Chapter 96

"Back then, that fat guy was choking me, and I felt like I couldn't breathe at all... His arms were so thick, no matter how hard I tried to pull them off, I couldn't—"

"I thought I was going to die right there, because no one could help me. Booker rushing in would have been suicide. If anyone made a big move, my head would have been on the ground in the next second..."

"That arrow came so fast... I just saw a black shadow..."

In the early morning, such a conversation echoed in the courtyard of the monastery. At first, the voice was low, but as more people gathered around, it became exaggerated like a bard telling a story.

Lian recounted his experience during the assassination attempt in great detail. Although he had repeated these stories at least five times in two days, each time he did, he was still animated and passionate.

However, unlike his usual "showing off," Lian's words now carried a noticeable sense of "reverence"—especially towards the "archer," his attitude had shifted from "mindless criticism" to "fanaticism," a complete 180-degree turn.

As for the previous argument with Booker about the wolf riders being shot...

"If the arrow could reach that point, with the right angle and timing, it wouldn't be a problem to take down thirty wolf riders, not just ten!"

When the "archer fanatic" Lian said this, he couldn't help but touch his cheek, seemingly deeply moved by the arrow that almost pierced his head. Of course, he was more excited by the astonishing skill—

"You don't know how fast that arrow was. When the assassin chasing Sally was targeted, he could barely take a step!"

"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! The intervals were the same, so I can be sure it was just one person... Sally—uh? Sally? Where are you going?"

As Lian described the speed of the arrows with "bang, bang, bang," Sally, with dark circles under her eyes, walked by. Her haggard appearance startled the monks, but when Lian called out to her, she didn't stop to chat. She waved her hand and said, "I'm going to find Bishop Benjamin, you guys keep talking..."

Lian wanted to say more, but seeing Sally's distracted state, he eventually gave up and turned back to continue talking about how accurate the arrow was.

The atmosphere in the monastery was peaceful, with rose bushes planted on both sides of the stone path. It was September, and the roses that had bloomed since May were now mostly withered, no longer emitting their intoxicating fragrance.

In the past, Sally enjoyed strolling down this corridor, but today her steps were hurried. The bone dice in her hand were damp with sweat. After clearing her thoughts, she put the dice in her robe pocket, took a deep breath, pushed open the back door of the church, and stepped in.

In addition to the central public hall, the church had a large library open only to the monastery and another room where Bishop Benjamin handled daily administrative affairs. If there were no urgent matters, Bishop Benjamin would usually be here managing the monastery's daily operations.

Sally walked quickly down the corridor. When she reached the door of the bishop's office, she heard some conversation from the half-open door—

"The archbishop places great importance on this square speech, so he requires all preparations to be made in advance. It's hard to find rose petals this season, so we can bring some from Gig Town..."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"Regarding the guards, we must be careful..."

Inside, Deacon Ethan was discussing the arrangements for Archbishop Rubens' visit to Holier City with the bishop. Sally listened, feeling a bit more at ease. After the two finished talking, she raised her hand and lightly knocked on the door.

Deacon Ethan turned around and saw Sally, seemingly understanding her purpose. He bowed to the bishop and left, giving Sally a smile as he went. Sally, who entered the room, appeared slightly nervous.

However, others wouldn't know that her "nervousness" was feigned. Although her emotions had been a bit chaotic earlier, when she stepped into the room, Sally was actually very calm. She just needed to get into "character" to ensure her plan's success and deal with everything that followed.

Because Sally knew that her upcoming conversation with Bishop Benjamin could directly determine Rody's fate.

"Oh? Sally, you're here."

Bishop Benjamin sat behind a large wooden desk, his words showing no surprise.

In front of him were piles of parchment and ancient books—research scrolls on divine magic, punishment, and restoration, all with profound content. The room was small and simply furnished, with practical wooden furniture. There was no thick velvet carpet on the floor, just polished stone slabs. On one wall, the first bishop of the monastery had inscribed the words: "Spiritual Home."

"Your Excellency, I... have something I want to ask you."

Sally's voice was timid, a stark contrast to her calm and decisive demeanor during the assassination.

"Sit down first," Benjamin rose from his armchair and gestured for Sally to sit beside him. He then walked around the desk and sat opposite her, asking, "Now, what's your question?"

Such details might not be understood by ordinary people, but Sally knew that the bishop didn't want to sit behind the desk to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on her. She admired the old man's attention to detail, cleared her throat, and said, "Your Excellency, the identities of those assassins... I think I have some ideas."

