Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 649 - 602 The Inverse Scale of Light

The feeling of visiting the Church of Holy Light again was quite different from before. Only after Giant Dragon and Dragon Priest repeated the specifics of the ritual did the newly resurrected and slightly disoriented Lyle learn that Mr. Raymond had saved him once more. Lyle felt grateful towards Mr. Raymond yet also a bit embarrassed. He stood outside the door, straightening the robe that Nia had previously crumpled, careful not to tilt his chin up too high.

As Lyle was tidying up a few strands of unruly hair, a shower of glittering mana dust fell upon his head. It was then that Lyle realized that the Lich Crown was still on his head, its mana tentacles meticulously polishing off every speck of himself, flaking off countless specks of dust onto Lyle’s head. The crown was now "gilding" him, using the alchemical process of Turning Stones into Gold to transform the mithril surface into a thin layer of gold leaf. If it weren’t for the Eternal Runes that the headmaster had inscribed inside it, Lyle believed the Lich Crown would definitely turn him into a Golden Coronet, although, by the looks of it, he had already lost some of its value as the fragile layer of gold paper continued to flake off.

"Could you be a bit more careful?" Lyle started to clean the gold dust from his hair, somewhat helplessly. The Lich Crown seemed embarrassed and extended its mana tentacles to assist in the cleaning, but then a small tuft of Lyle’s hair turned to gold.

Lyle had a realization, reached for his hair, and with a gentle press, plucked the soft golden strands from his head.

"You!!!" Lyle dared not imagine what his hair must look like now, but the considerate Nia told him.

"There’s a big gold flower blooming on Lyle’s head."

[It’s like a pansy with inverted colors.]

"Forget it, it seems today isn’t a good day to visit Mr. Raymond, I’ll come another day."

Ignoring the twisting Lich Crown on his head, Lyle was about to turn around and leave.

A foot kicked him forcefully in the lower back, sending Lyle flying out, face first through the church doors, tumbling through the air and kneeling in the central aisle.

With a burning sensation on his face, Lyle looked up to see Mr. Raymond, Aryan, and Loveday all staring at him, a deafening silence around them. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Deliberating over who kicked him was pointless now, so Lyle, steeling himself, said to Mr. Raymond, "Thank you very much for extending your hand to the Giant Dragon, Mr. Raymond."

"Ah? Oh." Mr. Raymond seemed to snap out of his surprise, waved his hand, and the church doors closed automatically, "...Lyle, although the floor here is enchanted with Holy Light and is warm, but... you are a Purifier, there’s no need for such a grand gesture."

"Come over."

...

Once again sitting side by side with Raymond on a bench, the blessing of purification from the Angel of Light restored Lyle’s golden hair, and the Lich Crown lay in Raymond’s palm, its layers of gold leaf peeling off under the influence of Holy Light.

Looking at the limp Lich Crown in his hand, sticking to it like a starfish soaked in Holy Light, Raymond smiled wryly and said, "The racial crown of the Liches, it’s always the same, I thought it would calm down after I lost to the Giant Dragon."

"Mr. Raymond is quite popular, isn’t he?" Lyle was also a bit puzzled. Assuming the Lich Crown was simply seeking the strongest wearer, this would mean that Mr. Raymond was still the best option for it, even if suppressed by the Giant Dragon once.

Aryan sat to the side, tilting his head silently, watching Lyle. Mr. Raymond popular? In Andrey?

"The Giant Dragon has been resurrected; he’s no longer a lich, and he also has the Giant Dragon’s racial crown. Yet, why does it like me? My situation is quite similar."

Similar? Lyle thought about it. In the previous conflict between angels and the Giant Dragon, the father of dragons wore a shining Dragon Crown on his head, while the angel only had a Seraphim Halo formed of concentrated power. Mr. Raymond didn’t exert his full strength. As the mightiest Paladin and a pioneer of the era, he had never worn a crown of his own.

"The Crown of Holy Light for humans."

"The human crown isn’t with me, it’s on the Pope’s head, I forcefully put it there."

"..." So, the Lich Crown wasn’t the first crown Mr. Raymond had turned down.

"Why not wear it?"

Raymond removed his helmet and prayed earnestly facing the stained glass.

