Bear School Astartes

Chapter 938 - 920: Saintess’s Location

"The question now is, do we have a way to locate Geside?"

Lann spoke to Klimte.

Although their group wasn’t large, they were all elite.

He and Klimte, the archbishop, three golden-armored Winged Knights, and the silver-armored Winged Knights remaining in Losric City.

The combat power of the Winged Knights was stronger than that of the average Losric Knight, but not as strong as the Knight Captain level.

However, due to their familiarity with the teachings of the Angels, having spent years by the Goddess’ side listening to stories, they possessed more angelic miracles than ordinary Losric Knights, thus they weren’t at much of a disadvantage in entanglements.

The golden-armored Winged Knights were on par with Lorenzo in rank.

They were considered elite Knight Captains in the Losric Knight Order, only a title away from becoming the order’s leader.

"I have a connection with the Saintess, a temporary blessing given by Rosalie. With the bestowed Holy Covenant, I can use it a total of five times."

Klimte still spoke with respect and devotion when mentioning the Goddess.

"Although I can’t pinpoint exactly, I can sense the general direction."

Lann nodded, understanding that nothing more could be expected from a Divine Race queen exiled from the Royal City.

Just like last time, Priestess Emma set up the Oath Basin, and with that, the passage linking the church to the high wall within the Inner City was opened.

The group boarded the escalator, ready to set out.

Klimte and Lann stood at the platform’s edge, nodding towards Priestess Emma and Lorenzo below.

The others returned the knight’s salute and offered prayers of blessing.

Turning forward, they began their journey towards Losric’s Inner City.

Lann had never been to the Inner City, but observing Klimte and the Winged Knights, they seemed very familiar with it.

After all, before the chaos, their identities were undoubtedly Losric’s high-ranking armed and faith forces. The Inner City was merely a regular activity venue for them.

Although they were stepping into hostile territory, initially there was no need to be too anxious.

Since the proximity to the high wall and the church meant they were still within the influence range of the Firelink forces.

If the two Princes and the Sages didn’t want to waste precious armed forces here, they surely wouldn’t fortify this close.

Moving forward, there was a hall with many laid out stone statues of Losric Knights.

Typically, stone statues should stand by the roadside or be carved on walls, but this placement felt more like coffins in a morgue.

As Lann passed by, he looked at the lying stone sculptures, finding the details of their armor and weapons lifelike.

"This is also technology provided by the Initial Sage."

Leading the way, Klimte spoke over his shoulder to Lann.

"What?" Lann didn’t quite understand.

Klimte, fully trusting this precious combat power, explained patiently.

For the ’Goddess personally healed’ experience alone, Lann held a high position in his heart.

"These statues are all Losric Knights from a previous era. They are real people."

The hooded archbishop pointed a finger at the statues.

"The Initial Sage’s petrification technology encases living beings in stone statues, which can be revitalized under certain conditions. These knights were originally Losric’s reserve forces, each an experienced Knight Captain."

"Unfortunately, the revitalization technology is now held by the Sages, so it’s obvious they wouldn’t awaken these warriors. In the hearts of former era warriors, Prince Lorrian held no such prestige."

"If the will of the Prince opposed the Firelink, making the right decision would be a no-brainer for them."

At that moment, Lann saw two Holy Professionals and two Losric Knights patrolling the corners of the grand chamber.

Upon seeing them, they respectfully kneeled on one knee in salute.

Clearly, they were sent by Lorenzo and Priestess Emma to guard this hall.

Although the Firelink had no technology to awaken these petrified individuals as combat forces.

They couldn’t let the Prince’s faction shatter them in their petrified state, as that would be too wasteful.

Past the hall lay the frontline where the two factions of Losric City clashed and slaughtered each other.

In the darkness, Lorenzo and the others fought the attacking Prince’s faction here.

Dried, hardened bloodstains covered the stone steps, scattered with fragments of metallic armor and broken weapons made by immense force.

Here and there, bloodied fragments of war flags fluttered in the wind.

Spear tips and sword blades were lodged in the bodies of knights and soldiers.

These bodies followed the tradition of Losric, beheaded and piled by the roadside and stairs.

From this point onward, although there were no battle cries, the entire squad was on high alert.

Klimte closed his eyes as if sensing something, soon reopening them to resume leading the way.

This was a reflection of Rosalie’s temporary blessing, his ability to sense the Saintess’ position.

The Mountain City featured terrain full of staircases along their path.

And on these stairs, temporary thick shield vehicles and shield walls were erected.