This was the first probe.

After speaking, Sally, with a hesitant expression, secretly glanced at Benjamin but found him only half-closed his eyes, a smile on his lips, showing little interest. He simply said, "And then?"

The probe failed.

Sally bit her lip and lowered her head, saying, "Of course, they are just guesses. What I mainly want to say is... the archer who killed the assassins..."

This was the second probe.

But Bishop Benjamin still showed no significant expression, nodding and saying, "Oh, you mean that guy. I have some thoughts about him."

"Uh—thoughts?"

Sally hadn't expected Benjamin to say this, and her carefully planned strategy was immediately disrupted. She looked up at the bishop, then realized she had overreacted and said softly, "Are you planning to capture him...?"

"Ha, a skilled ranger with exceptional archery and good combat skills. If we were to capture him, it would indeed take some effort," Benjamin said with a smile.

This made Sally's heart suddenly tighten. She was most afraid of such an outcome. Just as she was about to say something, Benjamin waved his hand and continued, "Sally, when you suddenly appeared at the monastery and told me you were in danger, I had a pretty good idea who would do such a thing to you. Even though you didn't tell me outright, it wasn't hard to guess, was it?"

"And as for that guy, silencing the assassins in front of me was a clear message—he didn't want me to vent my anger on your family. I could understand that."

"Although his actions were disrespectful, it's clear he was willing to do this for you, so I can't really blame him."

"Ha... Silencing them so openly, not everyone can bring themselves to do that." The old man closed his eyes slightly, seeming to be reflecting, "It's clear he cares a lot about you."

Bishop Benjamin's attitude was clearly preparing to have an "open and honest" talk with Sally. His words didn't carry the weight of his position, but the content made Sally's mind "buzz" and she was momentarily stunned.

He cares a lot about you.

When these words were spoken directly, the shock to Sally was unimaginable. Although she had considered such a possibility before, she had always thought it was just her subjective judgment and didn't count. Deep down, her vague hope for Rody was something she had always kept hidden and dared not face. But when Bishop Benjamin pointed it out directly, she could no longer hide her feelings, and her heart was instantly filled with an indescribable joy, a sweet feeling that made her whole body tremble slightly...

"This bastard... seems to really care about me."

But thinking about her current situation, Sally quickly suppressed these emotions. To others, she just lowered her head and her eyes flickered, but when she looked up, her expression had subtly changed.

Bishop Benjamin's expression was calm, seemingly unaware of everything. He just slightly turned his gaze to the tranquil scenery outside the window behind the desk and continued, "I know you might know that guy, so I haven't ordered an investigation yet. However, Sally, you should understand that although his actions helped me, the monastery can't just let him go easily."

Hearing this, Sally immediately realized she had lost the initiative and was being led by Benjamin's conversation.

But at this point, she had no choice and hesitantly said, "I... do know him, and—"

"The monastery will send people to investigate; this is a necessary step."

Bishop Benjamin interrupted her, then said with a somewhat helpless tone, "You should have heard that the archbishop is coming. We can't afford any trouble now. The same goes for your family's issues and your friend... However, if you can provide me with some information about him, the temple will not pursue him further and, if possible, will consider him a... friend."

"Is... this true?"

Sally looked up, completely unaware that she had inadvertently fallen into a trap. Concerned, she had repeatedly imagined Rody being burned at the stake. She was truly afraid that things would end as she imagined. With the bishop's reputation for keeping his word, she, who was far less experienced than the bishop, ultimately lost this battle...

However, this failure only cost her the initiative. When Sally left the room, she felt she had achieved her initial goal—the heavy feeling in her chest had dissipated, and her steps were much lighter.

"Doing this, Rody will blame me..." she muttered to herself but immediately thought of a solution—"I'll get him to come to the monastery and explain in person. After all, the bishop promised not to tell anyone else."

Thinking about finally being able to meet him officially at the monastery, Sally's heart raced, and the sweet feeling in her heart seemed even stronger. But what followed was an endless anger towards her brother—"Hmph, dear brother, just wait."

Only after resolving Rody's crisis did she think about revenge, and Sally didn't realize what this meant...

As she clenched her small fists and left the corridor, she didn't notice the slightly serious-faced Bishop Benjamin shaking his head and sighing behind her.

"Although I don't want to stop you, the temple doesn't allow marriage, Sally. It's better for you to understand this early."

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