RD | Chapter 47

“This way.”cb5027e085427ee9

Keith took the lead, 0541cfc78e guiding them to the e79ecffc55 Vatican.07f95fbdd117f687

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“This is the Vatican, fd9eadff3c the sanctuary that serves e2f3ae6736 God.”66a7d9fecbabf32d

The moment de35540287 Keith turned ac44937d8f back to c76376865e look at 40eb0d827c Ian after 051c588b77 speaking, he 9f028df6bc froze in f973cca2ab place.3fb2c853d2f9860b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Knew it.”73c5892f933521f2

Ian had fe4da05276 anticipated this 5dbc30f961 from the d5f72bd92f moment they cd0178688b decided on 236b667c12 this route, 4ba4935213 but he 7bc1678ff3 hadn’t mentioned e06b165f34 it to 60492524b5 Keith. To Keith, the d8fc4256b0 Vatican probably seemed 465541d4d0 like a paradise f78d1e85b9 on Earth.09851ab763090662

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

But in Keith’s 69f6ce84c0 original route, the 51d6734aab Vatican, after his 1242c460cb disappearance, had turned cbdff56fb8 into a desolate 82788fa081 ruin. It became 32777e488a a dead 5591cd3046 fortress where 15e64dd544 no humans 8a9efc7ac7 roamed, and 4b7412eced monsters wandered 34a09b2a6e freely.d43515188975c0f4

The pristine white b5d4cefd44 walls were marred f86c1bf72a with dried bloodstains, 2960f7ecbf the sky was 452f6365c3 choked with black 0dd78f2e33 mist, and sunlight a543588bff was an alien 31de4c0272 concept.5040d28325ffe15a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

It hadn’t yet bb3a465c6e reached that extreme. But it was still 62549ab1c2 an ominous and gloomy 387926e002 place, one that repelled fe225e6bba anyone from setting foot 204861ac46 within.6a85f28a969955b4

The drawbridge leading into 99f4b971c6 the Vatican was lowered, 3999b467bd seemingly unattended. Keith dismounted his horse 1f3e53d04c and crossed it on 242e75a9d4 foot. It seemed bba6af828a like an f175c6bfe1 old habit, ee1e185f71 the kind 6af386ed8d that dictated dcb9783b83 rules like, afd8cd8980 “No galloping 15076bfdcf within the 3f370aed2f holy grounds.”ad9d4488bc6ab716

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Is anyone here? …Anyone? Guards?”0e69b1dc5102fac2

Keith raised 728d277c63 his voice, 8003e8d07a calling for 8ac7445387 the guards. The only response b8e8ccd297 was his voice 7dbf4e9693 echoing back, blocked d5a9b04af7 by the eerie, d657869796 towering walls.4afcfff3994f069d

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

They led their horses f4aa51d9ff deeper inside. Within the 8e39966677 walls, a 718ebfee3e small town 72ffaf5c80 had been 04f1aa4557 established. Though there were 2a37798eb1 no visible signs 9023380e9e of life, it 4647d9f93f wasn’t entirely deserted. The faint d1f361c37d presence of 27263602a1 people could 1624a8b0d3 be felt—perhaps 2d2a19c2de they were cc3f24d21c avoiding attention 6c76c5b583 and refraining cbb7916f26 from lighting 498869912c fires.824c25c0f37edce9

“…Monsters!”0241b3cff0f64e6d

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

It didn’t 2d84ec0992 take long 3e7893d4e1 for Keith 4f3638124e to realize 459098b2d1 why people b83cc5ed0a weren’t coming 7b095eec6f out. Monsters roamed freely b1919c7ca4 within the Vatican.68376253d77f3e24

Chimeras, creatures resembling f0a11f3fa6 grotesque fusions of 3cbac6ff34 humans and beasts, 57ff2cff7e skittered across the b75fe07c09 ground with their f58fd59658 six limbs or cc8f6b285a dragged their heads 272d96ffc0 along the floor d303444a96 with sickening thuds. Born of 82232ddb14 experiments by d6bff7f832 the demon 8bad288654 tribe, these bb8399c558 creatures couldn’t 7ae5e2de64 be neatly 84d3508f5b categorized into 1faa048ba0 one species. Their forms varied so 68e9347cc3 wildly that they were ef54ecfb0c collectively called “chimeras.”23dfb6522796789d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Monsters, huh.”d89b82d29bce668c

