A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 148 Twilight Sermon

In front of the almshouse, there were several times more people than usual. They lined up to receive grain porridge, and the aroma of cooked grains filled the air under the warm spring sun, bringing a sense of peace.

Although there were many people, the process of distributing porridge was carried out in an orderly manner. This was because the paladins of the Church of Order were always good at maintaining order, and their greatswords and flails, which they never parted with, would punish those who disrupted the order.

At dusk, in an effort to appease the people, the priest began a new undertaking:

The Lord said: Darkness and chaos accompany us, breeding sin and suffering. Only light guides us so that we do not lose our way, and only order protects us so that we do not harm one another. Let this be our faith as if we were in God.

Unfortunately, some people, tempted by a moment's temptation, betray their faith, succumb to suffering, and harm others. Those who turn to the devil and evil spirits, serving darkness and chaos, are no longer our brothers and sisters.

Please remember this: for those who practice blasphemy, the light of holiness will no longer be a blessing but a judgment!

A "square" in the eastern suburbs is actually an open space with a well at its center, serving as a water source for nearby residents. This open space has now been requisitioned to build an open-air minaret, where priests preach to the crowds.

The chanter looked around; the people who had received their grain porridge stood listening to him, bowls in hand. The listeners, the believers, were expressionless, their faces stained with dirt and grime—cleaning them was no easy task.

The preacher took a deep breath: "We are standing right here beside the well. When our Lord came in human form, He traveled through the barren, sandy lands where water was scarce. Our Lord created a spring of water for the villages that believed in Him by His power and established an order for drawing water."

People in neighboring villages who practiced paganism also prayed to their gods for a spring. However, the villagers fought each other over the water source, and former brothers and sisters hurt and bled each other. Meanwhile, those who were willing to follow the Lord's order continued to receive His blessings, and everyone in the village had access to water and lived in peace and prosperity.

Remember, remember, do not be tempted, blinded, or corrupted by evil spirits. God will make all those who gain by betraying faith and disrupting order lose it; and God will bestow supreme glory and blessings upon all those who sacrifice themselves for light and order!

The covenant that the Lord made with us is not elsewhere, but here and now; not on another day, but at this very moment.

The sermon came to an end, and some women and the elderly began to pray, while some craftsmen nodded repeatedly as they listened. Most people, however, were indifferent after the sermon; they had finished eating by the time it was over and were hesitating whether they could have another bowl.

"You've talked so much nonsense, how can the people here understand it? Why not give them some more porridge?" Two men in the back of the crowd started talking. They were wearing flat felt hats that were so big that they almost covered their faces.

Such attire is not out of place; workers with a little money would wear it to keep warm, especially those who dealt with lead, mercury, and leather, who were prone to headaches. It was as if wearing a hat could prevent the cold wind from aggravating this unknown illness.

"You should listen carefully, you never know when you might need it." Another man wanted to take out the powder and sniff it, but remembered that there were people from the church, so he held back and continued, "Even if it's useless to talk about it in the mud, those ladies with perfume and gentlemen with hair oil will fall for it."

"Stop talking, we've finished eating, let's go." The Earth Mother Order does indeed still have remnants active here, and they are not without countermeasures against the Paladin's blockade.

As the saying goes, the most dangerous place is the safest place. These rats in the gutter found the tunnel in the eastern suburbs, which connected to the underground catacombs of the Sacred Heart Cathedral!

The largest catacombs in Valuana are beyond imagination, extending to the edge of the suburbs. The vast underground network can be utilized to allow members of the Mother Earth's cult to slip out of the encirclement unnoticed, simply by passing through the depths of the catacombs rarely visited by ordinary people.

The paladin's blockade was ultimately limited, especially since these underground tomb passages were layered and intertwined, not just on one plane, and there were always gaps that allowed these rats to slip through.

"I'm going to the shack to take Salamander away."

"Why bring him along? That bastard doesn't serve my Lord sincerely at all."

"It's all the 'elder's' idea. Besides, there are still things left with him, so I'm moving them to the 'nest' as well." The nest is the name they gave to the underground cemetery complex, clearly intending to develop it into their base.

After discussing their plan amidst the commotion, the two junior members of the cult began to move, carefully maneuvering among the people.

What they didn't realize was that their every move was being watched by the Grey Knight.

