Long-term salvation

It was not until this moment that the apprentice knights realized that the surrounding surveillance cameras were turning towards them at the same time. The faintly flickering red sensor lights were like hundreds of dangerous beasts, sizing up these outsiders in the darkness, in the smallest details, and in every corner of the town.

A certain sense of horror gradually crept into the hearts of the trainee knights, but the fear soon turned into a trace of reverence - this emotion soon drove them to move their legs and keep up with the pace of the priest.

When more than a dozen priests walked together on the street, even the knowledgeable residents of Arkham could not help but cast curious glances at them, or bravely come forward to ask questions.

After talking with several Catholic believers, Father Anderson was astonished to discover that everyone here knew of Rhodes's existence and spoke of his deeds with respect. You have to know that these ordinary people would not know of the Son of God's feats of constantly saving the world! Yet, it was these little things that captured their hearts, making them love and respect the "Count of Monte Cristo" who lived in Hill Manor from the bottom of their hearts.

Of course, after hearing about the beautiful girls in the villa, Father Anderson's face still became stiff. His muscles were tense, and the corners of his eyes twitched slightly. Just as he was about to reprimand them, he heard a shout from not far away.

It was Father Merlin, who had been waiting here for a long time.

Father Merlin, who arrived on a bicycle, gently persuaded the curious people to leave, preventing them from further angering Father Anderson with inappropriate remarks:

Father Anderson advocated the complete extermination of every monster, heretic, and pagan that threatened humanity. Although this was very much to the liking of the former Holy Trinity Organization, the extreme fanaticism and piety of the extremists, who would exclaim "Fuck you, crazy!", made them dare not accept him into their organization.

Not to mention, the Holy Trinity used to be playing around with stigmata and the like. If Father Anderson found out, he might rush into the organization's headquarters with a gun and sword and kill everyone in sight... Although this priest hasn't been transformed yet, the fact that he killed monsters from the other world with his mortal body is still awe-inspiring.

"Father Alexander Anderson," Father Merlin nodded slightly. He glanced at the trainee knights and relaxed slightly when he saw their somewhat reserved demeanor. He continued, "You didn't say anything strange, did you? You understand what I mean."

"Of course, Father Lankester Merlyn, I know exactly what I am going to do."

"That's for the best... Honestly, the pressure from the Vatican is a bit too much. Otherwise, I really don't want to relay it," Father Merlin said helplessly. He rode his bicycle beside Father Anderson, guiding the group toward the Covenant Church. "Even I know your great name."

“Listen to me, you who know what is right, who have my instruction in their hearts. Do not be afraid of their insults, and do not be dismayed by their slander (Isaiah 51:7).”

Father Anderson replied calmly, spreading his hands and carefully sidestepping the children running by. He gave them a gentle smile, then sighed and whispered to his colleague:

"I was blinded by my momentary desire and committed a grave mistake that would have displeased the Son of God. However, these young knights knew nothing and simply came..."

"Lord Rhodes is not that narrow-minded."

Father Merlin tugged at his collar. The early summer weather was already warming up, which was a tough time for the old priest, who had just rushed back from a rainy day. Not to mention, he now had to lead the outsiders to the church - a walk that would take at least twenty minutes.

After a perceptive trainee knight came over to help push the cart, Father Merlin was able to relax a little. He said as he walked:

"But don't say things like 'You are God' or 'Prophet, please guide us' to his face, or he might break your legs."

"Doesn't he acknowledge his own holiness?!" Father Anderson's eyes widened, his words filled with disbelief. "I originally thought he just hated the Vatican!"

"Actually, I think he's being stubborn—well, I'll have to keep my voice down. If anyone hears, my wine ration will go from Leroy Claret to some sour, astringent wine from some small winery, stomped out by some roughneck."

"Godliness with contentment is great gain. If we have food and clothing, we should be content with these (1 Timothy 6:6-8)." Father Anderson raised his eyebrows and snorted with a hint of dissatisfaction. "Father Merlin, expensive luxury will only shake your piety and faith and corrupt your will."

