Chapter 242 (2): Clap and Get Whatever You Want

Council Hall.

The higher-ups watched the perfect elf projected by the crystal ball in silence.

The High Prophet surveyed the room and said with satisfaction, “Since no one objects, he’s mine.”

“I object!” Senna’s eyes lit up as she stared at Wayne, practically salivating after him. She said fiercely, “Wayne is my student’s student. Since I only have one student, and my student is the same, I won’t give him to you.”

“So? The vassal of my vassal is not my vassal. By the same logic, the student of your student is not your student.” The High Prophet referenced a famous quote, refusing to budge[1].

“Tubert, Wayne’s talented enough to become the Anointed One—the first ever at the Church of Nature,” Senna argued just as stubbornly.

Only now did she remember that when Silvia recommended her two candidates, she had emphasized Wayne’s talent rather than Veronica’s dragon blood. Senna hadn’t paid it any mind then. As someone with dragon blood, she had the tendency to pridefully ignore talent. No matter how talented someone was, they couldn’t have greater potential than a dragon, could they?

Now, though, it seemed entirely possible. Silvia hadn’t lied. Wayne was more talented than Veronica.

“The Church of Nature will never have an Anointed One. What would the goddess think? What would the followers think?”

The High Prophet firmly disagreed, laying down the hard truths. Actually, there could be an Anointed One, but Senna didn’t have the power to break the existing rules. If she let him have Wayne, they could still be friends afterwards. Otherwise, he would make up a divine oracle on the spot, stating that Wayne belonged to the Prophet’s Sanctuary. Following the standard procedure, Senna would get nothing.

The two of them glared at each other. The High Prophet pressed, “You saw it yourself. He’s so compatible with nature that he has to be born with a mission. He will be the perfect successor to the High Prophet. I’ve been waiting years for him to show up.”

“Nonsense! You already have two students. Virgil and Cerci are both geniuses who only appear once in a blue moon. Both of them can communicate with nature.” Senna listed the High Prophet candidates, telling the old man not to be too greedy. He should refrain from snatching things from a great dragon’s grasp, especially. She had spent forty years waiting for Wayne. If he dared to steal Wayne from her, he should be prepared for the consequences!

“They aren’t perfect...” The High Prophet didn’t want to point out his students’ shortcomings, but inadequacy was inadequacy. Virgil and Cerci could only communicate with nature because of years of training and investment.

Wayne, on the other hand, could communicate with nature through his own potential alone. If he was so strong without being taught, how far could he go with proper teaching?

He was born to be the High Prophet.

“Senna, both of us know that the Church of Nature never picks an Anointed One. No one will agree to it. You don’t have the final say. Wayne would be nothing more than an Oracle High Reverend under your wing.”

The High Prophet’s voice boomed loudly. “In contrast, if he becomes my student, he’ll inherit the mantle of the High Prophet and will no doubt benefit the church in the coming war of faiths.”

Nothing more than an Oracle High Reverend? Old man, is that an insult?

Several Oracle High Reverends lost their temper at the same time, slamming the table and demanding that the High Prophet explain himself and take back such divisive statements.

The Pope said nothing. He quietly watched the elf riding a dragon in the projection, letting the quarrel continue. He liked geniuses. From his position, the more geniuses there were at the church, the better. They were all his assets at the end of the day. However, if a particular asset would threaten the Holy Maiden candidate he supported, that would be another matter.

The Pope’s lips curled into a smile as he said slowly, “I agree with the High Prophet. Wayne’s talent destines him for extraordinary things. He will become the next High Prophet. It’s his fate and the duty he must bear.”

“As expected of Your Holiness!” The High Prophet applauded. “That is fate. It’s not something a certain someone can change by raising her voice.”

Senna’s heart burned with frustration. She had lost her ace twenty years ago; she wasn’t going to waste another twenty years. Compared to becoming the High Prophet, Wayne should establish himself in the Order of Nature instead.

“Everyone, may I interject?”

From a corner of the white long table, a figure with an obscured face spoke up suddenly. He had been silent until now, which was the norm for him.

“Vice Captain Garvin, what is it you’d like to share?”

“Some time ago, I visited Windsor to assess the two candidates from Windsor. I think highly of Wayne’s talent and gave him a perfect score,” Garvin said calmly.

The others were puzzled. Given Garvin’s status and free-spirited nature, he wouldn’t have personally visited Windsor solely to evaluate candidates. They all turned to the Pope for an explanation.

