Looking at Rhodes who was hiding his face with his hands, Myrcera was a little helpless, but as he said, she really hadn't seen too many demons before they died—let alone a demon who committed suicide.

Damn, why can't that guy stand up for his beliefs?

Why can't he endure until someone else comes and takes his life?

Look at the one who tossed my chief witcher!

As the only bishop among the six archbishops of the Holy See, Mycella's promotion went very smoothly, partly because of her own excellent overall qualities, and partly because of her gender advantage.

In the eyes of the Holy See, women's rights are now more and more important, and if the six archbishops are all men, it may not be long before a considerable number of women in the congregation are dissatisfied. Thus, thanks to Micera's own efforts and some special attention from the Holy See, she sat in her present position, and sat very firmly.

However, Micera's excellence is mainly reflected in the aspect of civil governance, she can take care of the affairs of a country in an orderly manner, but she does not know anything about combat. Although she also possessed very powerful holy powers as an archbishop, she had little opportunity to practice them in battle.

So Mysella decided to divert the subject.

"Well, Rod, the reason why you have disappeared for so long is because you have been greatly stimulated at the border, so ......"

Mithera pondered for a moment and said carefully, "...... So to hide and lick the wounds of the soul? ”

"Of course not, I'm not that fragile yet."

Rhodes lowered the hand covering his face, "After that terrible gamble was over, I learned the cause of the whole battle through the overexcited Garrison Officer. ”

Oh my God, a battle is a battle, as long as we win in the end, who cares about the cause?

Mysella really didn't want to hear any reports about the mission, but now she had to pick up her spirits and listen patiently.

"The cause of the incident was that there was a sudden outbreak of an infectious disease in that wandering demon tribe, heat and cold."

"Heat and cold, it's not a great illness, any qualified physician can formulate a special medicine to treat this disease, and powerful holy magic or healing magic can also purify this disease."

"Yes, but this is for us, the demon tribe has no means to treat it, and the chaos magic they are good at is helpless against heat and cold, so they decided to turn to the human for help - that is, the border army of our Holy Light Empire."

"This ......"

Mithera smiled wryly, "That's a bit bold. ”

"That's right, demons and humans have always been enemies, so I have to say that this is indeed a very bold and irrational act. Perhaps it's because the founder of our Holy Light Empire is the Archon Holy Able, after all, when all the human leaders in the Liberation War were opposed to the admission of the Antucans, it was that Lord who gave them the greatest tolerance: promising that as long as they changed their faith and no longer used chaos magic, they could join the Holy Light Empire and enjoy the same social rights as human citizens. ”

Rhodes muttered, "Perhaps that's why the demon tribe decided to give it a try, and sent four clansmen who were proficient in the lingua franca to negotiate, offering to exchange all their wealth for the special medicine of heat and cold." You know, since the people of Antukan do not have a fixed territory and city now, most of them live a wandering life, so they have accumulated a lot of rare wild materials in their hands, and if they are exchanged for gold of equal value, then even if they buy a hundred carts of heat and cold special medicine, it is more than enough. ”

"It's not a normal deal, Rod, this can't be counted like that."

Mysera shook her head: "The demon race has always been the public enemy of all mankind, although everyone who is tormented by illness deserves our mercy, but the demon race is different, this is a problem between good and evil, light and darkness, and it is a major issue involving the entire human society, Rod." ”

Rhodes took a deep look at the archbishop in front of him, and he had something in his throat that he wanted to say, but he finally kept his mouth shut.

After a while, he opened his mouth with difficulty: "Yes, since the person asking for help is a demon, the garrison may not be as firm in his beliefs as you, but he obviously has the same thoughts as you. So he detained the four Antucans who had come to ask for help, and unceremoniously took everything they had brought with him into his pocket. The deceived demon tribe was furious, they were already sick, so they launched a crazy attack on the border as if they were out of the way. ”

"I see, then I already know the ins and outs of the incident, and in the whole matter, some inappropriate things that the garrison officer did, I will truthfully inform the Black Court and the Council, I believe they will make a fair decision."

Mycella was a little impatient, "But you still haven't explained why you've disappeared for so long?" ”

"Yes, although most of the demons have been annihilated, there are still a small number of old or young Antucan people who have not participated in the battle from the beginning. After that shameless celebration feast, I left the border with a large number of special medicines for heat and cold, and after several efforts, I finally found those people, about a hundred or so, all of them were elderly people or children under the age of ten. ”

"You! How dare you ......"

Mysella looked at the man in front of her in shock, and said in a trembling voice: "You know, just by virtue of what you just said, I will be able to immediately exercise the power given to me by the Holy See and imprison you in a dungeon to die—not even after a trial!" While you have compassion for those Antucan people, have you ever thought that they are to blame for all this, have you ever thought that before the Second Liberation War, the way the demons treated humans was not more gentle than you have seen, and even more cruel! ”

"Don't get excited, Lord Bishop."

Rod said calmly: "Please listen to me, and then decide whether to cure my sin." ”

"You say, you say!"

