The headquarters of the Knights of the Holy Lance.

Odysseus sat at the head of the Knights' Hall, with two rows of armored knight commanders standing below him. Almost all of them were Sequence 7, and they were also the captains of the thousand-man teams in the Knights' Order.

A knight in a white cloak walked into the hall, bowed briefly, and began to report on the recent situation.

"According to reports from the various dispatched teams, the knights who lost contact in those unusual churches have basically died."

He paused briefly, allowing everyone in the hall to digest the unexpected news, and then continued his narration.

"Most of the church members in these abnormal churches have become corrupt and have joined an unknown organization. The Knights have already cleared out these corrupt individuals."

"Have you captured the top leader? This is not something a small organization can do." Odysseus put his hand on his cheek and spoke in a steady voice.

"Not yet. These people don't seem to be afraid of death and are very crazy. After they kill them, the clues are gone."

"Oh, what about the Judgment Department? I heard they seem to have made quite a few gains recently."

"We don't have the authority to inquire with the Judgment Department...but judging by the personnel they've dispatched, they should have made some gains."

"I understand. You go down first."

After the white-robed knight left, Odysseus slowly spoke.

"With the recent papal election approaching, unprecedented unrest has occurred within the Holy Land. This is not a good sign. It is foreseeable that they will make even bigger moves."

"As the most important and core fighting force of the church, we must be even more careful."

After he finished talking about some matters that needed attention, he discussed recent internal affairs with the knight commanders present before adjourning the meeting.

After most people had left the hall, the commander-in-chief stood up.

"Farella, is there something wrong with you?" He looked at the only knight commander left.

"Yes, sir, I have something I would like to discuss with you in private."

Odysseus looked at the brown-haired knight for a moment, then walked down the steps. "Follow me."

"Yes, sir."

The two men walked one after the other in the corridor of the fortress on the mountain, nodded to the knights standing on guard, and then slowly came to a lookout tower, which was open and slightly remote.

"What's the matter?" Odysseus asked casually, as they had known each other for many years.

"Yes." Farra placed his hand on the dark green stone bricks, looked at the sparse buildings below and opposite, and then asked.

"Are you going to run for Pope, Odysseus?"

"Prepare to run for election, and prepare to fail." Odysseus said this, the wind blowing across his face, and his thick beard trembled slightly.

"Actually, I still support you." Farra's voice came from the side.

"Interesting, because I'm the Grand Master of the Knights?"

"Yes, but there are other reasons as well."

"Tell me about it."

"Sibis is too utilitarian. Although he was good when he was young, he has gradually changed. Bines is capable, but his heart is not strong enough. Sometimes he is too soft, which makes people feel uneasy."

"That makes sense. What about Charente? He was already a big shot when I first joined the church."

"His Highness Charente's character and strength are impeccable, but he has almost no desires and no intention of changing anything. If he becomes Pope, it means that there will be no Pope in the Holy Land." Farela said and turned around.

"I can see that Lord Odysseus has further ideas and the determination to change, but you are sometimes too committed to your own principles to make a move."

"I am willing to cheer for you, and I only hope to share a little glory in your victory."

"Hahaha, I didn't expect you to be such an ambitious guy, Farra." Odysseus clapped his hands on the battlements of the city wall, and the metal armor on his body made a slight clash sound.

"But how can I trust you?" His voice suddenly became serious, and his deep blue eyes were as cold as ice as he examined the man in front of him.

"You just have to wait. There will be good news in three days."

Farrak stretched out his right arm, clenched it into a fist, and slammed it into the armor on his left shoulder, making a sound of metal clashing.

-------

The Palace of Ten Swords, the inner palace of flowing water.

The clear mountain spring flows down from the top of the courtyard and falls into the pool in the middle, splashing water and bringing pleasant sounds. The heat of midsummer is mostly dissipated, and the interior becomes cool.

A plump old man with a kind face was sitting on a bench beside the pool, and a young nun beside him was feeding him cut fruit.

A guard in golden armor walked into the courtyard and reported.

"Lord Sibis, a bishop from the south requests an audience with you."

"Oh, what's his name." Sibis leaned on the bench, his body like a large winter melon.

"His name is Pikpin, and he is said to be the bishop of Greenwater Harbor, Verga."

"It sounds familiar." Sibisi chewed the crisp melon slices.

"He is your junior when you were at Lanye Palace. He went to the south to be a pastor more than ten years ago and was later promoted to bishop." said a servant next to him.

"Oh, then let him in. I probably know why he's here." Sibisi slowly swallowed the food in his mouth and sat up straight with the help of the servant beside him.

"Yes, Lord Sibis." The golden-armored guard beside him stood up and walked out of the palace.

Soon after, a thin bishop in a white robe with a goatee walked into the palace, followed by two young priests.

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