"You're welcome, young man, I'm here on duty to avoid such an accident. Ah, Lord Rhodes, you're back! ”

The old monk looked at the teleportation circle, from which Rhodes strode out.

"Hello, Shuk, how is today?"

Rod asked kindly.

"General. Seriously, I always felt like my old bones could do something bigger,"

The old monk smacked his lips and said, "I hope that the Bishop will give me something else, and whatever I am assigned to do is more meaningful than standing here in boredom and constantly reminding others not to linger in the circle." I think this kind of thing just needs to put up a sign. ”

"It's a big job, Shuk, teleportation circles are always guarded, and no one can do it better than you."

Rod shook the old monk's hand lightly, and then left the room with Wren.

After exiting the teleportation room, there is a long corridor outside, the floor is paved with light-gray stone bricks, and the decoration is mainly white, with some light gold accents, which looks pure and dignified.

"This is the Temple of Light, the core of the National Illumination God Cult, the place that my father dreamed of destroying when he was alive."

Wren looked around secretly, and at the same time sighed in his heart that the world was impermanent.

Three hours ago, he was still in Lewis's smuggling wagon and dreaming about his life after smuggling, but now he is inside the Temple of Light, not to mention that his clothes are still stained with the dirt from outside Hot Windtown, Rhodes still has clear signs of battle, and his rucksack still contains the head of his father Maurice......

The world is so fucking impermanent!

Wren followed behind Rhodes and asked in a low voice, "Lord Rhodes, I just listened to that old man...... Old Shuke said that if you don't get it right with the teleportation circle, there will be a situation where two people overlap and fuse, is this true? ”

"Well, it did, but only once or twice."

After turning a few corners and coming to a rotunda, Rod led Wren up the stairs upstairs, "What, Shuck told Fresh Face about those old accidents again?" ”

"Did it happen?!"

Wren felt uncomfortable in his stomach.

"Don't think too much about it, you won't have any unnatural union with me, Wren. At the beginning of the establishment of the teleportation array in the temple, due to some errors in the drawing of runes, there was indeed a terrible situation that Shuk said, but now there is no need to worry about it at all,"

Rod just glanced at him and knew what the young man in front of him was thinking, "The new teleportation circle was personally supervised by Bloomfield, the Grand Mentor of the Capital Mage Tower, and the stability is absolutely guaranteed, even if hundreds of people teleport back at the same time, it is safe." However, in order to avoid accidents, the temple still sent someone to guard there, which is the old Shuke you saw. He's a nice person, but he's a bit old-fashioned, impatient and tolerant of new things, and that's the case with most people his age......"

While talking, the two stopped outside a room at the end of the corridor on the third floor.

There was a guard on each side of the brown-red solid wood gate, and when they saw Rod, they all bowed and saluted: "Hello, Lord Rod." ”

"Hello,"

Rhodes nodded, "Is the archbishop inside?" ”

"Yes, Your Excellency has instructed that if you come back, you can go in without informing."

The guard on the left said.

Despite this, Rhodes knocked politely on the door, and it was not until a 'please come in' sound came from inside, that he pushed the door open and walked in with Wren.

Mycella was sitting behind her desk, frowning and looking through the stack of materials in her hand, a little happy to see Rhodes come in, but she couldn't help but feel melancholy - after all, this was Rhodes' last mission, and as long as he finished it perfectly, she would have to let Rhodes go to retirement.

"You're back, how did you complete your mission?"

Mysera asked in a calm voice.

"It's okay, but it's a pity that the sinner Morris resisted desperately, and I couldn't capture him alive, so I had to kill him on the spot."

Rod patted his bag on the back, "His head is in this, and he has already fallen into the law." ”

"yes, that's too cheap for him. But you should have given the sinner's head to the Holy Inquisition as soon as possible, instead of carrying it around and even bringing it to my office. ”

Mycella was a little displeased, then looked at the nervous young man behind Rod, "Who is this young man?" ”

"Before I came back, I thought of a lot of excuses to explain his identity to you, but considering that it would lead to a series of troubles and lies......

