The Adventures of an Overpowered Knight in Another World Chapter 703- The Criminal Syndicate Of Blueberry Town (2)

Looking at her smile, Reinhardt himself couldn’t help but smile.

"Thank you, Sir Knight, you are a lifesaver. I wouldn’t know what I would have done if I lost all the papers".

Reinhardt nodded, accepting the thanks.

He then pointed at the paper and asked. "You work in a church in this town?"

He had seen the papers; they were all flyers, inviting people to come and attend the event that would soon be held in the church.

"I’m a volunteer who is helping them". The woman smiled and tucked a damp strand of silver-blonde hair behind her ear.

"The church has a celebration tonight. You should come".

Reinhardt raised a brow. "A celebration?"

"Mhm". The woman nodded with unconcealed excitement.

"It is held every year in honor of the Goddess of Healing and Love".

Odeth’Rhea... One of the Seven Gods and the patron deity of healers, doctors, caretakers, and countless orphanages throughout Solaris.

"There will be prayers, music, food for the townsfolk, and activities for the children. Though honestly, it is mostly an excuse for people to gather and smile for a night. The town has had a rough year, and the orphanage children rarely get the chance to celebrate anything".

Hearing her explanation, Reinhardt considered her words. A small town church festival was hardly important compared to his mission, yet the earnestness in her voice made it difficult to dismiss outright.

And so...

"I’ll come if I have time," he replied without outright agreeing or rejecting.

"That means you’ll come". The woman spoke with confidence and an infectious smile.

Seeing this, he almost wanted to ask why she sounded so certain, but the rain had already begun to ease.

The storm that had trapped them beneath the shop’s awning faded into a gentle drizzle. The woman gave him one last grateful smile.

"Then I’ll see you tonight, Sir Knight".

And just like that, they went their separate ways.

Reinhardt continued toward his destination. Neither realized that this simple encounter would become one of the most important moments of their lives.

.

Following the intelligence he had received, Reinhardt made his way through the older district of town until he stopped before an old stone house.

He knocked. A few moments later, the door opened and the figure of an elderly man could be seen beyond the door.

Despite his advanced age, his back remained perfectly straight. Not even the slightest hint of frailty could be seen.

His silver hair was neatly combed. Deep scars lined one side of his face. His eyes remained sharp and vigilant like those of a veteran wolf. Even standing still, he radiated the disciplined bearing of a lifelong warrior.

There was no doubt in Reinhardt’s mind: this man was a retired knight and not an ordinary one.

"Excuse me, are you Sir Silas Vermont?" Reinhardt asked.

The old man did not reply immediately and instead studied him for a moment. Then a smile appeared.

"Ah. So you’re Raymond’s son. In that case, come in". He stepped aside, opening the door and gesturing to Reinhardt to come in.

"Then please excuse me".

Inside, they sat across from one another with steaming cups of tea between them. The interior of the house was simple.

A fireplace, bookshelves, and old weapons displayed along the walls. It was nothing extravagant. It perfectly captured the life of a knight who spent his life protecting the kingdom.

"So, what brings a young knight like yourself all the way out here?"

After the brief courtesies ended, Reinhardt got straight to the point.

"I’m here regarding the criminal syndicate that emerged in this region three years ago".

"Official business then".

Reinhardt nodded and opened up a document. Listed there were multiple charges that were placed against the criminal syndicate of Blueberry Town.

Extortion... Murder... Smuggling... Human trafficking... Corruption... Bribery... The list went on.

"Hoho... so many charges, huh. They sure make it sound like the doing of a very evil person". Silas Vermont spoke without the slightest change in expression.

"I have been dispatched by the Council of Elders to bring down the organization and bring its members to justice".

"The Council of Elders has so much free time, eh?" The retired knight continued sipping the tea.

Reinhardt did not mind.

Once finished, the old knight spoke.

"So you are here to bring down the Benedict Syndicate".

