Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 184

[Vol. 5] Chapter 184: The ?Hall of Theology?, the ?General Assembly?

After achieving one of her main objectives, which was to have an open and honest conversation and gain the support of Edwina and the Cecilia family regarding Eudora, Miss Priestess felt considerably relieved.

Eudora was already 12 years old, and investigating certain events that occurred in the Holy Empire at least 12 years ago would be very challenging for Violet, an outsider, relying solely on brute force. Thus, she needed the assistance of local influential forces in the Holy Empire.

However, Eudora’s identity as a succubus undoubtedly limited Miss Priestess’s ability to address the relevant issues.

After considering her options, it seemed that Edwina was her only hope.

To be honest, Miss Priestess had been quite worried that this somewhat straightforward Holy Knight would show aversion or even hostility due to the church’s rigid stance on demons. If that happened, it would be quite troublesome.

Although Edwina probably wouldn’t turn against her, in the worst-case scenario, Miss Violet might have to temporarily leave the Angel City with Eudora, which would adversely affect a series of subsequent plans.

Fortunately, this little stickler for rules was not as inflexible as she had feared.

Once the negotiations were concluded, the three of them prepared to continue with their previous objective: to enter the ?Hall of Theology? and explore it further.

Of course, considering Eudora’s earlier discomfort, Violet had also cast defensive and disguise spells on her in advance, further masking the little one’s aura as a succubus.

This should be foolproof.

The main entrance to the ?Hall of Theology? had no guards, or rather, there was no such thing as a “door.”

A passage formed by over a dozen thick stone columns led directly into the main hall, extending in all directions. It seemed like anyone could freely walk around inside, regardless of who they were.

“It’s definitely a barrier,” Miss White Fox concluded, lightly touching the faint white membrane-like aura in front of her. Otherwise, was the ?Hall of Theology? open 24/7 without ever closing?

Beside Violet, the Holy Knight also tried to stir her hand inside and outside the membrane. Although it created ripples like water waves, she did not suffer any harm or experience anything unusual.

“It looks like a variant of the ?Angel’s Grace? from the four gates of Angel City. It sacrifices power to enhance sensitivity and detection… Seriously, why are these guys messing with the faith magic granted by the goddess again?”

The Holy Knight, who was doing something similar, made this complaint without any self-awareness.

Then, she lowered her head in concern and glanced at a certain pink-haired loli beside her, who was curiously inspecting the barrier but dared not touch it directly with her body. She whispered,

“It seems like this is the reason, Miss Dawn. Since ?Angel’s Grace? is a high-level faith magic that usually can only be activated by formations, its detection capability is incredibly strong. Moreover, this is a modified version from the ?Hall of Theology?. Even though succubi are the best at disguise among higher demons, I’m afraid we might need to think of another way?”

“It’s okay,” Miss White Fox shook her head, gently taking hold of one of Eudora’s small hands and reaching out towards the detection barrier that radiated a sacred aura.

“Um… Sister Fox…?”

Although her gaze was slightly hesitant, the little loli ultimately did not resist. Under the reassuring look of the girl saying “don’t worry,” she touched the light membrane that enveloped the entire ?Hall of Theology? along with her.

“Swish.”

The two white hands, one big and one small, passed through effortlessly without revealing any unusual sights.

“Wow…!”

Hearing the sound of the Holy Knight, who seemed to have held her breath for a long time before suddenly relaxing, Miss White Fox couldn’t help but turn to look at her, her tone slightly helpless.

“So what exactly are you worried about…?”

After all, it was just sixth-tier magic.

Moreover, Violet had already figured out the principle of this thing back when she first entered the city. For ordinary demons, it might be like a “revealing mirror,” making them unable to hide, but for the priestess, who also possessed similar abilities, avoiding it was not difficult at all.

Even though the form here was quite different from that at the city gate, and Violet had to privately admire the creativity of this place, in the end, the fundamental nature of it remained the same.

Ignoring the anti-demon barrier as if it didn’t exist, the three of them stepped directly into the main hall of the ?Hall of Theology?.

Just as Edwina had said earlier, although the interior was bustling with people, none of the eccentric scholars approached to engage with the three girls who had just entered.

They either hurried past like those busy scholars on the academy road, clutching several thick books and glancing at them casually, or completely ignored them, rushing toward a certain direction as if they were late for a market, each seeming to have something worth hundreds of thousands of gold coins to do every second.

“Hmm… Sister Fox, everyone seems to be in a hurry,” Eudora said.

“Indeed, it’s busier than I imagined. Is the research environment in the ?Hall of Theology? always this intense?”

Violet remarked, listening to Miss White Fox’s quiet complaints. Edwina looked around and seemed surprised as she noticed something in the area with the heaviest foot traffic.

“No, it shouldn’t be to this extent. With this kind of atmosphere… could they be holding a ?General Assembly? meeting?! Miss Dawn, I wonder if you heard about this beforehand and specifically chose today to visit the Holy Academy…”

“How could that be…? So what is this ?General Assembly??”

While casually chatting, the three naturally followed the Holy Knight toward the position she had noticed earlier.

As they got closer, the bustling noise around them quickly amplified in Violet’s keen hearing, nearly drowning out the explanations and clarifications from the blonde girl.

“As for the ?General Assembly?, it’s somewhat like a results report conference. The personnel structure within the ?Hall of Theology? is different from the academy. Here, small groups are formed based on their respective research topics.”

“These small groups can have anywhere from a dozen to dozens of members, or in some cases, only two or three individuals working independently. They frequently change and reduce their personnel, which has led to competition among the different groups, all for the sake of…”

The passionate voice of the speaker echoed in the hall, and even from a distance of several dozen steps away, Violet could clearly feel the speaker’s enthusiasm and effort, as if he were a salesman promoting his product to customers.

“In summary! The development and utilization of geothermal energy will greatly propel our country’s comprehensive economic strength forward, allowing us to surpass the Southern and Northern regions, the Western Human United Kingdom, and the Eastern Austre Empire within decades, becoming the true strongest in the world!!!”

At the end of the speech, there was a noticeably subdued statement that seemed to say, “My speech ends here,” followed by scattered applause throughout the audience. However, it sounded quite sparse, and the noise gathered was even less intense than the speaker’s words amplified by the sound equipment.

Oh… it seems like it was a failed speech. Was the promise too grand?

As she thought this, Violet heard Edwina’s voice, which finally rose above the clamor as the speech came to a pause.

“For the most crucial point, we need to address the funding required for these small research teams. The amount of funding these teams receive is largely determined by the allocation of funds, which is determined mainly by the annual ?General Assembly? reports, based on the reactions they generate and the overall evaluations from the judging panel.”

“If they fail to gain recognition and good results here, then the research team they belong to will have a difficult time for the next year. In the worst-case scenario…”

Edwina glanced at a young scholar with refined manners and animal ears who had just walked out of the side door of the ?General Assembly?, looking dejected. She shook her head slightly, appearing somewhat helpless.

“There’s even a possibility that they might have to halt their research due to lack of funding, or even disband the research team altogether.”