The underground catacombs, directly beneath the Holy Temple Square.

Father Pedro held a torch in one hand and stroked the wall with the other: "In my memory, it should be here."

Pedro cleared away the rubble from the wall and looked at the dilapidated stairwell hidden behind it, letting out a sigh of relief: "Yes, this is it."

“Go up the steps ahead and you will reach the backyard of the Holy Court Square. Walk a few hundred meters further and you will find the prison of the First Inquisition.”

As Aldenan walked, he pricked up his wolf ears and said, "Listen, there sounds like explosions and screams in the distance."

Karin wiped the dagger clean and put it back at her waist: "Lord Cumberland is leading his army to attack the city, which is actually to draw the enemy's attention to our actions."

Kellogg, the lizardman, flicked his tongue and said, "Hopefully we can find our prisoners before the city falls."

Karin turned around and said, "Take it easy. Lord Cumberland will control the rhythm of the attack. If the offensive is too fierce, the enemy will lose all hope of survival and go crazy and kill all the prisoners; but if the offensive is too weak, it will not be able to attract attention."

Kellogg was somewhat surprised: "Was all of this planned in advance?"

"This is what the Holy King instructed."

Kellogg clenched his claws into fists, placed them on his chest, and bowed his head respectfully, saying, "Everything is just as the Supreme Dragon God intended."

Pedro reached the top of the stairs, extinguished his torch, and said, "We've arrived. Climb up to the backyard of the square."

The group climbed down a long ladder at the end of the path to the ground and found that the exit was actually an ancient well that had been abandoned for a long time.

Pedro dusted himself off and said to the crowd, “Put on your robes, lower your heads, and don’t let the guards see your faces.”

The minotaur Bulville put on the robe, which was as big as a sail, and seeing that his hooves were sticking out and couldn't be covered up, he said to the orc Carol, "I'll follow behind you later."

The werewolf Aldenan smiled and said to Bulville, "Perhaps you could try crawling on all fours."

The minotaur raised his fist, ignoring the other's mockery.

The group followed the passageway known as the Sacred Corridor forward.

Along the way, thousands of believers knelt in the square, their heads facing the direction of the church, loudly chanting the grace and power of the Father.

"Under the protection of the Heavenly Father, no enemy can lay a finger on this holy place!"

"Can you hear the hymns coming from the sky? Can you feel the tremors beneath your feet? That is our God, our Heavenly Father! His wrath will soon descend upon the city and burn all evil to ashes!"

Groups of men, women, and children contorted their bodies like madmen, their fanatical expressions sending chills down one's spine.

Barbara closed her eyes, unable to look any longer.

Randall, who was walking, suddenly stopped: "Someone's coming."

A patrol of devout Vatican members approached Pedro, looking suspiciously at the 'strange' group behind him.

Pedro calmly took out a scroll from his pocket and showed it the fire mark to the patrol captain.

"By order of Bishop Abel, we are going to defend the Holy See."

After inspecting the fire seal, the patrol cleared a path and watched the men disappear into the night.

“I almost couldn’t resist attacking just now.” Aldenan withdrew his wolf claws and let out a long sigh of relief.

Looking at the patrols roaming the square, Carol asked, "Was there always this much guard here? I thought the Holy See had diverted most of its forces to the city defenses."

Pedro wiped the sweat from his brow and quickened his pace: "Tonight is a bit special. Cardinal Jacob said he's going to hold a pilgrimage ceremony in the Grand Cathedral."

Randall asked in confusion, "A pilgrimage tribute?"

"To commemorate the saint's self-sacrifice in spreading the gospel, the Vatican holds a pilgrimage every three years, requiring all believers to gather and participate."

Pedro, at this point, also felt a bit strange: "But this time, even though it's not the right time yet, Bishop Jacob insisted on holding the pilgrimage during the war."

Aldenan curled his lip: "Could it be that the church is worried that the people in the city have been scared out of their wits, and is using this gathering to brainwash all the believers again?"

Pedro gave a dry laugh.

Randall gave the priest an apologetic smile.

The group continued forward for another fifteen minutes.

The surrounding buildings became increasingly sparse, and the crowds gradually disappeared.

“We’re almost at the Vatican prison.” Pedro shivered as if he felt the chill in the air. “This place is a religious no-go zone, and even church personnel rarely come near here.”

After walking nearly a hundred meters further, Pedro led the others into a grove of trees and pointed to a brightly lit camp in the distance, saying, "See that? That's the entrance to the prison."

Kellogg, the lizardman, used his powers to survey the area and then turned to Randall, saying, "Two squads of Papal Knights, and a whole battalion of soldiers."

Randall looked up at the camp entrance, and after a long while, he said, "The biggest problem is the alarm bells on the two sentry posts at the entrance. As soon as we get close, the sentries will ring the alarm bells, and the enemies in the square and the guards in the prison will come to reinforce us at the same time."

Karin Forman glanced at the camp and asked, "If I take care of all the soldiers in those two watchtowers, can you capture this camp?"

Aldenan grinned and said, "I'm not bragging, but dealing with those guards inside wouldn't even take the time it takes to take a piss..."

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