in the name of the queen.

Light, so beautiful.

When the first rays of morning light awakened the world, Christine burst into tears, and all her fatigue and bruises were swept away.

The madness of last night seemed to have never existed, and only the blood dripping on the statue of the goddess told of the fierce battle last night.

The light favored her again.

This time it was not from the goddess, but the resonance caused by Roland that completely awakened her bright physique.

If your heart is towards light, why do you need others to give it to you?

Christine had never been so sure that the light was on her side.

Since the attempt to deprive her of the power of light failed, it means that Tia is a false god. She is unable to deprive the heretics she has identified of their power. If she is not a false god, then what is she?
Since Tia is a false god, she is the enemy of light.

"I will personally defeat the false god Tia and make her pay for her transgression. Her filthy soul fragments will be burned forever in the light, and she will never rest in peace."

You are so nice, Christine.

Roland thought silently, if you want to be cruel to a woman, it has to be another woman.

But he had no sympathy for Tia at all.

The decisive battle on the day of return is not a dinner party, but a life-and-death struggle.

If Tia wins, his and Christine's fate will be even worse.

There is a saying that is often used in battles in the realm of faith, "Death is the greatest mercy to you."

This is no falsehood, but a real and cruel struggle.

Roland hugged Christine, feeling her restored body curves and beating heartbeat, his eyes full of light.

Except for a trace of stigma on her face and the real growth she had gained last night, Christine had regained the beautiful physical condition of her youth at the age of seventeen.

Roland did not ask her why she kept a trace of the holy mark, he knew it was intentional.

Restoring the body to its original state is a farewell to the past that is too painful to look back on, and retaining the stigmata is a commemoration of past pain.

The door of the prayer room slowly opened, and as expected, several cardinals and fully armed Templars stood outside.

Almost all the high-ranking officials of the Court of Light are here.

"Bishop Martin, what's going on?"

Christine was as majestic as ever, and asked coldly: “I don’t remember calling you to a meeting.”

"Yes" Martin was sweating and at a loss.

A thick big hand reached out from behind and pulled Martin, the fence-sitter, back violently.

He was indeed a fence-sitter. With just a slight push, he staggered back behind the crowd.

Roland almost couldn't hold back his laughter.

Martin has been able to maintain almost the same appearance as he did more than a hundred years ago. His strength should not be underestimated. He has at least the combat power equivalent to the peak of rank five, which is enough to fight Sophia before the Battle of White Mountain.

Such a strong man was almost thrown out of the door by being pushed away casually.

This old guy can really act.

Roland was not angry at Martin's smoothness.

At least this guy is still hesitating, but the other rebels are just attacking him directly.

It goes without saying that the crimson intimate contact that happened in the prayer room last night made Tia lose her mind, and she couldn't wait to give an oracle to other clergymen, asking them to clean up the mess.

Gods cannot directly use their power to interfere with the material plane, but there are loopholes in any rules, and they have the power to guide their believers in their practice.

Sending down divine power for believers to gain enlightenment is also a form of guidance.

Believers who have obtained divine power are of course loyal to the gods, and the gods handle the affairs of the material plane through them.

Previously, Tia’s spokesperson was Christine.

No one was more devout in faith or more loyal to the Goddess's commands than she.

Until Roland showed up.

Tia couldn't accept Christine's betrayal, so she punished her by depriving her of her power.

According to Roland's speculation, Tia probably just wanted to warn Christine and didn't want to kill her with one blow.

If you really wanted to kill Christine, you wouldn't have waited until today to let others deal with it.

If Christine calmed down and thought about it carefully, she would definitely be able to figure it out.

Yet she chose to go to extremes.

Roland glanced at Christine, whose eyes were as calm as water, and felt a little nervous.

He guessed wrong again.

Christine is so smart that she could of course guess that Tia was warning her and hoped she would give in.

This directly touched her bottom line and was the greatest insult to her.

Incomplete trust is equal to absolute non-trust.

Tia was angry about Christine's incomplete loyalty, and Christine was also extremely disappointed because of Tia's incomplete trust.

If some things are dirty to begin with, it doesn't matter if they become dirtier; some things are originally pure, and they will seem dirty even if they are stained with the slightest bit of dirt.

Christine felt that her true love was given to the wrong person, which made her so desperate.

Roland's mind was working rapidly, reviewing the past when he and Christine knew each other and got to know each other.

Fortunately, he never doubted Christine and trusted her absolutely even when she held all the military power.

