The angel bathed in holy light slowly disappeared behind Alex, and only then did the old bishop and Stone breathe a sigh of relief.

  As devout believers of the temple, they naturally uood the exalted status an angel held withiemple.

  Although the angel might not have been as powerful as Stone, her mere presence was enough to exert pressure on everyone.

  Moreover, even though this grand knight appeared rough and straightforward, he was also a devout believer. Even if he could fight, would he dare to?

  Of course not.

  At the same time, their perception of Alex ged siderably.

  "Holy Spirit Prote…"

  The old bishop csped his hands tightly, staring ily at Alex. He had guessed that this young man had a signifit background, but he didn't expect him to possess the Holy Spirit Prote!

  "This kid has some skills."

  Stooo, crossed his arms, looking at Alex with a satisfied expression and nodding. It was rare for someoo get the better of him.

  Although it seemed like Alex had used a trick, this wasn't a duel or a tour where fairness mattered.

  In real battlefield bat, fairness was irrelevant, so Stone was not displeased by Alex's terattack; he found this young man quite iing instead.

  "Huff…"

  As Alex sheathed his sword, sweat covered his forehead. The st terattack was a stroke of luck. If he hadn't mao unleash the Holy Storm at that moment, he wouldn't have been able to force Stone back.

  However, the biggest takeaway from this battle was that Alex realized the vast gap between himself and the top-tier fighters of the main world.

  He had initially thought that with his A-level profi Royal Cross Swordsmanship, he could at least hold his own.

  But he was wrong—he was in grave danger from the start. If Stone had been familiar with his swordsmanship, Alex wouldn't have stood a ce.

  Stone had only ceded because his on was destroyed; otherwise, who knew how the fight would have ended?

  Ihe gap was still too wide.

  Shaking his head to dispel his lingering frustration, Alex looked at Stone and asked.

  "Sir Stone, did I pass the assessment?"

  "Hahaha, of course, you passed."

  Stone ughed heartily at Alex's question, showing no signs of the frustration of defeat.

  "You've passed the assessment. It's been a long time since I've met someone as iing as you. By the way, what's your name?"

  "My name is Alex."

  Hearing Alex's respoone chuckled. Thehought for a moment and looked at Alex again.

  "Well, Alex, how about I be your mentor?"

  "...Mentor?"

  Alex was visibly surprised by this ued invitation, while Stone nodded seriously.

  "Yes. To be ho, from our battle, I noticed that while you have some bat experience, your basics are not solid. And although the swordsmanship you've mastered is powerful, you 't use it flexibly. It's a waste of such pure holy power if it's not used well. What do you think? I think it's a good offer. I'm not like those old fossils who will nag you with rules every day. Just follow me and learn to fight. How about it? Simple, right?"

  Impressive.

  Alex's eyes lit up at Stone's words. He knew his own limitations.

  He had learned some bat skills, but they were mainly for self-defense, not meaningful in real battles.

  After ing to this world, Alex ractically thrown into battle, learning on the fly.

  He had read many fantasy novels where skilled batants could judge each other's strength with a single csh. But experieng it firsthand was different.

  In this ti, a mentor was akin to a master. Having a mentor was a great honor.

  So, should he accept this offer? The answer was obvious.

  "I am hoo be under your tutege, Sir Stone."

  Receiving guidance from a powerful knight in this world was a golden opportunity for Alex.

  "Huh?"

  Hearing Alex's respoone widened his eyes, showing a hint of displeasure, and Alex quickly corrected himself.

  "...Mentor."

  "Good, hahaha, not bad, not bad. I finally have a student. Let's see what Va has to say now!"

  Stone ughed triumphantly. The old bishop beside him rolled his eyes, wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent, casting a sympathetice at Alex.

  '...Wait, why is he looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong?'

  While Alex uzzled by the old bishop's gaze, Stone was already striding toward the door.

  "Alright, kid! Remember to get ready. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to give you special training!"

  "Special training?"

  Alex uzzled by Stone's suddeion, pletely caught off guard.

  "That's right. Get ready and brace yourself; you're in for a tough time!"

  "I uand."

  Frankly, it was surprising to undergo special training right after joining the temple.

  However, Alex was aced to the swift and decisive as in the military ba his world, so he quickly agreed despite his initial surprise.

  Seeing Alex's respoone simply waved at him and then turo leave.

  The old bishop's expression shifted several times before he sighed and quickly followed Stone.

  "Stoone!"

  "Hm? What is it, old man?"

  Hearing the bishop's call, Stouro face him.

  "Are you really going to take that young man?"

  "Of course. Didn't I say so? Since he's my student now, he has to follow me. Besides, you saw him, right? He's not one of those pampered noble brats. His swordsmanship is quite good—I'd say he's at the level of an intermediate knight. He just cks bat experience. With proper training from me, he'll definitely get better."

  "But even so..."

  The old bishop clearly disagreed with Stone's impulsive decision.

  "Are you really pnning to do this? You know that young man showed the Holy Spirit Prote…"

  "That's exactly why I o train him, old man."

  Stone's usual pyful smile vanished, repced by a serious expression.

  "Luckily, it was just the two of us iraining ground. But imagine if the heretics found out we had a noviight with Holy Spirit Prote. What do you think they would do?"

  "This…"

  The old bishop's face ged at Stone's words.

  "Don't fet the disaster during the Dark Moon of Corruption. The Holy Spirit Knights were almost wiped out. We lost that entire order. Even though many of those chaotic cultists died afterward, the blow to our church was almost fatal."

  "..."

  This time, the old man didn't respond immediately. He was silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh.

  "Of course, I haven't fotten… It was a terrible time…"

  "That's why it's rare to see Holy Spirit Knights now. Their legacy has almost disappeared…"

  Stone paused for a moment.

  "I think he might be able to recim the Holy Spirit's legacy."

  "After all you've said, do you think I'd agree to him being your student?"

  The old bishop raised his eyebrows, gring at Stone, who merely shrugged.

  "Sure, I admit my methods be a bit rough, but you 't deny they're effective, right? He's still too weak. If he 't even protect himself, how he grow?"

  The old bishop hesitated for a moment before sighing deeply.

  "Alright… I agree. I won't report this to the tral Bishop cil for now, and I'll ensure only the two of us know. Is that enough?"

  "Thank you, old man."

  Stone's smile returned.

  "Trust me, this is the right decision."

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