realize something was wrong. Generally speaking, as a stranger and a member of a cult, and as your enemy, even if I possess talents and abilities that would make you very interested in me and want to recruit me into the church, you should still be wary of me, right?"

Leus continued to grip the blade tightly, controlling Helen while moving behind her and using several broken chains to bind her arms, ensuring she could no longer resist. He also explained further to her:

"At first, I actually thought that you, Bishop, were genuinely inviting me. But seeing your behavior just now, you were far too compliant and permissive. No matter how unreasonable my requests were, you accepted them without hesitation and didn't even object. So I started to have some doubts about your motives."

"is that so……"

Helen pursed her lips at Lius's words, and finally nodded thoughtfully.

"I overdid it. In order to conceal my murderous intent towards you, Mr. Evil Cultist, I wanted to lower your guard in this way. In the end, it was precisely because of these concessions that you noticed something was wrong. It seems I was too hasty. I thought you would be blinded by these things. I miscalculated..."

"Ha, Bishop, you don't need to blame yourself so much. Actually, I believed you at first, but when you mentioned the church, I suddenly felt something was off."

Leus completely locked Helen's arms, firmly restraining her shoulders. After confirming everything was in order, he removed the blade from the girl's neck, shoved her back, and walked forward, continuing to explain to her as they moved:

"Based on my understanding of the Church, although it appears united on the surface, it is actually divided into factions just like other organizations. For example, Bishop, although I don't know your past, you must have gone through a lot of bloodshed to become a bishop, right?"

"Um... this is none of your business. It's a matter for our church, and it has nothing to do with you."

Seemingly having something on her mind touched upon, Helen bit her lip and shook her head.

“Indeed, it has nothing to do with me, but it has given you, Bishop, a loophole. At this time, many magical anomalies have occurred, and the church basically believes that this is the work of cultists. In this tense period, Bishop, aren't you afraid of causing controversy by taking in a cultist like me?”

"Well... because you're a magic swordsman, even if you're a cultist, as long as you can be recruited into the church, it's a huge boost to the church and can make up for the difference in status, so that's why I..."

Helen wanted to argue further, but Lius interrupted her by shaking his head:

"In a church rife with partisan strife, aren't most people more focused on vying for power and profit than serving the goddess? If you take me in, even if I contribute to the church, it won't change my original cultist identity. In the future, it will definitely become an excuse for other factions to attack you, Bishop, making you a target of everyone's hatred. You've considered these things, haven't you? Ask yourself honestly, do you really dare to do this?"

"I……"

Helen opened her mouth, her mind flashing back to the scenes of intrigue and backstabbing within the church, and a sudden pang of heartache struck her.

Because she knew that everything Lius said was true.

The church is indeed not as glamorous as it appears on the surface; in fact, it can be described as a den of iniquity, with frequent infighting and slander among its members, which can be said to be almost contrary to the doctrines of the goddess.

As a devout follower of the goddess, Helen could usually numb herself by serving the goddess, ignoring the open and covert struggles among the followers around her, and enduring the oppressive atmosphere.

However, now, she was exposed by a "cultist" for the corruption of the church, which caused Helen to feel a sharp pain in her chest, and her initial resistance instantly turned into despondency.

"..."

Meanwhile, Leus, watching Helen's distressed state, slightly averted his gaze, no longer revealing more of her pain or mentioning the church further. He simply bound her arms and pushed her forward.

"In short, after thinking it over, I've basically confirmed that your purpose is definitely not pure, Miss Bishop. You don't genuinely want to take me in, so I've taken some precautions. Now, you've become my prisoner, so don't even think about resisting."

"What do you want to do to me..." Helen lowered her head and asked in a dejected tone.

"Don't worry, I just want to use you to get out of the monastery. It won't be long. Once we're outside the monastery, I'll release you. Don't worry."

"You won't kill me...?"

"Of course not! I don't have any deep-seated hatred for you, Bishop. I wouldn't bear to hurt a beautiful girl like you. Besides..." Lius smiled slightly, "Didn't you say before that you wanted to be my wife? I'm really looking forward to that day!"

"Those were all lies, just to trick you into lowering your guard. We don't even know each other, how could we possibly get married..."

"Even lies can come true one day. We didn't know each other before, but we know each other now, which is a big step forward. If we can meet again someday, I would love to see you and me develop a closer relationship! Haha."

Faced with Lius's somewhat amused remarks, Helen pursed her lips slightly, a strange feeling welling up inside her.

At that moment, Helen felt not as if she were being held hostage by a cultist, but rather as if she were chatting and taking a walk with an old friend she hadn't seen in a long time, in a relaxed and gentle manner.

