Absolutely not to be burned at the stake

Li Wei paused for a moment, then looked at the boy who was wearing a set of clothes with two patches, but which were washed clean and faded, and who seemed a little nervous.

He wasn't very familiar with the mother and son; he could only say he knew them.

This mother and son are quite pitiful. Five years ago, after Sienna's husband went missing while hunting in the mountains, Sienna and Nathan made a living by washing clothes for the guards. Life was very difficult for them.

Nathan was usually very well-behaved in town. Unlike other children who ran around and played wildly, he helped his mother with laundry and other chores every day.

"Come over next Monday."

After a moment's thought, Li Wei nodded and turned to walk inside.

Sienna and Nathan, standing nearby, were filled with excitement and joy upon hearing Levi's words. They bowed respectfully to Levi's retreating figure once more, saying, "Thank you, Father Levi."

The townspeople nearby also crowded around to congratulate Sienna and her child.

Now everyone can see clearly that since Li Wei became a priest, the status of the church's servants will also rise dramatically.

After all, no one dares to offend someone who has the potential to become a priest, even if... it's just a tiny sliver of hope.

Hearing the faint sounds of commotion coming from the sanctuary behind him, Li Wei pursed his lips slightly.

The church does need a helper, and he wouldn't mind giving the poor mother and child some assistance, but... the prerequisite is that he has to secure his position as priest first.

Tomorrow is Friday, the Sunday prayer day, and many townspeople will come to participate in the prayer activities.

Even the mayor, the captain of the guard, and the tax collector would come to pray on this day.

Whether option C will lead to official recognition as a church priest depends on tomorrow.

Captain Barton, the guard, is in a fairly good mood.

This morning, Sandy from the guard hunted a fawn, roasted it, and brought it to him so he could have a good meal.

The tender, juicy, and not-too-gamey fresh roasted meat, paired with two glasses of fine ale, is an absolutely wonderful taste.

Barton let out a burp, staggered into the town hall, then reached out and pushed open the door to Mayor Fogg's office, strode inside, and closed the door.

But as Barton looked at Fogg, a portly man sitting behind his desk, intently reading a letter, a hint of apprehension flickered in his eyes.

He had worked with Fogg for over a decade, but to this day, he still hadn't figured out the true nature of the fat man in front of him.

There was only one thing he was certain of: although Fogg seemed to break out in a cold sweat even after walking a few steps quickly, his true strength was probably not much weaker than his own as a second-tier bronze knight.

"How is it?" Barton sat down opposite Fogg, his face full of anticipation.

Fogg's face was somewhat gloomy; he simply tossed the letter in front of Barton and said, "Read it yourself!"

Barton paused, glanced at Fogg's grim face, then at the letter on the table, and picked it up with a puzzled look.

"A mage's talent?"

Barton's bull-like eyes widened instantly as he stared at the words on the letter. After examining it closely, he turned to Fogg and asked, "That little wench can be a wizard?"

Fogg snorted. "I always thought this girl was no ordinary person, but I never expected she would manage to get on Fox's good side."

Barton snorted and said resentfully, "Damn it, I knew this little wench had an aura that made you want to throw her on the bed and kill her the moment you saw her. I didn't expect she'd actually be a potential mage."

Fogg glanced at Barton, gave a soft snort, and said, "You really think she has the talent of a mage?"

"No? That can't be... This is a letter written by Lord Fox."

Barton held up the letter, looked at Fogg, and hesitated, "Would Lord Fogg really... lie to us for this little wench?"

Fogg bent down, opened the cabinet, took out two glasses, and then took out a bottle of wine, pouring two glasses of wine.

He picked up a glass, tilted his head back, and downed it in one gulp, exhaling a long breath of alcohol before looking at Barton and saying, "This is the Shadowlands, a place where even the gods are helpless. How could a native mage possibly appear here? In those large towns rich in elements, it's hard to find even one person with mage talent out of thousands. Do you think Shadowtown could produce one?"

"Besides, if a native mage were to emerge in our Shadow Town, can you imagine how terrifying that talent would be? Do you think it's possible?" Fogg chuckled like a duck being choked.

Barton frowned, picked up his glass, downed it in one gulp, and then said, "So... what's this, Lord Fox?"

"You know how good that girl is at seducing men... How could an old guy like Fox possibly escape her charms?" Fogg sneered.

Barton nodded in agreement, but said angrily, "Damn it, that old guy got off easy. If I had known... I wouldn't have bothered with Elby. I should have just knocked this chick out and gotten her into bed, had my fun first."

"Alright." Fogg casually put the cup on the table and said, "Now that this girl has latched onto Fox's coattails, she'll be going to Big Mountain City with Fox today. As for Levi, I'm afraid we'll have to go and see for ourselves."

"Damn... that little vixen..." Barton couldn't help but swallow hard again, then looked at Fogg and said, "Tomorrow is Sunday, let's go see her together then."

"Um."

Fogg nodded, patted his stomach, and said, "Regardless, I hope this Levi isn't lying. As long as Hansen doesn't leave the church, then everything will be fine."

"Of course, if this Levi really does kill Hansen... then we should really thank him."

"Yeah..." Barton picked up the bottle himself, poured himself another glass of wine, and shrugged. "As long as Hansen doesn't show up, everyone's happy."

"So, we need to see things more clearly tomorrow."

A sinister glint flashed in Fogg's eyes, and he coldly snorted, "Otherwise, if we don't figure this out, things won't go smoothly for us."

The morning sunlight slanted through the stained-glass windows of the Sacred Heart Cathedral, scattering patches of red, gold, blue, and purple light across the stone floor of the sanctuary, and also onto the dusty yet still solemn gold emblem of the Holy Spirit behind the pulpit, giving the cold metal a flowing luster.

The sanctuary, which can hold hundreds of people, was already packed. The long wooden benches were crowded with people of all ages from the town. There were significantly more people this time than on previous Sundays.

Aunt Rena, holding the hand of the energetic Ruimin, sat early in the middle row; next to her were Li Wei's parents and his sister Lia.

"Martha...you've really raised a good son! I always said little Levi would amount to something great in the future," Aunt Reina complimented Martha beside her.

"No... Levi has been sensible since he was a child, and we don't have to worry about him at all..." Martha smiled happily, looking at the holy emblem above the pulpit in front of her, her eyes full of anticipation and excitement.

The son she raised single-handedly has become a high-ranking priest!

Payne's father, standing to the side, nervously rubbed his hands together, glancing at the pulpit every now and then, wanting to see his son shine, but also looking somewhat worried.

Only her younger sister, Leah, had her large, lifeless eyes wide open, her face filled with joy.

Old Gert the leatherworker sat in the back, leaning back in his chair, his cloudy eyes fixed on the direction of the pulpit.

Street vendors, tenant farmers, and artisans huddled together, filling even the aisles on both sides. Whispers mingled like a swarm of bees, yet the front row remained empty, exuding an invisible air of authority.

Most of the townspeople wore the same expression: curiosity mixed with a touch of apprehension.

The news of Levi burning Poker to death two days ago had already swept through the entire Shadow Town like a whirlwind. The honest and unassuming boy who used to do odd jobs at the church had become a priest who could perform divine magic overnight, and was even said to have replaced Father Hansen as the presiding priest of the church, which made everyone suspicious.