Chapter 519: Act 267 – The Reassignment of the Temple Knights (Part 1)
Indeed, it was not easy. Brendel was well aware that this noble meeting was more a last-ditch effort for both sides to negotiate than a true peace conference. All participants were at the pinnacle of power in Erluin: six dukes—Anlek, Siphai, Corvado, Vieiro, Karasu, and Golan-Elsen—two marquises—the Lord of Sword Fortress, the White Lion army commander Marquis Baltar, and the king’s cousin, Marquis Julian—along with five privileged earls, and two high priests from the Temple, as well as leading figures from numerous merchant groups in Ampere Seale. To mingle among them without exceptional skills would be quite difficult.
Fortunately, this was not a matter of urgency; the nobles would drag it out until next week before beginning another round of negotiations. Thus, Brendel had the time he needed. He entrusted this matter to Sue, as he had more important tasks to accomplish. After making arrangements for the young members of the White Lion army, he traveled lightly, taking Antinna and Xi with him, and rented a coach straight toward the inner city.
The destination of the coach was the magnificent Andefule Grand Temple within the city—a temple that was established in the year 227 of the First Era and had been standing for over a hundred years. Funded by the merchants of the city, the temple was completed by the master builder Rognin and stands as Ampere Seale’s most famous artistic treasure. The overall shape of the hall is elliptical, with numerous pillars extending from the side walls. The pointed arched entrance at the front symbolizes the majesty and supremacy of divine power, as pilgrims slowly ascend a hundred and twenty steps leading directly to the grand fountain plaza, generating an imposing presence.
The square in front of the temple prohibited the passage of coaches. As Antinna, Xi, and Brendel stepped down from the coach, they were rendered speechless by the grandeur of the temple. Anyone coming from the south, whom the locals of Ampere Seale referred to as bumpkins, would be left in awe of this structure—nobles and commoners alike. This was the only place in Erluin where one could be reassigned as a Temple Knight. The Temple of Fire in Erluin has two knight ranks: the Temple Knight is a title bestowed upon those who have crossed the elemental wall, while the Temple Knight is a true profession.
Previously, Temple Knights were soldier-monks of the temple, but later, it was also opened to the children of nobles. To advance to this profession, players must meet two conditions: first, a noble background, and second, a deep reverence for the spiritual symbol of the King of Fire, the golden flame. The latter was simple; if religious knowledge (Cruz) reached level 10, one would qualify. The former, however, was more problematic—it required obtaining a letter of recommendation from a prominent figure among the nobility.
The letter in Brendel’s possession was issued in the name of Erluin’s academic master, Turiman. After the Wolf Calamity Incident, it was quite easy for Brendel to request a letter of introduction from him; besides, he had long intended to take on the mantle of a Temple Knight, naturally not wanting to miss this opportunity. This was, in fact, the second introduction letter Turiman had written for him. The old man jokingly remarked that whenever the crafty little fox came to him, it was never for anything good, clearly reminding him that he hadn’t forgotten the previous little trick Brendel had played on him.
Brendel could only laugh it off. At that time, he had no other choice, and to be fair, he hadn’t actually lied. He simply did not want to provoke the stone tablet war too early and disrupt history, so it was difficult to elaborate on that matter.
He handed the letter of introduction to the temple guard—anyone who could serve as a ceremonial knight at the entrance of the Andefule Grand Temple was no ordinary person. Most of them were noble by birth and possessed a certain background. Thus, the guard immediately recognized the extraordinary origin of the silver letter in his hand and did not dare to be negligent. After inquiring about Brendel’s purpose, he promptly led Brendel into the back hall, where the priests rested.
If it were an ordinary person, the temple guard would not have treated him as such. However, Brendel brought with him the red-haired pony-tailed girl Xi in full battle dress and the noble girl Antinna in a black formal gown. The former’s aura as a high-level warrior was unmistakable, while the latter’s demeanor reeked of the elite that only high nobility could afford to nurture. Moreover, Brendel himself now exuded a decent spirit, and with the golden aura enhancing his presence, one could not help but assume a high status.
This was the reason Brendel only brought Xi and Antinna along. At first glance, the temple guard misidentified Brendel as a descendant of a high noble, psychologically already believing him to be of elevated status. Moreover, the glaring personal insignia on the silver letter left no room for doubt.
The Andefule Grand Temple consists of two parts: an outer and an inner section. Usually, ordinary people who enter the temple to worship can only reach the main hall at the front. However, Brendel was quite familiar with the back half of this temple. For instance, the area he was currently in was actually the training zone for the knights, divided into dormitories, three training halls, and a meditation chamber. He now stood within the meditation chamber designated for reassignment.
The reassignment process for a Temple Knight was quite straightforward; an experienced priest would bless the candidate with holy water. Uniquely, Temple Knights can receive several levels of blessings at the start of their reassignment. Generally, the higher the rank of the officiating priest, the more blessed levels one would receive. Blessed levels equate to free levels; for locals, this means gaining power upon reassignment.
