Chapter 125
After the high priest finished all this, he went up from the dungeon; he still had work to do.
This is an area completely controlled by the church, and he is the head of this area.
In addition, there are twelve high-ranking clergy members in this place, making it a place with a considerable amount of combat power.
In such a place, being a senior manager is quite a prestigious position.
But there's nothing we can do about it; there are just too few sacrifices to be made.
He sat down in his chair to handle his official business for the day, until someone walked over from the side.
That's Karl. This guy is now a fallen knight. He's already passed all the previous checks, and all that's left is to come here for the final stamp so everything will be fine.
This matter took much longer to process than expected. Carl was a little tired, after all, it had been almost a day and a half since he finished it, and he hadn't rested for almost a day and a half. Looking at the process that was about to end, he could only sigh helplessly.
Although I knew it wouldn't be a simple matter, I was still a little surprised that it was this complicated.
The high priest glanced at Karl and then stamped his identification.
"You are welcome to continue serving God; your contributions will be remembered by God," the high priest said softly, handing the certificate back.
Carl looked at the object, then put it back in his pocket.
That would be considered complete. He now needed to find Lori and ensure her safety.
"One last question: Are you sure God is good?"
Suddenly, the high priest asked in a soft voice.
Karl froze for a moment, then slowly hardened in place.
“This is not something a high priest should say.” He slowly turned his head to look at the high priest and said softly, “God is of course benevolent.”
"So, are those it approves of good?" the high priest continued. "Don't overthink it, just answer."
Carl felt he had been asked a very nonsensical question.
Is God benevolent? Of course God is...
Thinking this way, he suddenly realized that he might not know what kind of answer to give.
If God is truly benevolent, why doesn't He save children like Lori? She is innocent, yet she is labeled a heinous criminal for doing nothing wrong.
Are people approved by God kind? Karl didn't have that kind of thick skin. He wasn't kind. Although he believed he hadn't done anything wrong, he wasn't like the saints in legends who were without any problems.
“God is not good, and those whom God approves of are not good either,” Karl said softly. “He is stern, just, and merciful.”
"Why would you say that?" The high priest found it a bit strange. If he remembered correctly, this guy was just a knight according to the sign he saw earlier. He shouldn't have really understood what a god was.
“Because he punishes evil severely, treats sinners justly, and is merciful to those who can be saved,” Carl said. “But he is not kind; he will not offer any help to those who cannot be saved. He abandons them and has no feelings for them.”
As he said this, he stood there and looked at the high priest, asking, "Is there anything else?"
After watching the man remain silent for a while, the high priest nodded.
Carl turned to leave, though he didn't know the meaning of the final question, he was glad he was free of problems now. Leaving this place as quickly as possible was the best thing to do.
"That answer was quite interesting." The high priest listened to the voice coming from behind him. It was a very strange voice, definitely not human, but it didn't sound like a demon or monster either.
Because it is as gentle as an angel, as if softly comforting one's own child.
“He is very interesting, and this guy is very interesting too.” The high priest paused and said, “I don’t think he is just a knight, but perhaps just a guy who has not been recognized by the gods.”
"What if this guy is someone else disguised as a knight?"
“That’s a restless fellow. I don’t think we need to bother with such a person.” The high priest shook his head, indicating that the matter should end there.
He looked at the city outside, his eyes filled with confusion.
When Karl came out, he saw Ghost Duke sitting at the door waiting for him. The guy was lying on the ground to cool off.
The ground is covered in snow because a massive blizzard struck the area last night, causing the snow to not completely melt.
In addition, the area experienced extreme heat early this morning, which has led to a very serious problem: the snow has not yet melted, and the current high temperatures outside make people feel like they are being roasted alive.
This strange weather is so common that I'm tired of it anymore, but it's still uncomfortable. According to Ghost Duke, he's the kind of guy who's afraid of heat but not cold, so judging from this, he's probably trying to cool himself off by touching the snow on the ground.
"Are you here to escape the heat?" Karl didn't dislike Ghost Duke. Aside from his immortality, the guy was just an ordinary madman, an ordinary person. As a priest, protecting such a person and ensuring he maintained his will to live was his duty.
“No, I just think I might actually be a mobile zombie, and if I stay in the sun too long, I might stink.” He said seriously, then sat up from the ground and looked up at Karl.
"Can I come with you? It seems Ark doesn't want me. If I go back now, I'll be seen as annoying." Ghost Duke paused and said, "Actually, I can be of some help. If you're short of food, you can at least eat my body and flesh."
“Thank you for your kindness before we run out of food.” Karl walked over and pulled him aside. “But unfortunately, I can only take you to Ark.”
Ghost Duke was pulled to his feet and followed behind Karl, saying helplessly, "Fine, fine, although this result will make that guy named Ark think I'm an eyesore. But there's nothing I can do. I was already an annoying guy, and now I'm even more repulsive. I don't know how to make myself more popular."
“I don’t know either, but living isn’t about living to be welcomed by others, but about existing to fulfill the path you’ve set for yourself.” Carlton paused and said, “Ghost Lord, although I don’t know what you’ve been through, you are unique, and you shouldn’t be so dejected.”
"Haha, familiar preaching. It really invigorates me." Ghost Duke put his hands behind his head and followed him slowly: "But only for a moment, because I've heard many people say similar things to me. Different people, but what they all have in common is that none of them have a good ending."
