Shapet continued to speak slowly, his tone and speed giving off a sense of controlled recitation:
"I could have slandered you to calm my anger, but I have more important things to do right now. That's the difference between you and me. Let's save you and me some time and end this farce as soon as possible. Put down your weapon and let the guards around me take you to the dungeon to await trial. Then we will set out to quell the chaos. Your lies are meaningless and will be exposed at the slightest provocation."
"That's right! This is a lie that will be exposed with just one poke, and it's also the easiest lie to verify!"
Caleb Manji was in a state of abnormal excitement at this moment, his eyes were wide open and almost popped out of their sockets.
"You haven't touched silverware since your stroke, whether it's knives, forks, plates, or candlesticks. You explained that you were thrifty, but you still wear a gold necklace! If you weren't a shapeshifter, would you dare to--"
Caleb Manji's roar was suddenly stuck in his throat. He opened his eyes wide and stretched his neck, as if he had seen something incredible.
He suddenly realized what was wrong with Chapelle today.
Today, the Eternal Fire's security officer, Chapelle, suddenly discarded his gold necklace and replaced it with a thick silver chain that looked like a shackle.
At this moment, he held up his necklace with both hands without any scruples, and said in a cold tone: "I used to think that gold was the color closest to fire, so I liked it. But a few days ago, I donated the gold necklace to help the citizens affected by the disaster; if the gangs today cause too much damage, I will also donate this silver chain."
As he spoke, he raised the necklace in his hand: "Is this the 'silver' you mentioned?"
Chapelle looked around at Caleb Manji and his men whose faces had changed drastically, and said slowly: "I have always known that you have chant doubts and dissatisfaction with my policies, but I didn't expect that your dissatisfaction has accumulated to the point where it can be incited by such a lie that can be easily exposed. You miss the feeling of being high and mighty, right? You miss the days when you could wear gold and silver just by praying and praying every day, and you are even so easily deceived by it-"
Under the gaze of the crowd, the security officer of the Eternal Flame shouted loudly: "Believers, where is your faith!"
Caleb Manji stared at the silver chain around Chapelle's neck. He didn't even need to look back to know that the troops he had gathered with great difficulty were now in a state of morale, but he couldn't figure it out.
"No! This is the prop you prepared yourself. It's just a silver thing, not real silver!"
Before Caleb Manji finished his words, he suddenly heard the sound of an arrow cutting through the air.
Everyone present was unable to react before they saw Chapelle screaming and falling to the ground.
"Mr. Chapelle!"
The guards surrounding Chapelle were very anxious and rushed forward to check on the security officer.
With a muffled groan, the arrow was pulled out.
"It is an arrow with a silver tip! How dare you prepare such a weapon to attack Monsieur Chapelle!"
Caleb Manji looked around at his men in panic. He did prepare silver weapons, but he should never take action at this time!
"etc..."
Caleb Manji still wants to stop all this, he also wants to continue to verify Chapelle's true identity.
But in his team, a guard suddenly began to mutter.
"After all this chatter, now we can finally fight."
Then, everyone saw a man rushing out from behind Caleb Manji, holding the sword high in his hand and rushing towards Chapelle.
"For the Eternal Flame, for the Temple Guards, for Lord Caleb Manji!"
The guard charged with complete disregard for his own safety, and was stabbed through the body by three swords at once, but he also buried the weapon in his hand into the neck of another man.
Caleb Manji's eyes widened.
Behind him, another person shuddered suddenly, then revealed an interested expression.
"It's really interesting..."
On the roof, Kaiyan slowly retracted the crossbow in his hand.
He gripped the steel sword behind him, his eyes the same color as the blood splattered in the field. He finally suppressed his urge to join the battle and murmured softly to himself:
"Fight, fight, the more intense the better... No matter which side you are on, the more deaths the better, that way Lann's power will become more important..."
Where Triss was standing, the air was fluctuating unsteadily; that was the chaotic energy at work.
If there was a warlock present, he would be able to discover that Chapelle had the same magical fluctuations as Triss at the moment.
Chapelle's shapeshifting transformation had long been lifted, after all, he had been wearing a large silver chain all day. His current shape change was the result of Triss's chaotic energy kneading him like plasticine, and then applying a layer of illusion to cover it up.
The illusions performed by an experienced sorcerer were far more than just visual deception. For example, Philippa was able to use illusions to create phantom food at the banquet, deceiving the perception of other sorcerers and letting them feast on the food without knowing the truth.
In her words: This way, I can satisfy my appetite without having to worry about body control.
