Mystic Overlord: Reading Gives Strength
Chapter 398 - 395 Martha Aspires to Become a Saintly Priestess

Chapter 398: Chapter 395 Martha Aspires to Become a Saintly Priestess

Sitting in the hired carriage, Martha’s mood was somewhat tense.

As a nun with outstanding talent, she was sent to the Tri-Spirit Monastery at the age of sixteen to be trained as the next candidate for the sacred priesthood.

The sacred priest is a very special position within the church, with roughly the same rights as a bishop, but also with certain privileges. However, this position could only be held by one person within the church.

Generally, after the passing of a sacred priest, the church would confirm the next candidate within ten years.

Martha, as the sacred priest candidate groomed by Springfields.

If nothing unexpected happened, it was almost a certainty that she would become the new sacred priest after the age of twenty-five.

However, with three more years to go until the selection day.

Since becoming a candidate for the sacred priest—or to be more precise, from the day she left the orphanage and then joined the church organization—

Martha faced the most difficult choice of her life.

—The relic left by the Saint was stolen.

On Martha’s first year at the monastery, the elders had instructed her. As a candidate for the sacred priest, she only needed to study the church’s knowledge earnestly and prepare for the future at the age of twenty-five.

Aside from that, there was no need for her to concern herself with anything more.

Even today, when the Sword of Saint Catherine was stolen, Martha didn’t really have to take action; she just had to stay within the monastery.

No one would criticize her for being a sacred priest candidate who was completely powerless in combat.

Wanting to peacefully assume the position of sacred priest from the candidate.

Ignoring today’s events was unquestionably her best option.

However, Martha did not make such a choice.

Certainly, there was struggle within her heart.

But having been raised by the church since childhood, the girl simply couldn’t make the ’right’ choice to ’stay safe.’ Even if her actions might fail and thus cost her the candidacy to another from a different diocese.

Still, she made that choice.

At this moment, Martha knew of Ronald by her side.

According to the elders in the church, although under twenty, he was a very powerful original scripture holder. Even the Pope had decided to open up the monastery’s library to him to demonstrate the church’s stance.

When she had inspected the bell tower ruins, Martha had also witnessed the overwhelming power he displayed.

If it were such a powerful Caster...

Perhaps reclaiming the Saint’s relic with him would not be a problem?

"What’s the matter?" Just as Martha dismounted from the carriage and was slightly lost in thought by the roadside, Ronald noticed the nun’s distraction.

"It’s nothing, I’m just worried about the upcoming battle," Martha did not want to reveal her worries, so she simply brushed off the concern.

"Is that so..." Ronald nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

He maintained the power of ’Fury’ in his hand, observing the emotions of the surrounding crowds, and naturally, he was also observing the state of the nun as his companion for the day.

He noticed that she was clearly trying to stabilize her mindset.

Ronald could only respond with that attitude.

Without speaking further, Martha, with a clear goal, started to search for their target with Ronald following her.

During this process, their path towards the target was not straightforward.

Martha stood at the street corner, hesitated for several seconds, then led Ronald directly towards the side of Brooke Bridge after thinking about the direction over the main road, and together they climbed over the railing and walked down toward the riverbank.

Recalling what the nun had said before, Ronald asked:

"Martha, I remember you mentioned earlier that we can pinpoint the location of the Saint’s relic?"

Carefully avoiding a puddle on the step below, Martha immediately responded:

"We can pinpoint the location, but only approximately. For a more accurate result, we have to rely on tracking the previous movement of the perpetrator."

The two continued onward while exchanging words.

Traversing the steps along the edge of Brooke Bridge and reaching close to the Wis River’s surface, Martha halted her footsteps.

Before them was a drainage outlet of the city’s sewer system.

Though there were paths above the water level on either side of the sewer for the convenience of workers, the pitch-black space combined with an uncomfortable odor indeed made it quite uninviting.

Confronted with such a situation, Ronald also experienced the inconvenience brought about by his enhanced body.

You see, the enhancement from ’Divine Comedy’ is all-encompassing.

Beyond basic physical qualities, Ronald’s senses and reaction speed had also improved significantly.

Thus, when faced with the fetid, sewage stench of the sewer—

The smell he perceived was far more unbearable than what most others would encounter.

Should he prepare earplugs in advance if he were to battle the likes of Spencer with his cacophonous voice next time?

Mulling over these thoughts, Ronald’s actual movements did not slow down.

Seeing the nun beside him struggle with her expression, he took the lead and stepped into the dark depths of the sewer:

"I’ll go ahead. Do you need some light on your side?"

"Please wait a moment." The nun promptly nodded her head.

With one hand, she took out a cylindrical object the size of a glow stick from the pocket of her robe. After a barely perceptible amount of magic power was infused, the cylinder began to emit light in her hand.

Though it lacked the brightness of a typical light source.

It was nonetheless unproblematic in aiding their progress through the sewer.

Snap, snap—

In the dark sewers, Ronald and Martha tread on the occasional wastewater they encountered, meandering through the labyrinthine terrain of the sewer system.

On one hand, there was the unease deep within the nun’s eyes.

On the other, there was Ronald’s confusion.

He had kept the exploration abilities of the power of ’Fury’ active, yet after probing the depths of the sewers, he had not detected any sign of enemy activity.

Aside from a few typical homeless drifters or desperate individuals hiding here, there was simply no enemy nearby fitting the mindset of someone who had ’stolen the Saint’s relic.’

Ronald was not doubting the nun’s abilities beside him.

But looking at the situation as it was—

The enemy’s actions involved taking the Sword of Saint Catherine and running all the way from the church district to the riverbank area. They also did not try to leave the city immediately; instead, they made misleading movements within the sewer, zigzagging from east to west.

The enemy expected that someone would come in pursuit.

Proceeding to deliberately make moves that delay and confuse?

"Mr. Ronald, stop a moment," it was then that Martha, behind Ronald, called out to him.

Turning around, he saw the nun pointing solemnly above their heads.

At this position, right above was a ladder leading to the opposite side and a sewer manhole cover.

"..."

Ronald immediately understood Martha’s implication.

"Did they go up there?"

"Not just that," however, the nun shook her head, lowering her voice seriously and firmly, "The Saint’s relic is up there."

"The margin of error... will not exceed one hundred meters!"