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

"Master Vondar...?!" The Angora priest was startled. "Do you know this dwarf?"

"Indeed! He's helped me a lot before, he's a good man!" Angelita said hurriedly. "I'm sorry he caused so much damage, but I believe that given his character, there must be a reason for this! Please don't punish him yet!"

Of course, there was a reason for this. Dwarves are not midgets and would not do such things just for "fun". The priest calmed down a little and directed several priests to go forward and treat Vondal, who was seriously injured and unconscious after being hit by the rapids.

"What is going on? I need some explanation!" Of course, the priest did not dare to bother the princess with such questions. He just looked at Reslaufer and waited for the other party's answer.

"We're not sure either," the mercenary shook his head. "We've been separated for a long time, and logically speaking, he shouldn't be here."

"But he still came," Daisy said, "and to me... every time he appears, it's quite unexpected."

Last time she was dressed like a beggar, and this time she was a seriously injured person even worse off than before - what exactly happened to Vondar?

"Oh... my beard..."

Being injured in the temple might have this benefit: even if you were truly dead, as long as it wasn't too long ago, there was a chance you could be saved. Within moments, Reslaufer and the others heard Vondar's powerful groan.

The dwarf slowly opened his eyes, and the sight of a circle of heads made him jump. "Praise Moradin! I have survived. My death may come eventually, but not today!"

"Save your praise. This is the temple of Angora, dwarf," the priest said coldly, pouring a bucket of cold water on the yellow-bearded dwarf. "Why did you blow up the outer wall of our underground part? You'd better give me a reasonable explanation, otherwise we can only think..."

The priest paused, turned his head and looked at the darkness outside the damaged wall. There, pairs of green eyes were lighting up one after another, getting closer and closer.

There is no need to ask this time, the "explanation" has come to me on its own!

Chapter 76 The Cycle of Fate

"Prepare for battle! Something's coming!"

The priest raised his arms and shouted, and the surrounding water seemed to obey his command, turning into water arrows that soared into the sky and covered the darkness outside. The horrible and painful wails resounded throughout the underground in an instant.

But the enemy in the darkness did not seem to retreat. Instead, they roared even more violently and attacked the temple.

"My merciful Lord, if they seek death... then grant them death!"

As the priest chanted loudly again, the water gushing out from the burst pipes suddenly turned into a dark green. Even though no one could see what effect the water arrows had on the enemies, at least everyone could see that the pipes themselves were being corroded rapidly!

But even so, it still couldn't stop the enemies in the darkness from advancing!

"What kind of monster is outside!" A priest turned pale and asked in horror.

"That's not important! Take up your weapons! Chant the name of our Lord!" the priest shouted. "Don't let them enter our sacred temple!"

"They're already in!"

Reslaufer strode forward, drew his sword and swung it with all his might. Just as a white bony hand touched the broken wall, it was cut off by the mercenary's weapon. The broken bones, without the power to pull them, immediately scattered to the ground.

"Undead creatures!" Droplets of highly corrosive liquid splashed on Reslaufer's cloak, causing him to curse behind him, "Stop your damn spell! It won't work on them!"

"Grab your weapons! These fragile things can be easily broken. Be careful, or they'll stand up again!"

"It's a skeleton! Let me do it!" As the priest ended his spell to enchant the water arrows, Angrita shouted happily, waving her warhammer and rushing forward with Leslaufer. This is a rare battle!

The enemies were monsters, but they had human form, and most importantly, they were inanimate objects, not very powerful! She didn't have to bear any psychological pressure, she could just smash them!

Bella was worried about Angrita, so she immediately turned into a giant bat, flapped her wings and joined the battle. The poet who had just received treatment was unarmed and could only retreat to the side with the dwarf Vondar who had just woken up.

"When did you leave?" Daisy looked at the scars on the dwarf's body from the recent battle with a look of pity. "Where did you go?"

"Of course, ahem, of course I'm going to find you, my silly girl." Vondar had recovered much better after receiving treatment from the priests, but the occasional phantom pain in his body still made it difficult for him to move. "I saw you on the second floor looking for that cultist woman. I have to say, you have sharp eyes. I didn't even notice her until you took action."

