It was evident that a runner had been sent ahead because Saint John the Kind was standing behind the main entrance of the Westminster Abbey. Behind him were a group of clerics, most of whom I did not recognize. But I saw Archbishop Wilshire and Bishop Canterbury among them.

I immediately knelt before the saint and kissed his ring, and then Van did the same.

"We have been waiting for your return, Brother Mulligan," Saint John chided me mildly.

I bowed my head deeply. "I apologize for keeping you waiting," I replied.

"Come with me to the chapel," the leader of the Church ordered. He turned around and started walking.

I followed him, and Van walked behind me.

The rest of the clerics walked silently behind us.

As our group walked along the main hallway, I noticed something unusual--no churchgoers were around! In the past, I would encounter many commoners as they entered and left the building. This morning, however, the halls were eerily empty except for the heavy presence of knights standing guard.

Saint John took us to a small chapel that barely had enough room for all fourteen of us. "Brother Mulligan, The Twelve has gathered to examine your qualification for kingship. A prerequisite to that is your recognition as the Champion of Order and defending the Kingdom against the Champion of Chaos and his followers. Are you prepared to submit to our Inquisition?" he asked in a severe tone of voice.

I nodded. "I am."

"Then go to the podium and knee. Your follower will remain outside the chapel as we conduct our examination," the church leader ordered.

I walked to the front of the chapel and knelt on the podium.

"I will now review and copy your Player Status Report," Saint John announced. He muttered quietly, and his eyes started to glow with a golden hue.

Another cleric quietly handed him a parchment and quill.

The saint started writing down my information. It took several minutes for him to finish, and Saint John used several pieces of parchment to copy my information. When he completed this task, the saint passed the papers to Bishop Canterbury, who was seated to his right.

The bishop took a minute to review the papers, and then he passed them to the next person.

By the time every church leader in the chapel had seen my report, my lower legs had fallen asleep. I was forced to remain on my knees for the past twelve minutes.

Mercifully, Saint John was mindful of my physical condition. "Please rise, Brother Mulligan."

Putting my palms to the ground, I slowly pushed my body back up.

The saint stood and turned around to address The Twelve. "Does anyone oppose Lawrence Eugene Mulligan's candidacy for kingship?" he asked.

Everyone remained silent.

"Then we have a new King-in-Waiting who must prove himself to the Gods and the people of the Kingdom of Merlin," Saint John concluded. He turned around to face me. He had a kind smile on his face. The old man slowly approached me. When Saint John stood in front of me, he requested, "Please lower your head."

Despite my surprise, I did as requested.

Saint John the Kind gave me a hug and a kiss on my forehead. "May the Gods be you," he blessed me and stepped out of the chapel.

The other members of The Twelve formed a line and started giving me a hug, kiss, and blessing as well.

When I was the sole person remaining inside the chapel, the saint spoke from the doorway. "You will remain here and pray to the Gods. We will need time to prepare for your public ceremony as the Champion of Order in the Public Square. A servant will fetch you when it is time," he explained.

I bowed deeply to The Twelve, who then left me behind. I hopped off the podium and walked to the center of the room. I sat down, cross-legged, and closed my eyes to meditate.

As my senses drew closer to my inner soul, I made an important discovery! Leylines surrounded me! With growing excitement, I started tapping into each line to learn what element it contained. I was shocked to learn that ALL six elements were present--including light and dark! I quickly bound the leylines of light and dark to my soul.

When the leylines of all six elements connected to my soul, I felt a surge of energy rushing into my body, and the energy began to circulate. I opened my eyes to check my in-game notifications, and I saw the following: "Leyline CONNECTED: Westminster Abbey (Light). +1,000 XP." "Leyline CONNECTED: Westminster Abbey (Dark). +1,000 XP." "Major faction quest COMPLETED. Title ACQUIRED: Leyline Master. +2 to all attributes, +5,000 XP, +5,000 Reputation, +10,000 XP."

I was pleasantly surprised by these messages. While I understood why a leyline of light ran through the abbey, I was stupefied by the presence of the leyline of darkness. On the other hand, it made sense given how Bane, a Chaotic God, was able to walk around as his human avatar on church grounds with impunity.

I pushed aside these thoughts and cleared my mind again to continue meditating. The sands of time slowly passed. My mind was serene, and my heart was at peace. A while later, I felt the presence of another being entering the room. I opened my eyes and saw a young boy.

