Chapter 145: You Don't Deserve It (35)

"Cooperate?"

Bishop Leila's smile didn't change after hearing this, but there wasn't much delight in her eyes.

She shook her head and said, "I'm sorry, I really can't think of anything I'd need your help with."

As a powerful elf bishop who held a not-low position within the Church, she had no material desires whatsoever.

She couldn't imagine what they could possibly offer to move her.

"If you wish to seek help from the Xuenushen Sect, please feel free to say so directly — there's no need for such excuses."

In her view, Herbert saying this was nothing more than trying to pique her interest, thereby elevating his own standing so he wouldn't appear so passive in the conversation that followed.

But such a disguise was utterly meaningless to Leila — it would be far better to speak plainly and get it over with.

"No, you're wrong. We are not here to seek help."

Herbert shook his head in denial, looked at the seemingly gentle but secretly proud elf, and smiled: "But this really is beyond my expectations — you didn't notice at all?"

"Notice what?"

"An opportunity."

Herbert narrowed his eyes, lowered his voice, and said softly: "The opportunity to make the Xuenushen Sect the sole faith of this nation."

!!!

The moment these words came out, Leila could no longer maintain her previous composure — her interest was finally piqued.

She gazed deeply at Herbert, nodded slightly, gesturing for him to continue.

Hooked.

Watching her fall step by step into his rhythm, Herbert laughed inwardly and proceeded to the next stage of his beguilement.

Beguiling a bishop inside someone else's temple — it felt rather thrilling, like a sense of doing it right under their noses…

"Since you know my relationship with Valentina, then surely you've also noticed some of the disturbances that have occurred recently in the noble district."

Speculation about Herbert's connection with the Crimson Dragon had only circulated within the noble district, and that priestess girl's reaction upon seeing him for the first time already said plenty.

The Xuenushen Sect appeared to keep its influence confined to the slums, but in truth its reach had long since extended into the noble district.

Their work efficiency may be trash, but the divine church was, after all, the eyes of the gods in the mortal world — they couldn't truly be completely blind.

Leila nodded and asked, "Those were your handiwork?"

Though she didn't care for killing, as a bishop-priestess of the Xuenushen Sect she loved all things made of ice, and she gave Herbert's miniature frozen mound of skulls an extremely high rating.

Most impressive!

"Some were, some weren't."

Herbert nodded frankly, giving her excellent taste his highest recognition.

Just as many had guessed, he was indeed the mastermind behind that brutal murder case — but the process wasn't as effortless and elegant as they imagined.

Not a one-man army, but stealth.

Herbert slipped in under the cover of night, then used his own hypnosis and charm abilities to put the guards to sleep one by one, silently severing their heads.

Only after cleaning out all the enemies did he wake up Hou Jue Chuck, and after the latter vomited out every last bit of intelligence, he cut off his head and placed it at the very top.

In fact, Herbert hadn't originally intended to be so brutal at the start, but upon seeing those heads, the genes buried deep in his soul stirred.

His artistic attainment soared, his emotions surged, and he simply couldn't control the impulse in his heart…

Build! A mound! Of skulls!

But aside from the first two pieces, the ones after that actually had nothing to do with him — well, not entirely nothing, but only just a little.

"More precisely, I merely gave them a little push from behind, only whispered a few soft words in their ears, and those cowardly, greedy fellows scrambled to react on their own."

What Herbert found most unexpected and amusing, however, was the reaction of those nobles while being beguiled.

Rather than fear and madness, they were actually more excited and greedy, feeling that their chance had finally come!

"The hearts of nobles are truly hideous, heh heh."

In that moment, he finally understood why Kereti so enjoyed beguiling those self-proclaimed bearers of noble bloodlines.

Watching their eternally hungry, never-satisfied greed was genuinely entertaining.

Understand Kereti, become Kereti, surpass Kereti.

"And I bring this up not to boast of anything."

"I simply want to tell you — the opportunity that belongs to you has already fully arrived."

"Those fellows are only one final step away from going completely mad and turning their blades against the Frost Crystal royal family, and the weakened royal family is in desperate need of another force to help them check the nobles…"

At the end, Herbert suddenly paused, and gave Leila a meaningful smile.

The words end here — everything else is left unsaid.

The final answer was practically writing itself; as long as Leila wasn't a Bai Chi, she would surely figure out who the best candidate was to come to the capital and aid the king.

And anyone who could rise to the position of bishop couldn't possibly be a complete fool.

Even if she were utterly insensitive to politics, Bishop Leila realized this was an excellent opportunity.

"You mean… we can use this chance to cooperate with the Frost Crystal royal family and become the sole faith of this nation?"

"Precisely so."

What an opportunity!!!

Because of her race and lifespan, Leila wasn't sensitive to the scale of time — a few decades and a few years made no difference to her, so she didn't care at all about the efficiency of spreading the faith.

But if she could complete a hundred years' worth of progress in just a few days, the meaning would be entirely different.

Everything a priestess has comes from the gods' bestowal; if the deity acknowledged a priestess's achievements, a reward would descend, making her strength even greater.

If everything truly went as Herbert said, then such an achievement would absolutely be enough to propel Leila straight into the late Legendary stage!

How could she not be excited?

But after a moment of excitement, Leila gradually calmed down, looked at Herbert, and shook her head.

"Lord Bai Ge, the idea you've raised is indeed quite good, but there's a problem within it."

Herbert blinked, tilted his head oddly: "What problem?"

This is a matter that benefits both sides when they cooperate — is there anything still worth hesitating over?

Layla shook her head and offered Herbert an apologetic smile:

"You've been talking about cooperation, about how to help the Church… but forgive my bluntness, Lord Bai Ge — I'm afraid you haven't recognized the situation clearly."

Her gaze moved away from Herbert, paused for a moment on Sister Kaplan, and finally settled on Valentina.

She studied her for a moment, then shook her head and said:

"Although it's a pity, with only a single legendary giant dragon, you don't have the qualifications to cooperate with the Church of the Gods."

"You are not worthy."

(End of this chapter)