Bear School Astartes

"May the Holy Blood guide our path."

Speaking of the actions of the Healing Church, the ever-calm Mark took out a necklace from under his collar, holding it in his hand and chanting softly.

But Lann pursed his lips... he somewhat understood why Old Yan’an suddenly erupted into a city-destroying large-scale beast plague, as mentioned by the ’future’ Henrik.

On his last visit to Yan’an, he had already concluded that the so-called ’Holy Blood’ was definitely not something good.

And the Grey Blood Disease infects people on a large scale, [Blood Therapy] injects Holy Blood into these critically ill patients to save them... isn’t the scope of this no different from a plague?

Could it be that the root of that night of city-burning hunts lies here?

Lann remained silent, but Henrik, seated on the chair, echoed Mark.

"May the Holy Blood guide our path."

He said this while looking at the necklace held in Mark’s hand.

"A Sword Hunter Badge? Looks like you’ve passed the examination, you’re a Church Hunter now?"

"It’s just persistent training and the help of the Holy Blood," Mark modestly shook his head. "And the church needs hunters now, I always feel that my examination standards were lowered."

Henrik chuckled softly.

"Even if they’re lowered, you passed, congratulations. Heh heh."

If he hadn’t known they had a good relationship, Lann would probably have thought Henrik’s laugh was a malicious sneer.

But it was actually just the usual tone for the Yan Nan Hunters.

The Demon Hunter, who also saw the Sword Hunter Badge symbolizing status, had an insightful look in his eyes.

His gaze moved between the badge and Mark.

The clergy, and this badge, the relationship with Henrik... it seemed like he understood something.

After bringing Lann, Henrik left shortly. Hunters typically work at night, and rest during the day.

And though Mark claimed his schedule was ’similar to the hunters,’ that was in the past.

Now he has passed the test himself, becoming a direct hunter of the church, and still has many formalities to complete.

"If needed, you can rest here."

Mark said to Lann with a calm expression.

"This house was originally rented with Henrik, but after he became a hunter, his welfare and income increased, so he moved out."

"Now I’m about to move out too, if you haven’t found a place in Yan’an yet, you can use this place."

"Thank you." Lann responded while looking around the room, seemingly quite interested.

"By the way, if [Blood Therapy] really requires a tedious queue, that can be postponed for me. Before deciding whether to become a Yan Nan Hunter, I’d like to learn more about this city."

"Ah." Mark initially remained calm, but then showed an understanding expression. "Looks like last night you heard some bad things from the mouths of the Yan Nan People."

The clergy shook his head: "The exclusivity of Yan’an is beyond the Church’s control. But if you’re here for [Blood Therapy], for your own health and life, a little gossip shouldn’t matter, right?"

"That’s easy to say." Lann smiled, "But who can truly not care?"

"If that’s your wish, I’ll comply."

Without saying much or giving more suggestions, Mark simply prepared to do as Lann requested.

As he spoke, Mark tidied up his Healing Church clergy uniform again.

This uniform, made of silk, looked good as an official uniform but was quite hard to organize.

He put in quite an effort to make the white long cloth embroidered with the Healing Church emblem in gold thread, hang perfectly from the center of his back.

He then put on the hood, ready to turn and leave.

As Mark’s hand rested on the door lock, he heard Lann’s seemingly casual inquiry from behind.

"On the road, I heard from Henrik that the Good Golden Cup Church is currently managing Yan’an, and the Healing Church wants to take over the management powers?"

Having already put on the hood of his uniform, Mark turned his head: "It turns out you’re worried about unrest?"

"But that’s not necessary, since Henrik could casually mention it to you, right?"

"Surely, the Good Golden Cup Church will be eliminated, because they lack initiative and therefore will inevitably be replaced by the more progressive, plague-rescuing Healing Church."

"If the process goes smoothly, there won’t be any violence or conflict. Because in today’s Yan’an, who would still support the useless Good Golden Cup?"

"If they don’t want to hand over this great city’s management rights, then the Yan Nan People will hold them accountable themselves."

"Does this answer ease your mind?"

Lann stood by the window, looking at the patch of light streaming in through the small window, speaking noncommittally: "It’s alright."

Seeing that he still hadn’t changed his mind, Mark didn’t say much more, simply unlocked the door and walked outside.

Lann then gazed at that patch of light, and along the ray of light, looked towards the small window.

This floor was within the canal, the lighting effect shouldn’t be expected too much.

