"How are things with those dukes?"
"Three dukes lean toward us, four lean toward the Church of War, and two remain neutral. They do not interfere with the faiths within their territories. Whether it is the Church of War or us preaching, they treat both sides equally."
"However, those nine dukes share one bottom line: no influence may be spread within their armies."
Velin finished the last piece of roasted meat, tossed the bamboo skewer into the garbage disposal area, and said, "That's normal. If the Church could meddle in the army, then it wouldn't be an army anymore."
"You are right," Leighton replied.
"By the way, you share the same surname as Bishop Luisa. You aren't related somehow, are you?" Velin asked curiously, draping an arm around Leighton's shoulders.
"Well, um... fine, Lord Velin, I'll tell you, but you absolutely can't tell anyone!" Leighton stammered, glanced around, and lowered his voice.
Velin patted his chest and promised, "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."
"Bishop Luisa is actually my biological older sister. But because of my family's requirements, people in the Church only know me as her distant cousin. On top of that, she is usually very strict with me, so the other nobles believed it too."
"Your family did this to temper you," Velin said, stroking his chin and voicing his guess.
Leighton nodded at that. "Just as you guessed."
"Come on. Take me to see the most famous opera house here."
"The... opera house." Upon hearing that place mentioned, Leighton was briefly speechless. He tactfully said, "Lord Velin, how about we go somewhere else instead?"
"Since you say so, then let's change places."
Seeing this, Leighton breathed a sigh of relief and immediately suggested, "Lord Velin, how about we visit the monastery outside the city? I'll take you