Chapter 98

In the end, it was Sigma who opened the door and personally welcomed Bishop Harry inside.

The Grand Bishop's smile was filled with gratitude and peace, without a hint of smugness from his successful schemes. However, this calm and composed attitude made Sigma's blood boil, as the young and passionate man lacked the years and experience of the older generation.

After entering, the Grand Bishop first paid a solemn salute to the angel, neither fawning nor overly formal, but with a simple sincerity. This respect stemmed from admiration for the guardians of order and the gratitude of the Church for Mount Heaven. From the establishment of the Holy Light Church by the first Pope to the time when the First Empire disintegrated and Noren nearly fell into full-scale war due to the sinister plots of the Outlands, Mount Heaven had extended a helping hand. Perhaps the human race of Noren had forgotten the selfless aid from Mount Heaven, but the Church had never forgotten.

Athena also returned the salute solemnly. Perhaps the rune-armored main battle angel had once been full of the pride of a warrior, but during her time in Noren, she had gradually changed under Sigma's influence.

To her, Sigma was the true strong one. His pride was ingrained in his bones, and his confidence in his excellence meant he never showed his pride and arrogance outwardly. Therefore, even when he did strange things that were hard for ordinary people to understand and accept, it did not affect the positive evaluations people had of him. This ease and grace in dealing with situations made Athena very envious.

Driven by a vague and subtle emotion in her heart, Athena secretly imitated Sigma's words and actions—though the image of Sigma in her mind had been unconsciously corrected by the angel girl.

If it were the old Athena, she would have felt a sense of superiority when facing a "common and shallow human who was fortunate enough to use holy light." Now, she began to treat every life with respect, as Sigma and Teris had said: every life is unique and free, and regardless of one's position, one should not ignore it.

—In Heaven, the first thing angels do when they meet is to sense each other's holy light.

Holy light is a very magical force that not only provides powerful abilities to the user but also reflects the user's mental state. The angel race of Mount Heaven, as the origin of holy light, has developed a unique civilization centered around it. Angels can judge a person's principles, combat style, and personality traits by sensing the concentration, wavelength, and elemental tendencies of their holy light. Just as she had quickly understood the defensive, steady, and resilient nature of the perverted knight Jili through the perception of her holy light, Athena now used the same technique to sense Bishop Harry's holy light.

"Hmm?" Athena exclaimed in surprise, looking at Bishop Harry's kind and benevolent face, "Your holy light is like a blazing flame, as if it wants to dispel all impurity and darkness. It seems you must be a brave and fearless warrior, with a belief as solid as a rock, unshaken by external influences, willing to do anything to protect what is important to you, and never compromising..."

She pondered, "For some reason, this holy light feels very familiar, as if I've seen it somewhere before..."

Bishop Harry's face showed a moment of surprise. He quickly glanced at Jili, who seemed somewhat distracted, and then quickly returned to his usual demeanor. He chuckled, "That is truly an honor. Could it be that an angel from Mount Heaven shares the same belief as me? I am deeply honored."

Athena slowly nodded but still looked troubled, "Of course... but I can't remember who it is..."

Unable to recall, she couldn't just stand there. Sigma patted Athena's shoulder, "Don't think about unnecessary things. It's impolite to keep guests waiting outside. Bishop Harry, please come in. No matter what, those who visit are guests."

The Bishop, hearing the barb in Sigma's words, still smiled, "I apologize for coming uninvited; I must have a thick skin."

He walked into the house with Sigma, while Athena was still trying to recall the familiar holy light. Jili, however, was uneasy—before Sigma went out to greet Bishop Harry, he had given her a sinister smile that seemed full of ill intent, easily arousing a desire to silence him. She didn't know who he had learned it from...

Soon, Jili found out what Sigma's bad intentions were. The necromancer and the Grand Bishop were chatting, and the topic centered on the perverted knight. Bishop Harry first said sincerely, "No matter what, Knight Jili's actions were too abrupt, but please believe she had no ill intentions. It's just her nature to be straightforward and unyielding. I thank you for your tolerance..."

Sigma smiled calmly, no longer as sharp-tongued as before, and said sincerely, "I understand, I understand. The reasons for Knight Jili becoming this way (completely devoid of principles) are certainly regrettable (and amusing). Fate is cruel, and we cannot change it. But even so, she has grown into an excellent paladin in your and the Church's eyes, which is truly remarkable. I admire her (for being able to maintain the facade) and you (for being blind to this extent). The Church is truly an extraordinary place."

Bishop Harry, pleased with these words, nodded with a smile. However, Jili, who followed behind, felt depressed. Although Sigma's words were full of praise, she instinctively felt that he was saying something else, indirectly insulting everyone...

The Grand Bishop, seemingly deceived by Sigma, spoke well of Jili, "Although she is a straightforward girl, we like her honesty and self-discipline. Although she looks serious and dedicated at work, on rest days, she would stand outside the clothing store in the commercial district, staring at the clothes in the window for a long time. It's clear she wants to wear those beautiful clothes, but she never goes in and instead donates her salary to the orphanage..."

"Your Excellency!" Jili's voice, though cold, had a hint of urgency.

Bishop Harry smiled apologetically, "Sorry, sorry, I get a bit chatty in my old age..."

Sigma also laughed, "I know. Although Knight Jili seems calm, she is not cold. In fact, we became friends quickly because of our shared interests. We were just talking about a very interesting storybook..."

Jili almost bulged her eyes out. She almost let out a short, mournful cry but managed to close her mouth in time. The paladin glared at Sigma, giving him continuous threatening looks.

Sigma, seeing Jili's murderous glare, suddenly said, "Bishop Harry, Knight Jili's expression is indeed strange... Is she naturally like this?"

Jili was almost in tears, but the tension and fear of her secret being exposed were strangely irresistible...

The paladin's heart was in turmoil.

Sigma pointed to the book box on the table with an innocent look, "Look, I just promised Knight Jili to lend her a collection from this box for a few days because she seems to like it very much. Oh, I wonder if Bishop Harry is interested?"

"Knight Jili's favorite storybook? I must see it..."

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,