Chapter 713

Chapter 98 Rebirth Part 7

“What… do you mean?”

The Grand Knight was taken aback by the words and then narrowed his eyes slightly.

He realized that something was amiss.

Zzz—

A faint buzzing sound echoed, and golden light flashed beside him. The figure of the cultivator Laryx appeared suddenly, looking rather displeased as if he was suppressing his anger. He patted the shoulder of the Grand Knight and whispered into his ear, “Hey brother knight, we can’t afford to mess this up.”

“I understand.”

The man nodded solemnly.

Due to the interruption of the “Divine Chain,” the team far away began to stir as they were unaware of what was happening. The Grand Knight saw that the third and eighth squads, which were relatively closer, had already mounted their horned horses and were heading over to investigate.

In front of them, amidst the gusts of cold wind, the massive, black orb continued to pulsate faster. The rhythmic thumping sounds continued, growing more and more unsettling, as if something terrifying was about to emerge from within—though he couldn’t fathom why he felt such dread. Regardless, they could not afford any further delays.

After all, facing an unknown and incomprehensible entity, no one knew what would happen next or what kind of drastic changes might occur, pushing the situation to an even more perilous state.

With this in mind, the Grand Knight made a decision.

“Mr. Carlos.”

Regardless of the circumstances, the “Divine Chain” must not be affected again. It was impossible to defy orders based on someone’s word alone. If problems arose, the severe consequences would not be the only concern; he and his squad would be held responsible first. They might face the death penalty, and their families might not escape unscathed either.

Orders were absolute, sacred, and unquestionable. The “Grace Scale” never defied the church’s will, which set them apart from the lax members of the “Punishment Fist.”

As elite warriors selected from countless saints and the most devout believers, their decisions came from the upper echelons of the church, which were greater than anything else. They did not need to think too much or doubt everything. Unfamiliar things should be left in their minds. They must obey orders strictly, complete tasks efficiently, and then apply for honors and medals, earning their own reputation and adding glory to their family.

This was how the “Grace Scale” operated.

For the Grand Knight, he only listened to the official appointed leader, Bishop Alersta. Whether his commands were right or wrong, even if they were truly wrong, the responsibility should not fall on him. His reputation would not suffer, as this was the rule of the “Grace Scale.”

On the contrary, it was different.

So, there was nothing to hesitate about in the current situation.

If the person standing before him was not a Papal Knight, the Grand Knight would have given the order without hesitation, using force to detain him, and if necessary, even kill him.

However, the person was indeed a Papal Knight, and a famous one at that, someone he revered deeply—the legendary new hero, Carlos Gonzales.

The Grand Knight obviously could not take strong measures against him, as it would only complicate matters. Thus, he suppressed his anxiety, pondered for a moment, and cautiously asked, “According to your wishes, you want to prevent us from sealing off that thing, is that correct?”

“…Ah, you can understand it that way.”

Clang—

Carlos swung his sword forcefully to the side, nodding as electric arcs wrapped around the blade crackled, emitting a shocking aura, as if warning or threatening something.

The Grand Knight’s expression darkened: “What’s your reason?”

“Reason… ah…”

…What was the reason?

Carlos looked at the tense Grand Knight for a moment before raising his head.

He gazed at the rolling black clouds in the sky, and in his azure eyes, a barely perceptible look of confusion flickered.

Tap tap tap…

From afar, the hoofbeats of beasts approached.

“Do not let him cause trouble—”

Other squad members from the sides were still rushing over, and Bishop Alersta, riding a horned horse, charged out first from the ruins behind. Wrapped in holy light, he shouted loudly, “Carlos, what exactly are you doing!”

The injured swordsman named Carlos looked at him, watching the young bishop quickly approaching with the cultivators, his eyes burning with intensity.

“Huh.”

The man suddenly laughed.

…Indeed.

What am I doing?

“You secretly infiltrated the town, contacting heretics before anyone else. No one knows what you did here, but you repeatedly tried to stop the First Knight Squadron from sealing off the heretics’ theft of the divine fire seed! Do you understand what this means?!”

“I know…” Carlos murmured.

“You were seduced by heretical thoughts, attempting to become a renegade knight—!!”

Bishop Alersta’s angry roar echoed through the wasteland, instantly awakening everyone.

Seduced by heresy…

Divine fire seed?

That thing is— the fire seed stolen by the heretics hundreds of years ago!?

The Grand Knight felt his scalp tingle, his mind becoming chaotic.

He stared in astonishment at the Papal Knight standing not far ahead, then looked up at the orb in the sky, and finally glanced back, his expression changing several times. In his line of sight, Bishop Alersta was reining in his horned horse urgently at the edge of the wasteland. The horse neighed loudly, its front hooves raised high. The Grand Knight heard the voice calling out.

“Mr. Carlos, if you think I’m wrong, please step down immediately! I respect you as the hero who slew the Abyss. Your injuries will be treated, and today’s actions can be overlooked! Otherwise, you know the consequences!”

But amidst the stern and righteous shouts of the Bishop, Carlos stood firm, unmoving.

Instead, he tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.

“Carlos Gonzales! Are you trying to oppose the Church—!!”

The young bishop shouted while gesturing behind him. After a few seconds, the red glow of Mafa’s Light rose again into the gray sky, and the knights who had rushed over from both sides arrived. They were still unclear about the situation, looking at each other puzzled.

At the positions of the third, fifth, and eighth squads in the distance, more people were surging over amidst the chaos and howling winds.

“…By the Grace Scale’s command!”

After a brief wait, seeing that Carlos standing before everyone neither spoke nor acted, Bishop Alersta’s patience reached its limit. He raised his arm and shouted loudly, “Right now! The swordsman blocking your path has serious heretical tendencies! All his actions and intentions in the town lean towards the heretics! Now, as the direct commander of this operation and the bishop of the Holy City Diocese of the Sacred Church, I order you—”

Buzz!

The sound of a miracle resonated suddenly in the air. As the light around Alersta flowed, dazzling golden light rained down like flower petals, enveloping every warrior in a semi-transparent barrier.

Surrounded by the holy aura, the Grand Knight exhaled a white breath, and amidst the chaos, he heard the resolute order from the upper echelons of the church.

“Please do your utmost to capture Mr. Carlos Gonzales!”