Chapter 013: Deceiving the World

Du Fan nodded in response, then hesitated before saying, “Lord Anthony, if you put it that way, then what exactly is it…”
Anthony slowly shook his head. “You just need to pay more attention to these matters these days… You’ll eventually discover it. But by then, remember that every choice you make represents not only your Green family but also our Holy Church… The Holy Church’s principle over the years has been to remain above worldly affairs, and I don’t want that to change… Du Fan, do you understand what I mean?”
Du Fan’s heart skipped a beat again. Lord Anthony said nothing outright, yet he mentioned the Holy Church being above worldly affairs, which already hinted at something. Could it be that… there might be changes in the imperial regime? Other than that, there shouldn’t be anything to worry a cardinal who stood above everyone else.
Yet despite understanding this, Du Fan pretended not to know anything and simply nodded respectfully.
Afterward, Anthony casually asked about Du Fan’s situation in the North. Finally, he let out a soft sigh and said, “By the way, Du Fan, I was so busy talking today that I forgot the truly important thing… What have you gained from your trip to the North?”
Du Fan’s breath tightened. He knew this was the final test of the day. If he passed it, his status in the Holy Church would surely rise significantly. But he wondered… had Nicholas and Tasia told Lord Anthony anything? If they hadn’t said what was agreed upon, he feared he wouldn’t be able to leave this cathedral alive!
At this thought, Du Fan grew anxious. He couldn’t figure out Anthony’s intentions and asked doubtfully, “Lord Anthony, weren’t Saint Nicholas and Bishop Tasia already back? Haven’t they reported on their mission to you?”
Anthony smiled slightly and shook his head. “I didn’t ask them. Since I’ve declared you to be the mastermind this time, asking them anything would only be better if it’s directed at you. Besides, I could tell they were somewhat uneasy. It’s better not to ask them, right? Du Fan…”
As he spoke, Anthony gave Du Fan a meaningful look. His gaze wasn’t imposing or stern—it was kind—but it seemed capable of seeing through a person completely.

Du Fan’s mind sharpened as he understood the implication of Archbishop Anthony’s words—he was telling him to stop making up excuses…
“Oh, I see…” Du Fan quickly nodded. “No matter what Lord Anthony wants to ask, I, Du Fan, will answer everything without reservation!”
“Then tell me first what happened after you went to the North.”
Du Fan was momentarily puzzled, not quite sure what Lord Anthony meant. Instead of asking about the most important matters directly, he was asking about such details…
Still, despite his confusion, Du Fan quickly nodded and said, “It was like this… Of course, after leaving the capital, we headed north. For safety, we avoided large towns. By the time we reached the Northern Ice Plains, half a month had passed… After that, we entered the Northern Ice Plains. Although there were threats and some losses, we managed to safely reach the Frozen Forest… But…”
At this point, a hint of hesitation appeared on Du Fan’s face.
Anthony raised an eyebrow and asked, “But what?”
Du Fan deliberately sighed, putting on a puzzled expression. “But one night, we encountered a group of mercenaries…”
“Mercenaries?” Anthony was slightly surprised. “How could mercenaries exist in a place like the Frozen Forest? That place is a true death zone!”
“Yes, that’s what I thought too,” Du Fan replied respectfully. “That night, we were camping in the forest when suddenly we heard loud noises. A few of me and the Temple Knights went to check, and we found that those mercenaries had run into necrotic wolves…”
“Necrotic wolves?” Anthony’s expression changed again. With his experience, he knew well how dangerous such wolves were. “So those mercenaries were wiped out by the necrotic wolves?”
Du Fan sighed. “No… It wasn’t like that. If anyone is to be blamed, it’s me for being too lenient. I didn’t want to deal with those mercenaries at first, but they brought the necrotic wolves near our camp. We had no choice but to fight and rescue the few survivors from the mercenary group…”
Anthony said, “Oh,” and asked, “How many of you fought?”
Du Fan’s heart stirred as he deliberately put on a sorrowful expression.

Anthony saw Du Fan’s expression and smiled slightly. “Just tell me what happened directly. No matter what it is, I won’t blame you.”
Du Fan nodded and said, “At that time, I and a few Templar knights fought together to barely hold off the first wave of the Corpse Wolves. But those Corpse Wolves were simply too powerful… Despite doing our best, we still couldn’t match them. Just as we were in grave danger, Lord Alfred arrived. It was he who fought hard to drive those Corpse Wolves away… If not for him, I don’t think I’d be standing here now.”
“Alfred?” Anthony sighed. “With his strength, it’s natural he could deal with those Corpse Wolves… So what happened next?”
“Next, we brought the remaining members of that mercenary group back to the camp. We originally planned to stay with them for a day before leaving, but…”
“But what?”
“But at that time, we didn’t realize those mercenaries weren’t ordinary ones at all.” Saying this, Du Fan deliberately showed a fearful expression. “Those mercenaries were actually hired by Roland Academy to deal with us… Thankfully, they were unlucky and encountered the Corpse Wolves. Otherwise, if they had met us, although we wouldn’t be afraid, it would still have been a huge problem… Later, Sister Tasia noticed something was wrong with them and exposed them in time, so we didn’t suffer too much loss there…”
“And then?”
“And then?” Du Fan slowly closed his eyes, as if thinking about something. After a moment, he continued, “Then we continued on our journey. Along the way, we encountered various magical beasts. Although the Templar Knights were brave, we still suffered heavy losses. By the time we reached the valley where the Great Temple was located, less than half of our people remained. It was only then that Lord Nicholas sent back a message… After that, we entered the valley in search of the Great Temple…”
Anthony nodded. “And then you found it?”
A hint of unease appeared on Du Fan’s face. “No… We didn’t find it. Not only that, we didn’t succeed in finding the Great Temple—we even encountered an ambush… At that time, we left a group of injured Templar Knights outside to provide support, while the rest entered the valley where the Great Temple was. But not long after entering, we were ambushed… An ambush by Roland Academy…”

“Roland Academy?” Anthony showed some confusion. “How could they get there before you? And even lay an ambush for you?”
“I don’t know either.” Du Fan tried hard to stay calm, but fear still showed on his face. This expression, seen by Anthony, seemed even more genuine. “But after we entered the jungle in that valley, we were struck by a relentless attack. Those from Roland Academy seemed to have been prepared all along, led by that damned Aldas, attacking us from all sides… At that time, we were tired and hungry—how could we compete with them? Yet the Temple Knights fought bravely. It was a fierce battle, and in the end, few survived. In the final moments, Lord Alfred bravely stayed behind to hold off the enemy, allowing me, Saint Nicholas, and Bishop Tasia to escape. Since then, there has been no news of Lord Alfred… If I’m guessing correctly, he most likely died at Aldas’s hands… But… humph, Aldas thought he had won, but even those who survived him ended up dead at my hands. In a way, I’ve avenged Lord Alfred and the fallen Temple Knights!”
“I see.” Anthony nodded slightly. “So that’s how Alfred died. I understand your motives for setting up that plan in the North. Don’t worry, Du Fan. You’re working for my Holy Church, and I will never betray you.”
Du Fan showed gratitude and said, “Thank you, Lord Anthony.”