"Sister Sharon?" Syl stood up and waved in Sharon's direction, "Welcome back."
"Ha, I'm back," Sharon took off her Pope's hat and hung it casually on the coat rack by the door, smiling as she spoke, "Meetings are truly a hassle; those old men felt like they were about to start strangling each other."
"Oh..." Syl nodded thoughtfully.
It seemed the Popes of this world were indeed much like she imagined—all elderly people.
Someone like Sharon, who looked so young, should be considered quite special.
Seeing Syl's somewhat bewildered look, Sharon smiled and said, "But they are usually quite amiable. I can introduce you to them when you have time."
"No need, no need." Syl quickly waved her hands and said awkwardly, "We probably wouldn't have much to talk about."
"That's true; they're all just old men." Sharon nodded, then beckoned to Syl. As Syl walked up to her, she smiled and said, "Come, let me see how well you've digested your Holy Medicine."
After Syl walked up to Sharon, Sharon reached out a finger and pressed it against Syl's brow.
Instantly, Syl felt as if an invisible hand had swept across her entire body, and she couldn't help but shudder.
"Hmm... Not bad! Excellent! Hahaha..." Sharon seemed to sense Syl's progress. Beaming with joy, she withdrew her right hand and continued, "You're already ready to drink the next stage of the Holy Medicine."
"If there are no adverse reactions, the [lamb] should be completely digested. You can drink the first stage of the [Ascetic] Holy Medicine directly tonight."
"Aishala, go help fetch the medicine... quickly."
Sharon grinned as she directed Aishala. Her happy expression made Syl feel as though it wasn't herself who was advancing, but Sharon.
However, Sharon's overly intimate attitude made Syl's hair stand on end.
Especially after what Syl had just heard from Aishala—that it was best not to continue taking the Holy Medicine for now... Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong.
Syl turned her head slightly to look at Aishala, but Aishala had already put on her hood, and Syl couldn't see her expression.
Meanwhile, Sharon stood before her with a warm smile, looking at Syl with eyes filled with endless kindness.
Who... who was lying?
Was it Archbishop Aishala? She didn't want me to drink the medicine and advance so quickly... but why?
Was it Pope Sharon? She wanted me to drink the medicine and advance quickly... and why was that?
Syl took a small breath, pursed her lips, and forced a natural-looking smile. She nodded and said:
"Okay."
Suddenly, Syl remembered what the system had said when she took the first stage of the [lamb] Holy Medicine.
It was fine to drink the medicine, but just don't advance too high.
If I advance too high... what will happen?
Pope Sharon wants me to advance quickly... Sharon?
Looking at the beaming Sharon before her, Syl felt her lips grow slightly dry.
Influenced by the system's warning and combined with the past few days of interaction, Syl's heart leaned toward believing Aishala's words.
But now, Aishala had already obeyed the order and was walking out the door, seemingly to get the medicine. With Sharon standing right in front of her, it was impossible to ask Aishala anything now.
Syl had never felt so powerless, not even when she first faced the magician Andaman or when she faced The Witch of Ruin, Vivian.
This wasn't a sudden encounter; it felt like she had fallen into an invisible web from the very beginning. The sensation was suffocating.
If not for the system's reminder or Aishala's words just now, Syl might have continued to believe there was nothing wrong with the Church of Hope, even thinking Sharon was a gentle and easy-to-talk-to older sister.
But now, perhaps because of her suspicion, that smile seemed somewhat eerie to Syl.
"Unfortunately, the moment that mark was branded on your hand, you could no longer leave."
With no particular expression on her face, Syl silently asked in her mind: "Can't leave? Can I be tracked even if I transform? What exactly is the Church of Hope going to do to me?"
"People stuck at a certain rank whose lifespan is nearly exhausted won't care about the means of advancement; they only pursue the result."
"Currently, you indeed have no power to resist, but there is no danger for now. Complete your tasks well and gain enough strength, and you will no longer fear variables."
"No danger for now... but no power to resist?" Syl asked silently in her mind. "Is it that there will be problems once I reach a certain rank? Which rank is it?"
"You must be prepared before the Fourth Rank."
"After all, the people of this world are all stuck at the Fifth Rank."
Syl engraved the system's words into her heart.
The hint given by the system was very clear: before the Fourth Rank, she could happily level up under the protection of the Church. But after the Fourth Rank, something bad would happen.
The demon would reveal its claws and fangs.
"It's not like the Saintesses of this world are all used for sacrifice, right? Maybe it's not something life-threatening," Syl joked bitterly in her mind, waiting for the system to mock her.
This time, however, the system only replied with a string of characters.
"..."
Syl: "?"
"Good guess."
Syl: "..."
Syl took a deep breath and decided not to continue bickering with the system. If she kept going, she felt her heart might not be able to take it.
"What have you been doing lately? Your speed of advancement has exceeded my imagination... Let's sit and chat. I heard you went to the Ivisa District?" Sharon asked with a smile as she sat down in a chair by the round table.
"Yes, I felt the people in the Ivisa District needed help... but it seems the Ivisa District hasn't been very peaceful lately," Syl replied fluently, trying her best not to let any other emotions show.
"Hmm... Ibiza is indeed a good place to digest Holy Medicine. All three stages of my first bottle of Holy Medicine were digested in the Ivisa District." Sharon nodded, seemingly ignoring Syl's last sentence entirely.
This also gave Syl some information. Sharon didn't care about what was happening in the Ivisa District; she had simply sent someone to find out where Syl had been hanging out recently.
"Knock, knock, knock—"
Just as Sharon was about to ask something, there was a sudden knock at the door.
"Perhaps your Holy Medicine has arrived," Sharon turned back with a smile and said, "Please come in, Aishala."
The door slowly opened, and it was indeed Aishala who entered, but she didn't have any Holy Medicine in her hands.
Before Sharon could frown, she saw two people following behind Aishala.
One was a short-haired girl wearing a black coat, a black shawl, and a top hat. The other was Jane, wearing a black coat and a gray runic cloak.
It was Vera and Jane.
"Hi... little Syl." Jane's expression was a bit awkward as she weakly raised her hand to greet Syl.
"Uh... your friends, right? I remember they're from the Wisdom and Justice side? Hmm... it's fine, you guys chat." A trace of disappointment flashed imperceptibly in Sharon's eyes as she stood up with a smile. "Then I'll leave the time to you youngsters."
"Pope Sharon." As Sharon passed by Jane, both Jane and Vera respectfully greeted her, and Sharon returned the smile.
Aishala had also left the room at some point, leaving only Jane and Vera at the doorway.
Only after Sharon and Aishala had both left the room did Syl's expression relax slightly.
Although she knew Jane might have brought her some trouble, in this situation, Jane had essentially saved her life.
At least it gave her some room to think.
"Little Syl, I really didn't sell you out," Jane said with a long face as soon as she saw Sharon and Aishala leave. "That little brat Vera, she played me."
"Vera?" Syl looked at the girl beside Jane with some curiosity.