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Chapter 88 Lance
Chapter 88 Lance
Unlike his own silver-white badge, the badge on the other person's chest armor was sky blue.
The different colors of the badges are not meant to show off the other party's unique personality or aesthetic.
Furthermore, under the strict rule of the Silverflame Church Archbishop, a diverse culture of dress and style did not take root within the Knights Order.
Within the Knights Templar, the blue badge represents the captain rank—this is the fundamental reason why the other party's badge color is so different from their own.
Andrew, a squad leader in the Knights Templar, is also a seasoned "Ironheart Guardian".
—A knight advancement class that focuses more on solid defense, protecting teammates, and holding the line.
Complementing Lance, who is an offensive and righteous "Knight of Judgment," the two of them usually carry out various missions for the church together.
"Training ends here, Lance." Andrew's voice was deep and steady. "There's an urgent mission. You'll come with me."
A hint of doubt flashed across Lance's eyes; the other party's impromptu plan had clearly taken him by surprise.
"Andrew, with the Ascension Day approaching, shouldn't our Knights Order be focusing most of its energy on the celebration's security?"
What kind of urgent mission might occur at this time?
Andrew seemed to have anticipated this question. He took a few steps closer and lowered his voice: "I'm not entirely clear on the specific details either; the order came from the church's higher-ups."
But as far as I know, it was an urgent message from the Church of Irmat.
It seems to be related to the ancient underground palace deep in the forest near the town of Erwin.
According to the intelligence sent back from there, the monster activity in that forest has been somewhat unusual recently.
He looked at Lance, "My old partner, if I remember correctly, you were an adventurer in Elwynn Town for quite some time before you became a professional."
"Throughout the entire Knights Templar, you're probably the most familiar with that area. That's why they specifically requested your joining."
Elwyn Town — Loran Forest Dungeon —
The familiar name stirred up Lance's memories.
He seemed to recall the days when he and his old teammates would boast in taverns and fight side by side on missions.
Griffin and I usually go to the pub together in the upper town to sit down and have a few drinks of golden barley wine.
I heard that of the remaining two, one opened his own tavern and became its owner, while the other is still living in the forest with monsters.
I wonder what everyone's situation is now, and whether their skills have become rusty?
Recalling his adventurous life filled with sweat and danger, a nostalgic smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.
“That’s right,” Lance nodded, his eyes sharpening again. “I am indeed familiar with that area—I still have some memory of the terrain, common threats, and even some local connections.”
It will be much more convenient if you need to explore the area or find a guide.
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He immediately followed up with, "What's the mission setup? Is it just our people?"
"No," Andrew shook his head, "the message came from the Church of Ilmat, but when it comes to places like that, it's never a matter for just one party."
As is customary, investigations that may involve significant threats are usually joint actions by several major churches.
Besides us, the Heim Church, the Awakening Church, and other forces will likely send people.
In addition, we will have a branch bishop accompanying us, and he will carry the sacred relic, the "Silver Flame Emblem."
Upon hearing the words "joint operation" and "holy relic," Lance's expression turned serious. This clearly exceeded the intensity of an ordinary church mission.
Squad leader Andrew himself is a seasoned and unwavering guard, a solid asset to the team, coupled with a bishop carrying sacred relics—
This lineup is already quite solid.
"It's a pity," Andrew added, with a hint of regret, "that famous orc paladin from the Church of Ilmat seems to be on a mission abroad and couldn't make it back."
Otherwise, with this big guy carrying the load in front, our pressure would be much less.
Lance had also heard of the orc paladin known for his amazing stamina and defense, and he was indeed an excellent candidate to draw fire.
It's much better to let other church organizations take the lead than to have our own brothers fight to the death, right? Besides, aren't naturally strong orcs the perfect candidates to share the burden with their teammates on the front lines? Lance didn't think there was anything wrong with his thinking.
"So, approximately how many people are there in total?" Lance continued. The scale of a joint operation often indicates the level of danger.
He silently hoped that Andrew's number wouldn't exceed four—that was a reasonable number for a regular squad. But the answer that followed made his heart tighten.
"Our initial estimate is that the entire joint team consists of about ten people," Andrew said, giving Lance a number that surprised him.
There are about ten people, who are basically core professionals with many years of experience selected from various churches.
Add to that the bishop carrying the sacred relics, and this lineup—
This is no ordinary reconnaissance team; it's practically an elite church tactical task force!
To deal with the strange activity in the underground palace in the forest of a remote town?
Only laymen who know nothing about the inner workings of the church, or drunkards who stay out all night in taverns, would think this is normal.
Fortunately, Lance is no longer the naive adventurer he once was, and it's the morning when his mind is clearest. He also doesn't have a hangover habit—at least not yet.
"Captain, forgive my bluntness," Lance finally couldn't help but voice his doubts, carefully choosing his words.
"Is it a bit of an overreaction to use such resources to deal with the issue of relics in a relatively remote area?"
Or is it that the church leadership's assessment of the situation there is far more serious than we imagine?
It's not that I'm afraid of the dangers of the mission. Ever since I joined the Knights Templar of the Silverflame Church, every mission has involved facing all sorts of wicked and venomous imps that can transform and poison at will, treacherous demons with claws that can slit throats, not to mention those seductive succubi and banshees—
Leaving aside the last one for now, Lance felt that the Templar Order's duties were never easy.
Andrew looked at Lance with deep eyes. He paused for a moment, seemingly weighing which information he could reveal.
"Lance, you used to be an adventurer, so you may have heard some rumors about that dungeon, but you may not know everything."
He lowered his voice and finally decided to tell the other party some church secrets.
"That place is very special, far from being an ordinary ancient ruin or monster's lair."
Its internal spatial structure is unstable and has historically had dangerous, brief connections with other dimensions.
The church had always considered it a location of high concern and potential high risk. The alert level from the Irmat Church this time was very high, which is why the response from higher up was so swift and—very solemn.