Chapter 002: The Archbishop

The two groups of Temple Knights guarding either side of the gate surely recognized Du Fan. By now, most of the news about his actions in the north had reached the capital, so these Temple Knights knew something about him as well.
Since Du Fan had managed to defeat that Ordas, his skills were undoubtedly formidable.
The Roland Continent was originally a world where the strong ruled. As the Temple Knights looked at Du Fan, their gazes held not only reverence but also a hint of fear.
Thus, even though Du Fan stood gazing at the main entrance of the cathedral, the Temple Knights did not dare disturb him. Fortunately, it was not Sunday, so there were not many believers around; otherwise, his presence might have caused further trouble.
After standing there for a while, Du Fan couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh. He glanced at the Temple Knights around him, gave them a casual greeting, and then slowly stepped inside.
The first thing that caught his eye was the huge square in front of the church. There were groups of people scattered about, and the fountain in the center sprayed crystal-clear water from time to time.
Seeing this familiar and peaceful scene, Du Fan couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia.
But after standing there for a while, he grew puzzled. Logically, Archbishop Anthony should be eagerly awaiting his arrival. His decision to stand idly at the gate had a purpose—to let as many people in the church hierarchy know that Du Fan had returned. From this, one could somewhat gauge Archbishop Anthony’s attitude.
Yet, so much time had passed, and Archbishop Anthony still hadn’t shown up…
Du Fan felt a strange sense in his heart. Did Archbishop Anthony really not care at all about what he had achieved in the Northern Temple? Or had he recalled Nicholas and Tasia in advance and already learned something from their answers?
Du Fan knew well that, given Nicholas and Tasia’s piety, they would never hide anything from Archbishop Anthony. Fortunately, they didn’t know much about him, and Du Fan had subtly let them know… that he had a skilled expert at his side of a sacred rank… Given this, Archbishop Anthony would surely consider it carefully…
No matter how you looked at it, he should still be quite useful right now!

After thinking for another moment, Du Fan still couldn’t figure out the old fox’s intentions. He hesitated briefly before waving at a passing priest and saying, “Sir, do you know where Lord Anthony is?”
The ordinary priest glanced at Du Fan’s white robe, showing slight surprise in his eyes, but he quickly replied, “Lord Anthony should be in the cathedral, though…”
At that point, the priest stopped speaking, but Du Fan understood what he meant. A priest in white might be someone important in a small town, but in this imperial capital’s cathedral, he was at most just a laborer!
For example, the spot where Du Fan prayed every day—had it not been for his strong background, he wouldn’t have been qualified to stand there either.
So, although the Holy Church emphasized equality for all, it was not easy for a priest in white to meet a cardinal who was above everyone else. There was hardly any chance of even starting a conversation.
Du Fan, noticing the strange look in the priest’s eyes, said nothing more but simply smiled and thanked him.
Just then, a soft voice suddenly came from behind Du Fan: “Ah! Sir Du Fan, so you’re here! I’ve been looking for you for so long!”
Du Fan was slightly stunned. He already knew who it was. Turning around, he saw Tasia dressed in a proper nun’s robe, with a palm-sized holy cross hanging around her neck. Though her expression was calm, she was still breathtakingly beautiful at first glance.
Especially in that robe, she exuded an indescribable charm compared to when she wore other clothes. The “V”-shaped neckline revealed a large area of fair skin, and though it was just a glimpse, it was enough to make one’s mouth water.
The priest who had been talking to Du Fan’s eyes shone with admiration as he stared at Tasia like a fanboy. Despite still wearing his robe, he showed no trace of solemnity or holiness.
Du Fan glanced at him briefly and sighed inwardly—what a shame! A priest who should be pure and detached instantly became a fool for this nun, Tasia! It was… somewhat amusing…
But from another perspective, it was clear that Sister Tasia had astonishing charm!

Tasia naturally wouldn’t show any kindness toward this priest. Seeing Du Fan’s attempt to hold back a smile, she suddenly let out a cold snort. The infatuated priest was struck like by lightning, his expression changing instantly as he snapped back to his senses. This time, he dared not act recklessly and only stole a glance at Tasia before saying, “Sister Tasia…” But then he froze, carefully examining the robe she wore. Moments later, his expression changed drastically, and he quickly corrected himself, “Ah no! It’s High Priestess Tasia!”
High Priestess?
Du Fan couldn’t help but be slightly surprised. If he remembered correctly, Tasia should have been from the Divine Punishment Prison. Although he wasn’t exactly afraid of her, he had always been cautious around her.
According to the traditions of the Holy Church, people from the Divine Punishment Prison generally did not hold any actual positions within the Holy Church… So Tasia had previously been just an ordinary nun, her status seemingly even lower than Du Fan’s.
But now, she had skipped straight to high priestess—without even wearing white or red robes—what a huge leap!
Though there were many high priests in the Holy Church, their numbers were still limited. Only the most devout priests or nuns could hold such a position. For Tasia to become a high priestess at such a young age meant an incredibly bright future in the eyes of others!
In the Gavin Diocese, only Archbishop Anthony could grant someone such a rapid promotion. It seemed Archbishop Anthony really favored Tasia… And he even had her come to greet him. This likely indicated some good news—apparently, Du Fan still held some importance to the Holy Church!
In less than half a minute, Du Fan had analyzed the situation thoroughly. He glanced at Tasia, smiled, and said, “Miss Tasia, congratulations! You’ve risen to the position of high priestess so quickly. It seems the day you’ll wear a red robe isn’t far off!”
Tasia nodded slightly, gave a brief glance at the infatuated priest, then gestured to Du Fan to follow her. She headed toward the chapel, saying as she walked, “Lord Du Fan, Lord Anthony is eager to see you. I’ve been looking for you for quite some time. Let’s hurry so we don’t keep him waiting.”

Du Fan nodded slightly, but slowed down a bit. After taking a few more steps, he said slowly, “Tasia, I’ve actually been forgetting to tell you—thank you for what you did last time!”
Tasia’s body trembled slightly, just for a moment. She quickly turned around and said indifferently, “Lord Du Fan, back in the Northlands, everything revolved around you. No matter what orders you gave, I would definitely obey them. So what’s there to thank for?”
As she spoke, Tasia’s eyes blinked rapidly, seemingly conveying a message of caution.
Then she quickly turned away and continued walking forward.
Du Fan was momentarily stunned. Over these days, he had come to know Tasia a bit better and knew clearly that she was definitely not trying to flirt with him. Yet she still used such a subtle gesture to convey a warning… It seemed the Holy Church wasn’t stable either!
Du Fan couldn’t help but glance around. Although the crowd was still bustling, there was now an indescribable tension in the air. It seemed he needed to be careful this time he came to the church. Since Tasia had given him such a secret warning, it must mean someone intended to harm him!
But even as he thought this, Du Fan understood that if anything really happened, being alone as he was, no amount of caution would help. Moreover, since the Holy Church hadn’t sent anyone directly to arrest him but instead had Tasia come to greet him, it probably didn’t mean they truly intended to do anything to him. Perhaps he had gone too far in the Northlands, and someone wanted to give him a warning.
After that, the two walked in silence. After passing through the plaza for a while, they reached one side of the cathedral.
In this church, the cathedral was naturally a place for prayer, but that was just one of its functions. After all, for the Holy Church to function, it needed various departments, and these departments were naturally hidden within the cathedral, as it was the only unique building in the entire church.
The two passed by the prayer hall and, under the devout gazes of the believers, walked deeper into the cathedral.