Chapter 12: The Laughable Will of God
Flora immediately realized what was happening upon hearing the conversation. She stopped in her tracks and, taking advantage of the fact that the people downstairs couldn’t see her yet, listened quietly from the top of the stairs.
“Oh? What kind of blonde girl?” The Holy Knight’s voice was muffled, echoing slightly, as if he was wearing a helmet.
“Well… I don’t remember her very well. A lively-looking blonde girl, very beautiful,” the innkeeper’s voice was hesitant. “She was brought here by a man… but I was very sleepy at the time, so I don’t remember his face clearly…”
“No need to recall. Take us up there,” the Holy Knight commanded.
“That’s not appropriate, is it?” the innkeeper immediately refused. “Our inn is a high-class establishment. If we disturb our guests casually, it will ruin our reputation, and our business will suffer.”
“Very well, then you must be looking forward to seeing your whole family tied to the stake in a week,” the Holy Knight’s voice turned menacing. “Use your pig brain, you fool. Don’t forget what the Church is. We’re not servants here to cater to you idiots. We are the spokesmen of God! I can’t tell you who we’re looking for. You just need to know that those two are enemies of God. If you don’t cooperate, you’re disrespecting God’s will, and we don’t like people who disrespect God living in this world.”
The innkeeper fell silent for a moment. “Holy Knight, sir, I’m sorry. I was too rude. I’ll take you to them right away.”
“That’s more like it. Next time you dare to talk back to us, I’ll personally rip your dog’s mouth apart.”
Hearing this, Flora immediately ran upstairs. She was light on her feet, making little noise, and didn’t attract the attention of the people downstairs.
Rushing into the room, she saw Abyss wiping his face with a wet towel and said hurriedly, “Abyss! The Church is secretly looking for us! They’re coming up!”
Abyss raised his head. “What’s wrong? There’s nothing to be afraid of. I haven’t sensed anyone with even a hint of Divine Arts among them.”
“Eh? We don’t need to be afraid?” Flora was stunned.
“Hold on, some soup spilled on my face last night while I was eating. I need to wipe it off.” Abyss, completely unconcerned about the Holy Knights coming upstairs, their armor clanging in his ears, used the inn’s windowpane as a mirror and patiently wiped his chin.
Bang!
The door was kicked open, and a group of fully armed Holy Knights stormed in, followed by the reluctant innkeeper.
“Holy Knights of the Church, here on official business! Come forth and submit to inspection!” the lead Holy Knight shouted. He wore intricately decorated full-body armor and carried a slender two-handed sword on his back. His body was enveloped in a blazing aura of Dou Qi, indicating his high level of martial skill and his status as a high-ranking Holy Knight of the Church.
“Go home,” Abyss said calmly, without even looking at him. An almost imperceptible wave of magic spread silently.
All the Holy Knights shuddered simultaneously. The lead Holy Knight suddenly turned around and barked another order, “Inspection complete. The people we’re looking for are not here. Let’s go!”
“Yes, sir!” The other Holy Knights, ignoring the other guests who were still sleeping in the inn, responded in unison and turned to leave without hesitation. In the blink of an eye, they were gone, their footsteps fading away.
“Innkeeper, don’t leave yet. Please return our deposit. We’re leaving,” Abyss said to the innkeeper, who was still standing at the door, looking dazed.
The innkeeper’s expression was complex. He was both astonished that Abyss had sent the Holy Knights away with a single sentence and relieved that they were gone.
“Your deposit is ten imperial coins. I’ll return it to you now,” the innkeeper nodded, walked over, and placed a ten imperial coin on the table. “Thank you for driving away the Holy Knights. Although I don’t know who you are, I won’t tell anyone.”
“Why are the Holy Knights so arrogant now?” Flora asked suddenly. “I remember that in the past, Holy Knights would call themselves protectors of the good and wouldn’t casually threaten believers with punishment.”
“That was a long time ago,” the innkeeper said, listening to the sounds downstairs to make sure the Holy Knights were gone before continuing indignantly. “I was just a child when that Holy Knight wouldn’t harm a fly. The Pope at the time was Hendrick III. His Holiness allocated Church funds for education, establishing schools in major cities across the Western Empire, providing free education for the children, and even spending money to help artisans and small merchants who had gone bankrupt due to unforeseen circumstances. Everyone loved him. There were no Holy Knights like this back then.”
“What happened then?” Flora’s voice was filled with disappointment.
The innkeeper grimaced. “Then the Saint at the time, due to her frail health, contracted a sudden illness and died. Hendrick III had raised her since she was a child and treated her like his own daughter. After her death, he had an accident and died, his mind distraught.”
“What a tragedy,” Abyss said from the side.
“Indeed. The next Pope, upon assuming office, immediately canceled the nationwide school construction program. The schools that had already been built began charging exorbitant fees, making it impossible for children from ordinary families to attend,” the innkeeper said angrily. “They couldn’t get back the money that had been given away, so they started levying taxes on all merchants within their jurisdiction, calling it a ‘God’s Reverence Tax.’ They claimed that the previous Pope had been disrespectful to the gods and that they needed this money to build new statues to atone for his sins. After they burned a batch of merchants who refused to pay at the stake, no one dared to disobey them anymore. I don’t know if the money was actually used for the gods, but the Holy Knights’ equipment suddenly became more extravagant, and their numbers increased rapidly.”
“I understand… Thank you,” Flora’s voice was even lower now. She bit her lip and put the money from the table into her pocket.
“You two should leave the city quickly. Those Holy Knights are up to something again. I don’t know why they’re looking for a girl,” the innkeeper said. “Since that Pope took office, the selection of Holy Knights has become lax. Some of them are just thugs who have changed their clothes, acting arrogantly in the name of God’s will, especially in cities where the Church’s influence is strong. If you don’t leave, you might be caught and used to fill their ranks.”
“Let’s go, Flora,” Abyss stood up. “I’ll say it again, you can tell me your wish anytime.”
“Hmm…” Flora wanted to say something, but she closed her mouth tightly.
“Let’s go buy clothes. Her Highness the Princess is still lying there waiting for us,” Abyss said, taking Flora’s hand.
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