in the name of the queen.

Chapter 329: Scars or stigmata?

Ahhhhh!
The brain is shaking!
In a secret room, Intelligence Chief Rupert held his head tightly, his eyes were red, his whole body was shaking, and his eyes were completely crazy.

Not long ago, he "accidentally" fell before leaving the Palais Vatican, and the small button in his pocket fell into a corner where no one was paying attention.

This small button looks ordinary, but it is a magical device excavated from ancient ruins.

Its function is very simple, eavesdropping.

Rupert didn't see anything wrong with that.

He is the Chief of Intelligence, and his duty is to provide the Queen with the most accurate intelligence.

As the head of the intelligence department, how could he be absent from the grand meeting of the Three Emperors?

Unfortunately, the level of the meeting was too high and he was ordered to leave, so he could only use this less than honorable method to obtain intelligence.

He could swear on the lamp that it was definitely not an occupational disease developed from years of running the Sun, nor was it the gossip spirit burning in his body.

The button opened his eyes.

Rupert's worldview was about to be shattered.

Where is the high-level dialogue between kings that was supposed to happen? Why is it like a few willful girls fighting over toys?

After listening to it over and over again, his brain was almost burned out, and he finally figured out the relationship between the women's disputes.

Christine's interests are the simplest.

She could not accept the compromise peace that excluded the Wende Empire from the new world order. The reason why she worked for Roland was also very simple, to restore the Wende Empire and to gain power for her within the Court of Light.

There must have been some degree of tacit understanding between her and Roland, and this tacit understanding was broken when Roland and Sophia discussed the terms of compromise.

So she got angry and jumped out to disrupt the peace talks.

Another simple woman is Lisa.

Her brain seemed to reside with Roland, and she followed whatever Roland said.

Rupert was silent for a moment, then he held the button-shaped receiver in his hand, with a look of helplessness in his eyes.

It's not just Lisa, Alina seems to be the same.

Even Queen Sylph.
No, no, he shouldn't presume to speculate about the only surviving queen of the elves.

Rupert quickly dispelled this bold idea and continued to think about what others said and did.

He was not surprised by Roland's lack of bottom line. He was even surprised that Roland did not make any attempt to save the situation after the negotiations broke down.

In this high-end game of queens tearing each other apart, Roland has more bottom line than he thought.

The only person who couldn't understand it was Sophia.

Her invitation to Roland to be prime minister for five years actually sounded real, and she even made a lot of concessions.

Sif asked Sophia if she was going to use her as a stepping stone. Sophia did not answer directly, but mocked her using the metaphors often used by the Rurik people.

Sophia asked Sif to look in the mirror not to avoid the topic, but to express her attitude.

Go look in the mirror, can you be my stepping stone?
Sophia didn't need a stepping stone.

When the day of her return comes, she will naturally break through, even to a jaw-dropping degree.

During this meeting, she didn't even have much murderous intent.

If Christine hadn't provoked her strongly, she probably wouldn't have taken action.

With Sophia's personality, she doesn't seem to care about other people's feelings. So there must be other reasons why she didn't go all out.

All the information about Sophia flashed through Rupert's mind quickly, and after a careful logical analysis, he came to a shocking conclusion.

Apart from making the Vladimir Empire strong, Sophia's actions did not have a very clear goal.

Even the goal of making the Vladimir Empire great is just a stop on her road to becoming a strong person.

If we can accurately grasp Sophia's mentality, perhaps there will be a turning point?
Rupert was still haunted by the consequences of his confrontation with Sophia.

Roland, Sif and others are the best among the seventh-level extraordinary people. Ordinary seventh-level extraordinary people are no match for them at all.

Even when facing reclusive strongmen and seeded players carefully trained by extraordinary families, they still have a high winning rate.

However, they were so embarrassed when facing Sophia.

Fighting Sophia with force is the worst option.

Rupert is indeed a professional intelligence officer. He analyzed all the intelligence and formed a secret report in a short time.

He had no intention of hiding anything from Sif.

The chief intelligence officer could never make decisions on behalf of the monarch, he knew that clearly.

Sif doesn't mind eavesdropping, but she won't forgive concealment or self-assertion.

