The Forest Feeds No Idle Goblins

Before his promotion to Archbishop, Archbishop Konrad had been the Regional Bishop of Torch City. The Merlot Clan were longtime followers of the God of Night and Destiny, so they'd had many dealings with him. They knew each other well—it was just as he'd said, "I patted your head not long after you were born."

Now that the Merlot Clan had been framed, their lands confiscated, the Baron tragically killed, and his children wanted across the continent for a massive bounty, most people stayed as far away as possible. Some even tried to find out their whereabouts, hoping to collect the huge reward. Few would act like this Archbishop, who was comforting Vivian with such paternal kindness.

"Don't worry," the Archbishop said, looking at the young girl before him. "No one will come and make things difficult for you."

"Archbishop…" Vivian paused. She wasn't sure if she should address him as 'Your Eminence,' but he was clearly a high-ranking official in the Night and Destiny Church now.

Seeing her hesitation, Archbishop Konrad waved a hand dismissively. "There's no need for that. If you'd like, you can still call me Grandpa Konrad, just like you did when you were a child."

"Archbishop," Vivian said, lowering her head. She had indeed called him Grandpa Konrad when her father used to take her to church as a child, but now she said, "I think I'll just call you Archbishop."

"Very well," Archbishop Konrad said with a slight nod. "Your father was given a proper burial. If you intend to move him to your family's burial grounds, I can help. But you must be cautious. You know those Bounty Hunters have noses keener than any dog's."

Vivian pressed her lips together. Her mood brightened a little, and she let her guard down a fraction. "Thank you."

"It is the Church's duty," the Archbishop said with paternal warmth. Then, he studied the girl before him. "Did you come alone this time? I thought your brother would be with you."

"Ah," Vivian hesitated again. "My brother… he had something to attend to and couldn't get away. I had to come pay my respects to Father by myself."

"That's all right," Archbishop Konrad said softly. "Next time you want to come here, you can find me. I will make the arrangements. The cemetery will be safe, and none of those annoying pests will appear."

"Mm, thank you." Vivian's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. 'I know my situation,' she thought. 'If I go looking for the Archbishop, I'll definitely be noticed. It's better to stick to my own plans.'

"So many years have passed, and you've grown so tall," Archbishop Konrad mused, studying the young girl with her head lowered before him. "If your brother were standing next to you… what an exceptional pair of siblings you would make."

He sighed deeply, then turned and waved a hand. "Go on. Remember to be extremely careful. Don't let anyone see you."

Vivian gave a sound of assent, pulled the brim of her hat down lower, and hurried away. The Archbishop's parting words followed her. "Remember, if your brother comes next time, have him come find me directly. I will arrange everything."

Hearing his words, Vivian nodded firmly but didn't look back, simply walking further and further away.

Then, from a nearby corner, a Church official stepped out. "Archbishop, shall we send someone to follow her?"

Archbishop Konrad clasped his hands behind his back and shook his head. "Not yet. The siblings are being very careful right now. We must wait."

"But they've been missing for a long time," the Church official said at once, stepping up behind the Archbishop. "We have to find Shire Merlot as soon as possible, otherwise…"

"I know," Konrad nodded, cutting off the man behind him. "But they are on high alert right now. We cannot be too hasty. Even if the Cardinal himself has weighed in on this, we cannot rush things."

"I know Shire is important," he said, slowly turning around. "I was the one who first proposed that he become the Chosen One for the God of Night and Destiny."

"But now…"

"Even if the war among the Four Gods is about to begin, we cannot be hasty. Besides," Konrad said, gazing out at the vast cemetery, "when they have nowhere left to turn on this continent, that is when we will make our move. It will be far easier to persuade Shire then."

"The boy is intelligent and very capable. Although he only knows a little Noble Swordsmanship and has no Magic Ability, as long as he agrees and swears an oath to the God of Destiny, he will naturally receive a powerful Ability."

"So you mean to observe them in secret?" the Church official asked, raising an eyebrow. "But we still haven't found any trace of Shire Merlot."

"Didn't I tell you to contact the Arcane Mages?" Konrad frowned. "Did you not go?"

"Archbishop, you know as well as I do that those Arcane Mages want nothing to do with the Church. Every time we go, they ignore us. They kick us out before we can even finish what we're saying." The Church official spread his hands. "And the common Arcane Mages are completely unreliable. Their abilities aren't strong enough to determine Shire Merlot's specific circumstances."

"If that's not working, then commission some followers who are close to the Church to make inquiries. Spend more money," Konrad said, closing his eyes in resignation. He knew that the High Tier Mages were reluctant to associate with the Church. They would rather communicate with Evil Mages than speak to the Church's leadership. When they established the Magic Federation, they hadn't bothered to inform the Four Great Churches at all.

"I will speak with the Cardinal. You can start using this method to find him immediately," he said, waving his hand to dismiss the official. "But once you locate him, do not make contact prematurely. Just observe him in secret."

"And if—I'm just saying, if—Shire Merlot finds himself in danger?"

Archbishop Konrad shot the Church official a sideways glance. "Then you rescue him immediately, of course. One of the reasons the Church chose him as the Chosen One was his handsome appearance. If just anyone could become a Divine Chosen One, why didn't we pick a goblin for the role?"

"In the future, as the Divine Chosen One, he will have to appear before the faithful often. If his looks are lacking, the common people will find him repulsive. You must never forget this," Archbishop Konrad said sternly.

"Yes, Archbishop." The Church official nodded and bowed hastily to show his understanding. He then excused himself, turned, and ran toward the nearby church to carry out the Archbishop's instructions.

Watching the man run off, Archbishop Konrad looked up at the gloomy gray sky. "This continent will never be peaceful again."

With that, he swept his black robes aside and turned, walking slowly toward the church. Behind him, the vast cemetery was as silent as ever, disturbed only by the clamorous cawing of crows that seemed to be mocking something.

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