Chapter 27 Acting
Click click click, the dilapidated door was knocked hard. Several anxious-looking soldiers wearing leather and cotton armor were standing in front of the church, constantly ravaging the dilapidated wooden door. Click, click, click, and a series of sounds were heard. Paladin, who seemed to have just woken up and was wearing a priest's black robe, opened the door. Upon seeing several guards who looked frightened and anxious, Paladin frowned in confusion and said, "Are they here to pray or to confess?"
The leading guard was so anxious that he couldn't speak. He stepped forward and took Paladin out by hand and left. He kept explaining: "Father, please forgive us for being rude! We really have something important to do!" Paladin felt uncomfortable being pulled away by a big and thick man. He shook off the guard with a wave of his hand, frowned and pretended to be angry: "No matter what happens, it cannot prevent me from worshiping the great God! Do you know what a serious blasphemy it is to not pray in the morning?"
The guard looked like you'd kill me, and he didn't dare to hold Paladin any longer. He begged, "Father, something happened to Prad's shop! The captain of the guard asked me to take you to see it." , saying that only you understand!"
The words have been spoken more straightforwardly. The only thing that only a priest knows is heresy besides healing. Paladin, who knew the truth, acted as if he suddenly realized it, and immediately pulled the guard back in a serious manner, walked quickly to the shop, and said angrily: "You are talking in a roundabout way, can't you just say it clearly?"
The guard was speechless. In fact, he didn't dare to say it. If pedestrians on the road heard it, it might cause a big disturbance. So just like that, Paladin and several guards rushed to the scene of the crime.
After passing through the crowd guarding the shop, Paladin and a few guards just walked inside when they saw a burly man with a yellow beard wearing chain mail and a hammer on his waist, looking at everything solemnly. Look at the two skeletons on the ground. Perhaps it was Paladin's footsteps that woke up the captain. The latter was startled. When he saw the person coming, his expression was obviously relieved, and he immediately waved his hands and said: "You guys go out, I want to talk to the priest for a while."
Seeing the soldiers nodding and leaving one after another, Paladin looked at the two skeletons on the ground and jumped in fright! With an ugly face, he said in fear: "Captain, what's going on!" The captain of the guard saw Paladin's frightened look, and he unconsciously felt a trace of contempt.
Come to think of it, where has he ever seen a dead person in such a state of death as a well-dressed nobleman? The captain of the guard, who was thinking this way, showed a fake smile and said: "Father, you are the local priest. Logically speaking, we mercenaries and private soldiers should be responsible for the murder in Nurba, but you also see Here we are, Mr. and Mrs. Prader, who went out to take care of business yesterday, turned into bones and lay on the ground today. Even their two-month-old baby was brutally murdered. It is obviously not something ordinary people do! So we want to ask Are you related to the dark wizard?"
The guard captain asked cautiously, still feeling very worried. Although the person in front of him is just a priest, he is also a noble and has the support of the Holy See. What's more, things involving dark wizards are too sensitive. If you don't say it well, you will be implicated.
However, he said that the guard captain was cautious. Paladin's face was blank, but he secretly muttered in his heart: "It turns out that they are just useless private soldiers and mercenaries, so I don't need to worry too much. Just send them away casually."
There was a slight smile on Paladin's lips. In fact, the town of Nurba is a fiefdom called the Torch Counts. Not only Nurba, but also ten nearby villages, two towns, and the city called Edley, all belong to the count's territory. In the past, it was his territory, and he could only send private soldiers under his own name to guard it.
However, the Principality of Kasmi has severe restrictions on the private soldiers of nobles, so Earl Torch can only recruit a thousand private soldiers. Any more would be a charge of rebellion. Fortunately, there are mercenaries in this world who are willing to wield knives for money, so the earl can place soldiers in his territory, and his real power does not need to be too spread out. Therefore, Paladin has no worries. A mercenary who only knows gold coins and women is too easy to fool.
Paladin calmed down his panic expression slightly, ignored the captain of the guard, took a few steps forward with a solemn expression, and squatted down. "Father, Father, do you see anything?" the guard captain asked eagerly. He came to be the guard captain just to settle down and not have to live a life of blood all day long. Who would have thought that such bad luck would happen.
Just as the guard captain was lamenting in his heart, he suddenly saw Paladin's expression suddenly shocked. He immediately jumped back and crossed himself quickly with his hand, saying with a pious face: "The great, omniscient and omnipotent Lord! My father, my mother. Your humble servant asks you to send down the holy light, and will crawl on the ground. Banish the evil of darkness. Shout your sacred name, Enos! Protect me!" After saying that, he took out the holy water from his sleeve and sprinkled it around. And holding the cross on his chest, he began to pray.
"Father, what's going on!" It wasn't until Paladin stopped praying that the captain of the guard asked eagerly. Paladin put down the cross solemnly, turned around and said the words the captain of the guard least wanted to hear: "Captain, it is indeed the work of a dark wizard. There is a dark wizard nearby. I must report it to the Holy See and dispatch The executive officer of the tribunal will handle it." "What!"
As soon as Paladin finished speaking, the guard captain shouted in shock. Then he realized that his voice was too loud. After looking outside and seeing that no one was paying attention, he took Paladin to a corner with one hand and implored with anxiety and flattery on his face: "Father, you are the priest of this town, and you will also be the priest in the future." Godfather to all the children in this town. You don’t want to see this beautiful place destroyed by the Inquisition.”
The captain of the guard understood that Earl Torch would not care how many civilians died, but once the executive officer of the Inquisition arrived, the taste changed. In his rage, the count would not mind disposing of a mercenary as a scapegoat. So the captain of the guard really doesn't want Paladin to report it, because Zaihe is not only related to his future, but also his life and family!
Paladin naturally understood what the guard captain was thinking. Seeing this, he pretended to be angry and scolded: "Captain! Pay attention to your words and deeds! You are blatantly slandering the Inquisition in front of the clergy!"
"Well, Father, you misunderstood. Although the Inquisition is for God and justice to eradicate evil heretics, it would be bad if it indirectly damages people's lives..." The captain, who knew he had said something wrong, immediately added. He secretly muttered something about Paladin, but a sincere smile appeared on his face.
Paladin secretly laughed in his heart, let alone this captain, even if he was forced to report it with a knife, he would not report it. But then I thought about it, even though I won’t report it, I should still get some benefits.
With such thoughts in his mind, Paladin looked filled with righteous indignation, walked deep into the dark corner, and said angrily: "Although your Excellency is right, it is not good to destroy people's lives. It is indeed not the original intention of the Holy See. But we can’t let dark wizards refine evil magic! This is absolutely not allowed!”