Chapter 148

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Volume 1 + Chapter 148: Everyone Have Thoughts

“You brat, have you forgotten the pain already? Just got up and you’re already running around? Where are you going?” Franklin said this while glancing ahead, naturally noticing the two Holy Radiance Cross Knights leading Winnie.

Where the hell do you think I’m going? Can’t you see for yourself?

Winnie almost rolled his eyes at this remark.

“Knight Champion, our Arch-Bishop has heard that students from Carillian Academy were attacked by the followers of the Demon God Pillar in Reiswyn. He was both surprised and outraged. Therefore, we have been ordered by the Arch-Bishop to bring this student who experienced the attack to him to understand the details,” the two Holy Radiance Cross Knights said respectfully.

Champion Knight? Are they referring to Franklin??

Winnie looked at Franklin in disbelief.

Are these two Holy Radiance Cross Knights calling him that??

Wait, Champion Knight??

Winnie remembered that this title was a special knighthood within the Church of Radiance, officially known as the “Champion Knight of the Goddess.”

The Church of Radiance held a Champion Knight selection every twenty years. It was an internal event, and anyone affiliated with the Church could participate, not just the Holy Radiance Cross Knights.

However, historically, most Champion Knights were indeed from the Holy Radiance Cross Order.

The competition tested only one skill: pure combat prowess. Therefore, it had no age or strength restrictions.

Anyone within the Church, from bishops and Holy Radiance Cross Knights to lowly nuns and priests, could participate.

The ultimate winner would receive the title of “Champion Knight of the Goddess,” a lifelong honor that catapulted their status and prestige.

They would also gain the authority to command the Holy Radiance Cross Order. This position was almost equivalent to that of the Pope, and in some cases, with the Pope’s permission, they could even act as the Pope’s spokesperson.

There was a lot of information to unpack here.

So, Franklin was once a member of the Church of Radiance? He only later came to Carillian Academy??

Even the Holy Radiance Cross Knights responsible for protecting the Arch-Bishop recognized Franklin, indicating his past prestige.

This guy has quite a backstory, huh?

“Understand the situation? If I recall correctly, your Arch-Bishop has already learned the details from Princess Mirexia, hasn’t he? Is one person not enough? Or does your Arch-Bishop not trust the princess of the Camella Kingdom and the student council president of Carillian Academy?” Franklin raised an eyebrow.

“Of course not, this is just to ensure we haven’t missed anything,” the Holy Radiance Cross Knights explained patiently, a stark contrast to their attitude toward Winnie.

These tin cans are quite something. [Armoured Knight]

“Alright, I’m not trying to give you a hard time. I know the Church’s procedures. But this kid is my student, so I have to ask,” Franklin glanced at Winnie.

“Understood,” the two knights nodded, understanding Franklin’s underlying message.

The current descendant of the Saintess is an imposter, not of the Goddess of Radiance’s true bloodline, but a shameless fraud.

This belief has spread across all human nations, and even non-human nations have heard of it.

Within the Church of Radiance, this rumor has intensified, essentially confirming it. From bishops and Holy Radiance Cross Knights to low level priests and nuns, most believe this rumor to be true. Otherwise, why haven’t the bishops debunked it after so long?

Doesn’t that mean they’re tacitly acknowledging it?

With the Pope and bishops implicitly accepting it, and the royal families and nobles of various nations recognizing and witnessing Winnie’s infamy, how could it be false?

Therefore, the number of clergy who know about Winnie and still treat him kindly is few. Most despise him for his notorious reputation and his audacious act of impersonating the Goddess’s descendant.

Although this is Carillian Academy’s territory, and the Church of Radiance wouldn’t harm Winnie here, considering his uniqueness, Franklin likely didn’t want certain clergy to give his student a hard time, hence this little act.

Winnie naturally understood Franklin’s intentions and felt somewhat touched.

This seemingly unreliable teacher actually has a reliable side?

After exchanging greetings with the two knights, Franklin left.

