In the end, Heiter still declined.
Making willful choices for the sake of amusing thoughts was a privilege belonging to young people.
Now having become Holy Capital Bishop, though Heiter didn't feel his mentality had changed with time, he had unknowingly become a reliable adult in his juniors' eyes.
If you're an adult, you can't be willful anymore.
Those figures who trusted and relied on him were still waiting for this senior to preside over tomorrow's prayers.
"I see."
Gut nodded, not surprised by Heiter's refusal.
As the nominal highest administrator of the Holy Capital, it would have been unexpected if he had actually agreed.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, to avoid affecting the association's normal examinations, Heiter actively proposed farewell.
Though it wasn't hard to see from this priest's demeanor that he still had much to say, this wasn't the proper occasion for conversation, so they'd have to find another time.
Therefore, upon parting, Heiter actively extended an invitation to Gut.
"Tomorrow morning, the Cathedral will hold a morning prayer ceremony open to the public."
"Himmel mentioned that you possess a Spell book and are also practicing Goddess Magic. Would you like to participate tomorrow morning?"
"Of course, it would be my honor."
After receiving Gut's promise, Heiter smiled kindly, nodded lightly, then turned and left without saying more.
Watching this priest's retreating figure as he walked toward the gathering area of wounded on one side of the plaza, Gut's eyes flashed with brilliance.
[Investigation Target: Heiter]
[Target Race: Human]
[Target Talents:]
[Priest·Human Fortune (Gold-Red/Expired, Cannot Copy)], [Divine Favor·Priest (Gold/Cannot Copy)], [Divine Protection·Priest (Purple/Cannot Copy)], [Holy Capital Bishop (Purple/Cannot Copy)], [Goddess's Blessing (Blue/Cannot Copy)], [Vast Magical Power (Blue/Can Copy)], [Longevity (Blue/Can Copy)], [Hero's Will (Green/Cannot Copy)], [Alcoholism (Gray/Can Copy)]
[Priest·Human Fortune (Gold-Red)]
[A noble priest recognized by all during the journey, bearing humanity's fortune to defeat the Demon King]
[Effect: During the demon king subjugation journey, as long as one doesn't lose inner nobility, strength improvement will have no limitations (Expired)]
[Divine Favor·Priest (Gold)]
[Devout believers receive the goddess's favor]
[Effect: Goddess magic talent greatly enhanced; Goddess magic effects greatly enhanced; curse resistance greatly enhanced; body nourished by goddess power]
[Vast Magical Power (Blue)]
[Naturally possessing more magical power than ordinary mages]
[Effect: Maximum magical power +35%]
[Longevity (Blue)]
[Enhanced telomerase activity in the body, able to live very long within the individual's theoretical lifespan limit]
[Effect: Longevity]
[Alcoholism (Gray)]
[Long-term high-intensity alcohol abuse has caused irreversible damage to the body]
[Effect: Reduced lifespan; weakened organ activity; slowed neural response speed]
"How disappointing."
After thoroughly reading Heiter's traits, Gut's heart was full of disappointment.
This legendary priest's panel was undeniably luxurious - he had even possessed traits of the highest grade Gut currently knew, like Gold-Red.
But the frustrating part was exactly this: from Gold-Red down to Purple, all the higher-grade talent traits were extremely special.
Fortune-type, divine grace-type, and special positions - these were all things the system couldn't copy.
After all, recognition of fortune and divine grace was extremely subjective and couldn't be replicated; just like there wouldn't be a second cathedral in the Holy Capital for Gut to serve as bishop.
The only somewhat attractive trait on Heiter might be the blue-quality Longevity.
This trait wasn't like teacher Serie's Long-lived Species·Elf (Purple) - though limited by individual theoretical lifespan limits, the life extension wasn't long, but it had the advantage of no genetic complications and wasn't inconceivable.
But after pondering for a few seconds, Gut still chose to give up.
After all, the demon threat still existed. If he couldn't solve the lifespan problem permanently once and for all, he should prioritize using trait copy opportunities on strength improvement.
Anyway, according to the plot timeline, Heiter still had over forty years to live.
If he changed his mind later, it wouldn't be too late to come back for him.
However, when they met again tomorrow, he could ask him about Hero Uncle's whereabouts. As a warrior who didn't rely on divine favor, Himmel should have some talent traits he could copy.
