Chapter 107: Loxiu Bares His Fangs - I Forged Them in Darkness, and They Buried Me in It

Chapter 107: Loxiu Bares His Fangs Maya Empire, Capital. In the inner city lies a grand and imposing cathedral. This is the headquarters of the Papal See and usually serves as the residence of His Holiness the Pope. Since the great war a century ago, His Holiness has remained mostly secluded, residing within the headquarters for recuperation and rarely making public appearances. Deep within the cathedral is a seemingly ordinary, spacious hall. Aside from its vastness, the hall is devoid of decorative items — not even a single table or chair can be found. Only in the center stands a majestic and solemn statue of the Goddess of Holy Light. The statue looks identical to the one in the Livia Church, which is under Loxiu's jurisdiction, except for the twelve massive wings behind it, which are of a starkly different hue. Jet black, mysterious. As if darkness capable of swallowing everything. At this moment, before the statue, a silver-haired, stooped elder clasps his hands together, his expression devout. Muttering softly, he completes his daily prayer, then slowly opens his eyes, his tone ethereal. “Speak, what's the matter?” As his voice echoes in the cavernous hall, a stealthy shadow materializes from the void. As soon as he appears, he kneels on one knee, speaking in a low, respectful voice, “Your Holiness, it's about Lord Loxiu again.” Upon hearing this, the elder's brow subtly creases, and he merely responds with a small acknowledgment. Thus, the shadow continues, “Five days ago, Prince Lance led a squad of outer city guards and stormed into Lord Loxiu's residence, claiming he wanted to assist Lord Loxiu by punishing the witch troubling him.” The shadow surreptitiously glances at the elder’s expression, then meticulously recounts everything that transpired in the manor on that day. The account is so detailed, it's as if he were present in person. After listening quietly, the elder suddenly asks a question. “He didn't discover you?” Upon hearing this, the shadow looks momentarily conflicted but eventually admits, “Lord Loxiu likely did discover me, but he did not expose me then and there.” The elder nods, his expression revealing nothing significant. He continues his inquiry, “Did you see the witch?” The shadow shakes his head, “That door wasn't opened, so I couldn't see what was inside.” Mentioning this, the shadow couldn't help but add, “Your Holiness, if I may speak frankly, Lord Loxiu's actions this time were truly over-the-top. As a priest, how could he commit such an outrageous act?” He hesitates, adding, “Besides, Prince Lance's mental state is very poor now, likely due to the shock he suffered. Even though his body has recovered, his mind occasionally lapses, often leading to him violently attacking the servants…” The elder pauses at his concern, then laughs. “Loxiu will make for a good dog. When raising a dog, especially one that bites, you have to throw it some bones.” As he speaks, the elder shows a hint of curiosity, murmuring, “But... why is he interested in the witch?” Seeing this, the shadow timely reminds, “Your Holiness, despite everything, Lord Loxiu is still a man, and a man in the prime of his life. Having certain peculiar interests is understandable.” The elder shakes his head gently in denial. “No.” The Pope's narrowed eyes wander before finally resting on the towering statue before him. He speaks softly, “Loxiu’s character doesn’t seem like that.” “And there have been no such rumors in the past. The situation requires further verification.” The shadow falls silent but inwardly disagrees. Men, after all, share the same little secrets—how could he not understand? His Holiness may be shrewd and wise, yet in this area, he remains naïve. Unbeknownst to the elder, the shadow harbors these irreverent thoughts. The elder simply ponders a little more before asking, “How many Cardinals are currently stationed in the capital?” Upon hearing the question, the shadow dismisses his miscellaneous thoughts and respectfully answers, “Only Archbishop Jakob, the others are outside the capital.” The elder's eyes twinkle, he instructs, “Send a secret order to recall all the Cardinals outside the capital to return promptly.” “Oh, and besides Loxiu, summon the other two priests here as well, let them come directly to me.” The shadow's heart races slightly at this; his pupils widen briefly, but he dares not ask further, simply nodding in agreement. He harbors a few conjectures. It seems that the Papal See is planning something significant... Shaking his voluminous white robes, the elder then adds, “Moreover, leave Loxiu’s matter for now, let Ixtiya handle it. Tell her to thoroughly investigate what Loxiu's true intentions are.” “I have a feeling… this matter might not be as simple as it seems…” The elder gazes back up at the statue, his expression increasingly puzzled. Loxiu. What exactly are you trying to accomplish? With his orders received, the shadow silently fades into the darkness. The vast hall returns to silence, leaving the elder murmuring to himself. ... ... That evening. Loxiu received two notifications. One was from the Papal See, informing him of a visit, with no mention of the incident where he had harshly beaten Lance a few days prior. It seems the Papal See's stance on the matter is indeed ambiguous; had the public implications not been so negative, they might have even commended Loxiu for it. The fault lies with Lance himself — had his own strength been adequate, if not to rival Loxiu, then at least to put up some resistance, the royal family’s response wouldn't be so feeble. It's akin to two children fighting, with parents silently condoning it. When one side utterly crushes the other, the parents, desiring to make an issue of it, find themselves unable to save face. The second notification was from Anna. After bringing back the two little ‘witches,’ Loxiu had instructed Anna to start preparations immediately. However, what Loxiu required was quite unique, necessitating custom forging and discreet arrangements, which extended the preparation time. It was only today that everything was finally ready. Learning that the preparations were complete, Loxiu led the two girls directly to a certain room. The room was on the second floor, a familiar place to Selina and Eileen. It's the room they hid in during Lance's previous visit. But as Loxiu pushed open the door again, both were stunned by the room's layout. Selina placed a delicate finger on her lips, her mouth forming a small ‘O’ of surprise. Her eyes flickered, blushing as she quickly averted her gaze. Meanwhile, Eileen stood with arms crossed, a smirk that said, “Caught you, you deviant.” She clicked her tongue, her teasingly skeptical tone drifting into Loxiu's ears. “Tsk, as suspected, no matter how well someone hides, they can't help but show their true colors eventually, can they?” For some reason, underneath her facade of disdain, Eileen felt a strange thrill. Perhaps it was the confirmation of her theory—men truly are perverts. The girl stepped into the room, her hand brushing over the cold, gleaming iron tools. The chill of the metal quickened her heartbeat. (Chapter end)