Chapter Seventeen: White Magic Priests

Boriz and Karu found nothing at Bruce Fortress. The fortress remained as prosperous as it was under Homer’s control, if not more so. The river port outside the fortress had begun operating again. Though it hadn’t returned to its peak, the number of ships arriving and departing was steadily increasing. There were also far more pedestrians and caravans crossing the floating bridge between Leon and Bruce Fortress. Aside from the half-orc soldiers and elf archers on the fortress walls, which seemed somewhat striking, everything else appeared normal.

The reports about the appearance of undead obtained from Homer Philip had turned into absurd rumors among the residents near Bruce Fortress. No one believed such things could happen, nor had they ever heard of undead appearing in their area. Although the fortress had changed hands, they didn’t want such rumors to tarnish Bruce’s reputation. After all, they all relied on this fortress and town for their livelihoods. Especially now, with more and more caravans traveling between Leon, the residents seemed to see signs that life would improve. In their view, this must be Homer’s slander and defamation. Since they had lost control of Bruce Fortress and couldn’t regain it through legitimate military means, they tried to ruin Bruce’s reputation with such despicable tactics.

“What do you think, Boriz?” After three days with no results, both Boriz and Karu were disappointed. Yet, amidst his disappointment, Karu felt an indescribable joy. He had never believed this remote place had anything worth the Tribunal’s attention. It was most likely that damned Philip wanted to use the Tribunal’s power to teach a subordinate lord who refused to obey him. Karu despised Philip’s tactics. A fool who couldn’t even control his own subordinates wasn’t worthy of the Light Church’s attention, even though he was still one of the four great lords of the Kingdom of Nicomedia.

“Hmm, it seems normal. Our open and secret investigations show no one here has any memory of undead appearing. Even if that Comer tried to hide it, he couldn’t cover it up so thoroughly. But just because these residents don’t know doesn’t mean undead have never appeared here. I’m increasingly suspecting that Lord Comer might be behind this attack on Homer’s army with undead.” Boriz’s dark gray eyes flashed with a strange light.

“Boriz, aren’t you going a bit too far? Could that Lord Komer really be a necromancer? Though he isn’t a legitimate noble, he still comes from a noble family—the Lessor family, which is an important family in Homer. His father, Ramla Lessor, is even Philip’s treasurer. How could he possibly be a necromancer? Besides, becoming a necromancer seems beyond his age; even if he were a genius, it would be impossible.” Karu frowned in disagreement.

“That’s exactly what puzzles me the most. Maybe it’s his friend? He was exiled by Philip a few years ago—could he have met someone during that time…” Boriz also frowned, deep in thought.

“Boriz, your imagination is really too vivid. Of course, such a possibility doesn’t rule out the idea, but it’s extremely unlikely. How old was he a few years ago? How could he have met a necromancer? We’ve checked here and found no signs of necromantic activity, not even the slightest suspicious presence. Although this can’t be used as evidence—maybe they’ve already eliminated those traces—we can’t jump to conclusions. Why not consider this from another angle? Could it be Philip setting us up by using someone else as a pawn? Or maybe dark creatures and monsters from the Greenland Forest attacked his army, and he fabricated the story by turning it into a necromantic tale?” Unhappy with his companion’s wild speculation, Karu proposed another theory, subconsciously thinking his friend was trying to find an excuse to vent his frustrations.

“Hmm, Karu, what you say makes some sense. But the truth remains unclear for now. I investigated a few soldiers from the Storm Infantry Regiment—they all said they saw skeletons and zombies. I don’t think they’re lying.” Boriz was a man of firm resolve; he wouldn’t change his mind easily.

“Since you think so, and we can’t find any clues here either, why not go to Leon and the Caucasus? The Caucasus is the stronghold of that lord. If he really is a necromancer, or if one of his friends is, I believe we won’t fail to spot them.” Karu paused before adding, “However, Boriz, I feel you have a preconceived bias that could cloud our judgment. We need to maintain an objective mindset and observe carefully. Though this place is remote, I also dislike those lowly half-orcs, but we represent the Church of Light and hold great power. Even if we take action, it must be done in a way that makes them submit willingly.”

