Multiverse: Dimension Hopping Mage

Chapter 35: Accusations Require Basic Evidence...

Hearing Connie's words, everyone present was taken aback, and Stone curiously approached.

"Conrad? You mean that cultist?"

As he spoke, Stone squinted and scrutinized Alex for a moment before clapping his hands.

"Hey, you know what, he does look a bit like him."

So you never really cared about this at all!

Hearing Stone's words, Alex rolled his eyes in exasperation. He had spent so much time with Stone, and the topic of Conrad had never come up. Alex had assumed Stone was unaware of Conrad's situation, but now it seemed he just didn't care about it at all!

"Cultist? Conrad?"

Malt was taken aback by Connie's words. He glanced at Alex, then shook his head.

"Don't be ridiculous, Connie! How could Mr. Alex be a cultist?"

"What?"

Connie was stunned by her commander's reaction. Her companions had died chasing Conrad, and she had etched his appearance into her memory. Upon seeing Alex, she immediately recognized him and attacked without hesitation.

Connie had expected Commander Malt and the other knights to rush forward and execute the vile cultist. But to her surprise, not only did Commander Malt not believe her, but the other knights also seemed indifferent. As for Sir Stone, he looked like he couldn't care less.

What is going on?

Connie was utterly bewildered. She had no idea that while her words surprised Malt and Stone, they didn't believe them at all. To them, Alex couldn't possibly be Conrad.

The reason was simple: Malt knew that Alex had previously used Holy Light Healing on them. The serene and balanced aura of the spell was at a bishop's level. Everyone knew cultists worshiped evil and chaos, and their power bore the taint of chaos. Power itself doesn't lie. For Malt, believing Alex was a cultist was impossible—since when did cultists understand the power of order better than temple bishops? Who's the real cultist here?

Stone's disbelief was even simpler. He had seen Alex's divine protection firsthand. If Alex were a cultist, then the angel would have been protecting a cultist?

Wow, saying that would get you burned at the stake.

"Are you alright, Alex? What's going on here? Why were you and Connie fighting?"

"How should I know? I was just talking, and she suddenly attacked me like she wanted to kill me. What was I supposed to do? I was desperate too."

"Nonsense."

Stone shook his head helplessly at Alex's answer, then turned to the shy girl—who had been stunned by the earlier battle.

"What do you say?"

"Ah..."

Hearing Stone's question, the shy girl finally snapped out of her daze. She glanced timidly at Connie, then looked down and spoke.

"It was like this: I was talking to Mr. Alex, and Miss Connie came over. When she saw Mr. Alex, she called him a cultist and then drew her sword to attack him..."

"I was worried he would deceive you! Cultists are all smooth talkers and not to be trusted!"

Connie quickly interjected upon hearing the shy girl's response.

"I'm certain he's a wanted man by the temple. His star mark has been distributed to all city halls. Just check it..."

"I conducted Mr. Alex's star mark inspection myself."

Hearing the conversation turn to her area of expertise, the usually soft-spoken and timid girl interrupted Connie.

"I can assure you, Mr. Alex's star mark is not on the list."

"How could that be..."

Connie gritted her teeth and turned to glare at Alex. He responded with a cold snort, not bothering to show any friendliness. Alex was not one to go easy on women just because of their gender. When female employees complained about working overtime, he didn't give them special treatment. They were employees, not his wife, so why should he be lenient?

It was the same here. Despite Connie's decent looks, her hot-headedness was intolerable to Alex. Her immediate attempt to kill him upon sight was something he couldn't forgive. Especially with such a sweet and gentle girl beside him, Alex found Connie's appearance even less appealing.

Inner beauty does enhance outer beauty, after all.

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Alex."

Malt seemed to understand Connie's temper well. Seeing her reaction, he sighed, knowing she wouldn't apologize, so he stepped in to apologize to Alex himself. Alex nodded without saying much. He had a good relationship with Malt and didn't want to take out his frustration on others. Despite his youthful appearance, Alex's experience as a two-time reincarnate made him mature and level-headed. He didn't show any hostility towards Malt.

Malt, aware of the awkward atmosphere, didn't say much more. He apologized on Connie's behalf and assured Alex that Connie would be severely reprimanded. Then, he led the others away, clearly feeling it wasn't the right time for further interaction.

Alex, feeling no inclination to chat, cast Holy Light Flash on himself. The crazy woman's lightning attacks had severely damaged his right arm, leaving it covered in painful burns. Anger had kept him going during the fight, but now he felt the full extent of his injuries and began healing himself to ease the pain.

"Come on, cheer up."

Stone, seeing Alex's displeasure, laughed and patted him on the back.

"Being able to beat that proud woman is quite an accomplishment. If word gets out, you'll have many admirers in the temple."

"Sir Stone, is Miss Connie very famous?"

The shy girl, curious, asked as she listened. Her encounter with Connie was similar to Alex's first meeting with Knight Conan—rescuing each other from undead creatures and traveling together. However, the outcome had been vastly different.

"Yes, she's one of the most outstanding of the younger generation, known as the Blessed of the Goddess. But perhaps because things have always gone her way, she has a terrible temper. Plus, her father is the Knight Commander, so most people avoid getting involved with her. Over time, she's developed quite an attitude."

Stone shook his head as he spoke.

"Malt is her mentor and often has to clean up after her. She has no self-awareness. Since her strength is considerable, no one can keep her in check, so she's become very arrogant. But now she's finally met her match."

Hearing Stone's explanation, Alex understood why none of the knights had defended Connie, despite her closer relationship with Malt. They must have endured her tantrums many times.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Malt was sternly glaring at Connie.

"You were reckless, attacking without knowing the full situation. Did you forget your knight's code?"

"But Commander, he is a cultist!"

Connie remained defiant despite Malt's reprimand.

"I'm sure he looks exactly like that cultist!"

"So what? Many people resemble each other. As followers of the Goddess of Order, we need evidence! We've fought alongside him and are familiar with his power. It is certainly not chaotic. Besides, Sir Stone is his mentor, and his star mark doesn't match. Do you have any more questions?"

"But he could be disguising himself!"

Connie still wanted to argue.

"Maybe that cultist used some kind of method..."

"Enough!"

Malt interrupted her angrily, his face turning dark.

"Remember, without sufficient evidence, we have no right to accuse someone of being a cultist! This is a strict rule of the temple. No one wants a repeat of the Dark Fallen Moon tragedy. We are the knights of the Temple of Order. We must adhere to our principles! If you still don't understand this, you should take off that armor. Do you understand?!"

Faced with Malt's harsh reprimand, Connie remained silent for a moment before reluctantly nodding.

"I understand..."

(End of Chapter)

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