Chapter 4: Investigation

After the massacre during the High Priest selection, the damaged roof of the main hall still had not been fully repaired.

The once solemn and sacred temple was now shrouded in a tense and heavy atmosphere.

 

During this time, several meetings had already been convened in the council chamber to discuss the legitimacy of the new High Priestess and to investigate the truth behind the incident.

And today, the Sun God Solya and the officials of the selection council gathered here once again.

 

Sitting at the head of the council chamber, Solya furrowed her brow, her hand resting on the long table clenched into a tight fist.

 

"The divine covenant has already been completed, yet you still want to select another High Priest to oversee administration. This is utterly absurd!"

Solya's resonant voice echoed through the council chamber, her tone filled with displeasure.

 

The officials bowed their heads one after another, none of them willing to face her wrath head-on at this moment.

 

A few seconds later, an official slowly raised his head to look at Solya.

"My Lord, the Captain of the Guard did not complete all the selection procedures. I fear it will be difficult to win the people's trust this way."

 

"If the Captain of the Guard hadn't stopped that massacre, would you be sitting here in one piece talking to me about procedures?" Solya retorted without hesitation, her voice rising even louder.

"The divine covenant cannot be revoked. Selecting another High Priest who did not complete the covenant is what will truly fail to convince the people!"

 

Vela, as the Captain of the Guard, was still standing behind Solya.

Looking at how emotional she was, Vela only let out a silent sigh.

 

"The Wolf God is right!" an official from the Dreven faction immediately chimed in. "Besides, since the Captain of the Guard was able to complete the divine covenant with Lord Solya, it means she would have no problem passing the third round. Furthermore, she ranked first in the first round, so she was already the one most likely to be chosen."

 

"Being the most likely does not mean she would definitely be chosen!" another official retorted immediately. "The second round of selection hasn't even finished yet. On what grounds do you assume it must be the Captain of the Guard?"

 

"And on what grounds do you assume the Captain of the Guard cannot do it?!"

 

In an instant, officials from both sides began speaking up in agreement, and waves of arguments swept through the council chamber without end.

The entire council chamber instantly fell into chaos.

 

High Priestess Dreven watched everything before her, her face remaining expressionless from start to finish.

Only when the arguments subsided slightly did she speak slowly.

 

"My Lord, everyone, please allow me to propose a compromise."

 

The moment High Priestess Dreven's voice rang out, the entire council chamber fell silent.

 

"This incident is serious enough to be deemed a major attempt to overthrow the regime. Right now, the most important task is to uncover the truth and bring the rebels behind this to justice."

 

"Therefore, I suggest that the Captain of the Guard take charge of investigating this case. During the investigation, she will serve as the acting High Priestess. If she can uncover the truth of the incident proving herself capable of bearing the responsibilities of the High Priestess, her formal appointment will be completed. If she cannot handle it, we will then reconsider selecting another High Priest to run the administration."

 

High Priestess Dreven turned her gaze to Solya.

"My Lord, what do you think?"

 

Solya closed her eyes with a furrowed brow, lost in thought for a moment.

 

"...I agree to this proposal."

 

High Priestess Dreven then looked toward all the officials present.

 

"Does anyone have any objections?"

 

Silence fell over the council chamber.

Although some still had reservations, they had to admit that this was already the solution that best accommodated all factions' positions.

 

With the matter settled, High Priestess Dreven gave Solya a slight nod.

"My Lord."

 

Solya took a deep breath, her eyes scanning everyone present.

 

"Then, it is decided."

 

She spoke again immediately.

 

"This incident is of great significance. I will personally investigate this matter alongside the Captain of the Guard."

 

"Furthermore, regardless of the outcome of the High Priest selection, Vela Dreven will continue to serve as the Captain of the Guard concurrently."

 

Standing behind Solya, Vela froze for a moment.

For a High Priest to concurrently serve as the Captain of the Guard was something unprecedented in Lunatia.

 

"My Lord...!" an official spoke up anxiously. "Throughout history, there has never been a High Priest who served as the Captain of the Guard at the same time!"

