"I used to be an ordinary pastor at Lanye Palace. I was responsible for registering the whereabouts of graduated pastors and organizing their files."
"Many people may not know that Master Sibis was very outstanding when he was young. He always ranked among the top students in his class and got along well with his classmates."
"As graduation approached, he voluntarily gave up his position, allowing his classmates to go to the rich and stable parishes, while he himself went deep into the remote mountains and wilderness to provide support and spread knowledge there."
"Even today, various records from those years can still be found in Lanye Palace. I'm not lying. Many of the old people in Lanye Palace can attest to this."
"But didn't he say before that he asked his classmates to go to remote mountainous areas..." A weak voice sounded in the crowd.
"This is slander. It is because of Lord Sibis's kindness that such misunderstanding has occurred. Alas." The old man sighed.
"There was a priest who was the same age as Lord Sibis. His name was Ryan."
"Lian and Master Sibis are good friends. They both have good grades and are both geniuses. They often exchange ideas and study, and their relationship has always been very good."
"Later, Ryan went to the wealthy Green Empire and served as a pastor in a coastal county capital. Seven years later, he was promoted to bishop. At that time, Lord Sibis was still teaching the uncivilized residents in the remote mountainous areas. His life was poor and difficult. He even built the church by slowly piling up the bricks himself."
"Later, due to the increasingly luxurious and prosperous life, Ryan gradually fell into depravity. He had affairs with many noble ladies who came to the church to confess, and his life gradually became promiscuous."
"At this time, Lord Sibis was valued by the previous Lanye Palace Scepter Priest for his outstanding performance and was transferred from his local area to a wealthy place. Yes, he was under the command of my former classmate Ryan."
"Over the years, the two have gradually become strangers, and Ryan's chaotic life has gradually been noticed by the local nobles."
"Finally, one summer many years ago, he was caught having an affair with someone in church by the woman's husband, and the news spread."
"In order to save his reputation and position, Ryan pushed all these things onto Lord Sibis, crying out to him about his difficulties and hardships, and begging for his help."
"In order to protect his friend's position, Lord Sibis remained silent and was therefore transferred to a remote and impoverished area."
“But the mistakes that have been made are bound to be made again.”
"Because he wasn't punished, Ryan quickly fell back into depravity."
"At that time, the Scepter Priest of the Olive Leaf Palace recommended Lord Sibis to Archbishop Feng Kenin, the ruler of the Ten Swords Palace. It was then that Lord Sibis joined the Ten Swords Palace and began to show his talent."
"Later, under the instructions of Lord Fengken, Lord Sibis personally arrested his former friend, Ryan. As a result, the latter was dismissed from his post and transferred to a remote and harsh area."
The story told by the old pastor calmed the crowd down again, and their previous anger gradually cooled down.
"But these are just what you said. How can we know whether they are true or not?" A certain pastor still refused to give in.
A faint murmur arose from the crowd again. Although the old pastor did not seem to be lying, it was still hard to be convincing when he was the only one speaking alone.
"I can prove it."
With a long sigh, a pastor in simple gray clothes walked out from the crowd.
"How can you prove it? Who are you?" The people around looked at the pastor who seemed to be from another place in confusion.
"Because... I am Ryan." He seemed a little ashamed and lowered his head.
"I made mistakes and even hurt my friends because of my cowardice." There was deep regret in his voice.
"Scum!" A pastor spat with contempt, and the people around him also made waves of accusations.
But with Ryan coming forward, the previous rumors about Sibis were refuted.
When one of the rumors was disproven, the authenticity of the other rumors was no longer reliable, and more and more people believed that Sibis was actually slandered.
"Why are there such rumors and hearsays spreading everywhere? Who has deceived us?" A pastor, who had nowhere to vent his anger, clenched his fists and shouted.
"Yeah, why are there so many suspicious rumors suddenly emerging?"
"Why is everyone saying bad things about Master Sibis?"
Among the crowd, some people began to talk, while a small number of people began to secretly turn their eyes to Odysseus in the center.
At this time, Odysseus was in a dilemma. If he retreated and left with his men in disgrace, his previous behavior would become a joke, a joke that was witnessed by thousands of people.
You should know that not only are there many priests from other places watching and participating tonight, but all parties in the twelve zodiac signs are also secretly observing from the outside. If Odysseus can take down Sibes with the support of the people this time, his reputation will soar, and he will establish his prestige, and he will naturally become the only choice for the Pope.
But if he retreated this time, it would completely undermine the image he had established. He was not one of those clerical officials in the Zodiac, but rather the head of a violent and powerful institution. If his authority fell, his control over the Knights would be severely weakened.
As Odysseus pondered this question silently, more and more voices began to overturn his previous views. For example, Lord Sibis was forced to do so, choosing a relatively good outcome among various possible outcomes. Furthermore, many church branches had seen significant revenue growth over the years, all thanks to the regulations established by Lord Sibis.
As mainstream opinion shifted, those who had previously called for the downfall of Sibis were forced to gradually shut up. But the pent-up anger of these years needed a vent; the pent-up emotions in people's hearts couldn't be persuaded by reason; they needed an outlet.
"Odysseus is a liar!"
A sharp voice suddenly exploded in the crowd, causing countless people to turn their heads and look for the source of the sound.
A hooded woman took off her hat, pointed at Odysseus and shouted, her face full of gnashing teeth and grief.
"My son Zwed and his teacher, Pastor Huago, were both killed by Odysseus! Just last month, Odysseus personally ordered them to be silenced."
"What on earth did they do wrong? They wanted to kill all the church members in a remote town. They wouldn't even let me see the bodies. They burned them on the spot. Oh, my son."
Her voice choked with sobs, she spoke intermittently about how she had suddenly received the tragic news about her son at home. Without explaining the reason, the knight who had delivered the message had hurried away. After hearing this news, she couldn't believe it and couldn't sleep for three days and three nights. She just wanted to know why such a kind and excellent child, who had just become a priest for a little over a year, was executed by a member of the Knights Templar.
"Because all the clergy in that church have been corrupted." Finally, a captain of the Thousand Riders stood up.
"Where is the evidence? Just because you say it's black does it mean it's black?!" The woman cried and screamed, which moved the people around her.
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