Myrcera gritted her teeth, eager to tear Rod's indifferent face, damn it, why was he so calm? The Chief Demon Hunter is just a position, not exclusive to him Rhodes alone, and even if he is the Chief Demon Hunter and the highest embodiment of the Temple's combat power, it is impossible to be easily spared if he commits such a sin!

If a citizen of a country runs to help an enemy country, there is no doubt that this person is guilty of treason, and after trial, he will be hanged in the most conspicuous place in his country, such as a vegetable market or square.

But if this person goes to help the demons or some other evil heretic or dark creature, then he is committing an even more terrible crime against the light, the Holy See's method is not as simple as hanging (of course, there will also be a step of hanging), the firing squad will use special holy magic to imprison the soul of the sinner in the dead body, so that he can not enter heaven, nor can he fall into hell, even wandering around like ordinary ghosts is impossible.

His soul would rot along with the corpse, and it would be unimaginable pain and torture for the living, until only the skeleton remained (so from this point of view, anyone who has committed such a great crime will find a way to change the execution time to the summer, so that the whole process will end faster).

"I found the rest of the Antucan and hid my identity, just hoping to get them to receive those treatments."

Rhodes slowly recounted, "It's just that they seem to see through my disguise at a glance, maybe it's the effect of some chaos magic...... Anyway, they attacked me like crazy and destroyed all the special drugs. ”

"Hmph, it's your fate."

Mycella snorted coldly, "If you really helped those people substantively, I can't pretend not to know about it, and then all I can do as your superiors and colleagues is to set the hottest July of your death to end your suffering as soon as possible." ”

"Oh, thank you so much, beautiful heroine."

Rod said nonchalantly: "Your heart is so good. ”

"Stop talking nonsense, what about later?"

"You know, they're all sick with a contagion, and they don't want to take my help, so I'm going to leave for a while. But this is only on the surface, in fact, I have never been too far away from them, since the rest are old people and children who have little combat effectiveness, so I have been secretly helping them solve some problems, such as the wilderness monsters that they can't deal with......"

Misetra felt a wave of vertigo.

This damned, daring, goddamn Rhodes!

The wrath of the god, the most loyal and powerful in the temple, has become the nanny of the remnants of the demon race!

"Although I help them secretly, the heat and cold they are suffering from will not go away on their own, and I can help them solve the threat from the outside world, but I cannot help them cure the disease."

Rhodes didn't seem to see Mycella's completely blackened face, and said to himself: "The rest of the Antucan people died of illness one by one, and until half a month ago, all of them died of illness, so I set out to return to the temple. ”

"That's all there is to it."

With that, Rod leaned back in his chair for a long time, crossed his fingers against his chin, and looked at Miccera with a calm look.

After a long while, Mycera spoke in disbelief: "So, you helped those demons, and you were not coerced, but out of complete autonomy?" ”

"Yes, as I said."

"And you can still put on a leisurely posture in front of me, in front of one of the six bishops of the Holy See?"

"Actually, I don't think my posture is very relaxed, I have to say, the chair in your office is not comfortable."

"I'm sorry about that,"

The sudden quip made Micella's mind flutter, "Maybe the iron bed in the dungeon will make you like it even more." ”

"Is there still a conviction to be made?"

Rod smiled.

"Yes, you are guilty, your mercy and power have been used to the wrong person, you have tried in vain to save the lives of the demons, and you have acted for it. You have failed the cultivation of the Holy See, and you have failed the trust of the congregation in you! ”

Mycera said very sternly: "Rod, you are not an ordinary person who does not know what to do, maybe they will do wrong things because of their zealousness, but you can't, you are the most powerful demon hunter in the Temple of Light, and the most loyal warrior of the Holy See!" You also made an oath before the holy monument, have you forgotten? ”

"I have not forgotten that the teachings of Lord Akron the Holy Mighty are always in my heart, 'Reject greatness if it is rendered by innocent blood; Reject the achievement, if it is made up of innocent lives', Bishop, I always remember. ”

Rod said very seriously: "That's why I'm going to help those Antucan people!" I can wield twin knives in battle, but I don't want to be a machine that kills unconditionally. Micella, I must stress this, I need to protect not only justice – but also my humanity. ”

Mycella had no strength to reproach him for calling an archbishop by name, a small transgression as small as a speck of ash on the floor compared to the crime he had committed.

"Yes, you haven't forgotten, you've just lost yourself, Rod, your mind is very dangerous right now."

Misetla felt like her head was going to explode, she took a deep breath, and then looked at him with an almost pleading look, "Promise me to drive away these undeserved thoughts from my mind, and swear that there will never be any more mercy for the enemy, and we will treat it as if it never happened, okay?" ”

"Or else?"

"Or else?"

Mycella smiled wryly, "Rod, you know I don't want to condemn you. ”

"Mycella, my old friend,"

Rod let out a long sigh, took out a letter from his arms and handed it over, "You and I are no longer young people, if you really don't want to push me to a dead end, then please approve this resignation." ”

"You're leaving? Leaving the Temple? ”

Mysella was stunned, she subconsciously accepted the resignation, but she didn't look at it, "Rod Palmer, the chief witcher of the Holy Light Empire's Temple of Light, first disappeared after the mission, and now suddenly proposes to leave the temple, do you think it won't attract the attention of the Holy See?" Once the Pope sends an envoy to search, I can't hide what you're doing! ”

"Then condemn me, Archbishop, for I do not want to embarrass you."