Rhodes pointed at Wren and said, "So let's be honest, his name is Wren, and he is the son of the sinner Maurice, and the temple and the black court have also issued a reward for him." ”

"Oh, I understand that, well, Rod, you didn't capture Morris alive, but at least you brought back the accomplice. Deliver him with his father's head to the Holy Inquisition, where a fair trial will be given. ”

As Mysella's words fell, Wren instantly became nervous—in fact, he had been nervous all the time since he entered the archbishop's office, only now he was even more nervous.

He looked at Rhodes as if asking for help, who smiled slightly as a sign of comfort, and then said to his female superior, "Lord Bishop, this time I have brought back not only the head of the sinner Maurice, but also my next candidate for chief witcher, this young man named Wren. ”

As soon as these words came out, Mycera and Wren froze at the same time.

The next chief witcher? Me?

Wren's mind was filled with surprise, amusement, doubt, and so on, and he did promise Rhodes to obey his orders to some extent, but in fact he had to do so, and he had no choice but to get away with it.

But he never expected that Rhodes would plan to make him the next chief witcher?!

Not to mention Mysella, her wise mind can handle a lot of complicated teaching affairs, but after hearing Rod's words, she obviously paused for a moment, and it took a long time before she said: "Did you lose something during the mission, Rod, I don't think your brain is in the original place?" ”

"No, Bishop, this is my deliberate plan."

Rod said seriously.

"your thoughts!"

Mycella knew that exploding foul language was something she should never have done, but she didn't care at all, because damn Rod always had a way of choking her sanity, "He! Son of a sinner! Aided and participated in the heinous crime committed by Morris! You tell me now that you intend to make him your successor, the leader of the Temple's elite combatants! You're just crazy! ”

Mycella screamed loudly, and smashed the thick dozen materials in her hand at Rhodes - the other party was a man who could survive the attack of the flesh giant, which of course would not cause him any harm, but it was enough to show that Miccera was surprisingly angry at this time.

Wren had mixed feelings, on the one hand, he wanted to applaud Mysella and pray that she would not agree with Rod's ghost idea, but on the other hand, he was worried that if Rod's plan failed, he would be punished for his crimes.

"Even if I advise you not to get too excited, I'm afraid you can't. But I should at least say that, from what I know, the reason why Wren followed his father to commit the crime was completely coerced,"

Dozens of pages slammed lightly on Rod's body, and he let them slide down and scatter to the ground, "Maurice created a powerful monster through alchemy, and even I almost died at the hands of this monster, although I am standing in front of you now, but I clearly know that the first and third ribs on my left, and the penultimate and second ribs on my right have been broken—it seems that several dishonest fragments are still in the guts. So, in that case, Wren had to obey his father, and he didn't do those terrible things of his own free will. ”

"A crime is a crime, there is no such thing as coercion or willingness! Rod, you guy is really getting more and more excessive, I haven't settled the account with you for helping the remnants of the demon clan in private, and now I'm actually crazy to find a son of a sinner to take over the position of chief demon hunter, what kind of place do you think this is, a playground for fun?! ”

Mithella sarcastically said in a high-pitched voice, "Oh no, even the amusement park has its own rules, and unruly guests will be kicked out by the sticks!" This is the temple of the Holy See of Light, and the eyes of Tinos are watching us at all times! ”

"If our lord is really watching us, then he will see that my decision is clear and wise. This kid, Wren, is very smart, courageous, and has a bottom line. He is not hypocritical, his conscience is hidden deep in his heart, and he is not piled up on his face like many people. ”

"The most important thing is that he knows what 'power' is all about, and he doesn't believe in power, a quality that is especially precious to warriors of the gods," said Rhodes with emotion. You know, Archbishop, the witchers are no ordinary clergy, they have to deal with the deepest darkness hidden under the light, and we have encountered the losses caused by the temptation of the dark forces more than once. ”

"But...... But...... But how do you know that he is qualified to be a warrior of God? I don't know as much about the battle as you do, but don't forget, Rhodes, I'm also an archbishop, and I can clearly sense that there is no trace of holy energy in him, which means that he doesn't serve my lord as wholeheartedly as you and me, or he doesn't even have a trace of faith at all! ”

Mycera said distraughtly, agreeing with her words, but it could not be said that he had no faith at all, after all, his mother Shanna was a faithful believer, and since she was a child, she still had a little respect for the Supreme God in Wren's heart, but that was it.

