What is an offensive priest?

Chapter 37 Homeland, Inviolable!

In the square of Blackrock Town.

Night fell completely, and the sky was filled with thick black clouds.

The raindrops fell slowly, pattering gently.

It was like a bucket of cold water poured over the already noisy atmosphere, which was like a boiling pot of oil.

I saw Reverend Richard standing there, not saying a word.

The crowd gradually quieted down, as if under a spell of collective silence, silently gazing at that figure.

Richard stood on the stone pavement in the square, raindrops sliding down his hair.

His expression remained calm; he simply stood there quietly, without uttering a single word.

His gaze swept across the crowd in front of him, one person at a time.

The villagers who had unexpectedly come into contact with him all lowered their heads in shame.

They saw their own ugly faces reflected in those pale gold eyes, and they also saw Reverend Richard's disappointed expression.

Chief of Staff Weiss walked briskly through the silent crowd to Richard's side.

"What happened?" Richard's voice was calm.

Chief Vess truthfully recounted to Richard the story of how the goblins had come to persuade him to surrender.

"Although I tried to suppress the news, it still got back to the town..."

Richard nodded, not too surprised.

He had already prepared himself mentally before he set off.

Blackstone Town is too small, its walls too thin, and its people too fragile.

When faced with a life-or-death threat, no secret can be kept forever.

Richard knew about this and couldn't keep it from them forever. What surprised him, however, was that the enemy took the initiative to deliver the message.

It seems that the True Soul from the Underdark is significantly wiser than those greenskins who only know how to kill.

Before the walls are breached, let Blackrock Town collapse from within.

What's the situation with the blacksmith Gron's family?

Upon hearing this, Chief of Staff Weiss's expression grew even more unpleasant.

"When the news reached the town, no one took it seriously."

"But just one night later, Gron's son Timmy accidentally unleashed shadow magic while playing with other children."

"The magic was evil and uncontrollable, and it almost hurt the other children."

Weiss turned to look in the direction of the blacksmith's shop, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"After that, the rumors completely spiraled out of control."

"Monsters, calamities, vessels chosen by evil gods... all sorts of nasty words."

Driven by fear, the villagers gathered at the Gron's house, trying to force them to hand over the child.

Richard listened in silence.

His gaze swept once more over the bowed heads in the square.

The butcher had put away his cleaver at some point, and no one dared to disrespect Reverend Richard within Blackrock Town's territory.

Seeing that the surrounding villagers had all quieted down and no one dared to speak first, he decided to take on the role of the villain himself.

"Pastor Richard...!"

The butcher's voice trembled slightly, but he still tried to straighten his chest.

"That child... is a disaster!"

"He will bring destruction to Blackwater!"

Richard looked at him, his golden eyes devoid of emotion.

"So, what do you want to do?"

"To hand over a six-year-old child to those vicious goblins?"

"And then, you pray that those monsters who see humans as food will let you go?"

Richard's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over their heads, gradually bringing the villagers, who had been blinded by fear, back to their senses.

Yes.

Goblins eat people!

This is a principle that even young children in a small town understand from a young age.

Many of the villagers present had relatives who had died at the hands of the goblins.

Even before the invasion of the Underdark, those ugly, bloodthirsty greens had never stopped harassing the town.

A hunter will never give up his thirst for prey!

The butcher's lips trembled slightly; he wanted to say something more.

"But...but what if..."

"That's enough!"

This time, it wasn't Richard who interrupted him.

Instead, it was the villager standing behind him, an old farmer with a face full of wrinkles.

He stared intently at the butcher, slammed his cane down hard, and his hoarse voice trembled with anger.

"What else do you want to say?!"

"Pastor Richard is right! Can you really trust goblins?"

"Even young children understand this principle, yet we adults still can't see it!"

The butcher opened his mouth, but ultimately lowered his head in dejection.

Richard sighed inwardly as he looked at the scene before him.

The villagers of the town were not wrong, and neither was the Groon family!

They were simply driven to desperation by their fear of the goblins, and instinctively made the most selfish move.

In the face of death, such behavior is understandable.

Ultimately, it comes down to a lack of strength.

Blackrock Town was so weak that even a group of goblins could tear the town apart from within.

Richard's gaze slowly swept over the bowed heads, the somber morale permeating the rainy night, a deep despair enveloping everyone's hearts.

He knew in his heart that what Blackstone Town needed most right now was hope, a tomorrow to look forward to.

Richard suddenly spoke up.

"As you have probably heard, I have come to the Greenwoods to request the assistance of the druids."

The voice wasn't loud, but like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, it instantly attracted everyone's attention.

Richard raised his hand and pointed west, towards the direction of the lush green woods.

"I have reached an agreement with the druids."

"The next time the goblins invade, Greenwood will come to Blackrock Town's aid and fight alongside them!"