The soldiers and knights of the Prince School relied on these temporary defense lines and used the advantage of the high ground to patiently suppress the enemies of the fire-transmission faction below.

"Continue upward, and you’ll reach the Knight Order’s Dragon Training Ground."

Klimte looked in the direction he sensed, noticing the various facilities there.

As he spoke, his face became extremely grim.

"What do you mean? Is something wrong with this look on your face?" Lann asked.

He was unfamiliar with Losric City’s inner deployment, so he didn’t understand what these terrains signified.

"Beyond the Dragon Training Ground, after coming out of the Knight Order’s Great Chapel, you need to cross a bridge... which leads right into the Great Library occupied by sages!"

Klimte spoke with trembling lips, clearly, the current situation was far worse than he had anticipated.

"How dare they... how dare they capture the Saintess into the Great Library!? What do they intend to do to her!?"

Lann’s brow furrowed.

He still remembered that Ausloes got the knowledge of White Dragon Hiss’s crystal magic and the idea of dragon transformation from the Great Library.

And such an ’evil research institute’-looking place where the Saintess is captured could lead to consequences...

Even in his worst nightmare, Klimte didn’t dare to imagine too much in that direction.

And as Klimte confirmed the Saintess’s position likely tied to the Great Library, Lann almost instantly sensed the rage and urgency of the Winged Knights around him.

Their massive armor clanked, and the sound of their iron gloves gripping their weapons resembled metal being crushed by a hydraulic press!

Yet, at this moment, Lann gestured downward, calming the people’s agitated and angry emotions.

"Calm down!"

Under normal circumstances, Lann wasn’t even part of the Mother of Rebirth Faction, nor was he related to Angel faith, so typically the Winged Knights had no need to listen to him.

However, Lann was the first person the Goddess had actively chosen to heal in a long time and had reignited the Initial Fire.

All of these statuses and deeds made him surprisingly authoritative despite being unrelated.

Thus, though their hearts remained tumultuous, the Winged Knights at least appeared less like the reckless warriors about to charge forward.

Lann pressed Klimte’s shoulder, trembling with anger. The more tense the situation, the calmer Lann became.

"This team’s configuration is not suitable for a frontal assault; you know it well, Klimte."

If just these few could rush into the sages’ stronghold, then the fire-transmission faction might as well charge in and eliminate both the sages and the Prince.

It’s precisely because they couldn’t advance and overpower them that the situation was at a stalemate.

Lann continued: "Judging from the worst-case scenario, the sages have probably already acted against the Saintess; getting anxious won’t help."

"We must rescue the Saintess for sure, but without a doubt, the resistance will be much greater than anticipated. We need to prepare more to increase our chances of success!"

Klimte made a grim face, glancing back at the team behind him.

Indeed, as Lann said, the team was originally assembled with the fast battle and quick retreat concept in mind.

They hadn’t prepared the necessary cumbersome items for facing the mages.

If it wasn’t about facing the sages’ stronghold [Great Library], then everything would be fine.

But now... the Great Library is teeming with mages!

"You’re right."

Klimte nodded with difficulty, acknowledging that Lann’s logic was correct.

He then took a deep breath as if suppressing his inner anxiety.

"Inhale~ Yes, yes... follow me. I once had arrangements with the Losric holy professionals; they have a self-built supply house here. There must be items inside to counter those mage mutts!"

Klimte led the way down a side path but took one last look at the staircase stretching upwards.

Going further leads into Prince School’s controlled areas.

As Lann said, this is their last chance for resupply and reinforcement; once they proceed, there would be no further opportunity for pause or rest.

Led by Klimte, the group zigzagged to a seemingly unremarkable small house.

Yet, along the way, many holy professionals wearing hoods and robes lay dead, their dried blood caked in hard scabs on their bodies.

The discord between holy professionals and mages began back in the Mythical Era due to fundamental differences in their philosophical ideologies.

During King Ausloes’s reign, his prestige and power were enough to subdue all factions in Losric.

He himself was revered by the White Sect as one of the gods, with recent claims from Kariem holy professionals that he was the Main God.

Naturally, Ausloes had suppressed the mages deliberately or inadvertently.

For instance, Archbishop McDonald, initially a mage, was appointed by Ausloes as the White Sect Archbishop.

This move led McDonald to indignantly call it an ’insult to mages’ back in the Profound Church.

It’s widely known that the Losric three pillars are ’Knights, Sages, Priestess,’ yet carved images rarely show mage characteristics in sages, almost equating them to the priestess holy professionals.

The suppression mages faced in Losric in the past was evident.

And amid the chaos, a mage-led retaliation was foreseeable.