What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

At this point, Leon remembered Bishop Miller's invitation and asked, "Father Auden, how much do you know about the Church of the Prophet?"

Father Auden, with his sharp mind, immediately realized something upon hearing this: "Could it be that Wilson invited you to join the Prophet's Church?"

Chapter 124 The Saintess specifically requests to see you

“Yes, he invited me to join the Prophet’s Church and wanted me to be his student and become a bishop,” Leon said.

Currently, the only confirmed candidate for him is the Prophet Church, and Archbishop Wilson Miller's recommendation carries considerable weight.

Therefore, he wanted to confirm the value of the invitation from the priest, since Father Auden was, for the time being, a member of the Prophet's Church.

"You actually managed to get this much attention from him? So he published your work to publicly declare that." Father Auden stroked his chin and scrutinized Leon for a while. "So, did you have someone take the exam for you, or did you buy someone's research?"

He couldn't believe that this ruthless man who made money through illicit means could resonate with his old classmate, who was a pure scholar.

"If I could so easily fool the church's oversight, then that's my skill." Leon wasn't interested in explaining further.

“You’re not really thinking of switching to academia, are you? I can’t even imagine what it would be like for you to be a math lecturer. You’re better off as an inquisitor than running this business here,” Father Auden said, sounding a little uneasy.

If this guy stops making dirty money, how else can he make money off the other party?

“Of course I won’t change careers, but my rank can be registered in the Prophet’s Church. There are inquisitors of heresy in the Prophet’s Church, aren’t there?” Leon said.

“That’s true. The current chief inquisitor of all the inquiries into heresy in the Cardinals’ Council is Cardinal Stuart of the Church of the Prophets. By the way, he is one of the three who possess the power of omniscience. Perhaps the Supreme Inquiry Order was requested from him,” Father Auden teased.

“What I want to know is, how much value would joining the Church of the Prophet bring me?” Leon put his question in more detail this time.

“Well, that’s hard to say,” Father Auden said after thinking for a moment. “You should know that the Church of the Prophet has the fewest members, but it holds the highest position among the four major churches. It’s quite special.”

“After all, it’s the church that serves the highest God.” Leon chimed in.

“Did God ever say that?” Father Auden suddenly chuckled dismissively. “From beginning to end, it was only the believers who elevated the ‘prophet’ to such a high position.”

Leon looked at Father Auden with surprise; it was quite unorthodox for a priest to say such a thing.

However, upon closer reflection, this unorthodox priest was originally a heretic.

“But the authority of time does indeed sound like the highest authority,” Leon said.

The Supreme God, the Mysterious God, the Creator, and the God of War—from the perspective of natural philosophy, their corresponding concepts of authority should be time, space, matter, and energy, respectively. Among these concepts, time is indeed unique.

“But if the Church of the Prophets, which believes in the Supreme God, does not have enough influence, how can it maintain this position? Just by relying on the concepts in the scriptures?” Father Auden asked rhetorically.

"Stop keeping me in suspense, so what exactly makes the Church of the Prophet so special?" Leon asked.

“If you study history more, you’ll find that the nation of Norren has experienced countless major events that have changed its destiny: the floods of 1,200 years ago, the great plague of 900 years ago, the barbarian invasions, the Labyrinth Disaster… and countless wars and dynastic changes. Within the Church of the Prophets, a saint often appears as a prophet, issuing warnings to the church and the rulers of the dynasty in advance. Some heed the prophecies and seized the opportunity, while others scoffed at them and paid the price.”

The four major churches also had their own periods of independent development. The other three churches experienced ups and downs in history, and even suffered devastating blows at one point. Only the Prophet Church remained stable. Throughout history, the Prophet Church has always stood with the victors, or it was the victor itself.

"Think about how the current royal family rose to power. When the last dynasty ended, the four great families established duchies that fought each other for sixty years. In the end, it was the Wolfgang family, with the support of Saint Astartes of the Church of the Prophet, who defeated the other three duchies and reunified the empire. It is said that Saint Astartes possessed the miracle of foresight, and he predicted the Wolfgang family's victory in advance," Father Auden said slowly.

"Do those saints really have the ability to foresee the future?" Leon had heard of the legends and records about saints in the Church of the Prophets who could foresee the future, but he still had doubts about whether they were true or not.

