One month later, Caster Town, Church Reformatory of South Harbor County.
“lissa, you’ve been very diligent lately. You’ve already taken first place for three consecutive months.” In the study, the head of the reformatory, the gray-haired Sister Tran, held a test paper and smiled approvingly at lissa standing before her.
“It’s all thanks to the Matron’s guidance.” lissa replied with a smile.
“Not just your grades. I feel that after your birthday that day, your overall condition beca much better than when you first arrived.” Tran looked at lissa and suddenly asked, “Did sothing happen to trigger that change?”
During the first few months after lissa arrived, she had been extrely gloomy, often with dark circles under her eyes from poor sleep.
But after a certain day, her condition suddenly improved, and she regained her energy.
Not only that, she began to devote herself unusually to studying. She listened attentively during lessons, asked questions whenever she did not understand sothing, and even spent her rest ti reading borrowed books, looking as if she had resolved to strive forward with determination.
Tran had once been a Disciplinary Officer of the Church Disciplinary Order, responsible for arresting and judging internal Church personnel who violated Church regulations—similar to military police within an army. She had even once served as a Disciplinary Elder on the sa level as an Archbishop. After growing old, she retired and took up a teaching position at this reformatory.
When Aaron had sent lissa—who was connected to the case—to the reformatory, he had specifically sought out Tran and asked her to take care of the girl.
But in reality, even without Aaron’s reminder, Tran would have paid extra attention to lissa. Among the children in the reformatory, having a direct relative who was a Witch was quite rare.
Moreover, judging from this case, both the mother who had beco a Witch and lissa as her daughter were in circumstances worthy of sympathy.
“That day Brother Leon ca to visit . He brought gifts and a cake, talked with about Mother’s recent situation, and passed along a ssage from her. I realized that there were still people who cared about all along. I couldn’t keep going on like this. Otherwise, Mother probably wouldn’t be able to rest easy in the end. So I tried to work a little harder————” lissa answered cautiously.
She rembered everything Leon had instructed her. She had already rehearsed this explanation in her mind.
“Mm, if you can pull yourself together like this, she will certainly feel relieved when she hears about it.” Tran said with a smile.
“Matron, actually I’ve always wanted to ask sothing————” lissa hesitated.
“If you have a question, just ask.” Tran smiled kindly.
“Matron, in the future… will I have a chance to work in the Church?” lissa asked softly.
“You want to work in the Church?” Sister Tran did not seem surprised.
Seeing lissa’s unusual diligence, she had already guessed that lissa might intend to enter the Church.
Among the children in the reformatory, those with excellent grades had a chance to be recomnded to schools of the district Church. Once admitted to such schools, there was a good chance of obtaining a position within the Church.
“Yes,” lissa answered.
“Of course that opportunity exists. Haven’t I told you this often?” Tran smiled.
“But my mother…” lissa said cautiously.
“Your mother being a Witch will not affect you. The fact that you are now in the reformatory itself is a grace of the Church. The Church treats you and the other children equally.” Tran said seriously.
In truth, that statent was not entirely accurate. Strictly speaking, lissa actually received more care than the other children.
However, it was indeed possible for the child of a Witch to enter the Church. Tran had not lied about that.
If a Witch’s child accepted the calling and beca a mber of the Church, it would be a good promotional story in line with the original intention of establishing the reformatory—very suitable for promoting the Church’s positive image.
Moreover, as a forr disciplinary elder of the Church Disciplinary Order, Sister Tran actually knew that not everyone within the Church rejected the existence of Witches—for example, those from the Rose School.
“Have you thought about what you want to do? There are quite a few positions within the Church.” Tran asked with a smile.
“I want to beco an Inquisitor.” When this question ca up, lissa answered without hesitation.
“Why?” This ti Sister Tran was genuinely a little surprised.
Considering Church positions was not strange. After all, working for the Church—even without rank—was already quite respectable for the common people of this country.
But the daughter of a Witch wanting to beco an Inquisitor? It was impossible for Director Tran not to be curious about the reason.
I want to stay by Brother Leon’s side—this was the answer that naturally arose in lissa’s heart.
But of course she could not say that. After thinking it over, she replied:
“I want to understand personally what is truly correct.”
This was not rely an excuse to fool Director Tran; it could also be considered her genuine thought.
As the child of an ordinary family, lissa had once naturally believed in the Church’s claims of its own righteousness and the evil of heresy. Although her family had owed the Church a great deal of money, strictly speaking the Church’s interest rates were already lower than private loans. After encountering an Inquisitor like Leon and also “Bishop Leona,” the Church’s image in her eyes had grown increasingly positive.
However, after learning from Leon that “Bishop Leona,” who had been treating her mother all along, was actually a Witch—and that the one who truly had hope of curing her mother was not the Church’s Holy Water that had pushed them into overwhelming debt, but a Witch’s Magical Potion—her worldview had undergone a trendous upheaval.
Wanting to beco an Inquisitor was not only for Leon’s sake. It was also because she hoped to re-examine the Church and the so-called heretics from the sa perspective as Leon.
