Chapter 25: Prelude

Upon the arrival of the knights, the rabbit brother hastened to the witches' liaison, leaving Panney and the knights to rest in the small town.

At this moment, Panney Sean sat quietly in a corner, deep in contemplation. As his thoughts touched the magical web, the elements around him emitted irregular tremors.

For a mage, daily practice involves not only studying spells but also delving into the deeper layers of the magical network with utmost concentration.

Such practice is hardly worth mentioning; analyzing the structure of the encountered magical webs to speculate on the next suitable configuration for oneself, and then constantly probing and touching until the limit is reached. Even if only a vague shadow is glimpsed, it proves that the mage has delved deeper into the halls of the arcane.

The factors affecting meditation are not only the talent and familiarity with the magical web of the caster but also the luck waiting for that moment of enlightenment, somewhat akin to a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse.

So it is easy to doze off during meditation, hence the appearance of those mage stools without backrests...

Obviously, Panney had no inspiration at the moment and quickly ended this meaningless sitting. As he opened his eyes, several paladins were praying fervently before him, and he took a few more glances.

In Panney's view, those who had been indoctrinated since childhood were undoubtedly pitiful. If the doctrine was somewhat normal, it would be fine, but whenever he thought of the fanatics of Sael's common Bain (the god of tyranny) and the Lavita Church (the goddess of abuse), Panney shuddered.

However, Panney could still accept the doctrine of Tier, after all, abiding by the law and upholding justice are the principles of model citizens in any world. As long as he didn't reveal the true face of the red-robed mage, he believed they could get along relatively harmoniously.

The prayers of the four paladins were devout and peaceful. If they were in a grand cathedral, it would surely evoke a scene reminiscent of the medieval papacy. Panney quietly appreciated this scene.

The female knight, Seragrophia, murmured softly, her face serene and tranquil. The snow-white sunlight streaming through the window illuminated her golden hair and armor, infusing the simple wooden hut with a sense of sanctity.

Bored and idle, he began to daydream. In his past life, it was rare to encounter such a truly noble and determined female warrior.

After a while, seemingly aware of the gaze upon him, the female warrior opened her eyes and glanced at Panney for a moment. Panney, with nothing to hide, met her gaze openly, showing no change in expression or any attempt to avoid her eyes.

Seragrophia seemed unfamiliar with such a situation. She lowered her head as if contemplating for a while, then walked over to the young man sitting in the corner. The sound of her footsteps echoed crisply as her armor clinked. Their gazes met directly, and she opened her mouth, but seemed unsure of what to say, so she stood there awkwardly.

"If my gaze makes you uncomfortable, I apologize," Panney said.

"Yes... Mr. Sean, but for the warriors of Tier, this is not an accusation that can be used... so you don't need to apologize," Seragrophia carefully chose her words, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I just want to request, for personal reasons, that you not continue to look at me in that way."

"Haha!" This typical logic of a holy warrior sounded both adorable and ridiculous to Panney. He couldn't help but laugh. It occurred to him that the female holy warrior in front of him was only fifteen or sixteen years old, and she was still a novice warrior. Most likely, she hadn't been in "society" for very long. Because of Panney's laughter, Seragrophia blushed, and her speech became more stuttered. "M-M-M-Mr. Sean, p-please... please... please don't laugh."

"Alright, no laughing, no looking," Panney stifled his laughter and closed his eyes.

"Sir, it's quite impolite not to look at the other person when conversing," Seragrophia added.

"You just requested that I not look at you earlier, so these two requests are a bit contradictory," Panney sighed and opened his eyes again, finding amusement in the red-faced and tongue-tied female warrior.

"Don't trouble Serag, friend. This year, she just graduated from the sanctuary, and this is her first time leaving the temple," Kamahan opened his eyes, smiling at Panney. It seemed he wasn't upset about the situation. "I hope she can have a wonderful experience."

"Wonderful? Fighting against berserkers or demon worshippers?" Panney shook his head noncommittally.

"As the favored child of Tier, one must grow in the battles of justice. Though fraught with peril, we believe that passion, justice, and love will bear the sweetest fruit," Kamajo patted Serag's head solemnly. "Though sacrifice is inevitable, spreading Tier's message is worthwhile for us."

With these final words, the holy knight's expression turned solemn, and the female apprentice knight followed suit.

Panney nodded without saying much. One of the few principles he had adhered to since his rebirth was not to meddle in other people's beliefs. Moreover, he believed that a world with faith was much more interesting than one without.

"Mr. Sean, this is for you," Seragrophia suddenly pulled out a small booklet from her waist and handed it to Panney. "I hope you can occasionally refer to the teachings of Lord Tier. It would be even better if you could worship devoutly."

Panney opened the booklet, only to find it was a scripture of Tier, complete with densely packed annotations. He couldn't help but feel bemused.

"Apprentice warrior Serah, do not interfere with others' beliefs without their consent," Kamajo's expression suddenly became serious. "One should not force others to convert unless they are willing."

"Wouldn't they be grateful and inspired by love and justice if they were exposed to our doctrines, thus developing a sense of worship?" Seragrophia said earnestly. "The bishop also instructed me to always be mindful of spreading the word of our Lord."

Kamajo shook his head helplessly.

"In that case, I'll accept it," Panney restrained his amusement, finally realizing that this female warrior was still inexperienced. He patted Serag's head like an adult, oblivious to the fact that he was nearly half a head shorter than her. "Thank you."

A hint of pride appeared on the young warrior's face as she turned to Kamajo. "Sir, I successfully recruited a potential believer."

"You should seek approval from the Bishop," Kamajo sighed.

However, this perfunctory remark didn't seem to dampen Serag's enthusiasm. Seeing her proud and confident demeanor, Panney couldn't help but wonder what the consequences would be if she found out he was a red-robed apprentice.

After all, Tier and the deities of the benevolent camp were old adversaries of Serr.

"I'm back!" The door opened, and the performance artist walked in, brushing off the snow from his clothes and scanning the room. "Gentlemen, we have work to do."