If the distinction between the Demon Race and the Human Race was merely a matter of geography, Mo Wan would not be so panicked.
She was terrified that the Saintess would discover her true identity.
This fear existed because the human form Mo Wan possessed was a disguise.
There were fundamental genetic differences between demons and humans. The true form of a demon would display [Demon Horns] on the head and a [Tail] behind the back. Their ears were also pointed. Some high-level demons even possessed [Wings] that allowed them to soar through the sky.
Mo Wan was not yet that powerful. Like most common demons, she only possessed horns, a tail, and pointed ears. However, she had used [Shape-shifting Magic] to hide these racial characteristics.
This was not a mere illusion. It was a method of using [Mana] to physically restructure her body so that she appeared identical to a human.
However, her underlying genes would not change because of this.
This was exactly what Mo Wan worried about. Would the Saintess see through her true form? As the ultimate trump card of humanity against the Demon Race, the Saintess surely possessed a [Skill] or a specialized eye to distinguish demons from humans.
If the Saintess discovered her identity, Mo Wan would not be the only one to suffer. Her five teammates would likely be implicated as well. In the worst-case scenario, they might even be charged with the capital crime of treason.
'It is over. It is all over.'
The Saintess was still looking at her.
The oath of the crowd finally ended. Mo Wan closed her eyes. She waited for her upcoming judgment with a sense of self-abandonment.
"Saintess! Saintess!"
Suddenly, a cry of alarm shattered the brief silence that followed the ceremony.
The gaze of the Saintess finally shifted away from Mo Wan. She looked toward the entrance of the great hall.
Mo Wan opened her eyes. She followed the curious gazes of the crowd. A woman wearing a [Maid Outfit] ran into the church hall while carrying a blonde girl on her back.
"Saintess, I beg you! Please save the Princess!" (Help her!).
The eyes of the maid were filled with tears. The blonde girl on her back was deathly pale. She looked like a pathetic character suffering from a terminal [Status Effect].
The [Title Bestowal Ceremony] was interrupted by this sudden accident.
The Saintess stepped down from the podium. She signaled for the maid to place the Princess on a seat at the side of the hall.
"Why is she in this state?" Iselyn asked.
"The Princess... she secretly went to the forest where [Monsters] frequently spawn again. She was wounded by a monster during the battle. We thought we could leave safely after we killed that monster. However, the Princess suddenly collapsed once we returned to the Holy City. I think the claws of that monster were poisonous. The Princess has been inflicted with [Poison]."
After saying this, the maid pulled back the sleeve of the blonde girl.
Unlike the fair skin of her lower arm, the upper arm of the girl was almost entirely black. It looked as if the tissue was undergoing [Necrosis]. In the center of her upper arm was a deep purple claw mark. The fluid seeping from the wound was not red blood, but a thick, pitch-black liquid.
The Saintess reached out. She gently touched the forehead of the blonde girl. Her expression remained calm and unbothered.
Seeing this, Rosa nudged the arm of Mo Wan. She spoke to Mo Wan in a very low voice.
"Hey, Mo Wan. Are you not the best at handling this kind of thing?"
Mo Wan pursed her lips.
The injury the blonde girl suffered looked like the poison of a [Rabbit]. The Rabbit was a [Magic Creation] of the Demon Race. They were biological weapons created by demons a very long time ago. As time passed, more of these creations escaped into the wild to breed and survive.
The poison inflicted by such a monster was naturally a type of [Demon Magic]. As a Princess of the Demon Race, Mo Wan could easily cure it.
"Go and help her," Rosa whispered while pushing the shoulder of Mo Wan.
The body of Mo Wan froze in place. She had not sworn her loyalty to the Church just now. Perhaps the Saintess already knew she was a demon. If she stepped forward to treat the Princess, how could the Saintess possibly trust her? The Saintess might even think she was an assassin sent by the demons.
The Saintess turned her head. Her gaze fixed directly on Mo Wan.
After a moment of staring, the Saintess stood up and walked toward Mo Wan. She stopped in front of her. Her voice was clear and quiet.
"I need a professional helper right now."
She then looked back at the maid standing by the blonde girl.
"Miss Betty, please move the Princess to the lounge."
"Yes, Saintess."
The maid put the Princess back on her back. She walked toward the inner chambers of the church.
The Saintess faced Mo Wan once more.
"You will help me, right?"
It was phrased as a request, but given her light tone, Mo Wan felt a sense of pressure as if she were being given an order.
Mo Wan nodded blankly.
If she could help heal the Princess, perhaps she would have a chance to plead for her teammates. She could ask the Saintess to spare them.
Her teammates knew nothing of her identity. They were innocent.
After receiving the consent of Mo Wan, the Saintess finally turned around. She began walking toward the interior of the church. At the same time, she looked at the many nuns witnessing the ceremony in the hall.
"Hilaia, report to the Pope. An accident has occurred at the ceremony. Please ask him to continue presiding over the ritual."
"Yes, Saintess."
Mo Wan followed behind the Saintess. Her heart was thumping hard.
'Why do I feel like the Saintess is the boss here, rather than the Pope?'
They arrived at the lounge.
The blonde human princess had already been placed on a comfortable [Rest Bed].
The Saintess bowed her head slightly toward Mo Wan. This time, her tone was a bit more sincere. She lacked the overwhelming pressure she displayed in front of the crowd.
"I believe in your kindness. This has nothing to do with Vesa, faith, or the Main God. I request that you lend a hand to this poor girl and save her from her pain. I will offer you my heartfelt thanks in the name of Iselyn."
Mo Wan nodded.
"I will do my best to heal the Princess, Saintess."
'She must have seen through my identity. But she did not expose me. Instead, she gave me a chance for redemption in a different way.'
Mo Wan believed the Saintess also had the [Ability] to heal the Princess.
Everything was under the control of the Saintess. Every move Mo Wan made could not escape the eyes of the Saintess.
If she dared to harbor ill intentions toward the Princess, she would surely be turned to ash in the next second.
By handing an important figure like the Princess over to a demon, the Saintess was clearly hoping to trade her total trust for the total kindness of Mo Wan.
Mo Wan sat down beside the Princess. She stretched out both hands. She aimed them at the wound on the shoulder of the Princess. Green [Mana] particles emerged from her palms. They gathered into a small [Magic Circle]. A green light like an aurora seeped into the black wound on the arm of the girl.
The mana made contact with the toxin. Bit by bit, it began to break down the pitch-black poison.
As time passed, the arm of the Princess gradually returned to a natural flesh color. However, because the poison had spread to the internal systems of the body, Mo Wan needed more time to fully eliminate it.
Perhaps she was too nervous, or perhaps she was becoming tired from the long duration of the [Spell]. A layer of fine sweat appeared on the forehead of Mo Wan.
Suddenly, a fresh scent reached her nose. The Saintess was using a handkerchief to gently wipe the sweat from the forehead of Mo Wan.
"Thank you, Saintess," Mo Wan said.
Mo Wan thanked the Saintess awkwardly.
She did not expect the Saintess to be more human than she imagined. The mood of Mo Wan relaxed significantly.