This is a genuine provocation.
If this sentence were asked elsewhere, although it would definitely be offensive, there is no problem in the strict sense - the current major religions are more relaxed than before. Jesse Dillon won't be put on a pyre or hanged by a noose smeared with corpse oil.
But this is not a bustling tavern, nor is it a street where people come and go at dusk. This is the nave of the main church of the Abyss Church.
Adri stood quietly and quietly beside Jesse, he lowered his upper body weight slightly, like a leopard waiting to attack. The demon warlock behind the preaching table was silent for a few seconds, and a few tentacles protruded from his cuffs, pointing directly in the direction of the blond youth. The tip of the translucent tentacles gradually turned black, like the eyes of a snail.
"Please continue." The Demon Warlock's tone was still polite, but obviously colder. "Excuse me for not understanding your point of view."
As a preacher, this response is qualified. But Adrian didn't intend to let his guard down. He stared at the swaying tentacles and clenched the metal longbow in his hand.
Jesse gave a long "oh", and the smile in his tone became a little heavier: "According to what you just said, you seem to be quite sure of your enemy... Well, human beings, you have turned your back on your gods."
"You're right." The Demon Warlock replied, the tentacles extending from his cuffs moved slowly. "I was human, too, and I was blinded by religions of all kinds. Demons are evil and need to be cast out. The concept is deeply rooted in people's minds, and the opposite of demons is the gods - who decides all this? Few people will seek the truth."
"After thinking one step more than others, do you think that what you see is the 'truth'?" The blond young man sneered, and Adrian could hear the clear irony in it. "Rather, you hope that's the truth - I've read your teachings, fiends... oh sorry, your gods are exactly the image of the victims. Betrayed and killed, but silent. How 'merciful' and' Great' sacrifice."
"Now that you understand, you should be well aware. It is a miraculous life, and surface creatures, especially humans, are feeding themselves with this miraculous remnant. They consciously isolate the demons and try to grow with them. of us. Evil? We are just climbing up the laws of nature, working to overthrow this unnatural…”
"That's what I'm trying to say." Jesse interrupted unceremoniously. "Do you think you are important?"
Adrian's brows furrowed slightly.
Over the years on the battlefield, he has confidence in how he sees people. That's why he doesn't take Jesse Dillon's love bullshit seriously - the man is full of lies and the smile on his face barely reaches his eyes. The beautiful words on the mouth are a set of sets, and after they are peeled off, they are full of banter and indifference. He was no longer a teenager in his early ten years. As a warrior who had seen enough blood and fire, it was impossible for him to be confused by that beautiful face.
He was suspicious and wary of every word that came out of Jesse Dylan's mouth.
But now Dylan's momentum has changed. The casual air on the surface was still there, but Adrian suddenly had a feeling that Dylan's words now did carry a little serious meaning.
"Of course, it's a bit rude to say that, after all, it's not just you who have this problem. I'll avoid it, since human beings have the most religions - human belief, human love and dedication, and will always be of great importance to the so-called all-knowing and almighty 'god'. And the virtues of humans... Ha, 'virtue' always applies to gods, doesn't it? Even for most humans, they can't agree with their own ethnic group's standards of virtue more than a hundred years ago."
"And the appearance of the gods... Well, I think about it, the Dani of the Ruddism is the appearance of a wise and majestic old man. Unfortunately, Celestine, the god of the forest, is the image of a female elf, and Mansfield, the god of fire, has the appearance of a wise and majestic old man. The beard that all dwarves envy, and Dimitrius the dragon god has the most noble golden scales."
"This just shows their superficiality and arrogance." The demon warlock said coldly, the tentacles stretched longer and longer, and the ends of the tentacles were only an arm's distance away from the blond youth. "Those are imaginary gods who never showed up. And our gods do exist—"
"Indeed, and it happens to be the 'closest' to you and the 'most favorable' for your actions." Jessie clapped her hands. "Is there any difference between you and other races from the point of view of being deeply 'loved by God'?"
"You are sophistry, this is the inevitable result under the protection of my God."
"If you need all the sheep to love you from the heart, honor you, and imagine you as a sheep when you shear sheep. Then go on thinking that way. Wool for gold, gold for poetry. And sheep can really imagine Human poetry?" The blond young man showed a perfect smile, "...even if sheep disappear from this world one day, it's enough to raise other livestock and grow more crops. What do you think? At least that's what I think. ."
Adrian suddenly felt a chill down his spine for no reason.
"If that's your argument, then you're in the wrong place." The Demon Warlock stepped out from behind the preaching table, a quirky smile on his one-mouthed face. "You should go to the 'Gatekeepers' for a long talk, and they will surely welcome you."
The other party did not have an attitude of equal discussion at all, and the demon warlock decided to take the shot first and teach this ignorant madman a small lesson. However, the next moment he was horrified to find that his human body was completely immobile, and only the part mixed with the blood of the devil could still struggle.
