"The vast majority of people in Tiefeng County regard you as one of mine. Regardless of whether this is the case or not, am I right?"

"So your behavior not only represents you, but also represents my attitude. Can you understand it?"

"We have just gone through a very difficult battle. The last thing Tiefeng County needs now is internal strife. I can't have a head-on relationship with the Catholic Church, and you should also know that."

Apart from taking the lead when entering, Winters never behaved in any extreme manner.

He calmly laid out the facts and reasoned with Kaman, even with no blame in his tone.

"Father Edmond just gave me an ultimatum." Winters sighed heavily: "You should come and discuss things like this with me first. Otherwise, it will end up like this and put me in a very passive position.

situation."

Kaman's cheeks were so red that they turned purple. He stood up stiffly, bent down reluctantly, and said in a voice as low as a butterfly flapping its wings: "I'm sorry."

Winters actually had some intention of teasing Kaman, after all, Kaman usually ignored him.

But seeing Kaman bow and apologize out of guilt, Winters didn't feel any pride, but felt very uncomfortable.

"Huh, I'm really not used to such a good attitude!" Winters quickly pushed Carman back into his seat and joked: "You really didn't cause any big trouble, did you?"

When Kaman heard this, he stood up again.

Winters smelled a hint of danger.

"Mr. Carman." Winters held Carman's shoulders and asked, "Are we friends?"

Kaman was startled for a moment, then glared at Winters angrily.

"We have experienced so many things together. Even if we are not friends, we are still very close. I will never betray you, and I believe you will not betray me." Winters said seriously: "But I don't know yet that I am involved.

What's going on, I think you should give me some explanation."

Kaman hesitated to speak. He struggled for a long time and finally gave up: "I once swore an oath to keep secrets in front of the true Holy Emblem..."

Fortunately, Kaman didn't mention it. When he mentioned the "Oath of Secrecy," Winters' interest was piqued because the last time Kaman mentioned the Oath of Secrecy, it was when he was talking about divine magic.

Winters immediately walked out of the room and ordered Charles to guard the door and not allow anyone to approach.

After closing the door, Winters poured a glass of water for Carman: "Oath of secrecy? Can you tell me the oath? Is it rigorous? I can find loopholes."

Kaman sneered disdainfully and did not answer.

"How about this? I'll ask the question, and you just answer 'yes' and 'no'."

Kaman shook his head: "No."

Winters proposed several more methods, all of which were rejected by Kaman.

"Well, I understand. As long as you give any response, you will violate your oath." Winters became more and more interested: "It's quite rigorous."

"This matter won't involve you for too long." Kaman said with difficulty: "I just need to buy some time."

"Suppose there is another country in the East, and suppose there is another Pagan Church in that country, and suppose that Pagan Church in that country also has another oath of secrecy..." Winters interrupted Carman, who was pacing the room.

: "We are discussing fictitious things, can we bypass the oath?"

"You can fool other people, but you can't fool yourself." Kaman shook his head: "Even if you can fool yourself, you can't fool the Lord."

Winters didn't seem to hear Kaman's words. He stopped and came up with the final plan: "There is no other way. Let me explain it like this. You don't need to answer or express your position. You just listen to what I say."

good."

Kaman was a little annoyed: "Why don't you understand? Just because I tolerate you talking about this topic, I may have violated my oath."

"Maybe?" Winters caught the loophole in Kaman's words: "You said 'maybe', right? Since there is a possibility, it means there is still room for flexibility in the oath."

Kaman shut his mouth angrily.

"I'm a little curious, how do you people who have taken an oath to keep secrets communicate? Is it possible that the oath restricts you to 'can only talk to another person who has taken an oath to keep secrets'?" Winters seemed to be in a sword duel.

Catching the opponent's omissions, he continued to attack: "Then I will also make a vow, can you tell me?"

Kaman's shoulders and hands were shaking.

"Forget it, let's not talk about that today." Winters rationally decided not to continue irritating Kaman. He poured himself a glass of water and said to himself, regardless of whether Kaman was willing to listen or not: "Ronald

The major once mentioned in his letter that he rescued an old slave from the Hud people. The slave claimed to be Father Saul. Other information is unknown..."

Kaman sat expressionless.