"Then it seems I'm one of them too." Karl's tone revealed no emotion in response to this answer.
"Aren't you angry? I was just implying that you wouldn't have a good ending."
“I sheltered the demons, abandoned the city I was supposed to protect, and in the most critical moment, I turned against the saints. I don’t have the audacity to think that I can have a good outcome.” Carlton paused and said, “So you’re right, I won’t have a good outcome. But until that outcome comes, I am the one who represents God on earth.”
"That really changes my impression of the church," Ghost Duke joked. "The church in the history books I studied was no good. They were corrupt, accepted bribes, and even hid gold under idols."
"Really? Could you please tell me which church it is? I will report it to the authorities."
“Not from here, from another world.” Ghost Duke looked at the guy in front of him and said softly, “Perhaps it’s just because there is no god in that world, so the believers themselves are half-believing and half-doubting. But there is a god in this world, so everyone is willing to make their actions conform to the doctrine.”
The last few words were spoken softly, just a low murmur behind Karl. Karl didn't reply, probably because he was truly exhausted; he hadn't rested for far too long, but he didn't have many more chances to rest.
So before that, he needed to conserve his energy. After all, he didn't know what might happen later, and he needed to be in good mental condition.
Otherwise, problems might arise. Right now, he's a shield for one person, protecting only the one behind him. Arrows are flying in front of him, and he can only block all dangers by becoming more agile.
At this moment, Lori woke up from her sleep and rubbed her eyes as she looked at the tidied room.
Lady had disappeared, and the next room was quiet, as if she were suddenly all alone in the world.
She stood there stunned for a long time, propping herself up as she looked outside, her eyes filled with confusion.
Maybe it's because I just woke up and am still a little groggy.
Perhaps it was because she had a beautiful dream that she wanted to keep that dream in her memory.
Regardless, it's time to get up now, and whether she wants to or not, she should get up.
She put on her clothes quite skillfully, and finally covered her whole body with the nun's cloak.
She's a sensitive character who's prone to getting into trouble, so if she doesn't want to be attacked for no reason while out in public, she'd better cover her face with something.
With that thought in mind, she pushed open the door.
This time, there was no sound not only in the room but also in the corridor. In the corridor outside, there were faint boot marks, which could be considered the only human presence.
She twitched her nose; she had gone to bed a little late, so she needed to eat something to fill her stomach this morning.
"Good morning."
She heard someone greeting her, and she instinctively turned her head to look at Benny, who had appeared in front of her at some point.
“First of all, congratulations on surviving another day. Cherish it. I don’t know how long I can protect you, and you don’t know how long you can live with this peace of mind. Please cherish every carefree day.” Benny looked at Lori and said, “You’re a demon, right?”
"Hmm." Lori slowly turned around, clasped her hands together behind her back, and dared not look up at the girl who had actually done no more than she had.
“Don’t look down, look up and remember what I look like.” Benny looked at Lori and said, “This face belongs to one of the five people in the Central Church. As for the other four, as long as they’re not like me, what should you do if they claim to be saints?”
"I have no idea."
“Run, run as far as you can,” Benny said. “Don’t stop for any reason. If you’re too tired to run, lie down and catch your breath. Once you’ve recovered, keep running. Don’t do anything else.”
"Why?"
“Because as long as the Church doesn’t know your abilities, they can’t temporarily assign you a danger level. My authority is sufficient to protect you; as long as you use your abilities, they won’t truly harm you.” Benny walked over and patted her shoulder. “Of course, don’t show me your abilities either. If it’s an ability I can’t protect, I’ll have no choice but to kill you here. That’s my duty. But because of Ark, I’m protecting you now out of affection. Please cherish this protection and live well within the circle I can protect. Don’t yearn for the outside world.”
She said this as she brushed past her.
Did I do something wrong?
Benny heard the girl behind her crying softly and asked.
“You are good, child. I know everything you’ve been through.” Benny paused and said, “But child, not everyone does the right thing. Someone will hurt you, and that’s wrong. The one who’s wrong isn’t you, or even the person who wants to hurt you. The one who’s wrong is the demon who gave you that power. I’m sorry, child. It’s cruel, but I have to say it. You and I are on opposite sides. You’re on the demon’s side, and I belong to the gods. It’s our duty to kill each other.”
As she spoke, she continued forward without looking back at the child.
“That’s a bit harsh. She’s still a child. And a good child at that,” Yak said softly as he waited for her around the corner and saw her.
“She has suffered enough; she can’t be broken by a single word from me.” Benny looked at Yak and said, “Besides, let me make this clear: protecting you is the only thing that matters. Although I will consider your feelings and incidentally shelter those you want to protect, protecting those people is not essential to me.”
"Thanks."
“I hope you’ll say those words to me someday when I kill someone you want to protect, not now. I’m the one who should be thanking you now, because I haven’t slept so soundly in a long time, and I haven’t had your breakfast in ages.” Benny said to Ark with a sudden smile, “If you want to thank me, should I kiss your cheek?”
“I am honored to have an angel touch my face; it is a privilege for someone as defiled as me.”
"Stop with the unpleasant pleasantries, I have some questions I need to ask." Benny slapped his waist: "Give me an honest answer."
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