"Rod!"

Mycella couldn't help but growl, but she didn't regret the gaffe at all, she hadn't been so irritable since the end of menopause.

But now, it seems that menopause has found itself again.

Although it was said that Rhodes was a sinner before, it was not too easy to convict a person who had been in a high position for a long time, not to mention that the crime was an extremely serious crime against light, not to mention that it was 'God's Wrath' Rhodes who committed this crime?

You must know that he is the object of worship of many clergymen, not only the Holy Light Empire, but also many worshippers of Rhodes in the other five human empires, and these people are the backbone of the Holy See. To them, Rhodes is the undisputed hero, and the light of courage in the hearts of many young witchers, and this influence spelled out in bloody battles is no joke.

As the only woman among the six bishops, Mycera understands the importance of idols better than the other five colleagues, and if this idol suddenly changes from a staunch defender of justice to a sinner of the Holy See, it will probably have a considerable impact on the faith of many people.

The impact is so bad.

"That's right, he can't be convicted."

Mysera secretly made up her mind.

In fact, this thought had been haunting her before, but she had deliberately blurred it with firm faith, but now it was clear.

In this way, there is no need to be in a dilemma, and things are easier to do.

"I'm not going to condemn you, Lord Rhodes."

In the blink of an eye, Mycera regained her usual composure and grace, "But as the head of a country's religious affairs, I will not allow a person who has shaken his faith to continue to serve as the chief witcher. ”

Rod listened quietly and did not interject.

"So, in view of your long-standing contribution to the eradication of evil, on behalf of the Temple of Light, I specifically grant you early retirement. You have the right to enjoy life other than fighting, and you should take good care of your body full of dark wounds, which you deserve. ”

Well, not resignation, but retirement?

Hearing this, Rod smiled.

"It's worthy of Lord Michella, who thought of the best solution in an instant."

He blinked, "Then I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for your generosity and understanding. ”

"Rod, oh, Rod."

Mysela whispered, "My old friend, can't you really stay?" The temple needs your power. ”

"I'm sorry, but I'm not fit to stay in this place anymore and I'm not up to the job."

Rhodes shook his head and said, "My faith in God is still unwavering, and even after leaving the temple, I am still the most loyal believer. But I'm afraid I won't be as decisive as I used to be, and if I continue to lead the Temple's combatants, I'm afraid there will be a big mess in the future. ”

"We can take a compromise - I can have a high-level meeting and transfer you from the Demon Hunter Team to the office to do academic work, and no one will object......"

"Mikera, thank you for approving my 'early retirement.'"

Rod interrupted Mycella firmly.

"Okay, then okay,"

Mysera stroked her not-so-messy sideburns, "I understand your determination. ”

Then she pulled open the drawer of her desk and pulled a document from it, "You can leave, there's no doubt about it, but before that, you need to do me two favors." ”

"Do your best."

"First, you need to find your successor, the new Chief Witcher. I know a lot about the merits of those under you, but I don't know who they have good leadership. ”

"That's what I'm supposed to do."

"Second, here's a mission about the evildoers that have recently appeared in the Holy Light Empire, and I need you to complete it."

With that, Micera handed Rhodes the document in her hand.

Rod flipped through the papers, and after a moment said with some surprise: "This is described above...... What is this 'not an evil creature summoned by a sorcerer, nor a simple zombie or an undead creature, but an unknown dark creation'? ”

"Since it's unknown, I can't know it. It seems to be related to the tragedy that happened in the main city of the eastern city-state half a year ago, and you just went to the border to carry out a mission at that time, so naturally you didn't know about it. The Judge of Greenland City was killed, the city prison and St. York's Church were slaughtered overnight, and after the incident, the president of the Alchemy Society of the Eastern City-States and his son disappeared into the city, and they were very seriously suspected. ”

"What about these two people?"

"It's all written in the report, and besides, one of the witchers who was sent on a mission has not returned yet, unless he has the courage to return half a year after completing the mission like you, we have reason to assume that the mission failed, and the witcher should have died at the hands of this 'unknown dark creation'. And before that, many lives were also poisoned by them. ”

"What?! The enemy is so strong, have there already been demon hunters sacrificed? How come I don't know about this, who sent it......"

Under the indifferent gaze of Micera, Rod's voice suddenly became smaller, and he felt a little embarrassed.

After all, he has disappeared without a trace in the past half a year, so someone has to deal with other tasks, and it is conceivable that the one who sent the witcher to carry out the task was naturally the unkind female bishop in front of him.

"As far as we know so far, this evil thing looks like a demon summoned by a sorcerer and a zombie driven back from the dead, and such ambiguous information is provided by three mages. The other party is very cunning and knows how to hide himself, so that's all I know. Think of this quest as a memento gift before you retire, complete it, and go live the life you want to live. ”

"Okay, I see."

Rod said in a deep voice: "I will never choose to back down from fighting the real evil. ”