In Teyvat, it all begins with rescuing the grass god.

Rhodes escaped.

This matter greatly upset Hazard.

After receiving the order.

The people of the Church went to places Rhodes had been frequenting recently, intending to capture him while he was still in Sumeru City.

However, no matter how hard they searched, they could not find any trace of Rhodes.

The calculations about the void went wrong once again.

This is the most troubling thing for Hazard.

At the same time, he became even more certain of one thing.

Rhodes is definitely in cahoots with the Little Lucky Grass King.

if not.

How could a mortal like him possibly escape the calculations of the void?

However, this wasn't the only problem.

The followers of the Little Auspicious Grass King in Sumeru City were like madmen. They spread the news of the Little Auspicious Grass King's miracles everywhere, and as long as they escaped capture, they would start a new round of miracle propaganda.

Such a crazy act is undoubtedly a blatant provocation against the Council of the Church.

Even though Hazard has already sent reinforcements three times to hunt down these people.

Almost a day has passed now.

However, they still returned empty-handed.

Hazard couldn't understand it.

What methods did Rhodes use to get those extremely radical Red King followers to help those extremely pure Grass God followers?

When these two types of people meet, they're either fighting or on their way to fight.

How could they be so reckless as to help these followers of the Grass God escape capture?

Even worse information.

The conflict between the guards of the Order of the Fathers and the mercenaries did not result in the Order of the Fathers gaining the upper hand.

on the contrary.

The reason they failed to capture him despite sending reinforcements three times in a row was because they were no match for him.

Hazard was getting impatient.

He summoned Uday and ordered, "Notify Elhesen to draft a bill that, apart from the Thirty-Man Group, no more Gilded Brigade groups will be allowed to enter the Rainforest. All mercenaries currently staying in Sumeru City or the entire Rainforest will be expelled. Those who report or expel them will be rewarded."

This is an extremely domineering law.

Moreover, laws and directives are different.

Instructions have an expiration time; even instructions issued by a great sage will become invalid once the task is completed.

But the law is permanent.

If this decree prohibiting mercenaries from entering the city is implemented...

Many gilded guilds that act as guards for merchants or come to accept commissioned missions at this time will suffer collateral damage.

But for Hazard...

This is nothing serious.

He had always looked down on these mercenaries who worshipped the Red King. If it weren't for the feelings of the merchants from the rainforest region, he would have given this order long ago.

Furthermore, the mercenaries who helped Rhodes this time entered the city by acting as bodyguards for wealthy merchants.

This further convinced Hazard that there was no problem with the decree he issued.

After Uday left.

Hazard tapped the table, pondering a more serious problem at hand.

Where did Rhodes go, the mastermind behind this incident?

Even if they had all his information.

However, the void still could not accurately predict his movements.

It's one thing if it happens once or twice.

After all, the accuracy of predictions based on the void is difficult to guarantee 100%, and it is easily affected by the surrounding environment.

Krod has made the Void's predictions fail more than double digits in a row.

Such events, which are difficult to explain by coincidence, have led many of those involved in the hunt for Rhodes to question the existence of the Void.

This greatly troubled Hazard.

Therefore, if Rhodes is not captured now, the authority of the Council of the Church and the unquestionable status of the Void among scholars will face an unprecedented crisis.

However anxious he was.

Rhodes remained as if he had vanished into thin air, completely disappearing from Sumeru City. Even as the rioting mercenaries and followers of the Little Auspicious Grass King were arrested one after another, he still did not show up, as if those people had nothing to do with him at all.

"What does he want to do?"

"What does the Little Lucky Grass King want to do?"

These two questions lingered for an entire day.

Rhodes, the culprit, still hasn't shown up; he hasn't been found anywhere, either inside or outside the city.

Hazard couldn't sit still any longer.

He planned to go to Jingshan Palace again to see if he could get any information out of the Little Auspicious Grass King.

It was at this time that...

Uday came to report.

Rhodes has been caught.

The person who captured him was none other than the clerk, Elhesen.

It didn't take long.

Hazard finally met Rhodes, who seemed to possess knowledge of the Red King and the Grass God, for the first time.

“Great Sage, here is the draft bill you need.”

Elheisen, who came in with Rhodes, presented a turquoise can of knowledge, and then said, "This Mr. Rhodes attacked me on my way to deliver the bill, but I was slightly better than him."

"Oh?"

Hazard, having received the canned knowledge, didn't rush to use it. Instead, he squinted at Rhodes and asked, "Have you been hiding in the Council of the Church these past two days?"

Ehrlich's office was located in the Papal House.

The fact that Rhodes was able to attack him on his way to deliver the bill suggests that Rhodes had been hiding in the Papal House all along.

No wonder.

No wonder we couldn't find any trace of him.

After all that, he actually pulled a fast one, hiding right under my nose.

In response to Hazard's question.

Rhodes didn't answer, only snorted coldly, and stared at Hazard without fear.

"hehe--"

Are you planning to attack me at some point?

Hazard played with the can of knowledge inscribed with the law, a playful smile on his face.

He just checked.

There is no problem with the information contained in this can; it is indeed a new bill drafted by El-Hysen.

Elhesen's actions were consistent with Void's speculation, and there was nothing unusual about them.

However, Al-Hysen still couldn't gain his trust.

After all, this clerk had traveled with Rhodes for a period of time and had also interacted with him in Aru Village.

Although Hazard did not direct his suspicions at him, that does not mean that he can say anything to him.

After a brief moment of thought, he decided to kick Elhesen out and have a one-on-one talk with Rhodes.

This is a very bold move.

Rhodes's military power has been explicitly mentioned in the reports of the Council of the Church and Elhesen.

all in all.

In a word.

If Rhodes wanted to attack him now, he would have a 100% chance of succeeding.

Regarding such potential dangers.

Hazard, however, showed no fear whatsoever.

Instead, he casually found a spot to lean back, then calmly said to Rhodes, "Young man, if I'm not mistaken, your plan should include a fight to the death, capturing me alive, and forcing me to open the Little Lucky Grass King's cage to release her, right?"

"Yes."

Rhodes raised his hand and clenched his fist.

Then he found out.

In the Great Sage's office, his communication with the Eye of God seemed to be severed, and he was completely unable to unleash his elemental power.

"How about it?"

"Is the power of the gods something to be desperate about?"

Seeing Rhodes' attempt to draw upon elemental power, Azar chuckled and said, "The miracles of the Great Tree King still benefit us immensely to this day."

then.