Under the moonlight, the three were not just posing. As the ghouls noticed them and assumed a combat stance, the figure holding the sword vanished from under the moon. The ghoul instinctively dodged to the left, but the holy silver great sword still easily severed its arm.

The last time they met, the "Moonlight Greatsword" did not have a remarkable effect on these peculiar Ghoul Liches. But now, beneath the battleground, the Old Cleric had set up enough rituals, and the ghouls’ special characteristics were being lost.

As one sword fell, three identical swords appeared simultaneously in the void, but then the Spatial Slash thrown by the undead creature’s left hand threw them off course.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

A white skeleton grew from the decaying flesh of its left hand, constantly deflecting the attacks of the Moonlight Greatsword, but the cracks in the skeleton gradually increased. As for the fracture on the right shoulder, pink crystals emerged from the wound. It quickly retreated ten meters back, trying to tear off the flesh with crystals, but the large black hand, like a giant tree, that appeared above its head, pressed it to the ground.

The ghoul moved forward under the moonlight, barely avoiding Dr. Schneider’s strike with the help of spatial powers. However, due to the restrictions of the "Spatial Stabilization Aura," it drifted away from its intended destination and ended up directly in front of the Old Cleric:

"Rest in peace~"

The Old Cleric extended his right hand, striking the ghoul on its head with a punch. With a loud boom, it flew backward like a cannonball, then was tightly bound mid-air by black chains that came from the side. After landing with a thud, it could no longer move.

"That was too easy; I just don’t quite get it."

The doctor dusted off his hands and picked up the hat he had dropped on the ground:

"If they could trap two easily, why not trap all three at once, instead of having us deal with a third one?"

"Because the detective said they could use some kind of joint attack power. If they were all trapped at once, they might self-destruct. For these nearly indestructible Ghoul Liches, self-destruction is the best escape method."

Saying this, the cleric called the doctor to bring out the two ghouls buried in the soil and trapped in the coffin. Of course, before releasing them, the cleric fed them a Magic Potion to temporarily put their bodies and souls into sleep.

Afterward, each of the three carried a ghoul over their shoulders, hurriedly climbing over the fence under the moonlight to leave the cemetery, heading towards the north.

Hundreds of meters away from Daeflin Village, at a countryside crossroads, the trio stopped. Here was a spot the cleric had prepared in advance. The oak tree on one side of the crossroad was rumored to have been planted by the first Ancestor of the village.

Having come from Tobesk, the three didn’t hold much reverence for such rumors. The doctor took out the three ropes prepared in advance and hung them onto the sturdy branches of the great oak, after which the three ghouls were hoisted up, tying the other end of the ropes to the tree trunk.

The cleric controlled the height and position of the corpses.

Once everything was ready, he gestured to Shard and the doctor, after which they entered the nearby wheat field. By mid-Rain-Prayer Moon, the cool and rainy Green Lake Region had wheat growing well in the fields, and after the two walked a few hundred meters, they could no longer see what the Old Cleric was doing beneath the oak, covered by the rising hazy gray mist.

What followed was the cleric’s personal task. Shard and the doctor were not in a position to interfere. They remained there to wait, ready to offer help in case of an unexpected situation.

Standing in the night amidst the wheat was quite dull. Shard, observing as the distant gray mist obscured the situation beneath the trees, casually remarked:

"Today’s operation was quite smooth, the cleric is always so reliable. Yet, he always carries his pipe, though rarely seen smoking."

"When writers, diviners, or other ladies are present, he doesn’t smoke. Tonight, we’re on a mission, and smoking would leave traces, so he refrains even then. But everyone knows, when he was young, the cleric was quite the chain smoker."

The doctor quietly said:

"When I first knew him, he smoked much more frequently. Later, he focused on his studies and began to quit gradually."

"Was the cleric really like that before?"

Shard was somewhat surprised:

"To me, the cleric has always seemed strict with himself and others."

Dr. Schneider also glanced at the area shrouded in gray mist:

"He’s indeed that kind of person, but you also need to understand the cleric. After serving in the diocese for so many years, he still hasn’t become a formal priest due to his youthful deeds. Even though he claims not to care, how could he truly be indifferent?"