"But then you actually disguised yourself as her. What were you thinking? How can you touch anything that has anything to do with the devil so easily? You're pushing yourself into a pit of fire. How can I let you go?"

"It's just..." Feng Daer looked at the smoke powder bomb in his hand, which was damp and could no longer be used, and laughed at himself. "It seems that I underestimated you and overestimated myself."

"Even if a cowardly lizard musters up the courage, it can't transform into a dragon again—that's probably what's going on with me."

"Although I think comparing yourself to a dragon is a bit boastful, at least you're definitely not a cowardly lizard," Daisy consoled him. "You must have helped me lead away some of the enemies, right? If it weren't for you, I would have died in the sewer."

"That's nothing..." Vondar Banqiu hesitated. "Before I followed you down here, I had the illusion that I was being watched, but that feeling disappeared later. Tell me, little girl, have I implicated you? Are you here because my mistake has caused you harm?"

The fact that so many priests have gathered here clearly shows what kind of place this is.

Daisy's expression changed slightly, but she blinked quickly to cover up the small movement: "No, not at all. In fact, under your secret protection, I left safely and even met these people."

Daisy pointed at the three people in front of her. When she saw the familiar owlbear-headed warhammer, Vondar's face finally turned shocked. "It's them? But... how is this possible? Why?"

Could the world be so small that they could meet again?

"Ah, they say they know you too," the bard laughed pleasantly. "This is fate, don't you think?"

"Yes, fate..." the dwarf murmured, a little dazed.

He had done a small favor to the uncle and nephew, and it had forced him to leave his forge in Kilanda. The poet had helped him, and the uncle and nephew had in turn saved the young poet—Daisy could not hide it from him, and he was sure she could never handle the monsters on her own.

And now, they met again, and he was rescued again...

"Girl, can you help me up?" The dwarf struggled to get up. "I can still fight. I can't lie here. You are right. Maybe I am not a dragon, but at least I should not be a lizard. I...ah!"

Vondar suddenly screamed, and dark lines appeared on his face in an instant, making him look as hideous as if he were wearing a mask. "Damn it, what the hell is this—ah!"

Weakness, powerlessness, and trance enveloped his senses layer by layer, and Vondar had to fall to the ground again, but the above was not the most unbearable part for him.

Something, some thought that did not belong to him was trying to invade his brain, wanting to make him submit to a certain will!

"Get out of my head!" The dwarf grabbed his beard tightly with one hand and tore his hair madly with the other. A priest was attracted by his movements and was about to see what was going on, but was pushed aside by the craftsman roughly, "Get out! Don't bother me!"

"Why is there such a mess back there? It seems to be that Master Vondar!" Angelita couldn't help but ask as she knocked open the head of a skeleton monster with her warhammer.

"Focus on the present," Reslaufer said, reaching out to bring the unskilled warrior back to his side. He switched his sword from forehand to backhand, chiseling off the metacarpal bone of a monster hiding in the shadows and attacking him. "If all the priests behind can't handle it, there's no point in you worrying about it."

Chapter 77 From Divine Magic to Arcane Magic

Angelita responded quickly. In this frontal battle, although she had the support of several Angora priests, the main force still came from her and Reslaufer, plus a druid who transformed into a giant bat. She really couldn't afford to be distracted.

Fortunately, the monsters outside were not very strong. As time went on, they seemed to realize that this hard bone was not easy to chew, and the undead creatures began to slowly retreat backwards, and finally disappeared completely in the darkness in the distance.

"Good—we won!" Angelita pumped her fist vigorously. "We beat them away!"

The mercenary patted her shoulder perfunctorily, but his expression didn't ease at all. These low-level undead creatures were usually tireless and fearless, and an organized retreat like this was almost impossible. This meant that something was directing them from behind.

Considering the number of people they had to defend against just now, it was not a happy thing that there was an existence that could control such an undead army right under Xinmu City.

But no matter what, at least this time, they still gained the advantage.

Without external pressure, Reslaufer and Angelita immediately rushed to Vondar's side. At this moment, the dwarf had fallen into a coma again. Several priests surrounded him, but their faces did not look very good.

"What happened?" Angelita asked hurriedly, "Didn't we wake him up just now?"

"We previously healed his external injuries, but that's not what caused his current condition," a priest said helplessly. "Something has simultaneously cursed and poisoned him. The mixture of the two is unable to neutralize the poison, nor can it remove the curse."