In addition, during Leon’s last visit, he had already inford her that Sally had successfully completed the ritual, beco a Witch, and begun treatnt with the dicine—and that the dicine was working quite well.
Now that Sally had beco a real Witch, she was regarded by the Church as a heretic. Even after Leon rescued her, that fact could not be changed.
lissa felt that she should have the ability to protect her mother. She could not always rely entirely on Brother Leon to be the hero.
“So you still have so doubts about how the Church treats heretics?” Director Tran read the seriousness in lissa’s eyes and asked calmly.
“N-No, that’s not what I ant!” lissa beca flustered.
“Don’t be nervous. Any organization can only improve through doubt and correction, and the Church is no exception. Many people within the Church share the sa thoughts as you. I’m glad you were willing to be honest with —it shows that you trust . But outside, do not say such things to others. Do you understand?” Director Tran said slowly.
“I understand, Matron.” lissa relaxed.
“If you truly have that ambition, then with your current montum, the opportunity is quite good. Most people who enter district Church schools tend to beco Priests, Nuns, or Apprentice Knights. The status of a Delegate Officer is not as high as those positions, but the competition is also much less intense. Keep working hard when you go back.” Director Tran smiled and handed the test paper to lissa.
“Thank you, Matron. I’ll take my leave.” lissa accepted the test paper and bowed before departing.
She really is a good child. After watching lissa leave, Director Tran thought to herself.
At the sa ti, in Hal Town, inside a private room at the Deer Antler Hotel, Leon and Bishop Weiss sat facing each other. After the dishes were served, Leon dismissed the waiter and locked the door.
According to the agreent Leon had previously made with Weiss, after Sally had taken the dicine for one month, Weiss would personally visit Hal Town again to examine the effectiveness of the treatnt and bring new dicine.
The results of the examination could be described as expected good news. Although Sally had only taken the dicine for a month, compared with when she used Rena’s dicine, her condition had shown a small but undeniable improvent. The symptoms of internal organ lesions had eased, reaching Weiss’s initial expectations.
This ant that although the dicine developed by Weiss could only be used on Witches, it indeed had the potential to completely cure Saltification Disease.
After the examination, Weiss left the Hal Inquisition prison amid Sally’s constant gratitude. She had originally planned to chat with Leon for a while longer at the Inquisition before leaving, but after thinking it over, Leon felt it was not very safe to talk in the office where Bishop Beckett had once worked. Thus he invited Weiss to dine at a local restaurant as a gesture of hospitality.
Now that he had beco the Director of the Inquisition, he was sowhat a figure of status. If he was to host Bishop Weiss, who had co from afar, he ought to do it properly.
Moreover, after receiving the Magic Mirror from Weiss, they had already contacted each other privately three tis, discussing so academic matters and getting along quite well. Gradually they had beco familiar with one another, so inviting her to share a al did not seem abrupt.
“I offer you a toast, congratulating you on the success of your research.” Leon raised his table wine toward Weiss.
“Thank you.” Weiss calmly lifted her glass in response. After taking a sip, she looked at the dishes on the table. “This restaurant looks quite high-end. It probably isn’t cheap, is it?”
The salary of an Interdiate Inquisitor was not low, but Leon had only taken office for a little over a month. It did not seem like he could casually afford places like this.
“Half a year ago I used a friend’s connection to take over a tavern. I hired soone to run it, and the business unexpectedly turned out quite good.” Leon explained.
“I see.” Weiss said, once again taking out the familiar small black dicine bottle and placing it on the table. “This is the dicine for this round. It can last forty days. The shelf life of this dicine is short and it is difficult to prepare, so please forgive for only providing one course at a ti.”
“On behalf of Mrs. Hesh, I thank you again.” Leon put away the dicine and bowed his head in gratitude.
“Having the effectiveness verified is better than anything else. As for further researching a dicine that ordinary people can also use… that will probably be a long road.” Bishop Weiss said calmly.
“In that case, the next ti we et face-to-face like this will be at least a month later?” Leon asked.
“Not necessarily. In a little over ten days, it will be the Holy Spirit Festival. For the next period of ti, I will stay directly in the Southeastern Major Diocese instead of returning to the research institute.” Weiss said.
“Ah right, Astarte’s Holy Spirit Festival.” Leon rembered.
Astarte had sacrificed himself in the southeastern region, on what was once the land of the Islander Nation. The Southeastern Major Diocese lay northwest of River Valley County. Traveling through the diocese and continuing northeast for so distance would lead to the territory of the Earl Foyle.
“Now that you have a rank, you will certainly attend Church activities during the Holy Spirit Festival that day.” Weiss suddenly thought of sothing. “By the way, did you know that during the Holy Spirit Festival, the Sons and Saintesses of each Church publicly give preaching speeches?”
“This is the first ti I’ve heard of that,” Leon said honestly. “So that ans you also—”
“Yes. This will be my first ti giving a speech during the Holy Spirit Festival.” Weiss replied.
“Then I must definitely co and show my support!” Leon said with a smile.
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