The Pope didn’t intend to explain. He simply said, “Please continue, Vice Captain Garvin.”

“I believe that Wayne’s talent is beyond the likes of Oracle High Reverends, and he shouldn’t sit idle as the High Prophet and waste his talent...” Garvin ignored the furious looks thrown his way and dropped a bombshell: “I believe that he has what it takes to become the next Captain—the next chosen knight of Nature.”

“What?!”

Everyone was shocked. Even the Pope couldn’t help sitting up straight, wondering about the source of Garvin’s confidence.

“Candidate Wayne is able to get nature to respond to him as a Silver-ranked mage, which will make him seem like the perfect choice for High Prophet. However—” Garvin’s tone shifted. “He’s been studying magic for less than a year and hasn’t tapped into his full potential yet. He shouldn’t stop here. You people cannot decide his fate—only the goddess may.”

Gulp!

Senna quietly swallowed. She thought she had already overestimated Wayne’s talent, but Garvin took it one step further, casually declaring that Wayne had the potential to become Nature’s chosen knight. He talked about Wayne like he had peak talent and potential.

If her student’s student became the Nature Knight, who else could become the Pope but her? And once she became the Pope, who would dare oppose her?

No one.

In fact, the current Pope’s term might end early.

“Garvin, you’re being rash!” the Pope said harshly. “Does Mr. Moula know about what you’re claiming? If it’s only your wishful thinking, take back your word now.”

Moula was the current Nature Knight. It was a mystery when he had taken on the mantle. Although he was the Captain of the Order of Nature, it was only in name. Outside of a knight’s honor, he had turned away all other power. Since he was the chosen knight, however, his identity itself carried great influence.

What an honor it was to be the goddess’s knight in the mortal realm. As long as Moula gave the order, all of the Order of Nature would die for him, and even the followers would heed his commands.

Even the Pope was merely the highest administrative role of the church, an elected leader who could not personally communicate with the goddess.

“Mr. Moula does not yet know,” Garvin admitted. “I once asked Wayne if he would like to become a knight, and he said no. He has an incorrect perception of his own talent. Perhaps it’s modesty, but he severely underestimates himself.”

The Pope breathed out a sigh of relief. The situation was shifting too quickly. The sudden emergence of a genius made him feel like Senna would get out of his control. Although the fault didn’t lie in Wayne, he still developed a dislike for him.

Why are you so talented? Do you want to be the Pope?!

Forget it. You’re not going to be the Anointed One, either. You can at most become the High Prophet in your life.

More variables might arise over time. The Pope decided to quickly settle Wayne’s future, lest Garvin impulsively recommend Wayne to Moula, and Moula, the hot-headed knight, handed Elemental Mantra right over to Wayne.

Whether Wayne could pass the goddess’s test and become the chosen knight... Though the possibility was slim, there was no need to take the risk.

The Pope glanced at Senna before communicating with the High Prophet through thoughts, telling him to give Wayne a low score in this round and do everything possible to make him leave the competition. The High Prophet understood immediately. When Senna attempted to contact him in the same way, he quickly blocked her.

Don’t call me. I don’t want the Pope to misunderstand.

Realizing what had happened, Senna scoffed and withdrew her thoughts, pulling out of the meeting. She had to meet Wayne as soon as possible, or the young man might assume that the High Prophet was a desirable position and fall for the temptation.

Seeing that, the High Prophet left, too.

Although the crystal ball was still playing the projection of the elf dragonrider, the higher-ups’ attention was elsewhere. They wondered how the dispute between the two would end.

“Since there’s nothing else, you’re dismissed. Go back and consider your scores. These candidates are all excellent.” The Pope left everyone with an ominous message, heading out quickly to see how things would play out.

Since the Pope was gone, the others couldn’t be bothered to keep up the pretense. They exchanged a few perfunctory pleasantries before logging off.

“In the end, this is what the church has become.” Garvin hadn’t left. He watched the other candidates perform through the crystal ball, giving each of them a fair, impartial score.

He knew that his scores mattered little in the grand scheme of things, but upholding his principles was important to him.

“If Captain had been willing to step in, the church wouldn’t have become what it is today...”

1. It’s a common Chinese quote when describing the feudal system in Europe. Historically, the European feudal system was based on the feudal contract, where the lord provided land or protection in exchange for the vassal's loyalty and military service. On paper, the agreement should exist only between the lord and the vassal, not the vassal’s vassal. ☜