William didn't explain. Instead, he gave Claire a look.
The latter immediately understood. She dismissed the elite agents, leaving only Gail and herself.
"Can I hear your true thoughts now?" Claire closed the door and asked.
"After the last council meeting in D.C., the Vatican already knows you have someone from the Church backing you," William said.
"And the sacrificial ritual they proposed... I've never seen anything like it in Church texts, so it's highly likely a trap they deliberately set."
Gail frowned: "You mean... they know this trap is clumsy, so they're just waiting for us to make a move?"
William nodded: "It seems they believe someone in the Church's upper echelon has defected to the North American government."
He then added, "Of course, this is just my speculation. After all, the Church has been around for over a millennium; it's quite plausible that some bizarre rituals exist."
"Given Mr. William's expertise in theology, I believe your deduction has high credibility," Claire said.
Gail looked perplexed, pacing back and forth in the conference room. "But... aren't they afraid we won't agree to this cooperation?"
Claire sighed: "The North American government will definitely agree."
"After all, the internal politics of North America are also complex. We must give the public an explanation, and we cannot leave any leverage for others to use against us."
"Otherwise, if an accident truly occurs, the people currently in power will not escape accountability."
William's gaze remained calm. This was already a classic trope in American politics, so he didn't find it surprising.
"So, since the other party is waiting for us to deploy our people, we naturally cannot disappoint them," he said.
"But if we do that, won't you be completely exposed?" Gail's tone was somewhat anxious.
"Shortly after the Church issued a wanted notice for me, North America made breakthroughs in methods to combat evil, and even possessed powerful magic array capabilities during the council..." William smiled faintly.
"There are already too many coincidences between the two."
"Furthermore, I've been here twice now, and people from various agencies and factions were present just now. As long as someone bothers to investigate, finding out my identity won't be difficult."
Hearing this, Gail immediately glared at Claire, her eyes filled with hostility.
"I apologize... Mr. William," Claire sighed. "The Church and North America are still ostensibly in a cooperative relationship. We must leave room to ease tensions."
Gail trembled all over: "The so-called room is leaving Mr. William in a position where he can be discovered and abandoned at any time?"
"The few people here just now are all very reliable. I can guarantee they won't leak any information," Claire hurriedly explained.
"Claire!" Gail looked utterly incredulous. "I never thought you were this kind of person!"
With that, she grabbed William's arm. "We're leaving."
William placed a hand over Gail's, giving her a reassuring look. "Since Ms. Claire holds this position, there are certain things she cannot decide on her own."
He then turned to Claire.
"Besides, this is also a necessary safeguard. After all, America has so many ordinary citizens. If a major risk occurs, the losses would be astronomical."
Hearing this, Claire looked surprised. "Thank you for your understanding."
"However, for the sake of my own safety, I need to look up some information before the ritual begins. Therefore, I will need the relevant clearance." William's tone shifted.
Claire pondered for a moment, then nodded immediately. "No problem. I can authorize that."
"Then it's settled," William extended his hand. "I hope we have a pleasant cooperation."
After leaving the building, Gail kept her head down.
"Mr. William... I didn't expect things to turn out like this."
"Things have always been like this. You've only just truly witnessed it today," William said. Gail looked up, seemingly understanding something.
William continued, "Don't mind these trivial matters. Right now, the most important thing is to resist the invasion of the Demon God's legion."
Gail's expression was complex: "Your noble character truly commands my admiration."
"What are your plans next? If there's anything I can do, please let me know."
"On the day the ritual begins, swagger in dressed as a priest," William said.
Gail looked confused: "You want to..."
"Just a little deceptive trick, making them think I have backing. This will also buy us some time."
"But doing that... you might be targeted by the Church."
"There's no need to worry about that." William rubbed his chin.
"Judging from the selection of the volunteers, the Church clearly has other motives. Therefore, even if they know I'm present, they won't act immediately."
He then looked up.
"However, we still need to make the necessary preparations. Ms. Gail, please organize some exorcism training activities across North America in the near future. The procedures must strictly follow the Church's methods."
"Understood. Leave it to me."
Upon returning to the Light of Humanity base, William immediately dove into the laboratory to finalize the materials for the holy artifacts.
His compromise with the North American officials wasn't out of a genuine willingness to sacrifice himself; he had to make this trip.
Putting aside the fact that there was a Source Power passage at that location.
More importantly, the Church had gone to such lengths this time, even risking a fallout with the North American government.
This indicated that whatever they were planning was definitely not simple.
Therefore, William had to be present to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control, otherwise all his recent efforts would be in vain.
And utilizing the identity provided by the North American officials would make things much easier.
If he went alone, he would have to find a way to sneak in, and he would likely end up in a direct confrontation with the Holy Clergy Members there.
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Western forest, Virginia.
A bird descended from mid-air and landed on a branch.
It tilted its head, exhibiting curiosity toward a large tree in front of it.
Amazingly, there was a bird on the bark of that tree as well, tilting its head in the exact same manner.
To the bird, this was a blatant provocation!
It immediately flapped its wings and charged, intending to reassert dominance over its territory.
But following a dull thud, the bird dropped straight down, headfirst.
Then, ripples flowed across the surface of the bark, revealing a massive barrier.
This barrier extended to the left and right, disappearing from sight.
The bird simply fell onto the muddy ground, stiff and motionless.
At this time, a leather boot stepped beside it, and a hand picked up the bird.
"To set up such a massive defensive magic array... I wonder how many animals will be affected," a young man wearing a crucifix longsword frowned.
"The Church is going too far."
"Squire Pence, watch your words and actions," Hawkwood said sternly. "This is not the territory of the Lord Knights."
Pence rubbed his head.
He then placed his hand on the bird, and a gentle energy emanated from his palm.
Before long, the bird gradually awoke.
"Fly far away, little guy, and don't come back." He tossed the bird in another direction.
After flapping its wings a few times, the bird quickly left his hand.
Hawkwood observed this scene without stopping him.
He looked at another young man beside him, who was currently holding his crucifix longsword and vigilantly guarding the surroundings.
"Knight Henry, we were invited by the Church to maintain the magic array this time. There's no need to be so tense," Hawkwood said.
"Lord Templar Knight, the Church is going to use ordinary people as sacrifices this time, and they won't even announce what exactly they're doing," Henry shook his head.
"Who knows what their motives are. It's better to be careful."
"Since that's the case, let's stop for a moment," Hawkwood called out to the two. "It's time to tell you some inside information."