 

"The personnel of the Sun God's Guard is not within your purview to interfere. Do you intend to meddle in this as well?"

Solya looked at the official, refusing to yield an inch.

 

The officials who did not belong to the Dreven faction all looked uneasy, hesitant to speak, yet they could not find any ground to refute her.

Meanwhile, High Priestess Dreven, sitting in her seat, still showed no emotion on her face, merely watching the situation unfold in silence.

 

With everyone harboring their own thoughts, the meeting that had been debated for so long finally came to an end.

 

At night, Solya temporarily kept Vela in her chambers to discuss the incident in private.

 

"My Lord, I believe you have heard... those three candidates who turned into monsters had actually been killed in the candidate isolation chambers before."

Vela stood outside the dressing room, her hands clasped behind her back, still maintaining the straight posture typical of the Captain of the Guard as she spoke to Solya, who was changing inside.

 

"I'm Solya!"

Solya's protest immediately came from the dressing room, her voice raised with a hint of pouting.

 

"Sorry, I mean... Solya."

Vela corrected herself immediately, sounding a bit embarrassed, her cheeks flushing slightly.

 

After changing her clothes, Solya walked out of the dressing room.

She had taken off her solemn and sacred white-and-gold divine robe, leaving only a black sleeveless spaghetti-strap top and a pair of athletic shorts that did not even reach halfway down her thighs.

A large expanse of fair skin on her chest was left almost entirely uncovered, coming directly into Vela's view.

 

Vela froze instantly, the flush on her face growing more pronounced as her mind went blank.

Usually, due to her status, Solya dressed rather conservatively even when changing into casual clothes for going out.

Now, suddenly seeing her in such form-fitting and casual loungewear, Vela forgot where she had even left off in her speech.

 

Noticing Vela standing there frozen, Solya paused, a flush of red quietly warming her cheeks as well.

"S-Sorry... Is it strange?" She rubbed her arm sheepishly and murmured softly. "Normally, after the Guard leaves, this is how I dress. It's more comfortable... Should I go change into something else?"

 

"No, these are your chambers. Please do not mind me, as long as you are comfortable."

Vela's hands remained behind her back as she strove to maintain the proper posture expected of the Captain of the Guard.

Her gaze, however, drifted upward involuntarily, not knowing where to look for a moment.

 

"...Vela, don't just stand there." Solya blushed, quickly changing the subject. "Wouldn't it be more comfortable to sit down?"

With that, she reached out to grab Vela's wrist, pulling her down onto the sofa with her.

 

"Uh... where were we just now?"

Vela turned to look at Solya beside her, her thoughts seemingly not yet fully back on track.

 

Solya could not help but laugh.

"You were saying that the three candidates were killed in the isolation chambers before. I know about that."

 

"What I want to say is that the isolation chambers are heavily guarded, so it is impossible for an ordinary person to achieve this." Vela regained her usual calm tone. "This matter must involve the high-ranking officials of the temple."

 

"But the problem is, the officials who were killed in High Priest selection span across all factions, making it impossible to see any pattern."

 

"Hmm..." Solya tilted her head slightly, falling into deep thought. "If we cannot start from the factions, we must find another direction for the investigation."

 

Solya looked at Vela for a few seconds.

 

"...Forbidden arts." Solya's tone growing serious.

 

Vela nodded gently.

"Yes, I thought so too, which is why I first asked High Priestess Dreven about the forbidden arts."

 

"The forbidden arts themselves hold no power," Vela said slowly. "It is merely a method that allows ordinary people to forcibly manipulate the power of the Beast Gods."

 

Vela's expression gradually grew grave.

 

"The reason those monsters took on wolf forms indicates that they were using the wolf god's power."

 

"And since the first Sun God, the Primordial Wolf God, there has never been another wolf god among the successive Sun Gods and regional Beast Gods."

 

Vela raised her eyes to look at Solya.

"Except you."

 

Solya's eyes widened slightly.

"...So, they were using my power."

 

"But ordinary people cannot withstand divine power at all," Vela continued. "I believe the transformation into those wolf-like monsters was a direct result of this."