Rupert stayed up all night and finally finished writing the secret report the next morning. He knocked on the door of Sif's temporary office at eight o'clock in the morning.

"Come in." A tired voice came from inside.

Rupert was not surprised. Who could sleep well after such a big thing happened?
Pushing open the office door, Rupert looked at Sif, who was staring blankly at the window, letting the breeze blow her hair. He coughed lightly and whispered:

"Your Majesty, I collected some latest intelligence yesterday. Please take a look at it."

Sif didn't look back, but casually raised her right hand, picking up a "button" with her slender fingertips.

There was no emotion in her gentle voice. "Is this what you left behind?"

"Yes." Rupert answered quickly. For some reason, he felt a little flustered. Although Sif's attitude was gentle, he still felt a chill on his back.

Sif snapped her fingers and the "little button" flew towards Rupert.

The moment Rupert raised his hand to catch the bug, Sif's voice became a little deeper.

"Put the report on the table, you can leave."

"Yes, sir." Rupert thought Sif would ask some questions after reading the report, but she didn't expect him to leave directly. He didn't dare to disobey her order, and without explanation, he picked up the button and left.

Just as he was about to leave the room, Sif said softly, "Rupert, I am very satisfied with your work ability and loyalty, but please restrain yourself from some occupational diseases that are not suitable for intelligence personnel."

Rupert's forehead was covered with sweat for no apparent reason. He did not dare to wipe it off, but replied in a trembling voice:

"I, I, obey!"

He wanted to explain, but thinking of Sif's style, he held it back.

Perhaps because she felt her attitude was a little stiff and was afraid of discouraging the loyal ministers, Sif said softly:

"Rupert, the era of the elves has ended. Even if the descendants of the tribe return, they must face reality. This is an era of the new era. The old tribes are just a foil."

"I will lead my people to the end, but they cannot dwell on their past glory."

Rupert had already confessed to Sif the reason for his loyalty, and Sif did not hide her identity.

She was once a great general of the elves and the last descendant of the royal family. If all other members of the royal family died, she would be the highest-ranking heir.

After gaining Roland's recognition, all the living sages (Roland alone) recognized her.

By some strange coincidence, she became the most popular queen in the history of the elves.

Because of her extremely high approval rating, she has also gained many benefits that her predecessors have never had. She does not intend to avoid her identity or shirk her responsibilities.

Although Rupert was a little self-willed, he was loyal and Sif never took his absurd reports and gossip to heart.

But then was before and now is now.

Looking at Rupert's lost eyes, Sif had an idea and thought of a way to comfort him.

"Rupert, if you want explosive sales, I suggest you consider writing about a tyrannical queen who was lonely and had nowhere to go after being ignored by her husband and had countless lovers."

"You are a professional, so you can decide for yourself how to strike the right balance."

Rupert didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he bowed and left.

Sif's meaning was clear. If you like gossip, go find Sophia. If you don't dare, then it's a question of stance.

Her words also indirectly showed her attitude that she wanted to fight Sophia head-on.

After the confrontation in the hall, Sif completely gave up the possibility of reconciliation with Sophia.

Borrow Roland for five years?

Pooh!
Sophia is a very willful person and she often makes decisions based on her personal likes and dislikes.

People with high emotional intelligence are said to be true to their nature, while people with low emotional intelligence are said to suffer from intermittent mental illness.

And her promises may not be fulfilled.

In order to avoid breaking a contract, she once killed someone before the other party came to her to fulfill his promise. Since the person she made the promise to was dead, there was naturally no such thing as breaking the contract.

Sending Roland over there was a typical act of aiding the enemy. It was useless except exposing one's own weakness.

Sif knew Roland best. He had the ability to turn decay into magic. If he went there, even five months, not to mention five years, could bring about earth-shaking changes.

What if Sophia, this resentful woman in the boudoir, gets greedy?
Although this possibility is small, it is definitely not zero. Sif felt horrified at the thought of this possibility.

Absolutely not!

Sif thought of what Roland had said more than once: the only peace that comes from struggle is true peace, while peace that is begged for is like a sand sculpture on the beach, which will disappear with a wave.

Sif casually checked the intelligence Rupert had prepared, flipping through it casually.

She hadn't originally expected much from Rupert's intelligence, but she frowned after seeing the analysis.