Winnie followed the two knights, still pondering Franklin’s identity.

Wait, if he’s so impressive, even earning the title of Champion Knight, why didn’t he stay in the Church of Radiance?

Winning that title was a meteoric rise. Why did he choose to leave the Church, abandoning a promising future, and come to Carillian Academy instead?

The two knights led Winnie through the fortress’s training grounds to a designated area in the rear living quarters, seemingly reserved for hosting guests.

The floor was covered with expensive velvet red carpets, and the hall was adorned with dazzling crystal chandeliers.

The three walked in silence, the two knights tight-lipped, and Winnie trailing behind, keeping a distance just enough not to lose them.

If he did lose them? Well, it wasn’t his problem. It wasn’t him rushing to report, after all.

And, honestly?

When he and Mirexia were attacked by the followers of the Demon God Pillar, the Church of Radiance was nowhere to be found. Not a single clergy member was present at the ambush site.

Yet, after the fact, they had the audacity to ask if they were injured and wanted to understand the situation. Isn’t that just a classic case of locking the stable door after the horse has bolted?

The annual monster extermination in Reiswyn is organized by them. In theory, clergy members should be present in all student activity areas to prevent students from encountering danger or suffering severe injuries with lasting consequences.

They didn’t lift a finger to help, so what’s the point of acting all proactive now?

The two knights led Winnie to a luxurious guest room where a white-robed middle-aged man holding a staff seemed to have been waiting for him for some time.

Winnie recognized him as the Church elder who had given the speech earlier on the fortress.

“Thank you for your efforts,” the white-robed Arch-Bishop said kindly, his demeanor as gentle as a kindly old grandfather.

“We’ve brought him, Arch-Bishop,” the two knights saluted the old man and then took their positions on either side of the door.

Winnie observed the old man. Earlier, on the fortress, he hadn’t gotten a clear look. This old man had a benevolent appearance, giving the first impression of a harmless, kind-hearted elder.

But Winnie knew better. These high-ranking Church officials were no saints. If you took them at face value, you’d only end up hurting yourself.

“Pleasure to meet you, outstanding student of Carillian. Truly, heroes emerge from the young. This time, the plot of the Bronze Blood was thwarted thanks to you,” the old man praised Winnie profusely, stroking his white beard, his eyes filled with admiration.

“I’m flattered. In truth, Princess Mirexia could have handled those Bronze Blood members alone. I just happened to stumble upon the scene and offered a bit of insignificant help,” Winnie wasn’t sure if this was a verbal trap, so he stuck to the story he and Mirexia had agreed upon.

“You’re too modest. If I recall correctly, your name is Winnie, right?”

“Yes,” Winnie replied, noticing that the old man deliberately omitted his surname, which gave him a clue about the man’s attitude.

But he didn’t expect any favors anyway.

“We’ve already gathered most of the details, but we’re concerned there might be some gaps. That’s why we’ve asked you to come and fill in any missing information, just in case we’ve overlooked something.”

“The fact that the followers of the Demon God Pillar, the Bronze Blood, managed to infiltrate Reiswyn and attempt to harm Carillian students is indeed our oversight. On behalf of the Church, I offer our sincerest apologies,” the white-robed old man stood up and actually bowed to Winnie in apology.

This surprised Winnie. An Arch-Bishop was practically at the top of the hierarchy in the Church of Radiance. Even kings had to show respect to someone of this status, placing them among the highest echelons of human nations.

Yet, someone of this stature was admitting fault and bowing to a junior like him??

This white-robed old man was no simple figure.

“I suppose those Bronze Blood members were just too cunning, using some method to evade the surveillance of all Church clergy.”

“Though, honestly, it’s quite perplexing how the followers of the Demon God Pillar could operate so freely under the Church’s nose,” Winnie said, giving only half a step of courtesy before speaking his mind.

What, can’t I criticize the Church?

As soon as these words left his mouth, even the two knights guarding the door couldn’t help but glance over.

