Priss's gaze was sharp as an eagle's, scrutinizing Lind, the invisible aura carrying a purifying pressure not yet fully concealed. He changed the subject, his tone carrying a deep, probing quality:
"Baron Linde, you are a noble lord, yet you also hold the position of priest in my Holy Church, which is not common in the Empire."
What's even more remarkable is that you confronted and fought against the filth of the Shadow Abyss. I want to hear your thoughts on the nature of this evil originating from the abyss... What does it truly mean to you?
Linde's heart skipped a beat. The test had begun!
Priest's remarks were by no means a simple academic discussion.
This is an examination of his stance, an examination of whether his faith in the Holy Spirit is pure, and an examination of whether he is qualified to be truly regarded as a core force by the Holy Church, especially now that the threat of the Shadow Abyss is imminent.
Although he had previously gained some trust through Leonis's guarantee and his military achievements in Greenburg, this trust was clearly not enough in the eyes of the Holy Inquisition.
'Want to hear your opinion? Okay, then I'll show you a big one!'
Lind made up his mind instantly.
Since Pres has offered himself up and is about to become an important bait and henchman for catching the "Shadow Abyss big fish," it is imperative to solidify this "alliance" and transform it into absolute trust at the Holy Church level!
His face displayed just the right amount of solemnity, along with a hint of pious radiance as if he had been asked about the core of his faith. He bowed slightly and said:
"Your Honor, Shadow Abyss... It is the opposite of light, a termite of order, the ultimate darkness that devours life and hope. It uses the fear, despair, and greed of mortals to distort their forms, corrupt their souls, and ultimately drag everything into eternal nothingness. It is not merely an enemy, but... a 'disease' that needs to be thoroughly purified."
Priss remained noncommittal, his eyes still sharp, clearly waiting for something more substantial.
Linde took a deep breath, as if making a decision, and lowered his voice, with the solemnity of sharing a secret:
"Your Honor, this place is crowded and noisy. Please come with me to discuss Yingyuan... and some of my personal... experiences."
He led Priss across the slightly noisy edge of the camp to the ground floor of a secluded, almost abandoned storage tower in the castle.
The room was dimly lit, with only a few rays of light filtering through a small, high-ceilinged window. The air was thick with the smells of dust and moldy, aged grains, a stark contrast to the solemnity of the Holy Church's meditation room, making it feel exceptionally secluded.
Pris frowned slightly, but did not object. However, the invisible holy light field around him quietly strengthened, dispelling the surrounding coldness and dust.
Standing in the darkest corner at the bottom of the tower, Lind turned around to face Pris.
All the calculation and weariness on his face vanished, replaced by a calm and steadfastness akin to that of a martyr.
"Your Honor, Judge."
Lind's voice echoed in the silent lower levels of the tower, carrying a strange penetrating power.
"The threat posed by Shadow Abyss is beyond imagination. And I... am not alone in fighting against it."
Before he finished speaking, Lin De's thoughts sank into the purple polyhedron deep in his mind, activating its bright halo.
Buzz—!
There was no earth-shattering noise, only pure light emanating from Linde!
Pure, boundless, warm, and sacred light energy surged forth from every pore of his body like a torrent breaking through a dam!
This is neither the intensity of battle qi nor the gentleness of ordinary divine arts, but the most primal light of order that originates from the core of the light vein and has been purified and refined by the system!
In an instant, the dark ground floor of the tower was completely illuminated!
Linde transformed into a source of light, his gentle yet undeniable radiance dispelling all shadows in every corner, and dust danced like gold dust within the beam of light.
Where he stood, the ground seemed to be purified by an invisible force; the musty smell disappeared without a trace, and the air became fresh and full of vitality.
The light was warm but not scorching, carrying a soothing tranquility, like the rising sun shining on the snow-capped peaks, pure, lofty, and full of a sacred sense of life.
Prince's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints! For the first time, the unchanging, cold expression on his face showed a violent fluctuation—it was extreme shock and disbelief!
He could clearly sense that the light contained not the power of light veins obtained through prayer or rituals, but rather... a rule of "light" that was almost primordial and pure to the extreme!
It shared the same origin as the holy power he served, yet it carried a sense of ancient and unfamiliar grandeur! The sacred and orderly aura contained within this light was purer and closer to the very source than the holy light that he, the judge, had cultivated for many years!
"This...this is..."
Priss's voice trembled slightly, and he instinctively wanted to reach out and touch the light, but then seemed afraid of profaning something.
Linde was bathed in his own divine radiance, his face serene, his eyes deep, as if he were carrying some kind of mission weighing a thousand pounds.
He spoke slowly, his voice booming like a great bell, carrying a strange resonance:
"Your Honor, it's not that I'm deliberately hiding it. On the night of the bloody battle of Grinburg, when we were on the verge of despair, I... heard a call from the depths of the Light Vein."
An ineffable, great will transcended the barriers of time and space, sowing a seed of light originating from the very core of the world into my broken body and soul.
He cleverly replaced "Lord of the Light Veins" with "the call from the depths of the light veins," "the ineffable great will," and "the seed of light at the core of the world," which both aligns with the Holy Church's worship of the light of the world's origin and leaves room for ambiguous interpretation.
"He did not tell me his name, but only that the shadow of the Abyss had quietly eroded this world, and the crisis was imminent. He gave me this 'Seed of Light' and commanded me to use it to fight against the minions of the Abyss and protect the spark of order."
Linde's voice carried a heavy and devout quality, as if blessed by God.
Linde looked directly into Priest's shocked eyes, his tone incredibly earnest, even pleading:
"Your Honor, this is a divine command, and a last resort. I reveal it to you today not to boast, but because you are the Holy Spirit's sword on earth, an indispensable force for purifying the shadows! I implore you... to keep this secret for me! Until we find and destroy the source of the Shadow Abyss in this world!"
Pris was completely stunned.
The power Linde displayed was undeniably genuine! That pure, ultimate power of light could not be imitated by Shadow Abyss's disguise, nor could it be easily obtained by an ordinary person! This could only be... divine favor! He was a true oracle!
Combined with Lind's miraculous record in Grinburg, his calm judgment in the face of the Shadow Creature, the power he displayed at this moment, and his reasonable and strategic "low-key" request...
All the clues instantly connected in the mind of Presley, the devout judge, and he automatically filled in the blanks:
A young noble lord, in a desperate battle to defend his homeland, unexpectedly gained the favor of the Lord of Light, Luciaos, due to his unwavering faith and indomitable will. He was bestowed with a sacred seed of power and entrusted with the heavy responsibility of fighting against the invading Shadow Abyss!
However, the oracle instructed him to act discreetly to avoid alerting the lurking enemies in the abyss...
This is simply... the template for the "hidden walkers" chosen in times of crisis, as recorded in the sacred scriptures!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com