At this moment, Alfreid was already drenched in sweat, but he knew that he couldn't show any signs of hesitation or contemplation, or else he would leave a bad impression on Archbishop Vikma.
This was not the Kingdom of Brittania, but the Freya Ancient Church of the Muxillon Duchy. This was the Cathedral of Justice!
For Wickmar, taking care of Alfreid was as easy as killing a chicken!
Fortunately, the first question was not difficult to answer. Alfreid pretended to think for two seconds and immediately answered, "From what I know, Ryan has never planned to support anyone. From the beginning to the end, he has never supported anyone."
"Really?" Wickmar clenched his scepter and asked casually, "Don't be perfunctory! My Lord will distinguish between the truth and the lies. You have been in the Church for more than twenty years. You should know what to do, right? "
"It's true." Alfred Frey nodded. The blonde Paladin Captain said seriously, "Laing is actually not very familiar with the three candidates. The one he is most familiar with is the great alchemist Galt, but he has only met him a few times. The last time he came to Brunswick, he met the Dean of the Academy of Light, Otto, but they only met once. As for Gehrman, he has not even met him. He came to Brunswick this time because of the Emperor's invitation."
"So, he is familiar with Galt. Then why would he not support Galt?" Hans Reitdorf, the Grand Tutor of the Paladins, asked.
"He and Galt are only acquaintances because of the Emperor's decree." Alfred Frey explained, "Laing is very busy. He has been preparing to reclaim Muxilon since two years ago. Last February, he attacked the Steeple Palace and spent more than half a year to completely reclaim Muxilon. After that, he was busy with the reforms and the birth of his eldest son. After that, he was busy with negotiations to reclaim Muxilon's territory in the south of Lyonasser. He did not have the energy to contact Galt. This time, he came to enjoy the Winter Veil Festival as a spectator. He has a good personal relationship with Emperor Karl-franz."
Hearing this, Wickmar and Leitendorf couldn't help but nod. Indeed, Leon was very busy, and they knew that. Alfred's words were reasonable and convincing.
Although the Church of Justice had a stance on the position of the Royal Chief Wizard, they wanted to see Laing and Karl-franz have a good personal relationship. This was because Wickmar did not want the two human countries to go to war. Therefore, on this issue, they supported Laing and Karl-franz becoming friends.
"We understand." Wickmar nodded, "Since he does not want to participate in this matter, that is also a good thing."
Alfred Frey let out a sigh of relief. He knew that he had passed this hurdle.
Thinking of this, Alfred Frey could not help but sigh in the depths of his heart. Laing was really an incredible person. Because of the second question, Laing had used it to "rehearse" the whole time when he went to the hot spring with him. Now that he was talking to the Archbishop, the Paladin Captain already had a draft in his heart.
At the same time, Alfred Frey gradually had a new understanding.
"I think that many of Luthhus' views and opinions are not wrong!" The Paladin Captain's expression was firm as he said something shocking, "From a certain point of view, I think the same as him!"
Great Teacher Reitdorf opened his mouth wide. This kid! Does he want to die?!
Luthhus was almost expelled from the Church of Justice because of his words at the Council of Justice. It was Archbishop Wickmar who saved his life! Do you think the Archbishop will save you again?
"Oh?" Archbishop Wickmar's tone became strange. He stretched out his hand and grasped the scepter of command, "From a certain point of view? Then from a certain point of view, your views are different from his? "
"Yes, I think that he is too anxious. His idea is to get things done in one step. I think that the Church does have some problems that we need to solve, but we can't do what he suggested. If we follow Luthhus' theory, we will expel thousands of clergymen in one go and implicate tens of thousands of church members. The impact will be so great that it will affect the four free cities and ten provinces of the Empire. This is simply ridiculous …" Alfred slowly explained the point of view that Laing had told him before, "So I think that Luthhus' suggestion is good, but we can't do what he said!"
Hearing Alfred Frey's impassioned speech, both Wickmar and Reitdorf's expressions changed.
The Archbishop nodded slowly. He had already asked many people about this in private.
Some kept kowtowing and begging for mercy without saying a word.
Some desperately cursed Luthhus and slandered him as a traitor, believing that he had fallen into chaos.
There were also those who supported Luthhus and blamed the Council of the Holy See headed by Archbishop Wickmar, believing that they were the embodiment of justice.
"So, you think that the Church has always had problems?" Wickmar added.
The atmosphere in the Sacred Bone Hall suddenly became serious again. Two pairs of eyes stared at Alfred Frey.
The atmosphere was very quiet.
"There is no method that can be sustained and operate effectively forever." Alfred Frey said seriously, "We have to face the problem, but we can't overstate it. Luthhus' idea is indeed radical, but we can't think that there is no problem in the Church!"