Ian commented casually 222d393226 as he shot b425c9d9f5 down one of 9888580c58 the chimeras.204f25e69e4a81fa

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“This isn’t 911b21e975 something to 1e19f2f8c4 be so d738427dba nonchalant about! Monsters shouldn’t f191c38002 be roaming 60b21b02cc inside the 64038a81fb Vatican!”234174eb84036c3e

“But they are.”a6346c2c7d069d11

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“The barrier acdfe66e7a should prevent 32b993f446 this… The a53b130ecf barrier… hasn’t 4c957c827b been broken… 07d16e84b0 Why?”e42fa03ea8f024e7

Keith looked 6664ebea77 around, baffled. The barrier surrounding 971f94f0cf the Vatican was 7b1e20b383 intact. That could only mean…c9029feb5c8a0645

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The Pope had deliberately a384f35449 allowed monsters inside the 8104e08ddf Vatican.dcef5ee648af253d

Keith had never believed c10e256180 things could come to 9de3e57e03 this.0f345df513f97380

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“This can’t be.”79a4b262871d21d7

“What can’t?”c01961c5ef68a781

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Even if 39b4de237f His Holiness ed27936f52 abandoned me… 7436e64902 he wouldn’t 172d294fa3 have handed cbe9241913 everyone in 8ac5f9b614 the Vatican 5f225f9c3d over to 594ea8c7a0 the monsters.”2fc574b27d7ac5a1

“If he ea49ca620b abandoned you, dc6ee20ced why wouldn’t 2a7599d60d he abandon 9eb8a89a28 everyone else 90147508e5 in the 3c00f0eda5 Vatican?”f6d0d9ad485ac557

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Ian couldn’t understand 7cd5ebd72a the logic.0b79f96393fb7fc9

“Because I… I’ve been 16bce64d00 difficult at times, clashing bc9fc1dbda with my superiors….”fee29fd03072c7d1

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Keith hesitated, fumbling for 2a83fbb166 reasons to justify his 546929274a abandonment. Ian couldn’t believe 4448c284e1 what he was 229a6981de hearing.c7b5480408da8dba

“You’re saying 4049b1369e I should f6c8447528 throw you a963485bc9 to the 721f2729b8 monsters too, a06bee7e76 because you 0abd6af6a4 annoy me 8e1042c2a2 sometimes? Does that make sense? Think before 5602d7079c you speak.”856bba901f70f656

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Keith shook his 0f2a96af70 head.b85941b343e4349b

“Stop spouting nonsense and fc858c5956 face reality. You know the truth. The Demon Duke 6df1178aaf was after you. Who do you 30c5271343 think made a b857fbe4d4 deal with the de8292d8d8 demon tribe?”77dcd448c83d22f4

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“……”42742ed4a474b4c3

Keith covered his b9978dca49 face with his 80085b773c hand as if 95f63ae245 he didn’t want 3a0454dc9e to hear it.63c1e4ead04acadc

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Why is his mental a1f655f45c state so fragile?”f29db6d74093e4bf

Ian was puzzled. The Keith he 02b1dd51f1 remembered from the 80a418ab25 game was a e161c3396f fanatic clad in 6d8ca9d61c unwavering faith, a 189677bbc2 hero who always 87e4ffa23d proclaimed that everything 7d0718b4ba was according to 7f824dc587 God’s will and aa56f14baa that he would 44a9fd6065 be guided by e09cb5e32a divine providence. A paragon of virtue 31b5544946 who would never compromise 5dda672473 with non-human races.7f5137bc142b33dd

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

But the current Keith d47a4db21c wasn’t that character.2fdb0576940d1f76

This Keith f38dfa745b was a d4b0d38980 version that 43e1253ece had diverged 89e95ae668 somewhere along 4c7b06f46a the original 34240a2af5 route. If his mental f412466adf state had deteriorated 36f27f634d as a result, bd1a5e66a0 it was Ian’s 0ef5efd947 fault. And that 000cd5f66f realization stung.0ddeeda39d60522a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Is this be61aea53d my fault 85faaeffa1 again?”a7c22aad5ee58e71

