Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 256 - 239 Raphael’s Vase

A smile appeared on Ellie’s face, and also behind each mask. It wasn’t to show friendliness to others, nor was there any extra reason; it was merely the manifestation of joy in her heart. In Ellie’s smile, all the witnesses clasped their hands in admiration, praising the miracle of the holy light, shedding joyful tears as they knelt in the radiance.

Raphael gently pushed on Ellie’s back, guiding her back to her family.

"Angel!" With Ellie’s call, the somber Raphael turned his head back. The little girl clasped her hands in front of her chest, her actions as standard as her family had taught her, "From now on, I will pray to the holy light day and night, praying that it will soothe your pain."

"..." Raphael reached out to touch Ellie’s yellowish hair. "The holy light is proud to have you, Ellie."

Accompanied by ceaseless cheers, Raphael and his soldiers entered the church. In the atmosphere that surged like flames, a voice as gentle as the breeze was ultimately no match for the clamor.

"My sorrow, even the holy light cannot soothe..."

Under the church’s arrangement, the Guardian Legion joined the defense and public order sectors of Lokarot, all coordinated by squad leaders. Raphael walked through the hall, responding to the greetings of his colleagues of the holy light, followed by just one person.

A strapping Paladin clad in gold and red armor, his white helmet with its distinctive design a bit incongruous compared to the rest of the armor. Some tips, chaotic like flames, were arranged on the back of the helmet, making it look like a dragon fruit.

Raphael entered his own room at the top level, with four great swords landing on their racks. He handed the fake flower in his hand to his dragon fruit knight and took his seat.

"Damn, playing the saint is killing me." Raphael threw his feet up on the desk, those knocked-down scrolls nobody cared about, his whole bearing rough and roguish, a stark contrast to the saintliness he displayed outside.

A gentle laugh came from the armor, "You can’t disappoint them, leader, that’s what you said yourself. By the way, Lord Raphael, do I need to seal this flower for preservation?"

Raphael put his hands behind his head, looking at the bundle of white branches in the knight’s hands, "Frey, where’s my vase?"

"What do you need a vase for? You can’t even keep a blade of grass alive," Frey teased his boss without any hesitation.

Raphael’s eyebrows twitched, and he pointed at Frey. "Frey! You! You are my vase! Now I order you to hold that flower for me, or face military law!"

"I... I really can’t with you. Paladin Frey, as per your command." With a brief salute, Frey indeed stood holding the fake flower in the room, motionless.

"Hmmm." With the dignity of a superior, Raphael began his work.

"Sir, this is not a place for entertaining believers. Please do not disturb the lord inside," the nun’s worried voice came from outside the door, as footsteps halted in front of Raphael’s room.

"Jenny, open the door, let the gentleman in." Let’s see which asshole dares to make trouble on my turf.

"Yes, alright, Your Excellency Raphael."

Seeing the visitor, Raphael narrowed his eyes. It was that clown from the commotion outside, a rotund man with a hooked nose. He shot the nun a mocking glance, stepping into Raphael’s room with a self-satisfied smile.

"Praise the holy light! Your Excellency Raphael." He puffed up his round belly, waiting for Raphael’s polite response.

...and Raphael’s response was,

"Who are you?"

"... Almost forgot to introduce myself, I get a bit forgetful with all my official duties. My name is..."

"Stop! I’m not interested in your name! Just tell me what you do."

The man’s greasy face flushed with a tinge of humiliation, but he had enough self-restraint, for a valuable saint.

"I am the butler to Lord Duke Trosi of Lokarot, my master needs you..."

"Why doesn’t your master come himself? Sending you, what kind of thing is this?"

The butler took a deep breath, "The Duke has many important affairs, so he sent his most trusted me to discuss..."

"I’m busy too, I’ve decided to send my butler to communicate with you as well."

Frey moved over. "Lord, where did you get a butler from?"

"You are now my butler, Frey."

Frey looked at the bouquet in his hands, then at the oily, ugly man before him.

"I’m a vase, not a butler."

Raphael turned his gaze back to the butler, shrugging extravagantly. "Alright, unloved sir, you just killed my butler, so now I have to step in myself. Speak, what do you want from me?"

