Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Can I treat you to a meal?
Su Cheng was a little surprised.
In fact, she was not particularly angry, because Camus obviously did not mean it. People who know about potions know that sometimes they cannot control it.
After all, just looking at the ingredients, you can tell that this thing definitely won't be very sweet.
"He already apologized, and I thought that was the end of it. I was going to ask for details—"
For example, how much gel should be stolen? If the amount is very small, perhaps as long as the process is kept low-key, the people from the Vatican will not notice the missing gel.
Don't worry if they will carefully check everything in and out of the warehouse.
"No," Kai shook his head slightly. "No, if someone inside wants to keep some of it, everyone else will turn a blind eye."
However, the clergy who dare to do this usually have some status and will not embezzle too much.
But since the archbishop is still in the temple, those people dare not slack off or delay, and their work efficiency will be higher.
Those herbs might be purified before tomorrow night, so we can only start tonight.
The team leader gave a brief explanation and Su Cheng understood it.
"But they're still stealing things for me, and I'm eating and drinking like crazy here. It doesn't seem right."
Su Cheng stood up and said, "I'd better go to the temple. If they're caught, I'll find a way to get them out."
Kai took a sip of his wine. "I don't think they will, but if it makes you feel better, then I support you."
Su Cheng tilted his head and looked at him. "Thank you. Also, how long have you been here? Do you know of any taverns that are far from the temple and offer good food?"
The latter thought for a moment, told her a few place names, and gave her a brief description of the route and symbolic landmarks.
Su Cheng nodded and paused before leaving. "Have you had dinner?"
The dark-haired man nodded casually, "You ate before you got here."
Su Cheng hurriedly left the Mercenary Guild and found the candy store on the next street. He bought another cake and packed it in an extremely exquisite gift box.
Then he carried his things and swaggered to the temple.
Believers worship during the day, and at night, ordinary citizens can no longer enter the Vatican's territory at will.
The paladins on duty all knew her, and she told them frankly that she came to see His Excellency the Archbishop.
They could all see clearly that the little girl was holding a big box in her arms, and it was obvious that she was there to give a gift.
She had been invited by the Archbishop to be his guest and had been personally escorted to his carriage by the Archbishop. All the clergymen who were well-informed knew about this.
They didn't dare to stop her and let her in directly without saying much to her.
Su Cheng didn't know whether the archbishop was still there. He wanted to ask them, but it turned out that these paladins didn't seem to know anything at all.
She carried the cake as she walked through the wide corridor where statues stood, and saw the magnificent statue of the God of Purity at a glance.
Looking at that handsome face, I suddenly felt a little guilty.
"……Your Mightiness?"
A familiar voice came from the stairs.
Su Cheng raised his head.
A tall young man with blond hair and blue eyes stood at the top of the stairs. His snow-white windbreaker was spotless, and the golden emblem on his shoulder shone brightly in the light.
He looked over with a smile, "If you want to offer a gift to His Majesty the God of Purity, you can go to his prayer room—"
"What?" Su Cheng came back to his senses, "Who wants to give him a gift?"
At this time, the entire corridor was deserted. There were only a few paladins on duty among the hundreds of steps, and they were all standing far away from them.
Her voice echoed in the air for a few seconds.
Su Cheng: “…”
She suddenly realized that the sight of her standing before the statue, holding the cake, seemed a bit misleading.
Su Cheng quickly turned around and bowed to the statue. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I'm mainly busy. If you like this, I'll cook it for you next time—uh, that's not quite right."
After all, he is not dead.
She was a little nervous at first, thinking she had said something wrong, but then she thought, if the God of Purity had not come to find her last time, that kind of follow-up would not have happened at all.
Normally, if the statue reacts, it is usually because the person in front of it has extremely evil thoughts or has committed extremely blasphemous acts.
Things like "not wanting to give him a cake" definitely don't include this.
Even if it’s “I don’t like him very much” or “I want to keep my distance from him”, it’s the same.
It's not enough to be punished or convicted.
Zhan En came over and asked, "What happened?"
Su Cheng blinked, "Are you a local, sir?"
"Of course not," the Archbishop shook his head slightly. "I was simply assigned to the Rosean Diocese as the Archbishop. Before that, I was in a remote city in the Red Sun Empire, managing a standard diocese—"
Su Cheng was filled with awe. "How dare you be a bishop in a place like that? I heard that the borders of the countries in the southern continent are very chaotic."
Zhan En remained noncommittal. "I'm just following the Vatican's regulations. And frankly, it's easier to gain experience in a place like that."
Su Cheng didn't expect him to be so frank. "...So you'll get a promotion in a few years, right? I see. By the way, I apologize for my intrusive visit. Did I bother you?"
The archbishop casually said that no, it was quite a quiet evening, but he would have something to do in the second half of the night.
