"The newly appointed city lord?"

“Yes, the appointment of the city lord is always nominated by His Majesty the Emperor and then reviewed by the church. I heard that this city lord is an insider of the church, so it was approved directly. Tonight, the new city lord held a banquet, so the church members all went.” The woman’s dance partner, a handsome young man in a black jacket, stepped forward and said, his eyes filled with admiration, because he had witnessed the extraordinary abilities of the people in front of him.

“Okay, thank you. Let’s go to the city lord’s mansion,” Phil Gray said.

"Over there, keep going straight down this road, turn left after you reach the square, and the largest castle-like building is the city lord's mansion," the man said enthusiastically.

"Put me down! You damn bastard!"

The man in the tree was still cursing, but no one paid him any attention. The evening breeze in spring was still a bit chilly, and the man hanging in the tree couldn't help but shiver.

Eli smiled and gestured for the man to shut up, then the group walked away.

After walking a short distance, we came across a stone castle. It looked rather old, and the stone walls were covered with various sun symbols that emitted a faint glow in the darkness.

Two guards stood outside the castle, dressed in golden armor and holding sharp spears.

“Wait a minute, Elder Glen didn’t give you any token of being the Holy Son. If we just go in and say you’re the Holy Son, they won’t disbelieve us, will they?” Eli asked, stroking his chin.

Phil Gray hesitated for a moment. "Perhaps they've already notified them internally? I'm not sure. Let's go in and check first. If all else fails, I'll show them this mark. That should convince them, right?"

“Yes, that’s right. I almost forgot about your divine mark.” Eli nodded in agreement, his right hand unconsciously reaching for his left forearm.

"Do you have an invitation?" the guard asked coldly.

Invitation letter?

Phil Gray didn't, of course, but he saw Eli reply with a smile, "Of course I do, is this it?"

Eli held a red invitation card with gold lettering, depicting the city walls of Numas and the midday sun.

"Yes, please come in!"

The guards opened the castle gates.

Eli winked at Phil Gray.

Phil Gray laughed too; it must be the guy who was just hanging from the tree.

I'm so grateful to him!

Upon entering the castle, the ground floor is a large reception room, with several tables laden with sumptuous food and fine wine, and several blonde girls performing a dance.

The dance has a unique rhythm, and the dancers wear golden bells that make a crisp sound with each shake, as if praising the sun's brilliance.

"This is a church dance called the Sun Dance, which is for praying to and giving thanks to the sun," Phil Gray explained in a low voice. He hadn't wasted his time reading books, and it was time for him to explain it to his partner, though he hoped he hadn't made any mistakes.

“Yes, I can feel the intense and luminous energy contained in this dance.” Eli was a believer in the god of life and did not reject this energy, after all, sunlight was indispensable in the growth of life.

Their arrival went unnoticed by the other guests. They found a corner to sit down and began to enjoy their dinner.

Of course, he couldn't forget the night. Phil Gray took the black cat out of his arms. For ease of movement, he wore a loose coat with a large inner pocket, just right for holding the cat.

"Let me see, would you like some of this fried fish?" He forked a piece and held it to Night's lips.

Heiye shook its head, looking like it didn't want to eat.

"Looks like the fish at the city lord's mansion aren't very good quality," Eli said with a smile.

They sat in the corner, attracting little attention. The black cat was so dark that it hid under the table leg, like someone's shadow.

As Phil Gray watched, a priest in a golden robe slowly stepped out of his seat. He carried a golden cane, and his hair and beard were all white, making him look quite old.

His eyes swept around, he cleared his throat and said:

"Welcome Pastor Steven Marlowe as the new lord of our city of Numas. Pastor Steven has distinguished himself in the church and has exterminated many souls. However, he was seriously injured in a fight with members of the Church of the Dead half a year ago and has not yet recovered. He has come to our city of Numas to recuperate and take on the role of our new lord, leading our city to become a bountiful land blessed by the Holy Light."

Applause erupted instantly, and Phil Gray also gave a symbolic clapping.

Steven City stood up. He was a man in his forties or fifties. His hair was already somewhat gray, and his face had deep wrinkles, but his eyes were still firm and piercing. His voice was also very loud, echoing throughout the entire reception room.

"Thank you all for your congratulations. I, Steven Marlowe, am honored to become the new lord of Numas. I will do my utmost to bring peace and prosperity to this city, to fight for the glory of the Church, and to give thanks for the grace of the Prophet of the Day." He raised his glass, "Let us toast to the dawn!"

"Cheers to the dawn!" Everyone raised their glasses, the clinking of glasses producing a crisp sound.

Phil Gray also raised his glass, took a small sip, and found it quite delicious.

“After the banquet, let’s go straight to the city lord and the priest who just spoke. He must be the bishop of this city,” Phil Gray said.

“Okay.” Eli and Ernest nodded.

The banquet was a joyous occasion. The nobles present exchanged pleasantries, and some church members wore smiles, while a few were rather arrogant and disdainful of talking to others.

About an hour later, Phil Gray and his two companions had finished eating, and the performance had now become a circus hired by the city lord.

A black bear is performing a feat of jumping through hoops of fire in the middle, and the hoops of fire are not fixed, but are constantly being released by a divine being using skills.

As expected, the existence of those favored by the gods is not a secret in the upper echelons; they are simply hiding it from ordinary people.

Phil Gray seemed thoughtful.

Just as the black bear was about to cross a new ring of fire, a series of messy footsteps came, accompanied by angry curses, "Get out here, you wretched creature!"

The divine favorite who had released the rings of fire stopped, and the eyes of many guests turned toward the intruder.

Phil Gray and the others looked up and saw the unfortunate guy they had hung in the tree.

The man was already dressed in formal attire, having apparently changed his clothes. Behind him were the guards who had been standing at the door, seemingly following him in.

"Shut up! What kind of occasion is this? How can you be so ill-mannered!" the man who spoke first, presumably the bishop, scolded.

"Uncle Morris, someone stripped me naked, hung me on a tree, stole my invitation, and impersonated me to attend this banquet!" the man said indignantly, his gaze sweeping fiercely over everyone present before finally settling on a deserted corner. "It's him!"

I've been exposed. I never expected to appear in front of these people in this way.

Phil Gray stood up calmly, a smile playing on his lips without a trace of fear: "Why don't you talk about what you did on the street?"