Chapter 96: The Hypocrites

The priest defiantly smiled. His back pounding at the wall, he kept a smug expression despite Arden’s threat. Not even having his throat held tightly made the priest falter.

“Speak!”

Arden smashed the priest in the wall again. A thud and the sound of a bone cracking was what the Acolyte could hear. The priest, however, didn’t falter.

“I do not fear.” said the priest. “My God is with me, and I do not fear the likes of you old friend.”

“Old friend?” Arden sneered, “I am not your friend.”

“Then are you a fraud or perhaps a disciple of the mage killer?”

Arden went silent. It seemed the black robed priest knew of the mage killer. And it was obvious to him that Arden wasn’t the mage killer.

“Ah, I see a flicker in your eyes, you are no mage killer. The Mage Killer would have sneaked in quietly. He is smarter than this and that just makes me righter than ever...am I right?”

“That doesn’t matter. Tell me where the Witch is?”

“And why do think that the witch that has been putting the area around Dunwich is working with us? Fool, do you think that we would allow such Witch?”

He smiled. Arden didn’t fell for such lie and said.

“I saw the letters and the parcels. Anyone could and would figure out that the sun’s crown is deliberately trying not to murder the Witch.”

“You speak of letters and parcels.” The Black robed Priest smiled, ‘So you were the one that has been maiming and killing our couriers.”

“They knew nothing and that’s why I came here.”

“I see.” He looked down at Arden, “They did not talk or spew any secret. I believe that you came here expecting to have your answers. But forget it young mage, we do not bend that easily. Our faith in the God is much greater than the petty fear you are trying to invoke on us won’t work.”

The black robed priest said defiantly. His expression is calm and serene. His eyes filled with defiance and unrelenting willpower.

“I see. It seemed that the faith of the Sun’s Crown is indeed unbending...but.” Arden slammed the priest down on the ground and then pointed his weapon at the Acolyte. “Tell me, priest, if you’re God is righteous and kind and if you are indeed a Priest of the Light...will you let this Acolyte die?”

“N, no please don’t!”

The acolyte shrieked in fear. The black robed priest looked at his acolyte, there for once, his expression faltered. He was a kind priest, and even with all of his doings, he could not bear seeing a disciple die.

“I see your point. But tell me, do you believe in lesser evil?”

“Evil is evil priest. It doesn’t matter.”

“Is that so? Very well, put your weapon down...” the black robed priest said. “I will speak if it will save my foolish and cowardly disciple. “

The black robed priest stood up with all of his might. His face as gentle as the sun, he then turned his eyes to Arden and said.

“The Witch is indeed working for the Sun’s Crown.”

“I knew it.”

“But, it is for the greater good.”

“Greater good?” Arden scowled, “Killing innocent villagers and guards for the greater good? Isn’t that hypocritical?”

“And what makes your different young mage? Look at you, attacking a monastery that serves the people, maiming innocent couriers, and such. You are no different, in fact, what you are doing will serve no good for the people. The blue haired Witch has agreed to help, for doing so would allow us to put fear in the hearts of those revolters.”

“Revolters?” he asked, “What do you mean?”

“And ignorant of the political climate I see. You know nothing about the fiefs and farms? You know nothing about the fact that revolting will turn this place into a chaotic place, a place filled with bloodshed...and the worst is that the people, the soldiers in the front-lines will have nothing to eat by the time everyone starts to quarrel. We are merely sending someone to put fear into the hearts of people, reminding them of the true enemy.”

“And what about you?” he continued, “Even if you put a stop to all of our doings, another one will replace the Witch. There will always be scapegoat, and even if you remove one, someone will replace her immediately. What are you doing is a mere fruitless escapade.”

“Then I will have just to keep stopping you.”

“Can you? My child, you have offended and blown up the monastery, as we speak hundreds of Knights will come after you, and surely they bring this place to justice...how many did you slaughter here?”

Arden kept silent.

“Ah, you foolish short sighted brat...I don’t know if you are close to the mage killer or not, but the likes of his powers are wasted on you...” he sighed, “To think that many would die because of you.”

“How self-righteous,” Arden said curtly. “You speak of the dead, but never think of the people dying because of the Witch you coaxed?”

“Of course I think.” The black robed priest knitted his brows, “I am sacrificing people for the greater good! What about you? A foolish short-sighted brat that does not think of consequences, a foolish young man filled with idiocy and single-minded pursuits born out of instincts. You are the type that never learns, and I bet that you are someone that righteously thinks that doing all of this and saving the poor fiefs will make you a Hero. No young man, you are a murderer and stopping the witch will not change anything.”

The Black Robe said, looking at Arden with disgust.

“Greater good, sacrifices...you easily say that while staying in this place...yet you could not even let your acolyte die just for the sake of one secret, how hypocritical of you.”

“And you are not? I am Human. I will save those who are near me, and I will order those who are far away to be killed for the sake of greater good. I am no saint, I am servant of the people, and I think about the consequences.”

“Hmm, it doesn’t matter...all I can see is someone not daring to shed his blood.”

The Priest sneered.

“You know nothing about the world. Go, and find the Witch...kill her, and eliminate her and do whatever you want. I will give you the location.”

The priest then handed a scroll containing the location of the Witch. Arden took the scroll and pocketed it.

“Go on, and see if you can reach the Witch young mage. Let me see if the mage killer’s brat could withstand the might of knights and ascended knights.”

Arden turned to the priest. He wanted to speak something but instead, he walked away. He could not argue with the priest and even he could feel the dreadful horde of Aura’s coming to the location.