The boy behind her showed no hostility, but instead exuded kindness and gentleness, comforting her with delicate words. There was none of the hypocrisy and strife in the church, and he was far from the cruel and violent cultists she had imagined. This soothed Helen's originally dejected heart, and even made her body relax unconsciously.

"what……"

Sensing the shift in her mindset, Helen blinked, then glanced at Leus behind her. She quickly suppressed her relaxation, her lips moving slightly as she spoke slowly, lost in thought:

“Mr. Cultist, you are really…unusual. You’re being so friendly to me, your enemy. It’s not like what a typical cultist would do…”

"Really? Actually, my companions often say the same thing about me. Now that you, Bishop, are saying the same thing, it seems we have a lot in common."

"No way... How could I possibly have any connection with cultists? That's just wishful thinking on your part, Mr. Cultist. Perhaps you could go see a doctor sometime and change your naive ideas to avoid developing dementia in the future."

"Oh? You've suddenly become so sharp-tongued. Is this your true self, Miss Bishop? Haha, this contrast is quite nice. Come on, scold me a few more times," Lius continued jokingly.

"No, humph, how can you be so relaxed in this situation, Mr. Cultist? Even if you escape from the monastery by taking me hostage, you may not be able to escape our pursuit afterward. Once I am safe, I will still come after you. Aren't you afraid?"

"Whatever, Miss Bishop, do whatever you want. I don't care. Anyway, you definitely won't be able to catch me in the end, so I don't have to worry about anything."

"What! Humph, don't underestimate me. Since becoming a bishop, under my search, Helen Akshay, not a single cultist has been able to escape capture. Even you, Mr. Cultist, will definitely be caught!" Helen pouted a little childishly.

"Even if you say that, Miss Bishop... you're the one who's caught now, and I think it'll be the same in the future. There's absolutely no way they'll catch me."

"This time... it was just a mistake. I won't let you succeed next time. I'll definitely catch you!"

"Absolutely impossible to catch."

"Absolutely!"

"Absolutely not!"

And so, amidst their childish bickering, the hostage-kidnapper duo, who had little sense of being held hostage, strolled along the staircase, taking one slow, deliberate step at a time.

Helen led the way, occasionally casting complaining glances at those behind her as she climbed the stairs, a mixture of determination and a strange sense of relief. Together with Leus, they ascended the spiral staircase and, under the astonished gazes of a group of nuns at the top, returned to the first floor of the convent…

Chapter Fifty-Eight: Thoughts arise from the heart, and one desires to know...

"Bishop Helen!"

Upon seeing Helen being held hostage by Leus, the nuns around her gasped in surprise. Leus, however, casually waved his hand and deliberately grabbed Helen by the neck, demonstrating this to everyone.

"Don't move! If you do, the bishop's life might be in danger."

"Ugh...you pinched me so hard, it hurts," Helen complained, coughing slightly.

"I'm sorry, but I can't leave without this arrangement. I'll have to trouble you for now, Miss Bishop."

He whispered this to the girl in front of him, and continued to hold her hostage, pushing her toward the back door while shouting at the nuns around him to make way.

And just as Lius had expected, once the bishop was taken hostage, the nuns under her command dared not take another step forward. They could only keep saying things like, "If you dare to hurt a single hair on Bishop Helen's head, the Church will never let you off the hook," while retreating, allowing Lius to walk unimpeded out the back door and reach the edge of the forest near the monastery.

"Well then, I must go now. See you later, Miss Bishop. Take good care of yourself, and I hope our relationship will be better when we meet next time."

Standing under the shade of a tree, Leus patted Helen on the shoulder, whispered something in her ear, and then pushed Helen forward.

"Bishop Helen!"

Taking advantage of the moment when the other nuns rushed forward to help him, Leus, carrying the sleeping Helen on his back, darted into the forest. Enveloped by the whistling wind and falling leaves, he disappeared into the deep, quiet forest, leaving no trace. Only Helen, coughing incessantly, remained kneeling on the ground, touching her neck.

"Cough cough, damn it... why are you using so much force..."

"Bishop Helen, are you alright?"

Helen was touching her neck, which was still a little sore from being pinched, when the people around her gathered around, asking her what was wrong. Helen managed to recover and, with the help of her companions, slowly stood up, coughing and nodding.

“Cough… It’s alright, I just need to rest for a bit. Mary, Rina, you two take the guards into the forest to hunt down and find those two cultists. Once they’re found, lock them in the dungeon and I’ll continue to interrogate them. The rest of you come back to the monastery with me. There are still many people who need treatment, we can’t waste time.”

"Yes, Your Excellency, we'll take care of it right away..."

Those surrounding Helen nodded, intending to do as she instructed. However, at that moment, several mocking voices, tinged with schadenfreude, suddenly rang out from outside the crowd:

"Heh, Your Excellency was just taken hostage, and now you still have to continue with these pursuits and interrogations. You're quite dedicated. Of course, it would be even better if Your Excellency's abilities were as ambitious as your mind."

