Catherine rode a white horse, her red cloak and red hair flowing in the wind like a fiercely burning flame.
The killing intent radiating from her made the surrounding space colder and more somber.
Thump!
A terrifying pressure slammed down on the shoulders of all the believers, including Viviane.
The children were so frightened they couldn't make a sound, but tears streamed endlessly down their faces.
Some children even fainted from Catherine's pressure.
Viviane's state was even more miserable because the pressure emanating from Catherine was focused entirely on her.
Thud!
Viviane, who had been sitting, was forced down until she was lying flat on the ground.
She gritted her teeth, her hands clawing at the ground as she tried to lift her body.
However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get up, as the pressure felt like a mountain pressing down on her back.
Clip-clop! Clip-clop!
The sound of horse hooves on the ground echoed through the quiet space.
Catherine's eyes, filled with rage and a cold killing intent, swept over everyone present like two sharp swords before finally settling on Viviane.
Sitting atop her horse, the pressure she exuded was more terrifying than that of an elite army, causing everyone to tremble violently.
"Saintess Viviane, by what right do you judge me?" Catherine said, her voice cold and heavy.
"You..." Viviane gritted her teeth. She wanted to say something but couldn't.
Catherine snorted. "Hmph! My son was assassinated by your believer. I need a suitable explanation."
"If not..."
Clang!
Before Catherine could finish, she drew her sword and pointed it at Viviane.
The sharp sword reflected the sunlight, making Viviane tremble in fear.
"You... what are you planning to do?" Viviane stammered. "I'm warning you, I... I am a Saintess of the Church. If you dare harm me, the Church will... will..."
"Ah! The Church will do what?" Catherine raised an eyebrow, her gaze filled with contempt for Viviane. "You assassinate my Prince, I kill you. Very fair."
"The Church has many Saintesses. Do you think... they... would avenge a minor Saintess like you by coming after me?"
"You're insane..." Viviane shuddered, a chill running down her spine, sweat pouring out as she listened to Catherine's murderous words. "The Church... they... they will protect me... because I... because I am..."
"Enough!" Catherine shouted, startling Viviane. "You yourself know very well what I'm saying. Why do you need to blindly believe in the Church?"
"I truly want to kill all of you, turn this wretched place into a pit, throw you all in, and burn you to ashes."
Her hate-filled voice made the believers tremble.
The women clutched their children tightly, while others could only bow their heads, clasping their hands in desperate prayer, hoping for some miracle.
Viviane gritted her teeth, her eyes a mixture of fear and hatred as she looked at Catherine. "If you dare kill my believers... I will..."
"Ah! You'll do what?" Catherine raised an eyebrow, signaling to a nearby knight.
The knight drew a slender sword and tossed it toward Viviane.
Clang!
The tip of the sword stuck into the ground, leaving it standing upright before her.
Catherine's mocking voice rang out, "I'll give you a chance. Try to do what you think you can."
"If not, I will kill one of your believers every three seconds."
"You..." Viviane shouted in anger. However, before her voice could fully ring out, another sound cut in.
"AGH!"
"What?!" The scream startled Viviane. She looked toward the source of the sound and saw a man whose throat had been slit by a knight, fresh blood spraying out like a fountain.
The man gaped as if trying to breathe, his hands clutching the gash, but fresh blood still poured out.
He collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide with unwillingness and hatred, staring at Viviane before... dying.
"No... it can't be." Viviane's lips stammered, her body trembling violently, not knowing what to say.
Everything happened too suddenly. In just a second, another person was dead, right in front of her.
"One..." Catherine began to count.
"Two..."
"No! Catherine, you're insane," Viviane screamed, tears streaming down her face, which was filled with extreme indignation.
Her beautiful face was now contorted into a ferocious, grotesque mask.
"Three..." Catherine ignored Viviane's words and continued counting.
Her voice rang out like a death knell.
A knight immediately approached the group of believers, reached out, and grabbed a woman by the hair, dragging her out of the crowd.
"Let me go! You bastard!"