There was another benefit to this: it further solidified the Church’s perception of Winnie as an ungrateful, incompetent fool, making them underestimate him even more.

“Haha, young Winnie, you’re absolutely right. Rest assured, I will give you and your academy a proper explanation for this matter,” the white-robed old man admitted humbly, showing no displeasure, and even making a firm promise.

“Well, I appreciate your concern, Arch-Bishop,” Winnie didn’t press further on the topic.

After that, the white-robed old man began questioning Winnie about the specifics of the attack by the Demon God Pillar followers.

Throughout their conversation, neither mentioned Goddess or anything related to her, as if both considered these matters irrelevant.

Winnie stuck to the story he and Mirexia had agreed upon.

“So, those Bronze Blood members used some method to poison Princess Mirexia, reducing her combat effectiveness?” the white-robed old man frowned.

“Yes, but fortunately, it seems they were using that poison for the first time, and its formulation wasn’t mature yet, so the potency wasn’t strong enough. After enduring the poison’s half-life period, Princess Mirexia and I managed to defeat the Sharag Ghost they transformed into.”

“I see. The method they used to poison Princess Mirexia is certainly worth investigating,” the white-robed old man stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“Well, you can investigate that at your leisure. I’m still injured and can’t handle long lectures,” Winnie yawned lazily, speaking quite disrespectfully to the Arch-Bishop.

The two Holy Radiance Cross Knights at the door frowned.

This was a highly esteemed Arch-Bishop of the Church of Radiance, just one step below Cardinals. Everyone would be eager to curry favor with him??

Yet, this brat had no sense of propriety, showing no respect or humility, acting as if he were the Church’s Saintess.

How could someone like this possibly be the descendant of the Goddess??

They couldn’t understand how an imposter could have the audacity to speak to the Arch-Bishop like this. Being summoned by the Arch-Bishop should have been an honor, yet he acted so impatiently.

“Of course, my apologies for disturbing your rest, young Winnie. We’re truly sorry,” the white-robed old man said apologetically. “We’ve gathered enough information. Gentlemen, escort this young student back to rest.”

“No need. I’m not used to being escorted,” Winnie declined ungraciously.

With that, Winnie swaggered out of the room without even a farewell.

“Arch-Bishop, that brat truly has no respect for his elders. It seems the rumors from the capital are true,” one of the Holy Radiance Cross Knights finally spoke after Winnie had been gone for a while.

“Haha, young people are naturally spirited,” the white-robed old man didn’t seem bothered.

Compared to this, he had called Winnie here for a more important reason.

Based on his observations of Winnie during their conversation, the Church’s suspicions were likely unfounded.

After learning that the Bronze Blood members who had suddenly appeared in Reiswyn had failed in their attack, and that Winnie was among the victims, the Church had sent him to investigate.

In his opinion, this was highly improbable.

The bloodline had been sealed for three generations, and the accumulated issues were too deep-rooted to be easily resolved. Unless the Goddess herself intervened, it was nothing but a pipe dream.

Young people were full of vigor and easy to provoke, but they were also the easiest to understand. They lacked the ability to hide their true thoughts.

“I’ve roughly understood the situation. Increase the protection for Carillian Academy’s examinees in the coming days. Report any suspicious individuals to me immediately, understood?”

“Yes, Arch-Bishop.”

—Winnie yawned as he left the living quarters of the fortress and returned to the monastery.

Since the monster extermination wasn’t over yet, the fortress was mostly occupied by Carillian Academy’s academic and combat instructors, with no students in sight.

Due to the recent incident, Winnie no longer needed to join the main group in hunting monsters for points. These days, he could just stay in the fortress and wait for the main group to return.

Winnie was quite pleased with this unexpected break. Maybe he should even thank the Bronze Blood for it.

Well, looking at the time, there were still a few days left before the monster extermination ended. He could rest for a bit longer.

He wondered how Shikondell was doing. That cross-dressing elf girl had gone to the monster extermination battlefield. Would she be so scared that she couldn’t even walk?