 

"Furthermore, once an ordinary person forcibly uses divine power, they are destined to die."

 

"Those people... if they were not deceived, they must have already prepared to meet their deaths."

Vela said in a heavy tone.

 

"As for the Luna Stone... it is the medium through which the High Priest assists the Sun God in transforming into the Beast God form, operating through the High Priest's mental strength and the spiritual compatibility with the Sun God."

 

"But this time, they used the forbidden arts to forcibly interfere with your divine power through the Luna Stone, which caused your power to distort."

 

Solya let out a soft sigh, casting her gaze downward.

"But I truly cannot understand... how on earth they obtained my power."

 

"This... is the direction we must investigate first. High Priestess Dreven only knows this much about the forbidden arts." Vela's tone carried a hint of helplessness.

 

Solya kept her head down in thought for a moment, yet she could not come up with any specific approach.

 

"...I will think about it again tonight," she said softly, then looked up at Vela. "It is getting late. Go back and rest. I worry you might be too tired."

 

"Alright. I'll head back now. Make sure you get some sleep too."

Vela stood up from the sofa, and Solya accompanied her to the entrance of the chambers.

 

When Vela reached the door, she still could not help but turn back to glance at Solya once more.

 

Solya stood quietly in place.

She took a step forward, leaving less than half a step of distance between them.

She gently took Vela's hand.

 

"Goodnight, Vela."

 

Solya tilted her head up slightly, smiling softly.

She did not let go of the hand she held, showing a hint of reluctance to part.

 

Vela did not pull her hand away.

She looked down at Solya, her fingers gently caressing her hand.

"...Goodnight, Solya."

 

Neither of them was the first to look away.

 

"Then... I should get going. See you tomorrow," Vela said softly after a moment.

 

"Mm."

Only then did Solya gently release her hand, watching Vela leave.

 

After Vela left, Solya returned to her spacious bedroom.

She lay in bed alone, pondering the direction of their next investigation, but still could not think of a suitable method.

 

"Ah—!! Vela~ What on earth should I do~!"

She lay on her back, giving her legs a single, aimless kick into the air before collapsing onto the bed like a deflated balloon, her limbs splayed limply.

Her shout echoed through the spacious bedroom, carrying a faint resonance.

However, Vela had already returned to the Guard's dormitory, so naturally, no one answered her.

 

Solya quietly stared at the ceiling, her gaze casually drifting to the hanging cabinet on the wall beside her.

Pots of blooming yellow lilies were arranged on it.

 

In Lunatia, yellow lilies symbolized the sun, so yellow lilies were always placed throughout the temple as decorations, and Solya's chambers were no exception.

 

However, amidst the sea of blooming yellow lilies, she suddenly noticed a flower that was different.

Although the color of this flower was extremely similar to the yellow lilies, it was smaller than a typical lily; if one did not examine it closely, it would be hard to notice the difference between the two.

It was still tightly closed, not yet in bloom, standing quietly in the corner.

 

Solya approached the hanging cabinet and scrutinized the flower.

 

She slowly reached out her hand, a warm golden glow emanating from her palm, trying to make the flower bloom.

However, the flower did not gradually bloom under the radiance of divine power like other plants would.

The golden light that was supposed to envelop the flower was instantly absorbed like flowing water, vanishing without a trace.

 

Solya's eyes widened, and in an instant, she understood the true purpose of this flower.

"Vela...!"

 

Over the next few days, Vela secretly arranged for several Guard members she trusted to lie in wait inside and outside the chambers.

In the end, they successfully caught the person who slipped into the bedroom to retrieve the flower while Solya was out—a Guard member responsible for taking shifts guarding the chambers.

 

"Sit down!"

 

In the interrogation room, a Guard squad leader pushed the implicated member onto a chair without ceremony and cuffed his wrists behind the chair.

Vela stood quietly in front, looking down at the implicated member before her.

Several Guard members stood watch around them, closely monitoring his every move.

 

"...Talk. Who ordered you to do this?"

Vela looked coldly at the implicated member and asked in a low voice, showing no emotion on her face.

