The Matriarch of Migotir Dark Church

Ali-Baba was filled with dread after realizing that his assailant was none other than Count Monte, the most powerful mystic and patriarch of the Manroe family.

Count Monte Manroe's reputation for ruthlessness preceded him. His cruelty was remarkable even by the murky standards of the ancient families that dominated the Eastern Continent.

He was well known for his policy of exterminating adversaries remorselessly regardless of whether they were ants, women, or the elderly.

When Ali-Baba decided to stay back and create a chance for the others to get away, he was counting on being spared death and taken captive as a valuable hostage owing to his status as captain in the 'Gaia Trading Union'.

It was not uncommon on Gaia for influential people to be taken captive instead of being killed out of hand. They made valuable hostages that could be ransomed off or used to gain political advantage by controlling someone under the threat of their loved-ones being hurt.

Most powerful mystics in Gaia would be reluctant to kill a high-profile enemy that could prove to be a useful hostage.

One also had to consider the fact that there were relatively few mystics powerful enough to participate in protecting Gaia against the routine incursions of their terrifying colonialists. The Gaian civilization had developed strong solidarity to free themselves of the colonialists' clutches.

So, unless the enmity was irreconcilable, no organization or its members would go around killing fellow powerful mystics without a care for the consequences.

But there existed outliers in everything, exceptions that 'proved the rule'…

Count Monte did not even bother to look at Ali-Baba, who had been blasted several paces back by his attack spell. He was more concerned with pointing out the mistakes Miss Fox had made during her short confrontation with Ali-Baba.

"What were you thinking of getting within the reach of a close-combat game? Do you think a real battle is anything like the sparring you've been doing at the academy?" Count Monte shouted at Miss Fox expressing his anger and disappointment.

"There is no chit-chat in battle. You're supposed to attack when you have the upper hand. As long as your enemy is eliminated, no one will care whether you ambushed them or faced them honorably. The result is what matters not the process…Why would you first taunt your enemy before attacking?"

"I am sorry." Miss Fox mumbled in reply. The lady-beast duo had lost all their decorum. They were truly intimidated by the ruthless patriarch of the Manroe family.

"Okay, let's go after the others. Finish off that shrimp. I don't want to honor this filth with death by my hand." Count Monte instructed, his voice returning to its tranquil state.

Before Miss Fox could reply, another voice interrupted their actions…

"Did I just hear someone order the killing of a captain of the Gaia Trading Union under my watch?" A new female voice appeared in the forest.

"Indeed. These Manroe old ghosts are becoming more and more unbridled. Do they now think the Savage Forest is part of Melekar City?" Another second voice replied.

"Old ghost Monte! You are in breach of the terms of our treaty once again. Would you like it if I joined forces with the others and finished off your vile family?" The first voice questioned.

"Hrrrrrrrmph…."

"Old hag Bianca! I can recognize your ugly voice even when you're still miles away. Stop putting on airs and give me a valid reason to spare this shrimp and not hunt down the mice that have just gotten away." Count Monte bellowed without any fear.

Very soon, two women appeared at the scene of the fight. They were dressed like nuns in black religious-habits that entirely cloaked their bodies. Their hair was hidden beneath black shawls and their faces were concealed by unsettling black masks.

The masks gave them an eerie appearance, like ghostly nuns taking a morning stroll on the outskirts of the Savage Forest.

"Hahaha… Chiara! Did you hear that? The old ghost just called my disciple a mouse." Bianca, who was the Matriarch of the Migotir Dark Church sounded amused. Her beautiful voice contrasted deeply with the creepy mask that concealed her facial features.

The Matriarch of the Dark Church smiled beneath her mask and started propagating an overwhelming mystic aura to pressurize Count Monte and his protégé.

Count Monte's willpower buckled under the mounting pressure and he sank to his knees slowly, making futile attempts to stem the onrushing tide.

The wind-fox took a few staggering steps back from the matriarch, started whimpering like a scared kitten, and sprawled on the ground helplessly; dumping its rider, who wasn't in much better condition, unceremoniously on the ground.

