Inside the wooden cabin, a brazier burned brightly, bringing some light and warmth to the cold winter.

Masha’s face glowed red, illuminated by the firelight. She looked at the Lord with her large, sapphire-blue eyes. "But rumors are just that—rumors. In contrast to your reputation, in reality you’re a very handsome, humble, and polite nobleman."

"It just goes to show how baseless so many rumors in this world are," Masha, the Divine Maiden, said with a sigh.

"People are foolish, in the end. A few whispered lies are enough for them to accept as truth, jump to conclusions, and stray onto the wrong path." At that moment, Levi seemed to transform into a benevolent Pope guiding a lost flock. "And that is precisely why we exist. These ignorant people need our guidance."

"My Lord, you’re absolutely right!"

Masha’s face was alight with excitement, as if she had met a kindred spirit. She couldn’t help but praise him aloud.

Then, realizing she had spoken out of turn, she quickly covered her mouth.

You could practically see the little hearts shining in her eyes.

As a member of the Clergy, every word the Baron said resonated deeply with Masha, stirring an irrepressible excitement in her heart.

At the Ice and Snow Church, as a Priest, her duties included practicing the Ice and Snow Divine Technique and, on a daily basis, receiving and guiding the devout followers.

At first, she had been excited, believing it a great honor to guide good, righteous followers.

But those devout followers completely shattered her rosy illusion.

Greed, sloth, lust, wrath...

They were perfect manifestations of every vice.

What finally shattered Masha’s last shred of hope was a middle-aged man who came to the Ice and Snow Church. He sought her out to confess his sins, hoping to receive the Gods’ forgiveness.

After she had listened quietly to his entire story, Masha fell completely silent. Then, her long-suppressed frustration finally erupted, and she lashed out in a rage. "The Gods will not forgive you! You damned criminal, Hell is the only place you belong!"

From that day on, the Church forbade her from her post guiding the faithful. Her assignment here was a chance to atone for her transgression.

Her outburst that day had reflected poorly on the Church.

From that moment, Masha came to the profound realization that people were inherently foolish, and her purpose in life was to guide them, to keep them from walking down the wrong path.

This Baron’s ideas aligned perfectly with her own.

"Ahem. My Lord, please forgive Masha’s impertinence for speaking out of turn in this setting."

The white-bearded old man at the head of their group tapped the table with his sapphire-inlaid staff, gesturing for Masha to sit back down. He then turned to Levi with an apologetic look.

Masha clearly wanted to say more, but she was only a junior member of the Clergy, and the old man was her teacher. In the end, she could only sit back down dejectedly.

"I don’t find Masha impertinent at all. On the contrary, I believe we would have a great deal to talk about." Levi smiled, turning to the astonished Divine Maiden and extending an invitation. "Life in a military camp is quite dull. If Miss Masha would be willing to chat with me and help pass the time, I would be truly delighted."

"My Lord, I... I would be delighted," Masha stammered, her face finally breaking into an excited smile.

Just as the Baron said, she felt they would certainly have a lot to talk about.

Besides, he was currently the most famous Lord in Bailiu City, and she wanted to know more about him.

"That is..." The white-bearded old man started to say something more.

But Fujero clapped his hands, smiling, and brought the topic to a half-joking close. "Sirs, miss, you can discuss matters of followers and faith in private. For now, let’s return to the business of the Wilderness Alliance Army."

After speaking, he gave the Lord a wink.

Levi returned it with an impeccable smile.

"Lord, since when were you such a devout believer?"

Si Kai whispered to the Lord beside him.

He had always thought the Lord was an unbeliever like himself; after all, his usual behavior and the tone he used when discussing the Gods couldn’t be faked.

But a person couldn’t possibly speak with such profound insight today unless they had been a believer for years.

"I am the most devout of believers when the situation calls for it. Amen."

The Lord smiled faintly and made an extremely perfunctory sign of the cross over his chest.

This left Si Kai even more baffled, wondering to himself whether the Lord was a follower of the Holy Light Church or some other Gods.

After all, as far as he knew, the Holy Light Church had no such prayer gesture.

"Regarding the war, I’ve decided to launch an all-out assault the day after tomorrow to finish off this Wilderness Alliance Army for good."

"The Thorn Corps will lead the main assault, with the Panda Warrior Squad acting as the breakthrough unit to deliver a critical blow at the decisive moment," Fujero said, briefly outlining his plan. He ended by looking politely at the white-bearded old man. "If we encounter their Casters, we will be counting on you, Master Fu Jin."

"Sir, you are too kind. Is that not precisely why we are here?"

Fu Jin smiled faintly, stroking the sapphire on his staff.

’If the Church wishes to grow and expand, it must maintain a good relationship with the Lord of the North. Only then can it do so without facing resistance.’

’They were always eager for opportunities like this, which would put the other party in their debt.’

"Lord, you will remain in a support role. Just move in to assist when you feel the time is right," Fujero said, turning to Levi.

"Understood," Levi nodded.

The conversation then turned to trivial matters that made the Lord feel drowsy.

"With that, the success of this campaign rests on all of you."

Finally, Fujero stood, placed a hand over his chest, and bowed slightly.

Those present were not officially part of the Thorn Corps, nor were they under his direct command, so it was only natural for him to express his gratitude.

"Master Fu Jin, if you don’t mind, I invite you all to my camp for some hot tea. It may not compare to Fujero’s accommodations, but it has a certain charm of its own."

Levi rose and extended the invitation with a smile.

The Lord was the type to cast a wide net, leaving no loose ends.

Since he had decided to get on good terms with these Priests, he wasn’t going to let a single one slip by.

Seeing Masha’s pleading gaze, Fu Jin sighed in resignation and nodded. "My Lord, it would be our honor."

’Frankly, this Lord Li was very famous. In Bailiu City, even the children knew his name.’

’Fu Jin, of course, had heard the stories.’

’But he had always dismissed those rumors with a smile, making no comment. After all, how could tales of him being a three-headed, eight-armed Dragon Slayer possibly be true? They were just stories to fool the common folk.’

’But he truly hadn’t expected the man himself to be so young and handsome.’

’Judging by his polite and refined demeanor, one would never guess he was the sort of vain man who chased after empty fame.’

’It seemed that, for some unknown reason, the world held a great deal of slander and prejudice against this Lord.’