Duolin on the ground shifted, revealing an expression that showed no fear of death:
"I don't know what you want me to say. We are really not apostates but guards of the Holy See. We came from the Holy City to replace the five priests who died in White Wax Town. I have identification on me!"
"You've come to this area to capture apostates, haven't you? Are you a member of the provincial diocese's garrison? Or are you from the Holy City...? But I've never seen you before, could you be...?"
At this point, Duolin suddenly fell silent, as if realizing his slip of the tongue.
Ed, meanwhile, seemed lost in thought, a number of things flashing through his mind in an instant:
This is the White Wax Town Parish...
This Tree Worship Church also has some kind of Holy City, but I wonder how far away it is from here...
He must have wanted to say something more in the end, but he couldn't or dared not say it...
Ed's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly; he suddenly realized that his previous plan wasn't perfect enough.
This Tree Worship Church member not only possesses a real identity that he can exploit, but the information within his mind is also a valuable asset to him.
Many things that were common sense to him, a guy from the Holy City, were new knowledge to Ed.
Knowledge, most of the time, requires payment.
But right now, it's a big promotional event.
Thinking this, Ed suddenly bent down, blocking the sunlight shining on Duolin's face. This superior position was perfect for the next "PUA" maneuver.
Having had the experience of interacting with a powerful figure like Seraphina, Ed was now completely unfazed.
He stared at Duolin's face and said:
"That's not enough. Who else can prove it?"
"Priest Yiden, the vice-bishop of White Wax Town, along with several other priests from the White Wax Town Church, all witnessed me deliver the secret letters from the Holy City and the province intact."
So there's a province between White Wax Town and the Holy City... Ed felt like he'd learned something new.
But that's not all.
Upon hearing the name Yiden, the part of Ed's body that belonged to the original owner seemed to tremble for a moment.
His predecessor had heard this name before; it was one of those who conducted horrific experiments in the dark, sunless dungeon.
Thinking of those horrible memories, Ed had already sentenced the old man to death in his mind.
Forcibly suppressing his body's involuntary trembling, he nodded with satisfaction at Duolin:
"You pass."
Duolin could even exhale, he heard Ed pressuring him again:
But there's another hurdle.
"Enough!"
Duolin suddenly roared, attracting the attention of several players nearby.
They looked at Ed with suspicion, while reaching for the iron axe at their waists, as if they were just waiting for Ed's order to rush over and chop the apostate into mincemeat.
Ed shook his head, signaling everyone to continue, then turned and looked at Duolin, whose face was full of anger.
That's exactly the effect he wanted: the angrier the other person is now, the more guilty they will feel in a moment; the more they doubt him now, the more they will trust him in a moment.
Duolin, on the ground, knew he had lost his composure, but as a devout believer born and raised in the Holy City Holy City, he found it unbearable to be humiliated like this!
So even if it might anger the person in front of him, he had to speak his mind at this moment:
"You haven't even identified yourself before humiliating a fully-fledged bishop. Who do you think you are? Do you even respect the Holy See or the Holy Scripture?!"
"Proving my identity is simple: untie me. I have a document from the College of Cardinals in my coat!"
The College of Cardinals... I've learned another new term.
Ed, ever the studious one, thought this through without showing any sign of anger on his face. He looked calmly at Duolin, who was blinded by rage, and said:
"Three questions, these are my last three questions. If you answer them correctly, I'll believe you. Otherwise, you're either an apostate or... a fool."
"Speak, even ten questions are fine. After you prove your identity, I will definitely write to the Holy See!"
"Whatever."
Ed glanced at Duolin nonchalantly:
Question 1: What was the cause of death of those five priests?
Duolin's mind went blank for a moment. He had asked the priests of the Holy City who had entrusted him with the task about this problem, but they had not found out the specific reason. They only said that there were three possibilities: the legendary fire attribute spell, the power of nature, and dragon flames.
But he really didn't know which one it was.
"They were... burned to death."
Duolin's confidence immediately waned by a third, Ed, seeing that he was somewhat evasive, became even more certain:
The Holy See possesses secret methods, unknown to itself, to control the life and death of its priests, but it cannot pinpoint the exact methods used.
That's good, that's good. What I need most right now is time to grow.
Thinking of this, Ed's face fell as he looked at Duolin:
"Hmph, you don't even know the cause of death of your five compatriots, and you still say you're not an apostate?"
He lowered his head and said to Duolin:
"Let me tell you, five of my compatriots died from the flames of an evil dragon."
Duolin was speechless. He knew that since the young man in front of him could make a conclusion on the case with such a fearless attitude, he must have solid evidence.
"Question two, why did the Holy City and the province each send you a letter?"
What's the problem?
Duolin was once again confused and bewildered. At first, he felt that there was nothing wrong with the matter, but he soon discovered some clues in his memory:
Although the Holy See's three-tiered system is divided into " Holy City - provinces - towns," all personnel appointment and dismissal powers actually belong to the Holy City.
When he first arrived last night, the old priest Yiden read the letter of appointment from the Holy City College of Cardinals, but that's where the problem lies:
He should have acknowledged his identity immediately upon reading the Holy City's letter of appointment, which would have been in accordance with the internal rules of the Tree Worship Church. However, Yiden opened the second letter immediately after reading the first, glanced at it, and only then welcomed him.
This seems flawless at first glance, and it didn't attract the attention of anyone, including Duolin, last night. However, considering the second question the boy in front of him just asked, it becomes somewhat chilling upon closer inspection.
Why must they read the province's secret letter before welcoming me? Has the College of Cardinals's appointment letter lost some of its validity in White Wax Town?
The flush of anger on Duolin's face gradually faded, replaced by a paleness that symbolized his inner terror.
Seeing his expression now, Ed knew that his guidance had succeeded once again...