Chapter 62: The Troubles Brought by the Sorcerer

Not to mention Viscount Covain being amazed by everything in Donald’s manor and feeling reluctant to leave, even after his visit, in the Temple of the Agricultural Goddess in Giant Stone City, Bishop Bantrey returned from Darknight Manor and was immediately informed by a priest.

“My lord, those guests from the south wish to see you again!”

“Oh?”

After pondering for a while, Bishop Bantrey said to the waiting priest, “Go and invite them in.”

“Yes, my lord!”

The priest turned and left. Moments later, he returned with five people before Bishop Bantrey.

Leading the group was a priest, followed by three warriors and a knight. It was none other than those who had appeared in Shining Gold Town and had met Donald before.

“My lord Bantrey!”

Although they belonged to different churches, they were all part of the Alliance of Human Gods and aligned with the forces of good. Moreover, the others were stronger than him. Thus, despite their special status and proud natures, they did not dare to be rude to the white-robed bishop before them.

“There’s no need for formalities. Please, sit down!” Bantrey said with a wave of his hand.

The priest, who led the group, was their representative. He quickly got to the point, saying, “My lord Bantrey, we are here this time to ask for your help! As I’ve said before, the relationship between the Goddess’s Church and the Celt royal family has always been delicate. Therefore, I cannot use the church’s power to directly assist you. And due to Celt’s attitude toward your Justice Hand, I won’t even intercede on your behalf. You are now unwelcome outsiders here, so you must act cautiously and discreetly!”

“But you know too that evil heretics like sorcerers must be eradicated! If such heretics are allowed to continue their evil deeds, it will also bring disaster to the ordinary people of Celt.”

Bantrey did not respond immediately. Seeing this, the priest added, “We pursued that heretic from Solon at the southernmost tip of the continent to Gardrel, then set sail and arrived in Celt. From there, we tracked him through the eastern ports all the way to North County, the northernmost edge of human territory. The clues end here. But based on our investigations and information provided by your church, we know that the sorcerer was last seen associated with a local mage. Therefore, we ask that you privately contact the local mage guild!”

The white-robed bishop shook his head expressionlessly.

“This is the last time I’ll help you. For the sake of the alliance between the Great Goddess Church and the Great Three Gods Church!”
“With my influence, the head of the Mage Association should give an answer. But you who have found clues must be extremely cautious when dealing with mages. The mages of the North are different from those who are already half-converted in your region. Though their strength isn’t as great as that of the Mage Kingdom of Polin, their pride surpasses even that!”
“Thank you so much, Lord Bantrey!”
The five of them were all fanatics who paid no attention to Bantrey’s words. Anyway, they would leave as soon as they achieved their goal. In their view, a place like the North, where most people lacked devotion to the gods—especially one that didn’t worship the Three Gods—was a barbaric, ignorant, and backward nation filled with filth, a place they didn’t want to stay even a day longer.
Unbeknownst to them, if the people of Celt went to the Land of Dawn, they would surely feel as if they were in a harsh prison, with every move restricted and unable to live properly.
The archbishop in white left the temple and boarded a simple carriage, which slowly drove to the entrance of the Mage Association, just two streets away.
A mage barrier couldn’t stop Bantrey, who already possessed silver-level strength. But since he wasn’t there to cause trouble, the archbishop discreetly got out of the carriage with the young priest accompanying him and walked slowly toward the entrance.
“Archbishop… Lord!”
The supreme leader of the North County Church, the archbishop of the Harvest Temple in Stone City, suddenly appeared at the Mage Association in such a low-key manner that the servant at the entrance was shocked and almost triggered the magic alarm for an external invasion. Who didn’t know that the Mage Association had always been at odds with the temples? How could he come here incognito?
However, the archbishop’s words, seemingly imbued with magic, calmed the servant’s emotions, who then went to invite Master Mersel, the head of the association, out.
When Master Mersel, dressed in a mage robe, came out of the laboratory and saw his old rival, he was also somewhat surprised.
Upon meeting, without saying a word, an invisible mental storm erupted between them.
It was a contest of mental willpower.
Generally speaking, Master Mersel’s strength lay more in alchemy; his rank was only at the peak of bronze. In contrast, Archbishop Bantrey was already firmly at the mid-silver level, showing a significant gap between them. Yet surprisingly, the two now seemed evenly matched.

