Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

“Look at those prayers in the middle, they take up almost half the page,” Kalistella sneered. “This guy is cunning. What priest would refuse such an opportunity to spread the faith for his god? As for those you think are too extreme, you can find the cases he cites in that book. But this guy has clearly misrepresented the whole; individual cases obviously cannot represent the whole.”

“Everyone should be able to figure this out,” Leslaufer put down the manual. “So I guess this thing won’t be strictly enforced; it will only be brought up when dealing with people who need to be dealt with.”

Ultimately, the church isn't a spy or a guard; it's unlikely they'd bother with such trivial matters. The noble lords, even less concerned, would be eager to make a deal with the devil if it meant gaining power and wealth—Leslaufer had recently killed one. But they weren't exactly people Doppler needed to consider.

The problem now is that this Heinrich might actually believe in the theories he himself proposed.

“It seems we can save this favor from your teacher.” Since that’s the case, it’s certainly the wisest choice not to go looking for him anymore. “Theological Seminary, ha, thankfully it’s not in the same place as the Arcane Academy, at least we can take you to the other side for a look around.”

Dubul also showed some anticipation, which was rare for him: "The academy, the last time I went there was when I was in Haidong, when I was employed by the daughter of a tribal chief in Anpiri."

"You're going to be her bodyguard?" Daisy's curiosity was piqued. "Then a bunch of clueless students will definitely come looking for trouble with you, and you'll beat them all to a pulp!"

"Why would you think that?" Leslaufer had no idea what the poet was thinking. "There are indeed some who are blind to reason, and there are also some who have given up, but I don't need to beat them up. Three hundred axe throwers will scare them out of their wits with one round of hurling."

Daisy: "?"

This is a little different from what she expected, and there's also the matter of the axe throwers?

"And then what?"

"Then we took all the silverware from that academy. It's a pity we didn't know you guys back then. If we had taken Anne or Mary with us, we probably could have sold those burned and smashed artworks for a lot of money," Leslaufer paused, then suddenly understood Daisy's logic and immediately laughed, "What? You don't think we went to school, do you!"

"They're the ones who should be paying tuition. If it weren't for the dean of another college telling my employer that they're even richer, we'd never guess just how wealthy these guys are!"

“I was there too, remember?” Tifflin smiled wistfully as he spoke of it. “There was this old guy who wouldn’t let me into his office. I thought there was some treasure inside, but lo and behold, it was just two dancers he’d hired from outside!”

“你不还是敲下了那家伙的金牙？”雷斯劳弗啧了一声，“哪像我，十多个人一块往食堂冲，非得全都挨一遍揍，才肯把那两个大烛台分给我——结果只有上面是纯金的！”

"If you had this reputation back then, who would dare to compete with you?"

Familiar faces, whom they hadn't seen for many years, seemed to return to those days. One after another, worthwhile or not worthwhile past events were recalled in a jumble, and without exception, they became exceptionally interesting, even the most unpleasant ones—such as the time when Raslaw called Caristella a "devilish bastard," and was attacked in retaliation that night.

“Oh, it’s so tragic,” Kalista said, laughing so hard tears welled up in her eyes. “It’s not just that part, Ray, look at us now! Are we already in our seventies or eighties? Are we going to have to live the rest of our lives just reminiscing? Forget it!”

Leslaufer's smile faded. "You're right, buddy, it's a long way off. But it doesn't hurt to reminisce, lest we forget everything in a few decades."

“I am a descendant of demons, and my memory is excellent,” his short, silvery-white hair and horns swayed together. “As for you—I’ve always hoped to see you guys old and decrepit, but unfortunately, I’m rarely so lucky. And you, I’m probably the least likely one.”

Raslaufer wasn't offended; he knew what he was doing all along. He said goodbye, promising to meet again sometime. Calistella jokingly asked Daisy if she wanted to become a resident musician at her place, while Angreta silently turned away and stepped out the door before Raslaufer left.

“Wait a minute, Miss Anne, right?” the hoarse voice called out to her. “I have a little advice for you.”

"Keep an eye on him. Some people just disappear when you let go."

Chapter 427 Gathering in the Church

Beneath the open pages, candles burned brightly, illuminating the entire chapel.