"Very good." Archbishop Vicma finally nodded. The green jewellery on his chest flashed with the Divine Power of the God of Justice. He only said one word and then went silent.
Alfred Frey gritted his teeth. He was almost directly using his body to resist Wickmar's power.
He had to say this.
He was no longer an ordinary paladin. He was now a Templar Knight Captain. Just as Ingrid said, Alfred Frey was now somewhat famous. In layman's terms, he already had the right to discuss matters.
At this time, if he continued to be passive and hesitant, not only would it not do him any good in the future, but it would also greatly affect the evaluation of the entire Old World of him!
As a Templar Knight Captain, he had to have his own point of view. Otherwise, he would have agreed when Archbishop Wickmar proposed to send more people.
Since he did not agree, then he had to have some "solid" evidence. Otherwise, if he did not want to be a boss and did not take out something solid, then his actions would be very suspicious!
The Church would not be at ease to hand over the entire parish to such a person.
After a moment of silence, the empty Sacred Bone Hall was somewhat depressing.
Since the establishment of the Empire, the remains of countless heroes and martyrs quietly surrounded the people sitting here.
"Alfred Frey Damian Wayne?" Archbishop Wickmar asked.
"Yes!" Alfred Frey replied in a low voice.
"Tell me, what is the core doctrine of the Church of Justice?" the Archbishop continued to ask.
"Justice does not distinguish between nobility and lowly. Justice requires a price." Alfred Frey was not sure what the Archbishop was thinking. He could only repeat the core doctrine that had been engraved in his soul.
"But different people and different situations have different standards of justice. Some people's justice is not justice in the eyes of others. But we know that the masses are always ignorant and follow the crowd. The truth is always in the hands of the minority. When faced with a dilemma, if you are the Patriarch, how would you deal with it?" Wickmar said word by word.
Alfred Frey was really troubled. This was a very difficult question to answer. This question was not only for Alfred Frey, but also for the entire Church, and even many nobles and bureaucrats. It was difficult to come up with a perfect solution.
The Paladin Captain opened his mouth. He felt a little bitter and did not know how to answer.
"Don't be in a hurry to answer. Just treat it as my test for you," Wickmar signaled to Alfred Frey not to be in a hurry, "Think about it carefully and answer when you are ready."
Alfred Frey could not help but think of the time when he was a little paladin in Nord. Because he was not the eldest son, he was sent to the Church to prevent a fight for the inheritance. At that time, the Archbishop of Nord, Innocent, recognized him and personally baptized him. He had once regarded Innocent as a father figure.
But in the end, when he learned that Laing was going to Marlin Castle, he made up his mind to follow Laing. There were many things that happened during this time, and it was not something that could be explained in a few words.
"The Patriarch is the role model of the entire parish, and also the person in charge of the entire parish. His existence is to make the parish perform its duties. I am only a Templar Knight Captain, and have no right to be the Patriarch, nor do I dare to have such thoughts …" Alfred thought about it seriously, and then answered conservatively.
"Hmph! Don't use the words of the Church to brush me off! "Archbishop Wickmar waved his hand coldly," This is the Holy Bone Hall! Don't worry, speak your mind! "
Alfred Frey's face turned red. He lowered his head and thought for a while, then said tentatively, "Am I too young? I am only 34 years old this year. Is it really disappointing for me to be the Patriarch of the parish? People worship me as an idol and a hero, but I can't always rely on my personal prestige to deal with problems. "
"It's rare to become a patriarch in their thirties, but it's not like there aren't any. You already have enough qualifications, and that piece of land has already been conferred to you. No, think again, you've let down everyone's expectations. Whose expectations have you let down?" Vickmar shook his head lightly.
Who am I disappointing? Alfred Frey wiped his forehead. It was full of sweat. He put Archbishop Wickmar's words in his heart and carefully pondered over them.
Yes! That's right!
The conflict between the Emperor and the Church over the issue of the Royal Family's Chief Wizard, the arrival of Laing, his report here, why did he ask him the first two questions, and the doubts about the position of the Patriarch. All of these were related to the core of this problem.
Who are you disappointing? If you are the Patriarch of the parish, whose expectations should you be shouldering?
"Your Majesty Wickmar, who am I disappointing? Are you referring to the expectations of all the people in the Ancient Church District and the expectations of the Church? When these two expectations are combined, is that what the Patriarch should be shouldering?" Alfred Frey raised his head.
"Haha, very good." Archbishop Wickmar finally nodded with approval, "Now I understand why you can find a place for yourself in the kingdom of the Lady of the Lake on the other side of the mountain."
"Please enlighten me, Your Majesty Archbishop." Alfred Frey knew that Wickmar had something to say, so he quickly said.
"Yes." Wickmar nodded, "As the Patriarch of the parish and also the vassal of the entire Ancient Church District, you must protect and protect your people. You must be fair, just, and open. You must make everyone believe and respect you. Only then can your rule continue. Otherwise, you will be letting down the expectations of the people."