"That was a gift from Lord Rhodes himself at Christmas. If I weren't old and had bad teeth, he would have wanted to give me some candy canes."

Father Anderson: “…the man with a kind eye will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor (Proverbs 22:9).”

"Haha, impossible! Even if the Pope himself comes, I won't give it to you!"

Father Merlin raised his chin. He finally found a chance to show off. After all, Father Gabriel, his friend of many years, would also receive gifts during the holidays, but he usually couldn't show them off. However, this was also a little trick of the old priest. He wanted to let the devout believers from the Vatican know -

There's no need for dirty and crude political tactics to get along with Rhodes.

Simply by doing good deeds and fulfilling one's duties one will gain peace and recognition... Let faith return to its essence and let Christ return to God.

After walking for nearly half an hour, the group arrived at the foot of the hill on the edge of the town. From here, they could clearly see the Covenant Church and the outline of Hill Villa hidden in the shadows above.

"Come with me. The church is still being cleaned, but we should be able to find some wine or yeast bread," Father Merlin said. He sighed and said helplessly, "I thought you would come back later, but now Lord Rhodes also needs to take a special plane back from Michigan."

"This... this is indeed my fault. I will personally ask for punishment after meeting the Holy Son."

"Not really, Lord Rhodes isn't such a petty person, but he was indeed caught off guard. Now, here's my final reminder. Don't draw your sword, Father Anderson, no matter what you see."

Hearing this, Father Anderson smiled. He picked up the cross on his chest, kissed it lightly, and said:

"How could I possibly kill someone near the Son's residence?"

A few minutes later.

"Aieeeeee! Devil!!!"

Chapter 403 This is fucking blasphemous! (3K)

"Aieeeeee! Devil!!!"

"?"

Kuzaki Hina raised her head and saw a middle-aged priest holding a gun sword in both hands rushing towards her with a roar. She tilted her head slightly, raised her palm and clamped the blade with just two fingers, then twisted and broke it!

The petite girl stood there fearlessly, allowing another gunsword to chop down from above—the blade broke directly on her forehead, turning into dozens of shining fragments—the blade that even demons could not resist shattered like glass!

Father Anderson, horrified, took a few steps back and pulled out two more musket swords from his clothes. He said in a cold and solemn voice:

"Baal, the first of Solomon's seventy-two demon gods, a king of rank."

"Oh? You don't look ordinary, just a little irritable," Hinai said calmly. She really didn't expect the priest to be able to detect her divine name. "Father Alexander Anderson, right? Sensei summoned me to witness the existence of the oath. As for the rest, you can wait for him to explain it to you."

Having said this, Hinai glanced at Father Merlin, who looked embarrassed and frightened, and added in a gentle voice:

"I won't bother with you."

"……demon."

Father Anderson gritted his teeth. His boiling mind was already beginning to become confused, so much so that the trainee knights outside the church came to the door to inquire about the noise just now. Then he expressed his calmness in response to Hinai's halo and wings:

Among the Knights of the Covenant, it is no secret that the Son of God has been having affairs with demons, angels, evil gods, pagan gods of death and the like!

Apart from being forbidden from asking questions in public such as "Why do demons and angels come to the Son of God in this form?", "What did the Son of God do to make them so devoted?", and "Will the Son of God really beat the demons to their knees, turn them into women and take them back?", there are no other taboos - violators will be punished with flogging.

The Covenant Knights didn't care, even thinking their own Son was truly awesome... But for the clergy, this was a shock like a colonial satellite crashing into Sydney! This was especially true for Father Anderson, who had been unaware of the situation.

After Father Merlin whispered a few words to him, Father Anderson realized that he had gotten into trouble again:

"I……"

The priest lowered his musket and tensed his muscles, but the words of apology were stuck in his mouth and he couldn't say them.