 

The implicated member did not reply and spat fiercely at her.

 

*Clang—!*

The surrounding Guard members drew their sabers almost simultaneously, their cold blades instantly pointing at him.

 

"In your dreams," the implicated member glared at Vela venomously. "Even if you kill me, I won't say a single word."

 

Vela ignored his provocation, merely raising a hand calmly.

The Guard members lowered their blades and returned to their guarded stance.

 

"As a member of the Sun God's Guard, you not only caused so many lives to be lost during the selection but also did something to harm the Wolf God. Do you not feel even a shred of shame?"

Vela's tone remained calm.

 

The expression on the implicated member's face contorted instantly, and he grit his teeth in fury.

"Those scumbags deserved to die anyway!" he roared at Vela. "You puppet of this rotten system! The one who should be ashamed is you!!"

 

Faced with his roaring, Vela's expression did not change, allowing him to vent his emotions.

 

The implicated member still had no intention of stopping.

"To risk your life like that for a mere beast wearing a divine robe, you are truly laughable—!!"

 

Before he could finish his sentence, Vela's hand had already gripped his throat in a death lock.

 

The tall, bulky member did not even have time to react before he was choked nearly breathless by that strength which far exceeded his expectations. His face quickly flushed crimson, and only painful gasps could escape his throat.

 

Vela knew very well how she, as the Captain of the Guard and the High Priestess, should handle the person before her.

Yet at that moment, the thought of silencing the person who had insulted Solya forever overrode all rules.

 

All the Guard members present were also stunned.

They had never seen Vela lose her composure like this, yet none dared to step forward and stop her.

 

Until the Vice Captain beside her could not help but remind her in a low voice.

 

"C-Captain...! If this keeps up, he'll die!"

 

Vela's expression remained icy, and she fell silent for a brief moment—

 

*Thud!*

 

Holding the implicated member by his neck, she slammed him hard onto the ground.

The implicated member lay crumpled on the ground, coughing violently.

 

"It seems... you truly don't realize that you are merely helping the temple trample many people underfoot."

Having finally caught his breath, the implicated member looked up at Vela, a smile she couldn't understand spreading across his face.

 

Vela threw another punch straight at his face.

 

"Take him away," Vela said coldly. "Search his quarters immediately."

 

"Yes, Captain."

 

The two Guard members immediately stepped forward and escorted the implicated member out of the interrogation room.

 

The interrogation room was dead silent.

All the Guard members kept their heads lowered; no one dared to speak.

 

They respected their Captain and trusted her loyalty to the Wolf God.

 

Yet at that very moment, they realized for the first time—

 

That such loyalty could send a chill down one's spine.

 

A few days later, Vela came to Solya's office to report on the progress of the investigation.

 

"My Lord, our investigation found that this flower is called the Cliff Flower. It only grows on the western snowy mountains. It is extremely rare in the wild and can only grow under very specific conditions, making it exceptionally difficult to obtain."

 

"Additionally, we have secretly tracked the recent movements of the rebel and found that a regular underground supplier has been providing him with the Cliff Flowers."

 

"A regular supplier?" Solya was slightly taken aback. "Does that mean someone is cultivating them?"

 

"At present, it seems so," Vela nodded. "However, the supplier uses a legitimate shop as cover, hiding within a crowded traditional marketplace. The trading partners are complex, making it difficult to trace the true source at this time."

 

"Hmm..." Solya looked to the side, lightly cupping her mouth as she thought. "After this massacre, the other side will likely go into hiding for a while. It probably won't be easy to trace upward along the supply source in the short term."

 

She then raised her head.

 

"What about the downstream? Do you know who he handed the flowers to?"

 

"Currently, we cannot find any clues regarding the recipient. The rebel handled this part very cleanly, leaving no traceable marks behind." Vela's tone carried a hint of helplessness.

 

"I see..." Solya murmured softly. "Tracing upward is a dead end, and there are no clues going downward."

 

After a moment, Solya seemed to think of something and looked at Vela again.

 

"Since this plant can only grow on the western snowy mountains, then the actual cultivation site must be there as well."

