LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 80 Inner Pain: "What do you think of An Su?
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The night was pitch dark, the wind fierce.
Thick clouds piled upon the mountains, the night low-hanging, and the sky's color a dull near-charcoal, the bone-chilling wind bowing the thorny roses on both sides of the mountain path.
Between the leaden night sky and the pale blue of the mountain plains, one could faintly make out an abandoned outpost.
Rosen instinctively tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, slowly adjusting his breathing as he surveyed the surroundings;
He turned to look at Alice, who followed behind him, only to see that the noble lady with her delicate features, too, had paled, her cat-like eyes nervously fixed on the path ahead.
They were cautious, even tense.
The reason was the person they were about to meet.
[Serpent of Pain's Right Hand]
The reputation of the Serpent of Pain's Right Hand had even subtly spread in Seden Town.
Rumors claimed he was a 'Chosen of the Painful Serpent,' watched by the Mother Goddess from birth.
Some said he was the 'Serpent Slayer,' who, according to tales, rose to prominence from behind the mountains of the Esoteric Religion where a Serpent of Pain wreaked havoc, causing the Believers great indignities and despair.
But after the Serpent of Pain's Right Hand slew the beast, life for the Believers flowed smoothly, and he was embraced as their destined leader.
Regardless of the veracity of these rumors, they revealed one thing:
This Serpent of Pain's Right Hand, his methods were terrifying indeed.
Such a powerful second-in-command harboring thoughts of rebellion seemed quite reasonable.
Throughout history, members of the Esoteric Religion defecting to the Order Church have not been rare.
Although recently, Rosen had only irregular contact with the said noble, mainly one-sidedly receiving his letters.
Initially, Rosen was skeptical,
but the information revealed by the Serpent of Pain's Right Hand, upon verification, proved to be accurate sentence by sentence.
Including the composition of the guardhouse staff, the schedule for changing of the guards, the distribution of Magic Eyes, and the approximate layout of the stronghold—all were recorded in detail.
Hence, the meeting today.
Meeting was perhaps an understatement; in truth, they aimed to win over the Serpent of Pain's Right Hand.
Nevertheless, this progress was indeed promising.
If they could establish a connection with the second-in-command of the Esoteric Religion and have him as their inside man, taking down the stronghold would be child's play—at that time, their merits would surpass even those of Ansu Moningsta.
The night grew even denser, the dim moonlight casting a subdued color over everything around.
After passing through several checkpoints manned by the personal guard,
Rosen first laid down the sword secured to his waist, and Alice removed her Magic Wand, ensuring they carried no eavesdropping magical devices, only then were they allowed to pass.
Rosen, observing the personal guard's expressions, felt even more acutely the terror of the Serpent of Pain's Right Hand.
He saw the soldiers' sallow complexions, their pupils as if concealing dark shadows and desires (can't hold back any longer), their bodies slightly bent, muscles throughout their bodies tensed—as if poised for the hunt (leaning forward makes it a bit easier to bear), their souls alight with a certain fervor (Long live leader Ansu).
To have trained unruly Believers of the Painful Esoteric Sect to such a degree, the noble indeed was fearsome.
"Enter," a guard said slowly.
Rosen and Alice entered the wooden cabin, ascended to the second floor, the dim candlelight dragging shadows into long streaks, flickering with the wind.
The moon's light gradually dimmed, and yet the stars in the sky shone ever more brightly,
casting the night anew, as if the canvas of night was unevenly painted and some of the starlight dripped down, landing on the verdant plains, also enveloping the small wooden cabin.
Finally, they encountered the Serpent of Pain's Right Hand.
The noble at this moment had his back to them, bathed in starlight.
He possessed a certain imposing air.
In facing a target with such an air, one must respond with the same gravitas.
This is something the simpletons from the borderlands could never learn.