After settling on this plan, Gut no longer felt disappointed and continued organizing the mage candidates' participation in tests.
Soon after, the previously calm plaza in front of the hall became lively again.
"Clop-clop-clop—"
As the examination rhythm got back on track, somewhat urgent hoofbeats came from the adjacent street.
Gut looked toward the street alley. Almost all human cities had explicit regulations forbidding galloping horses within city limits.
But the speed of that distant carriage, though not quite galloping, was really quite fast.
Logically, it should have been stopped and reprimanded by city defense forces long ago. How had it reached the city center without anyone caring?
Even when a patrol guard was about to collide with it, he adjusted his patrol route and actively avoided meeting the carriage.
It wasn't until the carriage approached that Gut saw clearly the noble crest hanging on the carriage, finally understanding.
So it was about social connections.
After the carriage stopped near the Continental Magic Association, a tall noble young man emerged from the carriage compartment, holding a metal long-handled staff.
"Is he here to participate in the mage examination? I hope he doesn't cause trouble."
Gut muttered quietly. In the current worldview, noble status was still quite troublesome to handle.
Though he wasn't afraid of them, if he could avoid trouble, it was better to stay out of it.
Thus, under Gut's watchful gaze, this young noble held his staff and stepped onto the plaza where the challenge stone statues were located.
Perhaps due to inner pride, or confidence in his own abilities.
He didn't queue behind those stone statues with slightly lower challenge difficulty, but walked directly to a close-combat stone statue with no queue, summoned his magical power, and entered.
This close-combat-oriented stone statue was exactly the one Serie had personally possessed to fight Heiter earlier.
Though Serie had restored it to its original state when withdrawing her consciousness.
The residual presence still remained, and since Heiter, no candidate had dared step forward to challenge it.
Until this noble youth's arrival.
"Click-click-"
Sensing a new magical power source appearing before it, the close-combat stone statue was no longer silent. Its heavy body stood up directly from the ground and walked step by step toward the challenger.
The noble youth's action quickly attracted the attention of candidates below. Even some mages having their wounds treated by priest apprentices looked over, anticipating this battle.
"Bang!"
As the distance closed, the close-combat stone statue's powerful punch came calling, but was blocked by two layers of Defensive Magic the youth casually set up, while his other hand still gripped his staff, seemingly brewing other magic.
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
The close-combat stone statue moved with agility completely mismatched to its stone body, continuously delivering heavy punches toward the youth.
But without exception, all were blocked by the youth's timely Defensive Magic.
The mages below watched this flowing scene with anticipation, wondering whether this noble challenger could withstand the close-combat stone statue's quick punch that could come at any moment.
"Boom!"
As if to verify the candidates' speculation, the close-combat stone statue adjusted its stance. After a powerful regular punch crashed down with tremendous force, in the moment when old strength hadn't left and new strength hadn't generated, instead of following up with another powerful heavy punch like before, it nimbly twisted its form, using body momentum to naturally deliver a quick punch.
While the noble youth was still making defensive preparations at the predicted position based on the stone statue's previous attack rhythm, the close-combat stone statue's fist had already flown toward his cheek from another direction.
"Here comes the little flying punch!"
Visibly, panic flashed across the noble youth's face, but he quickly suppressed it.
With a barely-in-time duck, the noble youth's cheek brushed past the close-combat stone statue's fist, dodging it.
Before the close-combat stone statue could change moves again, the noble youth's long-charged magic lightly tapped the stone statue through his long-handled staff.
[Andrel-style·Magic Dispel]
As magical power rapidly spread from the contact point, the stone statue held together by magic scattered once again into loose stone blocks.
"Whoa~!"
The candidates below erupted in exclamations, cheering for the noble youth's successful challenge.
However, the stone statue's scattering didn't mean the end of danger. A stone block bounced in a direction heading straight for the noble youth's face.
In this undodgeable situation, a qualified mage's proper response should be to summon fast-casting Defensive Magic at the limit while holding the staff horizontally in front to block.
Because Defensive Magic was more for magical-level protection, it had limited protective ability against heavy mass attacks like stone blocks.
Holding the staff horizontally in front was to let the staff also bear some impact force.
Some metal-material staffs had durability and toughness not much inferior to warriors' weapons.