It was this trust that allowed him to replace Tia and become the last white moonlight in Christine's life.

Roland inexplicably felt a chill on his back.

Christine is indeed extreme. She will fight to the death with anyone who lets her down.

The coolness flashed away, and Roland breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he didn't disappoint, he was worried about the hammer.

What we should be worried about are these idiots who are forcing the emperor to abdicate.

They thought Christine had lost all her power and could be manipulated at will, but they didn't know that she controlled a purer power of light that was even stronger than before.

These traitors keep jumping. Don’t let any of them run away when we deal with them later.

Roland stepped back and handed the stage to Christine.

"Bishop Mus, you have gathered so many people, it must be something important."

"Your Holiness, I heard the voice of the goddess this morning. She asked me to gather all believers in the Holy City and make important matters public."

Roland lowered his head slightly, afraid that he would not be able to hold back his laughter.

Christine had a solemn expression on her face. Although she seemed calm, there was an unconcealable "hidden worry" between her brows.

Roland silently gave her full marks for her acting skills.

Although he knew the answer, he was almost fooled by Christine.

This feeling of weakness that is forced to be maintained is so vivid, the acting is amazing.

But it's normal to think about it. As the leader of a professional charlatan, it would be strange if he couldn't act.

Looking at Christine's expression, Cardinal Mousse had no doubts at all.

How could the goddess' oracle be false, not to mention the abundant divine power.

If Christine hadn't accumulated so much prestige over the years, he wouldn't have been so polite.

Now that it has been confirmed that Christine has no power at all and the goddess has given her great strength, it is natural that she must expose Christine's holy appearance that is favored by the gods in public.

Disgrace was just the beginning; the stake was her final destination.

The saint to be burned at the stake was not the first nor the last.

Pope? How can a man who has been abandoned by a goddess be qualified to be the Pope?

He, Cardinal Mousse, who is deeply blessed by God, is the new Pope!

Mousse's supporters stared at Christine, trying to find flaws in her expressions and movements.

Although Christine hid her feelings very well, it was difficult for others to tell, including them.

All the cardinals who are professional charlatans are veteran actors.
They could see Christine's weakness at a glance.

Several cardinals exchanged glances with each other, unable to hide their ecstasy.

Christine served as Pope for more than a hundred years and accumulated unimaginable wealth.

As a person favored by God, Mousse took the political legacy, and the other benefits would naturally be divided among them.

Even Christine herself is a legacy they covet.

She is high and mighty, she is as holy as jade, such a woman is enough to arouse the desire to conquer even if she is ugly.

What's more, she is so beautiful.

Before she was put to the stake, there were many other torture stakes waiting for her.

Even those cardinals who were too old to lift guns did not want to miss the opportunity to trample on the once proud saint.

Martin, who was at the end of the crowd, walked silently with his head down. At an angle where no one was paying attention, he secretly slipped a small ball of paper to Roland.

Roland glanced at him in surprise, but Martin's eyes drifted into the distance, blank and absent-minded, as if nothing had happened just now.

I underestimated this guy.

I thought he was a guy who changed with the wind, but I didn't expect him to dare to bet against the wind.

Some things, no matter how secretive they are, are bound to be exposed. Martin was indeed taking a huge risk.

Knowing that Christine has "lost all her strength", he still wants to bet against the wind. What does Martin rely on?
Without time to think about these things, Roland took advantage of everyone's attention being on Christine and quietly rubbed out the note.

"Stripped naked in public."

It was a meaningless sentence, and even seemed a little rude, but Roland understood it immediately.

Martin was reminding him that Mousse was going to publicly reveal the fact that Christine was abandoned by God.

The corners of his lips rose slightly, and he gave Martin a look that showed he was in control.

Even if Martin didn't remind him, he was already prepared and was even setting a trap for the other party.

But Martin's warning was not meaningless, at least he was able to reach shore safely.

Several cardinals and dozens of priests surrounded Christine, and some of them stared at Roland intentionally or unintentionally, fearing that he would suddenly attack.

When they were about to arrive at the Holy Light Square, Cardinal Mousse stopped and looked at Roland.

"Roland, although you are an honorary knight, your faith is not single-minded. You don't have to listen to the next oracle." "Nonsense."

Roland sneered and said, "The title of Knight of Light was bestowed by the previous Pope and certified by the Goddess. You have no right to tell me what to do."