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Helen was taken aback, then a helpless and indifferent look appeared in her eyes. After sighing, she turned her head to look at the source of the voice.

"High Priestess Irina, you've come too... What a rare guest! I never expected you to come to our little village. I thought you'd stay in the cathedral all day."

"Hehe, I heard you guys caught a cult member, so of course I had to come and see for myself. It's just my way of showing concern for my colleague."

The purple-haired young woman named Irina smiled insincerely, dressed in the same nun's habit as Helen, and gently shook her head at Helen while supporting her ample breasts with her arms.

"Alas, I never expected to see such a scene as soon as I arrived. It seems that you, Bishop Helen, are very unlucky. The cultists you finally managed to capture have escaped. Now you can't use this to curry favor with the church."

“I’m not doing this to claim credit, but to find the source of the recent magical anomalies and save the people affected. If you, High Priestess Irina, were to save your breath, you might appear more composed.”

Looking at the purple-haired woman with a fawning smile, Helen felt a strong sense of resistance and wanted to leave the sarcastic priestess as soon as possible. However, Irina didn't seem to give her that chance. She waved her hand and blocked Helen's way with her ample bosom.

"Please wait a moment, Your Excellency. The matter of the cultists escaping cannot be dismissed with just a few words. Bishop Helen, you must take this very seriously."

"I will apologize to the church later regarding this matter, High Priestess Irina, you don't need to worry about it so much."

"Hehe, how could I not care? After all, the next round of bishop elections is about to begin, and this is a huge disadvantage for you, Bishop Helen. If you fall from your position as bishop because of this, then I will be the acting bishop. How could I not care about such a bright future?"

With a hint of mockery in her smile, Irina made no attempt to hide her desire for the position of bishop, while Helen looked at her with disgust, shook her head, and continued:

"Becoming a bishop is not so easy. Your contributions to the church have not yet met the standards, and the church will not immediately hand over the bishop's position to you."

"Yes, but if I capture those cultists first, the situation will be different. Hehe, now that I've said that, are you feeling nervous, Bishop Helen?"

As if victory was already assured, Irina's expression grew increasingly arrogant. She moved closer to Helen, and her words became more and more overbearing:

“A young girl like you has no right to become a bishop. If it weren’t for your mother, who got a position at the capital church, how could you possibly be where you are now…”

Irina was shouting, but the next moment, she suddenly blinked and felt a coldness and murderous intent emanating from Helen's eyes, causing her arrogant words to fall silent for a moment.

"High Priestess Irina...you'd better be prepared before you talk about my mother, you know?"

Helen stared coldly into Irina's eyes.

"Gu..."

Hearing Helen's cold words, Irina paused for a moment, then swallowed hard, coughed a few times, wiped away her cold sweat, waved her hand, and turned to leave.

"Ahem... I won't argue with a little girl like you. Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. I will also send people to search the forest later. We'll see who wins then. Whoever can catch the culprit who caused this magical anomaly will get the position of bishop."

After saying this, Irina boarded a luxurious carriage and rode away from the monastery, leaving Helen standing there with a solemn expression.

"Your Majesty the Bishop..."

After watching the argument between Helen and Irina, the nuns approached Helen, wanting to comfort her, but Helen simply waved them away.

"Don't worry about me, you all go about your business, don't fret about me."

"..."

Hearing Helen's words, those around her, though still somewhat worried, could only follow her orders and go to their respective posts, leaving Helen alone at the edge of the forest, gazing at the deep, dark woods, and letting out a soft sigh.

"Ugh……"

The struggles between churches became increasingly apparent, not only between myself and Irina, but also among the nuns under my command, who began to engage in open and covert battles.

The conflict has spread from the audience to the stage, and now Irina has even come over to "declare war" on him, putting the internal struggles of the church completely out in the open.

Just thinking about it filled Helen with sorrow and exhaustion.

They were clearly colleagues in the church... but now they fought each other like enemies, going back and forth without mercy for money and fame.

Did I join the church just to do this kind of thing?

As a bishop, shouldn't he uphold the goddess's creed and protect and bless the people?

"Mother... please answer your daughter's questions..."

Clutching the badge her mother had left behind before leaving for the capital, Helen murmured to herself with tears in her eyes. At the same time, gazing at the forest before her, she suddenly recalled the figure of Lius, the "cultist" whose identity she did not yet know, who had coerced her.

Judging from his identity, this cultist should be her enemy. She had only known him for less than an hour and should have no good feelings towards him. However, she felt a sense of security and friendliness from him that she had never felt since joining the church.

Is this really normal?

"..."

In silence, touching the badge on her chest, Helen had no answer for a moment.