Prior to this, Viscount Swift had already been identified as a cultist by Lind through his activated vision, and was even the leader of a cult.
Judging from the distribution of power in the vicinity, no noble family would have a force of bronze-level soldiers.
Leonis's decision to come to me instead of returning to Fortified City clearly indicates that there's something wrong with Fortified City, forcing her to choose me.
"Was it Viscount Swift who wanted to kill her? But where did he get bronze-level combat power?"
What Linde didn't know was that things were beginning to exceed his expectations.
No one could have imagined that deep in the mountains of the Fortified City, there would be a huge cult stronghold and an apostate priest who survived the consecration ceremony.
Linde sorted out the current information, and at this point he could only guess that it was Viscount Swift; he knew nothing else.
Lind felt himself enveloped in a thick fog, with unseen enemies lurking within it, until a ray of sunlight appeared.
"Hmm...where am I?"
Leonis awoke from her coma, and the servant beside her calmly went out to announce her arrival.
She felt that the excruciating pain in her body had mostly subsided, and the wounds were no longer reopening. Although her right arm was still somewhat numb, it was much better than before.
It is clear that they have received excellent treatment.
"You're awake."
Linde, who had learned of the situation downstairs, pushed open the door and finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Leonis regaining consciousness.
Linde urgently needs the information he has about her; there is no time to lose.
Seeing that the person was Lind, Leonis breathed a sigh of relief, but then, remembering her previous experience, she became somewhat anxious again.
"Lord Linde..."
Linde handed him a glass of water and said:
"Take your time, there's no rush."
…………
As Leonis narrated, the brows of the people in the room furrowed.
Upon hearing the size of the underground cult stronghold, Lind gasped in shock.
This is absolutely outrageous! Are these cultists dwarfs? They hollowed out the entire mountain? How could such a massive project go unnoticed?
Viscount Swift must have put in a lot of effort in this matter.
Then Leonis talked about the lingering poison of the Offering Ceremony, which made Lind's eyes widen even more.
He had heard of the dedication ceremony; this tragedy was recorded in history and was considered a must-learn for nobles. Lin De had previously thought that the cultists had been severely weakened as a result, and that only small fry remained.
I didn't expect it to come so quickly and so fiercely.
After a moment of silence, Linde said:
"Given the current situation, we must find a solution as soon as possible. This cult stronghold is so large, and there are even apostate priests. If they take any further action, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Leonis thought for a moment and said:
"Sir, I have a way, but I need your help."
"I need your help to leave this area and travel to the nearest high sanctuary in the center of the kingdom for assistance."
“The High Sanctuary has a way to quickly support this place. All I need is for you to stay here... and hold them off.”
As she uttered her last words, Leonis bit her lip, knowing that such a request was tantamount to sending Lind to his death.
That person was, after all, his savior! How could you say such a thing!
But evil must be eradicated, and sacrifice is necessary, no matter who it may be!
The doctrines of the Holy Church constantly dictated her mind, and Leonis struggled internally, but she still uttered those words.
She lowered her head, feeling too ashamed to meet Lin De's gaze any longer.
Linde fell silent, pondering the pros and cons of the matter.
He definitely had to help her; there was no other way. If he didn't help, the first thing this priest would do when he came out would be to kill him.
The current situation leaves no room for anything else. Leonis's method is indeed the best option at present, but it is also the worst option for Lind.
Actually, he wasn't entirely confident. He had some underhanded tricks that could cause these damned cultists a lot of trouble, but they were still underhanded tricks and carried a great deal of risk.
But...
Leonis had no idea what kind of power Lind possessed.
He is an oracle, possessing three halos, and a humanoid crystal skeleton manufacturing machine capable of producing crystal skeletons almost infinitely. In terms of the destruction he caused, Lind might even surpass this cult priest!
At worst, we can just handcraft a massive amount of crystal fragments and use them to blow up the cultists. These cultists are holed up in the mountains; as long as we can find a way to reach a few weak points around the mountain...
While Leonis was struggling, Lind had already come up with several ways to deal with the cultists, but he kept them to himself, intending to use this to extract more benefits from the Holy Temple.
With the Earl backing him up, as long as he survives this time—though it's unlikely he'll actually die—he's sure to be able to take a big chunk of territory from the Holy Temple.
So Linde pretended to be very embarrassed and said:
“…Okay, I’ll help you.”
Leonis looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with surprise and gratitude:
"Lord Linde...you...you really are..."
“But!” Lind stopped her.
"There will definitely be a price to pay. The Holy Church must give me an explanation and compensation. Otherwise, the Holy Church will face the wrath of an earl."
After saying this, Linde waved his hand impatiently:
"Alright, enough talk. I'll send someone to escort you on your journey right away. The battle is urgent."
Leonis nodded heavily, not daring to look into Lind's eyes and face.
She knew that she and the Holy Church had deeply disappointed this nobleman, who was considered quite friendly.
Linde... must be very disappointed.
Leonis has been a Holy Punishment Knight for many years and has met countless nobles. Some are wary of her strength, while others try their best to win her over.
But this was the first time she had ever met someone like Linde.
Kindness, dedication, piety.
He possessed almost every good quality, yet she disappointed him.
Leonis followed Lind downstairs with her head down. The temporary rescue team was already ready to go.
At this moment, Lind said half-jokingly:
"Leonis, our lives are in your hands, please don't let us down."
At this moment, Lind acted like a warrior who was determined to die, and immediately broke through Leonis's psychological defenses.
Leonis choked up slightly, took the reins, and said:
"Lind, I will bring reinforcements, I swear on my soul!"
After saying that, he turned and left with his team without looking back.
Watching the departing squad, Astaire couldn't help but speak up:
"Sir, what should we do now?"
Linde smiled and said:
"I do have a way..."
Speaking of which, I have to mention the brilliant plan I just came up with.
"Cultists? Hmph! Those bastards, I'll make sure they're wiped out!"
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