https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-270-Lanchi-Always-Plays-it-to-the-Extreme/12584338/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-272-Cardinal-Lanchi-s-Misfortunes-and-Grievances/12584341/
Chapter 271: Lanchi's Formidable Opponent
Chapter 271: Lanchi's Formidable Opponent
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, the atmosphere around the Temple of the Knights of Extinction in the imperial capital of Helrom stood in stark contrast to the bustling commercial district. The streets surrounding the temple were deserted, with biting cold winds howling through the empty lanes.
Reaching high into the sky, this architectural marvel had withstood the test of centuries. Generations of artisans had meticulously carved ancient legends of heroes' battles against demons into its sturdy surface, forever immortalizing these tales within each stone block. And yet, despite its majestic history, the Protoss Empire had allotted this building to the Church of Resurrection.
Deep within the temple, in the main hall where the most important and confidential matters were discussed, mysterious columns of light filtered through the high windows, lending the chamber a solemn and sacred ambiance.
Seated at one end of a round table was a young man dressed in a tailored dark gray suit. He seemed distinct from the other clergy, even lacking the Extinction Holy Seal, as if he were merely a passerby on official business. Yet, his calm and profound gaze, coupled with his every deliberate movement, exuded an air of composure and authority that clearly marked him as the leader.
Originally, three Grand Clerics were stationed here to oversee logistics and coordination with other provincial branches. Now, with Keays having been dismissed from his post, the remaining two sat anxiously by his side, awaiting his words.
Rather than blaming them for the outcome of the final assessment, the Extinction Bishop of the Northern Region had instead taken a slight interest and dispatched a Direct Soldier to replace Keays' work.
At this moment, the main hall bustled with activity, yet it was an organized chaos.
Before Sandert, the newly arrived envoy, lay stacks of neatly organized documents, each containing detailed information about the participants in the final assessment two days prior.
He perused the files, a smile occasionally playing on his lips.
"Lochie McCassey, without a doubt, demonstrated exceptional abilities in both the written and final assessments. He is the finest talent we have acquired this time."
Sandert remarked with satisfaction, "With just a little achievement under his belt, he will likely be promoted to Grand Cleric or Direct Soldier soon, and will then have the opportunity to meet the Extinction Bishop in person."
Hearing Sandert's words, the two Grand Clerics beside him secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
They had narrowly escaped punishment for their involvement in the incident with Keays, and it seemed that their contributions had offset any blame.
As for the young man they had discovered, Lochie, his talents might even allow him to rival the Holy Son of Extinction in a few years.
After all, the Holy Son had secured his position through his unique talents and bloodstained hands.
Should Lochie, younger and potentially more capable, be given time to hone his skills, he would pose a significant threat to the Holy Son.
Consequently, the Holy Son would surely not idly stand by and allow such a threat to grow unchecked.
Sandert continued to review the final assessment evaluation forms provided by the two Grand Clerics. Of the dozen or so who had passed the written and preliminary tests, only half had made it through the final assessment.
The vast majority of the successful evildoers had, either alone or in collaboration, secretly harmed an elite cleric of a branch of the Extinction within a day.
Thus, their evaluations all started at the elite cleric level.
Lochie McCassey, on the other hand, was equivalent to the Grand Cleric level. However, since purple and higher-level 【Proof of Resurrection】 needed to be bestowed by the bishop in person, he could not be granted this rank in the imperial capital of Helrom for the time being.
After perusing Lochie's information, Sandert's gaze lingered on the remaining files for a much shorter time, almost glancing over them like flowing water.
He set Lochie's form aside, quickly separating it from the rest.
But as he picked up the last document, his wrist paused.
He read through it carefully.
"Why wasn't I informed about another talented individual?"
Sandert glanced at the two Grand Clerics beside him and inquired.
"We deeply apologize, Sandert, but we couldn't evaluate her ourselves... Moreover, she has some significant suspicions against her. It was out of this consideration that Keays approved her for the preliminary test."
The Grand Cleric beside him hurriedly explained, his voice filled with trepidation.
Sandert's attitude would directly determine their fate. If he were to put in a good word for them with the Extinction Bishop, not only would they be cleared of any wrongdoing, but they would also be commended for their efforts.
"I see."
Sandert's interest was further piqued as he studied the document, eventually placing it together with Lochie's at the top.
The clerk in charge of recording across the table couldn't help but glance at the content of this particular file.
He noticed that Sid's chosen opponent was also a Grand Cleric—
When Keays was accused and taken away for investigation by the imperial police, Sid went and demolished Keays' house.
