This time, I won't be the devil.

"I want to send my brothers and sisters to school... Grandpa said that only by going to school and studying can you have a bright future."

After hearing Sanmao's request, Frey asked Leonard:

"Captain Lei, I remember that the Priest Academy entrance exam should be open to all people of appropriate age, right?"

"That's right, but the test paper requires answers in holy text..."

Frey immediately understood Leonard's difficulty in speaking.

In border cities like Labyrinth City, there are no public schools that teach holy texts. Rich families send their children to private schools or hire tutors. The cost is obviously not something Sanmao and his friends can afford.

Frey was not kind enough to help these children he met by chance.

But as an intelligence expert, he knew a place where he could learn for free.

"In the library, there's a nun who teaches people to read..."

Afterwards, the children of the orphanage decided to hold a wake for Jacob, and Leonard greeted Frey and said he wanted to talk to him alone.

"I want to thank you on behalf of those children." Leonard said after leaving the welfare home.

"Captain Lei, the one those kids should really thank is you."

Leonard took much more care of those children than Frey did.

This welfare home was judged as an illegal institution three years ago. It has survived until now because of the security captain Leonard who turned a blind eye.

According to regulations, the children in the welfare home who were raised by the thieves should have been sent to the court for investigation.

Once they have a criminal record in the Court of Inquisition, they will lose the qualification to apply for the Priest Academy due to failing the political review.

These things were suppressed by Leonard using his authority as an imperial envoy. His series of actions may become material for others to impeach him in the future.

"Don't you care about violating the rules at such a sensitive time?" Frey asked.

"If this rule can't even protect a few innocent children, then why is it even worth following it?"

"That's not something a security captain would say."

"You can't expect a thief to be the defender of the rules, right? Besides, all I can do now is protect a few children."

After saying that, Leonard pulled out a pack of high-end cigarettes from deep within his clothes and handed one to Frey.

"I don't smoke."

Hearing Frey's words, Leonard showed a somewhat surprised expression.

"These days, it's rare to find a man who doesn't smoke." He said the same line as Didoris.

No, are men who don’t smoke so rare?

Seeing that Frey refused, Leonard put away the pack of high-end cigarettes, took out a pack of cheap cigarettes and lit one.

This pack of cheap cigarettes is a true reflection of Leonard's current financial situation.

"Captain Lei, you called me out not just to smoke a cigarette, right?"

Leonard didn't answer immediately. After he finished smoking his cigarette, he asked:

"Are you interested in joining the Church of Light?"

Faced with this sudden invitation, Frey looked confused.

"If you're willing, I can recommend you to the Pope. A young man like you who is capable and has no background is exactly what he wants right now."

"And with your talent, you've reached the Bronze level in just two weeks. It's possible that you could become a priest or even an archbishop in the future."

The recommendation of the Pope's envoy and the temptation of power and status would make most people feel itchy when they heard of Reynard's invitation.

But Frey's expression didn't change.

"No thanks. The waters of your Church are too complicated and not suitable for me."

Through this incident of the Phantom Thief, Frey became deeply aware of the complexity of the power structure within the Vatican, and he no longer wanted to be involved in such matters.

Now that he has obtained the map and the magic shell has been built, he is still waiting to enter the maze to continue upgrading.

Seeing Frey's decisive refusal, Leonard asked curiously:

"You're quite a strange man. You don't smoke, and you don't crave power. I'm curious what you're pursuing."

The reason why Leonard wanted Frey to join the Church of Light was that during their time together, he saw a valuable quality in the young man's words and deeds. If it were him, he might be able to bring changes to the current Hikari Theocracy.

In Leonard's view, this man named Frey is neither a villain without bottom line nor a compassionate saint.

He will not abandon his dignity to flatter the strong, nor will he give alms to the weak for the sake of self-satisfaction. No matter what the other person's identity is, this young man will regard him as an equal to himself.

This is extremely rare in this world where gods exist, identity and status are valued, and distinctions between superiors and inferiors are emphasized.

It seems that in his worldview, people are born equal, at least in spirit.

No wonder the elf princess who can see other people's character likes him so much.

In Leonard's impression, the last person with this quality was old Pope Carol.

In response to Leonard's question, Frey gave the same answer as always.

"I just want to be strong enough to live my life."

After being rejected by Frey, Reynard did not feel any regret. He said to himself:

"The root of the world's change and progress lies in humanity's yearning for a better life. This is what the old Pope told me."

At this moment, Leonard recalled the teachings of the old Pope who was lying on his sickbed.

“Don’t be numb to suffering, don’t despair of life.”

“As long as you have good things in your heart and hope in your heart.”

