At this moment, Bishop Flower Sepal was utterly despairing. He wanted to argue further, but he had no opportunity left.
Dragged away by the Flower Knights, he had been escorted to the back, and a "mana lock" had been placed on him in the blink of an eye.
Now, he was nothing more than a prisoner in gleaming robes, hardly different from a jailer in a dungeon.
What tormented him even more was the uncertainty of what was to come. He couldn't accept his fate; he refused to give in. Inside, Bishop Flower Sepal was screaming in frustration.
As he was dragged away, his armpits gripped tightly, he felt like a lamb being led to the slaughter. His heart was pounding with agitation.
"They must come to save me, right?" Bishop Flower Sepal thought desperately.
"This guy doesn't seem very calm. He's still struggling!" observed one of the Flower Knights dragging Bishop Flower Sepal.
Noticing his continual leg movements, the knight, clad in flower-armored gear, elbowed Bishop Flower Sepal to subdue him.
This action reflected the knight's determination to maintain order and control, especially during the high-profile Ceremony of Divine Grace.
The heavy elbow strike from the Flower Knight nearly knocked Bishop Flower Sepal unconscious, leaving him in a dazed and confused state, on the verge of passing out.
Meanwhile, many onlookers witnessed this scene and shook their heads in disapproval. Bishop Flower Sepal was indeed being too oblivious to the situation.
At such a time, to make a public spectacle of himself was not just an embarrassment but also a defiance of Queen Agatha's orders.
Regardless of whether the Paladin General of Beaconburg, Alan, would forgive Bishop Flower Sepal, his fate seemed sealed.
The likely outcome was the revocation of his bishopric, followed by a demotion to a commoner.
However, Bishop Flower Sepal still hadn't given up hope. His eyes quickly scanned his surroundings, looking for an opportunity to find his protagonist allies.
Before long, Bishop Flower Sepal managed to communicate his current predicament to the protagonist chat group.
Nearby protagonists, upon learning of Bishop Flower Sepal's situation, started to exchange messages, trying to figure out a way to assist him or understand the implications of his current dire circumstances.
[What? So Lavin has already been captured and it seems he's going to be handed over to the antagonists?]
[So, it's confirmed then, that the Paladin General of Beaconburg is an antagonist?]
[But wait, Lavin is a bishop of the Flower Church, with high status and power. The church and the court are interdependent. How could Queen Agatha allow a foreigner to handle him?]
[What exactly happened with Lavin? Could it be because the bishop he possessed was too ugly, displeasing Her Majesty? After all, that antagonist seems quite handsome.]
[Maybe, but how do we rescue him now, damn it!]
Protagonists quickly began discussing how to rescue Lavin, analyzing the chances and probability of successfully saving him.
[Is Her Majesty the Queen now too close to that Paladin General of Beaconburg?]
[They knew each other before, or did this paladin general manage to gain the Queen's favor?]
[Could it be that the Queen has developed feelings for him at this moment?]
[It's hard to tell. Though many nobles have expressed their love to the Queen in the past, they were all rejected and even severely punished.]
[It's unclear, but according to the intelligence, isn't this the first time the Paladin General of Beaconburg met Her Majesty?]
[Maybe we should lay low for now?]
[Yes, if the Queen is indeed siding with that antagonist, our chances of successfully rescuing someone drop even lower!]
…
At this very moment, the Ceremony of Divine Grace had begun. People from different regions and factions of the continent had gathered in the central square of Valer City.
Above the Sky Curtain, a huge and complex magic pattern appeared. Then, a beam of light enveloped it, descending towards everyone present at the ceremony.
This beam of light was very special, primarily designed to confirm the status of those present at the ceremony.
As long as the participants lifted their heads, the light from the "Sky Curtain" forbidden spell could identify if their identities were genuine and whether their current mental states were normal and positive.
If anyone intended to cause trouble by blending in, they would be detected by the light emitted from the "Sky Curtain" and then targeted by its attack.
As in previous Ceremonies of Divine Grace, no assassins appeared this time. Similarly, a beam of light appeared above Alan's head and enveloped him.
As expected, the light did not reveal any abnormalities in him, which was normal.
Around the venue, some antagonists, who were aware of the "Sky Curtain" from prior communication, stayed outside the plaza since they could not mask their presence.
They watched from a distance, avoiding detection.
The light methodically scanned over everyone's heads. Neither Alan nor any of the paladins showed any issues.
However, when the light reached Christine, the Saint of the Moon Goddess Sect from Rivenland, it flickered and then suddenly changed color, turning from a pale white to a deep crimson.
"What's going on?!" was the immediate reaction from the crowd.
They had thought that perhaps some dangerous elements might have disguised themselves and infiltrated the group, but they hadn't expected a situation like this.
The change in the light's color indicated something was amiss with Christine, creating a moment of tension and uncertainty among those present at the Ceremony of Divine Grace.
The unexpected revelation that the problem was with the Saint of the Moon Goddess Sect from Rivenland caught many off guard.
The Order Officers present were uncertain whether they should intervene. The knights of both the Moon Goddess Sect and the Flower Church took a step forward, exchanging glances, but none acted rashly.
Although the Sky Curtain had marked Christine, the Saint of the Moon Goddess Sect, in red, it did not immediately launch an attack on her.
This suggested that whatever threat she posed was not severe enough for the Sky Curtain to eliminate her on the spot.
The question on everyone's mind was why the Sky Curtain had identified an anomaly with Saint Christine.
Many people looked at each other, wondering about the cause. However, there was one person among them who knew the specific reason: Alan.
He had encountered Christine earlier on the Saint Angel Bridge before entering Valer.
He had detected the vampire bloodline within Christine. She had managed to suppress it with her own power, temporarily resolving the resentment in her heart.
However, this suppression was only temporary.
Christine was unaware that her vampire bloodline had become agitated the moment she harbored hatred towards Alan, the Paladin General of Beaconburg.
Even after her emotions were calmed by Alan's divine power, the unrest in her bloodline had not been completely soothed.
The attention of the crowd turned towards Queen Agatha, the host and adjudicator of this grand event. With the deities yet to descend, she was the highest authority present.
"Examine her physical condition," Queen Agatha instructed after a pause.
At her command, several bishops from the Moon Goddess Sect approached Saint Christine to perform spells, aiming to ascertain her current physical state.
As moonlight cascaded down, there was a noticeable change in Christine's expression.
The silver hue of her eyes, which had reddened momentarily when identified by the "Sky Curtain," returned to their original color under the cleansing energy of the Moon Goddess.
"It is advised that the Saint begins the Dance of Moon Goddess.
If the ceremony can summon the Goddess of Moon, then we can ask the Goddess to make a judgment," suggested a few elder bishops from the Moon Goddess Sect.
The crowd around didn't object to this suggestion. Indeed, it seemed a good idea.
To the mortals present, the descent of a true deity was naturally seen as a resolution to all underlying threats.
"Alright, I was planning to do just that," agreed Queen Agatha.
The Dance of Moon Goddess by Saint Christine of the Moon Goddess Sect was scheduled as the foremost performance of this Ceremony of Divine Grace.
Christine's devotion to the Goddess of Moon was well-known throughout the nation, making it highly probable that she could summon the Goddess who already blessed Rivenland, possibly bestowing significant grace upon Christine.
However, nothing was certain.
…
Meanwhile, in the prison, Bishop Flower Sepal had been incarcerated for a day. After his crimes were confirmed and sentenced, the paladins of Beaconburg had brought him here.
From a distance, several protagonists witnessed this scene, smacking their lips in dismay, ultimately not daring to step forward to rescue him.