Benedict Syndicate? Reinhardt’s eyes narrowed.

"You know them?"

Silas calmly nodded. "I do. I know them very well".

"Then why haven’t you arrested them?"

This did not make sense. Silas spoke about knowing the criminal syndicate very well, yet despite that, he did not take any action against them.

Reinhardt’s eyes sharpened. It needs to be mentioned that the man before him was no ordinary veteran. A long time ago, he used to once hold the rank of Level 8 Holy Knight within the Order of the Temple of Light.

Even if the knight had retired and much of his combat strength had diminished, the skill and experience of a Holy Knight were still there.

Reinhardt doubted the syndicate possessed anyone capable of defeating him.

Hearing his question, Silas simply laughed. "Arrest them? No, son. I’m not worthy of arresting such a person".

Once again, Reinhardt frowned. Such a person? The wording immediately caught his attention.

"Then are you saying you’re connected to them?"

"Hahaha... Young man, are you here to capture me?" the retired knight laughed heartily.

Reinhardt shook his head and stared directly into Silas’s eyes.

"I am here under the authority of the Council of Elders to capture the criminal syndicate proliferating in Blueberry Town. If necessary, eliminate them".

At this point in his life, Reinhardt still trusted the Council and believed those high and mighty nobles acted for the good of the people. As a young knight, he was filled with idealism and was a blank canvas that could easily be painted.

He believed the information spread outside and hadn’t come in contact with the darkness of the world. The cynicism towards the Council of Elders that would later define him had not yet taken root.

"I see". Silas nodded and put down his tea cup. "In that case, come with me this evening".

Reinhardt blinked. "This evening?"

The retired knight nodded. "I’ll take you to meet him personally".

That answer only deepened Reinhardt’s confusion. However, before he could think further, he recalled that somebody else had also invited him to attend something this evening.

The woman he met in the pouring rain, who was clumsily chasing after the loose papers, came to mind. She had asked him to attend the church’s program this evening, too.

Silas noticed the sudden change in Reinhardt’s expression.

"Is there a problem?"

Reinhardt hesitated before answering honestly. "I met a woman during the storm. She was distributing church flyers, but the wind blew the loose papers away. I helped her gather the papers back, and then she invited me to tonight’s celebration. Well, it doesn’t matter. This matter is more important. I have already decided..."

He had already decided to prioritize the mission. As for missing the event, he could only apologize to that woman if he ever met her again.

However, before he could complete his sentence, Silas slapped his thighs and laughed. "Is that right? So something like that happened, huh. Youth, how wonderful. I see... I see... so you have already met Aurelia, huh".

Reinhardt paused... Aurelia? Come to think of it, he never got to hear the name of that woman. So she was called Aurelia.

That said... "You know her?"

The old knight grinned. "Son, everyone in this town knows Aurelia. She is the most precious treasure of our town. A soul who is too kind-hearted for her own good. Multiple young men are trying to court her. However, because of the immense influence of her brother, they stay clear".

So that was the case. Reinhardt nodded his head.

"Since you have already met Aurelia, and she invited you, then you must absolutely come to the event".

"But what about the criminal syndicate?"

"Don’t worry, you are heading towards your objective, because that’s where you’ll find the man you’re looking for".

Reinhardt frowned. The criminal leader? Why at the church?

What was the relation between a church celebrating the grace of the Goddess of Healing and Love and a criminal who led a vicious syndicate that terrorized the town and forced the Council of Elders to take action?

None of it made sense. Yet the way Silas made it sound, it appeared that there was definitely something between the two.

What’s more, seeing the other party, he knew that they had no intention of explaining things further. If he wanted to investigate further about this, about what was going on in this town, and complete his mission, he would need to attend the event.

Reinhardt’s hand subconsciously went towards the hilt of his sword.

"In any case," the retired Holy Knight said while chuckling to himself. How could he miss Reinhardt’s action? "You should prepare yourself".