After a brief silence, a commotion suddenly arose in the crowd.

"What?!"

"Druids...are coming to help us?!"

When Richard announced that the lush forest had agreed to provide assistance, the villagers looked up sharply, their almost extinguished flame of hope rekindled in their eyes.

They knew that Richard would never lie to them, not even a white lie.

"Not only that."

Richard's voice rang out again, drawing everyone's attention back.

"Look up and see."

He raised his hand and pointed to the young guards who had been standing silently at the edge of the square.

Raindrops fell on them, soaking their bandaged wounds and making their eyes bloodshot, but their gazes remained resolute and their backs straight.

"Look at them!"

Richard's voice carried a rare hint of heaviness.

"Every time the goblins invade, it is they who stand on the walls with their own flesh and blood to fight against those bloodthirsty monsters."

"They are just young people in their early twenties, and they are also children with parents."

"But they did not back down or complain when faced with the ferocious goblins."

Richard's gaze swept across the face of each young guard.

"Because they know that their home is right behind them."

"And our home is not to be violated——!"

The villagers looked in the direction Richard was pointing.

When they finally saw what the young guards looked like and saw the thick bandages wrapped around their bodies, guilt immediately welled up in their eyes and their eyes reddened.

They never noticed that behind the so-called peace, these young people were protecting it with their lives.

Richard's voice, like the final war drums, resounded and echoed in the rainy night.

"If the walls are finally breached, and the town faces its very fate, I hope that everyone here will take up arms."

"Whether it's a hoe, a sickle, or even a kitchen knife or a wood-chopping axe."

"Let's unite and fight our enemy!"

His gaze, like a burning flame, swept across every face in the square.

"For the town's tomorrow!"

"And for your children too!"

Inspired by Richard, the villagers' eyes were red, but their gazes were more determined than ever before.

They responded to Richard's call and waved their arms vigorously.

Finally, hundreds of voices in the entire square converged into a single roar.

"Fight to the death!"

His voice was hoarse, but it was like a spark that ignited the fighting spirit in the hearts of the townspeople!

Richard watched this scene, slowly raised his right hand, and placed it on his chest.

"In the name of Los Santos..."

He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately.

"No! I swear on my name, Richard!"

"I stand with you, protecting Blackrock Town to the very end!"

Avel stood behind Richard, staring blankly at his back, his eyes hazy and intoxicated.

That figure wasn't broad-shouldered, yet it seemed to hold up the entire sky of Blackrock Town.

Kro also showed a relieved smile, tinged with a hint of admiration.

It seems that some things cannot be convinced by the paladin's charisma alone.

Some people just need to stand there.

That's enough!

-

After the villagers in the square had completely dispersed.

The light drizzle in the night sky also quietly stopped.

Kro approached Richard, hesitated for a moment, and then lowered his voice.

"Have the druids of the verdant woodlands really agreed to provide aid?"

His tone carried an undisguised doubt. Having dealt with those messengers of nature, Clod did not believe they would care about the life or death of humans.

In Klow's view, this might just be a stopgap measure by Richard to appease the public.

After all, in such desperate situations, sometimes a white lie is far more useful than the cruel truth.

Richard shook his head and recounted everything that had happened in the lush woods, including his encounter with Mizora and his journey to the Sunlit Wetlands.

They simply omitted Avel's identity.

Avel also noticed Richard's kindness, and an indescribable warmth welled up from the bottom of his heart.

Upon hearing the name Mizora, the paladin's right hand clenched tightly, and the hilt of his sword emitted a faint hum.

"Mizora!" Chloe's voice was forced out through clenched teeth, filled with undisguised resentment. "It's her again!"

"That devil from hell is never at peace!"

"Wherever he goes, he causes a lot of trouble!"

"Once the current crisis in Blackrock Town is resolved, I will personally eradicate it!"

Richard shook his head, his eyes looking somewhat serious.

"I'm afraid we won't be able to wait until then; we'll be able to see her again soon."

Upon hearing this, Kro turned to look at Richard, his eyes filled with doubt.

"What do you mean?"

Richard spoke in a low voice.

"She knew about Blackrock Town's current situation of being besieged by the Underdark and proposed to sign a contract with me to help Blackrock Town overcome the crisis."

"But I refused!"

Clooney nodded, agreeing with Richard's refusal.

The devil's contract is like an invisible shackle that will drag him to hell sooner or later!

Richard continued.

"Given the devil's nature, she will definitely tamper with things secretly next time the goblins attack, forcing us to sign a contract."

Kro clenched his fists, displaying fearless courage.

"That's perfect. If she dares to show herself, I'll personally sever her head!"

Upon hearing news of Mizora, even the usually most anxious thief, Maurice, remained remarkably calm.

He stood in the shadow of the eaves, his somber eyes thoughtful.