Chapter 200 : Chapter 200
Chapter 200. Testing William’s Aptitude
In the afternoon, the Bishop sent someone to summon William to the Main Tent.
The road leading to the Main Tent was dyed gold and red by the setting sun, yet William felt cold all over.
Between the tents along the way, several white-robed clerics were leading young girls toward the Main Tent. Most of the girls were fourteen or fifteen years old, with rosy faces and sharpness hidden in their eyes. As they were pushed forward, they would occasionally turn back to look at the clerics.
Only after the curtain of the Main Tent fell behind him did he force himself to suppress the discomfort in his heart.
The Bishop was seated on a cushion, playing with a gold-inlaid cross in his hand. When he saw William enter, he smiled and beckoned to him.
“Come and take a look. These are all reserve candidates for the Pegasus Knights.”
He pointed at the young girls standing in ten rows inside the tent.
“The knightly inheritance of the Holy Light Empire always needs fresh blood.”
Two hundred young girls lowered their heads. Their figures were slender, and the coarse cloth dresses on their bodies had been washed until they had turned pale, but the faint spirituality between their brows could not be concealed.
William swept his gaze over them, and his heart jolted violently.
The aptitude of these girls far surpassed that of ordinary people. Even the lowest among them had crossed the threshold of Legendary Aptitude, and more than a dozen even faintly possessed the potential to touch the Domain.
“What do you think?” the Bishop asked expectantly. “Can you tell me their aptitudes?”
William took a deep breath and reported each girl’s aptitude one by one. When he reached the dozen or so girls with outstanding potential, he deliberately raised his evaluation, his tone carrying a trace of admiration.
“The talent of these two hundred people is very high. With a little training, they will surely become pillars of Holy Light in the future.”
The Bishop listened with a broad smile. He picked up the list on the table to check it, his fingertip tapping and marking the names.
“The Lord’s grace truly never fails to arrive.”
He waved his hand and had the clerics lead the girls away. The tent instantly became spacious again, leaving only the sound of the candle flames flickering.
“William Kroll.”
The Bishop set down the list, and his gaze sharpened.
“After the matters of the Blackgold Empire and Dragon Island are resolved, come back with me to the Holy Light Main City.”
His tone was decisive, as if he were announcing an outcome that had long since been settled.
“With your talent, combined with the Empire’s support, you will surely become a pillar of the Temple in the future.”
William almost immediately frowned.
He understood far too well what this kind of “invitation” meant.
The so-called “pillar” was nothing more than a Chess Piece kept within the Holy Light system. Moreover, those girls’ aptitudes were so outstanding, yet they were being casually arranged as “reserve candidates.” The hidden dealings behind it made him shudder.
“Thank you for your regard, Lord Bishop, but the Kroll Kingdom still needs me.”
He bowed, but his tone carried a firmness that could not be shaken.
“The brothers of the Gold Legion are waiting for me at Despair Fortress. I cannot break faith with them.”
The smile on the Bishop’s face faded slightly. His fingertips rubbed against the cross.
“A kingdom? In chaotic times, can one tiny kingdom protect you? Only the Lord’s glory can allow you to truly stand at the peak.”
William did not respond. He merely maintained his bowed posture.
The air inside the tent seemed to solidify. The shadows of the candle flames swayed on the walls, as if pulling at something in silence.
He knew that rejecting the Holy Light Empire’s “goodwill” was no different from making an enemy for himself. But compared to becoming a puppet manipulated by others, he would rather choose freedom.
The smile on the Bishop’s face receded like a falling tide. The warmth in his eyes was replaced by a layer of cold hardness. He stared at William, his tone carrying an unquestionable pressure.
“Interesting. William Kroll, it seems you have not understood your situation. Here, you have no right to refuse.”
His fingertip tapped lightly against the table, producing a dull sound, as if striking some invisible shackle.
“Do not think that you can be an exception just because Dragon Island and the Elves are backing you.”
“They can protect you for a time, but can they protect you for a lifetime? The power of Holy Light is not something a few ancient races can easily contend against.”
William remained silent throughout, but his hand unconsciously pressed against the sword at his waist.
The air inside the tent grew so heavy it seemed almost ready to drip. The candlelight cast interlacing shadows between them as they confronted each other without a word.
This silence lasted for several full minutes. It continued so long that William almost thought the other party was about to use force, but the Bishop suddenly began to laugh. No joy or anger could be heard in that laughter.
“Very well. Since you are so stubborn, forget it.”
He leaned back against the cushion and picked up the cross again, his tone regaining a trace of casual indifference.
“You have talent. You are good material, and I do not wish to push you too hard. I will go discuss the matter of Dragon Island myself. There is no need to trouble you.”
He waved his hand, as if dismissing something insignificant.
“You may return.”
William did not move immediately. He looked at the Bishop with scrutiny. The other party’s sudden concession was far too deliberate, and it only made the vigilance in his heart grow stronger.
But now was clearly not the time to investigate further. He bowed, then turned and lifted the curtain as he left.
The Holy Light outside the tent remained warm, yet it could not dispel the haze in his heart.
The Bishop’s words were like a thorn lodged in his heart.
No right to refuse?
How was this a negotiation? It was clearly a naked threat.
He strode quickly toward Darwin outside the barrier. When the Giant Dragon saw him come out, it immediately stood up and let out a low Dragon’s Roar.
William mounted the dragon and glanced back at the white Main Tent. He only felt that the camp shrouded in Holy Light concealed something even more suffocating than the shadows of the Blackgold Empire.
“Let us go.”
He patted Darwin’s neck. The Giant Dragon spread its wings and rose, carrying him into the clouds.
The camp below grew smaller and smaller. William looked toward Despair Fortress in the distance, his brows tightly furrowed.
The Bishop’s concession would definitely not be the end. This game surrounding Dragon Island, Divinity, and power had only just torn open its most dangerous corner.
And he had already been targeted.