Chapter 216: Amon, Why Aren't You Speaking?
The news that "Amon infiltrated the Storm Church and stole the donation box" spread secretly among the higher-ups of various churches. Every bishop was warned to be cautious of believers wearing a monocle—whether they put it on after entering or wore it from the start, and regardless of their height, weight, age, or gender.
In short, beware of the monocle.
Alice entered St. Samuel's Church under these circumstances. Naturally, she wasn't wearing a monocle—it was tucked away in her pocket. When she saw the goddess's donation box, Alice hesitated for a moment. In the end, she didn't ceremoniously put on the monocle; she simply grabbed a handful of foreign coins and stuffed them into the donation box.
The bishop, observing this scene, did not appear pleased. Instead, he slowly furrowed his brow. Alice didn't notice this; after tossing the money into the box, she sat quietly in a pew and began to pray.
When she opened her eyes and was about to leave, a familiar voice stopped her: "Could you come to the basement for a moment?"
Alice turned her head—it was Leonard. She looked at him in confusion, waiting for an explanation.
Leonard looked at her and softly said, "Archbishop Anthony wants to ask you some questions."
Alice almost reflexively thought about what she had done yesterday. She felt a brief moment of guilt but then followed confidently.
... It was all Amon's doing; what did it have to do with her? Amon, if you have the guts, come out and say it wasn't you. Let's see who believes you!
Leonard had no idea what Alice was thinking. In fact, he was puzzled as to why he was the one sent to fetch her.
With this doubt, he led Alice to the church basement, where they met Archbishop Anthony again. Leonard, having completed his task, intended to leave, but he noticed that Archbishop Anthony had silently used his spiritual power to seal the area. The seal wasn't tight, but in the church basement, it seemed somewhat unnecessary.
"Leonard," Archbishop Anthony called out, "let's talk about the angel of the 'Thief' pathway residing in you."
Alice's eyes lit up. She turned to Leonard with excitement, realizing that although the goddess hadn't responded to her, she had still heard her prayers.
Leonard's reaction was far less relaxed. His usual nonchalance disappeared, and he visibly tensed up.
—How often does the protagonist's secret get exposed?
But Anthony didn't look at Leonard next. Instead, he turned to Alice and asked in a cautious yet puzzled tone, "Was it you who stole the Storm Church's donation box?"
Alice fell into deep thought.
Leonard also fell into deep thought.
In an unknown place, Pales fell into deep thought as well.
—From Pales' understanding of Amon, this incident had a mix of Amon's style but also something off about it.
"It wasn't me; it was Amon," Alice replied confidently. "Did Amon say it wasn't him? No, right? So it must have been Amon."
Now, no one spoke.
After a while, Leonard curiously asked Alice, "What if Amon comes out and denies it?"
Alice exaggeratedly widened her eyes and said, "That's Amon! The embodiment of deceit! Can you believe a single word he says? He must be lying!"
Archbishop Anthony was silent for a moment before saying to Alice, "You may leave now."
Alice left contentedly, leaving the silence behind in the office.
...
In the "City of Generosity" Bayam, within Danitz's dream.
Edwina nodded slightly and looked at Klein, asking, "Mr. Sparrow, have you received an education?"
Although he didn't understand the purpose of the question, Klein maintained his Gehrman Sparrow persona, his expression unchanged, and responded indifferently, "University graduate."
Perhaps the idea of Gehrman Sparrow attending university was out of character—judging by Danitz's shocked expression, it seemed so.
Edwina showed no reaction and continued to ask, "What languages do you know?"
Klein resisted the urge to frown and replied, "Giant, Elvish, Draconic, Ancient Hermes, Hermes, Ancient Feysac, Ruen..."
Edwina acknowledged with a sound, "Do you have knowledge in other fields of mysticism?"
Klein finally couldn't help but recall his elementary school entrance exam. He felt as if he had returned to that time, with a teacher asking him questions.
He suddenly had the urge to introduce Alice to Edwina.
But, given Gehrman Sparrow's persona, asking certain questions didn't seem out of place... Klein pondered for a moment and, maintaining his expressionless demeanor, asked, "Do you take students?"
Edwina thought for two seconds before asking, "Do you mean yourself?"
"No," Klein still maintained his expressionless look, "It's a... rather unruly girl."
"Has she received an education?" Edwina seriously began to inquire about the basic information of her next potential student.
Klein suddenly felt his position shift. He was no longer the student being interviewed by the teacher but rather the parent of a student. He suppressed the strange feeling and answered:
"She has received basic education, is literate, knows some math, but her grades are not great. She is good at drawing and has a rough understanding of history."
Edwina continued to ask, "What languages does she know?"
Klein replied, "She has studied Hermes and Ancient Hermes, and knows Ruen."
Edwina then asked, "Does she have knowledge in other fields of mysticism?"
Klein thought for a moment and answered, "She is familiar with some mystic rituals but is not considered proficient."
Edwina nodded seriously and then asked, "What is her family's attitude?"
Klein was silent for a moment before answering, "I am her family."
After thinking for a moment, he added, "She... she can be considered not yet an adult."
Edwina continued to ask, "When would she be available to come?"
Klein thought about Alice's reaction to this and replied tactfully, "I haven't consulted her yet."
Edwina nodded in agreement, "If she has a reluctance to study, the effect would indeed be poor."
Klein wasn't sure how to explain this matter. He suddenly regretted asking the question earlier and quickly changed the topic:
"Why did you need to ask me those questions before answering mine?"
Edwina thought for two seconds and explained at a moderate pace:
"I need to consider your level of knowledge to answer your questions in a way that you can easily understand."
Klein suddenly felt an urge to drag Alice to Bayam.