Chapter 46: The Holy Maiden’s Home Invasion
In his previous life, he had been the one carrying a drunken Ekaterina home.
She had challenged twenty men to a drinking contest, a relentless battle of endurance. She had outlasted them all, leaving them sprawled on the tavern floor, before finally succumbing to the alcohol herself.
“I see. I’ll have to hurry then. I should still be able to catch her,” Shaye said, nodding.
She was always eager to assist him in his wicked schemes.
Qin Chu, cloaking himself in invisibility, slipped out of the residence.
“Where are you going?”
“Loseweisse knows how Stunning Love works, right?” Qin Chu asked, raising an eyebrow. “The incomplete version requires seven doses to take effect… She wouldn’t use it on me if she only had one vial. If the sequence is interrupted, it’s useless.”
“Where do you think she’s keeping the other six vials?”
…
The Holy See.
Even from afar, the elegant, white marble statue of the Goddess of Holy Light, standing tall in the center of the complex, was visible.
She was the Holy See’s primary deity.
Legend described her as a compassionate and beautiful goddess.
Seven smaller statues, representing her subordinate deities, surrounded her.
Qin Chu was familiar with this place.
Augustus had invited him to countless banquets and gatherings, far more than Saint Monique or Wadsworth.
And Loseweisse had contributed to his familiarity too.
As a member of the Hero Squad, and the object of his supposed affection, she had often displayed a playful, endearing side… Of course, now he knew it was all an act.
Her heart was darker than an octopus’s ink.
She had often behaved inappropriately for a Holy Maiden, skipping mandatory etiquette classes, sneaking away from banquets with him, dragging him on shopping sprees…
Her antics had captivated him, convincing him that she reciprocated his feelings.
Now, he realized how thoroughly he had been played.
But thanks to her, he knew the Holy See’s patrol routes, its blind spots, its weaknesses.
A powerful barrier surrounded the complex. Without an identification token or an invitation, entry was impossible. Even invisibility wouldn’t work.
He didn’t want to risk triggering the barrier, so he transformed himself into a sparrow, then cloaked himself in invisibility, perching on a tree branch, waiting patiently.
Once a Holy Knight patrol passed, he took flight, landing near a corner of the wall.
There was a small, damaged section, a flaw in the barrier.
He slipped through the gap before the next patrol arrived, entering the Holy See undetected.
He was certain Loseweisse wasn’t home. She was probably attending a banquet at some noblewoman’s mansion, ensuring she had an alibi if her nuns failed to eliminate Angelica.
He had been to her chambers before, her invitations a frequent occurrence. He knew the way.
He reached a small, two-story building, its white walls symbolizing purity, adorned with carvings of the Goddess of Holy Light.
Perhaps to project an image of transparency, Loseweisse’s door had only a simple lock, no magical wards.
The Holy See’s outer barrier was considered sufficient protection. And no one within the Holy See would dare intrude upon the Holy Maiden’s chambers.
Loseweisse wouldn’t have dreamed that this… changed Qin Chu would pay her a visit.
He glanced around, ensuring no one was watching.
He broke the lock and entered.
Her room was as he remembered it, decorated in shades of pink and white, reflecting a girlish innocence.
The furnishings were sparse: a bed, a wardrobe, a vanity, a desk, two chairs. Nothing more.
A faint, feminine fragrance lingered in the air.
Her clothes, even her undergarments, were drying on a windowsill…
But that wasn’t his focus. He needed to find her hidden stash of forbidden items.
He scanned the room, but nothing stood out.
The only possible hiding places were the desk drawers and the wardrobe, but… Stunning Love was too important. She wouldn’t leave it out in the open.
“Wow, this woman is quite skilled in magic,” Shaye said, her voice interrupting his thoughts.
“Aren’t you supposed to be modifying the potion?”
“Almost done, almost done!” she replied, waving her hand dismissively.
“There are five magical wards in this building… both floors.”
“They’re intricately crafted, their magical fluctuations almost completely suppressed. If it wasn’t for me, the most powerful Witch, even you wouldn’t have sensed them,” she said, her tone smug.
She might have lost their battle, but when it came to magical knowledge, she was superior.
Such elaborate concealment suggested that the wards protected something valuable, perhaps even the remaining vials of Stunning Love.
“Can you disable them?”
“Are you doubting my abilities?” Shaye huffed, offended by his question.
It was an insult. She was the most powerful Witch. There was no magical ward she couldn’t break. Loseweisse’s wards were child’s play to her.
She floated down from his shoulder, squatting on the floor. Her hand, tracing patterns in the air, drew a symbol on a floor tile.
A faint magical pulse rippled outwards, and the tile clicked, tilting upwards. Qin Chu, following her instructions, removed the tile.
Beneath it was a small, square cavity, barely large enough to hold a human head.
And inside… a single ring.
A common storage ring, its internal space capable of holding small, valuable items.
He picked it up, channeling his magic to unlock it. His eyes widened as he saw its contents.
“Is it Stunning Love?”
“No…”
Shaye’s curiosity grew. “What is it then?”
It must be something extraordinary to elicit such a reaction from him.
“It’s money…”
“It’s Mana…”
“Seven hundred million Mana…”
Stacks of ten-thousand-Mana bills, the highest denomination in the Heavenly Continent, each stack containing one hundred bills, a total of one million Mana per stack.
Seven hundred stacks filled the ring’s internal space.
…
At Duke Alman’s mansion, Loseweisse sipped her wine, her smile radiant.
She sat across from Duke Alman’s daughter, surrounded by other noblewomen. Though the Duke’s daughter was the host, Loseweisse was clearly the center of attention.
She chatted with them, her smile never faltering, her demeanor gracious and charming.
But her mind was elsewhere. She wondered how Sana and Maggie were progressing. They must have succeeded by now. Angelica, her magic suppressed by the collar, was powerless. Those two nuns were more than capable of handling her. There shouldn’t be any problems.
Perhaps Qin Chu had already consumed the potion Angelica, under their control, had added to his food.
Six more doses, and he would be her obedient slave.
Then, their plan to resurrect Jie Luo would proceed smoothly.
The thought filled her with joy, her smile widening.
“Lady Loseweisse, what is it? You seem so happy…” Duke Alman’s daughter asked, noticing her expression.
“Oh, it’s nothing…” Loseweisse’s smile softened slightly. She stood up gracefully. “I just remembered something pleasant. I apologize, but it’s getting late. You know the Holy See’s rules. I must return.”
These women were her alibi. If anything went wrong, she was in the clear.
She didn’t want to waste any more time with these frivolous creatures. She was eager to return to her chambers, to hear the good news from Sana and Maggie!
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