Chapter 85: God’s Favored One

Luciano kneeling and begging for mercy shocked everyone.

The residents of Shampoo City lining the streets felt like they were trapped in some absurd, wonderful dream. The Holy Church – what a terrifying name, such an immense, towering entity! Even a guard dog from a Holy Church chapel, if paraded down the street, would seem more valuable than the life of some minor noble from a tiny kingdom. And yet now, this arrogant, imperious leader of the Church Knights was trembling and kneeling before young King Alexander, pleading desperately for forgiveness… What in the world was happening?

While the residents were still reeling with shock and disbelief, something even more madness-inducing occurred—

The treacherous ‘Two-legged Bald Rattlesnake’ Divine Master Mazzola was also scurrying forward like a stray dog, his body hunched over. He scrambled anxiously before Sun Fei and, in a posture of humility no one in Shampoo City had ever witnessed, kissed Sun Fei’s boots with deep affection. Prostrating himself on the ground, he quavered, “Noble master, this humble Mazzola beseeches your generous forgiveness… We were unaware of your exalted identity beforehand! We deserve death a thousand times over! Please, spare these two lowly, pitiful worms!”

Seeing the two bosses suddenly lose all their authority and kneel imploringly, the other hundred-plus knights, attendants, and clerics froze. They looked at each other, hesitated for a few seconds, and then followed suit, kneeling one by one. Not a single one dared to even breathe loudly.

Though their status within the Holy Church’s structure was lowly, and most had no idea what the golden Battle Aura Rings appearing around the young King signified, they were no fools. Like master, like follower. Having followed Mazzola and Luciano, this pair of wolves, in their wicked deeds for so long, each had become adept at reading situations. At the very least, they could tell from the expressions and demeanors of their two bosses that this time, they had truly bitten off more than they could chew; they had encountered someone they couldn’t afford to provoke.

“Please forgive us, master!” A hundred voices pleaded in unison from the ground.

“Master? Ha! Tell me, what sort of master am I?” Sun Fei asked with an expression caught between amusement and mockery, looking down at the kneeling Church figures.

“Master… you… Oh, yes, yes! You are not a master… Ah, no! I mean… I… I… I…” Despite possessing a mind that could “conjure a thousand venomous plots in one second,” Rattlesnake Mazzola stammered, utterly incapable of forming a complete sentence in this critical moment.

A figure bearing a golden Battle Aura Ring existed only in legends for him, let alone a wearer of double golden rings! Mazzola had once been fortunate enough to attend a Mass meal held by a high-level Divine Master of the St. Petersburg Holy Church. There, he had heard His Holiness Pope Sergiyeli of the Zenit Empire speak of the deeds of God’s Favored One, those possessing golden Battle Aura Rings. These favored ones were elusive figures, their movements shrouded in mystery. Before formally entering the core to wield the Holy Church’s power, they would be personally dispatched by His Holiness the Pope to undertake covert missions or undergo obscure trials. Their identities were secretive, their status lofty. They were potential future contenders for the Papacy itself, and even at worst, they would become Popes ruling over super empires, commanding vast ecclesiastical power. Their potential far outstripped that of an unimportant church head like Mazzola, responsible for merely a Sixth-Class Vassal State within a minor empire. Facing such a personage, how could Mazzola not be terrified?

To think he had inadvertently crossed such a magnate, and worse, had clearly left a terrible impression! Mazzola felt like he was plunged into an ice cellar, chilled to the very bone. He instinctively wanted to grovel and flatter to make amends. Yet, remembering that the great man might be conducting some secret task personally assigned by His Holiness the Pope, he dared not actually reveal the master’s likely status… Damn! Should he address Alexander as ‘master’ or pretend he didn’t recognize him? Mazzola had completely lost his bearings.

Observing the trembling, groveling Church members before him, Sun Fei began to grasp a sliver of the situation. Originally, switching from his level 20 Barbarian Mode to his level 12 Paladin Mode, he had harboured a slight hope of using the Paladin’s aura might to muddy the waters. He hadn’t expected this clumsy attempt to actually work, accidentally sparking something intriguing.

“You, get up and apologize to the injured,” Sun Fei commanded, feigning mystery, worried that saying more might trip him up. He pointed coldly at the Knight Captain Luciano.

“Yes, yes, yes…!” Hearing this, Knight Captain Luciano felt like he had just received a royal pardon.

Both he and Mazzola practically crawled like infants towards their parents as they scrambled towards the woman whose back had been lashed open and who had just now revived. They wore expressions of the utmost concern. Luciano helped the injured woman up. Eager to demonstrate his worth, Divine Master Mazzola even mustered all his effort to barely cast an extremely taxing high-level holy spell – [Healing Spell]. A milky white light bloomed from his hand, enveloping the welt on the woman’s back. A miraculous effect occurred: under the glow, the horrifying wound vanished swiftly.

Sun Fei’s pupils contracted slightly.