"No matter how long the night is, the sun will always rise."

Chapter 33 Thunder Fire Sword

At dawn the next day, after handing over the task of burying Jacob to Reynard, Frey and Didoris came to the mass grave outside the city.

Leonard told Didoris the truth about the 86th Company after concealing some of the content that was unfavorable to the Holy See.

After hearing the story of the 86th Company, Didoris decided to personally see them off for the last time.

After arriving at the mass grave, Frey used earth magic to dig up the grave of the 86th Company and placed the iron plate code-named 007 on Jacob's body into it.

At this point, 50 Human Hero Medals and 50 numbered plates were buried in this uninhabited cemetery, and Jacob's body will rest in the underground of the welfare home.

"Shouldn't the Holy See take back these medals?" asked Didoris.

"At this point, collecting it will only cause more trouble. Besides, this is what they deserve."

Frey used earth magic to reinforce the tomb, while Didoris took out a white bamboo flute and played a farewell song for the 86th Company and all the heroic spirits sleeping there.

The melody is ethereal and melodious. Although it is a song of mourning, it does not make people feel sad after listening to it. Instead, it contains a spirit of bidding farewell to the past and moving towards the future.

It was just dawn, and a faint pale light appeared in the eastern sky, as if a corner of the curtain of night had been gently lifted.

Gradually, the white color was tinged with a light golden edge. The sunlight shone through the clouds, making the dust in the air sparkle, as if a handful of fine gold powder was sprinkled from the sky.

Golden dust surrounded Didoris as she played the flute, then drifted away on the wind, like the souls of the dead being drawn to the other side...

"Dido, can you teach me the song you just played?" Frey asked after Didoris finished playing.

"Can you play the flute?"

"The flute was the first instrument I learned to play when I was a kid. But I don't have a flute right now. And there don't seem to be any music stores in the Labyrinth City. I wonder if I can buy one..."

After hearing what Frey said, Tidoris thought for a while, then took out a wooden box from her luggage bag and handed it to Frey.

Frey opened the wooden box, revealing a high-end-looking black flute.

"The first instrument I learned to play when I was a child was also the flute. Laura taught me. This flute is also what she used before. If you don't mind, you can accept it."

"It doesn't seem right to use the deceased's belongings without permission." Frey asked.

"We elves adhere to the principle of 'what you bring into this world, you take out of this world.' After death, the soul returns to the sky and the body returns to nature. Therefore, there is no such thing as relics."

"Besides, if it's Laura, she probably also hopes that this flute can continue to be used..."

Speaking of Laura, Frey and Didoris discussed the commission again.

According to the map, Petrarch's tomb is on the 19th floor of the maze, but for the sake of caution, Frey does not plan to go there immediately. He wants to upgrade first and then set off after his strength is further improved.

Didoris agreed to this. After all, the cemetery would not run away. She had already spent three years there and didn't mind waiting a little longer.

After the conversation, Didoris yawned. She and Frey had been working day and night these days and hadn't gotten much sleep.

She whistled, summoning the snow leopard, ready to carry Frey away.

After coming in front of the two people, the snow leopard first glanced at Frey, then turned away.

It seems that this is still a tsundere.

On the night of hunting Jacob, when the snow leopard reluctantly showed its back to Frey, Frey also confirmed the gender of his snow leopard friend by observing its butt.

At first glance, it was identified as a female.

Come to think of it, this was the first time Frey had ridden on a female in his entire life.

"By the way, Dido, what's the name of this snow leopard friend?" Frey wanted to know the name of the opposite sex who took his first time.

"Yukina." Didoris said three pronunciations.

Yukina, this pronunciation does not conform to the naming convention of humans in the common language.

If it is directly transliterated, it should be translated as Yushina. If it is translated literally, it can be translated as Xuena, Xuecai, etc.

Although Frey is a fan of Winter Horse, he would not call a snow leopard "Yuki" (snow vegetable).

Calling her ykn directly would be a bit offensive, so after thinking it over again and again, Frey decided to call her Xue Na.

"Given the snow leopard's size, it's too much of a stretch to carry two people at once. Besides, Yukina doesn't want to. Dido, you go ahead. I'll walk back by myself."

Hearing Frey say this, Tidoris, who wanted to sleep, no longer refused. She rode on Xue Na and soon disappeared from Frey's sight.

After Didoris left, Frey finally found a chance to be alone and took out the [Book of Fools] from the void.

After the talent [Witness] was activated, along with the acquisition of skills and the improvement of attributes, Jacob's memories also flooded into Frey's mind.

It felt like watching a long movie in an instant.