The more Cardinal Smith heard about Charles, the less vigilant he became. By the time Charles finished explaining his situation, a look of admiration and respect appeared on Cardinal's face.
At that moment, he also linked everything with the information he got from Light Church members and got convinced by Charles's answers.
No, he even started to feel sympathy!
"You've done nothing wrong, Mr. Charles. It seems we're on the wrong side this time. No, I would say that we acted recklessly." A heavy sigh came out of his mouth as he said those words.
On the other hand, Charles folded his arms and probed him further.
"Why did you attack me, Mr. Smith?"
"I think our Church higher-ups misunderstood your intentions and acted without even thinking." He paused for a moment and then asked.
"How strong are you?"
A rare smile appeared on Charles's face as he heard Cardinal Smith's question and spoke in a calm tone.
"I'll show you how powerful when the right time comes."
Then, he talked with the Cardinal about his future goals and even started chatting with him like a close friend. He then told him more about other planes, Gods, different factions, and Edhen World's Lawful Gods.
The more Cardinal Smith learned about the outside world; he realized how insignificant he was!
"In truth, I have some guess about Goddess Zaqiel's origin." Charles went towards the nearby tree, leaned his back on the trunk, and continued.
"I think she must be from one of the Ten Superior Planes called 'Elder Plane.' Among the ten superior planes, that plane is the homeland for all the lawful faction beings. As long as you help me achieve my goal, I might take you there in the future. If you are lucky, you might even be able to meet your Goddess Zaqiel."
Upon hearing those words, Cardinal Smith's body suddenly went stiff. His breath grew heavy, his legs trembled in excitement, and he looked more like a curious kid.
But he didn't agree to his request in an instant, though.
Instead, he pondered for more than a minute and nodded.
"As long as your requests didn't affect the Faith Plane's peace, I'll help you."
At that moment, Cardinal Smith learned that they were nothing more than some tiny ants in the universe and decided to explore the outer world.
Unknown to him, his faith towards Goddess Zaqiel got weakened slightly!
They chatted inside the pocket dimension for a few more minutes and soon decided to leave.
A moment later, Cardinal Smith noticed that the surroundings started to turn blurry and soon found himself seated inside a wooden carriage. But the next instant, he got tensed up as he saw two familiar people on the opposite seat.
One was an emerald-haired woman, while the other was a silver-haired middle-aged man.
"Demons-" Before he could even cast any Light spell on them, a hand gripped his right shoulder.
At that moment, Charles appeared beside him, took the green pendant from Melody's hand, and wore it over his neck.
"Don't worry. They are my subordinates." He said in a reassuring tone.
Simultaneously, he shifted his attention towards his [Wicked Fire] spell model and noticed that the black flame streak hadn't disappeared yet!
'Oh? It seems Cardinal still hadn't noticed anything abnormal in his mind. But if he made contact with Goddess's Divine power for some time, he might notice it.'
While he was in deep thoughts, Cardinal Smith also sat comfortably on the leather seat and checked whether he could create his Truth Domain. He first chanted in a strange language and made a small domain around himself.
Once he realized that he could finally use his Domain power, he breathed out a sigh of relief, dismissed the domain power, and got relaxed inside.
At that moment, Charles also noticed a strange power around him but decided not to probe it.
Instead, he opened the curtain cloth and looked outside.
Currently, the evening sky shone its brilliance from the west and brightened the whole world. Even the outside grassland appeared to be soaked in molten lavas. Although some green trees appeared here and there, there were no dense woods around them.
"We already crossed the Mountain Range?" Charles stuck his head out and looked at the other side.
Soon, he saw the long mountain range and noticed dark clouds were moving in their direction while creating lightning flashes. Small thundering noises also echoed from afar, and the wind appeared stronger than before.
On the other hand, Irzoch mimicked Duke Michael's voice and answered.
"We are just three kilometers away from the Royal Capital, My Lord. Before the rain arrives, we'll be able to reach our destination."
"Good." Charles retracted his head, took out a black cloak from his space ring, and passed it to Cardinal Smith.
"Please wear it to hide your identity, Mr. Smith." He added.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Smith caught the cloak and wore it without saying anything. Although he could escape on his own now, something in his mind stopped him from doing any rash action.
'I also want to see how strong this person is.' He thought to himself.
As the carriage and the cavalry knights moved towards the Royal Capital, Charles and others sat in silence and watched the outside scenario through the curtain gap.
After some time, Cardinal Smith let out a fake cough and spoke.
"All this time, I thought of you as Baron Daniel's evil nature. But who would've thought that you are a powerful otherworldly being." He paused for a moment, took out a leather-covered book, and added.
"If not for Victor's prophecy book, I wouldn't have tried to assassinate you."
In the meantime, Charles showed a puzzled look on his face and asked in surprise.
"Victor? Prophecy Book? What is that?"
On the other hand, Cardinal Smith showed a hesitant look and decided to tell more about it.
"A year ago, a Bishop named Victor somehow gained enlightenment about the future and wrote a prophecy book. Then, he sent that book to the Holy See, created multiple copies, and requested all the high-ranked members read it. Although no one believed the prophetic verses at first, things started to change after the Dinton Castle massacre incident. In that book, he mentioned Baron Daniel's victory against Ammar Dynasty Knight Squad, about Dinton Castle Massacre, and even many other things. Not only had that, but he even pointed out Baron Daniel's abilities." While saying so, he opened the leather-covered book and showed it to him
On the other hand, Charles caught the book with both hands, flipped the page, and started to read.
"Flame Demon..." At first, he didn't put too much thought into the prophecy book. But as he further read it, he couldn't help but tense up a little. The author wrote some prophetic verses in a detailed manner, which unsettled him greatly.
'It was as if he watched my every movement and even read my thoughts before writing this book!'
"Who is this Victor, Mr. Smith?" Charles asked after a long silence.