Su Cheng: “…”
What on earth is Sasha doing? Didn’t he say he was going to lure the person out?
On second thought, there are many masters in the Jinpo City Temple, and the bishops and captains he met yesterday are all very capable.
Even if something happens, the archbishop may not go there in person, but will most likely send someone to take a look first.
"By the way," Su Cheng quickly stuffed the cake into his hand, "This is for you. Since you're not from here, maybe you haven't tasted it before..."
"Thank you," the Archbishop said, accepting the gift without refusing. "Indeed, I don't have any."
Su Cheng took a deep breath and asked, "Can I treat you to a meal?"
A bunch of reasons had already emerged in her mind, and she was just waiting for the other party to ask questions.
Zhan En just looked at her and looked up at the sky.
A crescent moon hung in the sky between the gaps in the dome of the corridor, and sparse dark clouds gradually dispersed.
"It's an honor to have dinner with you," the Archbishop smiled. "Do you need me to change into anything?"
Su Cheng hesitated for a moment, "It seems that it doesn't matter?"
Zhan En was a little surprised, "Really? Then let's go."
After he finished speaking, he handed the cake to a nearby paladin, asked the man to deliver it to his office, and then followed her.
Until they stepped out of the Vatican Temple, Su Cheng couldn't believe that he had actually brought someone out.
The villa area in the upper city has always been quiet. The cold moonlight shines on the snowflake rock streets. The trees in front of those magnificent mansions are lush, and the lamps hanging on the porches emit a warm yellow halo.
She just wanted to take him further away, so she simply walked towards the downtown area. "Actually, I have something to ask you, sir, about that night—"
Su Cheng took a deep breath. "The fugitive that Lord Ling Yang was chasing did run to my house, but I swear I don't know where he went."
From the Archbishop's expression, he seemed to guess that she might mention this matter.
The blond youth looked over calmly, "So?"
Su Cheng: "I am the one favored by His Majesty Klaus. You know I won't lie easily with this kind of sentence."
That is the name of the God of Contract.
Zhan En nodded seriously. "I don't doubt you, sir. If you have any concerns, please tell me."
Su Cheng just wanted to create an atmosphere so that he would think that she asked him out mainly to talk about this matter.
"...Let me ask," she said, trying to look more concerned, "Did you catch him?"
——Both the dragon knight and the archbishop in front of her knew the peculiarity of the bracelet and guessed that she must have met a succubus.
The succubus was already seriously injured and shouldn't have been able to use magic to escape, but he still managed to escape.
What does this mean?
This means that something must have happened between him and her to restore his strength.
Even if the other clergymen didn't know, Zhan En and Ling Yang were probably well aware of it, so it was reasonable for her to act guilty at this moment.
After all, if the succubus is caught again and she gives herself away, wouldn't she become an accomplice, regardless of whether she was coerced or not?
"No," the Archbishop gave her a reassuring look. "Don't be afraid. He should have fled to the southern continent."
No need to be afraid?
Does that mean there's no need to be afraid of the fugitive, or does it mean there's no need to be afraid of the fugitive giving her up?
The Southern Continent is not dominated by the Holy See, but the Holy See also has influence. If we can find the demon before he enters the territory of the Eternal Night Cult, there may still be a chance to capture him.
Of course Su Cheng doesn't want him to be caught.
Su Cheng: "...Ah, I really hope he can be found soon, otherwise what if he kills innocent people again."
Zhan En gave her a deep look and said, "Don't worry. If there's a chance to catch such a vicious criminal, even if they can't, they will eliminate him to prevent more victims as you said."
If that guy was killed during the arrest, there would be no problem of trial or confession of his accomplices.
Su Cheng nodded silently, "Indeed."
They left the upper town, walked through the bustling commercial street, and entered the chaotic lower town.
The sewage pit on the cobblestone road reflected the broken moonlight, flyers and bloated wanted posters floated in the ditch, and the smell of rotten fish mixed with the smell of rust penetrated into the nostrils.
There were quite a few people walking on the street. Some drunkards were sitting in the corners, while others were looking for fat sheep. There were more sights hidden in the shadows of the alleys.
However--
When they saw the snow-white uniform that symbolized the clergy, they almost all showed a look of surprise.
Even if ordinary people cannot distinguish the specific position from the clothes, as long as they are not blind, they can see that it is definitely not the attire of an ordinary priest or knight.
"...Are you a noble?" Su Cheng couldn't help but move closer to the person next to him. "Whether you are or not, I guess you must have had many experiences of dining in high-end taverns, right?"
"I don't have a title," Zhan En also imitated her, lowering his head to speak in her ear, "When I was in the Southern Continent, I was often invited by local nobles, but mostly to their houses."
Su Cheng nodded. "Okay, I'm afraid that if you were a noble, you might not like such a place—"
They had already reached the outskirts of the lower city, and the towering city walls were dimly visible in the night.
