Eternal Master: Path to Godlike Status-Chapter 16: Going With the Flow Part 4

Rain seemed done with all the drama. He turned his back on the group of holy men and armed hunters.,

He didn’t even try to look tough. He simply walked back to his chair.

"He’s a demon!" the lead hunter shrieked, the sound echoing off the low wooden beams. "Did you see that? It was a trick! Foul play!"

The other hunters joined in, their "arrogance of numbers" blinded their commonsense.

"The crystal was sabotaged!"

"He cheated! No living thing has that much... whatever that was!"

"Father, don’t let him walk away! He’s mocking the Church!"

They were looking for a fight now, less out of revenged and more out of the terrifying realization that if Rain wasn’t a monster, they were the ones who had just committed a grave slander.

Rain stopped. He didn’t turn around, but his shoulders dropped slightly.

"I spared your lives to let fate decide, yet you come here looking for trouble. Were my words not clear enough, or did you misunderstand my indifference for weakness?"

Everyone stepped back, a sudden, inexplicable dread prickling their skin. Fortunately, the feeling vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared.

"He just admitted it!" the lead hunter shouted. "He’s a murderer and a practitioner of the dark arts! Don’t let the light fool you!"

His followers joined in the chaos, shouting like wild animals.

Ignoring the commotion, Rain’s gaze stayed fixed on the holy men.

Patterns on their robes caught his eye, especially the one on the chest that looked like two crosses stacked atop each other.

Beside him, the two women were vibrating with suppressed rage.

Elisa’s knuckles were white as she gripped the hilt of her axe, her teeth gritted so hard her jaw ached.

She knew the truth. But she also knew the weight of the silver symbols on those white robes.

The head priest of this town was only a Master Rank—formidable, but likely no match for Reign.

However, he wasn’t just a single man. The Church itself was embodied in him.

To strike him, or even the others under his "protection," was to declare war on the most powerful institution in the continent.

Rain would be branded a heretic and a criminal, hunted by every Paladin from here to the capital.

"Master Rain," Elisa whispered. "Don’t. If you spill blood here, there’s no turning back. The Church doesn’t forget, and they never stop coming."

Eira stepped forward, her eyes flashing. "They’re baiting you! They want you to prove you’re a monster so they can justify their accusation."

"Why would I be angry?" he asked in confusion.

One does not feel Malice toward the rain for getting one wet, nor does one hold a grudge against an ant for a momentary sting.

To him, these men were infinitesimal. Their shouting, their posturing, and their pathetic shouts were the frantic vibrations of insects caught in the amber of a moment they didn’t understand.

However, even he didn’t expect what happened next.

"I, Alfonso, Head Priest of this town, declare that you are to be brought to the church for further questioning."

Rain’s expression stayed the same, but his eyes showed confusion.

Surely the priest could see the gap between them, understanding that some matters are best left alone.

But Alfonso clearly let his devotion to the institution override his survival instinct.

Or maybe it wasn’t devotion at all, but corruption. It was clear that he was siding with the enemy.

By now, Elisa and Eira expected an all-out fight—and felt no fear. His effortless victory over the mages had already proven the extent of his strength.

"Do I have the right to defend myself?" his question came out of nowhere, catching everyone off guard.

"Are you thinking of resisting?" Alfonso asked, already reaching for his pendant.

"It depends. Even a tame rabbit will fight back when it’s cornered."

It was obvious from his words that he would not attack without cause.

Sensing no hostility, the priest decided to change his approach.

"Rest assured, we won’t do anything to hurt you. We just want to know how you broke the crystal. As for their accusations—ignore them. We don’t care."

"Oh..." Rain rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You just want to study me? Isn’t that even worse?"