"How bizarre! We've never seen such a nefarious act before," the presiding priest said, unconvinced, and stepped forward to investigate. However, he could only come to the same conclusion: "The poison and curse are locked together? How could such a method be possible?"

"Most importantly, why does this method appear here?"

The priest had seen some cases of this kind in the classics, but they were all quite special and unrepeatable, and the users were all extremely powerful spellcasters - how could such people waste such power on a dwarf?

"Can you cure him?" Daisy asked nervously, "Please, help him, he shouldn't die here..."

"Child, he won't die here," the priest gave Daisy a strange look. "In fact, if that mixture of poison and curse could kill him, he wouldn't even make it here."

"He's a dwarf, with a much tougher physique than us humans. Even this shady trick wouldn't kill him. However, he'll be very, very weak, and it's probably going to be hard for him to live his life again."

"How could something like this happen?" Daisy didn't even know whether to laugh or cry for a moment. "What about the restoration technique? What about the advanced restoration technique? Do you have anyone who can use the advanced restoration technique? Is that not possible?"

The priests and pastors looked at each other in bewilderment. "Friends, we have never heard of any 'higher' restoration technique. Restoration is restoration. We are all under the awe of the gods. There is no such thing as higher or lower."

"But like our Archbishop, he may be closer to the gods than us, and his magic may be more powerful, but that doesn't mean he is 'superior'."

It sounds like this is someone who can perform advanced restoration magic. Daisy thought secretly, and turned her eyes to Leslough and the others pleadingly: "Then let's go find their archbishop, okay? We don't have to let him endure this torture, right?"

"Their archbishop is in Magpare, Daisy," Angelita said awkwardly, "We... just came from there."

If Vondar's life was in danger, then whether to go back into the tiger's den was still debatable; but now that the priest here had personally admitted that his life was not in danger, it would not be wise to turn back.

"Actually, I think there might be someone who can help him, right in Xinmu City." Leslaufer suddenly thought of another "master" who had just healed his injuries not long ago, and according to him, it seemed to be a mixture of toxins and curses.

Master Jonata.

If the gods' believers are helpless, perhaps seeking help from the wisdom of mortals is also an option.

Leslaufer immediately told everyone about his experience. The Angora priests couldn't help but marvel at it, and Daisy and Angelita's faces showed hopeful smiles again.

This place couldn’t be closer to the master’s mage tower!

The priests then did their best to stabilize the dwarf's remaining injuries and then escorted them all out of the temple. Angrita expressed her gratitude to the priest in charge, but unfortunately, he remained as restrained as possible.

"May you be healthy and happy," the priest slowly returned to the shadows. "I think it's time to choose to forget."

It is a crime to know something and not report it, but if everyone forgets about it, then there is nothing to blame.

Everyone had their own difficulties, and after saying their final goodbyes, Angelita and her companions could only head straight for the towering wizard tower on the other side.

After a tour of the Angora Temple, the number of people remained the same, and there was even only one wounded person. Unfortunately, Master Jonata's Mage Tower wasn't as welcoming as the Temple. When they arrived at the foot of the tower, an apprentice with dark circles under his eyes stopped them.

"Stop here. The master's dignity needs to be maintained. Not everyone can see him," the apprentice said weakly. "The master is not seeing guests today."

"Are you... Thomson?" Reslaufer observed the young man carefully and recognized him. "You know who I am. Let us in. This may be a topic for Master Jonata... to study further!"

Hearing the word "project," Thomson flinched, but remained undeterred. "I remember you, Mr. Mercenary, but the Master is not seeing any guests today—he hasn't appeared since this morning, and we haven't received permission to report any guests to him."

"Why? Does it mean that not seeing visitors is the norm for him, and that meeting visitors requires prior notification? Even if the visitor is an acquaintance?" Bella frowned. "That's too cold!"

"Well... I'm just an apprentice. I have no right to comment on the Master's actions," Thomson said, becoming increasingly embarrassed. "And to be more precise, it's not 'meeting' that requires advance notice, but 'considering meeting'. Even during the hours when Master Jonata is allowed to be visited, not everyone can see him."

