In the private reception room of the Hua Deli Hotel, two seventh-level Temple Knights stood solemnly on either side of one of the doors, while Lin Lei and his three companions entered through another door on the inside. Their footsteps rang crisp and confident against the smooth marble floor, polished to a mirror-like sheen.
As Lin Lei, Yeru, and the others stepped inside, all seven people seated in the reception room turned to look at them.
"A cardinal, three white priests, and three Temple Knights," Lin Lei identified the seven. He could sense that all of them were extraordinarily powerful. According to the information he knew —
Within the Church, a cardinal ranked only below the Holy Emperor. To become a cardinal required not only sufficient prestige but also at least ninth-level Grand Mage strength.
"A ninth-level Grand Mage?" Lin Lei couldn't help studying the cardinal more carefully.
Before him stood a cardinal who appeared to be middle-aged, with curly brown hair. He had a high-bridged nose and a hint of a smile constantly playing on his lips, making him seem approachable and easy to talk to.
"Hello, Lin Lei. And little Yeru." The cardinal smiled and rose to his feet. "Allow me to briefly introduce everyone. These three white priests are my deputies, and these three Temple Knights are Commander Marcus of our Glory Knight Order and his two vice-commanders. As for me… you may call me 'Gilmore'."
Cardinal Gilmore.
Lin Lei had heard that the Holy Alliance possessed eight elite knight orders, and the Glory Knight Order was among them. All eight were terrifyingly powerful, with astonishing offensive capabilities.
"Lord Gilmore, Lord Marcus, and honored sirs. May I ask what brings you here?" Lin Lei asked modestly, while also stealing a glance at Marcus.
Marcus was an enormously built bald warrior. Even while seated, he gave off the impression of a boulder that no one could budge. Among the seven from the Church, only Gilmore and Marcus held the highest status. As the commander of one of the eight elite knight orders, Marcus's strength was likely not much weaker than Gilmore's, and their positions were roughly equivalent.
Marcus cracked a wide grin, his deep, resonant voice filling the room: "Gilmore told me the Holy Alliance has produced an incredible genius — a seventeen-year-old dual-element mage at the seventh level. I've been dying to see what this prodigy looks like. Now that I've seen him — haha, I like what I see."
With Marcus's trained eye, he immediately noticed that Lin Lei was also a warrior.
"Kid, what level have you reached as a warrior?" Marcus asked.
Gilmore sat there with a good-natured smile, showing not the slightest displeasure at Marcus cutting in.
Lin Lei replied modestly: "I only just reached the sixth level as a warrior this year."
"Oh?" Marcus's eyes lit up. "Sixth level at seventeen — that's already quite impressive. I, Marcus, rarely acknowledge anyone, but I have to admit you truly are a genius. Not only have you trained your magic to this level, but you're also a respectable warrior."
Lin Lei smiled modestly.
The two vice-commanders beside Marcus also looked quite surprised.
Gilmore chuckled: "All right, all right, Marcus. Lin Lei being a sixth-level warrior is impressive, yes, but a seventeen-year-old sixth-level warrior can be found in just about any war academy. His truly precious gift is his magical talent."
Warrior training was inherently less demanding than mage training.
Those who threw themselves into body conditioning and strength training from a young age — if they came from a good family and practiced Dou Qi from childhood — reaching the sixth warrior level by seventeen wasn't all that difficult.
"Lin Lei, as a member of our Holy Alliance, I am proud of your remarkable achievements, and as a cardinal of the Church, I want to ask — would you be interested in joining the Holy Alliance? I believe that with your talent and abilities, the moment you agree, I can guarantee you the position of white priest in our Church, and becoming a cardinal down the line is entirely within reach." Gilmore wasted no time, laying out his offer right from the start.
A genius ranked second in the entire history of the continent — such a person had a nine out of ten chance of becoming a Saint-level powerhouse. The remaining one percent might only materialize if some devastating blow destroyed his will to train.
A future Saint-level powerhouse — even without pushing himself, would at minimum become a ninth-level Grand Mage. Naturally, such talent had to be recruited.
"Lord Gilmore, this news… it's really quite sudden," a faint smile of modesty and shyness appeared on Lin Lei's face. "I'm only seventeen this year. I haven't thought too far ahead yet. High positions and great authority also mean great responsibility, and I don't yet have the courage to bear that weight. Perhaps… in a few years?"
Lin Lei politely declined.
Gilmore's brows furrowed involuntarily.
The second greatest genius in the entire history of the Yulan Continent — such a person had a nine out of ten chance of reaching the Saint realm. Even if he couldn't be put to use, he absolutely could not be allowed to fall into enemy hands.
"Lin Lei, I understand you are very young, but you are a member of our Holy Alliance, and you are a genius. As a genius, you should embrace the burden that comes with your dazzling brilliance, rather than shy away from it." Gilmore spoke with patient persuasion.
"Furthermore, you could simply become a white priest under my command, and I guarantee — you would be free to do whatever you wish, as long as you don't act against the interests of the Church. I will absolutely not interfere with your freedom. What do you say to that?"
"Moreover, you could join any of the kingdoms under the Holy Alliance, and we could even grant you a ducal title." Without question, Gilmore's sincerity was genuine.
Lin Lei fell into contemplation.
The three white priests beside Gilmore were frowning, but Gilmore himself continued to smile, his gaze full of expectation upon Lin Lei.
Being watched by that kind of gaze alone made it very hard to refuse.