She didn't pay much attention to Rupert's other analysis, but the last suggestion made her heart tremble.

"Christine is on Sophia's kill list, and she is also a fanatic. If necessary, she can be killed in exchange for a compromise."

Sif was stunned for a moment, sighed softly, tore up the information, set it on fire, and let it turn to ashes.

To be fair, her relationship with Christine was pretty good. She even suggested to Roland that he let Christine join the Soul Blood Link to fill the last vacancy.

She even fantasized that Roland's charm could overwhelm the illusory goddess of light.

After all, what the Goddess of Light can give is very empty, while what Roland gives is very real.

But after yesterday, she was really glad she didn't drag Christine into this.

Christine's devotion was a little crazy even among the fanatics.

At a time when the saint's identity is about to be ruined, Christine is definitely an outlier. She is really not interested in men and only yearns for the goddess.

Yesterday she dared to challenge Sophia head-on, and I can’t imagine what she will do tomorrow.

If the Goddess of Light gave her an oracle asking her to murder Roland, would she hesitate?

There is no doubt about her determination to carry out the oracle; she would not hesitate for even a second.

Sif felt horrified when she thought that there was a time bomb hidden next to her and that she almost took the bomb home as a holy elephant.

She couldn't sit still any longer, she had to go find Roland.

Roland is a good guy in every way, except that he is easily soft-hearted towards the people around him.

This was the case with taking in Alina and also with reusing Christine.

He used his sincerity to get rich rewards from Alina, so he wanted to replicate the same thing on Christine.

However, Sif was still late.

When she found Roland's chambers, the maid told her that he had been accompanying Christine the previous night.

Shiv stayed awake all night in the office last night.

Christine struggled in pain all night last night.

Roland accompanied the saint through a painful night.

In short, they are all very busy.

Sif was silent for a moment and gave up the idea of ​​looking for Roland and Christine.

Some things are bound to happen and cannot be avoided. It is better to go find Alina. Maybe she can see something different.

When Sif found Alina, she was sitting in front of the card table in a daze, with hundreds of cards placed in a disorderly manner on the table in front of her.

"What are you doing?" Sif couldn't help but ask.

Alina didn't clean up the card table. She stood up by supporting the table with her hand, and made a gesture of invitation with a smile.

"I couldn't sleep last night, so I played cards all night and didn't have time to clean up. I'm sorry to make you laugh. Come have a cup of tea with me."

Sif did not refuse Alina's invitation, and the two of them came to the reception room outside and sat down one by one.

The puppet maid brought fragrant tea and snacks, then quickly left.

Sif glanced at the puppet, took a sip from the teacup, and said with a smile: "I was planning to ask you to help with divination, but I didn't expect you to be busy all night. I'd better come another day."

"Since we're here, let's do it today."

Alina quickly put a piece of cake into her mouth, used sugar to replenish her energy, and asked with a smile:

"I am in a special ethereal state right now. I will be completely exhausted in an hour at most. This is the best time to tell fortunes."

Friends who often stay up all night know that they are often particularly excited right after they have just pulled an all-nighter, but they will feel extremely tired after this period of excitement.

Alina was not talking nonsense. In fact, many fortune tellers would take a bath, change clothes, and then mess around all night before starting formal divination in the early morning of the next day.

Seeing Alina's sincere attitude, Sif stopped being pretentious and asked softly, "What do you think of Christine? No need to speak in official language, I want to hear her true feelings."

"How should I put it? I am a little worried about her mental state."

Alina said softly, "Miss Christine is a contradictory person. On the battlefield, she can ruthlessly abandon unnecessary pawns and exchange the smallest cost for the greatest victory. But outside the battlefield, she is a self-disciplined and helpful person."

"If you put aside her military talent, she is a textbook saint. Unlike those speculators who become less religious the closer they get to the altar, she is very devout in her faith."

Alina's words touched Sif's heart. She raised her eyebrows and said softly:

"Sophia is moody and dangerous. I don't agree with compromise, but I don't want to break up with her like Christine did. What do you think she's thinking?"

"One point goes to the Wende Empire, and nine points go to the Court of Light."

Alina said firmly: "She may feel guilty towards Roland for this, but she will do it again if she is given a chance to do it again."

