Chapter 177: The Barbarian Representative and the Paladin’s Fear

At the tea party’s stronghold, Jeanne Decker and Alice Liddell sat at one end of a square tea table.

Opposite them sat the Mad Hatter, accompanied by a mysterious figure whose face was obscured by a hood and black cloth.

Both Jeanne Decker and Alice Liddell unconsciously cast an extra glance toward the enigmatic individual.

They had been summoned by the Mad Hatter to discuss their next mission, yet they had not anticipated an additional person being present.

“Allow me to introduce you,” the Mad Hatter began, providing a timely explanation. “This is an ally of the Tea Party, a representative sent by the Iron Warlord Army. His barbarian name is quite a mouthful for you, so just call him Hans. He is Iron Warlord Hans’s son.”

The Mad Hatter then turned to the masked figure. “Hey, Hans, say hello?”

“My apologies, Mr. Mad Hatter.” Hans’s voice sounded youthful. “While it might be rude to say so, my task is merely to deliver something. I don’t particularly wish to involve myself with them. Please allow me to leave once the handover is complete.”

“Oh? What seems to be the matter?” the Mad Hatter inquired.

“As you know, I dislike Paladins, and I also dislike Witches. The Paladins of the North killed many of my comrades, and all northern tribes harbor a strong aversion to witchery,” Hans stated forthrightly.

“Rather than accidentally revealing my thoughts later and making everyone uncomfortable, it’s better to be clear now and let me keep my distance from them.”

“Such sentiments are not encouraged here at the Tea Party!” The Mad Hatter raised an eyebrow.

“I know, and I respect you greatly, but beliefs ingrained since childhood are truly not so easily corrected. Please forgive me,” Hans said, lowering his head.

“There’s nothing wrong with it. As it happens, I don’t particularly care for barbarians either,” Jeanne Decker suddenly declared, fixing her gaze on Hans’s eyes. “Indeed, it’s much better to speak plainly. Hiding one’s true feelings only makes everyone uneasy.”

“Thank you for being so understanding, Miss Paladin.” Hans lowered his head once more.

Alice Liddell suddenly felt a peculiar sensation. The two opposing parties, through such candor, had actually found common ground in their willingness to openly dislike each other, thus achieving a strange mutual appreciation.

The other party was clearly, like Jeanne Decker, someone who preferred directness and disliked beating around the bush. Even with differing views and stances, their fundamental natures could still align.

With a silent understanding established, Alice Liddell refrained from further conversation with Hans and instead looked directly at the Mad Hatter. “What does he mean by ‘handover’?”

“I’ve already acquired the promotion materials you ordered,” the Mad Hatter replied concisely, snapping his fingers.

Hans immediately rose, picking up a tightly bound box from the floor and placing it on the table.

“That quickly?” Alice Liddell exclaimed in surprise.

“Given Mr. Mad Hatter’s reputation, we were willing to pay in advance,” Hans said, still looking down, avoiding Alice Liddell’s gaze.

“Besides, if you promote and increase your strength first, it will also aid in completing future missions,” the Mad Hatter chuckled.

Hans reached out, grabbed the hemp rope on the box, and pulled, tearing the thumb-thick rope directly as if it were rotten and fragile.

Alice Liddell narrowed her eyes. This Hans was a barbarian, most likely a ‘Warrior’ class Blessed One. With a grip strong enough to tear hemp rope barehanded, she imagined a full-force punch could probably kill an ox outright.

The box opened, revealing a bottle filled with black liquid and a crystal encapsulating golden-yellow flames.

“As per your request, the venom of the Phantom Wind Serpent, and this is the core of the Blazing Earth Fire,” Hans introduced. “These prey aren’t difficult to find, but few possess the ability to hunt them.”

The Phantom Wind Serpent was a flying serpent with membranous wings, a vigilant-level magical beast capable of threatening an entire village. It could spread its wings to glide through the sky, spitting highly venomous fluid downwards. The patterns on the underside of its wings would cause ordinary people to fall into a daze upon sight, leaving them vulnerable to its mercy.

The Blazing Earth Fire, strictly speaking, was not a magical beast but a phenomenon of disaster—a fireball freely drifting in the sunlight of the wilderness. Any ordinary creature that touched it would be incinerated into charcoal by its inextinguishable flames in the blink of an eye.

Indeed, as Hans stated, without middle-tier strength or specialized abilities, hunting either of these would easily lead to death.

These two materials were the promotion ingredients for the Witch’s Sixth Tier, ‘Succubus,’ and the Paladin’s Sixth Tier, ‘Silver Guard,’ respectively.

“Levi has already met the requirements for the promotion ritual; she just needs to prepare and drink the potion. The issue lies with Jeanne Decker…” The Mad Hatter looked at Jeanne Decker, then rephrased, “Alright, actually, you don’t have any problems either. The Paladin’s Sixth Tier promotion ritual is actually very simple.”

“Very simple?” Jeanne Decker asked.

“The Paladin’s promotion process involves melting materials into clear water that has been exposed to intense sunlight, then pouring it over oneself during sunrise as a baptism. The Silver Guard’s promotion ritual is essentially the baptism itself. This baptism will inevitably cleanse you by enduring heavenly fire,” the Mad Hatter recalled, searching his memory.

“Apart from you, the heavenly fire of promotion requires other elements. It will inflict partial injury and complete pain, and you will need to use your own abilities for protection and healing. The most crucial part is that you must not be overcome by fear. If you show any sign of retreat, your abilities will fail during the ritual, and the heavenly fire will consume you instantly.”

“So, if the promotion fails, she’ll be burned to death?” Alice Liddell’s eyes widened.

Jeanne Decker had just been rescued from the stake, and now she was to be burned to death again?

If the risk was so high, then the mortality rate for Paladins promoting to the middle tier each year must be quite astonishing.

“If someone of a higher tier is guarding nearby, death is generally avoided, but disfigurement by burns is almost inevitable,” the Mad Hatter shrugged. “But it’s fine, as long as you’re not afraid.”

“It’s alright, I believe in Jeanne Decker. With her mental fortitude, there will definitely be no problem,” Alice Liddell declared firmly, turning to Jeanne Decker. “Right, Jeanne Decker?”

In her impression, Jeanne Decker had always been brave and fearless.

Then, she noticed Jeanne Decker’s face was covered in cold sweat.

“Jeanne Decker!?” This reaction greatly astonished Alice Liddell.

“Your soul is tainted with unease, it seems,” the Mad Hatter said, smiling at Jeanne Decker.

“I apologize.” Jeanne Decker looked distressed. “It’s rather embarrassing to admit, but I feel that my current self might have an aversion to fire. Just seeing fire is one thing, but to remain completely unshaken while being burned… that might be a bit…”

She had nearly been burned to death twice: once facing the heavenly fire summoned by Count Dunois, and another time on the pyre. For some reason, merely imagining herself engulfed in flames made her feel uncontrollably unsettled.

Alice Liddell was momentarily dumbfounded, never expecting Jeanne Decker to suddenly reveal such a fatal psychological shadow.

“Alright, alright, don’t worry. What I meant by ‘no problem’ is that her promotion will be 100% successful. Because…” The Mad Hatter suddenly waved his hand, then grinned mysteriously, “We can cheat in this regard!”