"Craig, stay here with the ladies, will you? I'm going into the Church," Lawrence mumbled and Craig looked as if Lawrence has just slapped him across the face. Craig shook his head, "I'm coming with you,"

"Well, the two of you have a death wish? All of you adventurers are like that... What people tell you not to do, you must try," Tiefna said and Laura hid herself behind her mother, shaking.

"The bad men... They will come here after..." Laura whispered and Tiefna sighed.

"Why don't the two of you try to run now? Isn't everything unguarded?" Lawrence asked and Tiefna looked at him as if Lawrence had fallen on his head.

"My father opened this frontier town, he wanted people to go forth an explore. He wanted the inns and taverns to be full of merrymaking. He may have been hung as a heretic by the good men and women here, but mark my words. I'm not leaving them to do whatever they want... uh..." Tiefna paused, realizing that she had never asked for their names.

"My name is Lawrence Carstein and my good friend here is Craig Tumbleton," Lawrence replied, checking all his gear again. Lawrence had no idea how strong was this Venti Laughlin, or whether Father Laughlin was the same person at all as the Butcher.

"Craig, if you see your nephew and niece in the church, I don't want you to start pulling your bow and shooting people. We'll do it if we have to but..." Lawrence looked at Craig who nodded. As the two left the inn, the place was eerily silent, except for singing. A massive choir it seemed, inside the church was the source.

As Lawrence and Craig approached the large church, Lawrence could see that the original symbol of a cross on the large wooden doors have been scratched out, replaced with a crudely drawn eye. Pushing the door open, the singing seemed to be magnified. As the followers sang their praises to the Order of Joy, at the very front, at the podium was a man. The man had a scar above his eyebrow, dark red hair and a charming smile that accentuated his sharp jawlines.

He had his hands held up high, his eyes closed, as if he was taking in all that prayer while basking in the moonlight that shone from the windows of the church.

Lawrence inhaled deeply, before taking a single step forward into the church.

As he did that, the singing stopped.

"Now, children, what are the three rules of the Order of Joy!?" the man who was undoubtedly the Father shouted, his voice echoing in the church.

"No otherworldy possessions!" the crowd shouted back and nodding, the Father shouted, "Number two!?"

"In the God's Advocate we trust!"

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Number three!?"

"Be ready to resist, at any time!"

At this point, everyone raised a dagger or short sword in the air as the Father closed his eyes, before opening them again. This time, looking at Lawrence and Craig kindly.

"My children, we have new unguided sheep in our midst! Let us welcome them!" the Father shouted and all the members, almost as if on cue, put on a smile, saying cheerfully, "Welcome to the Order of Joy!"

"Come, my children, I see that you are already embracing the third rule of this faith!" the Father said as he looked at the weapons and armour that Lawrence had equipped, along with Craig's bow. The church laughed readily, as if ready to entertain the Father's every will.

"I am Father Laughlin, the head of the church. Welcome, my child, to the beautiful frontier town of the Singing Gardens, where you can leave all of your old worries and troubles behind," Father Laughlin said.

Activating passive spell...

Crusader's Mantle... Detect Magic... Counterspell (Reaction)... Shield Mind (Mass)... Misty Step... Mass Fear (Bonus Action), Ready Item: Scroll of Divine Lightning

"Father Laughlin, I'm here looking for two people," Lawrence said loudly, after laying out his offensive and defensive plans in the user interface. Father Laughlin smiled, nodding understandingly.

"Everyone who enters the church as a lost lamb, will not be lost soon, after they meet the Advocate of the Church of Joy!" Father Laughlin shouted, raising his hand, prompting a cheer from the receptive crowd.

Charm Person resisted: Targets (Lawrence Carstein, Craig Tumbleton)

Father Laughlin smiled, gesturing, "Come, my children, step forward!"

"No, thank you, Father. I would love to see the adventurers, Kunivia and Kessler Tumbleton, actually," Lawrence said loudly, his voice now slightly raised, signalling his intention to Father Laughlin that he was not here to hold hands and sing Kumbaya.

Father Laughlin took a step back, almost as if surprised. Level 60 Undead Necromancer huh...

"Now this is interesting..." Father Laughlin rubbed his hands together, and flicking his fingers, the interior of the church, which has been clean, suddenly turned-

Many men, women and children were hanging from the ceiling, their eyes open in horror. The floor which was polished wood was now cracked and covered in blood. The crowd who had been busy worshipping Father Laughlin did not even seem to flinch. However, their gold coloured cloaks were now stained with blood.

Craig nocked an arrow but Lawrence raised his hand and Craig, slowly raised his bow, but did not loose the arrow.

"And the two of you are pretty good at this, I see..."

The Butcher masquerading as a priest smiled, stepping forward. With this, his entire group of charmed followers drew their weapons as well. It was no wonder Lawrence could not detect any magic. Charm a person long enough repeatedly and they will follow you to the end of the world.

"Well then, you want to know where those two are I see... They're being entertained by some of my followers downstairs in the basement... You'll join them soon enough..." Venti Laughlin clapped his hands and all of his brainwashed followers drew their weapons.

Triggered: Mass Fear

A wave of bloodlust shot out from where Lawrence stood as he glared at the fanatics. They shuddered where they stood and even the Father Laughlin took a few steps back.

"W-What are you!?" Venti Laughlin shouted, raising his hand and summoning a ball of necrotic energy.

"Someone who wants to go back to his village, you piece of shit!" Lawrence shouted, as his boots suddenly sprayed a jet of mist, propelling him forward. Craig charged behind Lawrence, firing an arrow at the Father.

They say it is a sin to spill blood in a Church, but Lawrence was sure that if the man had no blood to spill, it would be fine.