"But at the same time, you must remember where your position as the Patriarch, including your position as the Head of the Holy Knights, came from. Who gave you the power to rule this land? It was the Church, it was us, it was me, and it was also your childhood friend Laing! Why would a disobedient Patriarch and vassal be needed? "
"Therefore, you must find your own role. What you can do, and what you can't do. You must know what you should do, and what you shouldn't do. You must have a scale in your heart." Wickmar continued, "You stand on the expectations of the people too much, just like Luthhus. He completely abandoned his own position. He thought that he was a great reformer, and that everything he did was for the good of the Church. But he didn't know that he was trying to destroy everything he cherished. If I really did what he said, I would have been expelled from this cathedral long ago!"
"He only raised a problem. Just like you said, he didn't even think about how to solve the problem or how to deal with this series of problems. He only wanted to solve it in one step, which is impossible! Therefore, he has the expectations of the people, but he has completely broken away from the control of the Church. This kind of person can't be the Patriarch. "
"On the contrary, blindly cultivating behind closed doors and not knowing anything about the outside world, being a puppet is also not good." Wickmar nodded and said, "You think I don't know some of the internal discussions of the Church? Everything is under the banner of the Lord, everything is said to be the will of the Lord. If there is an oracle, he doesn't consider the specific situation and forcefully leaves the believers to carry it out. If there is no oracle, he is busy cultivating, confessing and praying all day long? Is this kind of trash worthy to be the Patriarch of a parish?! They are destroying the reputation and prestige of the Church of Justice! "
"I have already dismissed more than eighty clergymen because of this. They are only suitable for the battlefield, not for patriarchs. The Church does not need these idiots. They should be the ones who are more useful and more suitable to display their value!"
Al Frey's sweat flowed down from his cheeks. The Head of the Holy Knights' meticulously groomed hair was completely soaked in sweat, sticking to his face and neck. It was extremely uncomfortable.
"These are the words of the Archbishop himself. Al Frey, you have to remember." The Grand Tutor of the Holy Knights, Hans Reitdorff, gently said to his subordinate, "You have to find your own way to deal with the problem and balance between the two. This is something that Brittany's situation is special, so we can't teach you. You have to find it yourself."
"Yes!" Al Frey carefully lowered his head and answered.
"As for the matter of Luther Huss, you must remember not to speak out, and also not to express any opinions." The Archbishop nodded calmly. His bald head reflected the light of the candles in the Sacred Bone Hall, and his two locks of comet-shaped beard swayed slightly. "Remember, I have many uses for Luther Huss. This mad dog can be used well, and he can be a powerful blow to those who do nothing. He will open up a lot of gaps, and when the time comes, we only need to respond to the calls and take advantage of the situation to reshuffle the internal affairs. You only need to manage your parish and fief well. If anyone asks you, just say that you don't know about the situation on the other side of the mountain, and that I don't have the time to know."
Alfreid came to a sudden realization. No wonder Archbishop Vicmar had protected Luther Huss and refused to expel him from the Church. It turned out that he had such thoughts!
This old fox was truly too cunning!
The Head of the Holy Knights did not say anything else. He only answered, "Yes."
"Very good. Then the position of Patriarch of the Ancient Freya Church District is entrusted to you. Al Frey, I hope that under the guidance of my Lord, you will faithfully fulfill your duties!" Archbishop Vicmar clapped his hands, and the Grand Tutor of the Holy Knights carried a large plate, indicating for Al Frey to come forward.
It was a set of purple-red patriarch's robes, including a ceremonial cloak, a belt, a silk robe, a necktie, a short white shirt, a four-cornered hat, and a two-tailed comet-shaped scepter, etc.
"Yes!" The Head of the Holy Knights only felt that his heart was deeply pierced by this set of robes. He could not suppress the excitement in his heart, and his eyes were a little dazed. He quickly swallowed a mouthful of saliva, stepped forward, and received the large metal plate.
He was about to open his mouth to express his gratitude when Archbishop Vicmar grabbed his arm. "Before that, I have something to say."
"Please tell me, Archbishop." Al Frey's heart skipped a beat. He knew that Vicmar had seen his dazed state, so he could only lower his head and obey.
"In the future, don't carry a torch to set off explosives alone." The Archbishop, who had always been serious, suddenly smiled. "You can do your best in other things. Even if you are seriously injured or even disabled, we can let the Church of Life cast a spell to regenerate your limbs. But if you die, where can we find another childhood friend of Laing to be the patriarch of the Lady of the Lake?"
"Understood!" Al Frey took a deep breath and answered loudly. Then, he knelt down and accepted the title.
From today onwards, he was appointed by the Church of Justice as the patriarch of the Ancient Freya Church District, and even the entire western part of Brittany!
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