With the Holy Son emerging from his seclusion, the suppression of the Black Witches was placed on the agenda. Five Red-robed Archbishops and a hundred bishops gathered in the Hall of Light, but as the sky turned from dawn to broad daylight, the Holy Son who had summoned them was still nowhere to be seen.

Tang Qiu stood with Monica at the very end of the bishops’ ranks. Although the Holy Son was late, the discipline within the auditorium remained orderly, with no one whispering among themselves.

After Cambecus’s death, the position near the steps had been left vacant. No one dared to step forward and fill it, but aside from Gabriel, the other four Cardinals were all eyeing the spot.

The position held a different significance. The Cardinals either closed their eyes to rest or lowered their gazes in contemplation; no one knew what they were truly thinking.

Reese, who was growing impatient, glanced at Cambecus’s empty spot and took the initiative to break the nearly frozen silence. “The Holy Son isn’t here yet. We can’t just stand here waiting.”

Her words drew the attention of Gabriel, Vogt, and the others. The four Red-robed Archbishops stared at her simultaneously, waiting for what she would say next.

Reese met their gazes and curled her lips slightly. As her red lips parted, she dropped a bombshell. “Cambecus is dead, leaving a vacancy for a Red-robed Archbishop. Let’s discuss the selection of a new one.”

Her proposal made all four of them frown. The question of who would replace Cambecus had, in fact, been on their minds ever since they learned of his death.

They all had their own confidants, and promoting one of them was the best option.

However, this matter required careful planning and could not be rushed. Including Gabriel, none of them had a foolproof plan yet, so they had tacitly agreed to leave the matter untouched.

Everything could wait until after the suppression of the Black Witches; after all, who knew what variables might arise.

But now, this tacit understanding had been shattered by Reese, who loved to stir up trouble. Gabriel frowned and said, “The selection of a new Red-robed Archbishop is a matter of great importance. It’s better to wait for the Pope to emerge and make the decision.”

Vogt said nothing, but he appeared to agree with Gabriel’s statement.

Reese scoffed. “In the past, wasn’t the establishment of a Red-robed Archbishop always initiated by recommendations from the current ones? Was the selection not a matter of great importance back then?”

“Does Archbishop Gabriel mean he doesn’t intend to recommend anyone and will simply follow the Pope’s wishes?” Reese looked at Gabriel with a half-smile, her striking features making her resemble a rose covered in sharp thorns. “If that’s the case, then it seems my candidate will have two fewer competitors.”

Gabriel acted as if he hadn’t heard the aggressive tone in Reese’s voice, sidestepping the issue with a chuckle. “The Pope’s will and the will of the Holy See’s members are both very important. I will certainly screen candidates rigorously and select someone suitable for the position.”

Reese sneered, a flash of contempt on her face, but ultimately said no more on the topic. The vacant position of Red-robed Archbishop was a piece of meat everyone was eyeing. As arrogant as she usually was, she wasn’t foolish enough to become a public target.

Time ticked by. After what felt like an eternity, the Holy Son finally made his tardy appearance.

Holy Knights in golden armor entered the auditorium with swords drawn, stationing themselves as guards on both sides. The Holy Son and the Holy Daughter entered side by side, both dressed in white robes of the same style, with identical hair and eye colors. Upon closer inspection, one would even notice a certain similarity in their facial features.

However, compared to the arrogant and superior-looking Holy Son, the Holy Daughter appeared much more low-key. No one could discern any emotion from her stunningly beautiful face.

Standing near the door, Tang Qiu was the first to notice the arrival of the Holy Son and Holy Daughter. Her gaze lingered on the Holy Son’s face for a second before shifting to the Holy Daughter beside him. She looked her up and down, no longer so surprised that she also had silver hair and golden eyes.

Both the Holy Son and the Holy Daughter possessed the traits of God Race Descendants. Tang Qiu’s eyes narrowed slightly. Could these two be from Kama’s clan? But she had never heard Kama mention having relatives in the Holy See.

Besides, weren’t the God Race Descendants supposed to be in hiding? What did the Pope mean by appointing two God Race Descendants as his successors?

Upon discovering that the Holy Daughter was also a God Race Descendant, a myriad of thoughts flashed through Tang Qiu’s mind. Just as she was about to withdraw her gaze from the Holy Daughter’s face, the latter suddenly turned her head, her golden eyes meeting hers directly.

Tang Qiu was startled for a moment, then the corners of her lips curved into a gentle and harmless smile.

The Holy Daughter stared at her clear and moist sky-blue eyes for a while before turning her head back, her expression placid.

The Holy Son and Holy Daughter walked past Tang Qiu and Monica. Tang Qiu watched the Holy Daughter’s back, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Although the Holy Son had been raised and taught by the Pope since childhood, for some reason he hadn’t learned even a tenth of the Pope’s cunning. He was arrogant and conceited. Even after managing church affairs for over a decade with the assistance of Cambecus and Gabriel, he still hadn’t grasped the essence of it.

The Holy Son was accustomed to doing as he pleased. He didn’t even mention the reason for his tardiness. Upon his arrival, he had his attendant priests distribute the parchments that had been prepared long ago.

