"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation. It's just that my hearing surpasses that of ordinary people, and some things are beyond my control." Laine shrugged, his expression devoid of any guilt: But... Lady Dietlinde, it has been a long time.
"Yes, it indeed has been a long time. Your parents are doing very well. When I passed by Autene, I specially made some rheumatism medicine for Norman, so this winter should be much easier for him." Dietlinde wasn't the type of witch who loved to tease others; a couple of sentences were typically enough. She spoke earnestly to Laine.
"That's immensely appreciated!" Laine placed his right hand solemnly over his chest and performed a knight's salute. In his youth, Norman was always fighting, and Nord is particularly a bitterly cold place. Unlike Laine, who has strong genes and spiritual energy protection, Norman inevitably developed some chronic illnesses. Every winter during the cold and damp weather, Norman often had to ask the Priests of the Merciful Goddess Church in Frost City to use divine art to alleviate his pain.
However, divine art is a treatment for the symptoms rather than the root cause. Higher-level divine art can solve the problem but at a high price, which Norman cannot afford. After all, he is just a minor lord, with an annual income of around three to five hundred gold coins, while releasing the Sixth-Ring Divine Skill Life Regeneration costs five hundred gold coins even at a discounted noble price.
Later, the situation changed, simply because Laine emerged.
Laine's connections were useful; the witches of Jialan intervened. Alchemical potions greatly alleviated Norman's rheumatic pain, and it was because of this matter that Laine became acquainted with Dietlinde. Not proficient in combat and needing a large amount of alchemical materials, the witch often had Laine help her procure valuable materials.
"Lady, did you come to Mijordenhaven alone?" Teresa had already booked a room for him, and Laine received the key.
"No... I came with a group of Paladins. They have gone to report to the Justice Church, and they should return soon." Dietlinde took Teresa to the top floor. There were only three rooms on the top floor; the largest and best room was occupied by the academic witch, the second largest was booked by Teresa, leaving Laine with a standard one-bedroom suite.
"You must be tired too, Laine. Sister Dietlinde has to continue her experiments, so you should go rest. Remember to come over to my place for dinner tonight." Teresa spoke softly, seeing the exhaustion on Laine's face.
Laine was indeed very tired. He entered his room, greeted the two Jialan female council members, and then fell into a deep sleep on the soft bed. When he awoke, the sun had already set.
After taking a bath and changing clothes, he opened the door and came downstairs. Laine found the lobby filled with a group of "iron canisters," several fully armed Paladins were booking rooms with the innkeeper, whose face was slightly colored with displeasure: "So you're saying you need three rooms?"
"Yes." The leading Paladin had beautiful golden tousled hair, and his green eyes were full of vigor and enthusiasm. He had a handsome face and an eagle hook nose, dressed in a standard Paladin plate armor that emitted a soft white light at night due to the Holy Emblem of the God of Justice.
Among the remaining Paladins, there were those of higher status, but it was this young Paladin who interacted because of his elegant and polite speech. Besides, his family crest on his chest signified not only was he a Paladin, but also a noble.
As said earlier, due to certain conducts, Paladins are actually not favored by these merchants and innkeepers.
Just when that Paladin looked up, Laine's eyes brightened, and he exclaimed: "Alfred?!"
The Paladin was stunned and instinctively responded, "Laine?"
"Hahaha! So that's why Archbishop Innocen mentioned an old friend arrived!" Laine laughed heartily as he descended the stairs, all exhaustion vanished. The White Wolf Knight approached the Paladin: "Afu! When did you arrive?"
Afu was the nickname Laine gave Alfred.
"A few days ago." The blond-haired, blue-eyed Paladin stepped forward and gave Laine a big hug: "Good friend! You're here too? Recently, your reputation has been incredible; we've all heard about you independently slaying a Doomsday Bull! Great job!"
"Ha~" Laine thought to himself, "When I went to the White Wolf Church, no one knew yet, but now the Justice Church knows all about it by the afternoon?"
The power of the Justice Church is indeed formidable.
Meeting an old friend was extraordinarily enthusiastic, both surprised and delighted. The innkeeper quickly recognized Laine and, seeing that these Paladins knew the White Wolf Knight, averted his previous hesitation and happily offered three rooms.
"Alex, you guys get some rest first. Laine and I have something to talk about." Alfred spoke to the other Paladins, then put his arm around Laine's shoulder: "You've really come a long way! Your name is being discussed all over the Kingdom! And that's no ordinary thing, it's a Doomsday Bull!" ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ N0veI.Fiɾe.net
"Oh, come on~ It was sheer luck, and I wouldn't want to face another Doomsday Bull again." Laine promptly declined: "But what about you, Afu? I heard you've advanced to a Temple Guardian?"
"Thanks to the Lord's grace!" Alfred and Laine found a place to sit in the hall and began discussing recent events.
Meeting an old friend in a foreign land brings unparalleled joy, something Laine couldn't experience in his previous life in the Celestial Dynasty. This unexpected encounter made both of them extremely happy.
Alfred was Laine's childhood friend; the two grew up together and once were inseparably close companions. But after Laine became a Ranger Knight at sixteen, Alfred bid farewell to his parents and officially joined the Justice Church.
Because Alfred wasn't the eldest son, he was the second son. As a second son, he couldn't inherit the title, so during his awakening, his parents had the church directly turn him into a Paladin to avoid potential inheritance disputes.
For a noble, this was an unavoidable choice.
Once, Laine felt unhappy for his "childhood" friend, but the naturally optimistic and cheerful Alfred wasn't surprised by his parents' decision. He retained his optimistic and kind nature, doing quite well these past few years in the Justice Church. Recently, Laine heard that Alfred smoothly advanced to Temple Guardian, marking his rise from the base ranks among Paladins.
A leader from the Paladin team walked up, extending his hand to Laine. His face was furrowed with age and hardships, golden threads on his plate armor and helmet spoke of his extraordinary heroism: "Hello, Mr. Laine, I am the Temple Knight leading this mission. My name is Floyd."
"Hello! Temple Knight Floyd!" Laine shook hands with him. Floyd was a renowned Temple Knight, one of the core Temple Knights cultivated by the Justice Church's Paladin system. Sending him here indicates Archbishop Innocen's immense concern about Belte's matter.
Of course, this also indirectly explains why Belte, as a Demon Hunting Master, was unwilling to join the Justice Church previously because the church has its own Paladin system. The church employs external control or establishes its own Knight Corps, internally creating a hierarchy from Priest-Father-Bishop-District Bishop-Archbishop alongside the Paladin cultivation system. To the Justice Church, Demon Hunters aren't a force they heavily rely upon, making the treatment of Demon Hunters less favorable.
So it's true that the current status of Demon Hunters is somewhat awkward; the nobility doesn't need them at every moment, and to the church, their presence isn't critical. The commissions from commoners pay too little.
Just as the two were about to say anything further, a Wandering Knight suddenly burst in from outside the inn, rushing upstairs without heeding the security's attempts to stop him: "I must see her ladyship, the witch! It's of great importance! Make way!"