Boriz’s displeasure grew even more evident, but he had to respect his companion. Though her words were harsh, there was some truth to them. He didn’t want to lose her trust and support over this matter.

“Who’s there?!” Boriz’s icy gaze swept through the woods about thirty meters away like a sharp sword. “Come out now, or I’ll make your life worse than death!”

“Are the monks of the Church of Light really that tyrannical? Why should I come out? Did we provoke you in the woods? Are your words orders or decrees?”

A clear and pleasant voice came from the woods, startling both Boriz and Karu. A woman? And a young one at that. The two exchanged glances before Karu broke the silence awkwardly, “Uh, sorry. My companion and I were talking and didn’t want to be disturbed, so we chose this place. I didn’t expect to meet someone here too. It seems there’s been a misunderstanding.”

Two slender figures stepped out of the woods, both with beautiful faces. One was dressed in a full white priest’s robe, while the other wore the attire of an elven swordsman. Such unusual outfits made Boriz and Karu feel a bit uncomfortable.

Both Boriz and Karu’s gazes lingered on the girl in the white priest’s robe. Her graceful and calm smile seemed to carry a hint of mockery, likely due to Boriz’s rude words earlier. Her bright eyes exuded confidence, and on her belt of the same color was embroidered a white plum blossom—a symbol of a priest’s noble aspirations. Boriz and Karu’s investigative eyes had already scanned her body; she was likely a mage or priest who practiced white magic, which filled them with satisfaction.

Priests who practice white magic are not necessarily mages of the Light Church, but they are generally believers of the Light Church or its allies. Driven by a compassionate belief, they travel across the continent to help ordinary people overcome hardships or work alongside other mages and martial practitioners to eradicate magical beasts. Their presence can be seen in every corner of the continent, and they are highly respected everywhere, as such dedicated practitioners who bring no harm to their rule can bring many benefits to their territories. They seek neither power nor profit, only dedication. To the Light Church, they are natural allies, sharing the same faith in the God of Light, though they exist as individuals rather than as an organized group.

As for the other girl, she was clearly an elf, wielding a slender and sharp double-edged dagger, clad in finely crafted light blue magical armor, with her voluminous hair seemingly radiating the essence of nature. If there was any race other than mortals for whom the Light Church held goodwill, it was the elves. Though the elves revere nature deities, they are inherently pure and kind, despising hatred and darkness, making them natural allies of the Light Church. Although they worship the Goddess of Youth and the Goddess of Hunting due to their racial beliefs, they still maintain respect for the God of Light.

The appearance of these two beautiful girls was a delightful sight for both Boriz and Karu, lifting their somewhat gloomy moods from Homer to Bruce.

“Hmph, the reputation of the Light Church needs to be upheld by all. I hope these two priests won’t tarnish its noble image with their actions,” said the priestess in white, casting a brief glance at them.

“Miss, you are absolutely right. We take your words to heart,” Karu replied with a faint smile, appearing sincerely receptive to criticism, maintaining his identity as an ordinary priest. “May we ask your names, ladies?”

“I’m Finitz, and she’s Eve. What are you two up to here, sneaking around?” The elf girl was clearly much more lively than the priestess in white, speaking in a straightforward manner.

Sneaking around? Karu and Boriz exchanged helpless, wry smiles. As two senior clergy members of the Inquisition, it was the first time they had been labeled as sneaky, which was rather frustrating. However, the dull journey to the Caucasus had made them feel much better meeting these two girls. It wasn’t that they had any other intentions—Inquisitors are human too and need to relieve stress as well. Such a chance encounter, especially while keeping their identities hidden, was indeed an opportunity to relax.