1 day before departure:

"Have you told her about the departure?" [Anatole]

"I will tell her tomorrow morning." [Nicholas]

After dinner and prayers, Father Nicholas sat down to talk with Anatole for a while.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Who else would be here at this hour?" [Nicholas]

The priest got up and went to open the door.

"Bonjour?" [Nicholas]

When the door opened, he saw a familiar figure, which surprised him.

"Emilie? Why are you here at this hour?! Didn't you..." [Nicholas]

"Shut up, you bastard!" [Emilie]

The priest suddenly stopped, he never thought that the obedient girl from that day would say this to him, it made his heart ache, how painful it was.

"You...?" [Nicholas]

Having a bad feeling, he immediately stood up.

"Please don't call me child anymore! I've had enough of this place! You too, you bastard! You dare to take me with this hateful stranger? Are you still my father!? Or do you just see me as a precious thing that can be taken wherever you want?..." [Emilie]

The little girl collapsed, sobbing under her father's shocked eyes.

"No! That's not what I meant, listen to me..." [Nicholas]

"I don't think you need to try to convince her, "dear priest"..." [???]

A veiled woman had been behind Nicholas for a while, she had a knife in her hand and was stabbing him hard in the throat...

*Clanng*

"I think you are the dirtiest person I have ever known, Marguerite, the leader of the Church of the Enlightenment in Paris...or in other words...Manus Vindictae!" [Anatole]

Anatole had appeared at some point, using his sword to block her back stab.

"Oh, how interesting, this new stranger knows about me? You must be the one the Foundation has been hunting for a long time, an interesting person." [Marguerite]

This forced her to step back. He stood opposite and blocked Father Nicholas who was going through a terrible shock, how pitiful.

"You are not allowed to take her anywhere, get out of here!" [Anatole]

"Ha, who does this guy think he is? Do you think it's that easy to make me go empty-handed? I've already had my men surround this place, once you make a move, this church will collapse and...I can't guarantee the lives of the children who are still sleeping~" [Marguerite]

Anatole was about to rush forward when he stopped.

She blinked repeatedly and tilted her head, observing his stiff expression with interest.

"(Damn, so you guys are this despicable?!)" [Anatole]

"I'll spare you and this priest, oh look, how helpless he is that he can't keep the daughter he loves... well, it's over now, the girl will come with us and she will be taken care of properly." [Marguerite]

Anatole was silent. Then Father Nicholas pulled his hand, which made him suddenly realize something.

"Hm? You should thank me for sparing you, and since you're against the Foundation like us now, I'll spare this useless priest! Hmmmm, what if you join us too? It sounds interesting!" [Marguerite]

"Have you acted enough?" [Anatole]

This question made her stunned, but she still tried to keep her composure.

"Are you so angry that you've gone crazy? Calm down, I didn't mean..." [Marguerite]

"I asked if you've acted enough?" [Anatole]

"What do you mean...?" [Marguerite]

"You're lying." [Anatole]

"You...?" [Marguerite]

"Come on, don't underestimate me like that? You came here alone with a few others, who aren't even real Arcanists who could blow up this church." [Anatole]

"What? Why do you think that?" [Marguerite]

Without waiting for a response, Anatole rushed forward and slashed at her with his sword. However, she managed to block the attack.

"Not bad." [Marguerite]

She swung her knife so quickly that he kept defending, not having a chance to counterattack.

"Come on? Do something? Why are you just standing there like that? Counterattack?!" [Marguerite]

For a moment, she suddenly stopped. Seeing the opportunity, Anatole raised his sword and prepared to attack...

"No!" [Nicholas]

The priest shouted, which made Anatole wake up and look back at her...but it was too late.

A powerful source of Arcanum shot straight into his stomach when he showed his weakness while swinging his sword, a fatal blow that exhausted him instantly. He collapsed on the spot, blood splattered all over the floor, the pain was too much to describe. His eyes gradually blurred.

All he remembered was her contemptuous smile, she just took the girl away, mixed with Father Nicholas's painful and desperate cries. Was it over?

Then he gradually passed out. His hand still gripped the sword.