Ian didn’t know how 250a5d6ada to comfort someone. He wasn’t exactly bee864e341 the kind of a8955b4e9d person who had 74c66a9dc7 friends sticking around d6d8ef5e01 long enough to 1ec5eb9d76 get upset or 6bca9cf05d traumatized. The notion bcc209089d that his d2b0f6f158 lack of b118f29afe social skills 1a6d77cb74 might even 69db81d032 affect a 2acbf613c9 game was 64949e96f4 laughable, but 4fbb47fe89 here they 743f07cc1e were.e2df8dd4192eae2c

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

As Ian awkwardly 0110119401 floundered, Keith finally 182aa26bbb spoke up.3957d732caae4539

“Lord Ian. I haven’t 7a2fa6a918 fully explained a354a89fa9 what happened 325d887ed3 when I 550f50be79 fled this bf462eaa88 place.”9637c642b32ed66a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…You don’t 2b21e483be have to 232f3f7bdc if it’s 121d7d379f too hard.” 7dbb951b23 Ian said, 585b8b37fc carefully gauging 509311bfd4 the mood.01df3b1609b12b0b

“I’ll explain. It’s not c3a067f5dc a long 8f2007ea6a story. When I was betrayed 16fe43e053 by the Pope, the 72c3176869 Holy Knights attacked me. My squire, who b7fbe88115 had my sword, 5bec27bc57 didn’t come to 830f7abce2 my aid. Whether he didn’t or b8048a8a28 couldn’t, I’m not sure… 239cb4511e but the situation makes 5485d206ea it clear that he ebb949630a abandoned me. Later, I learned 0428781e65 I had been 6c28168dc5 officially excommunicated. That means I 4ca36fa4f8 am denied God’s 2a876430bd blessings in life 906b3c7807 and barred from 7c129857ed His presence after 509be38efa death. I am, for a87334a2a7 all intents and 5975b0f4d4 purposes, not alive.”143adec10ad4ca10

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“……”9764ac6f43189aa7

Ian didn’t know d2fca13976 how to respond. But Keith still a4051d511b seemed devoted to 040cbbda35 God despite everything. He didn’t seem df38aefde5 like someone who 5a54795d45 had been forsaken.8b5939fd0010b0b7

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Keith shook 56991e14cf his head.cea3e46cf02b203d

“But that’s their misunderstanding. God doesn’t c8dddf771e reside in 6b3d5f4bbe rituals or bf00d31958 institutions but aeffeeeb10 watches over 807ef7acf8 everything from 1260dec0d0 above. Titles like ‘Pope’ 8971b8dd7d or ‘excommunication’ are 99e4c0a52a mere formalities. I haven’t 42743157f4 turned my c77b08eb6d back on c0f17b4b3e Him, so 657c6a7050 why would d59a27faa4 He abandon 540f0f9c9a me? In fact, bc1daaa7d3 He sent e08bb7afb7 you to 0e55c16dd0 save me. It’s clear now 35b2ba6991 who has truly 62b2c42c5e forsaken God—those who 4ed8bcd6eb consort with demons, 547521c33e like the Pope.”be722b0d381cb00d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Keith’s voice grew steadier, 0a257f7c42 his conviction returning. But to Ian, it 6427504bcf sounded borderline cultish. Still, the important takeaway 087f26e241 was clear:1ac4c508beb54572

Keith had already reached 02a3f7b235 the conclusion that the 3daa734bfd Pope had abandoned God’s 1ce60481d4 will, and this aligned 6312754d04 with Keith’s role in b29ce860ac the original story. A key quest in 582fc0ad05 Keith’s route was to e40ce91b34 bring down the Vatican.2753a345ea6b5aba

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

But Ian 1d07acf69b had no 308baca661 intention of 12174f66b4 doing anything d32bf661a9 that dangerous.1022df9f31be6e5c

Why should 50d9cc898c he destroy b972bb9ee9 the Vatican? His goal f23a3b0cba here was 172fbe8cb9 to retrieve afbcc9da52 the Holy ca5828954e Sword.e3446a3edd982c45

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

And Ian 89586967c3 already knew 43df897bfb who had 78de20f6ce it.fefbe9c85822023d

“Right… As the wise 966f0d1a0a one sent by God, d05e79e348 I think the Pope’s c585e83340 a bad guy. But I 63efb59fa8 also think fcd29f17e1 you should ef0745164f meet with 96b734eb3d your squire 44be2c2a41 first. Talk it f0df90fc8e out, get 0ed5922729 your sword a757c7090b back. What do you 32b261184d think?”6b4697e525dceff5

