Chapter 219: Helplessness
Flamme's expression turned serious.
She took out her wand. Although her magic had not fully recovered, she still had enough to cast a flight spell.
Ayla, on the other hand, showed no fear and seemed even eager to fight the guards. She hadn't expended much magic power in the battle just now, and dealing with these guards, even if there were ten times as many, would be no problem; the only real trouble would be with the clergy within the temple.
The air was thick with tension. A battle could break out at any moment.
At that moment, an aged voice suddenly rang out from deep within the temple gates.
"Stop!"
The sound seemed to possess a strange magic, causing all the guards to halt in their tracks. They instinctively turned to look in the direction of the voice.
An elderly man dressed in a simple white robe emerged from the temple's depths, accompanied by two young clergymen, the bishop of this temple, Cassalius.
The bishop's gaze swept calmly over the tense guards, then fell on Flamme and Ayla, who were surrounded in the center. Finally, his gaze settled on the unconscious Frieren behind Flamme. A flicker of emotion crossed his eyes when he saw the bloodstains on her abdomen.
"Put down your weapons," Bishop Cassalius commanded.
The captain of the guards looked troubled: "But Your Excellency, they attacked the guards, attempting to force their way in..."
"I said, put down your weapons." The bishop's tone remained calm, but the weight it carried sent a chill down the guard captain's spine. He dared not hesitate any longer.
"Yes, Your Excellency!" the captain replied quickly, issuing the order immediately.
The encirclement broke up instantly. Although the guards still kept a watchful eye on Ayla and Flamme, they lowered their weapons.
The bishop came to Frieren's side. He moved past the alert Ayla without hesitation and reached out his hand, hovering it above Frieren's wound. A soft light began to appear beneath his palm.
"It's useless," Ayla said coldly. "Ordinary healing magic won't work. Otherwise, we would have healed ourselves long ago."
The bishop ignored her and, after a moment of confirmation that his healing magic was indeed ineffective, asked with a serious expression: "Can you tell me why this elven girl is so badly injured?"
He did not ask why they had forced their way into the temple; perhaps he already understood everything when he saw the injured Frieren.
As Flamme looked at the peaceful old man before her, she felt the pure light emanating from him, unlike the cold guards she had encountered. She immediately gave a brief account of what had happened, mentioning the demon general Balzac.
Ayla stood warily to the side, her eyes fixed on the bishop, awaiting his decision.
Bishop Cassalius listened quietly to Flamme's explanation, his gaze returning to Frieren's wound. During the attempted treatment, he naturally sensed the dark power deep within, a force so strong that even he was alarmed.
A moment of silence followed.
Everyone awaited his answer.
Finally, Bishop Cassalius made his decision.
"Where the goddess's light shines, every life has its value. Regardless of race or faith, no one should stand by and watch someone die." He turned to the guard captain: "Bring this elven girl in, along with the other two."
The captain hesitated briefly, then accepted: "Yes, Your Excellency!"
Flamme's tense nerves finally relaxed at this moment.
"Thank you," she said sincerely to the old bishop.
Even Ayla temporarily sheathed her sharp edge, offering a hint of apology: "I apologize."
Bishop Cassalius nodded slightly. "It's alright. I understand your feelings. Saving lives is what believers of the Goddess should do. But..."
His tone became very serious. "This force is extraordinary, and even I am not entirely confident. You should be prepared for the worst."
Having said that, he turned and walked into the temple. Flamme and Ayla hurried to follow, but the hope that had just been ignited in their hearts was already overshadowed by the bishop's warning words.
The Temple's Healing Center.
Frieren was placed on a stone platform. After carefully examining her wounds, Bishop Cassalius's expression became extremely solemn. He began casting the highest level of holy magic available to him.
His palm hovered above Frieren's wound, his magic surging visibly through the air. A ball of milky-white holy light, dozens of times more concentrated than the one Flamme had previously cast, condensed in his palm.
Holy light slowly poured down, enveloping Frieren's entire body. The moment it came into contact with the wound, it made a "sizzling" sound as the two opposing forces met.
The black energy at the wound seemed to have a life of its own. It began to surge and resist wildly, even attempting to counterattack against the pure light.
Upon seeing this, the bishop's expression changed drastically. He gritted his teeth and continued casting, refusing to relent.
Time passed second by second. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, indicating that he had expended tremendous energy. Yet although the dark energy at Frieren's wound was suppressed and the wound itself began to heal, a dark aura still lingered beneath her skin, deep near the core of her internal organs.
Like roots taking hold, it was weakened and suppressed under the holy light's influence, but it could never be completely eradicated.
A dozen minutes later, Bishop Cassalius slowly withdrew his hand. The light emanating from Frieren's body dissipated.
"Well..." He sighed wearily, looking at Frieren's still-pale face. He shook his head, his eyes filled with deep fear and helplessness.
"I apologize, you two," the bishop said, turning to face Flamme and Ayla. "The dark power afflicting this young lady is far too strong and bizarre. I have never encountered such a corrupting force in my life."
He paused, choosing his next words carefully. "Although the highest level of holy magic can temporarily suppress and slow its spread, it cannot be completely eradicated. Unless someone were to continuously cast holy magic, which is only a temporary solution."
His voice grew quieter, heavier. "Her life force is still being slowly eroded. She probably won't last more than three days."
"Just three days?" Flamme's voice trembled as she looked at Frieren's face, which was as calm as if she were sleeping.
A strong sense of resentment welled up within her. Even the bishops of the Human Temple are powerless?!
Sigh...Ayla sighed softly. In the end, they were still unable to do anything.
Seeing the two of them looking conflicted, the bishop shook his head and abandoned what he had initially wanted to say.
Theoretically, if one encountered such an unknown dark force, the best decision would be to leave it in the temple for research purposes. Given the pace of human progress in magic, within a few hundred years, magic capable of countering this dark power might be created.
However, considering Ayla's previous actions, the old bishop abandoned the idea entirely.
[End of Chapter]
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