Chapter 188: A Show of Strength
In the living room of Forest Castle, Duane sized up the four people before him.
Manny was a known quantity—a young, burly Warrior.
The other three consisted of two women and one man.
The women were both slender—or, to be more precise, a bit frail.
They all wore white Mage robes embroidered with the symbol of the Holy Radiance Court, and on their chests were badges of different colors.
High Priestess Sara had a light blue badge;
Priestess Jesse and Priest Otto had white badges.
"Please, sit, everyone!"
Duane clapped his hands, and Jasmine brought out four cups of tea, placing them beside each guest.
"As the Lord of Black Forest Island, I welcome you all."
He said, gesturing to the tea,
"This is Hot Spring Mountain Tea, a specialty of Black Forest Island. It can enhance a Mage’s Meditation. As three esteemed Mages, I’m sure you will enjoy its taste."
The three of them took a sip, savoring it carefully. It was just as Duane had said.
Manny also took a sip. Although he didn’t need to perform Meditation, he found the tea’s flavor quite pleasant.
At that moment, the High Priestess smiled and said, "Thank you for your generosity."
Although her looks were nothing special, her smile was quite lovely.
She signaled to Otto, who immediately presented a cloth pouch.
"The castle you’ve provided is very spacious. This is the rent Bishop Clement arranged before we departed. It’s fifty Gold Coins in total. Please accept it."
Otto offered the pouch. The Male Servant, Owington, took it and was about to present it to Duane, but Duane waved him off.
’There’s no need to check it.’ He trusted the Holy Radiance Court wouldn’t short him by a few Gold Coins.
"Bishop Clement is certainly straightforward."
He chuckled. "How did you sleep last night? I trust you’re settling in alright?"
Sarah nodded slightly. "After several days at sea, our first night on shore was quite peaceful. However, the dozen or so victims you left at the church have been a great source of distress for us."
As she spoke, she glanced at Manny.
He took the hint. At this point, he had no choice but to step forward and say something.
"Baron, these people are not mentally sound. Do you think you could have someone more professional take care of them?"
Duane laughed inwardly. ’So, they really don’t want to take care of them.’
However, he had planned all along to use the Holy Radiance Court’s Black Forest Island branch to do his bidding. How could he possibly agree to their request?
He put on a troubled expression.
"You must have heard about their ordeal from Julian or the island’s residents, haven’t you?"
Manny nodded and sighed. "It’s hard to imagine that something so terrifying could happen on Black Forest Island!"
To be honest, when he heard that someone had used living people to create and consume Magic Potions, he had gotten goosebumps all over.
He also greatly admired Duane for being able to eliminate such an evil person single-handedly.
"They are all pitiful souls!"
Duane sighed. "Before you arrived, I had arranged for people to care for them. But as you know, those servants have little patience. Even though I repeatedly instructed them, incidents of beatings and scoldings still occurred."
He shook his head helplessly. "I can understand. After all, caring for them requires immense mental fortitude and patience."
At this, he looked at Sarah with a burning intensity.
"Before, I had no other choice, but now you are here! High Priestess, and all of you, on this entire Black Forest Island, I cannot think of anyone else who could take better care of these poor souls."
"But..."
The High Priestess felt that something wasn’t right, as if she had walked into a trap.
Duane interrupted her with a sincere tone,
"Rest assured, the Lord’s Mansion will be responsible for their food, clothing, and shelter. As for their daily care, I can only entrust that to you!"
He let out a breath. "I believe that with the Lord’s Mansion and the Holy Radiance Court working together, the rest of their lives will be a little better."
Sarah’s brow furrowed as she searched for a reason to refuse.
Just then, the male Priest, Otto, grew a little agitated.
"Baron, you can’t do this!"
He must have been a hothead. "Caring for these people will take up most of our time! We won’t be able to preach properly!"
"I sincerely request that you rearrange for someone else to care for them. Otherwise, we can hardly guarantee their safety."