Priests of Bantrey’s caliber could use divine power with limited choices to forcibly enhance their strength, but since this wasn’t a life-or-death battle, there was no need to rely on divine forces at all. As for Messehl, though his actual strength was only at the beginning stage of Silver rank, with the aid of several enhancement magic devices, he could fully compete with Bantrey on a mental level without falling behind. The strength of any alchemy master cannot be underestimated, especially one like Messehl, a master in crafting enchanted equipment; it was extremely easy for him to boost his strength through external means. The clash between these two Silver-ranked powerhouses was intense, but it remained confined to a very small scale—without any earth-shattering scenes or disturbing others. Only a few peak Bronze-ranked mages nearby sensed those powerful and hidden fluctuations and rushed over to support Messehl. Seeing several peak Bronze helpers by his old rival’s side, though they said nothing or took no action, the silent mental pressure they exerted created considerable strain. As soon as Messehl showed signs of weakness, they would likely strike with full force. Seeing this, Bantrey realized the battle was over for the day; otherwise, he would be the one to suffer. So he gave Messehl a slight nod. As rivals who had been competing secretly for years, the old mage immediately understood Bantrey’s intent, and almost simultaneously, both retracted their mental forces. Thus, this invisible struggle also dissipated into nothingness. “What could possibly bring Bantrey in person? The mages here are truly honored!” Ignoring Messehl’s sarcastic remarks, Bantrey got straight to the point: “I’ve come at someone’s request to ask you, Messehl, about a person’s whereabouts!” “Who is so important that even you, the White Bishop, have to come personally?” Usually reticent, Bantrey even joked, “If I sent a priest, you’d still drive him out! So coming in person is a good way to stretch my legs!” “So you just show up like this, without even sending any advance notice?” The old mage asked sternly, then waved at the servant, saying, “Look how you’ve scared these young people. If someone didn’t know, they might think you’re some kind of monster!” At the old mage’s signal, the servant quickly bowed and left, sweating profusely. Though not targeted directly, the invisible pressure from those powerful figures made him feel as if he couldn’t breathe.

The servant left, leaving only the four mages and Bishop Bantrey in the hall. “Speak! Since the bishop is not praying in the temple, what brings you to our mage guild?”
“That man is unimportant to either of you, but he is a wanted criminal by the Hand of Justice and Theron—the sorcerer Gorman. I hear there were some conflicts with you. Was it your young, talented apprentice who last saw him?”
“Have those annoying hounds of the Hand of Justice come to the North as well?” Messel and the three senior mages present immediately changed expressions.
“There’s no need to overthink it. It’s just a bronze-level squad; they won’t cause much trouble. They’ll leave once their mission is done, sooner or later. So, Messel, if you get any news, let me know!”
Bishop Bantrey’s blunt words eased the old mage’s concerns slightly. The tactics of the Hand of Justice meant they were not well-received among human factions outside the territories controlled by the Church of the Three Glorious Gods. Clearly, although the Church of the Agricultural Goddess was allied with them, it also felt some disdain, otherwise Bantrey wouldn’t have spoken so openly.
Messel nodded slightly and said, “My apprentice did indeed confront that sorcerer twice. He was hired by other forces to carry out assassinations, but both attempts failed. The last time, he was injured and fled, and his whereabouts are unknown. You’ll have to ask Donald directly for the exact details!”
“I see. I’ve already met your apprentice today. He’s indeed a talented individual. No wonder you protect him so much, Messel. I’ve got the information I need. This has nothing to do with our Church of the Goddess. You handle the rest!”
After saying that, Bantrey nodded to the mages present and turned to leave. After watching his old rival go, Messel turned to the three bronze mages and said, “Chris, I’ll have to ask you to stay at the manor for a few days again. I’m worried Donald won’t be able to deal with those religious fanatics!”
The eccentric middle-aged mage immediately laughed and said, “I would go even without you asking. Donald has quite a few artifacts from ancient ruins. Maybe he’ll find something valuable for research this time too!”
Messel smiled gratefully. After decades of knowing each other, he knew this was just Chris’s excuse to show concern. In fact, the mages present had all grown up under Messel’s guidance; they were both teachers and friends to one another, with deep bonds. What Messel cared about was also what they cared about.

Meanwhile, in the attic behind the Goldsoul Auction House at Castle Stone, an old man with silver hair asked his subordinates, “Have you found out anything?”
“Yes, my lord. They indeed belong to the Hand of Justice. Although they covered their identities with cloaks, their ability to enter the temple easily and their secretive behavior immediately raised suspicions. Our informants in the temple took the chance to peek into their residential courtyard. Though they removed the symbols of the Hand of Justice, as devout believers, they must always carry the sacred symbols of the True God. With a combination of priests, holy warriors, and knights, all of whom are followers of the Three Glorious Gods, it can only be the Hand of Justice!”
Old Angwa nodded, agreeing with his subordinates’ analysis.
As an intelligence officer, years of experience had made him highly perceptive, often able to deduce a target’s identity and purpose from minor clues.
Even after being exiled to a remote place like the North Counties, the old man continued to maintain his long-held habits.
“Set the net in place! Make sure there’s enough space so as not to startle the fish. Priests have as keen senses as mages, so I want you to keep monitoring them from a distance at all times. No close contact is allowed. Understood?”
“Understood, my lord. I’ll handle it right away!”