Chapter 013: Such a Delicate Little Slave

Slowly pushing open the doors of the sanctuary, Du Fan felt as if several pairs of eyes were piercing him like needles. His heart stirred, and he quickly glanced around. Inside the sanctuary, aside from Joshua and Anthony, there were several men in religious robes. Yet they all concealed their true faces with those robes, adding to the sense of mystery.
Du Fan smiled and nodded at them before bowing slightly. “Lord Anthony, I heard you sent several groups to look for me. What urgent matter requires your attention?”
Anthony, who had been squinting, cursed inwardly at Du Fan for being so cunning after he spoke. “Well, Du Fan, you’ve arrived. I forgot to tell you yesterday—given the current situation, it’s best to act quickly. While that old Bruce hasn’t realized anything yet, let’s seize the chance to get what’s in the sacred palace first. Even if he finds out later, he won’t have anything to say.”
Du Fan smiled. “Your wisdom is unmatched, Lord Anthony. But when do you plan to set off?”
Anthony replied, “The sooner, the better. That’s why I’ve gathered people overnight. Besides me, the others here also know what’s at stake. I hope you’ll cooperate closely this time to uncover the secrets of the sacred palace. Whatever valuable things are inside, you must find a way to bring them back.”
Du Fan nodded in response, glancing briefly at the men in robes before saying, “Regardless of anything else, Lord Anthony, shouldn’t you first introduce those who will be joining us?”
Anthony nodded and waved at Joshua. “You go ahead.”
Joshua nodded and signaled the men to lower their hoods, then pointed at Du Fan. “This is Alfred, one of the leaders of the Temple Knights in the Gavin Diocese of the Holy Church, and also my deputy.”
Du Fan nodded and looked over. The man had a cold expression, his tan skin covered in various scars. Standing about two meters tall, he was immensely muscular, clearly a warrior of strength.
Still, Du Fan knew this man’s strength was several times his own. With a smile, he nodded and said, “Sir Alfred, I’ll rely on you to take care of me during this journey.”

He never expected that this seemingly cold guy actually had a very generous personality. He sized Du Fan up several times; perhaps realizing that Du Fan had reached the third level of combat energy in just three months, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. After a moment, he said, “It’s fine, it’s fine. On this trip, it’s Master Joshua and Lord Du Fan who will be in charge. As a subordinate, I’ll naturally follow their instructions.”

Du Fan nodded and turned to the next person.

To his surprise, the second person was an extremely beautiful woman. Her face possessed an indescribable classical beauty, and combined with the subtle curves of her body beneath her robe, she resembled a highly alluring little fairy. If such a woman were in the pleasure houses of the Imperial Capital, she would definitely be the top choice among them. But it was unclear why she was here.

Du Fan smiled at her kindly as a greeting.

However, this woman’s demeanor was extremely cold, as if she exuded an aura that kept people at a distance.

Du Fan glanced awkwardly at Joshua and pursed his lips.

Joshua laughed heartily and continued, “This is Sister Tasia, a quite famous figure in our Holy Church.”

Du Fan was slightly stunned and couldn’t help but take another look at Tasia. If he remembered correctly, this woman was said to be the top nun in the Gavin Diocese of the Holy Church. But her fame didn’t stem from her piety but from her beauty. It was said that over the years, there had been no fewer than eight hundred nobles in the Imperial Capital who had fallen for her. Yet she remained extremely cold-hearted—regardless of who you were, even the prince himself wouldn’t earn her attention. Her reputation as an ice-cold beauty was well-deserved.

But men are such despicable creatures—wives are not as good as concubines, concubines not as good as those stolen, and those stolen not as good as those unattainable. A woman who no one can have, not even oneself, is naturally the best.

So although Tasia was cold in temperament, her reputation among the nobles of the Imperial Capital remained high.

Back in the Holy Church, Du Fan had also thought about meeting Sister Tasia, but considering his own status, he never took any action. Now, though, she was indeed beautiful, but still several notches below Chenchen. Moreover, Du Fan knew he had absolutely no chance of pursuing her, so after taking a few glances, he turned his attention elsewhere.

Yet his behavior was quite unexpected to Miss Tasia. In the Holy See, not to mention ordinary priests, even the devout Knight Joshua and that old man, Archbishop Anthony, couldn’t claim they had never had thoughts about her. Accustomed to various looks from men, she easily read Du Fan’s expression—curious, but uninterested. Tasia could tell this lack of interest was different from that of the previous foolish nobles; it wasn’t feigned, but rather a genuine lack of interest in her. This surprised Tasia somewhat, but being used to indifference, she merely glanced at Du Fan a few more times before turning away. Seeing the change in their expressions, Joshua smiled inwardly but continued, “But Du Fan, you must not underestimate Sister Tasia. Besides her apparent identity, she is also a member of the Divine Might Prison. This time, it is the warden of the Divine Might Prison who sent her to help us.” This time, Du Fan was truly surprised. He had occasionally heard of the Divine Might Prison in the Holy See—said to be second only to the Templar Order and the Inquisition in importance, though that was only on the surface. In reality, it was one of the Holy See’s most powerful forces, not meant to spread doctrine but rather to eliminate organizations that posed a threat to the Holy See, including various internal inspections. If forced to compare, it was somewhat like the imperial secret police of a dynasty in Du Fan’s past life. He just didn’t know if the warden of the Divine Might Prison was an eunuch. Facing such an organization, Du Fan didn’t dare neglect them and bowed, saying, “So Sister Tasia holds such a noble status. And it is said that everyone in the Divine Might Prison is highly skilled. For this matter, we will surely need your generous assistance, Lady Tasia.” Tasia nodded slightly and said, “I understand.” Her voice was clear, like that of a oriole, yet carried an indescribable chill. Du Fan finally understood why so many men were obsessed with her. If only he could have her beneath him, torturing her while listening to her cool voice gradually turn into moans—what an enticing thought.

Conquest and domination are, without a doubt, the things men in the world love the most. Of course, some special enthusiasts prefer not to target women when it comes to domination and conquest.
With endless fantasies in mind, Du Fan barely suppressed his urge to tease Tasia a bit before turning his attention to the last person.
It was a seemingly extremely thin young man, his face bearing a strange paleness that made it impossible to determine his exact age. Yet, it seemed no one could ignore his presence.
Even Joshua showed genuine respect toward this man, saying in a low voice, “This is Saint Nicholas, the most powerful and devout divine magician in our Gavin parish.”
Du Fan glanced at Nicholas a few times, feeling slightly surprised. This guy didn’t seem to know any combat skills or magic, and his frame seemed so frail that even a breeze might knock him over. Yet, after having been in the Holy Church for so long, Du Fan knew well that such people must not be underestimated.
A divine magician was a believer blessed by the gods. Although their exact abilities were unknown, most of them could be considered peerless warriors. Even if occasionally a divine magician’s abilities weren’t suitable for combat, those abilities still had incredible effects in other fields.
Moreover, Du Fan believed that since Old Fox Anthony had arranged for this man to join them at the Holy Palace, it meant he certainly wouldn’t be a burden.
As for what abilities he actually possessed, Du Fan didn’t dare ask too much.
With respect, Du Fan bowed to Nicholas and said, “Saint Nicholas, we rely on your care throughout this journey.”
Nicholas nodded slightly, as if he might run out of breath at any moment. He gave Du Fan a brief glance and smiled, saying, “It’s my duty.”
Yet that smile carried a hint of seductiveness. For a man to wear such a smile was truly unsettling. Du Fan felt frustrated—why did Nicholas look so feminine? In the popular terms of his past life, he was simply a super cute little effeminate guy!!!