This divine healing power of the Holy Church was quite similar to the effect of a [Health Potion] from the Diablo World, yet possessed its own unique and mysterious characteristics. It seemed the Holy Church’s rise to become a colossal, unrivaled entity on the Azeroth Continent was indeed built upon profound and unfathomable foundations.

“You actually dared to attack Angela just now?! You deserve death ten thousand times over!” Sun Fei glared coldly at Mazzola, his tone murderous.

“Spare me, master! Master, I was a complete fool! I’d never dare again!” The instant Sun Fei brought this up, Mazzola trembled like a leaf. He threw himself flat on his face at Sun Fei’s feet, weeping and sniveling pitifully: “Master, I realize my grave mistake! From this day onward, Mazzola shall follow your command absolutely! I would gladly lay down my life in your service!”

This poisonous snake was scared out of his wits.

Feeling slightly disgusted, Sun Fei took a step or two back. He understood that currently, neither his personal strength nor the power of Shampoo City could challenge the behemoth that was the Holy Church. The gap between them was as vast as dust compared to the sun. He couldn’t afford to be too impulsive now. Seeing that today’s confrontation had achieved most of its purpose, he decided the remaining score could be settled with these two idiots later. Waving his hand dismissively, he said, “Enough. As it was your first offense, I won’t pursue it further this time. However, conduct yourselves with extreme caution while in Shampoo City in the future. If you dare incur my wrath again, don’t blame me for showing no mercy!”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

Upon hearing this, Mazzola nearly wept with relief.

Thankfully this ‘master’ was magnanimous enough not to pursue the matter. Given the master’s status within the Church, had he chosen to execute Mazzola and Luciano on the spot, even His Holiness the Pope would have likely deemed it justified retribution. So long as he could quell the master’s immediate rage, and since they would all remain within Shampoo City, Mazzola was utterly confident he possessed countless ways to win the favor of this great man. If he could tie his future to that of this formidable master… oh, the mere thought made Mazzola almost giddy with secret delight. He believed this was an absolutely unique opportunity he needed to seize firmly.

“Enough. I don’t want to see you anymore. Send people to take all the injured home and compensate them… Disappear from my sight immediately,” Sun Fei waved his hand as if shooing away flies, his impatience clear as day.

“Yes, yes, yes…”

Like chicks pecking grain, Mazzola and Luciano nodded incessantly, bustling around eagerly to instruct their attendants and clerics: “Men! Quickly escort these worthy injured children of God home… Oh, and how brutish of you! Compensate each home ten gold coins… No! Make that twenty gold coins per household!”

Seeing that some injured struggled to walk, Mazzola, his eyes darting shrewdly, immediately ordered: “Use my carriage… use my magic carriage to transport the injured. Spare them further hardship!” The clerics stared dumbfounded at Mazzola, wondering if they’d misheard. That coveted magic carriage belonged to the Divine Master himself – usually so precious he rarely used it! Now he was commanding them to ferry these filthy commoners?

“What are you gaping at? Do it now, fools!” Mazzola angrily scolded the clerics. He then turned back towards Sun Fei with an ingratiating smile: “Master, does this humble cleric’s arrangement meet with your satisfaction?”

Twenty gold coins was enough for a year’s income for an average Shampoo City family. Most residents injured by the Church knights and clerics earlier suffered only superficial wounds. The sole casualty, the middle-aged woman whipped into unconsciousness, was now completely healed and compensated a full hundred gold coins. Mazzola and Luciano suffered a double blow – losing face and emptying their purses, leaving them thoroughly embarrassed and covered in dust.

Sun Fei’s anger somewhat subsided. He nodded and waved dismissively: “Enough. Get lost!”

His tone couldn’t have been more scornful.

Far from being angered, Mazzola and Luciano felt this dismissive arrogance befitted the demeanor of one who was a God’s Favored One. They nodded subserviently, offered repeated apologies, then retreated step by step with continuous bows and sickening smiles, finally leading their troops of attendants and clerics away.

Watching the fearsome Church clerics depart in miserable disorder, the residents along the street blinked as if waking from a dream before exploding into thunderous cheers. The just and merciful King Alexander had protected them once more, bringing an unexpected triumph! Applause boomed like thunder; everyone cheered, shouting “Long Live the King!”…

Amidst the boiling crowd, the beautiful Angela and the blond little Lori, Gemma, stood gazing at Sun Fei, their eyes filled with adoration and fascination.

Amidst such exultant cries, Lampard quietly turned and slipped away.

Sun Fei, however, looked into the distance with a peculiar expression, watching the departing backs of the clerics and knight attendants. As they had passed him moments before, from the intricately carved window of another magic carriage slightly further back, he had glimpsed the face of a somewhat sickly, beautiful youth with fair hair. A pair of azure eyes, clear as the ocean, had imparted Sun Fei with an indescribable, strange sensation.

Who was he?

For some unfathomable reason, Sun Fei felt a sudden, intense curiosity about that beautiful youth.