Sif frowned slightly. She didn't expect Alina's reminder.

She originally thought that Christine provoked Sophia impulsively and that it might not be her true intention.

Now that I think about it, the impulse was a real impulse, and my original intention was also my original intention.

"Do you still want divination?" Alina reminded softly. "Yes, provided it does not affect you." Sif said softly.

"Don't worry. Although the object of our observation is a devout believer, it is not the goddess herself or an unobservable being, so we won't be attacked back."

Alina took another sip of tea and brought Sif to the card table.

This kind of divination was so simple for Alina that she could introduce the advantages and disadvantages of the Angel Cards and Tarot Cards to Sif while laying out the cards, as well as the reasons why she chose the Angel Cards.

Sif did not interrupt Alina's showing off, but just listened silently and occasionally praised.

Since Alina's mental state is so relaxed, it seems that divination is not difficult.

In fact, she didn't want to know much, she just wanted to know the explosive power of the bomb.

After all, Christine is the commander-in-chief of the alliance. As long as she can still use him, she dare not change her generals in the middle of the battle.

It took a lot of effort to consolidate the fighting power of the coalition forces. Changing the commander at this time would be like cutting off one's own head.

The divination soon came to the end, the moment of revealing the answer.

The milky white light representing the direction of fate became brighter and brighter, which meant that the direction of Christine's fate was also very clear.

All Alina had to think about next was how to interpret the divination results using easy-to-understand riddles.

She closed her eyes tightly, and stretched out her fair and delicate hands to catch the thread of fate in the air.

With a silent and precise grab, she caught the thread of fate.

She opened her eyes.

Sif was not in front of her, the card table was not in front of her, nothing was there, there was only a vast expanse of white holy light in front of her.

Alina was shocked, this was a divination result she had never heard of before.

The result of divination is either a success, which reveals the direction of fate; or an invalid result, which means nothing happens; or a failure, which means the diviner suffers backlash.

She had never heard of a precedent of Divination being teleported to an unknown space.

Just as she was at a loss of what to do, an eye opened in the endless light.

Alina's whole spirit was instantly scattered. She stared blankly at the eye, her whole body felt limp and she couldn't muster any strength.

Just when she was almost in despair, the eyes in the light just looked at her kindly, guiding her into sleep.

Alina's mind gradually became dazed, as if she was in a hot spring, and a silent call sounded in her ears.

"Go to sleep, kid, this is not your place to pry into."

Sif hugged Alina, who had fallen softly, and her face turned pale with fear.

"Alina, Alina, what's wrong with you? Don't scare me!"

She rushed into the bedroom holding Alina and hurriedly put the sleeping Alina on the bed.

Fortunately, Alina looked good, her breathing was even, her heartbeat was strong, and there was no sign of injury on her body.

After waiting for a long time and seeing no sign of Alina waking up, Sif gritted her teeth and was forced to use Insight on her.

Insight, start!
Beads of sweat kept appearing on Sif's forehead. Usually, she used Insight just to see if there was any hostility, but this time she was serious. She wanted to see if Alina was okay.

Under the observation of the insight horizon, Alina's body looked like translucent jelly.

Vital signs are very stable.

The mental state is very stable.

The exhaustion level is decreasing.

Uh, nothing seems to be wrong, just fell asleep?
Sif breathed a sigh of relief, called Alina's puppet maid, gave her some instructions, and then left.

She suddenly had no mood to look for Roland and Christine.

Sophia's arrival, Christine's rage, the battle in the hall, the failure of divination, everything was somewhat unexpected, making her even more confused about the future.

When Sif was confused, Roland was also in agony.

He was very worried about Christine's condition and insisted on staying with her last night, but she claimed that she was fine and refused to let him stay with her.

Roland, who always respected the people around him, was very stubborn this time and insisted on staying.

Christine bit her lip and sat on the bed taking off her coat. Roland turned away without looking at her, but he just didn't leave, and even made excuses for his behavior.

"You are the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces. I cannot bear the consequences of you encountering an accident."

Seeing Roland being so shameless, Christine was so angry that she couldn't say a word. She simply handed the bandage and the holy water bottle to Roland.

"If you are so worried, come and treat me."

Faced with Christine's clear eyes and thin underwear, Roland had no choice but to give in.

