Lord of Glory

Chapter 28: Forming a Clique

The captain looked troubled. Rubbing his hands, he took two steps forward to stand behind Paladin and whispered, "But…."

Before he could finish speaking, Paladin suddenly turned his head. His face that appeared sacred now was sporting a bizarre greedy smile.

"The black sorcerer is a devil who has betrayed humanity and their faith. The criminal in question who had lived inside the town should also be some poor and vicious person who can’t ever be forgiven by Enos."

"Huh?" The captain was taken aback, but before he could react, Paladin lowered his voice and laughed darkly.

"We have reasons to believe that such a criminal who killed his own kind is also a black sorcerer who can cruelly and ruthlessly slaughter innocent people!"

In this instant, the captain's view of this immature and stubborn young noble priest was suddenly covered with a layer of blood. The holy light on his head dimmed as well.

The captain's expression changed as he fixed his gaze on Paladin and spoke cautiously, "What if it's not a black sorcerer who murdered them? What if someone else dies?"

Who would’ve thought that Paladin would shake his head and sarcastically say, "No black sorcerer would be so stupid as to kill a civilian instead of killing a priest first. Is he trying to lure the Inquisition? This heretic, in all probability, has already left the town and will never come back." Once he said that, Paladin saw the captain sunk down.

With a bright smile, Paladin continued, "Of course, eradicating the black sorcerer and bringing happiness and stability to the people is our duty. But even so, I am a priest from a foreign country who can not even eat a bite of meat, ah."

The captain looked up in shock at the smiling Paladin, but then calmed down. With increasing caution, he asked "What do you want?"

The captain no longer wanted to continue chatting with this hypocritical and greedy priest. He only felt as if he had been badly teased by a junior and it was very uncomfortable.

But, as if nothing had happened, Paladin said in a wolfish tone, "I heard that the deceased is the owner of the store. They own not only this clothing store, but also an iron factory, and a pottery factory. Because there are so many iron smelting plants, his business could be considered deserted. However, it still can be considered a large family business."

The captain's eyes narrowed. He felt compelled to slash this beast with his sword. But then, he heard Paladin say, "The iron smelter is refining weapons, too ferocious. If I am in charge, I can calm the murderous intent in the people. As for the pottery factory, Captain, you can be in charge of that."

The captain's eyes, which had been narrowed earlier, opened instantly as he was stunned. There was greed mixed in with the anger in his eyes. But he still asked cautiously. "I'm just a head soldier hired by the lord. If anyone reports it, I'll be replaced at any time!"

"Captain! The Count will not care about such an insignificant town. You and I will join forces, gathering the soldiers and merchants beneath us to control the road to the public market and deliver the iron! Not only will the people be safe and happy, but we will also be prosperous and wealthy!”

The captain still hesitated. Uncertainty still laced his voice. "What if the people disagree to be below us? You are just a priest. If someone else comes to replace you or you're transferred away, you'll have to go away. I will be damned!"

However, Paladin pouted and sneered. "You underestimate me, Captain. You don't think I'm willing to be a priest for the rest of my life, do you? In less than three to five years, I will join the diocesan bishop as a staff. By then, I will be in a position of great power and no one will dare to touch you!"

"Phew." The captain exhaled deeply. For the first time, he realized that this kid, who was only half his age, had made him afraid! Forcing down his fear, the captain tentatively asked, "What if I say no?"

"No?"

Paladin's expression darkened instantly. His hand darted forward to choke the captain and press him to the wall. The latter was taken aback and attempted to break free, only to discover that this scrawny priest was far stronger than him.

"Heh heh heh, you'd better not have such thoughts, Captain." Paladin laughed grimly, leaned in close to the captain’s face, and continued, "You'd better think about your family, captainI've heard that you have three beautiful daughters, an elegant and respectable wife, and a beloved youngest son who is only nine years old at the time. He is going to be my godson in a year! You'd better think it over."

As he spoke, Paladin playfully slapped the captain's face. The latter had anger burning in his eyes, but deep inside, there was a deep fear. Paladin had accurately hit his weakness. He was now in his forties and had a lovely wife, two lovely daughters, and a bright and capable son. He couldn't bear the thought of losing the warmth of his family after tasting it.

"Good for you." At that, the captain gritted his teeth.

Paladin, however, smiled, and said, "So, a deal?"

Only when he saw the captain nod did he let go of his hand. The latter immediately touched his painful neck. In the mirror next to them, the captain could see five red and swollen finger marks on his neck. He was shocked again inwardly.

‘This kid, I heard that he was a nobleman. Unexpectedly, he’s so powerful!’

The captain was stunned and fell silent. He didn't pay attention but Paladin, who was adjusting his gloves, suddenly asked, "This town belongs to the Diocese of Rineke. Captain, you are also a mercenary who has traveled all over the world. Do you know what kind of person the bishop of the Diocese of Rineke is?"

The captain, who was concerned about his family, responded in a good-natured voice, "He? He's nothing more than an old pervert! Others are unaware, but I am. He once hired me to apprehend runaway slaves, all of whom were female slaves purchased from slavers! Each one was tortured beyond human comprehension, just like you!"

The captain's sarcasm had no effect on Paladin, who instead smiled thoughtfully. In his mind, he thought, ‘Like women? That's a good thing. Soon, I’ll go to the slavers in Edley to see if there are any good ones.’ Paladin nodded slightly after thinking about it.

He then looked at the captain and said with a smile, "Do not worry, as long as you do not have any extra ideas, we will join forces. This town will be run as what we say. By the time you are old and retired, your son will also inherit a large amount of gold and family business. Isn't that great?"

As soon as Paladin mentioned the captain’s son, his expression immediately improved a lot. He had spent a long time contemplating how to make his son suffer less in the future and live a better life. For him, it was a pleasure to do this.

Paladin just smiled. When he was about to open the door to leave, he suddenly turned around and said, "Captain, I still don't know your name."

.

"Kaleqi."

"Oh, Captain Kaleqi. I hope we get along well."

When he was about to push open the door, Kaleqi, who was staring at Paladin's back, suddenly questioned, "As a priest, are you not afraid of being cursed by Enos for such blatant blasphemy and violation of priestly virtue?"

What he got in response was a mere strange and profound smile from Paladin.

Paladin raised his head to look at the endless sky as he walked down the street. He softly murmured in a contemptuous tone, "God? He is just like a child, standing at the edge of the sky watching us playing below. God doesn’t care about morality, righteousness, and evil. Because if they did, they wouldn't be entitled to the moniker 'Bastards Standing by the Clouds'."

Paladin laughed, suddenly remembering what Northam had said. An unreadable smile adorning his face as he strode towards the church.