Even the small window here was covered with layers of grime and oil, making the sunlight that filtered through appear murky.

But... is it really just because of the dirty window that the sunlight seems murky?

Lann said nothing more, not even engaging in self-talk with Mentos in his mind.

He simply pulled on the hood of his cloak and walked out of the room.

Old Yan’an from decades ago, a mysteriously missing short memory of his... if all of this is just a simple ’coincidence,’ then Lann felt he could take his head off and kick it like a ball.

"Continue to open the map record, Mentos."

Opening the door, the Demon Hunter tilted the brim of his hood, gazing at the sky obscured by the water ducts.

"There are quite a lot of things we need to figure out."

-----------------

Yan’an, Church Town.

Church Town is a town established by the Healing Church above Yan’an. People speculated that this was an indication of the Healing Church’s dissatisfaction with Yan’an being managed by the Good Golden Cup Church and a start of their own endeavor.

Because now, the benevolent, selfless, and daringly progressive in research Healing Church, though sending many clergy to Yan’an to maintain medical rescue hospitals to address the gray blood disease,

Besides, a town cannot just spring up out of nowhere; the manpower and resources were actually hired and purchased from within Yan’an.

Even many of the clergy in the Healing Church were Yan Nan People.

However, the Healing Church’s higher-ups still chose to establish their main buildings, such as the Great Cathedral, in Church Town rather than in Yan’an, the main population residential area.

Church Town was expanding, and people said the Healing Church would, centered around Church Town, build a new Yan’an on higher mountains.

But there was no resistance among people.

After all, the beastly transformation disease, gray blood disease, the incompetent Good Golden Cup Church... Old Yan’an was already so dire; a new Yan’an being established should be a good thing, right?

In the newly established Healing Church Cathedral, many people were gathered.

These were all associated with the Healing Church.

Some of them wore the clergy uniform of the Healing Church, but these uniforms were all white, unlike the ones worn publicly by the clergy.

And there were Hunters.

Hunters, obliviously covered in the thick, bloody scent of beasts, almost taking pride in it.

Hunters were of two kinds: one was the regular hunters employed by the Healing Church, the other was Church Hunters, established by Ludwig and directly under the Healing Church.

Ludwig enjoyed a heroic reputation and honor within Yan’an.

His fame and honor allowed him to achieve what many dared not even dream of—attracting locals of Yan’an to become hunters.

The origins of the beastly transformation disease in the Yanyan Region are so ancient they can’t be traced, and the locals were well aware that those patients, already deformed beyond recognition, might have been no different from them just a day ago.

All were natives of Yan’an.

So when the Healing Church’s [Blood Healing] technology gained fame, numerous outsiders came seeking a cure for terminal diseases, and they would be the Hunters.

Granted the privilege of enjoying [Blood Healing], at the cost, outsiders had to undertake jobs that the locals were unwilling to do—

Hunting those beastly transformed patients who were normal Yan Nan People not so long ago.

Local people resisting killing their own kind, even without sentimental issues, would feel awkward and resistant, even psychologically.

Yet Ludwig, through his reputation and honor, could attract locals to join the Church Hunters.

They saw ’fighting alongside Ludwig’ as an honor and regarded the identity of Church Hunter as heroic.

Within the Great Cathedral was yet another type, wearing scholars’ robes, appearing quiet and contemplative... these were Byron Vis scholars.

Most knew that much of the Healing Church’s ideology and knowledge originated from that great academy.

The Healing Church’s founder and Archbishop Lawrence was, after all, an outstanding student taught by Master William.

Only for reasons unknown to the public did Lawrence leave Byron Vis to establish the present Healing Church.

Yet now it seemed, after going their separate ways, there remained some connections after all.

The arrangement within the Great Cathedral was typical: a pulpit for preaching and numerous pews facing it for congregation use.

But now, the pews were not filled with believers but Hunters.

The obviously unusual clergy on the pulpit were neither explaining church doctrine nor leading prayer towards the Holy Blood.

But whispering and consulting, standing in small groups with Byron Vis scholars.

They seemed more researchers in tune with scholars rather than ’church clergy.’

Archbishop Lawrence was also engaged in discussion with a particularly gloomy-looking scholar.

He seemed to be some kind of leader among these scholars.

Maria, just pushing open the door, scanned the room with furrowed brows. She instinctively felt unwelcome in such an atmosphere.