"Please bring our dear guests the finest tea we received as a gift. We need to show them that we can take good care of the saintess."

Cardinal Flux ordered his helper with a smile as he gestured for Kael and the others to take a seat.

His words sounded like he was showing respect to Kael and the others, but the underlying mocking tone was obvious.

’This man never changes. Is he trying to imply that I don’t want to send the saintess to the temple because it lacks the money to provide for her and I think I can do better?’

Kael was getting fed up with Cardinal Flux. He had never regretted being a part of the tower up until this moment.

’Darn it! If only I did not have responsibilities, then I could have blasted Cardinal Flux’s head off and not worried about the consequences! No, calm down. Think of happy thoughts. Think of him as a sick patient that needs your help.’

That mentality helped Kael adapt faster.

While the Cardinal was annoying, he was not even close to the worst patient Kael had seen in the past.

He once had an angry couple who came in for therapy and all they ever did was insult each other and insult him. And they never held back, unlike the Cardinal.

The tea arrived quickly and the cups were placed in front of them all. Kael noticed how the helper sneered as he served Iris and her cup of tea looked a little different from the rest.

’These people can’t be serious! Did they truly spike Iris’s drink? I hope she knows better than to drink anything she is given by these people.’

Iris did not touch her cup and Kael let out a sigh of relief before he turned to look at the Cardinal’s smiling face.

"Now that we have tea to become friends over, should we start off with important stuff? When can we pick up the saintess and her stuff from your house?"

Cardinal Flux asked outright in a firm voice. He was confident that his request would not be denied. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

But Kael refused to be pushed around by him.

"I am sorry, but I have no intention of sending Seraphina back to the temple. She can leave if she wants to. But I am not going to force her to go back."

He was making this as clear as he could.

Kael did not know what kind of horrors Seraphina had suffered at the temple in his past life, but he had a vague idea. So he did not want to send her back.

But he could not argue that she was the saintess and this was her calling.

’So the only way out of the situation is to let her choose herself. Hopefully, her opinion of me is high enough to not want to go back.’

It was all on Seraphina now.

The Cardinal understood this as well, but he did not look happy.

He immediately shifted his attention from Kael to Seraphina and talked to her in a gentle voice.

"Your holiness, please come back to the temple. We promise you will never lack for anything. Should we come and pick you up tomorrow?"

Cardinal Flux asked and the other priests listened in silence. They were looking at Seraphina as though she was something they could not wait to possess.

And Seraphina could see it as well, because she clutched Kael’s shirt before burying her head against his shoulder.

"I don’t want to come back to the temple. Kael, can’t you teach me? Your teaching helps me a lot."

Seraphina’s words were clear despite burying her head against Kael’s side. It left everyone speechless and they looked at her with shocked expressions.

The Cardinal was the one who was the most startled.

"Excuse me? Your holiness, are you even hearing what you are saying? You cannot choose a magician over the temple! And no matter how skilled Grand Master Kael is, he is nowhere near qualified enough to teach you-"

Kael sighed before he tapped the table in front of him and cast a spell which made the Cardinal mute for a few seconds.

The Cardinal quickly countered the spell, but he looked unhappy with Kael’s decision.

"I think the child has made her point. Since this conversation is over, I would like to head home now."

Kael stood up and the others followed after him.

"Hey wait! This is not over! At least let us-"

The Cardinal reached toward Seraphina, but the one who blocked the way was Leon.

Leon’s sword was inches away from the Cardinal’s hand and the Cardinal flinched and froze in place.

"Seraphina has made her decision. I would like you to respect it. Otherwise, I will become your enemy as well."

Leon’s words were clear and the Cardinal gritted his teeth before pulling his arm back.

He could try and take the saintess by force, but it was not worth making both her and the hero their public enemies.

’Darn it! This would have been so much easier if we could just brainwash these kids. But both of them are far too strong for us to do that. This is not a good thing for the temple.’

The Cardinal had no choice but to back down this time. But he still pretended that it was his decision and not a forced one for him.

"I understand your stance on the current situation. It seems like you both have decided to stay by Grand Master Kael’s side. But please, do not hesitate to reach out to us when you need help."

Kael did not look back at him but the kids did with suspicious expressions. Cardinal Flux let out a frustrated sigh as soon as they were gone.

He was pissed but the priests beside him were even more pissed.

"Cardinal Flux, why did you allow them to leave?"

"This is not right! I can understand the hero, but how can the saintess remain out of the temple as well? It will ruin our reputation!"

The priests complained and Cardinal Flux let out a tired sigh.

"You are all right. This is concerning. And that’s why I am going to do something about it soon. There was news about the Demon Queen going missing, right? We will take advantage of this situation to get rid of Grand Master Kael, the thorn in our side."