Looking at the priest whose face was squeezed together and looked a little hideous, Hina chuckled softly - Mary and Weihua were running back to Hill Villa to carry the somewhat sleepy Gu Guanyou over, and to get the big book of the oath at that time, so the simple task of cleaning the church fell on the "devil".

Just as Hinai was about to pick up the bucket and mop and walk to the back of the church, Rhode came over from the side aisle before her, his face still showing a bit of fatigue from the long journey.

"I heard that the Vatican has arrived... Oh! Father Merlin, and this... Father Alexander Anderson."

Rhodes looked around, then glanced at the metal fragments on the church floor, and his mind became clearer.

After thinking for a few seconds, Rhodes was about to say something to ask both parties to leave the stage, but his clothes were pulled by Hina, and his tie was also grabbed - the girl gave Rhodes a gentle kiss on the lips - in front of Father Anderson and the trainee knights.

After completing her reward and small revenge, Hinai hummed a song and went to the back of the church to get a broom, leaving the entire church hall to a group of men who were looking at each other in confusion.

Father Merlin had already walked out of the church and was standing outside in the warm breeze, reciting the Bible to calm himself down. Even after spending so long together, the old priest still found it hard to accept the situation, so it was better to turn a blind eye.

But for those who stayed in the church, this was an even more cruel torture.

Father Anderson took a deep breath. He felt the blood pumping from his heart clench into a fist, mercilessly pounding into his brain, shattering his consciousness and reason into pieces! From this, the darkness woven from despair surged in from all directions, painting the entire world a crazy gray-black. Only the sun in the center blazed like gold.

The Christ who saves all people is standing here, so dazzling and so blazing that it makes people want to worship him.

Yes, the one before his eyes was the real Son of God, without a trace of hypocrisy; yes, the demon just now kissed the Son of God, his eyes full of love, without a trace of hypocrisy... But this was too fucking blasphemous!

Oh my God, do you see that?! Open your eyes and see!

"..."

silence.

Silence was falling on everyone along with the turbid light that broke in from the window, forming large patches of light on their bodies, as if they were wrapped in a dirty, tight suit, making it difficult for them to breathe - some people wanted to cough, but the dry cough was stuck halfway in the rolling of the Adam's apple, and turned back into the sound of swallowing saliva.

Suddenly, someone started clapping, and the whole church was filled with applause, causing Rhode's eyes to twitch slightly.

Do you guys have to say "Oh, it's so bad" again?

The scattered voices made Father Anderson turn around with a ferocious expression. His knife-like eyes cut the foolish boy who applauded first into pieces. Then he slowly walked up to Rhode and knelt on one knee.

"Alexander Anderson, I beg for your forgiveness."

"What happened just now? Those are just trivial matters, and isn't Hinai also... Aha, I understand." Rhodes didn't react for a while, but when he remembered the character and identity of the priest in front of him, he immediately realized the meaning of the latter's words.

After pondering for a few seconds, Rhodes nodded slightly and said:

"After I take you on a mission, I will go directly to the Vatican to deal with this matter. Some things are better dealt with sooner rather than later."

"Your eyes are as sharp as a torch, powerful enough to destroy even the most powerful demons."

"I didn't know you were so good at talking, Father Anderson. Please stand up."

As Rhode spoke, he reached out and pulled over a bench to sit down. He rested his elbows on his thighs and propped up his chin with his palms, looking down at the stiff and embarrassed apprentice knights.

These young knights were all clairvoyants, well-trained and rigorously trained, with one or two even having experienced events in the other world. They were all excellent prospects, and it would be even better if they were not religious.

The knights lined up in neat rows, standing straight as if at a parade. They glanced back at Rhodes cautiously out of the corner of their eyes. Although the official knights had talked a lot about him, the easy-going and sacredness of the man before them still exceeded the imagination of these young people. They even thought that the savior who walked the world back then was just like this!

However, he seems to be more irritable now than before, and prefers to bury his enemies directly with iron and fire rather than using verbal persuasion.

