Chapter 192 – Cracks Behind the Light
The atmosphere in the study suddenly felt more oppressive than before. The air seemed to freeze for a moment as Sylvia took the report from Aurelia’s hand. Her slender fingers slowly unrolled the parchment sealed with red wax, the emblem of the human territories. Her sharp eyes narrowed as they traced every line of neatly written ink, now nearly dried.
The further she read, the deeper the frown on her forehead became. She could hardly believe the information now laid bare before her. This report was no ordinary document; it was irrefutable proof of the corruption hidden behind the radiant facade of the church and the revered gods.
The once-silent study grew even heavier with the suppressed fury radiating from Sylvia.
She took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. Her eyes glowed faintly in the dim light. "So this is how it is," she murmured under her breath, barely audible.
Aurelia stood straight before her, her expression serious yet laced with unease. Her usually lustrous red hair now looked slightly dull and disheveled from the long journey, but the fire in her eyes remained strong proof of her unwavering resolve to uncover the hidden truth.
"This report was incredibly difficult to obtain," Aurelia said softly but clearly. "There were countless spies and soldiers from the human kingdoms watching every move. They’ve all been blinded by the false promises of the gods."
Sylvia nodded slowly, her gaze still fixed on the parchment in her hand. "So... the demon world gate that the heroes opened was indeed the church’s plan and that of most of the gods?" Her voice was cold, laced with restrained disgust.
"Correct," Aurelia answered firmly. "Their goal was to create chaos in this world. Fear would strengthen human faith, and the gods would gain power from their prayers."
Sylvia clenched her fist slowly, suppressing the anger boiling inside her. "So the World Avatar was right after all," she whispered, more to herself. "The gods of this world... are truly rotten. They deliberately toy with human lives just to gain power."
The air in the room grew colder as Sylvia’s emotions churned. She placed the parchment on the desk, studying Aurelia in silence for a moment before speaking again, her tone slightly softer.
"You’ve done an excellent job with a difficult task, Aurelia," Sylvia praised sincerely. "Information like this is invaluable to us. It couldn’t have been easy to obtain."
Aurelia gave a faint smile, relieved that her efforts were recognized. "I no longer trust those gods, Sylvia. Especially not after the demon gate incident. The only deity I still respect is the Goddess of Light, Lumielle. At least she’s different from the others."