Mousse knew Roland would say that, but he didn't get angry. He even raised his hand to stop the Templars who were surrounding him.

He looked at Roland with a smile and said calmly: "Your Highness, since you want to listen, then come."

He narrowed his eyes, trying hard to hide his murderous intent.

He knew that Roland would protect Christine.

This pair of dogs is indeed having an affair!

Although the holiness of His Holiness the Pope cannot be questioned, women have plenty of ways to make men happy.

Throughout history, there have been many saints who were only half-virgins.

They did retain that membrane, but some used magic to repair it, some raised their hips and gasped loudly, some knelt on one knee but not to pray, and some used their broad hearts to accommodate the heat.

The last item was indeed a bit difficult for Christine, who was very open-minded, but the other items were not a problem for her at all.

If these two people are not having an affair, I will tie myself to the stake!

Bishop Muss thought viciously.

Since Roland wants to die, then let him do it.

Since we have the goddess's protection, it doesn't matter if we offend several powerful countries.

Mousse strode forward and walked towards the Holy Light Square first. The other cardinals and the cathedral priests followed behind him, surrounded by Roland Christine.

Martin, who was squeezed in the crowd, wiped the sweat off his face while no one was paying attention.

He gave it up.

He was indeed taking a risk.

Reason told him that Bishop Mousse had not lied, and the goddess had indeed sent down an oracle, but there was still a voice in his heart roaring, "Don't go against Lord Roland! Don't go against Her Majesty Christine!"

He had a vague feeling that they would never sit still and wait for death.

He was originally just a white-robed priest who had not been promoted for more than ten years under the previous Pope. He thought his life would end in a daze until he met Roland.

Originally, he was just welcoming and seeing off guests, and made a few high-EQ remarks, but he was appreciated by Roland.

It was thanks to the trust of Roland and Christine that he rose from a grassroots priest to a cardinal, and ranked fifth in the bishops' joint meeting.

Second only to the Pope, the Knight of Honor, the Chief Inquisitor and Archbishop Mus.

His mother taught him from a young age that one should not be ungrateful. Although he was slick, he always remembered his mother's teachings, even though she had passed away for many years.

Besides, when has Roland ever suffered a loss?

Even if he became the enemy of that terrible woman, he could still walk down Baishan with his head held high.

Who is Mousse? Can he bring down Roland and Christine?

Martin didn't believe it.

The most important thing for a man of the wind is to have a good eye, and Martin believes in his own vision.

When he walked towards the Holy Light Square, his originally hunched back suddenly straightened up, and he looked refreshed.

Mousse had already prepared everything.

Hundreds of thousands of believers in the holy city were summoned temporarily by the ringing of the alarm bell, and the order at the scene was somewhat chaotic.

But after seeing Christine and others, the believers instantly quieted down.

As the Pope, Christine possesses supreme authority and has long been known as the spokesperson for the goddess. No one dares to question what she says.

The prestige accumulated over the years was there, and although she looked a little embarrassed, no one dared to doubt her.

Although there have been some rumors, no one dares to jump into action before the facts are revealed.

Archbishop Mousse thought he had a sure win, so he naturally didn't want to waste time. He simply raised his right hand, and the scepter in his hand emitted a milky white holy light, and the shadow of the goddess appeared above the holy light.

The believers were so excited that they knelt down one after another.

This is an oracle!

Mousse loudly conveyed the goddess's decree, "The false believer Christine has lost her faith, is disloyal and dishonest to the goddess, is two-faced, insults the gods, deceives her superiors and subordinates, seeks personal gain, lives a decadent life, and has promiscuous relationships with men and women."

Every word he said was like a knife stabbing people's hearts.

Everyone was shocked.

They thought that Mousse would rely on the oracle to seize power and even liquidate Christine, but they didn't expect that he would use a big move right from the start.

With every word he spoke, Christine's face turned paler.

If Roland hadn't supported her, she would have collapsed on the stage.

Seeing Roland supporting the "holy as jade" ascetic Pope without any hesitation, the audience suddenly realized what was going on.

The promiscuous relationship between man and woman mentioned in the oracle was actually that adult.

Seeing that Christine had no power to resist, Mousse could not hide his pride and continued to announce the oracle.

"Deprive Christine of her power of light, remove her from her position as Pope, and hand her over to the Chief Judge to decide according to the law."

After reading the oracle, Mousse looked at Christine with a bit more pity and mockery in his eyes.

"Sinner Christine, do you have anything else to say?"

