Before leaving the camp, Richard heard a cacophony coming from behind him, and even saw "fireworks" in the thick fog, as well as loud echoes - according to the pre-departure agreement, it was a sign that the wizards were about to face an attack and that everyone had to be mobilized.

It appears that someone has woken up and noticed an anomaly in the cavern.

But this is doomed to be useless.

Prior to this, although Richard felt that Mr. Hanged Man, who was bent on destroying the Demon Tower, had a high probability of lurking in this wasteland, if this old man encountered the battle between the Holy See team and the Demon Tower team, he would definitely be involved.

But what he didn't expect was that this person was nearby. If it weren't for Miss Real Name telling him......

Because the AI doesn't have to sleep, his real name usually wanders around when Richard is resting. As a result, I don't know if it should be said that it was accidental, she saw the figure of the old wizard in the cave side.

In this way, the Holy See's dispatch of personnel to the wilderness must be inseparable from this person. So......

"Who manipulated the fog demons to cause this thick fog?"

He thought in his heart, but he couldn't get an answer for the time being.

……

Richard quickly got out of the fog and found no trace of the demon.

During this process, the Enchanted Spirit Lord never left his side, and maintained the barrier spell.

He realized that the mist secreted by the fog demon was actually harmful. Although it is difficult to detect at first, once an excess of white mist is inhaled into the lung cavities, the person will soon become drowsy, have decreased vision, and even paralyze the limbs. In other words, there are harmful factors in it that can make someone unconscious and difficult to move.

It spreads not only through breathing, but also through the pores of the skin, invading the circulatory system and internal organs in the body......

Fortunately, although Richard didn't know enough about the fog demon, he had the protection of the legendary guardian spirit at the physical level, and the super-high-level "talisman technique" of his real name, and the general negative effects could almost be ignored.

As he continued to walk some distance into the blackened cavern, Richard noticed that a milky white mist was once again appearing in front of him, and as he paced, the color became more and more intense, until he could not see his fingers as he had done in the camp.

In addition, Richard heard human voices.

He stopped, knowing that he had reached his destination.

*

"Damn! Who's going to tell me how the hell to get rid of this thing?! ”

In the open space in the center of the cave, more than a dozen carriages of the convoy were all surrounded by the same center, forming a solid circular barrier.

On the periphery, a strong, bearded, tall man, armed with a steel axe, danced vigorously, and unleashed his martial arts in the midst of lightning and flint, so that a whirlwind rose out of thin air, easily dispersing the moist mist that was enveloping him.

But this was meaningless to a sea of fog that had already swallowed up most of the cavern and plunged everything in view into a white vastness. Soon, there was a light smoke again, wet and tangled like the wrists and feet of marine animals.

Even if this experienced former mercenary relied on his own strength and his physique was as strong as a demonic beast, it was never a good thing to stay here for a long time under such circumstances.

Not far from him, there were several black-robed men with serious faces, hiding their faces in the shadows, muttering words in their mouths, and soon after that, they raised their hands high.

A dazzling flash of fire suddenly appeared in the white mist, rapidly expanding.

This scene is like a spark falling into boiling oil, the blazing fire instantly engulfs the mist, and the seemingly infinite "ocean" disappears in an instant.

This group of papal deacons had indeed come up with the best way to deal with the trap of the fog demon: with the help of alchemy materials, they used some kind of dispelling magic to restrain the biological mist, and it was obvious that they were prepared.

However, everyone's expressions remained serious.

Because, this is the first time they have dispersed the fog for some time—

The guards knew that if they couldn't leave this place, the thick fog would sweep in again.

"The brutes!"

Some of the grumpy guards had become panting and sweating profusely after several counterattacks, and they were forced to the ground with their weapons on their hands, or they took off their armor and sat on the ground to rest, while they couldn't help but curse.

......

This scene seemed to Cummins, who had been the head of the Templar branch in the past, to the eye, and he couldn't help but frown.

The members of the Guardian are indeed strong in terms of individual force, but compared to the well-trained Knights, they are very different in discipline and professionalism.

This was due to the fact that the team was the result of a compromise between many forces: the composition of the royal bodyguard, the royal mercenaries hired by the king, the clergy and Templars from the Great Sanctuary, and representatives of the nobility like him.

They all have their own leaders, and they tend to act in silos, so naturally there is no discipline at all.

It's just that along the way, both in name and strength, they have to be led by the most famous "Sword of Divine Judgment" Joan Borgia.

......

At this time, in the center of the convoy, a carriage carved with the royal coat of arms was held, and a woman's voice came from behind the draped curtain.

The voice was young and melodious, as if a nightingale were singing; Just hearing this voice reminds one of the owner's beauty.

"Your Excellency Joan, how is the situation now?"

The queen's tone sounded worried.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty."

The blonde young man standing beside the queen's car, always smiling, still had a relaxed attitude.

"It's going to be fine. Since I have been commanded by the Holy See to protect the dignitaries, I will not let anyone hurt you. ”

"Really? Thank you. ”

In just a few words, Queen Mary's voice, which had been slightly low because of worry, became brisk again, obviously relieved. It was evident that she had placed great trust in the young Bishop.

……

Cummins, who was standing nearby watching the wind, noticed the conversation between the two and couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.

Queen Mary and Bishop Joan, who had gone from strangers to strangers in the convoy from the royal capital of Saint-Michel to the Silent Territory near the eastern border, quickly transformed into friends of the opposite sex who were now able to talk happily......

Should he be the youngest cardinal in the history of the Covenant? Her Excellency Joan's skill in dealing with people is equally impressive.

In Cummins's eyes, the usual praise of "genius" or "rising star" is far from enough to describe him, because he is not yet twenty years old and sits in the position of power.

In the secular world, the "sword of divine judgment" has long been an unattainable figure, so much so that people often forget his age when talking about big things.

In addition, his own strength, status, and handsome appearance made Joan Borgia the dream lover of the women of the entire three Covenant countries, and his popularity was so high that it was difficult for other peers to match.

Of course, Cummins wasn't feeling jealous...... Well, it's certainly not jealousy.

The queen herself wanted to enter into friendship with a cardinal, and it was her own will, and he was not in a position to interfere: but the existence of such a relationship could be a bargaining chip in the struggle between secular and theocracy.

This apprehension was only due to the loyalty of a noble knight who had a fief and a title in the Rhine Kingdom to His Majesty.