"In life, I didn’t have the power to bring happiness to everyone, I’m a warrior, not a good administrator, the Pope suits it better."

"As for now, the Holy Light of humans being in the hands of a lich, isn’t that an ironic situation?"

Therefore, the knight who ended the era of the Giant Dragons, throughout his life, had never accepted the glory that was due to him. How could he possibly accept the crown of the Liches?

"Even so, I can still feel the connection between myself and the Crown of Holy Light, a bond that protected me at the time of my death, preventing me from becoming as lost as other liches. I still have responsibilities; in death, justice is my creed."

Lyle lowered his head.

"I’m very sorry, Mr. Raymond. But I needed to do it..."

"Don’t worry about it, as far as results go, you did very well, beyond my expectations." Raymond patted Lyle on the shoulder, "You have shown me your justice, I admit, you have grown a lot."

Lyle wanted to say more, but Mr. Raymond’s golden soul flames had already locked onto his face.

"Lyle, you remind me of my brother, the Angel of Water, Gallaron."

Lyle tried to remain calm, recalling the Blood Angel who was betrayed and killed. He couldn’t see any similarities between himself and that mad angel and could only humbly say, "Senior Raymond, you must be overestimating me. How could I compare to an angel? If Gallaron is your brother, he must be much better than I am."

"I’m not talking about strength..." Raymond’s skull lifted, gazing at the spiral pattern on the ceiling, his gentle voice also entering into memory.

"Gallaron was a ’noble’ within the Crusaders, possessing a humble and gentle quality, allowing everyone in the church to feel as if conversing with him in the breeze of spring. He was a leader beloved by all, and I’m quite certain that all the archbishops liked him more. Gallaron had the same charm as you, he could unite all the followers of the Holy Light around him. George is very reckless, Raphaël is still immature, only Gallaron, in my eyes, is the perfect, more excellent ’noble’ compared to ordinary people."

"If there was one thing that could be considered a flaw in the Angel of Water, it was the same kindness you have, Lyle. During the crusades, Gallaron did not slaughter any life, be it the followers of Holy Light or his enemies. Extending a helping hand to the weak, he was the mercy of the Holy Light. Indulgent to the oppressed, yet chillingly harsh to the bullies, Gallaron was the only angel who opposed me; he was against the crusades I initiated. Even after his protests were ineffective, he still set an example. Norgburn, that was his Holy Sword. He blunted its blade, transforming all the power of the Holy Sword of Water into healing power. Following their leader, the Purifier Legion also discarded their sharp swords and picked up staffs, becoming a purely Priest Legion."

Unexpected...

Lyle recalled the fierce and fierce image of the Blood Angel, unable to imagine that the angel bathed in blood would do these things.

’May light have mercy’? Lyle remembered what Mr. Dark had once told him about Raymond’s weakness.

Raymond nodded his head, "That was Gallaron’s prayer, his words, his emotions, everything he faced, was just like you, Lyle. That’s why I stopped, I once again fell into a trance, and time seemed to give me another chance to choose."

"What was your choice last time?"

Mr. Raymond turned his head, the flames in his skull silently burning.

"That’s another story."

...

Aryan and Loveday closed the doors of the Church of Holy Light, giving the two Purifiers some private space.

"His Excellency the Bishop has not expelled us."

"But we shall respect the privacy of His Majesty, as subordinates should." Aryan, sensing something, cast a piercing gaze into the darkness beside the door, specifically, into the darkness hiding in the corner.

Aryan bowed in that direction.

"Your Majesty George, I too am a dissenter, so there’s no need for you to hide any longer."

No one replied.

Aryan shrugged at Loveday, "Perhaps I was mistaken in my perception. Shall we go for a drink in the City of Wanderers, Lord Loveday? I remember you’re quite fond of Elven Moonlight Juice."

The Star Spirit followed the nun away, "It’s one of the rare non-alcoholic drinks... and it tastes good."

Long after the two members of the Holy Light had departed, the shadow coughed up a writhing darkness, and the bandages moved like a swarm of snakes across the twisted shadow, finally turning into a bandaged man.

Mr. Dark leaned against the door of the Church of Holy Light, straining to sense everything inside.

He exhaled, resting on the door like ivy climbing a wall.

"Are they talking about those things, the cause of it all."

"The dragon’s reverse scale of light."