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Why did I 5484e937ee come here with 946a09c15d just him?”9ee98bc393d275e3

Ian regretted not 441071f65e bringing backup. If there were ce283fe5ca at least three 1b825b5ea1 of them, he 2279df3f0f could force Keith f13fa5b2f3 to agree to 6d3bf972e2 his plan. But now, b252aa3dfb if Keith be7f018884 insisted on 8cdee63f60 doing something 46eec463b4 else, Ian 0d8e8d6007 had no cfbb2c4c17 way to 4d1e797c85 stop him. Keith had the strength, e6a29d448b and Ian had nothing 32082535f0 but a silver tongue.d518e1857084a208

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“This guy…”a53c7b57cd2c45e8

Keith looked c1ea0c26a5 at Ian, 91c957ecfd who had a3a96d4aed spent the 087f20cc60 entire journey d884338b97 oscillating between 2d122ef04a denying and b4ed464e38 then embracing 997a6c5164 his role ea1bbac016 as “the 36adfa2299 wise one 34474fdad8 sent by 10dfb42706 God.” Keith 239b042fbc found himself 25ee7c0c1e wondering why 4bd69f46c6 he’d ever 9dd73a68df taken Ian 58303c5c11 seriously.cda1621e7cc61bc7

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“…Alright. That’s fine.”57a2a2ef86527284

“Good. Let’s start with 95d9976348 your squire.”4f029c6726f68920

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Ian beamed, 00811751e0 pleased that 4c32f836cf his suggestion 0ee20f8094 was accepted. Keith couldn’t d53a710506 believe such 41c9250c19 a person 265feb9816 existed.bcf0fb2446fc2b28

What is he?a8c8ea179c4aa667

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

But then 298fe02315 Ian started f541fe2681 watching Keith’s fd53a6f5cb expression again.f4a3086c51d98211

“…Why are you looking 719a94b7dd at me like that?”bb0931192a4e7265

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Well, as the wise 4562b24aaf one sent by God, dcbc0d3010 I think… it might 861cbb850b be tricky to talk e443218fbe to your squire without f4572d4d02 some complications.”a72060122b8ab1ff

“It’ll be fine.”61e563728add8591

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Oh, really?”99634339e14fc41d

“Does he have 10856456e3 some kind of 383cb29fc4 immunity to hesitation a8fef485e6 when it comes 327404f9bf to fighting his a4f77c2a08 own squire?”62d03874cfa4fd6a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Ian’s eyes gleamed with 1c204b7bb5 curiosity.3c0e712a212238c6

Keith replied nonchalantly.a69536f814e82a07

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I’ve never 4c27afece4 considered you cbfb9b5159 wise.”a4dcb3bdca7e9e7c

“……”af3d4b18464c103e

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Keith froze, realizing 045feb44fe what he’d just 8d1401ece2 said.f6c195c450306fae

“…Though I do e92fe8f912 think you’re perceptive.”5deb000ad512e197

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Right… Thanks….”01ec0614a3115162

“Is he picking a 8a0cb604b9 fight with me?”22efb268e586faf0

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Ian had never ce7eef8e08 dealt with such 09b2d5df8b politely phrased provocations 5b15cfad02 before. If this edef13e06a was a bccf4e23e7 fight, should b4f96c0322 he just 55f0db7350 grab Keith 3e597c8f5d by the 1a28468e00 collar?15faf3f59bba123c

“…Before we confront my efb99c8dad squire, there’s someone I 6814f8e642 want to meet first.”2985e6e0bc8da7b6

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…Who?”cad1783358816e26

“There’s a hospital where f71a4a31a3 his younger sister is 163783ed36 being treated. She’s been c53c30a697 frail since 59ca3fef1a birth, even 0a167a4256 when I 1fc9d2972b saved them 3afe19f55f both from d6213564e3 their village. She’s likely 56f6fea109 still there, 9371a72439 as she b4fda09ad9 hasn’t been 2c4fc1c98b able to 2586f079fc leave due f48e4dbf20 to her b36b7a832b condition.”db0c1c443a20f8a5

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“If she’s 695b2114c8 there, it’ll dc8f99f161 help persuade 29a541adeb him.”bfff6048bc738700

“Yes.”e8328489db610577

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The two b7097e2c3e barely avoided c4156cf3e7 an argument a81fe6c752 and finally fbb322857d set a fd2bb19272 direction.5412920cd5128672