Although Triss's power at the moment is not as strong as Philippa's, it is enough to deceive these mortal guards.
Chapelle, who was hit by the silver arrow, pushed away the guards who were supporting him to prevent them from touching him again. Then he tore off his silver chain and threw it in the direction of Caleb Manji as if to vent his anger.
"Don't worry about me, just take down these traitors who are blinded by power and interests!"
Chapelle's men had already been engaged in close combat with the enemy, and upon hearing Chapelle's order, the guards who had been surrounding him for protection also drew their swords and charged forward to join the battle with fanatical expressions.
"For the Eternal Fire! Take down the traitor!"
Chapelle pressed the wound on his shoulder and slowly retreated to the back, his body twisting under the illusion.
The slightly deliberate cold expression on his face immediately became natural.
Triss on the roof also breathed a sigh of relief and slowly withdrew her hands.
Since then, Chapelle's position in the Eternal Flame has been completely consolidated.
In front, the blood of the followers of Chapelle's sect and the temple guards led by Caleb Manji was splattered everywhere.
Chapelle's men were filled with rage and high morale, while the temple guards were panic-stricken and were defeated.
Whenever a temple guard wanted to lay down his weapon and surrender on the spot, one of Caleb Manji's companions would rush forward and greet the sword with his chest, yelling "For the Eternal Fire" madly, inspiring everyone's morale and giving them the illusion that they could win immediately.
Whenever the followers of Chapelle's sect wanted to let go of the temple guards kneeling on the ground, they would tremble, shout "For the Eternal Fire", and strike with their swords, not letting anyone go, and strengthen their determination to wipe out the enemy.
Sword after sword was shattered, armor after armor painted with the fire emblem was torn apart. Even though the flames were added with special essences and fuel, they were still not as red as the blood, nor could they cover up the fishy smell. In an instant, the sacred Eternal Fire Headquarters turned into a hell on earth.
Chapelle sighed deeply. In his mind, the kindness from the shapeshifter and the decisiveness from the Eternal Fire Security Officer began to conflict violently, as if there were two people biting each other inside his body, giving him an unbearable headache.
Finally, he couldn't bear it anymore.
"Triss, that's enough, stop it. If you continue like this, the Eternal Flame will be without the armed forces to maintain order…"
The subtle sound, like a whisper, was transmitted accurately into the sorceress's ears through the transmission of chaos magic.
The sorceress looked at the cat-faction witcher.
Kaiyan shrugged. "We have no say in when this level of chaos will end."
Triss frowned: "Lan should have given you a method."
Although they had not been together for a long time, the cat-faction witcher seemed to have established a deep bond with Lann. As soon as Triss said the name, Kaiyan made a gesture as if in surrender.
"Okay, okay..."
Kaiyan took out a small bag of ashes from his pocket and began to mutter to himself.
Then, the bag of bone powder floated in the air without wind, outlining the shape of a person.
On the battlefield, a temple guard's body suddenly shook, his eyes blank. He seemed to want to shout, but the next second his head was chopped off by an axe.
"What are you doing, you red-eyed guy? I'm having a lot of fun!"
Vlodimir shouted in dissatisfaction, and then his sight suddenly fell on Triss not far away.
He immediately put on another face:
"Oh, I don't know what to call this lady. I want to compliment your hair by saying it looks like delicious strawberries, but the truth is, it's hotter and more provocative than the eternal flame~"
Triss snorted.
He raised his hand, and chaotic energy immediately enveloped the ghost's body, rendering him unable to move or speak.
"Alright, alright, Ms. Triss. Calm down. Why bother with a dead person?" Kaiyan turned to look at Vlodimi. "The agreement between your brother and I was to let you enjoy the day of rebirth. I see you are enjoying it. So, isn't it time to give me what I want?"
The witcher took out a piece of parchment: "I need a certificate to prove to your brother that I have completed his commission."
After the chaotic energy was removed, Vrodimir, in ghost form, looked at Triss with fear, muttering something about "sorceress".
He reached out to grab the pen, but found nothing.
Spirits are physical objects that cannot be grasped.
Vlodimir raised his head with a playful smile, but immediately heard Triss muttering something again. Then, except for his right hand, his body became transparent and blurry, and all the ashes that made his body visible gathered in his hand.
Kaiyan handed the pen over again, and this time Vlodimir grabbed it.
Although Vlodimi's face could no longer be seen at this time, it could be seen from the shaking of the pen that he was unwilling to give in.
The written proof was quickly completed, and Vlodimir said glumly, "Can I go back to partying again?"