Alice coughed lightly, and at this moment, it was time to showcase her impeccable social maneuvers; first, she gently lifted her dress's hem, bending her knees slightly, and performed an elegant curtsy with the grace of nobility,
"Your Highness, greetings," she said.
Her lips parted, a clear voice like the chirping of a songbird, neither sycophantic nor aloof.
"You may call me Alice Sean. This is Order Knight Rosen. We are honored to collaborate with you."
The Serpent of Pain's Right Hand paid no heed to Alice's greeting; he still gazed at the starry sky, half of his face enveloped in darkness.
Only members of the same squad could verify each other's identities.
Clearly, having changed his appearance, Rosen and Alice both failed to recognize Ansu.
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In the long, drawn-out silence,
the two waited patiently.
Finally, An Su slowly said, "Actually, I have always been the most loyal follower of the Radiant Goddess."
...you're fucking kidding.
Rosen and Alice thought to themselves.
But since he had spoken in such a manner, they couldn't undermine his dignity; moreover, since he was willing to engage in pleasantries, it indicated that the negotiations held great promise.
"May the Goddess always illuminate your path," Rosen said with solemn reverence, "The Church is fortunate to have such a devout follower as you."
"If you could do some trivial service for the sacred cause," Alice added gracefully, "that would be most ideal."
"What does the Goddess desire?" An Su asked softly.
"If you could disable your stronghold's defenses at eleven-thirty tomorrow night," Rosen lifted his gaze, looking straight at An Su, "that would be the best offering to the Goddess."
An Su did not respond.
Rosen knew what An Su wanted; he took out a charm made of silver from his waist, within which faint glimmers of light flowed,
"This is a High-Rank Magical Tool forged by the Order Church and the Alchemical Church, named 'Law's Forgiveness,'"
Rosen felt a pang of loss, as the item was indeed a treasure, but one must be willing to sacrifice something valuable to capture something even more so.
[Law's Forgiveness]
[High-Rank Magical Tool]
[Able to temporarily erase enmity, lasting five minutes]
Indeed, befitting a student of law,
An Su held the young person's progressive consciousness in high regard.
"It seems the Goddess is quite sincere, isn't she?"
"I've heard there's a guy called An Su amongst you," he added with a clean smile, "What do you think of him?"
Rosen's heart tightened, and Alice also felt a shiver.
Clearly, by saying this, the heart of pain was hinting at something to them.
This past month, An Su had assassinated too many Cultists, likely including the underlings of the heart of pain.
This crude frontiersman had managed to enrage the esteemed one.
"An Su is despicable and shameless,"
Alice quickly distanced herself, her expression of disgust not even feigned, "He's just a vulgar man from the borderlands."
"As an Order Knight, my greatest loathing is reserved for agents of chaos," Rosen followed up, "An Su is clearly a natural-born agent of chaos."
"But he's also from your Church, kind of a comrade, right?" An Su asked with a tilted head and a smile.
"We have never acknowledged him as such."
"Then, if I were to ask you to capture and deliver him to me," An Su's smile grew more tranquil, "you would be willing, yes?"
"Of course," they both thought, sacrificing a borderlander was perfectly in line with the principles of justice and order for the sake of the collective good and the achievements of all saints.
"That's wonderful," An Su said.
"Let us sign the contract now."
Both parties produced a holy contract blessed by the deity, which was among the Holy Relics they had acquired.
No need to sign names.
Instead, they each touched the contract with their spiritual power, leaving a trace of their souls.
Continue your adventure at empire
This was a high-level contract that couldn't be breached.
Rosen's condition was that An Su had to disable the cult's defense Array and assist them from within, with no betrayal permitted.
An Su laid out two conditions,
[One. If information about An Su Moningsta is obtained, he must be captured and killed immediately]
[Two. Never harm or betray an ally]
An Su said with a laugh, a truly joyful expression emanating from within as he rose to shake hands with the two,
"For our great cause, let us work together with sincerity. I trust in our 'friendship'."