Chapter 78 First Look

Even Reslaufer hadn't expected Master Jonata to be so difficult to see. Normally, even a mage wouldn't isolate himself like this, but this was his choice, and it couldn't be easily changed.

It's impossible for him to just try hard and jump from the ground to the balcony on the second floor of the tower, right?

Even mercenaries wouldn't think it was a good idea to be in a wizard's tower, facing a spellcaster who might become enraged by being offended.

"I guess I'll have to try again tomorrow," Daisy sighed. "Thank you all for your help, but I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you again..."

"It's not that I have to, but I must," Angelita said with a twisted mouth. "Miss Daisy, I don't think you think it's natural for me to help you, do you?"

"Of course not! I absolutely don't have such thoughts!" The bard said seriously, "How could I be that kind of person? I will definitely repay you, I swear!"

As she spoke, she raised three fingers together to the sky.

"But forget about the whole "going through fire and water" thing. As you can see, I know a few spells, but they're just..." Daisy smiled awkwardly, "I don't have any system, so even if I wanted to cheat, I wouldn't be able to find a way."

"Don't worry, I won't make it too difficult for you," Angelita said with a smile. "I don't want your 'system' either, but our camp is a bit quiet on weekdays. Would you like to join in the fun?"

"But if there's no reward, then consider it as you working hard to repay your debt. I think the priest was right when he said, 'Free alms are like poison.'"

"No need to say, I do!" Daisy eagerly agreed before Angelita could continue trying to persuade her. "Then we're an adventure team, right? I'm an adventurer, right? Wuhu! I agree, let me join! I'll definitely be there every week!"

"In fact, you need to be here every day," Leslaufer had to remind him, even though he was sure he was just talking nonsense again. "If you run around everywhere, we can't spend the energy to look for you."

Reslaufer was exaggerating on purpose. In fact, even mercenaries did not need to stay with the regiment all the time. They would only gather after they had business. Not to mention the so-called "adventurers" whose organizations were even looser than mercenaries.

"That's even better, isn't it?!" The bard was not surprised but delighted. "I've always dreamed of this day! Don't worry, I'll be on call 24 hours a day!"

"Annie, do you really think this is a good idea?" Bella leaned quietly on Angelita's shoulder and asked in a low voice, "She's not a bad person, but I don't think..."

"She knows magic, and as you said, she's not a bad person, just a little crazy." Angrita couldn't help but recall the bloody smile of Raslaufer standing among the wolf corpses that night. "...and we have no shortage of crazy people."

Daisy was recruited into the team by the Imperial Princess. Naturally, they couldn't abandon the still-unconscious Vondar, so they brought her back to the inn to look after her. Perhaps, as the Angora priest had said, dwarves' constitutions differed from humans', for just as Reslaufer and the others had returned to the inn, the dwarf regained consciousness.

"Oh... my beard..."

For some reason, Vondar always felt as if he had said this, but in another darker environment, rather than on the bed in this sunny hotel.

"Father God, where am I? Is this still Xinmu City?"

"This is still Xinmu City, Master Fengdal." Angrita came over when she heard the voice and handed the dwarf a bowl of water. "Drink some water first, maybe it will make you feel better."

"Ah, thank you, miss," the dwarf said without hesitation. Water droplets hung on his beard. It was hard to tell whether he drank more or leaked more. "I feel much better now, even though I seemed to be in a place full of water before."

"You were the one who did it, remember?" Reslaufer interrupted. "You blew a hole in the underground part of the Angora Temple."

Vondar Banqiu was stunned for a moment, and after a moment, he finally recalled that skill: "Ah, yes, I remember... I was chased by a group of monsters and had no way out. Finally, I saw a man-made wall, so I had to gamble on my luck - the result was not bad, right?"

"The priests in Angora probably wouldn't think so... but that's not important. Do you remember your earlier experiences? Why did you come here? What injuries did you suffer?"

"I've been hurt too much," the dwarf said, waving his hand nonchalantly. "But you ask why I came here? Shouldn't you, uncle and nephew, know better than me?"

"Who are you anyway? How did you end up getting in trouble with the Empire's 'White Blade'?!"

Even the most vicious criminals might not be able to alert the spies and assassins who only took orders from the Matt family, but he encountered more in those days than most people would ever hear about in their entire lives!