"This can't be! You… Youuuu! …You've already ascended to that rank?" With a trembling finger pointed at the Matriarch, he inquired, his voice edged with fear.

Miss Fox was attempting to comfort her calamity-beast which appeared to be slowly losing control of its mental faculties. This was a telltale sign that a tamed calamity beast was about to run berserk.

Berserk beasts even at the lower ranks of power were a menace to their owners. Miss Fox tried her best to comfort the wind-fox while futilely attempting to resist the Matriarch's mental assault.

The Matriarch was momentarily surprised that such a lowly mystic could keep her clarity of mind under the assault of her mystic aura that could bring mystic-kings to their knees. She exchanged a glance with her subordinate - Chiara before slowly easing her mystic aura.

"While you're busy slaughtering innocents, others are training their mystic-powers. I pity your illustrious ancestors who left you with strong inheritances to give you a fighting chance against the colonialists. But here you are slaughtering innocents in stupid rituals."

"Count Monte, you are a great embarrassment to the powerhouses of Gaia." The Dark Matriarch replied with contempt while leaning to feed a potion to the injured Ali-Baba.

"Where did the others run off to?" Matriarch Bianca asked after Ali-Baba's condition had stabilized.

"They were headed to… headed west. They have a seer-mystic… so they should be okay in the meantime." Ali-Baba struggled to reply. His pale face had started to regain some color after consuming the healing potion.

Ali-Baba thanked Tracy repeatedly in his mind for her prudence. If it wasn't for the communication talisman, he would have returned to Gaia's embrace. The Matriarch's arrival was timely.

"Chiara… Go and fetch those kids. If we delay, they may encounter a horde of calamity beasts … Or even worse… another old pervert from the Manroe family."

"Bianca! You might be strong, but our Eastern family alliance isn't afraid of you. What right do you have to poke your nose in our matters? You're the one who's violating the treaty's terms !" Count Monte had regained some of his charisma after overcoming his shock.

"Go as fast as you can Chiara. Send me a communication talisman once you locate them." The Matriarch ignored the Count and continued instructing her subordinate.

"Yes, Matriarch," Chiara replied while hastening towards the treeline.

"You were saying!" The Matriarch once again turned to Count Monte. Her brows were deeply furrowed indicating a concerted attempt to restrain her anger.

She longed to strike and get rid of the buffoon of a Count right then, but her experience and judgment prevented her from actualizing her wishes.

A Matriarch of the Dark-Church needed to consider the bigger picture before every act.

"Dark Matriarch - Bianca!"

"Why are you interfering with Manroe family business for some low-ranking mystic from the Medici family? That girl already had her mind distorted by the influence of the Sacramento Order."

"That's the reason why even her immediate family chose to ignore her circumstances…"

"Stop… Stop!…" Bianca interrupted Monte's rumblings, her voice frayed with impatience and anger.

"My disciple is among the victims you are hunting down!" She looked to be on the verge of erupting but reason won over her impulses once again sparing the moron of a count from doom.

"Since when do you have a disciple, who also works for the Medici family?" Count Monte countered, refusing to back down.

"Sigh… That girl you are hunting was supposed to report straight to the Dark Church after arriving on the Continent. Do you think that the Medici family would dare create a false identity for a Dark Church nun without our permission?"

"From our channels, we know that the girl has never been tested to join the Dark Church. How did she become your disciple?"

"Enough… Don't think that I'll hesitate to kill you if you keep on antagonizing me. You should watch your step like Count Rafaela. Why do you think the Rafaelas hid the girls while you were hunting them? It was my will, not the Medici's efforts."

"Old man - Medici and I have an agreement. The Medici family sends me a promising disciple every decade. The other ancient families all over Gaia save for your Eastern families also have similar arrangements with other churches and organizations. How are you even a family head without knowing this?" The Matriarch appeared to be stunned by the Count's extreme ignorance.

"Sigh… Why are most of the ancient families selecting morons as their leaders these days?"

"Hrrrrrrrmph…. Old hag… I will remember this. Fox girl let's leave." Count Monte turned around preparing to leave the battle site with Miss Fox.

"Wait…"