‘I’m strong, and the Bishop is weak… Does that mean I should just fight my way in?’
‘The Bishop of a holy land must be at the Saint Rank, right? No matter how strong I am, there is no way I can defeat someone at the Saint Rank…’
‘That’s something I would only dare to think about in a dream!’
Wait?
With a sudden shift in his thoughts, Lance instantly understood what Falia meant.
Many aspects of a dream were chaotic, absurd, and illogical. This was the fundamental nature of a dream.
No matter how realistic the dream woven by that Dream Eater was, it could never defy this fact; it was simply hidden well.
Thinking of this, Lance maintained a respectful demeanor and took the initiative to break the silence.
Instead of explaining his identity, he asked a completely unrelated question.
“Highness Astrid, do you know how strong the Lord Bishop of this Hall is?”
Astrid, who was watching him warily, froze for a moment.
She did not understand why Lance was asking this, but considering their previously friendly exchange, she thought for a moment before speaking.
“Cardinal Mapele is a veteran powerhouse of the Saint Rank. He is one of the top experts in the South and North Continents.”
“Then have you seen him go all out? Or have you heard descriptions of it?”
Astrid grew even more confused.
Born under the Holy Tree and raised in the royal palace, a princess of a top-tier race like Astrid had never encountered any danger since childhood.
How could she have seen a Saint Rank powerhouse go all out?
Searching her memories, Astrid was certain she had never heard anyone mention such a thing either.
She shook her head in response to Lance.
Seeing this, Lance was overjoyed!
‘So she has no concept of a Saint Rank powerhouse’s actual strength?’
After their previous conversation, Lance was certain that the current Elf girl was just an innocent, sheltered young lady.
She was a completely different person from the experienced adventurer who traveled the world and braved the Maze in the real world!
Lance reflected on his own life. He had lived for nearly forty years, and the latter half of his life had been spent struggling through the intrigue and deception of the Restoration Army.
‘Could I really fail to bluff an ignorant young lady?’
At this thought, Lance’s confidence surged.
Clearing his throat and puffing out his chest, Lance spoke with great pride.
“To be honest, my reason for coming to the Hall this time is twofold. On one hand, I am here to be inaugurated as an Oathbound Knight—that is, to pledge my loyalty to you.”
“On the other hand, I also intend to ask Cardinal Mapele for some guidance.”
Hearing these words, Astrid could no longer hide her shock. “You want to challenge a Saint Rank expert?”
“Exactly!”
“But you look about the same age as me! How could you possibly be a match for Mapele?”
Lance’s lips curled into a smile. In a tone that was both smug and provocative, he said, “That is something Your Highness does not know!”
“What? What don’t I know?” Astrid was stunned, not understanding what Lance was trying to convey.
“If Cardinal Mapele were still in his prime, then I would certainly be no match for him. But do you know about that incident from twenty years ago?”
“Twenty years ago?”
Guided by Lance’s words, Astrid searched her memories of twenty years ago. However, she could not think of any special event that had occurred, so she shook her head.
Seeing this, Lance became even more unscrupulous. On the surface, however, he deliberately put on a showy expression and spoke slowly.
“Twenty years ago, His Eminence Mapele personally went to the City of Wisdom to receive a Calamity-level Sealed Artifact from the Sage Council.”
“That Sealed Artifact originally belonged to the Witch’s Hermitage. When they sensed an opportunity, they moved to seize it.”
Astrid’s heart tightened, and she asked anxiously, “Did Mapele lose?”
“How could he! Lord Mapele is a top-tier Saint Rank powerhouse! How could he be defeated by those rats from the Witch’s Hermitage who hide in the shadows?”
“However, before they fled, they actually used a secret method to forcibly awaken that Calamity-level Sealed Artifact!”
“In order to re-apply the seal, Lord Mapele was ultimately affected by the artifact. His strength significantly diminished.”
“Although his status remains, his strength has fallen to the Elemental Tier… So, I might have a chance at victory now!”
With this story, Lance directly elevated his own strength to the Elemental Tier while downgrading the Saint Rank Cardinal to the Elemental Tier.
Astrid did not notice his scheme at all, her eyes only showing doubt. “How have I never heard of this?”
Faced with this question, the young man before her showed no surprise.
He calmly asked back, “Has Lord Mapele ever taken action in the last twenty years?”
Astrid froze as if she had suddenly realized something.
“Why would such a top-tier combatant be sent to the heart of the Elf race to ‘spend his retirement’? Don’t you think it’s a bit of a waste?”
Lance struck while the iron was hot, leading her on. Sure enough, Astrid fell right into his trap.
Pasu Island, where the Elf race resided, was isolated across the sea and did not directly border any forces of the North Continent.
The island already had two top-tier Saint Rank combatants, the King and Queen, and more than ten other ordinary Saint Rank experts.
Furthermore, the island possessed a series of trump cards like the Secret Grand Array, which had been passed down through the Elf race for a thousand years.