There was a small tavern at the intersection ahead. There was a crooked wooden sign hanging in front of the door. On it was a picture of a furry white cat, like a big round white loaf of bread, and the cat was holding a bottle of wine in its paws.
The steps were made of broken bricks and broken wooden strips, and the door curtain looked tattered. The air was filled with the smell of baking dough and some spicy spices. The tables and chairs in the hall were a little scattered, but the floor was very clean and wiped almost to a shine. There were several magic crystal lamps hanging on the wall. There were only three tables of guests now, and their tables were filled with smoked meat, onion soup, garlic bread and cheap ale.
There was a table of people who were drunk and shouting loudly.
The people at the other two tables glanced casually at the new guests who had come in, and then were stunned.
They opened their eyes wide in shock, their expressions tense and panicked. Some even subconsciously touched the weapons at their waists, then let go dejectedly.
——For a clergyman of this level, it would be useless no matter what they do.
Su Cheng was not sure whether they had done anything bad or were simply afraid of the Vatican and believed that the clergy might arbitrarily arrest innocent people on the street.
Anyway, Zhan En didn't care about them.
The owner behind the bar was wiping the wooden wine cabinet. She looked quite old, with wrinkles visible at the corners of her eyes when she smiled. "Ah, my lords, it's truly my honor—"
The boss handed over the menu, and Su Cheng took it and flipped through it. "Would you like two plates of each of your specialties?"
After saying that, he took out a few silver coins and placed them on the table.
They sat down in the corner of the tavern. Except for the table of drunks, no one else in the hall made a sound. The other two tables of people hurriedly packed up their food and left.
Ceramic plates landed on the table one after another, with plump potato balls lying on the plates, their skin golden and crispy, milky white sauce oozing from the cracks, and the rich aroma of chili and cheese wrapped in the heat.
The chicken wings on the skewers are caramel-colored, the skin is slightly burnt, the fat is shiny, and the aroma is mixed with the freshness of lemongrass.
Su Cheng poked the fried potato ball with a fork, and the hot filling slowly flowed out. "I hope you don't think this dinner is too simple?"
Zhan En sat across from her, his green eyes full of smiles. "I'm pleasantly surprised—be careful of the burns."
Su Cheng took a breath. Her tongue still hurt a little. She was indeed burned.
She puffed up her cheeks, "…thank you."
The blond young man opposite stood up and soon came back with iced mead.
"I've been working here for several years, but I haven't had the chance to explore these street foods. Thank you for bringing me here. Only a local like you can know all about these."
He said with a smile.
Su Cheng couldn't help feeling ashamed.
She really didn't know any of this; it was all said by the group leader.
Kai is not from here either.
Su Cheng lowered his head and ate his meal silently.
Although she had eaten half a cake not long ago, she had slept for most of the day after all, and her appetite returned after walking outside for a while.
The crispy shell of the potato ball breaks between the teeth, and the filling flows down the tip of the tongue into the throat.
The grilled chicken wings were tender and juicy, and the sauce was sweet and sour with a touch of pepper, which blended surprisingly well.
"Oh right..."
She finished eating a bunch of chicken wings and was about to speak when the ground suddenly shook!
The surrounding tables and chairs shook slightly.
Zhan En turned his head thoughtfully, looking through the window towards the direction of the Vatican Temple.
Su Cheng just felt his blood boiling.
Why such a big commotion? Did they overturn the temple?
Did those two people have a car accident?
Although it may not be them, at this point in time, the possibility is very high.
The blond young man opposite put his hand on the table, as if he was about to stand up.
...We can't let him go back!
Every second you can delay is a second!
Su Cheng gritted his teeth, quickly jumped up, and grabbed his wrist, "Sir, I have something to ask you!"
Before he finished speaking, the ground shook again!
All the drunkards in the hall cursed, and a bottle of wine smashed to pieces on the ground. The boss behind the counter exclaimed and held on to the bar with a look of confusion on his face.
There was also a faint commotion on the street outside.
Su Cheng swayed a bit and couldn't stand steadily. With an idea, he decided to take advantage of the situation and his legs went weak and he fell.
Zhan En immediately reached out to grab her and said, "Be careful."
He was still wearing gloves and had just eaten a lot, so they were not dirty at all. At this moment, he put his palm on her waist, with a force that was neither light nor heavy but very steady.
Su Cheng blinked, "Thank you, but what happened? An earthquake?"
"...Perhaps," the Archbishop turned around. "What do you want to ask me?"
He said, letting go of his hand.
"I want to ask—" Su Cheng coughed lightly after he stood firm, "Is Mr. Ian, who taught me how to use magic to cultivate my mental strength last time, single?"
Zhan En: “?”
Zhan En: “…………”
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