Ian's eyes twitched. Gothier revealing his hostility was not surprising, but the golden glimmer in his eyes was a different matter.0

Divine power...?0

There was no time to ponder deeply. Gothier's robe flared open to the sides and rose upwards, revealing the heavy full plate armor underneath. The large golden circle on his breastplate gleamed, and the various magic stones embedded in his armor flickered momentarily.0

"Wait...! Please, both of you, stop for a moment!"0

With a desperate shout, a divine barrier sprung up in front of Ian.0

"....?" Both Ian and Gothier furrowed their brows momentarily.0

Philip had dashed forward, extending his right hand to block Ian. Glancing back at Ian, he quickly whispered, "Please give me a moment, my lord."0

"It will be futile."0

"Still, please."0

"...." Ian clicked his tongue briefly and sheathed the half-drawn sword. He could understand Philip's position. Having just become a paladin of Lu Solar, he wouldn’t want to get into a conflict with the Great Church's purifiers.0

At least giving his best effort would leave no regrets. Plus, it wasn’t a bad situation for Ian either.0

It can't be that they're holding a grudge because I refused the apostle offer...0

This gave him time to process what he had just seen. 0

Philip, withdrawing the barrier, faced Gothier and began to speak. "It seems there’s been a misunderstanding. Wouldn’t it be better to resolve this through dialogue rather than conflict,...0