Duane leaned back, fixing Otto with a scrutinizing gaze, and asked with great astonishment,
"What do you mean by that? Are you saying that if you can’t take good care of them, you’ll kill them to shut them up?"
This sentence startled Sarah, Manny, and the others.
Otto’s face paled, and he was utterly horrified. "No, that’s not what I meant!"
Duane frowned. "Daniels was also a Mage with the Light Attribute. A great many innocent people died at his hands."
Sarah grew anxious. She hadn’t expected Duane to lump Otto and Daniels together.
’One is a Priest of the Holy Radiance Court, and the other is a Demon who murdered people to concoct potions. How could they be the same?’
’If word of this got out, what would people think of the Holy Radiance Court?’
"My Lord, you’ve misunderstood!"
Sarah stood up. "Otto just feels that this matter is a bit overwhelming and difficult to handle."
"Heh!"
Duane scoffed. "Then let me ask you, what does the Holy Radiance Court believe in and spread?"
"It’s..."
Before the High Priestess could finish, Duane rudely cut her off.
"It’s love and peace! It’s light and justice!"
Duane demanded sharply, "These tormented souls need comfort and solace. Isn’t caring for them a way to spread love and light?"
The High Priestess opened her mouth but was left speechless.
She couldn’t refute him, because what he said was indeed the core doctrine of the Holy Radiance Court.
"I’m not against you spreading the doctrines of the Holy Radiance Court. On the contrary, I also hope my Territory can be filled with love and light."
"But you find it too troublesome to care for a dozen or so people, even going so far as to threaten me by saying you can hardly guarantee their safety."
He slowly shook his head again, glancing scornfully at Otto.
"I don’t know what kind of faith this Priest wants to spread, nor do I care. But if you really don’t want to look after them, I’ll just find a few other people to do it."
"I can’t say how well they’ll be cared for, but at least I can ensure they survive peacefully."
As he spoke, Duane stood up and heaved a heavy sigh.
"Clement went on and on to me that day about the sanctity of the Holy Radiance Court. To think he would send such people to my Territory... It’s truly disappointing!"
With that, he showed no intention of staying any longer and turned to leave.
"Baron, please wait!"
Sarah cried out hastily, her mind in turmoil.
’Before joining the Holy Radiance Court, she was just an ordinary Light Mage.’
’It wasn’t until she met Clement that she gradually attained her current identity and status.’
’As long as I do well on Black Forest Island, within a few years I can obtain the title of Honorary Noble and make the leap from commoner to Nobility.’
But now, she had just arrived on Black Forest Island and had done nothing, yet she was already being rejected by the Lord here from the outset.
Regardless of his motives, if Bishop Clement found out, his impression of her would surely sour.
Seeing this, Manny knew he could no longer stand by and do nothing.
"Baron, I beg you, please wait a moment!"
Only then did Duane stop.
Manny quickly shot Sarah an anxious look, and she hurried forward.
"Baron, you’ve misunderstood! It’s no problem at all for us to take care of these people!"
She bowed in apology. "Otto just had a slip of the tongue. Please forgive him!"
Otto hurried forward in a panic, bowing and apologizing repeatedly.
It had been even harder for him to secure his position as a Priest than it had been for Sarah, and he didn’t want to lose it so easily.
With both Priests apologizing, Jesse, though she spoke little, also followed suit and bowed.
Only then did Duane nod slightly.
’Call it a show of force or a way of establishing his authority...’
’In any case, this was the deterrent effect he wanted, to make them understand their place while operating on Black Forest Island.’
"Take good care of them, and word of your deeds will spread across Black Forest Island."
Duane turned back. "This aligns with your purpose for coming here."
"You’re right!"
High Priestess Sara breathed a sigh of relief. "No wonder Bishop Clement said you are more like a member of the Holy Radiance Court than anyone!"
Duane smiled faintly and sat back down in his chair.
"As long as one has love in their heart and yearns for the light, why be constrained by a formality like the Church Court?"
Duane turned his head. "Lord Manny, wouldn’t you agree?"