"It is said that foresight is a miracle even greater than omniscience, but who knows? Maybe they really can see the future, or maybe they are just charlatans, but there is no doubt that they control the course of history. The destruction of Eland three hundred years ago was also guided by the prophetic church Astartes, who foretold that internal strife in Eland."

"Given this history, can you imagine how much weight a pope of a prophetic church would carry if he claimed to possess prophetic powers, or was considered by the world to have them?" Father Auden said.

“That’s true.” Leon understood.

The Prophet Church has always been in a victorious position in history. Over time, other forces will naturally form a position of dependence on the Prophet Church, whether it is the other three major churches or the rulers of the dynasty.

"The Church of the Prophet holds the highest status, and its entry requirements are also the highest. The Prophet is the patron saint of scholars, and his blessings are unforgettable. Over time, the Church of the Prophet has become a gathering place for self-important scholars and writers, and the entry requirements have been raised even further, eventually leading to what it is today."

"If you don't have a high enough level of education, you can't get into this circle. Even to be a priest without rank like me, you need to be from a prestigious university and have outstanding knowledge," Father Auden said.

"You consider yourself exceptionally knowledgeable?" Leon chuckled.

“In my graduating class from the Faculty of Science, Wilson Miller came in first and I came in second. I didn’t study other subjects in great depth, but I was pretty good at mathematics,” Father Oden said.

"Does being one place short mean there's no chance?"

“The third-place guy also became a bishop of the Church of the Creator because his father was a bishop,” Father Auden said expressionlessly. “I told you, some things are decided at birth.”

Leon could only nod. Without the earl's connections, he could only rise to the position of deputy director at most. Although the priest had no official rank, he was still considered a figure in the eyes of ordinary people. This was roughly the highest a person of ordinary birth could achieve in this country.

“But you are different, Fenrir. You have carved out a path. You have a rank in the church, and you have the opportunity to rise. The upper limit of the Prophet Church is the highest among all churches. The cardinals of the Prophet Church have the highest say in the cardinal council, but it is not easy to rise to that position.”

The Church of the Prophet is severely hierarchical, with the worst mobility among the four churches. Positions at the top are always filled by a single person, and the blessings of the Church of the Prophet, upon reaching a high rank, are said to greatly extend one's lifespan, much like the power of a witch. The current Pope is already 150 years old, there are two cardinals around 100 years old, and Saint Astartes, who is said to have lived for nearly 300 years. If he hadn't been martyred for sealing the Great Labyrinth of Eland, he would have lived even longer,” Father Auden continued.

"It sounds like the Church of the Prophet is thriving because there are some old monsters in charge," Leon commented.

“If it were you, and you actually joined the Prophet’s Church, you’d probably be thinking about killing those old monsters and taking over, right?” Father Auden chuckled.

Leon glanced at the priest with a mixed expression; in Father Auden's eyes, he seemed to have truly gone mad.

“It’s not that I necessarily have to choose this one,” Leon said, shaking his head. “Maybe other churches will want me.”

“My advice is, if you have to choose, go for the one with connections. Wilson may be a purely theoretical scholar with little real power, but he is still an archbishop with connections. Now that he’s willing to recommend you, your chances are much better. If other churches don’t have these advantages, you should choose the Prophet’s Church,” Father Auden said.

“That’s a very practical suggestion,” Leon nodded.

“Then I should probably go and get the paperwork done for your mill. Are you still going to continue inspecting the labyrinth?” Father Auden asked.

“Of course, that’s how I booked it today,” Leon said.

After his assessment in the Southeastern Parish, he was delayed for two more days due to trivial matters, and spent another two days on the road. It had been a while since he had returned to Arendt Island.

He naturally wanted to check on the labyrinth's operation and reunite with Lena. Lena now lived on Arend Island, and even without Leon, she could command her subordinates to operate the labyrinth, with a demon wolf as her bodyguard.

They built outposts and a simple fortress in the labyrinth mine, and renovated one of the original mine houses to make room for Lena—of course, it is now also considered Leon's home.

Leon was really eager to reunite with Lena. Before returning to Southport County in the morning to handle other matters, he sent Lena a letter to tell her that he would be home around this time.

Just then, someone rushed over from the direction of the lighthouse, and Leon recognized him as one of his subordinates.

"Mr. Fenrir, a woman dressed as an inquisitor is rowing close by!" The man whispered to Leon as he approached, looking flustered.

The discovery of this place by the Inquisition was undoubtedly a fatal blow to these underworld figures, and Father Auden cast an inquiring glance at Leon.

