As dawn broke, the nuns and priests stood quietly inside the cathedral, while Archbishop Ford stood on the prayer platform, his usual gentle and loving demeanor replaced by a touch of majesty.
"You have truly disappointed me that such vile evil could breed under the watchful gaze of the God of Light!"
Ford had been in the position of archbishop for decades, and when he got serious, he exuded a terrifying sense of oppression; anyone could tell he was very angry.
Of course, he probably wasn't actually that angry, or even that concerned, but...
He must now demonstrate his mercy. If His Excellency does not mourn and be angry for the innocent slaves who have suffered, how can he be considered compassionate enough to be a spokesperson for the God of Light?
"The Holy Knights must investigate the mastermind behind the slave trade as soon as possible. We must not allow them to commit such heinous acts under the light of the God of Light."
Maggie stood to the side of the prayer table, listening to Ford's reprimand with her head down, without any particular reaction.
Harlan had just returned from a mission and stood beside her, his posture ramrod straight. Among the group of paladins, all of whom were extremely good-looking, he stood out as exceptionally handsome.
"Twenty civilians died in the explosion; the rest were mercenaries and adventurers from outside the area."
"A total of 1,900 slaves were rescued last night, with humans making up the largest number."
Harlan's voice rang out in the temple, explaining the situation to Ford.
This was all compiled by Ferrier and Harlan last night.
"We also captured a mercenary group that specializes in hunting elves."
Harlan added again.
Upon hearing this, Maggie, who had been standing calmly in place, turned her head to look at Harlan, a hint of inquiry flashing in her eyes.
His words inevitably reminded Maggie of the group that wanted to kidnap Nesser.
"Hmph, since when has Santa Fe City become a place where they can come and go as they please?"
Ford frowned slightly and snorted coldly, as if he was very dissatisfied with the existence of the mercenary group.
If Maggie hadn't known that he was the one who allowed this chaotic area in the eastern suburbs to exist, she would have almost been fooled by Ford's performance.
"Given this situation, I find it hard to believe that there are no corrupt elements within the temple. Believers who do not have enough faith in the God of Light are not worthy of remaining in the temple."
Ford's gaze swept over the nuns, priests, clergy, and paladins in the temple, each with their own distinct expressions, and he spoke in a deep voice.
“The priest is about to return to the temple, and I hope that before he returns, all the traitors can be cleaned up.”
No one could object to Ford's orders, and many people in the cathedral were already showing a faint look of guilt.
Maggie took in the reactions of these people and couldn't help but find them amusing.
If they can't even hide their emotions, there's no doubt that these people will become targets for Ford to make an example of.
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Harlan gave a crisp, clean knightly salute and answered in a strong, resonant voice.
At the same time, Maggie could feel a burning gaze on her. She didn't even need to look up to know that the person looking at her was Yarlin.
He might be thinking that if he finds evidence to take down the Zefneria family, he can also get rid of her at the same time.
In fact, anyone knows that the so-called investigation into the mastermind behind the scenes is a ridiculous claim.
Even the ordinary mercenaries in the tavern know that the slave trade is run by the Zefnia family, so how could no one in the temple know?
However, no one has ever been able to catch the Duke's mansion in the act.
Just like last night, Perkin had already seen the list with his own eyes, but it didn't appear in the church today to be presented to the archbishop as evidence.
Even the powerful Temple of Light couldn't mobilize the Holy Knights to eliminate the Zephnea family without a legitimate reason.
Who knows if it was a demon or some other human being who cleared obstacles for the Duke?
Maggie thought with a heart full of sarcasm.
As the nuns and priests left the cathedral one by one, Maggie walked out. Inside, the choir sang hymns, their innocent voices sounding sacred and ethereal, as if they could purify all evil in the world.
She wasn't worried at all about being able to bring down the Zefneria family this time, so she remained remarkably calm.
Without evidence, everything is for nothing.
Or rather, if this could solve the problem of the Duke, it would save her a lot of trouble.
"Your Highness, the letter from your family has not yet been taken away."
Maggie was still thinking when Yarlin's voice suddenly rang out from behind her.
His voice was quite loud, and it was especially noticeable in the empty church, causing many people to stop and turn to look at him.
They had obviously realized that she was the daughter of the Zefneria family, and coupled with some rumors, many people showed strange expressions.
"Please have it delivered to my room, High Priest."
Maggie didn't stop walking, and didn't even look back, treating Yarlin as a mere errand boy.
It's amazing that he could come up with such a clumsy method.
They want to make her the target of everyone's criticism, without even considering whether she cares.
Maggie walked down the corridor and ran right into Nesser. Nesser winked at her playfully and then dashed to her side.
"Holy Maiden, I've finished what you asked me to do."
Maggie had asked Nesser to take away a private coin belonging to the Zefner family this morning, and it has now appeared on the table in Arlin's room.
"Nesser did a great job."
Maggie smiled and reached out to pat his head.
[Thankfully, elves grow slowly, otherwise, if this adorable Nesser grew into a fully grown elf, I wouldn't be able to pat her head anymore.]
Nesser's smile froze for a moment, a hint of struggle flashing in his eyes.
For the rest of the time, Nesser seemed a bit distracted, which worried Maggie a little. She wondered why he had suddenly become so upset.
"Nesser, what's wrong?"
Maggie is particularly sensitive to changes in people's emotions, and she doesn't want Nesser to keep anything bottled up inside.
"Sister...do you know the relationship between the Elf Mother Tree and the elves?"
Nesser hesitated for a long time before asking in a cautious tone.
"Hmm? I know you were all born from the Elf Mother Tree."
Maggie was somewhat surprised, not expecting Nesser to bring up the matter of the elves.
"Does the elder sister know that after elves reach adulthood, they all have to return to the Elf Mother Tree?"
Nesser continued to ask.
"Huh? Is it some kind of coming-of-age ceremony?"
Maggie sounded surprised, and after a moment's thought, she guessed.
She really didn't know anything about this. The only plot involving the elves in the comics was the Forest God, and since he was already an adult when he appeared, the story didn't cover anything about his adulthood.
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