Chapter 81: Laying Their Cards on the Table

"Sorceress!" Silas's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.

Sorceresses were heretics similar to Demonesses. However, unlike Demonesses, they themselves were normal humans.

Sorceresses were a new type of mystic that emerged during the Second Dynasty. They mastered elemental power through elemental supplication and used elemental power as a medium to perform more advanced mystical acts.

Later, with the fall of the Second Dynasty, the Sophia royal family was hunted down, and the Sorceresses they led gradually declined and became a niche group.

Afterward, because the elements mastered by Sorceresses included lightning, the Church of Healing, which invented penicillin and lightning, believed that they had stolen knowledge bestowed by God upon the Church. They considered them blasphemers and subsequently declared Sorceresses as heretics, expelling them.

Sorceresses themselves did not pose a great threat; on the contrary, Sorceresses were all erudite elites.

Sorceresses were all descendants of royalty or die-hard loyalists. From ancient times to the present, they had always dreamed of restoring the Sophia Dynasty.

Therefore, the tradition of Sorceresses had always been erudition.

While mastering elemental supplication, they also had to prepare and contribute to the revival of the dynasty at any time.

Therefore, almost every Sorceress was proficient in or mastered noble etiquette, political diplomacy, administrative management, reconnaissance, literature, law, surveying, and even astronomy, geography, chemistry, and so on.

Precisely because of this, Sorceresses were the most successful among all heretics.

In the hidden world or neutral areas beyond the Church's reach, Sorceresses were highly sought-after talents coveted by all organizations.

Many organizations, even small countries, were willing to pay any price to hire an erudite Sorceress.

After organizing the information in his mind, Silas carefully sat down, looked at the mature and sexy Adeline, and said with a smile, "It is truly Master Jeros's fortune to have a partner like you."

This sentence made Adeline very happy. The corners of her mouth curved up wildly, and she said with a beaming smile, "My sister said you are a little gentleman. I believe it now."

"Sister!?" Silas was taken aback.

Adeline smiled and nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Michelle whom you just met is my biological younger sister."

Huh!?

Instantly, Silas, along with the two Demonesses, cried out in unison, their three faces utterly bewildered.

This mature and sexy older sister, who looked to be in her thirties, was actually the older sister of that eighty-year-old lady from just now!?

Adeline was very satisfied with the expressions of the three and explained, "I am ninety-two years old this year, five years older than her. I have known Jeros for eighty years."

Hearing this, Silas suddenly thought of Adeline's earlier address.

"She said she is Master Jeros's partner, not mistress. That means their relationship leans more towards that of a married couple."

A strange light flickered in Helles's eyes as she asked tentatively, "There must have been many dangerous yet romantic experiences in that."

Adeline looked at Helles, a hint of reminiscence on her face. "Yes, back then Jeros saved me when I was only twelve and being hunted by the Church. From then on, I completely set my heart on him."

"Eighty years!" Silas sighed inwardly.

Bernice asked calmly, "Sorceresses generally have extended lifespans due to elemental supplication, but they do not possess the knowledge of immortality."

"This little girl knows quite a lot," Adeline said with a smile.

Bernice replied calmly, "I have had contact with Sorceresses before and learned some things."

Silas glanced sideways, realizing Bernice's past identity was very unusual.

"Before entering, she said her previous home was even larger than this villa? I need to ask clearly when I have time."

Adeline didn't hide much. "The element I master is water, and I can perform corresponding property transformations. By nourishing myself with water elements, aging is greatly slowed down. And by intermittently slowing down the rate of cell aging through ice, I can maintain my body's functions while keeping my body youthful and vigorous."

Silas exclaimed in amazement, "I've learned something new."

After speaking about her own situation, Adeline looked at Silas and asked, "So, little gentleman, tell me about yourself. In the world today, the number of people who dare to run around with Demonesses can be counted on one hand. And as for those who bring Demonesses and join the three major Churches, you are probably the only one."

Regarding self-introduction, Silas was already prepared and said calmly, "First, let me make one thing clear: we are not the kind of cult that likes to cause trouble."

"Hmm, almost all churches say they don't like to cause trouble," Adeline said with a half-smile.

Silas scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and continued, "We belong to the Church of the Evening Bell, believing in the Lord of Storms and Death."

"Lord of Storms and Death?" Adeline was taken aback. Even with her erudition, she had never heard of this deity's name.

Silas continued, "No need to be puzzled, esteemed Ms. Adeline. Our Lord has only begun to reveal divine miracles in recent years. Our Lord was originally not interested in the material world, but Our Lord felt that this time is filled with too much filth and impurity, thus descending divine miracles to protect His believers."

"Hmm, the Death Cult and the Apex Aether Research Institute both say their faiths feel the world is too filthy and want their gods to purify the world," Adeline seemed very willing to retort.

"..."

It was the first time Silas had said something only to be retorted. He immediately felt very displeased, and his expression gradually became solemn. "Please don't think I'm joking. And please don't compare my… my Lord's divine might with those false gods."

In his haste, Silas almost blurted out "my divine might."

Adeline still said indifferently, "Deities have multiple facets. Whatever their believers seek, They will manifest. They will not manage the life and death of this mortal world because Their thinking is completely different from ours. All the doctrines and interpretations in this event are imposed by humans to achieve their own purposes. So, little fellow, don't tell me those illusory things. Just state your purpose directly."

After hearing this, Silas immediately wilted. He had been retorted three times in a row but couldn't refute it because he felt Adeline's words made so much sense that he was left speechless.

After a moment of silence, Silas said directly, "I discovered that Demonesses are innocent; they are not some kind of devils. Therefore, our Church of the Evening Bell intends to shelter and manage them."

Speaking of the true purpose and operational philosophy of establishing the church, Silas didn't have a clear goal for a moment, so he shamelessly "borrowed" the philosophy of the SCP Foundation.

"Shelter and manage?" It was the first time Adeline had heard of a church with such a philosophy.

Silas nodded. "My Lord told me that Demonesses are not something terrifying, merely innocent people whose bodies have been occupied and who have gained power beyond their control. We shelter them so they can live normal lives. We manage them so they can master their own power. Finally, I want these pitiful Demonesses to be able to live openly and honorably in the city."