"What are we talking about, and what are we looking for? Mistress Mycère, if it is a work of spreading the light, then any pious priest can do a good job, but we are looking for a good warrior who does not have to stand in front of the congregation with the Holy Book in his hand to proclaim the greatness of our Lord, nor do he have to sit in the church and listen to the confessions of the faithful. ”

"Yes, he doesn't need to be the mouth and tongue of my lord, he only needs to be the spear and shield of my lord, to deal with heresies and kill enemies, that's his job." As for the Holy Power, this is indeed a problem, but I believe that after training, he will gradually master the Holy Energy, and even if he can't, he can still use other methods to defeat the enemy. Isn't there an old Oriental proverb that says, 'It doesn't matter if it's black or white, the one who can catch mice is a good cat.'" ’”

Rode's words were not quibbling, he knew he was telling the truth. But having experienced countless battles, he also deeply understands that if a person does not have faith in his heart, then he may be able to become an excellent soldier, but it is difficult to become a great witcher. Unlike the paid Big-Headed Soldiers, the Witchers will only make sacrifices for a noble mission, not for gold.

It was just the excellent qualities that Wren inadvertently displayed that made Rhodes decide to take a gamble.

"Alright, well, if I'm sure this kid is as good as you say, but what will the other witchers under your command think, Rod, you've been working together for a long time, don't they deserve your favor?"

Mycella pondered bitterly: "For example, the one named Valolet is very good, and I have an impression of him, regardless of his qualifications and abilities, he can be regarded as excellent." Although it can't compare to you, I am sure that if you are patient, he will not let you down. ”

"Valolet is very good, and I admit it, before I met Rennes I wanted to name him as chief, but now I want to see who is the right fit. Bishop, it's better to have one more choice than no choice, isn't it? ”

Rod gave a guarantee: "And, emotionally speaking, I have been friends with Valolet for many years, and I have always treated him as a little brother, so you don't have to worry about me favoring Wren." I pledge that the eyes with which I observe them are absolutely unbiased, and that I do all this in order to select the most suitable successor. ”

"Well, I'm sorry I lost my temper earlier, Rod. I don't want to admit it, but your language does have a touch of persuasion. I don't want to argue with you, so let this kid try—my lord can't believe that I would allow the son of a sinner who has committed a crime against the light to enter the temple among the combatants. ”

Mycella sighed, and then made a condition, "For you, Rod, I'm afraid your retirement plan will be postponed, and I won't allow you to enjoy the blessings until this child has shown enough ability and loyalty." ”

"It's natural, after all, he is the person I recommended, how can I casually throw him to someone else and I don't care."

Rod agreed without thinking.

Very well, Miccella thought, Rhodes continued to be the chief witcher more important than refusing to forgive an inconsequential young prisoner.

"I hope this kid won't let you down. Well, Wren...... Rennes? ”

Mycera called out the name awkwardly, but the owner of the name did not react, because he was completely stupid.

"Wren? The archbishop is calling you, and out of politeness, you should respond. ”

Rod kindly reminded.

"Huh? Oh yes, Lord Bishop. ”

Wren came back to his senses and said embarrassedly, "You called me? ”

"Excuse me, pick up those papers on the ground and give them to Lord Rod. I didn't want to instruct you, because you're not technically my subordinate, but you know that Rod has injuries on his body......"

Mycera said patiently with the disgust in her heart.

"You don't have to be so polite, Your Excellency."

Breaking into a cold sweat, Wren mechanically picked up pages and sheets, then straightened them and handed them to Rhodes.

"Ah, the list and information of the Demon Hunter Squad Reserve in this issue? I thought it would be a few days before it arrived......"

Rod said as he flipped through the materials in his hand.

"Yes, there are thirty people in total, all of whom are the top among this year's seminary graduates, and each of them has good Holy Energy qualifications."

Mycella smiled bitterly, "Now it seems that one more piece of information needs to be added, right?" ”

Rod smiled gratefully and did not speak.