"Saintess! Save me!"
The woman screamed and struggled violently, her tear-filled eyes looking toward Viviane as if pleading for salvation.
But Viviane could only sit there, trembling as she watched the woman being dragged away.
"Let her go!" Just then, a man suddenly rushed toward the knight, swinging a fist at him.
BAM!
The fist met the helmet. It didn't hurt the knight at all; on the contrary, the man's fist was now bleeding.
"You bastard! Let my wife go... I'll..."
Whoosh!
"Ack!"
The man's voice was instantly cut off, replaced by the sound of something tearing.
The man slowly looked down and saw a sword piercing through his chest. Fresh blood began to pour out, soaking his shirt.
He looked up at the knight, then back at his wife.
His eyes were filled with astonishment and confusion, and then...
Thud!
The man fell to the ground, unable to close his eyes even in death.
"No!!! You bastards! Murderers! The gods will punish you!" Seeing her husband killed, the woman's eyes turned bloodshot as if about to burst, and tears streamed down like rain.
She struggled even more violently, letting out a torrent of vile curses, as if her mouth were spewing filth.
The knight seemed devoid of any emotion. He raised the sword that had just killed the woman's husband, and then...
"No!" Viviane, seeming to have regained her courage, immediately shouted, "Stop! Stop!!!"
Whoosh!
However, the knight paid no heed to Viviane's words. The sharp blade slid across the woman's neck, and fresh blood splattered everywhere.
Thud!
The woman collapsed to the ground, but her eyes were fixed on Viviane, filled with hatred.
Those eyes seemed to say... it was because of Viviane that she and her husband had died here.
Viviane trembled, her body devoid of strength, almost collapsing to the ground.
Fortunately, her maid supported her, helping her stay on her feet.
"One..." Catherine began to count again.
Viviane clenched her jaw so tightly it made a grinding sound. Her fists were clenched, her nails digging into her palms and drawing blood.
She picked up the sword and pointed it at Catherine, her face contorted with rage, her hateful voice ringing out, "Catherine! You..."
"Mother!" Suddenly, a voice cut through the air, interrupting Viviane.
From a distance, a horse galloped swiftly in their direction. On its back was an incredibly handsome, golden-haired young man, looking like a statue crafted by the most talented of artisans.
However, his face was now as pale as an anemic patient's, his lips were dry and chapped, and his eyes were bloodshot.
He was panting as if enduring some terrible pressure, and blood continuously seeped from the bandaged wound on his shoulder, soaking his white shirt, making for a truly tragic sight.
This image startled Catherine, bringing her to the verge of tears.
Yes, it was Lathel.
Catherine, casting aside her image as a queen, hastily dismounted and rushed towards Lathel.
She gently stopped the horse Lathel was riding and pulled him into her arms. "What are you doing here? Your wound..."
"Mother... stop, that's enough," Lathel said, panting. His voice was weak, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "They are all innocent people."
"Innocent?" Catherine gritted her teeth. "Lathel, they are fools. They don't recognize your kindness."
"If it weren't for your luck, how could you possibly still be alive?"
"I can't rest easy letting them live. I don't know what terrible thing they'll do next. They even tried to assassinate you; what won't they dare to do?"
Hearing Catherine's words, the crowd bowed their heads, their hearts filled with terror.
However, they still glanced towards Lathel, hoping for his mercy.
Lathel sighed and said, "Mother, they are merely innocent believers. The truly guilty ones are those behind them."
"So what if you kill everyone here? The Church will still exist, and they'll just create more believers."
Hearing this, Catherine gritted her teeth, her hands clenched so tightly they turned white.
"Mother..." Lathel gently patted the back of Catherine's hand, reassuring her. "It's enough to stop here. Don't continue."
Catherine looked into Lathel's bright, clear eyes, saw the kindness within them, and let out a sigh.
She looked at the believers and Viviane, then frowned and shouted, "Starting tomorrow, the Church is forbidden from operating. That is my final line. Anyone who defies this... will be killed!"