Only God
Chapter 389 - 344 Have You Ever Thought About Becoming the Emperor?

Chapter 389: Chapter 344 Have You Ever Thought About Becoming the Emperor?

When Anos awoke, it was already the afternoon, and she felt a bit hungry. The Chief Steward had long since ordered the cooks to prepare a meal for the Princess.

Blood pudding, fried beans, herbed pan-seared fish, and soft white bread—Anos enjoyed these foods, and the weariness of yesterday slowly dissipated during her meal.

Mira had eaten at noon and was sitting beside, quietly waiting for Anos to finish.

"Anos, did you find out anything from the interrogation?"

After the Princess finished her meal, Mira asked in a timely manner.

Anos wiped her lips with the cotton napkin and lowered her eyes, speaking slowly,

"That heretical cult... they claim to be the Primordial Church. They believe that only the knowledge they possess, the scriptures they understand, and the God they reverence are the true Divine.

And what the Church venerates is not the true face of God; they think the Church does not comprehend God and even misinterprets His true will."

Mira was quite surprised.

Although she knew that the Danschel Church had various theologies that contradicted the facts, this was her first time knowing about a heretical cult that completely negated the Church.

"Mira, some heretics exist solely to oppose everything the Church stands for. Such heretics are rare, but they do exist,"

As she said this, Anos playfully bit her fingertip and said,

"However, it’s my first time encountering a heretic who denies Solamus.

This kind of heresy... truly piques my interest."

Mira looked at Anos curiously,

"Aren’t you a Princess? Why would you be interested in heretics?"

Faced with the girl’s question, Anos shook her head with a wry smile.

"Mira, I’ve never taken faith that seriously. Never have."

Mira nodded slightly, feeling somewhat surprised, yet it also seemed unsurprising to her.

She had noticed early on that when others sincerely said things like "Thank God’s grace" to Anos, her response was always to slightly lower her eyes and give an elegant, yet mechanical reply.

If not taken seriously, then so be it. It’s not as if she doesn’t believe.

That’s what Mira thought.

If this girl knew that Anos was not just indifferent but an unbeliever, it would be more than enough to sadden her.

"I interrogated that living dead person. According to her, she came into contact with the Primordial Church unintentionally. Their interaction with her was not much, just providing her, who was eventually destined to return to the ancient woods and face judgment, with the chance to remain in the Mortal World.

Then, she murdered the entire family of Priest Prey, except for Prey himself, who managed to escape the disaster by hiding in the wardrobe."

"What about Priest Prey’s relationship with the Primordial Church?"

"According to Alice, during mass, Priest Prey would often recite the original three scriptures and avoid talking about the ’Book of Thousand-Year-Old Prophets.’ Perhaps, he was a member of the Primordial Church from early on.

Originally, we might have been able to get some information from the Priest, but now... Prey is dead, and according to the Night Watchman, it was suicide."

When she said this, a cold smirk appeared on Anos’s lips.

Making someone "commit suicide"... was undoubtedly the best way to sever a lead.

"Judging by the age of the crypt’s construction, it seems to have been in existence for five hundred years. And considering they were able to bewitch a Priest, they might have deeply infiltrated the bones of this Imperial City.

So, how have they evaded investigation all this time?"

As Mira listened to Anos’s account, she then said,

"Is someone shielding them?"

Anos nodded, and as the Princess of the Empire, she would not overlook anyone seeking to shake the throne of the Delos Family.

"During the interrogation, Alice mentioned the Stone Mason Guild; Priest Prey occasionally received commissions from the Stone Mason Guild... I think, a trade guild with influence spanning the entire Empire, has the capacity to shelter a heretic cult."

Among the Three-eyed Ape People, humans, dwarves, and other races, stone masons hold a relatively high status. Their craftsmanship is passed down from generation to generation and is never divulged to outsiders. Those magnificent sacred sites that communicate with the divine are all crafted by their hands. Thus, stone masons are often respected and even called "Monks among the common folk."

"So, our next step is to investigate the Stone Mason Guild?" Mira said excitedly.

"Yes, Mira. What we can be sure of is that Father Prey is merely a small piece of the Primordial Church’s game, and there still remain many mysteries surrounding them." Anos stood up from her chair; it was time for them to leave the Imperial Palace.

Just as they were about to depart, the hurried footsteps of the Chief Steward echoed in the corridor. Moments later, the steward appeared before the two of them and bowed, saying,

"Your Highness... Prince Laslo wishes to see you."

Mira looked at Anos with a puzzled expression, only to see the princess narrow her eyes slightly, her face showing indifference.

"The future co-ruling Emperor wants to see me? Grand Steward Romannus, I don’t think that’s necessary."

The face of Grand Steward Romannus stiffened; he seemed to be in a difficult position.

Anos, taking Mira by the hand, walked past the Grand Steward.

Before long, the figure of the steward grew smaller and smaller behind them as Anos and Mira took steps away from the Imperial Palace, heading back to the streets near the Thousand Cities Academy.

On their way, Mira asked,

"What’s this all about? Future co-ruling Emperor? Does that mean... your father’s future heir?"

Anos’s pace involuntarily slowed down.

After a moment, the princess nodded reluctantly,

"That is my half-brother from the same father. After my mother passed away, my father, for political reasons, wed the new queen."

"Anos, do you dislike Laslo?"

"Heh... Mira, what you’re inquiring about is the Empire’s secret."

Anos said in a low voice, a faint smile on her face.

"I just want to ask."

Mira shook Anos’s arm as she spoke.

She could tell that Anos would share with her.

Sure enough, as expected, the princess hesitated for a moment and then spoke softly,

"As long as you won’t tell anyone...

Mira, I indeed dislike Laslo.

The union of my father and his mother was essentially an alliance of two powerful families working together to usurp the throne.

Laslo’s mother is from the esteemed Danschel Family, that is, the family of King Phil, and Laslo spent most of his life within the Danschel Family."

With that, Anos exhaled and said,

"Do you understand, Mira? He is not from the same family as I am.

On my shoulders lies the heavy duty of upholding the Delos Family’s imperial succession."

Mira nodded somewhat understandingly; she knew that mortals placed great importance on family bloodlines, but she didn’t quite grasp the extent of the rifts that could exist between families.

Suddenly, Mira thought of something,

and by then, they had reached the door of their home.

Lifting her head, Mira asked abruptly,

"So... Anos, have you ever thought about becoming the Emperor?"