Rhode didn't know what the trainee knights were thinking. After taking a closer look at the twelve knights, he curiously asked Father Anderson:

"I remember you run an orphanage in Italy. Didn't you bring any students with you this time?"

Rhode was also curious about the situation in England. Did that vampire Acardo really exist? He could ask Laura and Colonel Faulkner when he had time.

But then again, if Father Anderson and Accardo exist, then it means... that the fat major who is a Nazi remnant also has a high probability of existing.

"They're still too young to perfectly complete your mission," Father Anderson whispered. He clutched the cross on his chest. Speaking of the children, his expression became more normal, no longer the look that threatened to strike down someone with a sword. "In a few years, these children will be able to contribute to your great cause of salvation."

"Don't force it, Father."

"Yes, I understand. Your will is everything—this is the love of God: we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3)."

Listening to the priest's words, Rhodes snorted coldly, causing Father Anderson to lower his head even deeper.

"Since you've come to my side, no matter what your reasons, you'd better adapt to my thinking," Rhode said calmly. "I need a 'rational person,' not a fanatic who only knows how to chant. Your fighting ability wouldn't rank high here... The first step to surviving the storm is knowing yourself."

"Including you, you fight for human civilization, not for me. Remember this, my Knights of the Covenant."

My Covenant Knights.

Upon hearing this, the twelve apprentice knights subconsciously held their breath to prevent the tears from falling. They then knelt on one knee, placed their swords before them, and responded in unison:

"Yes, as you wish, Lord Rhodes."

Hearing this, Rhodes, who was giving a stick and then a sweet date, looked at the expressions on the faces of the trainee knights and felt that the effect was good and he would definitely use it next time.

After letting the knights stand up, Rhode glanced at Father Anderson, who was standing there in a daze after seeing them, and then said with a smile:

"Alright, let's get ready for the ceremony. Time waits for no one... Anyway, have you eaten yet? No, well, we can use this fire to grill some meat after the ceremony."

Apprentice knights: "..."

Father Anderson: “…”

After taking a few deep breaths, Father Anderson suppressed his screams and made up his mind to persuade his Son to stop committing such blasphemy...

"Oh, Father Anderson, you're Italian, would a Mediterranean-style barbecue sauce be okay?"

"...You can do whatever you want."

Chapter 404: The Wild Dogs Who Came to Warsaw (1/3)

The special plane with the Atlas company logo landed at Okecie International Airport in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. There were still some wet marks on the fuselage left by passing through the dark clouds.

This humid air current across half of Europe is rolling in, brewing the first heavy rain of the summer.

On the second day after the covenant ceremony, Rhodes chartered a plane with Father Anderson and the knights to the location of the exorcism mission - a monastery with a history of nearly 800 years, located in the Holy Cross Mountains in eastern and southern Poland - one of the oldest mountain ranges in Europe, famous for the Benedictine monastery near the second highest peak of the mountain range, which is said to have preserved a part of the cross where Jesus was crucified.

At least Father Anderson didn't believe it, or didn't care. After all, he had more important things to worry about:

Before leaving, his own Holy Son was kissed by the Chief of Demons again, and he also hugged and kissed several angels... Oh well, he was kissing angels too.

Still kissing.

Still kissing...it never ends, right?!

Father Anderson, with a tense face, led the Covenant Knights onto the Vatican charter plane they came on, while Rhodes would take Weihua on his own private plane to Poland first.

According to the plan, the two groups would meet in Warsaw, and then take trains and buses to the remote monastery.

The time difference was only half a day, so Rhodes took Weihua for a stroll in Warsaw and exchanged intelligence with the agents of the Perseus Organization. Although he often read the briefings submitted by D in Hill Villa, Rhodes still hoped to listen to the agents' complaints and opinions in person.

"Poland."

Rhodes took Weihua off the plane. He looked at the busy airport with flights taking off and landing, feeling a lot of emotion:

"I don't know how long Big Bobo can survive in this world. Don't let him be attacked from both sides by the waves of monsters from the other world."

"You better hope for something good, Sensei."