"Brother Mulligan, please come with me," the servant requested with a deep bow.

I rose to my feet and followed him out of the small chapel. When I stepped out of the room, Van accosted me. "How long have you been standing here?" I asked. I didn't expect the paladin to be standing guard, and I felt guilty for making him wait.

Van tilted his head. "Two hours maybe?" he replied with a shrug. It made no difference to the paladin because it was his duty to watch over me. He was not foolish enough to believe that the assassins would give up trying to kill me just because I was inside a church.

The boy led us down the hallway. He stopped after passing two doors. He opened the door and said, "Inside this room is a bathtub with hot water. Please clean yourself and change into the clothes provided for you," the servant requested politely.

My bodyguard stuck his head inside the room and cast Detect Evil. He found nothing hidden in the room and gestured for me to enter. "You should listen to the boy and take a bath. You stink," he smirked.

I rolled my eyes at him. "You're not smelling like roses, either. I pity Bila, who has to put up with your stink," I retorted.

Van put his hands on my back and forcefully shoved me into the room. "The Twelve are waiting for you, Brother Mulligan." He closed the door before I could make a saucy comeback.

I took a quick survey of the room. It was ten feet by ten feet with the previously mentioned bathtub in the center of the room. The air was moist and steamy from the hot water inside the tub. A folded towel and a bar of soap were at the edge of the bathtub. A small slit on the wall allowed fresh air to enter the room.

There was a wooden chair leaning against another wall. On the seat was a set of neatly-folded, clean clothes--a blue tunic, gray underpants, blue pants, black shoes, and a white robe with golden embroidery on the sleeves and at the bottom of the garment.

I quickly undressed and stepped into the tub. The water was warmer than I expected but not scalding hot. I carefully sat down and started scrubbing my skin using the bar of soap. The bathwater soon turned muddy and gray with my filth. The bar of soap had a scent of lavender, and my nose twitched slightly at the smell. I chuckled when I imagined how Bila would react to the scent.

I suspected that people were probably waiting for my arrival in the Public Square because I thought The Twelve intended the ceremony to be public. Otherwise, the church leaders would have conducted the religious ceremony immediately after their inquisition in the small chapel.

When I was satisfied that my body was scrubbed entirely clean, I got out of the tub and dried myself with the large towel. I put on the new clothes and marveled at how perfectly they fit my body. I was happy to discover the pants had pockets as well as an inner pouch inside the waistband for storage of coins. I quickly transferred the coins in my waist pouch to the new pants.

I wore the white robe and then I put on my belt. I tied my money sack, my spellbook leather pouch, and my scabbard to my waist. I strapped the sheath of my dagger to my left calf. I put on my messenger bag and my potions bag. Last but not least, I put on my leather strap around my back and placed my Staff of Merlin through the hole in the strap.

I looked around the room in search of a mirror, but alas, there wasn't one. I sighed and quickly patted my body with my hands to ensure everything was in order. I picked up the old, dirty clothes and walked out of the room.

"I'll take those clothes," the servant offered and took them off my hands.

"I'll take your messenger bag," Van said.

I handed the bag to the paladin, who declined to put it on his back and held the bag in his left hand instead.

"Please follow me," the boy said respectfully and started walking along the main hallway.

I saw that at the very end of the hallway, The Twelve were waiting for me. The clergymen had changed their simple robes for more elegant ones with golden embroidery similar to mine. Furthermore, each cleric wore a hat which was square with three peaks. Saint John wore white, while the other clerics wore either red or violet colored caps. Also, the saint held a pastoral staff with a cross at the top, while the others carried staves with hooks on top in the style of a shepherd's crook.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," I apologized with a deep bow.

"Well, at least you smell better than before," someone remarked with a chuckle.

My face turned red with embarrassment as I recalled fourteen of us standing inside the small chapel a few hours earlier. At the time, I didn't see any look of discomfort on their faces as The Twelve conducted their Inquisition.

Saint John the Kind waved his hand. "It's time for the ceremony, Brother Mulligan. Please follow us into the Public Square," he ordered.

I nodded.

The saint slammed the end of his pastoral staff on the ground twice.

The massive double doors creaked open before him, and Saint John started the procession. He descended the steps slowly without looking down. His head was faced forward, and his eyes shone with pride and determination as the ordinary people watched in silence.

