Chapter 54: Someone's Raiding the Base (Please Follow & Read)

"Name?"

"Herbert Albert."

"Age?"

"Eighteen… are you suspecting me?"

"Mm."

Herbert looked at the expressionless Cardinal before him, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

What kind of act is this?

Looking at the rusty rivets piercing the Rusty Nail Bishop's body, he wasn't sure whether to say this lord was too avant-garde or a little heretical.

But in any case… how rock-and-roll of you!

Still, don't you disinfect them, pay some attention to hygiene?

Those nails look all rusted!

Thinking these wild thoughts in his head, Herbert still appeared calm on the surface—at least he looked like he was "forcing himself to stay composed."

He had never met this Cardinal before, but he could still match him up with the figure in his mind.

Rusty Nail Bishop, Commander of the Mist Knights, a legendary Holy Knight known for his cold ruthlessness and brutal methods.

Why has he come looking for me?

And not through the normal procedure of notification and summons, but by directly grabbing me.

Act first, report later?

Are you from the disciplinary committee?

No, even if you were, you still can't do this!

I've shed blood for the monastery, I've done meritorious service in the alien prison—you can't just arrest me without evidence—

Of course.

These words Herbert could only mutter twice in his heart; he didn't dare say a single one out loud.

"Commander, I truly am not a desecrator, I don't understand why you suspect me?"

He looked seriously at the Rusty Nail Bishop and said in a low voice: "Also, does the Chief Inquisitor know you're doing this?"

Herbert was a Warden of the Tribunal, his direct superior being the Chief Inquisitor, Bishop Thorn.

By rights, even if he had a problem, he should be dragged straight to the interrogation room by the Chief Inquisitor for a Grand Memory Restoration Art.

What does it mean for you, a Knight Commander, to pull this stunt?

"Mm, he doesn't know."

The Rusty Nail Bishop didn't even lift his eyelids, and said flatly: "But he's not in the monastery right now, and you can't find him either."

Herbert's heart sank at this news.

Great.

I'm done for!

No big shot is coming to bail me out.

Clack-clack, clack-clack.

Herbert moved slightly, and was surprised to discover that the chains binding his wrists behind him had been unlocked at some unknown point.

Hm?

They're off!?

Just as Herbert was wondering what was going on, the long-silent Rusty Nail Bishop spoke up of his own accord: "Why did you stay in the Third Preceptory last night?"

Herbert pressed down the doubts in his heart and asked back: "Is there a problem with that? I checked, and there are no provisions in the Canon forbidding a Warden from spending the night in a Preceptory."

"The precepts don't forbid it, but doing so is very dangerous." The Rusty Nail Bishop stared at Herbert, his eyes holding a shade Herbert couldn't read, and asked: "Why must you take such a risk?"

You ask why?

Should I tell you, I was worried about Hook… hm?

That's not right.

Herbert suddenly had an epiphany, and swapped his words of defense for a counter-question: "Commander, for a Holy Knight, is there anything that isn't dangerous?"

"Hm?"

The Rusty Nail Bishop's brow moved, and he squinted at the youth before him.

This weak Holy Knight had a composed expression, a firm gaze, and showed not a trace of negative emotion.

No fear, nor indignation at being forcibly detained—only a striking calmness, the kind of plainness that comes from having looked life and death in the eye.

"Fighting Miss Xie Shen's believers, guarding humanity from dangerous monsters, resisting Miss Xie Shen's erosion of the world… is there a single one of those things that's safe?"

"Commander, from the moment I swore my oath, I already understood our duty."

"We are the sword that pierces evil, and the shield that protects the weak."

"And a sword and shield should not feel fear."

At the end of his words, Herbert suddenly recalled a phrase that had left a deep impression on him, and said it aloud in a low voice:

"We are guardians, and also a bunch of poor wretches who constantly fight against danger and madness."

That's how the line goes, right?

What I said shouldn't be wrong…

Every day I face "dangerous monster girls" and "Miss Xie Shen running wild," my days are pretty miserable too.

In any case, first, praise the Fool!

And the moment Herbert finished his last sentence, the Rusty Nail Bishop's eyes flew open, and he immediately fell silent.

He lowered his head and thought for a long time, then slowly let out a breath, shook his head, and said hoarsely with feeling:

"... Pitiful wretches? Heh heh."

Compared to Herbert's plagiarism-on-the-spot behavior, he was deeply moved by these words.

"You speak truly. We are a group of pitiful wretches, never knowing when we shall be eroded and corrupted by evil."

He raised his head, nodded to Herbert, and asked:

"What about that Defiler?"

Bishop Rusty Nail's expression returned to calm, and he no longer raised the matter of whether Herbert was a Defiler.

?

Herbert suddenly sensed something was off.

That manner didn't look like he had believed Herbert because of his words; it was more like he had never truly suspected him from the very start...

Then why the hell did you kidnap me?

I'm not playing this. JPG

"He is dead."

Although he very much wanted to complain, Herbert still obediently cooperated.

"His flesh was destroyed by the 【Fury】, and his soul was dissolved by the 【Final Singer】, and in the end he fell within the Prison of No Light."

Although some key information was omitted, everything Herbert said was the truth.

After realizing that Bishop Rusty Nail seemed to bear him no ill will, his mind began to stir.

This, uh, can I, uh, extort... ahem, ask for some extra compensation?

I was detained without guilt, you know!

Herbert did not hesitate, and chose to charge in headfirst.

Take a gamble.

Forget whether it'll work or not, try it first!

"Knight Commander, the reason I survived was entirely thanks to their intervention. I am truly grateful to them."

"My duty is to enlighten them, to help them turn from evil to good, and this act of assistance, I feel, is a typical proof of that."

Herbert took a deep breath, his voice gaining a note of pleading:

"Therefore, I wish to petition you... no, I wish to petition the Monastery to grant them a certain reward, as encouragement for their conduct."

"..."

Unexpectedly, after a long silence, Bishop Rusty Nail did not refuse outright, but instead asked: "What would you give them?"

He didn't refuse!

There's room to negotiate!

Herbert took a deep breath, knowing the conversation had reached its most critical moment.

He suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, doing his best to appear calm on the surface, and said in a low voice:

"I hope... to be able to let them temporarily leave the Third Precept Prison."

"Mm, let them go out for a bit of fresh air."

"Chief Inquisitor!"

Sister Kaplan reported to Bishop Thorn, who had just returned to the Monastery: "Herbert was taken away by Bishop Rusty Nail!"

"Taken away... not good!!?"

Bishop Thorn's expression changed, and he said angrily: "Damn it! That fellow actually played dirty tricks on me!"

Bad!

Someone's raiding our base!!!

Thanks to reader 20220625211750849 for the tip

……

Three rounds! Three rounds!!!

Not just happy about breaking the two-round curse, what's coming next is Sanjiang!

Yes, the next step is to start pushing for Sanjiang.

Right now the chase-reads are around a thousand, so I can only say there's a chance, but we still have to try.

Sanjiang's chase-reads depend on Monday, so please, everyone, you have to read!

Alright, time to actively seek out Big Eyeball and offer myself as a sacrifice.

This might be the only chance of my life, please everyone, you have to help me. ()

If we can make it onto Sanjiang, I'll add three more chapters after launch!!!

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(End of this chapter)