Unlike the churches of other gods, Serak's temple is more like a huge library or classroom than a church. At this moment, several "professors" dressed as priests are standing under the huge holy emblem, and their faces look rather unpleasant.

"Is this the etiquette of the Imperials?" an old nun complained with dissatisfaction. "That Brother Boer just made arrangements with us for the details of the banquet, and now he's saying he's not coming?"

"This is blatant humiliation!"

“Wake up, sister, he is also a follower of knowledge. What good will it do him to humiliate us?” another priest tried to persuade his fellow believer.

“Of course!” The old woman glared back at the other woman. “He’s an arcane researcher. Don’t tell me you didn’t know that. He moved the banquet to the Arcane Academy! You should know that means a declaration of war!”

Although priests, as believers of the god of knowledge, also know how to use some magic, and mages who worship Serak often use some divine spells, this is not the point of contention between the two sides—living under the same denomination, the roof is only so big.

There are no blank areas; every resource must be utilized. Therefore, if there is more on one side, there will be less on the other. As seekers of knowledge, resources are never enough.

It wasn't hard for anyone present to imagine that soon, the Arcane Academy would begin to announce that a senior scholar from the Empire was coming to visit and exchange ideas. The only newspaper in Ironforge would soon spread the news far and wide. In the future, how many nobles who needed to cultivate descendants with spellcasting talents would still send their children to the theological academy?

“If this continues, we’ll be eating acorn cakes and goat’s cheese every day!” another priest, with a beer belly, protested breathlessly. “Are we supposed to be serving rabbit meat as deer leg at the college dinner next?”

“Things are far from that point. Compared to that, I think you should eat more rabbit meat instead of deer leg,” the priest who had just advised him glanced at him. “We have a large number of commoner students who cannot afford the high tuition fees of the Arcane Academy. Only we can provide a complete education. Not to mention, we also have a large number of orphans.”

Most churches have a tradition of adopting orphans, which is even more prevalent in Eastern Inassassins. After all, a significant proportion of adults die in battle, and their orphans need to be cared for. However, different churches have different ways of raising and handling these orphans. The priests of Serac usually find them jobs that match their education after they finish their training. And if any of these orphans manage to become successful, they often repay the church by giving generously, ensuring the church's continued prosperity.

The priests in the hall couldn't help but look at the walls. Among the framed portraits hanging above the walls, about 30% of the portraits resembled those of the ancient sages. Among them were two lords of Ironforge—the older one having died in the war against Richard the Great's conquest.

Some people think this number is a lot, while others think the opposite.

"Come on, relying on them is like waiting to die. At least they'll come back to life," the old nun snorted. "It takes at least twenty years to train a batch, and by the time they make it big, it will take an average of twice as long. As the administrator of the archives, I have every right to say this—how many twenty-year periods do we have left to live? Forty years?"

Serac did not want his mortal servants to go to the Kingdom of God too early, so his followers generally lived longer, but only about the same or slightly longer than the time it took for an elf to reach full adulthood: a century or more, or two centuries or less.

"We must thwart those bastards' plot no matter what and seize this right to speak!"

This nun had never been promoted due to her personality and other factors, but her seniority and loyalty to God and the college made her qualified to stand here and say such things. However, after she made her statement, almost no one expressed their support.

The reason is simple: although they believe it might be the Arcane Academy's doing, they have no evidence.

The old mage from the empire personally visited again to suggest changing the location, without the involvement of the other side.

So how are they going to sabotage the other side's plans? They don't even know what the Arcane Academy's plan is! And more importantly, even if they succeed, then what?

The church of Serak is the one that loses out, and then other churches become a laughing stock?

But simply enduring it like this doesn't seem like a solution.

At this point, many priests began to search the crowd, and finally their gazes settled on a man who was not wearing the robes of a Serak priest, but whose status was clearly not low.

The man looked quite old, with graying temples, but those who knew him well knew that this scholar was actually in his prime. At this moment, he was not wearing the fitted, bright red robe he usually wore, but rather a simple black outfit, and his face was far from the kind and approachable one that Bohr had shown to Raslaufer in his illusion.

