"How did you know?" Tia looked at Archbishop Michael in surprise, then turned her gaze to Kenley. She suddenly remembered that, in the beginning, Kenley had accidentally let slip that she was a princess. Back then, she thought Kenley had merely guessed based on her mannerisms.
But now, the Archbishop had directly referred to her identity as a princess in front of her. This made her reassess Kenley. The Archbishop must have inferred her royal background through the recent blessing, especially with the earlier question about the East Coast royals. It wasn't hard for him to deduce the truth. But Kenley? What was his reason? What secrets is my master hiding?
Just then, the door was pushed open, and the attention of everyone shifted as another paladin entered.
"Archbishop, it's almost time..." The paladin bowed slightly and then spoke.
The Archbishop nodded and waved at the paladins behind him. He first turned to Tyler and said,"The Church needs a new design. The Feast of Blessings is the day after tomorrow; I hope it can be completed in time."
After speaking, the paladin immediately pulled out a piece of paper from his waist and handed it to Tyler.
"Of course, it's my honor to serve the Church. May the Mother God's blessing be with you." Tyler immediately gave a devout salute and took the paper.
The Archbishop then turned his gaze back to Tia."Child, at the Lake of Dreams, the Mother God still loves you. If you are still trapped in the whirlpool of confusion, you may come to the Cathedral for answers, in my name."
Tia was immediately flattered. This was an invitation from the Archbishop himself! But she was now a servant, having severed her wings of freedom, and everything had to be approved by her master. So, she quickly turned her gaze to Kenley.
At that moment, Kenley...
System:"Hidden side mission unlocked:[Princess of a Fallen Kingdom]. Would you like to accept?"
Kenley was a bit dazed. He hadn't expected this hidden mission to come from Archbishop Michael of the Bright Church.
But he quickly regained his composure and accepted the mission.
"Archbishop, your charity from the Mother God is the fortune of all beings, including myself. If Tia needs anything or is lost, I will personally bring her to the Cathedral to seek guidance. May the Mother God's blessing be upon us," Kenley said, bowing. However, he did not perform the devout salutation but the standard church greeting.
In the Bright Church, there were strict rules for etiquette based on status. Kenley's current standing in the eyes of others was that of a humble peasant, a common follower under the Mother God's grace. The only form of etiquette he could perform was the church's greeting.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
The Archbishop nodded but did not continue the conversation. Before leaving, he gave Tia one last piece of advice."Child, the Mother God will never abandon the bloodline of any hero."
He also gave Kenley a meaningful look. After this, the Archbishop and the paladins boarded their carriage and disappeared down the street.
"Auber! Auber!" Just after the bishop and his group had left, Tyler, furious, stormed over to Auber, grabbing his ear and saying, "You little brat, didn't your parents teach you how to speak properly?"
Auber quickly begged for mercy, "Uncle Tyler, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Isn't that enough?"
"Go apologize to Her Highness the Princess! Do you know who you've offended? That's the Golden Child, the one with the blood of heroes! Aren't you afraid the spirits of heroes will come in your dreams tonight and make you drink your own blood!" Tyler scolded Auber, both frightening and berating him.
"I'm sorry, I'm blind and foolish! I spoke without thinking! I shouldn't have slandered you, I swear to the Mother Goddess! I'll never speak carelessly again!" Auber looked utterly ridiculous at this moment, like a clown. But Kenley could clearly sense that this guy wasn't really repenting. Just moments ago, Auber had shot Kenley a dark, resentful glance.
Kenley was sure of it—Auber probably still hadn't learned his lesson. But why did it feel like he was aiming his resentment at Kenley?
"Don't just stand there, get out!" Tyler gave Auber a kick in the rear, sending him flying out of the shop.
Kenley didn't dare to make a scene in front of Tyler, especially since Tyler had already kicked Auber out. He decided to deal with him later.
Kenley knew that the world of Ode was very real—both now and in the game. NPCs had not only a favorability system but also a hate system. He remembered that there had been a player who once angered a dragon knight with their words, and the AI dragon knight chased them all over the city. The player was too scared to log in for a month until the knight's anger subsided.
Auber's hate for him had definitely increased, and there was a good chance he would try to do something underhanded. Plus, Auber was a native aristocrat from the imperial capital. Though he was only the son of a baron, even a small baron couldn't be taken lightly in the royal city.
Well, whatever schemes Auber might have, Kenley would handle them when the time came.
However, even though Auber was kicked out of the shop, he secretly hid by the glass window outside, eavesdropping to see what this lowly commoner would do next.
Tyler turned around and chuckled, "Apologies for the scare, esteemed guests. Don't pay any attention to that little brat. He's the son of Baron Arifin, a notorious fool around here. He's not only temperamental, but also stubborn. He once designed a new set of armor for a blacksmith's shop, but the materials he chose caused the furnace to explode, making it impossible to do business. Smith was so angry, he cursed him for days."
Hearing Tyler talk about Auber's antics made Kenley care less about him. People like that were a dime a dozen in the royal capital, always dreaming of becoming famous overnight. After all, heroes were the most admired and sought-after figures in this world.
"Thank you, Mr. Tyler, for standing up for us. By the way, Mr. Tyler, would it be possible for us to have two sets of clothes made?" Kenley asked.
"Of course, no problem! Oh, and from now on, whenever you come to my shop, I'll give you a 30% discount! Whatever you order, it's the same discount for everyone!" Tyler said with a smile, possibly because he had seen the Faith Token on Tia or perhaps because of her status.
But Kenley knew that this discount was actually a result of his "talented negotiator" skill. The system had given him a 30% price reduction... Was this a coincidence, or was it destiny? Kenley couldn't quite say.
Kenley flipped through the clothing catalog, which was similar to the one in the game. The prices ranged around 1-2 gold coins, though there were more expensive items as well. Of course, Kenley wouldn't need those.