Imprisoned for a Trillion Years, I Was Worshipped by All Gods!-Chapter 615 - 171-The Long-Awaited Ones

"We gather here today to praise the blessings of our Lord. His divine glory upon the earth shall protect every devout follower."

"Brothers and sisters, remember this: each of us is born with original sin. The meaning of life is to seek redemption. The arrogant shall face the punishment of being stoned by the masses. Those who harbor ill intent toward others shall one day face retribution."

"So do not be prideful, do not provoke conflict, and never bring harm upon others. Our Father in heaven watches over your every word and deed."

Inside the grand cathedral of the Imperial Capital, a priest stood on the sermon platform, preaching to the gathered believers with alternating tones of gentleness and severity. His sermon, like a spiritual cleansing, left the congregation visibly more devout than when they first entered.

After a while, the gathering concluded, and the believers departed the cathedral in an orderly fashion. The priest, too, turned and retreated into the private resting quarters at the back of the sanctuary.

But someone had long been waiting for him there.

Seeing the figure seated in the room, the priest's expression flickered with a hint of surprise. He quickly lowered his head and greeted with respect, "Your Excellency Bishop, weren't you traveling the provinces to recruit new believers? What brings you to the Imperial Capital?"

The bishop, seated calmly on a wooden chair, slowly opened his eyes and said in a deep voice, "I didn't want to come either. But recent events in the Capital have left me no choice."

The priest stood in place, thoughtful for a moment, then suddenly understood.

"You mean… it's because of the tensions between Lioncrest and Sirius Academy?"

The bishop gave a silent nod.

"Exactly. Lioncrest Academy's recent actions have grown too audacious. What's more, Sirius Academy… that person resides there. They…"

He suddenly cut off his sentence and changed his tone. "Sigh… never mind. What's done is done. There's no point in dwelling on it now. Send word—mobilize all the standby paladins. I want them to investigate that mysterious white-robed mage traveling alongside Stephen. Also, allocate some forces to protect… no… forget it. That would make us seem insincere."

"I'll go myself."

With that, the bishop stood up decisively.

The priest hurried to ask, "But, Your Excellency, the Church has long maintained its stance of neutrality. Are you now intending to abandon that position?"

The bishop slowly turned around, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the priest.

"Neutrality? Hah, you're still too young."

He walked over to the priest, patted his shoulder, and continued, "As long as we live in this world, true neutrality is impossible. Each of us lives in different circumstances and has our own standards of good and evil."

"If there is anything in this world that is absolutely fair, it is profit."

He then walked to the window and gazed down at the countless lights of the Imperial Capital below.

"The worst outcome is that young man dies, and Lioncrest reclaims its dominant position in the Capital. But that would do the Church no good. If they can suppress Sirius Academy today, what's to stop them from coming for us tomorrow? Power-hungry institutions like theirs can't expand without eventually clashing with us."

"But consider this: what if we support that young man and help him defeat Lioncrest Academy?"

The priest was momentarily stunned before replying thoughtfully, "Then he would surely be grateful for the Church's intervention and grow closer to us. In that case, the Church would gain a powerful ally… Your Excellency, I didn't realize you had thought this far ahead. I was too short-sighted."

The bishop smiled faintly and said, "Now that you understand this, it shows you've taken your first steps toward grasping the concept of 'interest.' Keep it up. One day, when I step down, this position may very well be yours to inherit."

The priest was instantly moved. He bowed deeply once again. "Thank you for your trust, Your Excellency. I will not fail your expectations."

Outside Ironblood City, near the ruins of Forbidden Magus Nicolas's micro-world, a woman in a black dress descended gracefully beneath a tall treehouse. Her features were striking, her expression frosty and composed.

She knelt on one knee and delivered a calm report on the situation in the Capital to someone within the treehouse.

When she finished, the treehouse suddenly split down the middle. In the blink of an eye, a petite girl clad in a frilly Lolita-style dress appeared before her, face flushed with fury.

"What did you say?! Is it true? Lioncrest Academy actually dared go that far?!"

The black-dressed woman nodded without a hint of emotion.

"It is entirely true. I saw it with my own eyes. Stephen, the headmaster of Lioncrest Academy, brought along an unidentified Legendary-tier mage and abducted Isabella. Their destination was the newly discovered micro-world ruins in Kent Kingdom—Jacob's Remains."

The little girl trembled with rage. With a wave of her hand, the rest of the treehouse was reduced to splinters.

"Unbelievable! Those beasts dared lay hands on an innocent young girl? Keep watching them. If they so much as harm a single hair on Isabella's head…"

She paused, her tone turning ice-cold.

"...I'll make sure Lioncrest Academy is completely erased from the Capital."

On the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, Francis, Fort, and Blanche—who had rushed over—finally caught up to Alan, who had been walking ahead in silence.

Seeing his companions arrive, Alan felt a flicker of warmth in his heart, but he didn't show it. He turned away and said in a low voice, "You shouldn't have come. This doesn't concern you. Besides… we're in a foreign kingdom with no allies. You could all be in danger—"

Before he could finish, Francis stepped forward and gave him a firm shove.

"You brat! Are you seriously treating us like outsiders?"

Blanche stepped up as well, locking eyes with Alan.

"Isabella is a kind girl. Over the past few days, she's helped us and brought us joy. To me, she's no longer just a friend—she's like family."

"I'm sure Francis and Fort feel the same. So, Alan, you have no reason to refuse our help. Because when it comes to family… you don't need a reason to save them."

"You guys…"

Alan was clearly moved. He clenched his fists, trying several times to say something, but the words just wouldn't come out.

Francis chuckled and slung an arm around his shoulders like he always did. "If you can't say it, then don't. Let's move. If we're late, we'll miss the train to Kent Kingdom."

Alan turned his back to them and quickly wiped the moisture from his eyes. Then, he faced them with renewed determination.

"Let's go—to Kent Kingdom!"

The four of them exchanged no more words. United, they headed toward the train station on the outskirts of the city. ƒreewebɳovel.com

But when they arrived, they saw a uniformed conductor standing there with several staff members, as if they had been waiting for Alan and his companions all along…