But Leon remained calm: "Where?"

The other person handed over the binoculars and pointed out a direction over the sea: "Over there, you should be able to see it from here."

Leon walked onto the pier and looked into the distance through his binoculars. He saw a young woman rowing a small boat toward him, dressed in the uniform of an Inquisitor.

Upon seeing the man's face, Leon handed the binoculars back to his subordinate: "Don't worry, he's one of ours."

Zona Mendes, the Inquisitor of Heresy, is an underling of Bishop Beckett, who is in charge of administration and supervision before Leon completes his takeover. Naturally, he needs to appoint his own subordinates for this purpose.

Including Zona, he placed three lower-ranking inquisitors in the Hamelin Inquisition. They were all the Earl's men, and Leon knew about them. They also obeyed Leon's orders.

Zona came to the island specifically because Bishop Beckett probably had urgent business with him.

Leon dismissed the priest and his men and went about their business, then walked onto the pier to wait for Zona to approach by boat.

As Zona approached, she noticed Leon, bowed to him, and then sped over.

"What brings you all this way?" Leon asked Zona, standing with his hands behind his back on the pier.

“Director Beckett has ordered you to return to Hamel immediately. Bishop Weiss Rogers of the Church of the Creator is visiting and specifically requests to see you!” Zona answered in a businesslike tone from the boat.

Chapter 125 The Earl's Intervention

An hour later, Leon and Zona returned to the docks of Caster City in Southport County by ferry. Zona then led Leon to a prepared carriage and handed him a black badge with the emblem of the Mystic God: "This is a gift from Director Beckett to you."

"What is this for?" Leon asked from inside the carriage.

“This is the Seal of the Mystic God, a sacred object made by the Church of the Mystic God, used for communication. Next, I will take you directly back to the cathedral in Hamel Town. Bishop Weiss is already waiting there. Bishop Beckett will contact you on the way.” After saying this, Zona closed the car door, jumped into the driver's seat, and drove towards Hamel Town.

Leon sat in the carriage and knocked on the walls. The carriage was very sturdy and soundproof. There were no windows, and it was lit by lanterns, making it a suitable place for a private conversation.

He picked up the badge, examined it for a moment, understood somewhat, and tried to speak: "Sir?"

A moment later, Bishop Beckett's voice came from inside the badge: "You've heard about the situation from Zona, haven't you?"

“Yes,” Leon replied.

As Leon suspected, the badge was actually a tool to facilitate Bishop Beckett's divine magic.

Bishop Beckett can transmit intangible things such as light, shadow, and sound across space to extremely distant places, but to accurately pinpoint where they are to be transmitted, some means would likely be needed.

Presumably, this is the auxiliary terminal device. Bishop Beckett used divine magic to mark it in some way, allowing him to transmit sound to the location of the badge, turning it into a walkie-talkie.

Whether the badge is activated or not should be entirely up to Bishop Beckett. In that case, Bishop Beckett could hear and perhaps even see some of the movements around the badge, so this thing could also be considered a surveillance camera or a listening device.

Bishop Beckett had not given such a thing to Leon before, probably because he considered that Leon would have concerns about it. Holding this thing would allow him to contact the marked Mystic Blessed One at all times, but at the same time, he would be placed under the other party's surveillance.

“I’m not very familiar with what you published during the assessment, but the academic figures in the church seem to like it very much and have published it in their journals. Weiss Rogers came here to have an academic discussion with you and at the same time persuade you to join the Church of the Creator. She intends to recommend you personally, and may even have reserved a position for you at the St. Rosalia Institute,” Bishop Beckett said.

"So this gives us another option?" Leon said.

Bishop Beckett once told him that, generally speaking, those who undergo the formal selection process do not have the opportunity to choose which church to join after the selection.

Most of the people who participate in the assessment through internal recommendations have already decided from the beginning which church they want to join through connections.

The remaining individuals, after the rankings of the assessments in each diocese are released, will undergo cross-selection by the four major churches and will ultimately be directly assigned to a church that still has vacancies in its recruitment quota.

In situations where a choice is made, only those who have gained the favor of Archbishop Miller, or who have received a recommendation from a high-ranking figure within the organization before the allocation process, have the opportunity to be directly selected to join this church.

This time, following the Church of the Prophet, Weiss also extended an olive branch to him on behalf of the Church of the Creator.

