Chapter 122: Priest Lavia

At that moment, an official entered the side hall, approached Baird, and whispered a report.

"Priest Ravia, my lord is already waiting at the church. Please, follow me," Baird said, rising to address Ravia.

"Very well."

Ravia stood up and followed Baird toward the Church of Life in Qixing Town. The Church of Life was not located within the town proper, but rather between the castle and the town, primarily to allow space for future expansion.

Half an hour later, they arrived outside the Church of Life. Baird leaned in to whisper a brief summary of Ravia’s background to Velen. Learning that the man was a priest with the heart of a berserker was quite absurd, though his actual strength remained to be seen.

"Priest Ravia, I am Velen Aikes, the lord of this domain. Welcome to the Church of Life in Qixing."

Ravia did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point, assuring Velen, "Please rest assured, Sir. Aside from the methods of proselytization, I will never interfere in any of your decisions."

Seeing the man was so sensible, Velen felt much more at ease and responded with a smile, "Priest Ravia is a man of true character. Is there anything you need my help with?"

"If you could allocate a few acres of land for me to cultivate in my spare time, it would help me take care of my own sustenance."

Velen looked at Ravia with surprise, then nodded immediately. "I will have Baird set aside one hundred acres for the Qixing Church of Life. As for how you use it, that is entirely up to you. I will not interfere."

"I thank you for your kindness, Sir," Ravia said, bowing in gratitude.

"A fair exchange."

For a priest with such self-awareness, Velen did not mind satisfying a few of his requests.

"In that case, let me show you around the church."

"Thank you, Sir."

Following this, Ravia walked behind Velen into the main hall of the church. When they saw the statue of the Goddess of Life, everyone stood in solemn respect. After a devout prayer, Velen led Ravia to the next area.

The main structure of the Church of Life was not large, consisting of the main hall, the priest's living quarters, and a prayer room. As for other functions, the church would have to develop those itself. Ravia did not seem disappointed by the humble architecture; in fact, he appeared somewhat excited. Velen found this strange behavior from the bald priest curious, but he did not press for details. Since the church and the surrounding land were now assigned to him, how he chose to manage them was of no concern to the lord.

The doctrine of the Goddess of Life advocated that as long as one was pious, prayers could be offered anywhere—even without a statue, a church, or a residence. Prayer was not limited by external form.

"Priest Ravia, this is your new home. From now on, the church is in your hands."

"Rest assured, Sir, I will manage the church well."

Seeing this, Velen nodded and took his leave. After sending the others off, Ravia gazed at the statue of the Goddess, prayed for half an hour, and then began moving his meager belongings into his room.

"After ten years of wandering and asceticism, settling down to enjoy a pastoral life is truly a fine choice. I hope the Goddess forgives my somewhat selfish desires."

Ravia confessed his "sins" in his heart, then went to a nearby farm to borrow a hoe and began tending the land behind the church. For the next few days, Velen received daily reports on Ravia. After half a month passed without incident, he ordered the surveillance to be called off.

***

On November 11th, Velen selected a volunteer squad from his troops, preparing to conduct an initial exploration of the Underdark world of Colorado. Since obtaining information about this Underdark realm from a group of goblins two years prior, the mission had been repeatedly delayed. Lacking sufficient strength, he had not dared to send anyone down to investigate. With the mobilization date still some time away, Velen decided to dispatch a vanguard team to scout the area and gather basic intelligence.

Two kilometers north of the Frozen Zone, a small earthen fortress had been constructed around the entrance to the cavern. Unlike a standard fort built for outer defense, this one featured twelve triple-bed crossbows mounted on its ramparts, equipped with bolts tipped in mithril-alloyed steel, all aimed directly at the cave entrance.

On the open ground outside the fort, the six members of the vanguard squad stood at attention, awaiting Velen's final instructions. Among them were one high-tier Bronze warrior, two mid-tier Bronze warriors, and three low-tier Bronze warriors—the backbone of his military.

"The primary objective of this mission is reconnaissance. Ensure your own safety while gathering as much information as possible."

"You are all excellent warriors, and I am proud of you. I hope to see you all return alive."

"Baird, distribute the short swords."

Baird, standing behind Velen, received the order and signaled for the wooden crates to be opened. He took out the short swords forged with mithril alloy and handed them to the six warriors one by one.

"Remember, you must never expose the location of the teleportation array."

"Yes, my lord."

"Take a moment to prepare. You depart in half an hour."

Once dismissed, the six gathered together to discuss potential contingencies. Meanwhile, Velen and Baird were not idle.

"Eden is a very talented warrior."

Baird replied, "My lord, he was the first in our standing army to become a warrior apprentice, and the first to promote to the Bronze rank. He is a talent I have been keeping a close eye on."

Velen asked, "Is he married?"

"He has a wife named Marilyn and a pair of twin daughters."

"If he returns alive, increase his training resources. Such talent must not be buried." Velen suddenly thought of something and smiled mysteriously. "Also, have someone look into his wife. You might find an unexpected harvest."

"My lord, why is that?" Baird asked, puzzled by Velen's actions.

"Fate is mysterious. His history makes me consider certain possibilities. Perhaps his whole family possesses great talent."

"I understand, my lord."

Half an hour later, Baird ordered the massive stone blocking the cave entrance to be moved. Eden looked into the dark, deep opening, raised his torch, and resolutely stepped into the underground. The other five members of the vanguard followed closely behind.

Once they had all vanished from sight, Velen ordered the fortress gates closed and instructed all soldiers on the ramparts to remain on high alert. This location bordered Anastasia’s Frozen Zone; should any accidents occur, she could easily suppress them. However, Velen did not want to bother his guardian deity with matters he could resolve himself.

At that very moment, inside the Frozen Citadel, Anastasia opened her eyes. She looked toward the direction of the teleportation fluctuations, paid it brief attention, and then closed her eyes again to resume her meditation.