Tang Qiu received a parchment and glanced down, discovering it was a list of personnel groupings for the Holy See. She blinked with a peculiar expression. Just as she was about to look up and observe the others’ reactions, the Holy Son, standing at the front, spoke. “The suppression of the Black Witches is a very important matter. I have decided to dispatch two-thirds of the Holy See’s personnel to crush the dark forces, leaving them no chance to breathe.”

The Holy Son then looked at the five Red-robed Archbishops. “Gabriel, Reese, Vogt, Bruce, you four will follow me.” He pointed to the Red-robed Archbishop who had not been named. “You will remain to guard the Holy See.”

The personnel groupings on the parchment were very detailed and seemed to have been prepared with some effort, but there was nothing else.

The Holy Son’s plan for suppressing the Black Witches was simple and crude. As for the Pope’s instruction to use this opportunity to enhance the Holy See’s prestige and his own reputation, he had cast it all to the back of his mind.

“Return and prepare. We will set out in three days.”

Vogt clutched the parchment in his hand and said hesitantly, “This… shouldn’t we discuss it in more detail?”

There was nothing wrong with the Holy See launching an expedition to suppress the dark forces, but shouldn’t the preliminary preparations be done properly? Setting out without a clear understanding of the situation filled Vogt with unease.

There was no reasonable plan at all. Or perhaps this was the Holy Son’s intention? To let them, the Red-robed Archbishops, handle it themselves? After all, judging from the regional distribution of personnel on the parchment, each Red-robed Archbishop was assigned a direction, which was quite even.

The Holy Son looked at Vogt with displeasure. “What else is there to discuss?”

What was there to discuss? The situation of darkness engulfing the continent? Should they prioritize the severely affected areas? While expelling the dark forces, should they also appease the common people? And shouldn’t the bishops return to their own countries in advance to investigate the situation, negotiate with the royalty, and prepare for the arrival of the Holy See’s forces?

Anything could be discussed; at any rate, it would be better than this useless piece of parchment. Vogt had a bellyful of things to say, but upon seeing the Holy Son’s expression, he swallowed them back. He lowered his head, sighed, and said, “Nothing. The Holy Son’s decision is wise.”

Reese casually folded the parchment, not at all surprised by Vogt’s compromise. A beautiful curve formed on her lips, but her lowered eyes appeared cold.

Gabriel clasped his hands in front of him, a gentle smile on his face, echoing Vogt’s words. “The Holy Son’s decision is wise. How could the darkness, which can only hide underground, possibly have the ability to contend with the light? We don’t need to be too cautious in dealing with them. We will crush them with our strength, and then the people of the continent will naturally know who the true masters of this land are.”

Gabriel’s words were very pleasing to the Holy Son. He raised his chin slightly and nodded arrogantly. “That’s right. They’re just Black Witches. The Holy See drove them underground once, and we can do it again.”

He glanced around and, seeing no objections, said flatly, “All of you, go back and prepare.” With that, he turned to leave as well.

Vogt felt disheartened by the Holy Son. He sighed and prepared to leave behind Gabriel and the others. Reese glanced up, casually crumpled the parchment into a ball, and was about to follow when her wrist was suddenly grabbed.

Reese paused, her brow furrowing slightly. She looked at the Holy Daughter, who had appeared beside her at some point, and said unpleasantly, “Let go.” As she spoke, she pulled Phoenix’s arm away and then rubbed her wrist with a blank expression.

Phoenix put her hands behind her back and said calmly, “I have something to tell you.”

Reese’s tone was cold. “I don’t have time.”

She turned to leave. Phoenix watched Reese’s back, frowned, and called out, “Reese.”

Reese continued walking forward, wiping her wrist, completely ignoring Phoenix behind her. However, halfway there, she noticed that the people in front of her had all stopped.

For some reason, Reese suddenly felt a sense of unease. She pushed aside the person next to her and looked ahead. Due to the crowd blocking her view, she could only see that the Holy Son had stopped in the area where Monica was standing.

A cold look flashed across Reese’s face. Suppressing her anger, she said in a low voice to the person in front of her, “Move.”

The person in front was a bishop, who hastily moved aside upon hearing Reese’s voice.

The Holy Son’s sudden stop in front of them surprised both Tang Qiu and Monica. They were standing side-by-side. The Holy Son first glanced at Tang Qiu, then his gaze shifted to Monica. He looked her up and down, his cold expression slowly softening. He said with interest, “You must be Monica, right?”

He studied Monica’s features and exclaimed, “You look exactly like Reese.”

Monica was wary of the Holy Son’s sudden inquiry. She lowered her head and replied distantly, “I have a scar on my forehead. It’s easy to tell me apart from Reese.”

The Holy Son searched for a moment before finding the scar on Monica’s forehead. He raised his hand, intending to brush aside the hair on her forehead for a better look, but Monica warily dodged him. He dropped his hand, unconcerned, his patience surprisingly good. “It’s just a small scar. I can give you some higher-quality Holy Water of Light.”

Monica found the Holy Son’s concern baffling. She frowned and subconsciously moved closer to Tang Qiu’s side.

Tang Qiu subtly took a step forward, faintly shielding Monica behind her. The Holy Son’s sudden “concern” was not only baffling but also seemed to harbor ill intentions.