This was a significant temptation for ordinary people, which is why many nobles spare no expense to bribe the temple, hoping their offspring could be blessed by a higher-ranking priest. Of course, the officiating priests are generally of a lesser rank; the two high priests in the Ampere Seale diocese are of revered status and are well aware of the bribes received among their subordinates but typically do not participate in corruptions.
The guard brought forth an older priest for Brendel. Upon seeing the red trim on the priest’s white robe, Brendel couldn’t help but blink; this man was also a high-ranking priest, only second in status to regional figures like Amann and Wood; thus, he was indeed a figure of high prestige. Turiman’s influence was evidently substantial, worthy enough for even the temple to owe him a favor.
He observed the guard whispering to the elder priest for a moment, likely explaining Brendel’s identity and purpose. The elder priest displayed a look of doubt and suspicion. Brendel understood the inner workings of the proceedings and hurriedly presented his letter of introduction. After the elder priest examined the letter, only caution remained in his eyes.
In fact, Turiman’s brilliance was so prominent that very few knew that he had once held Livwz’s current position. Although Turiman had rarely mingled in Erluin’s noble circles since handing over the Chief Court Magician position after leaving the Royal Library, his name was undoubtedly resounding in those circles.
Although Turiman was born in Erluin, he was actually of Buja descent, a fact well known to everyone. In the past, the Four Sages had received benefits from the Buja people, who now enjoy a transcendent status. This is not only due to the formidable strength of the People of Silver but also because they never involve themselves in disputes among the Four Great Temples, garnering respect from all four.
“May I ask what relation you have with Master Turiman?” The elder priest, being rather composed, pressed for details. Turiman had been in seclusion for many years; it was unusual for someone to suddenly appear with his letter requesting to be reassigned as a Temple Knight. Of course, after inspecting the letter, there seemed to be no issue, but he still needed to clarify the details.
“I have no direct relationship with the master, but he had some dealings with my family in the past.” Brendel tried to speak ambiguously; after all, he knew no one would seek confirmation from Turiman. Even if someone did, Turiman would likely help him spin a tale.
The elder priest nodded. The relationships among nobles were complex; many wished to guard their secrets. By this point, Brendel had said enough. As long as the letter was genuine, that was sufficient. After all, the young man was merely seeking to be reassigned as a Temple Knight, not to join the temple.
The elder priest took the letter and replied, “Originally, it was Master Turiman’s request for the high priest to bless you personally. However, you have arrived at an inconvenient time, as the high priest is currently away. Would you like to wait a while and return later?”
As soon as the elder priest spoke, Brendel noticed the look of surprise on the face of the temple guard beside him. “By Lady Martha, innumerable notable figures in Ampere Seale are willing to give everything for their offspring to receive a high priest’s blessing, yet everyone understands that such a request is impossible. It’s not just about the power conferred; it’s an honor. The high priest has only blessed one person in the last ten years, and that was at the request of King Obergo VII, to improve the relations between the temple and Erluin. That person is now the legitimate lord of a territory and the commander of the White Lion army.”
Realizing this, the temple guard could not help but stare at Brendel in awe, seemingly trying to figure out what made this young man so different.
However, Brendel felt a sense of unease; he had merely come here to be reassigned as a Temple Knight and had no intentions of anything else. In his view, it was best if the process was as unobtrusive as possible. He didn’t care much for those free levels; ideally, he’d like to find some third-rate priest to bless him and be done with it. He was beginning to regret asking Turiman to write this letter of introduction. If Wood had been the one to bless him, by tomorrow morning, he would likely be headline news in the noble circles of Ampere Seale, and soon enough, people would dig into his background.
Brendel did not believe that any secrets could remain hidden in this world. His current advantage was that his enemies were in the light while he was in the dark; should the temple truly make a scene here, he felt he could escape back to Toniger by the next day. It would be a scandal for the temple’s regional high priest to bless a head of rebellion; not just for him but for the entire Temple of Fire and Turiman himself, it would be a reputation in ruins. Brendel could hardly fathom how dreadful such a situation could be.
Fortunately, under Lady Martha’s protection, Wood was absent, which was the only relief for Brendel. He hastily shook his head and replied, “No need; I simply aspire to the path of the golden flame. As for who blesses me, it does not matter.”
Brendel delivered this statement with great conviction, and the elder priest’s eyes brightened as he nodded repeatedly, “Indeed, indeed, young people who think like you are rare these days. Those nobles… ah, let’s not speak of them. Very well, I will personally officiate your blessing.”
With that, the elder could not help but glance at Antinna and Xi beside him, then asked, “However, your attendants cannot accompany you inside. Would you mind letting them wait here?”
“Of course,” Brendel replied.
……
(Note: The core doctrine of the Temple of Fire) (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please support it with recommendation and monthly votes at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
