Chapter 63

Gret's smile immediately froze.

Oh no! Oh no! I #%^*@!

Lying feels good for a moment, but covering up lies is like a crematorium!

Why did I tell such a lie back then!

Why did I blame it on the Nature Deity!

He carefully examined the elder's attire. Dark brown robe, oak staff, robust build, and a kind and amiable demeanor. No matter how he looked at it, the elder appeared to be a follower of the Nature Deity. The villagers even called him the elder...

That's the leader of the cult!

He ran into the big boss!

What should I do? Will I be considered a blasphemer? Will I be burned to death? Or will I be killed by bears, wild boars, leopards, or something and buried under an oak tree?

Gret opened his mouth, wanting to defend himself, but couldn't utter a single word. The elder still looked at him with a smile, like an old bear observing a beehive from a distance, seemingly harmless—seemingly, that is.

Cold sweat trickled down Gret's back. Flee, defend, deny—countless thoughts raced through his mind. Finally, he gritted his teeth and spoke the truth:

"I was just boasting back then..."

He recounted the situation in detail. Uncle Carren was severely injured, and he miraculously grasped the healing spell. To avoid worrying his comrades, he pretended it was divine inspiration...

"At that time... I just thought the Nature Deity was more noble, and the cult was more reasonable..."

The elder's eyes widened, and he looked at Gret as if he were some bizarre creature—probably not expecting someone's imagination to run so wild. Suddenly, he threw his head back and laughed heartily.

Hey—Is it that funny? I can even see your tongue!

Gret shifted his feet uneasily. Oh no, although the elder seemed in a good mood and might not pursue him to the death, it looks like this will become a black mark...

The old man continued to look down at him, laughing like a bear that had eaten its fill of honey and heard that the bees were willing to supply it regularly. The sunlight shone from behind him, casting a huge shadow over Gret, rivaling the shadow of the nearby oak tree.

Gret took a step back, then another. There was a crack as his heel stepped on an acorn...

"I heard a few days ago about a young mage who claimed to have received divine inspiration." The elder suddenly spoke. Gret's heart skipped a beat as he listened to the elder slowly continue:

"The way the message was spread was a bit suspicious, as if it was deliberately meant for me to hear, but without revealing who spread it. I investigated for a few days and decided to come to the mage tower to ask Germain."

They went straight to Mage Germain... Well, the elder of the local Nature Deity cult indeed had the authority to directly approach the head of the mage tower. Gret shivered and asked softly:

"Then..."

His shoulder was pressed, interrupting his words. The elder stared into Gret's eyes, as if trying to see into his soul, his voice deep:

"I saw you on the way. I saw you willing to help the injured poor, doing your best, and not seeking fame or profit afterward. Such character aligns with the teachings of my deity. So, I want to ask you—

Are you willing to learn the teachings of the Nature Deity and understand His blessings?"

This...

Gret was stunned. He stared at the white-haired old man, almost disbelieving his ears. Could this be true? No beating, no burning, but instead, he was being invited to join the cult?

Faith? Reverence for the deity?

Is this a trick?

He instinctively replied: "I don't know your identity yet..."

"Oh, ha, I forgot to introduce myself." The elder laughed, his oak staff tapping the ground. Gret's eyelids twitched, as if he saw the grass grow a bit longer—

"I am Elwin Wilkinson, the elder of the local Nature Deity cult. You can call me Elwin. How about it, young man, are you willing to learn from me?"

"But—But, why?"

"Because you are a good healer. You have the ability and the willingness to help the poor." Elder Elwin answered seriously: "Your actions align with the principles of the cult, so in a sense, you are naturally our ally."

The elder spoke slowly, his expression sincere, as if every word came from the heart. Gret was still a bit uneasy and couldn't help but ask:

"But, faith?"

"Faith—"

Elder Elwin couldn't help but smile. He murmured the two solemn and weighty words, looking up and down at Gret, increasingly satisfied. After a moment of thought, he turned and walked a few steps, beckoning Gret:

"Come."

Gret quickly followed. Elder Elwin walked up the hill, gazing at the smoke from the nearby village, and suddenly asked Gret:

"What is your faith?"

"..."

"What is the power that allows you to focus your will and activate the healing spell?"

Gret was silent for a moment. Standing beside Elder Elwin, he gazed at the children running around in the village, the elderly bent over their work, and the烟火 of human life at his feet, and said softly:

"Health entrusted, life entrusted—"

"What?"

"The people who taught us medicine told us." Gret slowly recounted. In this distant world, far from all his teachers and colleagues, repeating the teachings and oaths of the past stirred his emotions:

"They said our mission is to save patients' lives and care for their health. Patients entrust their lives to us, and their health depends on us, so we must not fail this mission..."

The teachings and oaths were too solemn and serious. Elder Elwin pondered them carefully, lost in thought for a long time:

What kind of people would make such oaths and teach their disciples with such principles?

After a long while, he came to his senses and spoke softly:

"Then, would you claim to have received divine inspiration from my deity and convey His divine message?"

Convey divine messages?! Gret shuddered. A scene flashed through his mind: jumping around like a shaman, convulsing on the ground, eyes askew, and then jumping up, claiming to be possessed by some divine entity, speaking in a strange voice...

Absolutely not! Gret shook his head vigorously:

"I won't! I absolutely won't!"

Elder Elwin chuckled. Although he didn't know what Gret was thinking, his reaction was both firm and somewhat endearing. He patted Gret's shoulder to calm him down and said seriously:

"Your faith and principles do not conflict with the cult's. So, are you willing to learn the teachings and blessings of the Nature Deity, and if you find them acceptable, join us and let us learn your healing methods?"

"I am very willing!"