Obstacles arose along the way, but the Living Corpses that blocked their path were crushed beneath their hooves.
To those who begged for aid, Guinevere commanded them to follow the path of crushed corpses she had left behind, making their own way to the avenue and the assembled masses.
Soon, the Cathedral loomed into view, its entrance blocked by a massive crowd and guarded by Church Knights.
"Make way!" Guinevere ordered.
But the crowd's eyes remained fixed on the Knights blocking the gate.
Seeing this, Guinevere issued a direct order to the Knights: "Protect the people and escort them out of the city!"
"Queen Guinevere," one of the Knights retorted, "we are Knights of God, not of the King. You have no authority to command us!"
Their golden armor gleamed ostentatiously against the backdrop of burning buildings, radiating an aura of divine authority. Yet, not all of them were aloof figures of power; while some Knights blocked the gate, others formed defensive lines, clearing away Living Corpses shambling toward them.
Judging by their faces, devoid of the slightest shame, no one would suspect their involvement in the crisis.
In truth, only the Archbishop knew about the tainted Holy Communion.
"Stand aside!" Guinevere declared, her voice amplified by the wind. "I have received intelligence that the Archbishop caused this disaster! He released Blood Poison into the river upstream and laced the daily Holy Communion with a catalyst!"
Her unwavering words reverberated among the thousands gathered outside the Cathedral, igniting a firestorm of reactions.
The crowd erupted in uproar, while the Church Knights bristled with indignation. They raised their weapons, demanding Guinevere retract her slander.
But having already decided to pin the blame squarely on the Church, Guinevere refused to heed their protests.
This wasn't outside the city walls; there were no barriers. If the people didn't yield, she could simply trample over their heads to get through.
"Hold your positions here, keep a close watch on the Church Knights. If they dare to attack, slaughter them all."
Grasping her sword, Guinevere leaped from her horse and truly trampled over the people's heads, racing all the way to the Cathedral.
Faced with the lone Guinevere, the Church Knights guarding the Cathedral entrance didn't dare intervene. They could only watch as she kicked down the ten-meter-tall, heavily bolted doors and entered alone under the gaze of the surging crowd.
Guinevere remembered the Cathedral well; it was where her wedding to the King of Knights had been held.
Returning now, its gilded splendor remained unchanged: chandeliers blazing with candles, and the 'Miraculous' porcelain floors so polished they reflected faces like mirrors.
But what truly captured Guinevere's attention was the statue of the crucified martyr at the Cathedral's center.
"Did he run? He'd better have."
If the Archbishop were still here, Guinevere would refine the Blood Poison from the river and transform him directly into a Dead Apostle.
With the Archbishop absent, Guinevere found it convenient to frame him. She circled the Cathedral, emerged, and raised the Blood Poison high, declaring she had found irrefutable proof.
What followed was a confrontation with the Church—a war of words to sway public opinion.
At that moment, Guinevere was grateful for Merlin's past efforts to expose the Church's scandals. He had done an excellent job preparing the ground.
"Archbishop of Canterbury, are you here? You've killed so many! Won't you come out and confess your sins to the Lord?"
Knowing the Agents had entered the Cathedral and Morgan was investigating the riverside deaths, Guinevere realized one culprit had slipped through the net.
She had come alone, hoping to bait him out again.
But instead of catching her prey, she found the Archbishop's blood-stained robes beneath the Lord's statue, with ashes clinging to the fabric.
It was as if the wearer had truly been a Dead Apostle, already reduced to ash by death.
Frowning, Guinevere sensed trouble brewing. A premonition nagged at her, suggesting she might have been too confident.
Simultaneously, a louder commotion erupted outside the Cathedral, prompting her to rush out.
Her first glance revealed the Church Knights guarding the entrance had been slaughtered. A middle-aged man with blood at the corner of his mouth and a collar around his neck was sprawled across a Knight's corpse, his gaze fixed on her.
As Guinevere locked eyes with the Dead Apostle, preparing to capture him alive, he suddenly prostrated himself before her and shouted:
"Queen, your orders have been carried out!"
A sense of foreboding gripped Guinevere's heart. Before she could raise her sword, the Dead Apostle's aura vanished, his entire body turning to ash in an instant.
The chaotic crowd witnessed this scene and heard his words.
She had sought to expose the Church's sins, but the Church seemed equally determined to frame her.
The Blood Poison refined by Morgan, which she held in her hand, suddenly felt too dangerous to reveal.
Her teeth clenched audibly, but Guinevere refused to concede.
Holy Church, this feud will end only with your destruction.
At that moment, Guinevere was truly enraged. They had come to hunt Mages, yet dragged countless civilians into their conflict. Instead of facing her directly, they sought to assassinate her through public opinion.
Taking a deep breath, Guinevere gazed silently at the stunned crowd. They seemed unconvinced by the Dead Apostle's dying words, but they were even less willing to accept Guinevere's previous claims.
Their gazes shifted behind Guinevere, as if searching for the Archbishop she had declared the true mastermind behind the incident.
But the Archbishop was already dead. As Guinevere rushed toward him, a Greater Dead Apostle, unable to conceal his Dead Apostle transformation, had killed him directly.
He didn't understand Guinevere's schemes, but he couldn't leave any loopholes in Priest Andrew's plans. After all, Andrew was still a child when he was human and remained within the Church.
"Queen Guinevere, where is the Archbishop?"
"Dead. I killed him myself. I never imagined that in his final moments, he would send his Dead Apostle minions to sow discord, trying to pin the blame on me."
Between the city gates and the Church, the crowd had chosen the Church. Between trusting the King and believing in God, they had placed their faith in God.
When they learned of the Archbishop's death and Guinevere's attempt to shift the blame onto him—especially after the Dead Apostle knelt before Guinevere to report before mysteriously vanishing—few believed her at first. They demanded irrefutable proof.
Moreover, this time, there were genuine agitators among the people.
The Church Knights, previously guarding the perimeter, suddenly shoved through the crowd and charged at Guinevere, their faces contorted with grief and fury.
"You vile enchantress! How long will you continue twisting truth and slandering God's servants?"
Knights shouted, stirring up the already agitated crowd. These people, who couldn't withstand even a single blow from Guinevere, dared to reach out to her, intent on committing the most brutal acts against her.
Fate seemed determined to force Guinevere to turn against the common folk.
But just as Guinevere's mind raced, searching for a way out of this predicament, she heard the snap of bowstrings. She saw Church Knights charging forward, and the crowd fell like wheat before a scythe.
"Death to any who dare harbor murderous intent toward Her Highness!"
The single voice and lethal strike came from Tristan. Behind him, the Kingdom Knights who had arrived belatedly and heard his command hesitated.
But Tristan needed no help from his comrades to slaughter this rabble.