Volume 1, Chapter 77 – Negotiations

Despite the commotion last night, life went on as usual for most people.

The devout continued their prayers, while idle passersby lingered around the square, wiping sweat from their brows as they gazed at the goddess statue peeking out from the temple. Amid the ruins, holy knights scrambled to salvage valuables, and only the children still darted about the square near the wreckage.

Humans truly were remarkably adaptable creatures.

Fia couldn’t help but sigh as she approached.

“Looks like all the holy knights buried in the rubble have been rescued.”

“With earth magic and underground structural diagrams, it’d be downright disappointing if they couldn’t save everyone after a whole night,” Claire replied with a troubled smile. “Thankfully, the people of the Milcandis Holy Kingdom worship the Goddess of Life. Their faith magic provides enough vitality and healing—otherwise, the casualties would’ve been devastating.”

“Well, that’s between the Darkborn and them. Has nothing to do with me.”

The one who wrecked the underground and attacked the holy knights was the Moon Dragon, Radric. If anything, Fia was their savior—had it not been for her, they’d have been reduced to bones by now, devoured by Chaos and demonic wolves.

This incident would only deepen the enmity between the Church and the Darkborn.

Rеаԁ on КαtRеаⅾіոɡСαfе

But Fia had seen too much of this kind of feud. After a brief moment of reflection, she quickly put it out of her mind.

Unless every living being’s consciousness was unified, conflicts like this were inevitable in any society with culture. Fia was long past being surprised by it.

“Your Highness, the holy knights over there are watching us,” Anastasia murmured, her right hand resting on the hilt of her sword as she glanced toward the right.

Just as she said, the holy knights maintaining order in the square immediately grew alert upon spotting Fia’s group. One of them jogged toward her while another rushed into the half-destroyed temple to alert the others.

Notably, the approaching holy knights carried no killing intent in their eyes. Clearly, someone of higher rank had already briefed them.

This aligned with Fia’s expectations—unless the Church was utterly foolish, they’d know better than to provoke her.

She stopped and waited for the holy knights to approach.

Leading them was a nun in her fifties. The wrinkles left by time had eroded some of her feminine charm, replacing it with the warmth of an elder.

Rеαԁ οո ΚаtReаԁіոgСαfе

The elderly nun lowered her stance slightly and smiled kindly.

“You must be Her Highness, the elf princess, Dofilia Alexia Yushir, correct? The archbishop and the inquisitor have been awaiting your arrival. Please, follow me.”

“Mm.”

As the nun gestured forward, the holy knights behind her promptly parted, clearing a path. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the group made their way toward the temple.

Ignoring the astonished gazes and murmurs from the onlookers—most of whom were discussing how Fia had beaten the Moon Dragon barehanded the night before—Fia turned her attention to the ruins nearby.

Nearly a hundred holy knights and soldiers, drenched in sweat, were forming a human chain to haul out treasures and weapons from underground. Farther away, a massive cauldron, about four or five meters in diameter, bubbled over a fire as men dressed as servants fed more wood into the flames. The rich scent of meat stew wafted through the air.

“Everyone’s been rescued, right?”

“Thanks to you, the last person was pulled out at dawn. But the children who couldn’t react in time and were attacked by Chaos… have now returned to the embrace of the Goddess of Life. They are sacrifices the Church will remember.”

“I see…”

Rеαd οո ΚаtRеαⅾіոgСаfе

“There’s no need to grieve for them. If not for you, Princess Dofilia, the death toll wouldn’t have been limited to just a few dozen. Though the Unsinkable Moon was destroyed, on a personal level, I must thank you for saving so many lives.”

As she spoke, the elderly nun turned slightly and bowed, offering Fia a grateful smile.

No wonder the Church had sent her to guide them—it was hard not to feel goodwill toward her.

Exchanging a glance with Anastasia, Fia asked, “What’s with the big cauldron over there?”

“Ah, that’s for cooking the demon wolves killed last night. The meat will be distributed to the needy in the city. If you look farther out around the square, you’ll see refugees and the poor lining up while our soldiers maintain order. There are too many demon wolf corpses, and raw meat doesn’t keep well. Rather than wasting them, we’re cooking and distributing the meat. For refugees and the poor, who rarely get to eat meat, this will fill their stomachs and reduce hunger-driven conflicts in the city.”

“People don’t mind eating demon wolf meat? Doesn’t it feel… unclean?”

Fia herself had no reservations about eating demonic beasts—after all, the fried meat in Claire’s breakfast that morning had been from a monster. What surprised her was that the Church, which prided itself on purity and sanctity, would even consider using demonic carcasses. Normally, the Church would deem creatures associated with the Darkborn as tainted, drawing a clear line between themselves and monsters. The idea that “eating demonic meat pollutes the soul and defiles the purity of faith” should have been the prevailing belief.

Yet here the Church was, not only consuming demonic meat but distributing it to the public. It was baffling.

The nun smiled as she explained.

Reаd οn ΚаtRеαԁіոgСafе

“Why refuse something that can fill empty stomachs? Livestock is always in short supply, and low-tier demonic beasts are no different from badgers or deer—aside from their ability to use magic. Humans are the rulers of this world; eating non-sentient creatures is only natural. Besides, letting commoners taste demonic meat helps them realize that monsters are no different from ordinary animals—both are flesh and blood, both can be killed. Reducing people’s fear of monsters isn’t a bad thing. Of course, the most important thing is filling their bellies.”

“I see.”

Even faith had to be built on a material foundation. When people were starving, enforcing dogmas like “do not consume demonic beasts” was too high a barrier—especially once they’d tasted it. There was no going back.

As her gaze lingered on the refugees and slaves inhaling the aroma of the stew, Fia followed the nun into the temple.

The interior was straightforward. After a few turns, they arrived at the council chamber.

The tall, bright, ivory-white room had a ceiling nearly five to six meters high. Only two figures sat inside: the archbishop of Aurora City and the inquisitor Fia had blasted with Flame Storm. Both wore clean robes, but their exhaustion was evident—especially in their sunken eyes, proof of their sleepless night.

When Fia and the others entered, the archbishop and inquisitor rose together. After briefly scanning Claire, Anastasia, and Little Liti behind Fia, the middle-aged archbishop forced a smile.

“Welcome to the Church, Princess Dofilia… and Princess Liti.”