Foreign Land Reclamation By a Vegetable-growing Skeleton

Chapter 125 - 109 Are you here to exorcise the Holy Maiden? 1

If someone said there was a person killing and stripping bones, summoning skeletons in his jurisdiction, Fala would certainly not believe it, especially if they were claiming it was Old John. Fala had some impression of him – he was merely an unsociable, stubborn, disabled old man.

It was rumored that he had a peculiar hobby of collecting unnamed bones from the road and using them to fertilize his fields at home. The villagers found this bizarre, assuming he was killing and stripping bones.

But as a priest of the Church, Fala knew very well that there were different customs and many unique occupations in the world. In some countries, for instance, sanitation workers would also double as undertakers, wrapping up and transporting the dead found by the roadside or in people’s homes to the graveyard or Chaotic Burial Mound.

In other places, people preferred beheading criminals, hence the emergence of two professions: the executioner and the Sewer of Bodies.

The executioner would behead the criminal, then the Sewer of Bodies would stitch the head back on so they could be properly buried. Of course, those who sew bodies would, at times, act as surgeons.

For example…

So when Fala received this kind of report, he initially intended to dismiss it. However, his new partner, Paladin Oni, was just eighteen years old. Eager to serve with distinction, Oni had rushed over without a word. Fala had no other choice but to accompany him. Just in case his partner stirred up trouble, he could at least interfere.

Old John’s courtyard didn’t even have a gate. Oni barged right in. The most noticeable thing inside the courtyard was the orderly patch of

Bone-connecting Wood branches. He moved closer to sniff – it had a mild stench of decay. Oni swiftly drew his longsword, stabbed into it and when he pulled it out, the tip was faintly smelly.

“Damn, he is indeed burying corpses here for his rituals, preparing to summon skeletons, isn’t he?” Paladin Oni said angrily.

Fala scratched his nose awkwardly. Although burying bodies in one’s yard was strange, whether the bodies were used for rituals was still questionable, and there was no trace of death in the yard.

Even if the bodies were used for rituals, who would use them to summon skeletons? What a waste! Skeletons weren’t strong fighters, it would be better to make Bone Soup to summon hellhounds, they loved to gnaw bones and were also stronger.

Ange pushed the door open with a squeak and walked into the courtyard.

Oni immediately pointed his sword: “It’s you, isn’t it? You’re the heretic refining bodies here, aren’t you? On behalf of the Light, I, apprentice Paladin Neo, will judge you. If you believe you are innocent, raise your hands and let the Holy Light judge you.”

Oni recited his speech word for word, then raised his sword high. A bright and pure light shined on it. “Holy Light, purify the shadows of this world! Holy Spirit Sword, exterminate all heretics! In the name of Light, I judge!”

This was a skill specifically designed to judge heretics. If the subject wasn’t a heretic, the Light of Judgment would pass through the body unobstructed. If they were a heretic, however, the Light of Judgment would explode upon contact, inflicting multiplied damage.

Fala heaved a heavy sigh. The young people who emerged from the church these days were getting increasingly rigid. They liked using the Light of Judgment to tell friend from foe, not realizing that judging a person’s heart was a complex task – one that couldn’t be accomplished through a single skill.

Even if one wasn’t a heretic, what if they were a murderer, rebel or thief with evil thoughts? Or a proud mage? One unnecessary judgment could easily turn a neutral party into an enemy.

Every year, this arrogant rudeness brought so many enemies to the church, but no younger generation was willing to change this habit. Perhaps they felt they didn’t care, who would dare to offend the Church of Light?

Fortunately for them, they hadn’t run into a real villain yet, otherwise, these young men would have surely suffered.

Just as these thoughts flashed through Fala’s mind, Ange sidestepped a bit and quickly tripped Oni.

Ange felt that Oni’s movements were very slow. Negris had told him not to kill or cause serious injuries, so as to avoid attracting the attention of the Church of Light to the village, which would make things complicated.

If a paladin and a priest suddenly died in a certain area, especially during such sensitive times, people would definitely associate it with Nikola.

The moment Oni’s foot was caught, he lost his balance and fell headfirst into a wall, knocking himself unconscious.

Flap…flap…flap…

The scene was somewhat awkward for a moment. Fala couldn’t bear to look, feeling too embarrassed. Oni had arrived ready for a fight, eager to judge others, only to knock himself unconscious against a wall. It really was a disgrace. Was he planning on using his own unconsciousness to make the opponent feel guilty, thereby achieving the purpose of judgment?

However, this incident indirectly proved that the man in front of them was very powerful. Fala became cautious and said aloud, “My friend, I apologize for any offense. I am Fala, a priest from the nearby town. This is apprentice Paladin Oni. May I ask who you are and where you come from?”

Ange tilted his head to look at him, expressionless. Mainly because he didn’t know how to answer, should he say that his name is Ange and he comes from the Resting Abyss, and that he’s a skeleton?

He simply ignored him, picked up the Paladin, and patted a Face Purification Technique on his head, hoping he wasn’t unconscious or seriously injured.

Fala’s eyes widened in surprise. Holy Light? And casually cast, too. It was similar to Purification, and yet it quickly healed Oni’s swollen head. This alone showed that the man in front of him was a very high-level worshipper, his level was certainly far higher than Fala’s.

God, what had that fool Oni done? He had launched a judgment against a clergyman of the Church whose rank was far higher than theirs!

“Level 1 Priest Fala is honored to meet you, sir. May I ask your honorable name?” Fala immediately knelt down, saying respectfully.

Fala’s sudden kneel not only startled the security chief and his subordinates who had brought them here, but also woke up Negris.

“Oh yes, you can use the Holy Light, you can pretend to be a clergyman of the Church of Light and safely leave this place. The people of the Church of Light won’t pursue someone who can use the Holy Light… I’m thinking… thinking… Which position in the Church of Light is most suitable for you to pretend?”

“I’ve got it. Ascetic monk, those solitary, disheveled, reticent people who live a hard, metered life. You pretend to be an ascetic monk. Besides, the timing of your appearance here is just perfect, you’re here to investigate Nikola’s murderer.”

“So, introduce yourself this way: Monk Ange, from the shadows of the Holy Light.” Negris quickly said within Angel s soul.

“Holy… Light… shadow… Monk… Ange.” Ange haltingly introduced himself.

Negris clapped in Ange’s soul, “Excellent! Ascetic monks are all solitary men, they hardly speak and their language abilities tend to deteriorate. Your halting speech style makes you look even more like one. Quick, praise me for my good choice.”

An ascetic monk? Fala was shocked. A legendary ascetic monk? They had never encountered one before. Why was such a big shot here? Could it be… ?

At this time, Old John finally walked out of the room with light steps. The people outside the courtyard were all stunned. Wasn’t Old John a cripple?

Even Old John, a chronic cripple, could be cured. The power of this ascetic monk was truly incredible. No need to guess, it must have been because of that event.

Fala stood up, crossed his hands over his chest, and bowed again: “Lord Ange, are you here to perform an exorcism on the Holy Maiden Shamara?”