Weiss herself was a promising saintly bishop of the Church of the Creator, and her father was Archbishop Rogers, who was about to run for cardinal. Her background was actually stronger than that of Archbishop Miller, who only held a clerical position.

However, Bishop Beckett replied in an unquestionable tone: "No, you must return their invitation this time!"

"Not considering the Church of the Creator?" Leon frowned.

“It’s not that we shouldn’t consider the Church of the Creator, but we must not have anything to do with Weiss Rogers! Have you forgotten my previous warning?” Bishop Beckett said.

Leon naturally remembered that Bishop Beckett had mentioned that Weiss was an enemy of the Earl's forces, but Bishop Beckett refused to explain why.

Bishop Beckett specifically notified him to return and see Bishop Weiss. He thought this meant he was allowed to consider the invitation from the Church of the Creator as an alternative, but instead he was asked to personally decline it.

"It's just a recommendation opportunity, why are we avoiding her to this extent?" Leon asked Bishop Beckett for confirmation.

Given his current situation, regardless of which side's invitation he accepts, he will still return to Hamel Town to serve as the Inquisitor for Heresy, rather than taking the position recommended by the corresponding church.

The Inquisition is an institution under the Cardinal Council jointly established by the four major churches. To use a company analogy, each of the four major churches has a share, and the Inquisitors serving there can belong to any of the four churches.

For example, even if he accepted Archbishop Miller's invitation to join the Church of the Prophet, he wouldn't become Archbishop Miller's student and take up a clerical post. Similarly, even if he accepted Bishop Weiss's invitation to join the Church of the Creator, he wouldn't go to the St. Rosalia Institute to join Weiss's faction.

Moreover, he was puzzled as to why, if Bishop Weiss and Archbishop Rogers were enemies to the Earl, the Earl did not consider recruiting his own people into their factions as spies, but instead avoided them at all costs.

As for Leon personally, he wouldn't blindly regard the Count's enemies as his own, especially since the Count's side hadn't even given him a reason.

Bishop Weiss gave him the antidote for the chicken snake venom, which was a favor to him. Moreover, Weiss had expressed her intention to research a cure for halogenation disease, so he actually had a rather good impression of Weiss.

“Leon, this is an order, not a suggestion,” Bishop Beckett’s voice suddenly turned cold.

"...Is it enough for me to just find a reason to refuse?" After a moment of silence, Leon answered.

Bishop Beckett never explained the reason, but it made it clear that there was no room for negotiation. He didn't necessarily have to join following Bishop Weiss's recommendation, and at least there was no need for him to be suspected by the Earl's side for it.

To rescue Sally and take the position of head of the Hamelin Inquisition, he still needs the Earl's support.

“The Earl and I have already discussed it and decided that you should accept Archbishop Miller’s invitation to join the Prophet’s Church. You should use the fact that you have already accepted Archbishop Miller’s invitation as a reason to refuse her, and after that, we will reply to the district church and Archbishop Miller,” Bishop Beckett said.

"It's already been decided?" Leon felt a sudden, inexplicable unease upon hearing this.

If he couldn't get into the Church of the Creator through Weiss's connections, joining the Church of the Prophets wouldn't be a bad option for him. As Father Auden said, having Archbishop Miller's connections was certainly better than having none at all.

However, the feeling of having this decision made by him is completely different from having it made by the Earl and Bishop Beckett.

The count did not consult him on this matter, but made the decision on his own, simply in accordance with the interests of the organization, and then ordered him to carry out the order.

Since joining the Earl's forces, presumably to assess his abilities, the Earl has basically let him do things on his own, except for assigning tasks and quotas. This has made him feel that he has a relatively free hand in his actions.

However, as he officially became an official and began to acquire power, the Earl's interference in his life began to emerge.

There are always some decisions that are made without asking for his opinion.

“To date, none of our people have directly joined the Prophet’s Church. Your ability to build good relationships with the academic figures within the Prophet’s Church is quite remarkable,” Bishop Beckett explained. “Next, when you go to the cathedral to see Bishop Weiss, keep this badge on your person and don’t let her find out.”

Even their conversations need to be eavesdropped on? Bishop Beckett's wariness of Bishop Weiss was so high that Leon couldn't quite understand it.

But he ultimately had no reason to refuse Bishop Beckett's request: "I understand."

“Remember, you must refuse. Don’t mention me, and don’t say anything unnecessary,” Bishop Beckett instructed. “Leon, this is for your own good.”

"Understood." Leon replied and carefully put the badge away.