After finally finishing the side quests at the Church, Kenley glanced at the quest progress—it had reached 3%.

  He led the two women toward the main hall, his heart full of joy, yet he struggled to suppress the smile that kept threatening to rise on his face.

  Honorary Paladin? Kenley had just taken another careful look at the contract, which stated that not only would he have his own house in the royal capital, but he would also receive a monthly salary of 8 gold coins from the Church. Moreover, the bishop had promised to send him a mount every once in a while.

  Kenley was quite pleased with these arrangements. Most importantly, he was still in a no faction status, a completely free agent. In other words, he wasn't bound by the Church but could still enjoy its benefits. If this were a game, many players would probably envy him.

  The no faction status was incredibly comfortable. It gave him more time to decide which faction to join later, allowing him to delay the decision for as long as possible. Kenley wasn't in a hurry to make that choice. After all, the upcoming struggle between royal and divine powers would make it ideal to remain neutral for the time being. Being a free agent was just too comfortable.

  As Kenley walked ahead, he calmed his excitement and thought about his future plans: he now had a place to stay, some familiar faces in the city—high-ranking figures like the bishop and the chief judge. He was slowly starting to build a network. Now, the next step was to start his leveling plan, considering which place would be the most suitable for it.

  Just as Kenley was walking and thinking, a shout suddenly came from the main gate of the hall:

  "Sylph!"

  Sylph instinctively screamed.

  That voice—Sylph was all too familiar with it. It was Hero Brook, the captain of the Ranger Battalion! The shout immediately jolted Kenley out of his thoughts. Damn it, of all people, why him!

  "Uncle Brook..." Sylph instinctively stepped behind Tia.

  "You're really here," Brook exclaimed as he saw Sylph, his face a mix of excitement and urgency. Since they were in the Bright Cathedral, beneath the statue of the Sun God, he had to maintain decorum. Despite the burning urgency in his heart, he could only hurry toward Sylph, walking quickly, taking two steps at a time.

  At that moment, Kenley finally saw the person approaching them—leading four rangers clad in green cloaks, the man himself stood out: golden hair flowed smoothly and naturally, and though he was in his middle years, he still looked impossibly handsome. His deep blue eyes held a sharpness, a look that only seasoned warriors had, forged through years of battle.

  He wore shiny silver armor, but as he moved, there was a faint green wind around him—the effect of magical armor, adding an aura of mystique. On his back was a longbow wrapped in green ivy, and Kenley recognized it immediately: it was the legendary bow Forest Starry River– Light Feather (a red-quality item, even higher than legacy quality). A short sword was sheathed at his waist.

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  "Sylph, stop this nonsense and come back with your uncle," Brook said, noticing a undead blocking Sylph's way. His expression tightened immediately. He called out in a loud voice:"Undead?"

  This is the Bright Cathedral in the Marlen Imperial City, not a vampire's domain. How could there be such a filthy, evil creature as a vampire here? Doesn't Bishop Michael fear defiling this sacred place? Brook simply couldn't understand.

  "Uncle! Please don't misunderstand! She's Tia!" Sylph hurriedly stepped in front of Tia, hoping to avoid any misunderstandings, and quickly explained.

  "Tia?"

  "Uncle, don't you remember? From the Gafey Kingdom, our Elderwood Forest's eternal ally—the kingdom's princess: Tia!" Sylph was becoming desperate.

  "She's Princess Tia?" Now it was Brook's turn to be caught off guard. He never expected that, despite the kingdom's fall, he would encounter the descendants of a once-great kingdom, only to see that they had tragically been transformed into evil undead.

  Tears welled up in Sylph's eyes as she slowly began to explain how they had met, until Brook finally understood.

  After hearing Tia's story, Brook felt an immense sense of sorrow. He closed his eyes to absorb the sudden surge of information, then let out a long breath.

  When he opened his eyes again, the previous look of disdain he had toward Tia had disappeared. Just like the bishop, his gaze softened considerably.

  "Princess Tia, the friendly pact we had in the past still holds, even after the fall of your kingdom. Though you have unfortunately been tainted by darkness, the Elven people will always remember the blood your parents shed while fighting the Dark Lord on the Eastern Coast—defending light, justice, and glory." As he spoke, Brook performed the highest elven salute to Tia.

  Tia was deeply moved, and she also bowed to Brook."Thank you for your understanding, Uncle Brook. Please convey my greetings to the Elven King and Queen."

  "I will relay your greetings to my King," Brook said before standing up.

  He then turned his gaze back to Sylph."Sylph, this time you can't run off like that again. Do you know how heartbroken the Elven King was when you ran away? He nearly overturned the entire Elderwood Forest looking for you..."

  Sylph's expression darkened as she realized how much harm her reckless actions had caused. She lowered her head and said,"I'm sorry, Uncle. It was my fault."

  "I'm just glad you're okay. If it weren't for the Judgment Light of the Bright Cathedral, I wouldn't have come here. But what exactly happened? Why did such a divine miracle occur in the Bright Cathedral? Could it have something to do with you, Sylph?" Brook stared at her closely, his eyes full of suspicion.

  Sylph avoided his gaze, feeling a little guilty."Well... it's partly because of me…"

  "What? The Judgment Light has something to do with you? Did you anger Bishop Michael? Or maybe Chief Judge Terence? Come with me and apologize!" Brook's voice became urgent. The Judgment Light was no small matter.

  "It's not what you think, Uncle. It's because…"

  Tia, seeing the situation, quickly stepped in to explain."Uncle Brook, it's actually like this…" She glanced at Kenley, and seeing he didn't object, she began to explain the situation to him.

  ...

  "Another child with heroic bloodlines?" Brook shot a surprised glance at Kenley. He never imagined that a Judgment Light would bring three children with golden bloodlines together. What does this mean? Is this the Mother Goddess's will, or just a coincidence? I must report this to the King immediately—this is far too important.

  To Brook, if Kenley were just an ordinary person, then the meeting between Tia and Sylph would have been a mere coincidence. But Kenley, with his golden bloodline, made things more complicated. Having dealt with prophecies and omens for years, even a ranger like Brook had an extraordinary intuition.