As a team leader, though also under suspicion, he knew a bit about the backstory:

"We’re aware that the Church’s decision wasn’t wrong, but the events of that time were indeed quite dreadful. What seems a matter of cost to us became the cleric’s entire life. Smoking, I assume, is a way for him to alleviate his inner turmoil. I know, to you young ones, the cleric seems like someone who gets by easily, without worries; but who doesn’t have troubles?"

Bill Schneider, as a psychologist, was indeed adept at analyzing the psyche of those around him:

"After joining the group, quitting smoking was possible because life had new hope and goals. However, it’s impossible to fully kick the habit, which is why the cleric carries his pipe wherever he goes."

"Before joining the group, everyone has their own story."

"""

Shard sighed, he knew Dorothy’s story before she joined the group well; it was the struggle of an independent life as a female writer. Although she hadn’t crossed paths with Lecia at that time, her diaries were still very interesting.

"Speaking of which, what was the Diviner like before joining the group?"

Shard asked again, and the doctor was puzzled:

"She hasn’t told you? Your relationship is so... close."

Shard thought about it:

"She really hasn’t mentioned it."

The doctor fiddled with the ears of wheat in front of him:

"You know, she was a student in joint training, which is quite different from our situation. She underwent a professional ceremony at the Prophet’s Society, and then joined our group upon their introduction. In other words, when she joined the group, she was already a Circle Sorcerer."

Shard nodded slightly:

"She was the second to join the group after the writer, right?"

"Yes, the Academy contacted me directly to tell me someone was visiting. She was very different from who she is now; no, I’m not referring to her appearance, but her aura. When I first met her, she had that... traditional diviner aura. That meant at a glance, you would know whoever spoke would be enshrouded in mystery, and most likely they’d break sentences in half."

The doctor described the stereotype Circle Sorcerers had about Diviners.

"You should ask the writer in our group; she probably remembers her initial impressions of meeting the Diviner too. But she has changed a lot since then, becoming more approachable. It’s said that during the initial awakening phase, her mental state was excessively affected by elements. Honestly, at first, the writer and I were a bit scared of her."

Shard imagined the group meetings with the doctor and Dorothy shrinking into the sofa, watching the purple-eyed girl speak with a cold demeanor, and couldn’t help but smile.

However, Shard reckoned Luvia’s initial behavior was, perhaps, unconsciously influenced by the "Long-Haired Luvia" that awoken upon receiving her powers. As the later short-haired Luvia gradually gained control over her powers, she returned to norm.

These events occurred before the Outlander came into this world, and it was interesting to hear now.

At night, there were many insects in the farmland, but none dared approach the two men chatting idly. A crawling long snake silently approached Shard’s position but was ignited by pitch-black flames the instant it was exposed under the moonlight.

The doctor observed the burning snake and reminisced about past matters; he had many thoughts:

"Speaking of which, it’s all thanks to you joining our group; otherwise, our relations wouldn’t be as harmonious now."

Shard felt puzzled by this statement:

"What do you mean? Doctor, wasn’t your relationship always harmonious when I joined the group?"

The doctor smiled and shook his head:

"That’s why I say you’re young. Let me give you an example, look at the initial relationship of the two ladies in the group."

"Very good."

Shard even remembered overhearing Luvia asking Dorothy how much she wore beneath a long gown during a party while using "Echo of the Past" in Dorothy’s apartment... that was a fond summer memory from last year.

"Indeed, they were very good friends, being the same age. But that’s limited to good friends; it would’ve been impossible for them to interact like family as they do now."

As he said this, the doctor glanced at Shard:

"That’s why I say you’re quite a remarkable person."

Shard felt like the doctor was ridiculing him, so he coughed and glanced in the direction of the Priest:

"Then what about you and the Priest? Didn’t you have a good relationship at first? I remember, before I joined the group, you often went to the Tavern together for drinks."

"Yes, but what about when we both realized each other’s peculiarities?"

The doctor asked, smiling while questioning the young man standing under the moon:

"I can sense that extreme coldness close to death in the Priest, and the Priest probably suspects my association with those troublesome folks from the Third Era. Without you, we would surely suspect each other, and the more the other grew stronger, the more suspicious we’d become. Do you think we could maintain the current relationship through self-doubt and suspicion?"