He asked the nuns from the Temple of Light to treat Christine.

This fellow is always so stubborn that he only accepts treatment from nuns of his own sect and refuses any doctors or pagan priests.

Fortunately, the nun was well versed in healing techniques and helped Christine bandage the wound and apply holy water to it to speed up healing.

After the matter was dealt with, the nun gently reminded Roland not to disturb the saint's rest, but Roland waved his hand and told her to get out.

Christine was seriously injured and tired from the battle, so she fell asleep quickly.

When she woke up again, only Roland was sitting by the bed in a daze.

Seeing Christine sitting up in a single layer of clothing, Roland took the initiative to turn around to avoid suspicion.

Miss Saint put on her clothes noiselessly, and a cold voice sounded from behind her.

"Roland, if your heart is clear, you don't need to be too cautious. God said."

Hearing Christine's steady voice, Roland felt both happy and worried.

The good news is that Christine has recovered well, but the worry is that this guy is still not mentally normal.

Roland turned around and was stunned for a moment.

Christine was wearing thin clothes and no coat.

This dress is subtle.

If you say it is revealing, it covers everything that should be covered; if you say it is conservative, it covers nothing except what should be covered.

Roland's cheeks flushed slightly and he was about to turn around.

If it was another woman, he wouldn't mind taking a few more glances, but he respected Christine.

Unlike those slutty bitches who claim to be saints but secretly seduce men, Christine fully deserves the title of saint.

She is devout in her faith, has extraordinary strength, and possesses a beautiful and very approachable appearance.

At least until last night.

Roland couldn't help but glance at Christine's injury.

The wound on her chest was bandaged tightly, but judging from the rise and fall of the bandage, she, who was not wealthy to begin with, had lost the last of her wealth in yesterday's storm.

For girls who love beauty, this is indeed a big blow.

But Christine didn't seem to care. Her expression was exceptionally calm, with no sign of forced calmness at all.

Clearly, she didn't care.

"Giving birth to offspring is a woman's sacred duty. If I were not a saint, I might not reject becoming a mother, but I am."

Christine's voice was exceptionally clear. "These scars are my medals. Well, I won't have to bind my chest when I wear armor in the future."

Roland's voice was stuck in his throat and he couldn't utter a word.

Christine's provocation to Sophia cut off the path to compromise, but he wasn't too angry, just a little annoyed that she acted on her own.

I originally planned to teach her a lesson, but seeing her current state, I couldn't say anything.

Fortunately, the scars on my face are very light and have little impact. I should be able to recover after some rest.

Just as Roland was daydreaming, Christine started laughing.

"Do you think I am horribly disfigured?"

"I just feel a little regretful. After all, this is a stunning face that can be called a work of art." Roland couldn't think of a lie, so he had to tell the truth.

"Don't feel sorry. I got the scars and the stigmata at the same time."

Christine pointed her slender finger at the scar on her cheek and said with a smile, "You should study the Illuminati Canon carefully. The Canon records the emblem used by the goddess before entering the divine realm."

"A simplified version of the Badge of Light, exactly the same as my scars."

"Ah?" Roland stood there in a daze. He couldn't believe it. He simply stretched out his hand into the void and a book of the Church of Light appeared in front of him.

As his knowledge on the Path of the Knowledgeable continued to increase, Roland stored more and more books in the Void Library.

After all, he is a Knight of Light. Even if he doesn't have time to read the scriptures, it is still necessary for him to keep a copy.

Christine took the book from Roland and expertly turned to the page that recorded the story of the Goddess of Light spreading light in the Theia plane before she entered the divine realm.

The simplified emblem of the Light Emblem does indeed match the scars on Christine's face.

“It is not a disfigurement, but the best reward for piety.”

Christine said softly: "If you don't believe it, you can go to Sif and ask the magic mirror if my feminine charm has decreased."

After Christine's reminder, Roland carefully observed her face and imagined in his mind what the scars would look like after gradually fading.

Perhaps it was a psychological effect, or perhaps it was the badge of light engraved in his mind that worked, but Roland gradually accepted Christine's statement.

It's not disfigurement, it's stigmata.

Seeing that Roland was no longer hesitant, Christine put on her coat, crossed her arms over her chest, and bowed to him.