He looked like a sculpture, his deep-set brown eyes seeming to absorb all the light around him.

"Your Excellency Spegor, this matter..."

“This is your internal affair, gentlemen. Although I respect the god Serak, I am not his priest,” the renowned demonologist clearly did not intend to get involved in the church’s internal strife. “In fact, none of you should have invited me here for such a matter.”

"But sir, that Brother Boer came here because of your reputation, and now he has suddenly changed venues and canceled his appointment. Don't you have any reaction at all?"

“It’s good that you’re not bothering me,” Heinrich snorted. “I’ve been chasing a theft case on the fifth floor for the past two days. The clues may point to a group of demons hiding among the people. I have very limited energy right now and no time to be distracted.”

The priests all fell silent. Heinrich Spegor was usually very kind, but when it came to matters involving demons, he would become this cold and unapproachable. At this moment, the wisest course of action was not to disturb him, or...

The elderly nun, a woman of considerable seniority, chuckled softly. "Lord Spegor, aren't you curious? Shortly before you were preparing to exorcise the demon, a fellow believer from the Empire suddenly arrived, specifically wanting to discuss matters related to evil spirits with you..."

"Sisters, be careful what you say!" Upon hearing this, the others were all shocked and suspected that their fellow brothers and sisters were colluding with evil spirits. This kind of topic should not be brought up casually!

Once the seeds of doubt are sown, they can only be watered with blood, blossoming into the poisonous flower called war, and bearing the bitter fruit of death! And most importantly, this fruit contains the same seed called doubt, which is directed at every single person left!

However, among the crowd, two cold glints appeared in Heinrich's eyes!

Chapter 428 Brandon

"That's right..."

Heinrich looked up, and the sight of his eyes frightened even the old nun, who instinctively stepped back: "Why is it such a coincidence?"

Does any of you know the reason?

It was the same priest who had been reassuring the other parishioners earlier. He forced an awkward smile: "Your Excellency, coincidences probably don't need a reason..."

“For ordinary people, coincidences don’t need a reason, but demons are different,” Heinrich said, his lips devoid of any smile, only a chilling, murderous aura as cold as the winter outside the window. “No wonder that group of demons kept robbing jewelry stores, targeting valuable items; it was probably to build up their reputation!”

"And these accomplices are playing the trick of feigning indifference. They openly claim they want to see me, but they don't dare to actually show themselves. Their purpose is to divert my attention so that they can act as accomplices for their local accomplices and prevent me from taking action tonight to thwart their conspiracy!"

"It's all connected! It's all connected!"

"Your Excellency!" Seeing the scholar and hunter's increasingly logical and self-consistent arguments, the other priests had no choice but to speak up and advise, "You've met that Brother Bohr before, haven't you? Didn't you have a pleasant conversation with him? He didn't seem unusual at the time!"

"Times have changed," he said, his cold gaze sweeping over them and silencing them all. "I can't confirm the specific reasons yet, but there are only two possibilities: First, he really is a mage who fled the war from the empire, but after leaving here, he was targeted by demons and used as a pawn on their chessboard."

"The second possibility is that the 'people' he brought are problematic. It's just that the mortals who have been lured have not yet fallen, so even I would find it difficult to detect anything unusual. Even he himself may not know that he has become an accomplice of the devil."

"If it's the latter, then the problem likely lies with that so-called count's daughter. Perhaps she originally wanted to infiltrate the church, but quickly realized it wasn't easy, so she changed her plan and only intended to appear this once. However, the fact that she's neither a follower of Serak nor did she come to me with any requests exposes her!"

Heinrich paced back and forth, weighing the pros and cons of the two possibilities, and after a moment, he made his decision.

"Brandon! Come in!"

As the demonologist shouted towards the door, a tall, handsome young man with a face like a marble sculpture knocked and pushed open the door, striding in. He was wearing the grey monk's robes of the Serac Church, with a holy emblem around his neck and a scripture tucked under his left arm. Upon entering, he first bowed deeply to Heinrich, and then greeted the people around him in turn.

“Teacher, I obey your call.” The young man named Brandon appeared to be well-educated, and indeed he was. Since he began his studies, it had become increasingly difficult for his classmates to achieve first place, regardless of the subject.