Winters paid careful attention to Kaman's expression. For him, the fact that Kaman did not get up and leave meant victory.

Oath? No matter how rigorous the oath is, the biggest loophole is that it is everyone who executes the oath.

"...After the old slave who called himself Father Saul came to Zhongtiefeng County, you were the first to see him..." Winters paused for a moment and said word by word: "And you hid him."

Kaman stared at the water glass without any response, but his emotions betrayed him.

Winters' tone was calm, as if he was chatting: "You want to operate secretly, but there is no airtight wall. When the monks of Gevaudan Abbey learned about this, their reaction was more intense than you expected. In desperation, you borrowed

In other words, you want to use my reputation to scare them and buy you time..."

Kaman stared at the water in the cup, as if the Virgin Mary appeared in the water.

Winters sat back in his chair, with a hint of reproach in his tone: "Why are you so naive?"

Kaman raised his head suddenly and glared at Winters.

"Since you borrowed my name, you can't hide it from me! Look, didn't Edmond just come to me directly?"

Turning a blind eye to Kaman's angry look, Winters took his time and commented:

"I thought you enjoyed a special status in the church. But what happened? Even a few country priests couldn't hold you down! Is this how the church treats magical users? I'm really surprised. How does the church balance power and divine arts? Don't you think that you have a special status in the church?

rebel?"

"That's enough! Do you think of us as you?" Kaman was simply furious: "The status of the priests is equal, and there is no distinction between high and low because of God's gift!"

"Equality? What is the Holy Order?" Winters asked, "Why are some people bishops, some priests, and some so poor that they starve to death?"

"Holy Orders are a sacrament, a mission and a responsibility! When reaching out to knock on the door of the Kingdom of Heaven, everyone is equal!"

"Mission? Responsibility? Do you believe this?" Winters raised his chin.

Kaman rolled up his sleeves: "[Vulgar words that are very violent but have weak lethality]!"

"Okay, okay." Seeing that he was about to experience the fatal magic in person, Winters quickly stopped: "I'm not here to debate the Bible with you. Didn't the great debate end thirty years ago?"

"I only want to ask you one thing." In an instant, Winters's expression turned grim, and his emotions changed so quickly that even Kaman was caught off guard.

Winters asked coldly: "Where is the prisoner?"

…

A quarter of an hour later, Gévaudan officers' apartment.

After walking around in a circle, Winters actually returned to his residence.

Winters finally figured out why Father Emond bribed him in shame? Why didn't the Abbey of Gevaudan just kill him first and retaliate later?

Kaman hides people in the blood wolf's lair. Who dares to reach out?

"You're hiding people here?" Winters asked Carman in surprise.

Kaman was a little embarrassed, but still said with a cold face: "Stay here temporarily."

"What I mean is." Winters pointed to the kitchen door, a little unbelievable: "Anyway, he is also a clergyman, so you put him in the kitchen."

Kaman was even more ashamed: "This is what Brother Saul himself asked for."

Opening the door, it was warm in the kitchen. The fire was burning brightly, and something was cooking in the pot.

An old man with gray beard was hunched over the stove, peeling beets.

Winters could never have imagined that the "heretic" that Tiefeng County Church must liquidate no matter what, was actually such an old man in his dying years.

The old man was not surprised by the arrival of Winters and Kaman, as if he had expected such a moment.

He squinted his eyes to see the person clearly, nodded as a greeting, and then continued to peel the beetroot in his hand.

Winters walked over to the pot and looked at the thick soup that was simmering.

"It turns out that the soup this morning was made by you." Winters smiled helplessly: "No wonder I thought I was overthinking it with the flavor of the prairie."

"It's just random cooking."

Winters couldn't help but laugh: "Don't the Hurds just make soup randomly?"

The old man also showed a knowing smile, but Kaman stood awkwardly.

"Old man, I have something I want to ask. But he won't tell me." Winters pointed at Kaman: "Then I can only ask you."

"Excuse me." The old man picked up another beetroot and continued peeling it: "If you are willing to listen."

Winters sat on the floor. Because he was taller than the old man, their eyes were at eye level: "Didn't you take any oath to keep secrets?"

"Stand over."

"You can say that you have taken an oath to keep secrets?"

"Can."

"Brother Saul!" Carman called out anxiously.
To be continued...