Christine, who was originally pale, suddenly pushed away Roland who was supporting him and laughed heartily.

"Sinner Mousse, do you know what is the crime of falsely transmitting an oracle?"

"False oracle?!" Mousse was stunned for five full seconds before he burst into wild laughter.

"Are you crazy? Who dares to falsely convey an oracle?"

"you!"

Christine put on the three-eyed crown that Roland handed over, raised the scepter of light, and said lightly:
"You said the goddess deprived me of my power of light, so what is this?"

Dazzling holy light poured out from the top of the scepter, forming a phantom in the air.

The phantom did not have a real face, but it was holy, beautiful and majestic, and more solid than the phantom of the goddess that Mousse had just summoned.

"I don't know what you did to forcibly summon the goddess's phantom. But you seem to have forgotten that devout believers cannot look directly at the gods. Even if the goddess descends, ordinary people cannot see the true face of the gods."

"You, what did you say? How come I don't know that?" Mousse was a little flustered. Beads of sweat kept rolling down his forehead. His mind was blank and he could only keep a straight face.

"Of course you don't know, because you are not familiar with the scriptures at all!"

Christine added fiercely, "It is recorded on page 913 of Volume 3 of the Canon that only those favored by God can look up to the glory of God with humility."

"It is recorded on page 95 of the fourth volume of the canon that God loves the world and is afraid that His glory will burn ordinary people, so He does not show His true face to people."

"You are uneducated and yet you made up such a ridiculous lie. This is why you were exposed!"

Christine's tone gradually became colder, and her hands trembled slightly.

Roland knew that what she said must be true.

The scriptures are right there, and you can tell their authenticity by just checking them. It is impossible for them to lie about this.

Christine was upset because her piety was betrayed. She exposed Mousse by mentioning the scriptures that she knew well, but she was the one who was hurt more deeply.

Holding the scepter high, Christine said coldly: "Believers, the power of the goddess cannot be violated. If I lie, the power of light I control will naturally be no match for Mousse. If he lies, the fabricated phantom will be shattered in an instant."

"Mouse, stand up and accept your fate!"

Mousse broke out in a cold sweat, but he breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't understand where Christine got the power of light from, but it didn't matter.

Could she be more powerful than the power bestowed by the goddess?

Mousse raised his scepter confidently and sneered, "We'll know who's real and who's fake after a try."

The two summoned the power of light at the same time and sprayed it at each other.

There are no skills, it's just a pure contest of strength.

The power of light summoned by Mousse and Christine's own power collided in the air.

The two forces were deadlocked in the air, and Roland's palms were covered with sweat.

The restrictions on the Day of Return apply to everyone, including the goddess, so the projected power cannot exceed the limit, and the power controlled by Christine has reached the ceiling.

There is no reason to lose!
Although the power bestowed by Tia is strong, it also depends on who uses it. Mousse is a waste and cannot be controlled.

The cardinals who turned against the church were a little nervous, but they remained calm inside.

There is no reason to lose!
This is the power bestowed by the goddess, how could it be lost to a mortal?

It was a no-nonsense exchange, with absolute strength determining the winner.

With a crack, the scepter in Mousse's hand cracked, and the shadow behind him gradually became unstable.

But Christine took advantage of the situation and increased her strength.

In full view of everyone, the "phantom of the goddess" behind Mousse swayed, rippled, turned into bubbles, and disappeared.

"No! Impossible!"

Mousse fell to the ground, staring blankly at the cracked scepter, and a mouthful of blood spurted out.

He lost.

He who possessed the power given by God lost.

Of course, he didn't understand that the power given by God did not belong to him after all and was not omnipotent.

He chose the most stupid power confrontation, how could he defeat Christine who was risking her life?

The last bit of clarity in his mind controlled his actions, and he bit the pill in his mouth hard.

However, before he could swallow the pill, Christine kicked him in the lower abdomen.

Christine pinched his cheek, squeezed the pill out, and said coldly:
"Without my will, you actually want to die?"

"Chief Inquisitor, Templar, arrest all these traitors. You were deceived by the traitors and are innocent. But those who pretended to be the goddess must pay the price!"

The referee, who had looked as pale as death, suddenly came back to life. He pounced over like a tiger descending from a mountain and pinned down another cardinal who was about to escape.

The Templars rushed forward and captured several cardinals.

Stunned, Martin stood in the crowd, his body shaking as he watched this shocking turn of events.

The sky is about to change. (End of this chapter)