Chapter 158: Ch 157: Cardinal Flux’s End

Everyone got out of the temple in time. From the guards, to the workers, to the normal people praying—those who valued their lives managed to get out alive.

But the temple had started to turn into a domain of corruption. Various parts of it were being warped and eaten away by the black matter.

It was concerning, but not as much as the threat of being next.

"How could the temple be in such a state? What were the Hero and the Saintess doing?"

"They abandoned the temple, remember? They are to blame for this. We need to hold them accountable."

"That’s right. Let’s throw them both in so that they can clean up their mess."

People whispered in desperation, losing their minds. Iris gripped her sword tighter as she glared at them for daring to threaten Seraphina or Neil.

Kael could never forgive her if she let anything like that happen under her watch.

’But Seraphina would be fine even if you did push her inside that corruption. As for Kael...there are ways to convince him that it was a mistake. You can even become a victim in all of this if you play this right.’

The sweet, tempting voice whispered inside Iris’s mind, but she was an expert at resisting temptations like these.

Her first priority was to keep the people threatening them away from herself and Seraphina, and she was ready to hurt someone to achieve her goal.

Luckily, she did not need to do anything of that sort as a barrier covered the temple and, seconds later, a huge amount of holy magic caused the temple to collapse.

Every onlooker watched in awe as the huge temple came down in a single second, leaving only rubble behind.

That display of power was amazing, but the thing that was even more amazing was the barrier that managed to contain all of it.

The corruption tried to hide and run, but it was no longer able to do anything against that huge amount of light.

It slowly faded, and everyone watched as Leon walked out of the rubble, followed by Kael and the unconscious body of Cardinal Flux.

"G-Grand Master Kael, what happened?"

"Cardinal Flux is dead. We managed to purify the corruption, but the Cardinal was too far gone to be saved in time. I hope the temple won’t mind giving me his corpse for disposal."

Kael asked, and the stunned soldiers nodded without thinking.

Usually, a Cardinal was given a ceremony when they died that was said to bring them back into the Goddess’s embrace, but things were different this time.

Cardinal Flux was filled with corruption, so he could not be allowed the same courtesy.

The guards had no face to ask for their Cardinal’s body back, especially when he had wronged the Saintess.

"T-The Hero! The true Hero saved us all!"

"I knew it! Leon was the true Hero! He used holy power in a way only the Hero can. H-He can even use sword aura."

"Hey, wasn’t it the Cardinal who proclaimed he was not the Hero in the first place even after the temple confirmed it? It must have been Cardinal Flux’s trick. Tsk, that Neil turned out to be a fake after all."

People suddenly began to praise Leon and tear Neil down. These were the same people who had cursed Leon out when Cardinal Flux played his tricks.

These shallow people did not deserve Leon’s protection, but as the Hero, it was his duty to protect them anyway. That was the only reason Kael had allowed them to run out before the purification began.

"B-But what will happen to this place now? We don’t have a Cardinal anymore, and noble society will not care about this place."

"W-Without the temple, we are doomed. Who is going to help us now? Are we going to die?"

People questioned, wondering what they were going to do. All their eyes looked toward the same person for help—Seraphina.

As the Saintess, it was her duty to step up and help the temple after what had happened. She had the power and the authority to do so.

But what she had gone through would become a trauma for her, making her not want to associate with the temple.

’Poor girl! Her road looks so troubled. I don’t want to push more responsibility onto her.’

Kael felt sorry for Seraphina, but unfortunately, it was time for her to take up her responsibility and rebuild the temple.

Even if she remained the figurehead of the temple, her being around would be enough to secure support for this branch from the main temple.

But telling this to Seraphina was hard.

"Kael, I know what you want to do. Just leave it to me."

Leon told him, and he suddenly started to walk toward Seraphina.

Everyone watched with bated breath, wondering if this was the time for the Hero to proclaim his love for the Saintess. Was this the start of a forbidden love between them?

They all watched as Leon placed a hand on Seraphina’s shoulder and spoke clearly.

"Congratulations, Saintess Seraphina. You have exposed Cardinal Flux’s corruption. Now, you will take responsibility for rebuilding this branch as well, right? You won’t abandon these people in need and will come back with us, right?"

Leon smiled at Seraphina reassuringly, and everyone looked at the Saintess for an answer. They all wanted her to choose what was right and help them.

But Seraphina was the only one looking at Kael with a desperate expression on her face.

"Seraphina, you will stay here and help the people. Right?"

Leon asked, emphasizing those words, but Seraphina looked like she wanted to cry.

"I-I don’t want to stay here. It’s scary, and I don’t like it. You won’t leave me here, right, Teacher? I want to go back with you."

Seraphina half demanded and half begged with tears in her eyes. She was making Kael feel bad.

Objectively, he knew that it was for the best if Seraphina stayed behind and helped the people. It would give her the authority she needed as well as the knowledge of divine power.

But he did not want to force her to do anything she did not want to.

"Alright, we can head back home whenever you want to."