Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 850 - 791: Avenging Angel

Sitting in the front row of the Church of Holy Light, Lyle looked up at the Paladin in front of him. Mr. Raymond was standing before him, conversing with anurgent suppressed tone. If it weren’t for the fact that Lyle was present, Mr. Raymond might have grabbed the collar of the other person to force them to look him in the eye.

Alianna sat on the other side of the bench, maintaining an appropriate distance that made her presence felt without being intrusive. It was unclear whether her intentions leaned more towards supporting her own Archbishop or the newcomer favored by the Holy Light.

"Lyle, George has disappeared!"

"I know, Mr. Raymond... I mean, Mr. Dark is not someone who strictly adheres to attendance and punctuality." Most of the time, Darkness remains out of touch for extended periods, his public appearances almost as rare as the times he is punished at the threshold of the Executive Committee.

"Maybe Mr. Dark will come out on his own at some point and create a big scene, that’s the president of the Literary Society as I know him."

Raymond clasped his fists together, his tone filled with undiminished concern.

"No, it’s different this time. His disappearance has caused unrest among the members of the Literary Society; this is a bad omen."

Lyle wanted to say that the Literary Society was never quiet, but he chose silence in this somber atmosphere.

There was silence, and the atmosphere started to stiffen.

"Lyle, do you remember what His Excellency Saint George told you during our last meeting?" Alianna leaned in closer, and a waft of her perfume drifted over.

Lyle and Raymond created some distance between themselves; Raymond did so because he found the scent peculiar, while Lyle didn’t want the smell to cling to him. Alianna once joked that she could even detect the scent of a banshee’s spirit; Lyle had no desire to put that to the test.

"I didn’t notice anything different about Mr. Dark. As usual, he hides in a corner’s shadow and, with a bang, jumps out to block the road, pulling his cape over half his face like an unlicensed dealer whispering in my ear, ’Do you want to understand the meaning of life? The essence of existence?’"

Alianna gave up trying to interpret the various behaviors of His Excellency Saint George; one Archbishop was enough for her to deal with.

"What does that mean, Lyle."

"Mr. Dark asked me to fill out an application for the Literary Society, hoping to make me his subordinate in writing as well." As for rumors, the Necromancer Figure Club has already become the second band of villains.

Raymond was quite lenient with his own brother. Even for the favored Purifier, he didn’t mind letting his brother build a closer relationship with Lyle. George is my brother; Lyle is my Purifier; George and Lyle’s relationship grows closer... ah, the closer the better, that’s a good thing!

But now was not the best time.

"Why does he want to recruit you to his side at this time? George, what foolishness are you planning now..." Raymond muttered to himself, holding the edge of his helmet, as the rhythm of light produced turbulent waves under the influence of the Paladin’s emotions. The leader of the Crusaders is always a man of action.

"No, I can no longer linger on these issues, I must go and find George right now!" Raymond moved past Lyle, giving the chapel door a push and flinging it open roughly. His voice still resonated in the air, like the enduring power of Holy Light that refuses to dissipate.

"Take good care of Lyle, Alianna, I will handle everything."

Lyle saw Sister Alianna’s face collapse instantly, her gaze like the chaos that ensues when light and shadow intertwine.

"Ali... Miss Alianna?"

The nun of the Holy Light quickly returned to her dignified and gentle demeanor, Alianna lowered her eyelids, gently smiling.

"I’m sorry, Lyle, all higher spellcasters can sense a turmoil coming. At this moment, His Excellency Saint Raymond can’t suppress his childlike simplicity. Please forgive his rudeness; his heart is in turmoil due to His Excellency Saint George."

Lyle nodded in understanding. In fact, he felt relieved by Mr. Raymond’s somewhat normal behavior. Casting aside that burdensome concern, Mr. Raymond was nothing more than a domineering king of the era.

"Why does Mr. Raymond seem so certain that Mr. Dark will encounter issues, as if he knows what’s going to happen?"

Alianna shook her head.

"In truth, we have no clues. Paladins always trust their instincts. I can’t understand Mr. Raymond’s agitation either, only gathering bits of speculation from some of his words."

"I am eager to hear more."

"Well, Loveday has gone out to search, and His Excellency Raymond has also departed. Telling you in secret should be fine, and according to His Excellency’s standards, you are also considered an insider of the Holy Light. So I will speak frankly, we suspect that His Excellency Saint George has long awakened the power of concepts and is arranging some designs according to his own rules."

Mr. Dark has been promoted to Nine Locks? The Holy Light faction has summoned a second concept power?

Having experienced the force of [Justice] and the authority of [Mystery], Lyle was deeply impressed by these divine powers. But wasn’t the Nine Locks level supposed to be very difficult to break through, a hurdle that several Dragon Priests couldn’t surpass in a lifetime? Ten Locks’ father dragon Yemotar is a part of the gods themselves, and Raymond’s promotion came from slaying a dragon. Such non-replicable feats destined them to stand above all life. Andrei Academy even once taught the concept as a theoretical model, with many spellcasters willing to become slaves to rules just to grasp this concept power.

And now Mr. Dark, just like that, has it too?

"This is just your suspicion."

"Scriptures once recorded that only the most outstanding and extraordinary warriors among the Crusaders, those who could discern the path and foretell the future, were capable of becoming leaders of legions. The power of Holy Light is all-encompassing. The four archangels are geniuses far surpassing any individual in talent and enlightenment, carrying the future of the human race with absolute resolve—this is the promise made by the angels to the pope."

In the era of dragons, the Holy Light’s power was established, and the oppressed circumstances gave rise to new heroes. Lyle accepted that this was understandable, but one cheater was enough, right?

"The Earth Angel consolidates the hearts of people, the Water Angel guards purity, the Fire Angel brings down punishment, the Light Angel never submits."

"The four archangels each perform their duties, bestowing their blessings upon the legions. Raphael’s legion is unified in spirit, Gallaron’s legion can see through the fog to the source, George’s legion sharpens their blades, and under His Excellency Saint Raymond, the blessing given to the Paladins is defense—resistance to all forces."

"His Excellency Raymond once said that His Excellency George was just one step away from crossing the threshold of the Nine Locks, that he has grasped the concept but chooses to conceal it."

Lyle raised a question.

"From my understanding, concepts aren’t so easily controlled. Once a concept is established and begins to operate, it is difficult for anyone to stop it, even the originators. They can be driven or even controlled by this enhanced strength. But around Mr. Dark, there isn’t that kind of constraint like [Justice]. A concept that doesn’t exist in the hearts of people doesn’t exist at all."

Alianna clasped her hands together, the light in her palms fading into a dim shadow, as the Dissenter controlled her power, as if through this she could observe the very first Dissenter.

"Perhaps George’s concept has always existed, just never executed, his laws having stringent activation conditions."

Lyle thought of the Salvation Association archives he had once perused, a title that left a deep impression on him.

"The Salvation Association refers to Mr. Dark as..."

"[Avenging Angel]."