Kaiyan nodded and said, "Of course you can, but don't you realize that their fight is almost over?"
Vlodimir said as a matter of course: "They have been fighting for so long, it's time to stop. I don't want to miss the end of the story."
Kaiyan lowered his voice and persuaded him: "No, what I mean is: you have been a soldier for so long, why don't you try to possess their leader - that Caleb Manji? Once you become the leader, won't you have the final say on when the battle ends? And changing your identity to enjoy the battle can also give you a different kind of fun."
Vlodimir's eyes lit up.
"I'm going over now. You won't summon me back again, right? I've already given you the proof. Has the contract between us ended?"
Kaiyan nodded. "Of course, the ashes have been used up. I can't even send you back. You can stay here as long as you want."
Vlodimir smiled with satisfaction.
Possessing Caleb Manji was a good idea, but before leaving, he suddenly thought of something and turned back to Kaiyan with ill intentions:
"Demon Hunter, I get along very well with you. To be honest, it's you I want to possess the most. After all, compared with these soldiers, a mutant with agile skills and magic is more interesting. If you need anything from me next time, you can use this as a bargaining chip to negotiate with me~"
Vlodimir left with a big laugh.
Kaiyan's hands began to tremble, and veins popped out.
Triss looked at the emotionally unstable cat-faction witcher and asked politely, "Are you okay?"
"It's okay, it's okay, Ms. Triss, I'm fine." Kaiyan said expressionlessly, "Why would you bother to argue with a dead person?"
…
Caleb Manji looked around in confusion. In the chaos, he didn't know who had stabbed him, but fortunately his armor was thick and it wasn't in his vital parts, so he was still able to move.
The development of things so far has been completely beyond his expectations.
The Temple Guards can be said to be the most elite armed force of the Eternal Fire - this elite refers to their equipment and level of training.
Since Caleb Manji is the leader, he has strong control over the temple guards.
The troops directly under Chapelle's control are conventional armed forces such as Novigrad's city guards and patrols. If it is a head-on conflict, it is difficult to compete with the temple guards.
But in a religious civil war, the level of combat effectiveness ultimately depends on faith. The stronger the faith, the better the fight. Not to mention that among the temple guards, there are also many young people with faith who admire Chapelle.
Caleb Manji originally wanted to use the accusation of shapeshifting against Chapelle as the last straw that broke the camel's back and win the victory. He even wanted to use this as a bargaining chip to become the ruler of the Eternal Flame in the future.
But now it seems that everything is impossible.
It was obvious to the naked eye that the temple guards who had been instigated by him were already confused. When the young guard saw Chapelle cleared of suspicion of being a shapeshifter, he no longer knew why he was fighting.
"Everyone!" Caleb Manji struggled desperately, "Think about what Chapelle has done during this period. He must have used some evil method, perhaps some magic or alchemy that we don't know about. We can't let the Eternal Flame perish in the hands of such a person!"
The team leader called out loudly, but few responded.
Knowing that the situation was hopeless, Caleb Manji vigorously swung his sword and pretended to fight to boost the last bit of morale. At the same time, he fought and retreated, and soon retreated to the back of the team in a brave manner, covered in blood.
"Kaman!" He shouted to his deputy who had already prepared to flee, "Gather the remaining people, gather them, we are ready..."
Caleb Manji was halfway through his words when his whole body suddenly shuddered and his eyes suddenly changed into a different person.
"Captain?"
The deputy stepped forward in confusion, only to hear Caleb Manji shouting, "Temple guards, swear to die and never surrender. I will set an example and fulfill the oath of the Eternal Fire!"
Afterwards, he rushed from the back of the team to the front line, even kicking and bumping his way through many guards who were reluctant to move forward, with a heroic look of fighting to the death.
The deputy was stunned. Knowing his leader's personality well, he couldn't understand what he saw.
All the believers on Chapelle's side gritted their teeth, preparing for the dying counterattack of the temple guards.
Only Chapelle secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
A [Moon Dust] bomb came from nowhere and hit Caleb Manji head-on. Then invisible chaotic energy began to act on the head of the temple guard.
Before the chaotic crowd could react to where the alchemical bomb came from, silver mist exploded around Caleb Manji.
In the horrified eyes of the crowd, Caleb Manji's mouth suddenly began to emit another person's scream, and then a figure began to surge behind him.
The miserable wails and twisted limbs made everyone present shudder.
No matter which side the warriors were on, they all stopped their actions at this moment, and a terrible guess emerged in their minds.