"Moreover, she didn't act in secret, but openly demolished the house. In the public eye, everyone believed that she was instructed by Keays to help cover up his crimes."
When asked by the Imperial Guard if Keays had instructed her to do so, she replied, "That is true," and the lie-detecting ancient artifact determined that she was telling the truth.
During the interrogation, Keays could hardly refute her, lest he expose the internal intelligence of the Extinction Branch. His teeth were clenched so tightly that they seemed ready to shatter.
This house demolition turned out to be a self-directed farce, and Sid was not held accountable. On the contrary, Keays faced even greater skepticism and was charged with multiple crimes, including spreading heretical teachings, destroying evidence, and espionage. Some matters had become too convoluted to explain clearly.
"..."
The clerk holding a pen twitched his eyes and quickly lowered his head to focus on his work again.
Although Keays hadn't died, his situation was dire. He had been suspended from work, his house demolished, and he still had to continue paying his mortgage. It seemed like death would have been a better fate.
"Are these two possibly spies sent by the Dominance Branch to mess with us?" One of the Grand Clerics beside Sandert expressed his concern, observing Sandert's envoy taking a keen interest in the pair.
The greater the talent, the more dangerous it could be if not properly controlled. Having just one of them, be it Lochie or Sid, was manageable, but with both, the two Grand Clerics didn't know how to handle them. Despite being their superiors, they didn't dare to raise their voices at the pair.
Keays was a prime example of what could happen, and the harm he had suffered was indescribable.
"To be honest, the Dominance Church doesn't have this kind of talent under their command. Even if they do, the Dominance Church wouldn't be willing to part with them for infiltration work." Sandert glanced at them indifferently, "Are you aware of the incident where the Dominance Saintess was killed by the Extinction Saint?"
Although the Dominance Church had always been a mysterious existence, as a direct soldier by the Extinction Bishop's side, he had some insight into the matters of the Dominance Church.
"We've heard something about it."
Both Grand Clerics knew that the Dominance Church often clashed with the Extinction Bishop, but this time, instead of seeking a decisive battle with the Extinction Bishop to settle the score, the Dominance Church had remained uncharacteristically silent.
"So, does the Dominance Church not care about the lives of their people?" The Grand Cleric asked further.
"How should I put it... The Dominance Church is actually the Cardinal that values his 'property' the most. So, this reaction of extreme anger, yet complete restraint, is actually quite terrifying. Due to that incident, the Dominance Church probably won't let their people undertake such dangerous tasks again." Sandert lifted his index finger slightly, correcting the other two Grand Clerics' impression of the Dominance Church. To the Cardinals, who were almost like gods, their subordinates were not considered people, but at most, possessions.
Even if you added up all their subordinates, their combined combat power was far inferior to that of a single Cardinal.
The reputation of any branch was based on the intimidation of the continent's apex, the Cardinals.
Hearing this, the two Grand Clerics nodded.
If the Dominance Branch was also recruiting newcomers, these two guys probably wouldn't choose their side either.
These two newcomers seemed straightforward, but in reality, they had done things that far exceeded what the Extinction Branch had done.
"Pay a little more attention to Sid. There's still a strong suspicion that she's a priestess of the Goddess of Fate Church." Sandert tapped on Sid's file and said to the other two Grand Clerics.
"What about Lochie?" The Grand Cleric asked.
They were certain that Sandert was not without vigilance, and in fact, he saw things very clearly.
"This guy is beyond suspicion. He's completely black; he was born for our side and has a clear distinction from the Goddess of Fate Church." Sandert evaluated, then thought for a moment and said with a smile, "By the way, according to the information from our informant in Aesterilan, quite a few insiders from the Aesterilan Kingdom have recently infiltrated the Northwest Province, and there's even a key figure who has had contact with the Ice Snow Witch. Next month, we'll send these two and the other newcomers to the Northwest Province to show off their abilities as hounds in front of the Extinction Saint, who is in charge of the inspection troops."
If these two caused any uncontrollable trouble, it wouldn't be in the imperial capital, and the troublesome matters could be left to the Extinction Saint to handle.
"What if Lochie and Sid start fighting each other?" The Grand Cleric asked worriedly.
These two were both the type to act on their own initiative.
It was likely that neither would submit to the other, and sending them far away would make them even more uncontrollable.
"Hmph, I'd like to see them fight it out. Anyway, no matter what, our merits outweigh our faults, don't you think?" Sandert didn't say more after that. This was also a process of filtering and selecting.
If Sid was an insider, it would be best if Lochie could expose and get rid of her.
If he couldn't, she would at least expose her cracks, and since Lochie's ability was limited, he would die if he couldn't handle it.
(End of Chapter)
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