novelraw Chapter 88 : The Saintess’s Antidote
Chapter 88 : The Saintess’s Antidote
Chapter 88: The Saintess’s Antidote
Two hours later, Leon still followed Weiss’s instructions and arrived at the designated location to wait.
At this very moment, his mind was still replaying the earlier conversation he had had with Bishop Beckett in the office.
“Enemies?” Leon had been surprised when he heard that description.
“To be precise, it’s her and her father, Archbishop Rogers. They are both our enemies,” Bishop Beckett explained.
“Archbishop Rogers—her father?” Leon was even more shocked.
In his mind surfaced the image of that stern, unsmiling archbishop who had once inspected the Inquisition together with Weiss.
So they were actually father and daughter?
In this world, the clergy of the Four Great Churches did not forbid marriage.
Knights, bishops, delegate officers, and priests could all establish families just like ordinary people.
Only now did he realize that although Bishop Beckett’s rank was clearly lower and he was not particularly close with Bishop Weiss, he still addressed her by her given name rather than her surname—because Weiss’s surname was Rogers, and using it would easily cause confusion with her father.
“Oh, you didn’t know that? She’s Archbishop Rogers’s daughter. A bishop’s children becoming bishops, a knight’s children becoming knights—that’s not uncommon. But for Bishop Weiss to be chosen as a Saintess by the Creator Church, she really does have some ability,” Bishop Beckett explained.
“When you say she and her father—does that mean they’re the Earl’s enemies?” Leon asked cautiously.
“The Earl’s enemies are our enemies,” Bishop Beckett said seriously.
“You don’t need to know the reason right now. You just need to remember that if you have further contact with them in the future, you should be cautious.”
Recalling this, Leon could not help but glance around nervously.
This place was three streets away from the Inquisition, with plenty of pedestrians and carriages passing by.
In the end, he still did not mention that Bishop Weiss had secretly asked him to wait here.
If Bishop Beckett were to find out, it would likely arouse suspicion.
But firstly, when Bishop Weiss had brought up that reformist school of thought with him, Leon had sincerely supported it.
In that context, Weiss’s purpose in asking to meet him seemed related to that topic.
Secondly, strictly speaking, he knew nothing about the grudge between Bishop Weiss and the Earl.
It could be said to have nothing to do with him.
He did not accept Bishop Beckett’s stance at all.
His agreement with the Earl only involved business.
He did not think he had to abandon his own position and unconditionally submit to the Earl’s position.
What difference would that make from being a dog?
In the end, he decided to meet Bishop Weiss first, figure out her purpose, and then make his own judgment.
Fortunately, he did not have to wait long.
A carriage with a black carriage compartment soon drove up and stopped in front of him.
The coachman halted the carriage but kept staring straight ahead, showing no intention of inviting him aboard.
Leon thought for a moment, reached out to open the carriage door himself, and climbed inside.
As soon as he entered the compartment, he smelled a faint, elegant fragrance of incense.
Bishop Weiss was already inside.
When she saw him, she nodded slightly.
“You’re very punctual.”
Strictly speaking, we never actually made an appointment at all, Saintess.
Leon complained inwardly.
“Bishop, why exactly did you have me meet you here?” Leon sat down opposite Bishop Weiss.
“After discussing those topics with you, I thought it over again and felt that I should still give this to you,” Bishop Weiss said, casually reaching into her neckline and pulling out a rolled-up sheet of letter paper.
Leon froze, his gaze unconsciously fixing on Bishop Weiss’s collar and full chest.
Why put something there!?
Weiss noticed his line of sight and lowered her head slightly.
Leon instinctively averted his gaze.
If his glance just now had displeased this bishop, he would not even know how he died.
Yet Weiss was completely calm and even explained, “Oh, I’m used to it. When I studied at the monastery before, I often hid prohibited items here. When the matrons inspected us, they would only search pockets and cloth bags.”
That also requires extraordinary talent to pull off—if it were too flat, it would probably slip out from under the clothes.
Leon did not dare say that aloud.
But he quickly reacted, realizing something important.
“Could it be that this paper of yours is contraband?”
Bishop Weiss silently nodded and handed the paper over.
Leon took it and carefully unfolded it to read.
