The Lich of Glory Knight Spirit: Moving towards Krimasha!
Chapter 161 - 41: Face to Face (4) (Second Update)

Chapter 161: Chapter 41: Face to Face (4) (Second Update)

In the early morning, when the first ray of sunlight shone upon Lion King City, Gray was already prepared to go negotiate with the Pope.

"Knock knock knock."

"Holy Knight! Gray! Are you there? I have something important to tell you!" Pas’s voice came from outside the door.

"Come in," Gray said softly.

Pas pushed open the door and immediately saw Vivian, barefoot and wearing a red dress, sitting on Gray’s bed, along with a lying Black Cat. Naturally, any ordinary person would selectively ignore the Black Cat and only notice Vivian. Pas did the same. Startled, he quickly closed the door again.

"Didn’t you say you had something important to tell me?" Gray asked.

*"Yes, but... is it convenient?"* Pas answered anxiously from outside.

"Why wouldn’t it be convenient?" Gray was perplexed.

With no other choice, Pas nervously opened the door again. He cautiously glanced at the barefoot Vivian sitting on Gray’s bed, then looked at Gray standing by the desk, heavily tapped on his chest armor, and said softly, *"I’ve discovered something I don’t know how to describe."*

"Something you don’t know how to describe?"

"Bring him in!" Pas turned around and gestured.

Soon, Morca was dragged in by two soldiers.

"Hey, Holy Knight! Oh, you’ve changed your armor?"

"Is it you, author?"

"Yes, it’s me. Great, you still remember me!"

"What’s going on?" Gray asked Pas.

After a brief hesitation, Pas pulled out a book titled "Lich Knight" and handed it to Gray. *"We found this; he wrote it. Moreover, the Pope has already taken notice. He was taken by the Pope for questioning last night. The Pope and bishops seem to suspect that you are a... lich."*

Gray’s body slightly quivered, but that was all. He reached out and rapidly flipped through the book.

Vivian and Black Cat were stunned beside him.

"My God! The book is actually published! And at a time like this!" Black Cat screamed.

Gray swiftly flipped through the pages.

As long as liches wish, they can read many times faster than humans.

Morca carefully stretched his neck and said, *"This book... you asked me to write it. You won’t deny that, will you?"*

"No, I won’t deny it," Gray snapped the book shut with a "plop," and said softly, "Is this your new book, author? It’s excellent. Better than ’Knight’s Guide to Development.’ I really like it."

Vivian and Black Cat’s jaws almost dropped.

"Really?" Morca was still a bit skeptical.

Pas was already dumbfounded: *"No, Gray, are you joking? Because of this book, the Church suspects you’re a lich! Aren’t you going to deal with this slanderous guy?"*

"He’s not slandering; he just wrote a captivating novel," Gray replied.

"Yes, yes, I just wrote a novel," Morca broke free from the two soldiers holding him and wiped off his sweat.

"Let him go." Then Gray turned to Morca and said, "Author, I apologize for their rudeness. I’m truly sorry. Could you give me this novel?"

*"Just let him go like that?"* Pas couldn’t believe his ears.

"Of course! It’d be my honor!" Morca said respectfully, "However, if the Holy Knight is willing to pay a bit, that’d be even better."

Gray fumbled around, pulled out a gold coin, and handed it over, "Is this enough?"

"More than enough! Thank you! Thank you!" Morca immediately accepted it with both hands, "Thank you, Holy Knight! You are indeed a great reader! Let me tell you, even if you really are a lich, I would still support you! Because the Church supports piracy, they’re all scum! All scum!"

Morca left. Pas also walked away helplessly.

Only Gray, Vivian, and Black Cat remained in the room once more.

"You are crazy! Letting the Church know you’re a lich at a time like this?" Black Cat shrieked.

*"If they truly expose your identity, then... then Heaven will also crusade against you!"* Vivian was equally frantic.

"No worries, no worries... we still have the power of the Demon Lord! Even if Heaven crusades against us, it’s fine!"

"Stop being naive! Gray will lose his identity as a Holy Knight! Then the Demon Lord will have no reason to support him anymore! We will be chased to the world’s end by a mob of angels!"

"Ah—! I think we should hang that author and beat him until everyone thinks he’s lying!"

"I also think that’s the right thing to do, but... but you let him go!"

Black Cat and Vivian were nearly losing their minds, while Gray just stood quietly, looking down at the novel.

Gradually, Catherine emerged, standing beside Gray and asked softly, "What do you plan to do next?"

"The Church only suspects. This is just a novel; they have no evidence."