However, the noble youth's instinctive reaction exceeded everyone's expectations.
Facing the stone block flying toward his face, he neither constructed Defensive Magic nor used his staff to parry. Even when Gut was worried about a fatality on the field and was about to intervene personally.
The noble youth lifted his foot in a whip kick, his reddened shoe sole kicking the stone block and actually kicking this considerably-sized stone block several meters away.
Gut: ?
All candidates: ??
"No way, besides me there's actually another mage who does close combat?"
"No wonder he could dodge the challenge stone statue's quick punch earlier - it wasn't luck after all."
After sighing with genuine feeling, Gut came down from the platform and led this noble youth who passed the preliminary selection over to enter the hall for Serie's final interview.
When the two met, the originally cold-faced noble youth who seemed difficult to approach actively struck up conversation with Gut.
Though his manner of speaking was somewhat awkward, his sincerity was evident.
"You must be Mr. Gut. I'm Hafka, pleased to meet you."
"Thank you for your assistance yesterday evening, allowing my sister to escape danger."
Hafka's words made Gut's expression flash with understanding.
No wonder this noble had suddenly shown him goodwill - he was the brother that girl Sola had run away from home to find in the Holy Capital.
"You're welcome. Please, Mr. Hafka."
Gut gestured toward the hall door. "The next round of interviews and your sister are both waiting inside the hall."
"Mm, thank you."
After thanking him again, Hafka walked directly toward the hall.
But just after taking a few steps forward, a somewhat hesitant question came from behind.
"That crimson under your shoe sole, it couldn't be..."
"Mr. Gut's observation is truly meticulous. Yes, exactly as you've guessed."
Hafka lifted his foot to look at the bloodstain accidentally stained on his shoe sole, saying apologetically:
"I'm sorry for dirtying the association's floor, but anyone who dares lay hands on my sister must pay some bloody price."
"I thought as much."
Gut sighed. The old beggar who tried to assault girl Sola deserved this private punishment.
But this magical world where noble status could trample public authority at will, or rather, where noble status itself symbolized public authority, always made Gut feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Without intending to debate whether such private punishment was superior or inferior to the relatively just judicial trials of his previous life, Gut knew one thing.
He needed to become stronger.
Since this world couldn't guarantee just trials, he would use absolute strength to ensure he could sit on the side of the judges.
Two hours earlier.
After leaving his uncle and aunt's family, Hafka stuck his head out of the carriage compartment and called to the coachman who was about to drive to the Continental Magic Association, telling him to first take him to the city defense force camp also located in the Holy Capital suburbs.
In Hafka's arms was a case file his uncle had secretly given him.
Urban security incidents involving Royal Capital nobles naturally required detailed investigation.
On the very night Sola sought refuge with relatives, the city defense force's top experts mobilized overnight. Under the effects of criminal investigation techniques and major memory recovery arts, in just one night, detailed circumstances of the incident formed a case file that appeared on the desk of Sola's uncle, who was also the patriarch of this Holy Capital noble family.
After all, this matter concerned the reputation of a female child in the family, and Sola was his own niece.
Therefore, her uncle didn't make this matter public. Related investigators all received warnings, and these were old hands who knew to keep quiet.
Even his own wife didn't yet know the inside story, only thinking Sola had run away from home, played wildly in the Holy Capital for a few days, then sought refuge with them.
Her uncle only gave this case file to Hafka, who doted on his sister.
As her brother, he naturally knew how to handle this criminal.
This way, he both preserved his niece's reputation and earned a big favor from nephew Hafka.
As one of the outstanding figures among the new generation nobles in the Royal Capital, being able to invest at such a low cost was simply exceptional value.
On Hafka's side.
After thoroughly reading the case file contents, his heart was full of fear.
If his sister had fallen into danger due to such circumstances, he as her brother would never forgive himself for not being able to stay by his sister's side.
After repeatedly thanking that enthusiastic mage in his heart, Hafka's eyes contained only fury.
With a "creak," the door to the secret prison holding the old beggar was pushed open.
Then came waves of inhumane screams, with crimson blood continuously seeping out from within the prison, flowing everywhere.
One hour later.
"Splat-"
Hafka stepped on a "puddle" as he left, returned to the carriage compartment, and said to the coachman:
"Depart, destination Continental Magic Association."
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Powerstones?
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