 

"Perhaps... going directly to the native habitat of the Cliff Flowers would give us a better chance of finding clues."

 

Vela fell silent for a few seconds.

"...At present, I am afraid this is our only option."

 

"Then tomorrow, I shall set out with members of the Guard."

 

Solya did not respond immediately, merely lowering her head in thought.

She then looked up once more.

 

"I'll go with you."

 

"Eh?" Vela's expression stiffened. "My Lord, it is not appropriate for you to go in person. It is too dangerous."

 

"No, listen to me." Solya looked at Vela.

 

"When that Cliff Flower was placed in my chambers before, I never noticed its presence because its power was too weak."

 

"But later, when I tried keeping it close to sense it carefully... I could actually feel it."

 

"This means that if a large patch of Cliff Flowers is growing somewhere, I should be able to sense their presence much more easily. Having me along will be far more efficient than you leading people to search blindly in the snowy mountains."

 

"But..." Vela furrowed her brow slightly, looking extremely hesitant.

 

"Don't worry about me, Vela," Solya said in a firm tone. "Right now, the most important thing is to clear this up as quickly as possible. Otherwise, there is no guarantee the they won't make another move."

 

"As for the temple's administrative affairs, I will temporarily leave them to the former High Priestess Dreven to handle."

 

Vela still knitted her brows, pondering for a moment.

In the end, she lowered her head.

 

"Yes, My Lord."

 

On the morning of their departure, Vela arrived in front of the chambers early with a guard member to await Solya.

 

As soon as the scheduled time arrived, Solya emerged from her chambers right on time.

Unlike her usual sacred attire, she wore a blue cropped hoodie, revealing a section of her toned midriff, paired with white denim hot pants. She looked just like an ordinary young girl.

If one were not from the temple, it would be nearly impossible to recognize her as the Sun God.

 

Looking at Solya, Vela suddenly noticed something different about her compared to usual.

 

"My Lord, your... tail?" Vela's eyes widened slightly.

 

"I tucked it away~" Solya turned around with a laugh, showing off for Vela. "Ever since I became able to transform into a wolf, I discovered that I can freely hide my tail. This way, it's much easier to conceal my identity~"

Her smile held a hint of pride, like a child eager to share a new discovery.

 

"What do you think? This outfit is inconspicuous enough, right?" Solya turned back, her eyes narrowing into crescent lines as she smiled.

 

"Well..." Vela was momentarily at a loss for words.

She looked at Solya, feeling that this outfit on her could hardly be categorized as "inconspicuous."

However, if the goal was to hide her identity as the Sun God, this attire certainly achieved its purpose.

 

Meanwhile, the Guard member standing beside Vela remained standing tall and straight, though the expression on her face had already frozen.

After all, the Solya before her was a far cry from the one who publicly appeared in the temple, both in dress and speech.

 

Vela noticed the member's reaction and could roughly guess what she was thinking at this moment.

Nonetheless, even in a private setting, etiquette dictated that she introduce the member to the Sun God first.

 

"...Ahem, My Lord, this is the member responsible for accompanying us on this guard mission—Romy. Although she has not been in the Guard for long, her martial skills across all areas are among the best in the unit."

 

"M-My Lord..."

Romy bowed her head to Solya, stammering slightly out of nervousness; this was the first time she had faced Solya from such close proximity.

 

Solya looked up slightly at Romy, who was tall and had a pretty short haircut.

All three of them were girls, yet Romy was nearly half a head taller than Vela, who was already tall.

"As expected of the Guard, one is taller than the next..." Solya smiled and said softly.

 

"Romy, you need not be too surprised," Vela could not help but show a helpless smile. "This is how the Wolf God is in private."

 

"Anyway, I'll be in your care this time, Romy~" Solya smiled, waving her hand gently at her.

 

"Y-Yes..."

 

Romy kept her head lowered, but her gaze could not help but drift toward the Sun God before her, who completely defied her preconceptions.

 

To Romy, she felt that the Sun God and the Captain of the Guard before her would bring her countless surprises in the future—and perhaps, frights as well.