Gilmer

As soon as Jonathan stepped out of the hotel, he noticed several pairs of eyes lingering on him.

Having undergone extensive training in assassination techniques, he was especially sensitive to such attention.

"Am I being watched?"

He walked for a while and found that the eyes still hadn't left him. Their methods were far less crude than those of the thugs from before, and even he couldn't easily shake them.

"People from the Light Church, or Clyde's men?"

"This is the East Side, so it's more likely to be Clyde's men. At least a Level Seven Warrior."

Jonathan pondered for a moment. "This is interesting. Looks like they've had their eyes on me since this morning. Whoever's behind this should show up soon."

After thinking it over, he figured it was almost certainly someone from the Light Church.

Clyde was a lackey of the Light Church, and Jonathan was the greatest magical talent at Ulada Magic Academy. If Clyde discovered him, he would certainly report him to the Light Church immediately and let them deal with him.

Sure enough, before long, a middle-aged man in a red robe approached from the opposite direction. He had curly brown hair, a prominent nose, and a faint smile on his lips.

Two White-robed Priests followed behind him. To his left and right were two Temple Knights, unmistakable in their sturdy builds and gleaming silver armor.

The Cardinal of the Light Church ranked just below the Pope. Cardinals were exceedingly rare, each one a powerful figure with real authority, and every one of them was a Level 9 Great Mage.

That was a strict requirement.

As for the two White-robed Priests, Jonathan couldn't tell exactly how strong they were, but his instincts told him they posed little threat. He guessed they were Level Seven Mages.

The two Temple Knights put some pressure on him. Their strength seemed to fall between the Cardinal's and the priests', so they were probably Eighth-level Warriors.

"One Level 9 Great Mage, two Level Seven Mages, and two Eighth-level Warriors. What a grand display."

Jonathan sneered inwardly and stopped.

"May I ask which Cardinal I have the pleasure of meeting?"

"You may call me Gilmer."

So it was him.

"May I ask why Cardinal Gilmer has stopped me?"

Gilmer said, "You're Jonathan Rhode, aren't you? Or perhaps I should call you White Bred."

"I prefer the name Jonathan," Jonathan said.

"That's fine." Gilmer smiled faintly. "I heard that a few months ago, you took the graduation trial at Ulada Magic Academy and went to the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Then you disappeared for half a year, and many people speculated that you'd died there."

"Yet here you are, in my Fenlai City."

"You've done your homework." Jonathan met Gilmer's gaze and said calmly, "What do you want with me, Cardinal? Surely you didn't stop me just to see what I look like."

"Let's get one thing straight: I have no grudge against the Light Church."

"You don't at present, but that might not always be the case. Jonathan, would you be willing to join the Light Church?"

"Join you? I have a Dark Element affinity. Would you accept me?" Jonathan asked, surprised.

"You have Earth and Dark affinities. It's true that the Light Church rejects those with a Dark Element affinity, but your talent is exceptional. The Church can make an exception."

Gilmer continued, "If you're willing to join, you can enter the Religious Inquisition."

The Religious Inquisition?

The Light Church's organization for eliminating dissenters. The Dark Church had a similar institution.

Its members were all sharp blades, fiercely devoted to their faith. Ordinary people would never be accepted into it.

"No conditions attached?"

"Of course there are. The first requirement is that you must believe in our Lord. I can tell you don't seem to have any faith, but that's no problem. Under our Lord's influence, you'll surely come to feel His greatness, and in time you'll naturally believe in Him."

"What if I refuse?"

The White-robed Priests tightened their grips on their staffs, while the Temple Knights on either side rested their hands on their sword hilts, ready to draw at any moment.

Jonathan glanced at them. "Planning to keep me here by force?"

"Is this how the Light Church treats its guests?"

He paused, swept his gaze over them without a hint of fear, and raised the corner of his mouth. "But that may not go as you expect."

Suddenly, a vast cloud of black mist spread rapidly from around him. The two Temple Knights surged forward at once, rushing toward Jonathan.

"Light shall always banish darkness."

The two White-robed Priests raised their staffs, releasing two dazzling bursts of light. The black mist melted away in an instant, like winter snow beneath the sun.

The Temple Knights lunged at empty air. Jonathan had vanished, and his figure was now racing several dozen meters ahead of them.

Gilmer didn't move. He merely said, "You two, capture him alive. It doesn't matter if you break his arms and legs."

He thought two mid-stage Eighth-level Temple Knights should have little trouble dealing with someone who was both a mage and a warrior at Level Six.

A gap of just one level meant a difference of more than tenfold in strength, and here they were separated by two whole realms.

"Yes, Lord Gilmer!"

With that, the two men took off after Jonathan, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. The White-robed Priests stayed behind Gilmer, held back by their lack of speed.

"Let's head back. I'm sure they'll bring Jonathan to the Light Temple soon."

The two followed close behind him.

Jonathan and the two Temple Knights left Fenlai City one after another. Several miles outside the city, the Temple Knights caught up with him.

They blocked his path from both sides.

Jonathan looked around, then suddenly grinned. "It's time to send you two on your way!"

One of the Temple Knights said, "How ridiculous! What can a mere Level Six Mage—or Level Six Warrior—do against us?"

"Come quietly and you'll suffer less. Otherwise, don't blame us when we break your arms and legs!"

Their grins grew more and more brazen. Then, in that instant, a force far beyond what they could withstand crashed down upon them.

The moment it touched them, they were both pressed face-down to the ground, unable to move as cries of pain poured from their mouths.

"I don't have time to play with you!"

Jonathan picked up their fallen greatswords and beheaded them, then lifted the Gravity Field and hurried away from Fenlai City.

In almost the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the night.

Gilmer, who had not yet returned to the Light Temple, sensed the terrifying gravity. His expression changed, and he cried, "Something's happened!"

"Come, let's check outside the city."

When they reached the outskirts and saw the two corpses, his expression darkened. Yet a trace of confusion remained in his eyes.

"That was undoubtedly a Level Nine Gravity Spell, but why couldn't I sense the spiritual power of a Level 9 Great Mage?"

"Could his control over spiritual power have reached such a level?"

Watching the dark night in the distance, Gilmer murmured, "Jonathan Rhode, you won't be so lucky next time!"

"Bring the two knights' bodies. We're going back!"

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