The dispute between the archbishop and the chief witcher is over, and the next step is to find a way to help Wren get away with it within the limits of the rules. Because Morris was so tragic that it was not easy to completely clear Wren's name, he had to spend the next few days attending various court hearings, explaining to the Temple and the Black Court that he was a victim of the whole affair.

Fortunately, the Empire of Light under the light did not have such a dark judicial system as 'Liansit', and Rod's testimony that Morris viciously ordered the monster to smash this poor boy at me, which is not something a normal father can do, he just treated his son as a servant and tool, not a partner in crime', so in the end, as Rhodes had promised, Wren was acquitted.

Then, after a series of formalities that were not properly complied with, Wren's name was added to the list of the Demon Hunter Squad's reserves.

By the time everything was in order, it was already the evening of the sixth day.

Rhodes sent Wren back to the hotel where he was staying, and explained some other things, such as "don't go out for a while tomorrow, and the bounty orders posted on some streets may not have been taken down"; Or, "Don't believe the little card stuffed under the crack in the door, and the only gender that is probably the same as the beautiful woman and the actual person who actually comes." What's even more terrifying is that sometimes when you see you, you will find that even the gender is different from what is drawn on the card. ”

Of course, it is more important to tell him to take care of his spirits in the past few days, and at the same time not to change his residence, because in five days, the training of the Demon Hunter Reserve will begin, and someone will come to pick up Wren to report.

After explaining this, Rod was about to leave the hotel room, but Wren stopped him.

"I'll talk about it later, Wren,"

Rod said tiredly: "My injuries are indeed serious, but I am not just selling badly with the Bishop, and I haven't cultivated well in the past few days, to be honest, if I wasn't strong enough - sorry I don't want to boast - then I would have been in shock a long time ago." ”

"You're just leaving?"

Wren seemed to have just woken up from a dream at this time, and he said incredulously, "You're just leaving, it's good, it's chic, and I'm going to be thrown into that demon hunting squad preschool......"

"It's a reserve training camp, Wren."

Rhodes pointed out the error in his words.

“…… Whatever it is, all I know I'm going to be thrown in there for training! ”

Wren said angrily.

"I thought you were mentally prepared for this, 'Fight for me, obey my orders, unless it is a deliberate order to send you to your death' - if you remember this agreement, then I think you should apologize for losing your temper at this time."

Rod calmly looked at the young man in front of him.

"Well, I did make such a pact with you without any choice, and you did say that you would give me some training, but I didn't expect you to make me a witcher! Not to mention the Chief Witcher! ”

"It's so interesting, what do you think is the so-called 'fight for Rhodes'? Do you think that I am some rich man in the country, and that you are going to be my thug? I'm the Chief Witcher, Wren, so my men can only be Witchers. ”

"You're going to play me to death!"

Wren's voice was so loud that Rhodes had to cast a soundproofing spell in the room, and after seeing him do so, Wren shouted even more brazenly:

"Where am I like the Chief Witcher?! I don't look like the chief witcher, do I?! How could I possibly become the Chief Witcher?! Even if I carved the words 'Chief Witcher' in my head, I wouldn't be like it, people would just point at me and laugh happily: Look, there's a fool over there, he thinks he's cool to do this! ’”

"Calm down, Wren, calm down. First of all, I just let you go to the training camp, you have potential, I have vision, even if you don't believe in yourself, please believe in me for the time being, okay? After all, I'm not some middle-aged uncle who has nothing to do, I'm Rod Palmer. Without modesty, without me, this country would have at least ten times more people dying every year in evil and darkness, so I wouldn't waste precious time on a waste. ”

Rod sighed and continued: "Secondly, as long as you try hard in the training camp, even if the final result proves that I really lost my eyes, it has nothing to do with you, our agreement is null and void, and I will never use your crimes to blackmail you again." ”

“…… Okay, I promise you. ”

After a long silence, Wren rubbed his face vigorously, gritted his teeth, and said, "Then I'll try it, and I want you to know that I'm not a coward or a traitor, it's that your ideas are too whimsical, Lord Rhodes." ”