Logically speaking, there was indeed no need to keep another top-tier combatant there.
In contrast, the combat power possessed by the Nature Church on the continent was clearly stretched thin. She had heard that they had even lost to the Evernight Church in a conflict recently…
‘If this news leaked out, wouldn’t the Churches lose a top combatant? But if Mapele has been staying on the island…’
At this thought, Astrid had a sudden realization. But then, she sensed something was not quite right.
“You say you can win against Mapele? Even if he isn’t Saint Rank right now, he is still an experienced Element-grade expert… Are you at the Elemental Tier?”
Astrid looked at Lance with a face full of amazement.
Lance puffed out his chest with pride, pretending to suppress his smugness. “It was just luck!”
“But you look about the same age as me!”
Astrid couldn’t help but be shocked. To put it bluntly, the Elemental Tier was the dividing line between gods and men!
As long as one could manipulate the Power of Factors and apply it to their attacks, ordinary people would have almost no way to resist!
Moreover, knocking on the Gate of Elements was a mysterious and profound matter.
Every person’s way of awakening their Elements was different, so there was no fixed method for promotion.
This led to a sharp drop in the number of experts in the world starting from the Elemental Tier.
Since Lance was so young and had already awakened his Elements, it was basically predictable that he would definitely step into the Saint Rank in the future!
How could any power not try to recruit him?
“But why would you come to be my Oathbound Knight?” Astrid grew more confused.
If the young man before her was truly an Element-grade expert, the Elga Royal Family would definitely do everything in their power to recruit him!
It wouldn’t even be out of the question to betroth her to him! How could he be sent to be a mere Oathbound Knight for her?
Wait?
Astrid suddenly realized something. Wasn’t the reason she was grounded in the Hall of the Holy Tree because of the conflict with her father over her marriage?
“Go see the human world? Stop acting like a spoiled child, Astrid!”
“You are a princess of the Elga Royal Family; you must naturally fulfill your duties!”
“You won’t be a tool for a political marriage? You insist on going to the human world?”
“Stop fooling around! Your talent is so… and your strength is…”
Suddenly recalling her father’s previous words and that expression of pity as he stopped himself from speaking, Astrid immediately felt frustrated.
Thinking of the ‘young talents’ she had chased away earlier, Astrid’s anger flared.
When that old-fashioned man saw her determined attitude, he used the position of an Oathbound Knight as an excuse, insisting on arranging a ‘high-born noble’ to be her knight.
Astrid had long seen through her father’s dirty tricks, but she had been helpless.
‘No wonder he appeared in my garden! Father, is this your new scheme?!’
Seeing that Astrid remained silent for a long time, Lance started to feel nervous.
‘Did I fail to trick her?’
Just as Lance was about to say something more to prove his words, the girl before him suddenly raised her head and glared at him fiercely.
Lance’s heart jumped. He thought his bluff had been seen through and had produced the opposite effect.
Instantly, a brainstorm began in his mind as he considered how to deal with the girl’s confrontation and how to prove his strength.
Time passed slowly. The two stood in a silent confrontation. Lance, believing he was in a passive position, waited for the girl’s accusations and questions.
However, Astrid did not speak. Even her ‘ferocious’ expression was slowly softening.
After the initial anger passed, Astrid’s heart began to thud.
‘He… seems quite decent. I didn’t feel any repulsion when he held me earlier. Furthermore…’
Astrid carefully studied Lance’s face. The tips of her ears turned slightly red, and she was the first to lose heart.
She quickly turned her back to him and took several deep breaths.
After steadying herself, Astrid wanted to return to her previous wary expression, but she found it impossible.
“If I let you become my knight, are you willing to go see the human world with me?”
Patting her cheeks, Astrid turned around and issued her invitation again with a serious expression.
She had asked those prospective Oathbound Knights this question before, and they had all chosen to avoid it or tried to talk her out of the idea.
Not a single person was willing to support her…
At this thought, a faint look of hope rose in Astrid’s eyes as she looked at Lance.
Lance was stunned, not understanding when the topic had shifted. However, seeing that Astrid did not doubt his story, he breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Go see the human world? That’s definitely not a problem! I am a human!’
Without the slightest hesitation, Lance blurted out, “It would be my pleasure! Your Highness’s wish is also my wish!”
Astrid’s heart skipped a beat. The blush on her ears that had not yet dissipated spread once more.
‘Is… is this a confession? Is that how it’s described in novels?’
The Elf girl grew flustered again. Looking at Lance’s determined gaze, Astrid quickly looked away and stammered, “Then… then you shall be my knight!”
Astrid couldn’t understand why she lost her composure so easily when dealing with this knight.
Clearly, she had maintained the dignity and majesty of a princess when she summoned those other Oathbound Knights!
While Astrid’s thoughts were wandering and Lance was celebrating his successful employment, a weathered and deep voice suddenly came from the entrance of the garden.
“Oh?”
Lance and the Elf Princess both turned their heads to look. It was the Cardinal in deep red clerical robes, Mapele.