"I'm sorry, I took the initiative to disrupt the peace talks. Please punish me."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Roland stared at her in dissatisfaction, and said with a smile: "I don't expect to compromise with Sophia. She has always only recognized swords. Unless you can defeat her, who can reason with her?"

"You're only speeding up the process. If you really want to make amends, then do your best to help me win this battle."

Roland stopped smiling and his expression gradually became serious. "Sophia is indeed very strong. I want to focus all my energy on becoming stronger. I'll leave the military side of things to you."

Christine looked at Roland with complicated eyes and whispered softly: "Roland, promise me that you will believe in the light. You have never touched the power of the goddess. You don't know how powerful the great gods are. I..."

"I believe it!" Roland said firmly.

He added silently in his heart, "If the goddess is not my enemy."

Christine didn't expect Roland to be so straightforward. She couldn't believe her ears. Her eyes were filled with endless surprise and her voice trembled slightly.

"Really, really?"

"I am absolutely sincere. If I break my promise, I am willing to face the wrath of the goddess."

Roland's expression was extremely pious, and his eyes were as determined as if he was joining the party.

His oath was very real, and if he turned his back on the light, he would indeed become the enemy of the goddess.

Seeing Christine was speechless with surprise, Roland smiled and teased, "Christine, I am the key to restarting the Holy Spring of Light after all, and I am the one favored by the goddess. How could I have done it if I had no chance with light?"

Christine's thoughts flew back to a few years ago.

When she started the ritual to revive the Holy Spring of Light, she lacked strength and Irene took advantage of the situation and took away half of her merits.

Fortunately, Roland was there, otherwise the ceremony would have failed.

Since Roland has a connection with light, it is only natural for him to join the Court of Light.

Seeing Christine's happy expression, Roland lowered his voice and said, "In fact, I have always been devoted to the light, but I have a little selfish desire. I want you to introduce me to the church."

"Then we'll start now."

Christine wanted to immediately take Roland to pray to the statue of the goddess and complete the initiation ceremony. However, Roland was now Caesar and vice emperor, and it would be more appropriate for the cardinal or even the Pope to preside over the ceremony.

She was not yet an official saint, her rank was only bishop-level, so it was somewhat disrespectful for her to organize the ceremony for Roland.

Even if Roland didn't care, she would never allow it.

Christine extended her right fist and said softly, “Is this an agreement or a promise?”

"It's hope." Roland also stretched out his right fist and put it against Christine's.

"Follower Christine, I hereby make a promise with the Knight of Light Roland to hold an initiation ceremony for him when I become a saint."

Roland really wanted to cover Christine's mouth and tell her not to speak, but it was too late.

This guy speaks frighteningly fast, with the shocking flag raised high.

Roland could only comfort himself with self-mockery, at least it wasn't a fatal flag like returning to his hometown to get married after the war.

After talking with Christine for a while, Roland said goodbye and left when he saw that she looked a little tired.

Before leaving, he mentioned that the elven texts recorded a kind of ginkgo nectar that could remove scars, and he was willing to find a way to help Christine remove the facial scars.

As for the scar on the chest, magic probably can't heal it, so we can only rely on technology to cushion the wound.

Roland's suggestion was good, but Christine very politely asked him not to make any more suggestions.

It can be seen that she was not joking, but really regarded the scars as holy marks.

That's what devout believers are like. They won't listen to anything they don't want to hear.

Roland was very flexible and chose to seek common ground while reserving differences and respect Christine's choice.

Walking out of the Saint Lady's prayer room, he couldn't help but curl his lips. Stigmata? This is simply brainwashing himself.

The first thing to do when returning to Hansa is to find Sif to check the magic mirror ranking.

He just didn't believe that Christine's ranking could go up any further.

After watching Roland leave, Christine's lips slightly raised with a hint of smile.

Roland is indeed the best friend and leader, but unfortunately he has no faith in his heart. He is like a small boat drifting in the river of fate, struggling hard but not knowing where to go.

He certainly doesn't believe that this is a stigmata, but it doesn't matter, she has plenty of time to make him understand.

Just a few minutes ago, the goddess's majestic voice sounded deep in her soul, telling her the answer.

This is the stigmata.

(End of this chapter)