329 Taking Over the Situation
The silence only lasted for a few seconds before the entire temple turned noisy again.

The being inhabiting Floral’s body gently nudged the other party’s head towards her with her foot. She looked at the gradually fading pupils in the other party’s eyes and said with interest, “Interesting. Killing him actually makes me feel a little suffocated… It seems that this fellow is a rather important subordinate to the original body? He can even be said to be a companion? Killing one of the few people she can trust with her own hands is an incredible tragedy.”

Other than Garet, who had fallen silently to the ground with dark red blood spreading around him, everything in the temple was normal, as if what had just happened was an illusion.

“Floral” took a few steps back to avoid the blood flowing towards her. Then, she looked up at Remides, who was still guarding the temple door.

Remides held the Glazed Moon in her hand, and even though she didn’t use a special enchanted arrow from her quiver, the lethality of the fully charged air arrow couldn’t be underestimated.

!!
Despite the imminent threat, “Floral” only smiled and asked, “You wouldn’t mind such a trivial matter if I left now, would you?”

Remides kept the bowstring taut. After a moment of silence, she responded without changing her tone, “If you scram now.”

“Floral” raised her head and laughed mockingly. After bowing to Remides, Floral pulled the archbishop of the Second Order and brushed past the Ava State sovereign, ignoring the bowstring that was ready to fire. She swaggered out of the Canopy Temple.

As they left the Canopy Temple, Nizemar felt the heavy pressure dissipate.

Regaining control of her body, Nizemar rushed to Garet, who lay on the ground. She helped the Holy Tree Duke’s most trusted clerk up, and her hand lit up with emerald-green light.

But the moment her lit Hand of Healing touched the strange wound on Garet’s body, pitch-black smoke surged out of the wound. Countless sharp, tiny inverted holes pierced through his body, and black blood gushed out.

Trying to stop the sudden appearance of barbs from causing further damage, a fair hand stopped Nizemar’s futile attempts.

She looked up. Remides, who had been at the temple door, had arrived beside her.

“This person is already dead.”

Remides calmly judged.

Although “Floral” left only a wound on the other party’s abdomen that barely sliced through his flesh, the black smoke on the weapon seeped deep into Garet’s body. It condensed into countless sharp blades and spikes in his abdominal cavity, instantly slicing and piercing through his soft organs.

“When fighting Lunar Monsters under the Whispering Empress, you have to pay special attention to such things. If your defense isn’t adequate, a tiny wound will be fatal,”

Remides didn’t comfort her or express any excessive emotions. She spoke of her experience in dealing with specific Lunar Monsters and spoke calmly as if reciting a ceasefire notice.
“The Whispering Empress’s Lunar Monster?” Nizemar repeated, looking up at the calm eyes that could reflect her reflection.

“The Demon General, Silence, under the Whispering Empress, or at least an entity that has obtained Silence’s power, is probably occupying Floral’s body now. After all, it’s strange that it can speak. Even if Silence is contracted through Currere, its contractor can’t make a sound…”

As she spoke, Nizemar turned around and walked to the altar in the middle of the temple.

“Madam Remides!”

Remides didn’t turn around or slow down. She only responded with a soft “Mmm?”.

“As a high-level Lunar Monster is occupying the Holy Tree Duke’s body, why didn’t you stop it from leaving? It took away one of the Presiding Judge’s allies and killed another,” Nizemar asked.

Remides had arrived in front of the altar and was carefully observing the complicated magic spells with the soul box as the core. She replied indifferently, “I won’t do something that isn’t cost-effective.”

Nizemar bit her lower lip slightly upon hearing this answer.

Perhaps it was the hostile propaganda of the empire that inundated her since she was little or the fact that Remides couldn’t let go of her secular authority in Ava State compared to serving the Holy Spirit, but Nizemar found it difficult to have a good impression of this former Ranger.

Coupled with Remides’ aloof attitude towards the death of an ally and her compromise with a Lunar Monster, an urge rose uncontrollably in Nizemar’s chest, making her want to say something.

Summoning her courage, she asked, “Why isn’t it cost-effective? Is it because you can’t defeat the other party?”

Or is it because you care more about your safety than the Presiding Judge’s principle of eliminating Lunar Monsters?

Nizemar forced herself not to say the second half of her sentence.

Remides stopped what she was doing and turned her head to glance at the young believer behind her.

“No, I’m slightly stronger. If it believed it could defeat me, no one in the entire temple would have survived,” Remides replied calmly.

“Then why did you…”

“Being stronger than it doesn’t mean I can kill it.”

Returning her gaze to the magic spells engraved on the altar, Remides expected Nizemar’s next question.

“Someone else can kill it completely. The most I can do is banish it back to the Moon Realm. It’s not worth getting seriously injured for its banishment. Moreover, if we fight without holding back, no one in the entire temple, including you, will survive the aftershocks of the battle.

“Do you have any other questions?”

Although it appeared to absolve her mistake, Nizemar couldn’t help but feel Remides was telling the truth when she heard her tone. Despite her prejudice against the Shadow Queen, it seemed like Remides was stating an unproven axiom.

However, she couldn’t imagine what kind of scene that would be. She had never seen a Demon General-level Lunar Monster, and other than Holy Spirit Kane, she had only heard exaggerated rumors about the strength of a Divine Realm powerhouse at full strength.

Even the most exaggerated rumors didn’t seem capable of killing everyone via the aftershocks.

With the Presiding Judge’s help, she had successfully reached the strength of a Master. She would be considered capable of handling matters alone back in the Eighth Order.

And under the aftershocks of the Divine Realm powerhouses’ full-powered battle, they couldn’t even escape?

“Then what do we need to do next?”

Nizemar felt guilty for her presumptuous words and immediately changed the topic.

“Contact William, who’s stuck in another timeline, and figure out why Silence and the Holy Spirits Church want Floral Kane’s body so badly. We have to protect this place before the Presiding Judge gets back. Also try to stabilize things in Holy Tree City if possible,” Remides replied without hesitation.

“Seeing how Silence didn’t go all out to kill me, it’s probably because Floral’s body is crucial to them, or they think William won’t be able to make it back for some reason. Most likely both.

“We need to figure out what makes Floral’s body so special. And since Silence thinks the Void Sovereign’s traps on the other side will keep William there, well, I reckon he’ll break free and pay them back double.”