Chapter 439.2: To Defeat Magic, We Need Even Stronger Magic!

Before Count Losjin could speak, before the nobles could gather their words of scorn, she raised her head and puffed out her chest as if the gods were standing beside her. "You knew those people harbored ill intentions, yet you watched as they brandished their knives and entered your homes, desecrating your faith right under your noses, trying to awaken a malevolent spirit that the gods had sealed away 200 years ago! You knew everything, yet did nothing, not only failing to stand up and resist but burying your heads in the sand like ostriches."

Looking around at the impeccably dressed nobles, she accused them in indignance, "Why did Spirit of the Desert find me? Why didn't he seek help from his most devout followers? Perhaps you should reflect on what you've done to disappoint the Spirit of the Desert so profoundly!"

Her harsh words enraged many and stung countless egos.

Especially for nobles like Count Losjin, most of whom were in the surrender faction, believing that pledging loyalty to the Army would not only preserve their wealth and status but might even enhance their titles.

Like the nobles of the Falcon Kingdom, those who surrendered first often received rewards.

However, no matter how they rationalized that surrender was for the good of the oasis' thousands of citizens, it couldn't mask the fact that they had spiritually prostrated themselves.

The Petra Fortress Lord was also angered by her words, but seeing Count Losjin and other nobles puffing up in rage, he suddenly felt less angry.

Especially after he calmed down and thought about it.

What she said...

Seemed to make sense?

If he were the Silvermoon Goddess or Spirit of the Desert, seeing his followers so spineless, he would probably also consider finding an outsider instead.

The only pity was that the girl had no proof, other than her explanations, she had no visible evidence.

Sien ultimately couldn't take her word for it but also didn't heed the calls from the nobles and priests to execute her. Instead, he opted for a middle ground by confining her in a windowless, cold cell in the dungeon.

That was typically where felons were held.

However, this didn't mean he intended to torture her. It was actually a form of protection, and also a test.

People's psychological defenses were weakest when they were isolated, especially in a cell where not even a whisper can be heard.

Unless someone had undergone professional counter-interrogation training, it was incredibly easy to be forced into signing a confession for something they didn’t do under such circumstances just to get out of their predicament.

But if she had truly seen the divine... If she truly had that confidence, she would surely pass the test.

When he announced her confinement in the dungeon, although the nobles were indignant, they couldn't say much.

And the woman accepted the judgment with quite the composure, although she still insisted on her innocence.

Her composed demeanor made Sien wonder if he had made a mistake. However, he wasn't planning to change his mind, intending to keep her locked up for a month at least.

If she still insisted it was the will of the gods after a month, he would doubt his own words and apologize to her.

However, the rumors about the Army and the evil god in the city were becoming increasingly unmanageable, and the unrest from the east was growing more troubling.

If he didn't make a decision soon, the order in Petra Fortress might collapse under its own fear before the Army even arrived. Even more intriguing... If eventually proved that the woman had indeed received a divine mandate, or if the prophecies came true... How would he explain imprisoning her to his king, to the citizens of Petra Fortress?

Would he really have to join the ranks of the spineless and ally with the Army?

Sien hadn't realized that by ordering her imprisonment, he had also entangled himself in a psychological game.

Am I going to believe her... Or am I not?!

Whichever choice he made, neither would necessarily lead to a bad outcome, but both would come at a cost. And continuing to hesitate would certainly yield the worst outcome...

Thus, on the morning of the fifth day, he finally made up his mind and invited the woman from the dungeon to a guest room in his castle.

Her composure gave Sien some comfort. Perhaps her words were true. Perhaps his judgment was correct...

Thinking he had imprisoned an honest follower made him feel a twinge of guilt, though he ultimately didn't apologize. He quietly had the guards prepare a lavish breakfast and a set of clean clothes for her.

Seeing the table full of delicious food, Sisi finally heaved a sigh of relief.

If the meal she was going to eat wasn’t her last... That meant her bet had paid off!

"Do you still claim to have seen the Silvermoon Goddess?" Sien suddenly asked as he watched Sisi eat.

"Yes." Her affirmative answer came without hesitation. She rehearsed it countless times offline, and she had even colluded with her comrades on their story.

No matter how hard the NPC in front of her tried, he couldn't know that she had spent those five days perfecting her lies with the help of everyone online, adding details to make it watertight.

The reason the Petra Fortress Lord hadn't executed her was likely because he still harbored thoughts of resisting the Army.

That was her breakthrough point!

She needed to produce evidence strong enough to prove her claims were true, and the Petra Fortress Lord needed reliable proof to convince himself and potentially persuade other nobles and priests.

And all the clues were actually hidden in the books she had bought!

Sisi couldn't help but reflect on her actions.

She hadn't expected the books she'd bought out of curiosity to end up saving her life.

"What evidence do you have?" As the fools on the forums had guessed, the NPC in front of her quickly spoke his ‘given’ line according to the storyline.

Already prepared with her arguments, she answered without the slightest trace of hesitation. "My companions and I are the evidence. We all saw the same vision. Especially one companion, whose vision was the most vivid. Moreover, she had a face-to-face conversation with the Silvermoon Goddess about the specifics of the prophecy."

"Who is it?" Sien's tone was no longer harsh. Instead, he seemed desperate for a confirmation.

"Of course." After enjoying the lavish meal and fruits, Sisi wiped her mouth with a napkin and continued calmly, "But she's very timid. You have to ensure her safety."

Sien touched his forehead with a finger while speaking in a sincere tone, "I swear by the Spirit of the Desert and the Silvermoon Goddess!"

Sisi stared at him for a moment before speaking again. "Her name is Sesame Paste."

Sien paused at the odd sounding name. "Sesame... Paste?"

With her lips curling upwards slightly, Sisi spoke casually, "Yeah, sounds like a cat's name, doesn't it?"

Sien nodded blankly.

Though none of the cats in his castle were named that, the pronunciation didn't seem like something a non-human would use.

Pausing, Sisi continued, "She was a cat who turned into a human on our journey, I know it sounds incredible, and we were just as surprised by her transformation. We didn’t know what happened. Later, as we traveled all the way to the Sunset Province, we gradually uncovered a bit of the mystery of her origin."

Sien gulped once. "Her origin..."

"According to the Silvermoon Scripture, the Silvermoon Goddess adores cats, allowing them into her chamber to care for her. The reason the cats under Tzobar Mountain proudly accept the worship of followers is because they serve a deity, which I discovered while researching related documents..."

Watching the dumbfounded Sien, Sisi continued confidently, "We only found out later, her transformation into a human wasn't just a coincidence, but because she was carrying a mission given to her by the Silvermoon Goddess."

"This is also why she saw the Silvermoon Goddess in the land illuminated by twilight!"

What happened next...

...

Lord Sien gathered all the city's prominent nobles and priests, taking guards with him to the Order of the White Bear's base.

When Sisi unveiled Sesame Paste's hat and announced her status as a Divine Envoy, chaos broke out once more.

But unlike last time, after seeing the cat ears on Sesame Paste's head, after seeing the city's cats so affectionate towards her...

Even the most stubborn old priest's clear pupils couldn't help but show a moment of confusion. He was unable to utter a rebuttal.

What followed then logically fell into place.