Without hesitation, he directly activated the alarm circle on the preaching table. Meanwhile, the eyes sticking out of the cuffs stared straight at the dangerous uninvited guest - and then he watched his blue eyes turn gold.
As soon as the word "charm" crossed his mind, his mind went blank.
When the silent knights guarding arrived, there was already a peaceful scene in the nave. Their preacher was still preaching calmly, while a handsome blond young man was sitting on a bench, listening intently.
"An accidental magic diffraction." The demon warlock behind the sermon table turned his face sideways, "It's just a false alarm, don't mind."
"What is the source of magic? We have reason to think..." He continued to speak earnestly.
Hagen Ingram was making the final arrangements in her own room when the alarm went off.
The alarm lasted for a very short time, and she carefully investigated it at the time, but did not find any hostile magic fluctuations. The Silence Knights can handle it, she thought, dragging out the huge boa constrictor suitcase with great care. The suitcase was carefully taken out by her, then lifted up by the spell, and landed firmly in the magic circle.
A series of small circles instantly floated above the suitcase, and as Hagen's fingers swiped, they burst one by one like bubbles. It seems to sense the disappearance of the restraint, and the things inside writhe wildly. They slammed the trunk lid open impatiently and spewed out of the window.
"Go," she said softly, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly. "Help me record everything, sweet kids."
Nemo was on his way to the nave of the Church of Silence when the first surveillance bug flew out the window. After the short alarm sounded, he subconsciously shifted his attention to the nave—and then found a new visitor to the Church of the Abyss.
Not Oliver. He was frustrated for three or four seconds, and decided to take Jesse Dillon for the time being. No, it's not just Jesse - Adrian Cross's breath is with him, it must be some kind of illusion. Nemo glanced at the cookie jar in his arms, determined to find an opportunity to practice the illusion of the abyss.
Then he was startled by the swarms of surveillance bugs flying past the window.
It was very similar to the surveillance bug he had seen during the Black Badge test, with only one difference. The surveillance bug of the mercenary guild has a fat belly covered with stripes, and the part of the belly that should have been replaced by dark eyeballs. After withdrawing his gaze, Nemo immediately hurried his steps—in his documents, the rituals of the Church of the Abyss did not include this step.
Fortunately, the meeting with my teammates went very smoothly.
The sun is about to go down, and there are a few more wandering demon believers in the nave, and he is not too dazzling to mix in. Nemo sat down next to Jesse, who apparently recognized his signature short ponytail at a glance.
"My dear... I'm sorry, Mr. Wright." Seeing Nemo snap his fingers, Jesse turned wisely. "Are you all right? Is there anything to gain?"
"O'Lori will come early," Nemo whispered, even discreetly adding a confounding effect to the outside world. "They have to advance the sacrifice time."
"… Do you remember what you came for?"
"So Mr. Vergil and I have to get things done as soon as possible." Nemo hesitated for a moment, not thinking it was the right time to discuss the truth about this church. "If I'm not mistaken, you're here because..."
"Because Duran Fergil doesn't know the details, and my Sweetheart Ed knows enough about this damn place." Jesse spread her hands and glanced at the cookie jar that Nemo was holding. "The head of the regiment decided that we would keep up as support, in case something went wrong on your side—in a sense, I'm just a bonus, don't mind."
"Just in time." Nemo didn't struggle with this issue, he simply responded neatly. "As usual, they made a bunch of civilians as sacrifices. If I could... I'd like to get them out."
"Now? No, but I have to say—"
"Not now," Nemo sighed. "I have to go with Vergil, and I need someone to help me keep an eye on what's going on over there. Once they decide to use the sacrifice, you just need to notify me in time. Uh, if necessary. Find a way to delay. If it's Mr. Cross—" He didn't mean to hide, and glanced directly at the position where the knight commander was standing. "There should be some way."
"You sound more and more like the captain." Jesse raised his eyebrows, "...but the captain will at least explain the whole plan to us."
Nemo was silent.
"I'll tell you," he said succinctly, "but not now."
"You can't do this! I don't like being hung up on my appetite." Jesse showed a terribly wronged expression, while Adrian remained suspiciously silent. "Ah, if you'll give me the gentle crumbs for the regimental commander—"
"Aren't you a fortune teller?" Nemo glanced at the blond young man, "Guess for yourself."
"You're so cold," Jesse muttered.
"I have more important questions to ask than this." Nemo raised his eyes and looked at the statue of Ulysses again. He suppressed the convulsions in his stomach, forcibly ignoring the constricted throat, and asked the question as calmly as possible.
"Considering your ability, Dylan, did you know my identity early? If you have a definite answer, I want to know." He asked bluntly, "And if you really know, then insist on joining. Who are you... who are you?"
,Wonderful!
(m.. = )