When he entered, everyone, including the old nun, breathed a sigh of relief. Unlike Heinrich, although Brandon's primary teacher was the former, he was a devout Serracian, and traits such as extremism, radicalism, and suspicion were not imposed on him by Heinrich.

All that's left is to persuade Heinrich not to order Brandon to do that; the young man always listens to his teacher.

"Brandon, you should already know about the changes to today's schedule, right?" Even Heinrich himself softened his gaze when looking at his beloved student.

“Yes, teacher, the academy has canceled the banquet tonight,” which was not good news for most students, but Brandon did not seem disappointed. “Congratulations, teacher, your demon hunt will surely go even more smoothly tonight.”

Heinrich nodded, accepting the blessing: "Congratulations to Ironforge, its nights will be one less dark. However, evil will not give up so easily; I suspect it may appear at the party at the Arcane Academy to distract me."

"Understood. Is there anything I can do for you?"

At the Arcane Academy's evening party, apart from a few of the highest-ranking priests, no one else from the Seminary had a reason to attend, but Brandon was not subject to this restriction. Both were his students and followers of Serak, and it was only natural that he be taken to the other side by his teachers for an exchange.

“It’s simple. Go to the banquet and use the whole situation to stall them. Don’t make any rash moves,” Heinrich’s idea was probably to avoid putting Brandon in danger, and also to save face for the priests of Serak. “I suspect that the so-called daughter of the Imperial Earl who originally claimed to be going to study at the academy has a connection with demons. In the worst case, she is a demon herself. Here is my deduction. Listen to it first.”

After Heinrich's own refinement, the reverse deduction of the pre-set result was almost flawless, leaving no room for error. Brandon nodded repeatedly as he listened: "Teacher, I will do my best, but first I want to understand what you mean by 'delaying'?"

"Do I need to test her, to expose her true nature in public, so that she is trapped and unable to support the demon you face tonight?"

“There’s no need for that. Your priority is to preserve yourself,” Heinrich said with satisfaction, looking at his beloved student and patting him on the shoulder. “I have paid a heavy price to fight these maggots of sin. You are my successor. For the common cause of justice, you cannot fall before me.”

"Of course, this might come at a price. For example, you might know that the other party is evil, but you can't eliminate them. Instead, you have to talk and laugh with them, or even take the initiative and leave them no room to maneuver. Just thinking about it, you can understand that this is a difficult and dishonorable task."

“If it can drive away evil and protect good, then I am willing to do even the most menial work, and I am not afraid to use the most despicable means.” Brandon responded quietly, and then fell into thought.

Heinrich did not urge him; he awaited his disciple's proposal. The other priests, too, awaited their answers—like an exam, a test.

Serak taught his followers to learn and use knowledge wisely, but he did not specify the direction. Doing good was one form of practice, and so was using trickery.

After a moment, Brandon looked up: "Teacher, I've got it. During my past exchanges with the Arcane Academy, many of my classmates there wanted to develop a closer relationship with me, especially a girl named Ursula. On the surface, she comes from a minor noble family, but her father is secretly the owner of an underground gladiatorial arena. She is irritable, stubborn, and quite arrogant. I can start with her."

Chapter 429 The Banquet at the Arcane Academy

As the winter night fell early, Angelita and her companions, dressed in formal attire, appeared as promised outside the magnificent Serak Magic Academy. Led by Paul, they passed through the gates and the guards of the banquet hall. The Dean of the Arcane Academy, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately came over and warmly invited the guests who had come from afar to enter.

Moving the banquet from the seminary to their location undoubtedly highlights the superiority of the Arcane Academy over the seminary. The dean has already decided to make Pol a distinguished guest and an important figure for future publicity.

Conversely, the dean of the seminary, who was also present, and the priest who had previously advised his other colleagues, naturally became somewhat indifferent towards Paul. The old monk could only smile wryly at this change.

What could he do? He was an outsider after all. Since Raslaufer had already found out about Heinrich's background and Princess Angelita had chosen to believe him, he had no choice but to comply.