The musicians started playing their instruments.

I saw a raised platform at the center of the Public Square, and the saint was headed straight for it. My eyes darted from side to side as I grew more and more nervous while walking past the crowd. There were thousands of people gathered for this ceremony. My heart started racing, and I felt a panic attack coming! Suddenly, dice began rolling inside my head and then stopped. "Wisdom saving throw SUCCESSFUL. +50 XP." I laughed inwardly as my heartbeat slowly returned to normal. Making a saving was one way to stop a panic attack.

I decided to stop looking at the people and focus my attention on Bishop Canterbury's back. He was the lowest ranking member of The Twelve, and therefore, had the last spot among the church leadership. Nonetheless, Bishop Cantebury's presence was reassuring to me because this man represented Tregome, the place where I began this long journey, and I considered Tregome to be my hometown.

I followed the church leaders, and eventually, I climbed the elevated platform. From my higher vantage point, I immediately realized my mistake: there were at least tens of thousands of people gathered in the Public Square. Thankfully, I did not suffer another panic attack.

Saint John the Kind moved to the center of the platform and stepped forward. He raised his hands to quiet the onlookers. "My fellow countrymen, we are gathered here today to witness a joyous occasion: the recognition of our new Champion of Order, Lawrence Eugene Mulligan!" The old man turned around and pointed his staff at me.

The crowded offered a loud and boisterous cheer.

The saint waited for the cheers to die down and then continued his speech. "But his rise also heralds the rise of his polar opposite--the Champion of Chaos. Indeed, my friends, this champion has gathered an army, and they are currently marching toward our major cities in the south. In the upcoming days, our Champion will rise his banner and meet the army of Chaos. Will you accept the challenge and volunteer to join the army of Order? Will you laid down your very lives to protect your families and your homes? I humbly beseech you to join." Saint John lowered his head toward the crowd.

"Where do I sign up?" someone shouted.

"Me, too!" the crowd echoed.

Saint John raised his head and smiled broadly. "Immediately after the ceremony," he told the audience. The saint turned to face me again. "Lawrence Eugene Mulligan, the Pursuer of the Crown, Leyline Master, Spirit Magi, Matter User, Anti-Matter User, Dragonslayer, Finalist in the Melee Tournament, Undead Hunter, Were-Hunter, Avenger of the Town Judge Wachtel, and Protector of Southampton, please stand before me," he requested.

I walked to the front of the stage and stood before him.

"Kneel."

I obeyed.

The saint took out a flask of holy water from his pocket, and he slowly poured the water on my head. "With the blessing of the Gods of the Law and Order, I, Saint John the Kind, now confer upon you, Lawrence Eugene Mulligan, the title of the 'Champion of Order!'"

I immediately received this pop-up message: "Title ACQUIRED: Champion of Order. +5,000 XP, +5,000 Reputation, +10,000 XP."

"Please rise and face your people," Saint John instructed.

I obeyed.

Someone used a towel to wipe my hair and face.

Van appeared in front of me. In his hand was a white mantle with a red cross at the center. He placed the cape around me. He fastened the clasp above my collarbone to hold the mantle in place.

"Artifact ACQUIRED: Mantle of Order, soul bound. +5 to all attributes, +25% reputation to Lawful creatures, +50% resistance to Chaos. +2,000 XP, +5,000 Reputation, +10,000 XP."

I was astounded by how powerful this article of clothing was!

"You need to make a speech," Van whispered.

Setting aside my annoyance at being put on the spot in this manner, I calmly faced the crowd. I took a deep breath and began my short, impromptu speech. "My fellow countrymen, I am honored to become your new Champion of Order. I am humbled by the faith that you have placed in me to protect you. I will make you this promise: I will fight the army of Chaos with everything I have. But I am only one man. I cannot fight them alone. Who among you will stand up and join me to protect our families, our homes, and our kingdom?" I challenged the crowd.

"I will!" "Me!" The audience began raising their hands.

Van raised his fist and shouted, "Larry! Larry! Larry!"

Saint John the Kind joined the chant, and the rest of The Twelve did the same.

The audience was spellbound and they, too, chanted, "Larry! Larry! Larry!"

My forearms tingled, and I looked up. I saw my six Divine Patrons standing in the sky with approving looks on their faces.

They waved at me and vanished.