Although Raphael’s demeanor was different from what the butler had imagined, he still put on a gentle, insincere smile for the sake of his mission. "Mr. Raphael, your performance in the square earlier was stunning, but, I hope you reduce such miracles in the future. After all, rarity breeds esteem, and this is for your own good, especially those masked ones. To heal them with the power of the holy light, it really is a waste."

Raphael’s brooding eyes stared at the man who was running his mouth, the icy coldness in his gaze as if freezing his life.

"Are you teaching me how to do my job?"

"No, I... I... just... just a suggestion, after all you still have to bestow blessings upon those truly noble persons, I am very worried about your physical condition."

"Bestow blessings? What is that?" Raphael pondered over the unfamiliar term, reflecting on whether there had been changes to the Ceremony of Light that he had not noticed.

"It’s an agreement reached between Bishop Dover and Duke Tracy, perhaps he has not yet informed you. In the later celebration, you will spread the gospel of the Holy Light in the square to ten nobles including Duke Tracy, which is a good thing, Lord Raphael, you will be spreading the Lord’s radiance."

"Bishop Dover, and your master, have decided on my work without informing me?"

The butler felt as if a steel knife had been plunged into his back, his body trembling under the oppressive aura. The Paladin, the man known as Frey, stood silently by, the space around him twisting erratically, emitting a faint hissing sound. From Frey’s side, fissures were spreading. The helmet that seemed to blaze with fire glared at the butler, as if a demon from hell had opened its eyes.

Raphael’s voice rose like salvation.

"Frey, my floor is going to be ruined."

"Your will, my leader." As if flipping a switch, those dangerous unseen shapes retreated back into pretense, leaving only the butler’s back slick with sweat, a reminder that his usual arsenal of words and intellect was useless.

The butler, trembling, continued his mission, "Lord Raphael, these arrangements have been made by the Duke and the Bishop, I am but a mere messenger."

Raphael nodded, "You are right, I shouldn’t put Bishop Dover in a difficult position. As seekers of the Holy Light, supporting each other is also what I should do."

"You agreed?! Great and merciful Lord Raphael!"

Raphael spoke deliberately.

"Yes, I agreed... to let Frey perform the blessing in my stead. Frey, make it fancy when the time comes, give those ’nobles’ their money’s worth."

The butler screamed, condemning Raphael’s arrangement, his voice hysterical.

"No! You can’t do this! This is Bishop Dover’s arrangement! You can’t disappoint those lords!"

Raphael looked at the butler who was jumping about, somewhat crazed.

"You’re right, I changed my mind."

"Frey! What was the name of that red-headed novice Crusader we recruited a month ago?"

"Nelson Cano, my lord."

"Have Nelson put on your armor and make an appearance for those nobles, as for the blessings, those vain facades are useless, sincerity is what invokes the spirit, bless their nobility!"

Hearing Raphael’s even worse arrangement, the butler, envisioning the possible repercussions he might face, descended into madness. Desperately, he pulled out a stack of gold-threaded Atonement Vouchers from his pocket to show Raphael.

"You can’t treat us like this! We’ve given much wealth to the Holy Light! So much! If you can bless those lowly peasants so easily, why can’t you bestow blessings on us!"

Suddenly feeling a sting in his hands, the butler released them in shock, the Atonement Vouchers dropping to the floor, all igniting into flames. "These we bought at a high price to redeem original sin, you can’t destroy them without reason, it’s against the rules."

"No, it’s according to the rules." Raphael leaned back in his seat. "Frey, what is the punishment for offending the leader of the Crusaders?"

"Burning at the stake, lord."

Raphael spread his hands, "You see, your money did have some effect. I have forgiven you; you are not being burned to death, thanks to these Atonement Vouchers. Now, please leave, Mr. Utterly Worthless. Frey, see our guest out."

Bang! An iron gauntlet grew rapidly in the butler’s vision, kissing his face and sweeping him away from the door’s constraint.

Raphael raised an eyebrow.

"That was rather noisy."

"I controlled the force, there will be no danger other than his face swelling up like a pufferfish," Frey assured.

"Take him for treatment, Frey, the Holy Light is merciful."

"Praise the Holy Light, may I practice the Holy Light’s healing on our new recruit?"

"Such trivial matters, you can decide on your own."

"Your will." Frey exited Raphael’s room.

Raphael could still hear Frey talking to the Nun.

"Lord Frey, this gentleman... What happened to him?"

"Nothing, he accidentally got hit by a vase from His Excellency Raphael."