*"Do you really think it will be that simple? What if they insist on you removing your mask?"*

Gray lifted his head, looking at Catherine, still calm.

*"I know you have the power to refuse any request. But... but the Pope is different from anyone else. Anyone else seeing this book is fine, but not the Pope. Because he can verify the truth with the Holy Spirit."*

"Will the Holy Spirit tell him my true identity?"

*"The Holy Spirit won’t. But..." Catherine paused before continuing, "But, the Holy Spirit also won’t help you hide. When the Pope fails to get a definite answer from the Holy Spirit, if you were the Pope, what would you think?"*

Catherine, Vivian, and Black Cat all looked at Gray helplessly.

Gray stood quietly, looking down at the book in his hands.

...

*"We should immediately disclose his identity! Immediately! No one will accept a lich becoming a Holy Knight! No, to be accurate, no one will ever accept a lich, let alone him becoming a Holy Knight! Our crisis will be immediately resolved! There’s no need to negotiate with him!"* a cardinal said.

"Is it really that simple?" another cardinal asked, *"How can we prove he is a lich? With the power he wields now, does he need to prove he’s not a lich to us? He not only has the power to defeat four Holy Knights, but he also has the ability to mobilize the armies of four countries. Without solid evidence, no one will stand by us!"*

*"My concern is, even if we disclose his identity, no one will believe us. The Holy Spirit didn’t definitively tell us he is or isn’t a lich, right?"*

"So what should we do? Tolerate? Pretend we don’t know anything?"

The cardinals erupted in arguments. Meanwhile, the Pope sat quietly beside them, eyes closed.

...

The wind gently blew, and the Silver Moon flag fluttered at the Lion King Palace.

From afar, the eight-pointed star flag representing the Pope also fluttered above Pearce Cathedral.

Just a few kilometers apart, gazing at each other from afar. Yet, who knows how long it will take to traverse this distance?

It was certain, however, that the lich would keep walking until he reached his destination. If possible, he hoped to travel this path without any deceit, without wearing the mask. Even if it was necessary.

...

"Let’s go, to meet the Pope." Gray looked up and said softly, "If this is destiny, then let’s prepare to face it."

...

The Silver Moon Knight Order had gathered outside Lion King Palace.

"Do you need me to accompany you?" Shelley asked.

Gray stroked Shelley’s face and said softly, "No, I’ll be back soon. No one can defeat your Holy Knight. Not even the Pope."

"Okay." Shelley gently kissed Gray’s mask.

Pas watched from a distance, helplessly sighing.

Mounted on his horse, Gray headed toward Pearce Cathedral.

Everyone who passed him, every resident or soldier would stop, take off their hat to salute him, and smile.

Gray tirelessly nodded to everyone, responding to every kindness.

This was just part of the long journey. No matter how long this road was, he ultimately would walk its entirety. Because this path was filled with faith, joy, and good-hearted, righteous people. Despite many flaws, just as this world accepted our imperfections, we should accept the world’s imperfections.

Black Cat hid inside the armor, overwhelmed with frustration. Catherine vanished from sight, drifting around, expressionless.

Vivian, also hidden, suddenly said, "Gray, I suddenly want to know what you looked like when you were alive."

"Me, when I was alive?"

"I mean, the owner of this body when he was still alive."

"I don’t know either."

*"His smile must’ve been beautiful,"* Vivian said softly.

"Maybe."

If Gray could smile, he would prefer to face everyone with a smile. However, he couldn’t, the Holy Knight couldn’t reveal his face.

This was a small joke fate played on him and a small joke played on everyone in this world.

...

The arguments inside Pearce Cathedral continued.

*"We should calm down! We need to calm down! We’ve never encountered this before, neither in the Church’s history. We must respond calmly. Maybe a lich becoming a Holy Knight isn’t such a bad thing, after all... the Holy Spirit didn’t oppose it, right?"*

"The Holy Spirit never said a lich should become a Holy Knight, didn’t tell us he is a lich, nor did it explain why a lich should be a Holy Knight! Moreover, he isn’t merely a Holy Knight now; he’s trying to seize ecclesiastical power! Should human ecclesiastical power be in the hands of a lich?"

*"The Holy Spirit didn’t oppose our measures based on the suspicion he’s a lich, did it?"*

...

Finally, Gray walked the long road, lifting his gaze to the magnificent Pearce Cathedral. He also noticed the high-hanging eight-pointed star flag representing the Pope.

He dismounted, under the reverent gaze of the clergy, step by step ascending the stairs, entering Pearce Cathedral.