But it's not a big deal. He was already closer to the math olympiad academy for academic reasons, and he's getting older. If he can help his students be happy in a foreign country...

It's just a matter of saving face.

Having already made prior arrangements, the Dean of the Arcane Academy quickly began introducing the guests to Paul and Angelita. While there were many renowned scholars, professors, and nobles among them, the majority were young people studying at the academy.

Although Angelita is a noble descendant of the Empire, she is still just a noble descendant of the Empire. She has neither land nor connections in Eastern Inas. Even if she forces her way into the circle of "big shots," she will be squeezed out sooner or later. It would be better for her to build good relationships with her peers first.

The magicians' research requires a lot of money to support it, so the outstanding students are often the descendants of a noble family. With this connection, Angrita is more likely to gain a foothold here.

Of course, this was just the result of their consideration. As for whether Angelita needed it or whether the young people would accept it, they couldn't force them.

If Paul were to bring up Princess Angelita's identity, they might still flock to her, but what about the count's daughter?

Angelita greeted them one by one according to etiquette, but she could clearly sense that the nobles of Ironforge, which was farther from the Empire, were quite different from those of the nobles of Tilted Bottle City. Many of them were very enthusiastic towards her, but it was because of her personal charm and had little to do with her status as an imperial noble.

Even she was treated the same way, so Mary from the city of Tranquil became practically invisible. Although she stood next to Angelita and wore aristocratic attire, almost no one paid her any attention, and all the formalities were reduced to mere nods.

Daisy's treatment was actually worse than Mary's. There were two kinds of bards: ordinary people and real spellcasters. Moreover, because their spellcasting methods were different from those of mages and they did not reveal their abilities, these students only regarded her as a singer. Fortunately, Miss Daisy never cared about this. After realizing that no one was paying attention to her, she quickly slipped into the banquet and began to enjoy all kinds of delicacies that she had never tasted or seen before.

As for Leslaufer?

Dubul just stood at the door and didn't even go inside. Within a radius of about five meters centered on him, no one dared to approach except for the gatekeeper on duty.

This was originally the bodyguards' quarters. Eastern Inas etiquette is relatively relaxed; these men don't need to wait and eat on the other side, but can dine in the same room as their employers. There are tables, chairs, and food here too, though much simpler than what the masters have, but the portions are generous and filling.

However, after Raslaw arrived, the other bodyguards preferred to squeeze the table in the corner so much that there wasn't even room for a chair, rather than even glance at the meals for ten people laid out on the tables in front of and around Raslaw.

Among them were many bodyguards who had transitioned from mercenaries. Their mercenary experience broadened their horizons, but their bodyguard careers had robbed them of their courage. Dopler didn't need to do anything; the surrounding murderous aura was enough to instill fear and suffocation in them—an aura that didn't require Raslaufer to intend to attack anyone, because he had done it many times before and could continue at any time.

Raslaufer was not surprised by this situation. He could tell at a glance how many of them were veterans who should be afraid of him, while the remaining ordinary bodyguards who followed suit were even less of a concern. Since they themselves did not dare to step forward, Raslaufer had no reason to talk to them.

But the situation seemed a bit too tense. He stood there, and those people didn't even dare to touch their knives and forks, just kept drinking one glass of wine after another.

Leslaufer shook his head, sat down with an air of authority, filled his plate with a generous amount of meat and a small amount of vegetables, opened a bottle of light wine, and gestured towards the people in the other room. The air immediately relaxed, and conversations and chatter gradually rose.

However, no one was willing to actively approach Leslaufer.

This somewhat odd seating arrangement seemed to suggest that everyone else was ganging up on Leslaufer, but Leslaufer didn't think so at all. He was enjoying himself, drinking alone. However, this atmosphere was about to be broken.

A commotion came from the doorway behind him, presumably the arrival of a new guest. Entering the banquet hall at this hour, Raslaufer guessed it might be a nobleman from Ironforge rather than his offspring. However, with the sound of footsteps, a girl of about seventeen or eighteen with wavy hair strode in. Her dress was gorgeous and expensive, yet somehow appeared somewhat disheveled, as if she had changed hastily. The girl glanced around briefly before heading straight for the academy dean, who was engaged in conversation.