Silver Pine Town's militia camp.

Local lord Victor Gess, Baron, rushed over from his manor by carriage in a hurry.

Gazing at Adela, the sheriff who had just returned from the Labyrinth, he raised his whip and struck it down on the man's shoulder, scolding him without restraint.

"Idiot! Madman! Who allowed you to muster my subjects? Eight hundred lives! Do you understand what this means?! Are you going to till the land next year?!"

With just a little over ten thousand permanent residents in Silver Pine Town, the loss of eight hundred able-bodied men was a considerable blow—it would take years to recover from such a deficit!

Adela knelt on one knee, his head bowed low.

"I'm sorry, my lord... The order to muster the militia came from the security headquarters, we must always monitor the Labyrinth's activity to prevent monster invasions—"

"Shut up!" Baron Gess, unable to contain his fury, cut him off and roared, "The Demon King is dead, and it won't be long before the Labyrinth collapses on its own! A Labyrinth without a Demon King—tell me, where do these monster invasions come from?!"

Adela: "But—"

"I didn't give you permission to speak!" Baron Gess glared at him with murderous intent and spoke through clenched teeth, "And besides, mustering the militia is one thing, but who allowed you to go down into the Labyrinth?!"

"..."

"Mute now?"

"No... You just told me to shut up."

Ah.

So annoying.

An evil thought suddenly sprang to Adela's mind: what if he killed him here and then had Lord Demon King resurrect him as a ghoul—would that mean he wouldn't have to see that annoying face anymore?

However, this idea was fleeting and quickly dismissed.

Killing a noble and killing a commoner had entirely different costs, not to mention replacing him with a ghoul.

These fellows were not only blessed by Saint Sis from birth, but they also had complex networks of kinship.

Unlike the clergy, bound by lifetime vows with their relationships contained fully within the church, they were less likely to slip up.

"Dammit..."

Seeing the small sheriff defy him time and again, Baron Gess raised his whip, about to give him a harsh lesson, when a deep, hoarse voice suddenly came from the side.

"I told him to do it."

Baron Gess shuddered all over and quickly turned around, only to see Priest Matt standing at the entrance of the barracks, dressed in his priestly robe.

His attire was a clean and tidy priest's robe, with a sacred cross hanging on his chest.

Somehow.

Gess always felt that today's Matt seemed rather lifeless, but considering the old Priest had just returned from the Labyrinth, he soon rationalized it.

People who recite spells are always like this, even the servants of Saint Sis are no exception.

"Matt... Priest? You?" Gess opened his mouth, bewildered, "But why?"

"The Demon God is the enemy of Saint Sis, and it's the divine duty of us, God's servants, to guard against the activities of Hell," Matt said with a straight face, using the reasoning previously taught by Sheriff Adela, "What, do you doubt the holy mission?"

That rigid and inflexible demeanor was indeed Priest Matt's usual style.

Fooled for a moment, Baron Gess, sweating profusely and fumbling for words said,

"No... but..."

Not pushing him too far, Matt took a step back voluntarily, offering the premeditated excuse.

"The church will compensate for your losses, as well as those of the farmers. Additionally, I will write a letter to your lord to explain the situation, telling Earl that the reduction in Silver Pine Town's drafted soldiers was due to monster assaults, not your fault..."

Indemnity.

And exemption from blame.

Having both demands satisfied, Baron Gess's face finally showed a relieved expression.

"Thank you..."

The only thing that puzzled him was why this stingy miser had suddenly become so generous today?

Matt watched him and said with an expressionless face,

"Any other questions?"

Baron Gess shook his head hastily.

"No more questions."

As long as the money was right, everything was negotiable.

The nobility of the Ryan Kingdom has always been quite reasonable.

Matt nodded.

"Let it be so, then, respected lord. I have more to tend to regarding the aftermath of this resistance against the monster invasion, so I shall not take up more of your valuable time."

Resistance against monster invasion...

Baron Gess chuckled inwardly; these clergy really don't think before they speak.

Ah...

Saint Sis above, I mean no disrespect, but you really need to discipline your servants.

Having mentally arranged the case against Priest Matt, Baron Gess then turned to Adela, doing a favor for the priest of Silver Pine Town.

"Adela, thank the Priest Matt. Otherwise, even if the security headquarters of Thunder City would let you off, I certainly wouldn't spare you."

City officials weren't worth his efforts to curry favor, but priests with ecclesiastical authority were a different story and worth forming good relationships with.

After all, he too would need Holy Water one day.

"Yes..." Adela bowed his head, hiding a cold sneer in his heart.

Baron Gess made a reverent sign of the cross over his chest, then waved his whip and walked away with two servants trailing behind, exuding arrogance.

He didn't want to stay a moment longer in this backwater place.

In just those few seconds, his expensive silk attire had already taken on the smell of soil...

...

Only after Baron Gess had left did Sheriff Adela breathe a sigh of relief and lift his bowed head.

Looking at Priest Matt with an expressionless face, he squeezed a friendly smile onto his own.

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