Behind the crowd, Chapelle, who had been missing because he was shot by an arrow, suddenly stood up.
"Possessed by an evil spirit! Caleb Manji is possessed by an evil spirit!"
Vlodimir, who was controlled by both the Moon Dust and the Chaos Energy, writhes in agony. His hideous face was revealed in the mercury mist and was revealed to everyone present without reservation.
Caleb Manji also let out a painful howl like a wild beast.
"Not long ago, I learned that besides the giant toad, there was also an evil spirit roaming under the Temple Island. So I paid a large sum of money to another demon hunter to solve this problem for me. But I didn't expect to find him at this time."
Chapelle's tone was cold, but his eyes were filled with anger. He looked at his "colleague" of the Eternal Fire with great sorrow.
"The evil spirit has killed Caleb Manji and possessed him. It instigated the riot inside the Eternal Flame. I just understood everything now. Everyone, don't you think that everything that happened today is too ridiculous? The leader of the temple guards accused me of being a shapeshifter, and the believers of the Eternal Flame lost their minds and killed each other. This is not something you would do at all."
"This is all the evil spirit's fault!"
Chapelle directly characterized the situation, emphasizing that Caleb Manji was dead and what was before him was just an evil spirit.
Looking around, he could see that the instigators and small leaders in Caleb Manji's camp were all dead, and the only ones left were young temple guards. Some of them were simply bewitched by their leader, so there was no need to kill them anymore.
The two groups of people covered in blood looked blankly at their fellow believers who were brothers yesterday, who had just drawn swords against each other, and who had now stopped fighting. Their eyes began to become clear.
They gradually understood everything.
"Evil spirit... That's right, it's all the evil spirit's fault! The evil spirit bewitched us, and it was the evil spirit that maliciously harmed Mr. Chapelle!"
"They are all evil spirits, heinous evil spirits!"
"No, that's not right. This is not an evil spirit. It's a false god, a false god of the pagans. They want to subvert the Eternal Fire!"
"Don't be scared by it, for the eternal fire!"
"For the Eternal Fire!!!"
At that moment, countless swords pierced through the silver mist at the same time, and the most ferocious and crazy among them were the temple guards. They brandished their swords recklessly and even accidentally injured their companions.
But no one cared about this at this time.
Even though the Moon Dust made Vlodimir visible, he was still a demon after all. The weapon that pierced his body was neither a silver sword nor the demon hunter's special sword oil, so the damage caused to him was limited, and he immediately fled.
But Caleb Manji is different.
He died in the first instant. No matter how strong his armor was, it could not stop the weapons of the believers. Triss, who was watching, even believed that the guards with red eyes could bite off the armor on Caleb Manji with their teeth.
Kaiyan silently smeared [Ghost Oil] on his weapon. Soon after the silver mist in the field completely dissipated, he closed his eyes and sensed the surroundings, then immediately chose a direction to leave.
Triss didn't ask where the Cat had sent the witcher.
The struggle in the temple gradually subsided. The temple guards stared at the "Caleb Manji" that had become everywhere, speechless for a moment.
With a "clang", I don't know who was the first to drop the weapon in his hand, followed by a dull shock caused by a series of kneeling on the ground. They surrendered.
Chapelle held the wound on his shoulder, shook his head, pushed away the support of the people around him, and walked step by step to a young guard.
"Mr. Chapelle..."
The young man looked up, his hands were shaking, not because of fear, but because of regret.
"You killed the evil spirits and guarded the eternal fire."
The young guard seemed to be affirmed, and his eyes lit up.
"But you have committed a crime after all, even if you were bewitched by an evil spirit. So you must atone for your sins."
The young man bent down and said, "I will use the rest of my life to make up for the sin I committed today."
Everyone in Caleb Manji's camp imitated the young man's actions and confessed their sins to Chapelle. Chapelle's followers came forward one by one, tied them up, and prepared to take them to the dungeon.
The turmoil on Temple Island has calmed down.
Chapelle originally thought so.
"Monsieur Chapelle, look over there..."
His adjutant suddenly exclaimed.
Temple Island was located at a very high altitude, and from their direction they could see half of Novigrad. Chapelle turned his gaze to the direction pointed by the adjutant, and the towering fire and billowing smoke were reflected in his eyes.
There were countless figures running away, each of them no bigger than an ant, chasing and killing each other.
Soon Chapelle saw a large number of figures being caught up by the people behind them, and then they stopped where they were.
"That direction... is it Novigrad Square?" Chapelle muttered to himself, "It's a riot started by the gangs... but weren't these resolved in advance?"
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