Mystery: The Silver Key

Chapter 46: The Vampire Behind the Door

Harvest Church on Narcissus Street.

Irwin stood outside the church, curiously surveying the building that possessed both a sacred aura and a natural style.

He had always known that there was a church belonging to the "Earth Mother Goddess" church in the southern part of the bridge, but because of his own faith, he had never been there before.

As he was about to enter the church of another god, he instinctively wanted to tap his chest three times to pray to the "God of Order and Mechanics" and apologize for entering the church of another god. However, when he thought that this was the church of another god, he felt that it would be impolite to do so.

He was still struggling with his decision, but his legs had already honestly stepped through the doors of the Harvest Church.

Then, he saw the tall man, over two meters tall, whose loose brown priest's robe was stretched into a tight-fitting bodysuit, wiping candlesticks at the table in front of him, turn around and look at him.

His mere presence, even just a simple turn of his head, was like a small mountain, giving people an immense sense of oppression.

goo~

Irving swallowed hard, then pulled back the step he had just taken.

He began to wonder if he had entered the wrong church. He had heard that many of the clergy in the Church of Mother Earth were mature and gentle women, so why did their church in Backlund only have a priest who could punch him into the Land of Perfection?

I've always heard that the Church of Mother Earth and the Church of War have a good relationship. Could this little giant-like priest have switched sides?

Seeing the gaze of the little giant priest at the table turn towards him, Owen quickly composed himself, forcing a smile as he said:

"Is Father Utravsky here?"

The priest at the table put down his candlestick and nodded slightly to him: "That is me."

The thing I least wanted to happen, Irving sighed inwardly, and then walked over:

"Good afternoon, Father Utravsky. A friend of mine was attacked and shot. He asked me to come to you to buy a medicine that can quickly heal his wounds."

After a brief recollection, Father Utravsky asked, "That 'apprentice'?"

Irving was taken aback for a moment, then realized that the other party probably didn't know Cyril's name.

Thank goodness I didn't just say Sirion's name directly, otherwise it would have been a blunder. That guy, he didn't even make it clear beforehand.

He muttered a couple of complaints to himself, then nodded to the priest in front of him: "He was indeed an 'apprentice' two weeks ago."

Father Utravsky nodded slightly, then shook his head and said, "I am not a 'pharmacist' and cannot concoct a potion with extraordinary effects."

"Huh?" Owen's expression froze for a moment. "Unfortunately, West... my friend asked me to come find you."

"Father, you must have a way. My friend is seriously injured."

He wanted to say a few more words of advice, but under Father Utravsky's reassuring gaze, he wisely kept quiet.

"Follow me." Father Utravsky led him to the back of the prayer hall:

"There is indeed a 'pharmacist' here who can concoct potions with extraordinary effects. Your friend probably wants him to help concoct the potion, but it will require some persuasion."

"Do we need to persuade them?"

"Have they had any previous conflicts?"

Owen was somewhat puzzled. Refusing to help someone in distress didn't align with the doctrines of the "Earth Mother Goddess" Church. The only thing he could think of was that Cyril had previously clashed with the "Pharmacist" here, which was why he needed to persuade him.

Father Utravsky nodded calmly: "You could say that."

Following behind Father Utravsky, Owen curled his lip slightly... What a troublesome fellow. He offended the "Pharmacist" and got injured himself. Now I have to persuade him.

Soon, led by Father Utravsky, he arrived at a closed stone door to a basement. Before he could ask any questions, shouts and curses came from behind the door:

"Damn it, let me out! Let me out!"

"This is illegal imprisonment!"

"The vampires of Backlund will not let you get away with this!"

"Damn priest, you'd better release me now, or when the vampires find out I'm missing and come here, you and your church will be torn to shreds."

...

Owen suddenly stopped walking up the steps. Hearing the shouts from behind the stone door, which sounded weak, he looked at Father Utravsky's unmoved back and his expression was slightly strange.

He wondered if he knew something he shouldn't have, and hesitated whether he should run away now.

Although buying healing potions for his friend was important, he didn't want to be silenced, and even less did he want to be imprisoned behind the stone gate.

Fortunately, Father Utravsky's next words dispelled his doubts:

"He is the 'Pharmacist' here, a vampire who was lured into the church by your friend after he became thirsty for blood, and I have temporarily imprisoned him here."

Behind the stone gate, the shouts that had just subsided rose again in intensity:

"Damn it, this isn't just a prison stay, it's an extraordinary form of confinement."

"Even vampires are legal residents of Backlund, you have no right to imprison me."

"That despicable bastard! I only needed to drink a little blood to quickly regain my sanity, yet he led me into the church! This is an insult to a noble vampire!"

"By the way, you're looking for a 'pharmacist,' right? We vampires are the best 'pharmacists,' but unless you let me out, don't even think about me concocting any medicine for you."

Owen looked blankly at Father Utravsky. The situation was far beyond his expectations, and he didn't know what to say for a moment.

Should we lament the vampire's bad luck, or marvel at Cyrien's incredible life, managing to escape to the church while still an "apprentice" from the vampire who was chasing him?

Father Utravsky interrupted the vampire's shouts from behind the stone door: "You harmed that 'apprentice' before, and now he needs a healing potion. This is the compensation he deserves."

The vampire shouting from behind the door grew louder: "He deserved it, that damned, despicable, shameless bastard."

"Even if I were to prepare a medicine for him, it would be poison, which would double his injuries, leaving him in a state of near death but unable to die."

Owen sighed inwardly. He felt it would be too difficult to get this imprisoned vampire to help concoct the potion. Perhaps even after Cyril's injuries had healed on their own, the vampire still wouldn't give in.

He sighed softly, cleared his throat, and said earnestly:

"Mr. Vampire, if you can sincerely repent, you might still be released."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a voice from behind the door: "It's a vampire, a vampire!"

"Why should I repent? It's clearly the fault of this damned, extraordinary priest who imprisoned me."

"Unless he releases me, I will never help you prepare the potion. Let your friend wait to die."

Owen sighed and shook his head: "His injuries aren't serious enough to kill him. Don't you really want to consider it? Maybe Father Utravsky will reduce your sentence."

"Get out!" The voice behind the door sounded hoarse from shouting for so long.

"I haven't committed a crime, so why should my sentence be reduced? No, why should I be imprisoned!"

Irving looked helplessly at Father Utravsky, realizing he couldn't persuade this vampire:

"Father, could you please prepare a potion to speed up the healing of my injuries? A regular potion will do."

"Anyway, all he needs is to avoid lying in a hospital bed all the time."

Father Utravsky nodded slightly: "Yes."

"etc!"

"It's not that I can't mix the medicine, but you have to find a way to get this damned priest to let me out."

...

In the conference room beneath St. Hillland Cathedral, Carlson, who had just returned from the hospital, was attending a meeting. The Steam Church was taking the Backlund University incident very seriously, and the church leadership had directly appointed a senior deacon from the Mechanical Heart to take full charge.

"According to our investigation, the attack may have been aimed at Cyril Glenn, a history student at Backlund University, but he himself did not know why he was attacked."

"In addition, the attacker's identity has been confirmed as Zoira Hernandez, the leader of the Blood Axe Gang in the East District."

"All members of the Blood Axe Gang mysteriously disappeared not long ago. According to the divination, they are all dead. At the time, no information about Zoira Hernandez was divined, which should have been covered up by a higher being."

"In addition, Archbishop Horamik confirmed that an angel had briefly stayed at Backlund University before he arrived."

"This incident involves an evil god, but there was no trace of his presence at the scene, which may have been dealt with by that unknown angel."