“Demonic Wolf blood, thirty grams; Labyrinth Mandrake Grass root and fibers, five grams; red centipede, water lily, milk thistle, pain-relief herb—”
After a quick scan, Leon realized that this was a formula—an unmistakable magical potion formula.
Demonic Wolf blood and Labyrinth Mandrake Grass were both magical beast materials.
Each ingredient had processing and extraction steps noted beside it, and at the very final step of the entire formula, it clearly stated: “Activation with Mana of no less than seventy percent purity”!
And this Demonic Wolf blood—back when Rena had first conceived of making a special medicine to treat Leon’s injuries, she had started from the assumption of using Demonic Wolf blood.
“Could this be—the antidote formula for Cockatrice venom?” Leon looked at Bishop Weiss in shock and asked tentatively.
“It’s not only an antidote. It’s also a special medicine for treating tissue degeneration caused by long-term Cockatrice venom. The potion made according to this formula—using the listed amounts, taken orally once every three days, preferably combined with external application of Holy Water—should allow you to fully recover within one to three months,” Bishop Weiss said.
For a moment, Leon did not know what to say.
Rena’s research in this area had only just begun, and now this formula had practically fallen from the sky, handed over for free?
“I should have given this to you back then, but it involved certain secrets and also violated Church Regulations. I didn’t know what kind of person you were, so I hesitated,” Bishop Weiss explained.
“Can this magical potion really cure me?” Leon stared blankly at Bishop Weiss.
“Yes. We verified it using Cockatrice venom. It can cure the aftereffects,” Bishop Weiss answered with absolute certainty.
Leon carefully read the letter paper in his hand and quickly committed its contents to memory.
Whether this formula was reliable or not, he would have a rough idea once he had Rena verify it.
“In the previous Case File, the former director Caron Eso was involved in magical beast trading. Did you also participate?” Bishop Weiss suddenly asked.
Raising this at such a time could be explained as reasonable speculation and would not arouse suspicion about sensing Mana.
“Just that one time. I ran errands for them. Former Director Dias and Bishop Beckett both knew about it,” Leon replied.
“I can only give you the formula. As for the materials, I’m afraid you’ll have to find your own channels. Remember, you must not tell anyone about this,” Bishop Weiss instructed.
“Thank you, Bishop. I really don’t know how I should repay you—” Leon said sincerely.
Weiss probably thought that gathering these materials would be somewhat difficult for him, but in reality, for his current self, assembling this formula was truly effortless.
“If it can cure you, that’s the best repayment for me. Research like this only has value if it can heal people,” Bishop Weiss sighed softly.
At this moment, Leon felt that her figure overlapped somewhat with Rena’s.
“No matter what, if this really can cure my injuries, I’ll remember this kindness. Thank you, Bishop Weiss!” Leon said solemnly.
He knew very well how great a risk Weiss was taking by handing such a formula to him.
This help was far beyond those minor reminders from before.
“In that case, please continue to support our school of thought,” Bishop Weiss said with a smile at the corner of her lips.
“The times are always moving forward. I believe that one day, the Church will become more open-minded in this regard.”
At this time, Bishop Beckett was in his office, using the blessing of the Secret God to contact the Earl remotely.
“He resolved the issue of magical beast supply. Bar provoking him will probably only result in swallowing his loss.”
“That is an ability he ought to possess,” the Earl replied calmly.
“Go warn Bar and tell him to behave himself.”
“I’ve already done so,” Bishop Beckett replied.
“But for now, he still doesn’t seem to have realized the true problem of this mission.”
“He will realize it sooner or later. And then he must resolve it himself. Otherwise, he has no value to cultivate,” the Earl replied.
“There’s one more matter I need to report to you. It concerns Weiss Rogers—” Bishop Beckett quickly explained Weiss’s visit.
“She just left like that?” the Earl confirmed.
“Yes.”
“What do you think?” the Earl asked.
“She’s interested in this matter, which fits her behavioral logic. There’s no need to pay too much attention for now, as long as it doesn’t affect the plan,” Bishop Beckett said.
“How is the plan arranged?”
“Perfect,” Bishop Beckett answered.
The Earl fell silent for a long time, then said, “Twenty-five years—”
“Yes. After waiting so many years, you’re finally about to reclaim the debt from back then,” Bishop Beckett echoed softly.