18. Primordial Flame

The White Knight did not comment much on Theo's opinion and continued to ask his third apprentice, Paul:

"What do you have to say?"

Paul, a determined-looking young man, expressed his concern:

"I don't have any opinion on the matter of the deputy leader. In my opinion, it's just a minor internal issue that can be easily resolved, and there's no need to devote much attention to it."

George asked with a smile:

"Oh? In your eyes, what is the bigger issue then?"

Paul replied:

"In my opinion, the Primordial Flame is our enemy. They have great power and a living saint in the world. If they infiltrate our kingdom, they will surely influence the people's thoughts, poison them with their doctrines, gradually loathe all non-human races, and shake the foundation of the kingdom."

Indeed, George had to admit that the doctrines of the Primordial Flame had a dramatic conflict with the power on which Ingris depended for survival. After all, in legend, the twenty-four knights created by the king had all received the blessings of non-human powers. Meanwhile, the Primordial Flame regarded all races except humans as heretical.

In the legend, the White Knight George was once kissed on the forehead by a noble white dragon horse.

Two thousand years ago, the Ingris Knight Order would have been called a fallen evil demon by the Primordial Flame.

Not until King Arthur killed their living saint of that generation with a single sword did the Primordial Flame acknowledge the Ingris Knight Order as a righteous force blessed by the Divine Beast Species.

Paul continued to say:

"I suggest launching a surprise attack on their church before the Primordial Flame can react, driving them all out of Furse City."

George nearly spewed out his tea, barely managing to keep his composure.

The other three apprentices also silently twitched their mouths, thinking how naïve this guy was. Was it so easy to offend a church that was spread across the continent?

Except for his insufficient talent, Paul was excellent in other aspects: firm in will, deep in thought, and decisive.

"Alright, that's it for today. Everyone can leave except Inez."

The other three did not show any surprise or jealousy as the fourth apprentice stayed alone, knowing Inez was the most talented among the four.

More importantly, she was George's niece.

When the others left the room, the spirited white-haired maid stood up and smiled:

"Uncle George. Are you satisfied with their opinions?"

George's attitude toward his cheap niece was much warmer than that of the other three.

He executed an enhanced version of the appeasement plan for her.

After all, her mother was quite annoying, and if she wasn't appeased, the one who would be troubled was him.

"Not bad, what about you?"

Inez lifted her beautiful nose confidently and judged:

"Abel and Theo's views clash, each with their advantages and disadvantages. Abel's perspective is too narrow and affected by his own desires, so he can't see the truth.

"His opposition to the deputy leader is not because the deputy leader holds too much power but because power is not shared with him. However, Theo's view is somewhat extreme, and Adams needs to be reminded of his position."

George smiled with satisfaction, thinking, 'Remind Adams of his place? These children today are a little too arrogant.'

The white-haired maid continued:

"As for the proposal on the Primordial Flame Church, I have to say that Paul is still too naïve. Their living saint of this generation has once created the record of a single-handed battle against eight Knight Leaders and severely wounded one. Not to mention the assistance of the Pope and a continuous supply of believers, we do not have the ability to wage a war with the church before the King wakes up."

George silently muttered in his heart:

'That's because I wasn't there last time, so the saint of the Primordial Flame barely had the upper hand.'

Inez's mother was the one who wielded the kingdom's power, but she calmly spoke of the Knight Order's disgraceful record, and she had more to say:

"Not to mention, the doctrines of the Church of the Primordial Flame have been amended and reinterpreted many times in recent years, and they have become much milder. They no longer capture elves and dwarves to burn them alive, and the bishop of Furse has made many concessions to adapt to our kingdom's situation, so it's not wise to turn against them now."

Although George didn't listen very carefully, he still nodded in agreement.

"Of course, the way the church is handled actually depends on the future interests of the kingdom. As a common woman who knows nothing about the inside story, I dare not make hasty conclusions."

After saying this, the young girl looked expectantly at her teacher.

At this point, George usually just nodded and responded with a "Hmm".

But for some reason, whether moved or simply unable to bear it any longer, he unexpectedly said two words:

"All wrong."

The girl's smile froze.

The Pure White Knight stood up and, with his apprentice, walked into his room.

"As for Adams's part, it is completely wrong. You all secretly believe that I was pushed out of Worton and came to this place because of my special status and lack of interest in power."

George smiled indifferently:

"Adams is a smart man. He first used small actions to test my thoughts, and then, after getting my approval, he began to take control of the entire Knight Order in Furse. What he wants is also very simple: a cohesive army that can respond to a possible war at any time."

Inez opened her mouth:

"But there hasn't been a war for a long time."

George laughed:

"Precisely because it has been too long, so long that few people remember the king's heroic appearance, they will have thoughts of war."

Inez asked again:

"If you didn't come here uninterested in power, then why did you come?"

"For the Primordial Flame." George shook his head. "The living saint of the Primordial Flame? He is nothing more than a young man with a lot of power. What we really need to be wary of is the current pope. He is our true enemy.

"He hides his intelligence and ambition extremely well, making everyone focus on that saint. Yet he has quietly done many things in the dark that can truly change the world's pattern, almost imperceptibly clever."

"The living saint is nothing more than a sharp sword in his hand. If he doesn't wield it well, changing it won't affect his performance."

Inez was astonished:

"How is it possible? How can great achievements be accomplished with just conspiracy?"

"Is it great enough to let several kingdoms change their masters?" George asked.

"What?"

"Someone once used purely cunning and lies, along with some insignificant magic compared to their achievements, to change the rulers of several kingdoms."

George looked at a huge mural hanging in the room.

In the painting, two distinctly different groups of people looked at each other, and in the center, there were two stunningly beautiful figures. The man on the left wore a silver-white armor, his expression determined and proud. The man on the right wore a black coat, revealing his muscular abdomen and adorned with many gold ornaments, making him look unusually charming.

The king on the left and the evildoer on the right were shaking hands. Behind the king were twenty-one knights with different expressions, while only two people followed the evildoer: a gloomy man whose face was hidden in a hood, and a heroic woman who worshiped the evildoer.

In the high skies on both sides, there seemed to be huge shadows emerging: the majestic Red Dragon, covering half the sky, and an almost invisible gigantic spider.