The Warden of The Witches

The Black Mountain Goat Priest

At night, in the outskirts of Silver City, Caldria Autonomous Prefecture, stood a humble cottage.

"Hurry up, we're already late!" The man hushed his companion behind him, urging him to catch up.

"Oh, what's the rush? We're only in time for the final segment. Are you really interested in listening to that priest's lengthy preaching?" The companion remained nonchalant.

"Fool, arriving late means only the leftovers for us!"

"Well, what's there to pick from? Those nuns all look almost the same..."

As the two approached the cottage's entrance, they surreptitiously glanced around before the man in the lead raised his hand and tapped the door with a specific rhythm.

The door creaked open, revealing a young woman in a nun's outfit behind it.

The nun's vacant gaze swept over the two men before she stepped aside.

Inside the room, they were greeted by a dimly lit corridor illuminated by candles. The nun who had let them in locked the door behind them, then wordlessly gestured towards the donation box by the door.

Both men took a few silver coins from their pockets and dropped them in, to which the nun nodded and then silently led them further inside.

She guided the two followers into a warehouse and opened the entrance to the basement.

A straight passage descended underground, with iron ladders fixed to the walls. The nun raised a lantern to light the entrance for the two men as they proceeded into the basement in sequence.

As soon as they descended, they heard a deep, resonant voice echoing in the underground space:

"... She sows seeds to the world, bestowing the miracle of life's proliferation, allowing countless species to transcend the great boundary of life and death to endure in this world. Praise her, the great Mother Goddess! She is the starting point of all things, the land that receives cultivation, the Black Mountain Goat that nurtures myriad offspring!!"

The basement had been simply arranged as a chapel, illuminated brightly by countless candles.

On the pulpit, a priest wearing a Black Mountain Goat mask was preaching, his voice muffled by the mask he wore over his head.

A robed nun played the organ beside him, while male disciples sat restlessly in the seats below.

The two who entered the chapel were pleased; it seemed they had arrived just in time as the priest's sermon was coming to a close, and the main event was about to begin.

Just as they found their seats, the priest on the pulpit suddenly raised his arms and exclaimed, "Offer homage to the great Mother Goddess, sow and proliferate, may her will flow through the land!"

"May her will flow through the land!!" The excited congregation below repeated fervently.

At the same time, behind the pulpit, a curtain bearing an inverted pentagram was drawn aside, and several nuns entered the chapel, beginning to undress. This sparked enthusiastic cheers and whistles among the worshippers.

"Then, offer everything to the Mother Goddess," the priest said flatly, before turning and disappearing to the backstage.

The black-clad nun playing the organ brought the music to a close, then rose to follow suit.

Behind the curtain was a long passageway leading to another underground room, which also serving as an escape route.

The priest removed his Black Mountain Goat mask, revealing grey hair and a face that showing signs of aging.

Ignoring the commotion behind him, he left the scene without a sparing a glance.

"The third team sent to the Sabbath Forest has been wiped out as well," the black-clad nun calmly spoke to the priest.

"As expected, it's not easy to find a way there," the priest replied calmly. "Let it continue; there are as many expendable pawns as needed. Once the way is found, the information can be disseminated. There are many forces eager to claim the Witch's head."

"The 'proliferation' efficiency may not keep up," the black-clad nun remarked. "Our time is running short."

"If time is short, then hire some reckless mercenaries and bounty hunters; it won't cost much," the priest suggested.

As they discussed, a grey-robed nun holding a lantern approached.

"Father," the nun bowed respectfully to the priest.

"Ah, my daughter," the priest spread his hand and smiled. "Is there something on your mind? You don't look well."

"I have some... news," the nun leaned in and whispered something to the priest.

"Oh?" The priest's expression changed slightly. "Where did this news come from?"

"It is a medicine seller disciple who lives in Silver City. He claims to have heard it from a witch who served time in the Rose Prison," the grey-robed nun replied respectfully.

"A women's prison, why would..." the priest pondered, "Has there been any investigation?"

"Not yet."

"Then arrange for a few to 'go in' and investigate; we cannot linger here too long. We must find the 'Diviner' as soon as possible," the priest instructed.

"Understood," the grey-robed nun nodded and turned to leave.

However, as she took a couple of steps, she suddenly froze in place, the lantern slipping from her hand and crashing to the ground.

"What's wrong?" the priest asked, showing no sign of panic.

The grey-robed nun suddenly began convulsing, then collapsed to the ground, curling up in agony.

"Father... I... I feel terrible, help me..." she gasped towards the priest, her breath was thin.

"Your time has come," the priest furrowed his brow slightly, and sighing. "For this generation of the split bodies, you can only last less than half a month. Beyond that..."

"Use her to the fullest before she dies," the black-clad nun standing behind him spoke indifferently. "Even if she is a pawn, we need her, especially now."

"Father..." the grey-robed nun strained to reach out to the priest by her feet.

"Don't worry, you will soon be reborn," the priest watching her closely and reassured her in a gentle tone.

Then, he uttered incomprehensible words, his deep voice echoing in the tunnel like a bell.

As soon as he finished speaking, the grey-robed nun's body began to swell, and the frail nun suddenly let out a scream akin to childbirth.

The nun's outfit quickly tore apart, and then, the swollen flesh became sticky and slippery like mud, splitting apart as if pulled by an external force, eventually dividing into two halves that reshaped and completed themselves, forming two full bodies.

"Cough, cough, cough... Cough!" The newly born nuns, clad in tattered garments, coughed as they lay on the ground.

They bore faces strikingly similar to the grey-robed nun before the split, albeit appearing younger and smaller in stature.

"Praise your new life, my daughters," the priest said, spreading his hands and offering a loving smile to the two.

Both women raised their faces simultaneously, their empty eyes mirroring the figure of the priest.

"Father..." their identical voices overlapped.