"Split up and follow."

One of the cult members moved through the haphazardly constructed, dilapidated houses. He knew the roads extremely well, navigating the strange intersections without hesitation, turning left and right until he reached his target.

The rotten wooden door of the shack was pushed open, and Dusk and the mysterious man barged into Salamander's territory.

"Why did you get here so quickly?" Salamanda was still lying in bed when he sat up abruptly and asked nervously, "Did something happen?" After all, with so many priests and paladins coming, the effects of the medicine had worn off and he was finally more awake, though not entirely so. Otherwise, how could he have been lying so peacefully?

"Stop talking nonsense and don't ask questions. Now carry a suitcase and come with me." The mysterious man dragged two suitcases out from under the messy bed.

Salamanda objected: "Wouldn't that expose my hands and feet? And where would I go?"

"I told you not to ask. The servants of the false god are distributing porridge right now. Nobody cares about you, you dead dog."

"Porridge?" Hearing this, Salamanda's stomach growled too. "I'm hungry too! Give me something to eat, or at least give me my medicine powder first, I feel terrible."

The cult's junior members began to hesitate about whether to bring this burden along. He was a miner from a secondary plane, someone the "elders" had specifically designated to take care of, but even now, despite having grown new hands and feet, he was still a good-for-nothing and a scoundrel. If they disposed of him in an emergency, the elders probably wouldn't hold it against them.

Bang! The shack was almost blown away as four men in gray robes rushed in and pinned the two men down. Of course, four burly men couldn't squeeze through one door at the same time, and the shack's fragile walls were also smashed open. The mysterious man tried to struggle, but a cloth soaked in anesthetic was smothered over his head.

Damn it, isn't this our cult's "charming headscarf"? He wanted to curse, but he immediately passed out.

Three paladins arrived to provide support, one of whom stepped forward to examine the unconscious cultist: "How long will the effect last?"

"I don't know, we just took the tools because they were convenient to use." The grey-robed knight shook his head at his colleague, while gesturing to stop the rookie from opening the boxes without permission: "Move everything to the church. We have countless ways to wake these scum and get them to talk. Don't touch the boxes either, what if there are traps or poison gas?"

The church's activities were in full swing, but that didn't stop some monks from sneaking out. In the suburbs, not in the slums of the eastern suburbs, but in a manor with meadows and woods, the fat monk felt honored to be visiting Duke Merovinja's residence, even though it was just a villa of the Grand Duke.

"Ah, the full-bodied berry flavor and woody aroma. Time and good preservation have given it a wonderful flavor. My lord, you have excellent taste." The dark red wine still clung to the glass. The monk wanted to clink glasses with the duke, but since the duke did not move, he had to give up.

"Brother Bernardo, my butler should have already spoken to you about this."

"It is Benadan, Your Excellency." The stout monk stepped down from his seat and displayed the goods he had brought in his briefcase. One case contained glass bottles of oil fixed in small compartments, and the other contained blades and arrowheads wrapped in silk. Each case, when opened, radiated a holy light.

"Ten bottles of Blessing Ointment, six Exorcising Blades, and thirty-two Judgment Arrows. You can choose to equip them on either short or long handles. To be honest, you could order even more; we always have plenty left over, enough for you to equip a whole set."

The Duke interrupted the monk's rambling: "This is Valuwana, and I only intend to equip myself with bodyguards."

"Yes, yes, of course." They had already agreed on the price. The Grand Duke gestured for his steward to bring the prepared box. The monk opened it and clicked his tongue in amazement: "It's been so long since I've seen anything like this. Paper money certainly lacks this charm; the luster of gold is no less than divine light!"

The monks had to continue their evening prayers and left in a hurry, allowing the Grand Duke to finally let the real guests appear.

Cano and Rorschach walked from the living room to the dining room, where the tableware and food had all been replaced. "Thank you for your help, Your Excellency."

"This isn't my first time doing this little business," Melovenja said with a smile, raising his glass to the Archmage and his student in a toast: "My son owes a debt of gratitude to you both for your guidance."

After discussing the Tower of Stars for a while, the Grand Duke suddenly looked at Rorschach: "Mage Rorschach, how many shares of Saliana Mining do you still hold? Are you interested in liquidating them?"

(End of this chapter)