The Pope Comes Calling

Blood Hell City.

In a spacious, minimalist room, Augustin looked somewhat helplessly at the tense-faced Yulia before him.

"Bishop Yulia, I mean no harm. You needn't be so nervous."

"Lich King Augustine, though I do not know how you cleansed yourself of that dark aura and became a follower of my lord, I do not acknowledge your identity. Whether your intentions are good or ill, you are not welcome here." Yulia gripped the Scepter of Light tightly, her eyes filled with vigilance.

Augustin let out a soft sigh, and a deep weariness and disappointment surfaced in his eyes.

This was the first problem he faced now. Back then, he had betrayed the Holy Light Empire and thrown himself into hell. He had led countless undead armies in repeated assaults on the human borders, committing endless slaughter and leaving his reputation utterly foul across the Saint Nor Continent.

Thus, even though he had returned to the embrace of the Lord of Dawn and advanced further in strength, the remaining upper ranks of the former Church of Dawn still refused to acknowledge him.

Yulia was not the first cardinal archbishop he had visited. Over the past few days, he had sought out the Church of Dawn leaders who had joined the two great empires of Arcane and the Holy Alliance, and although their attitudes had been better than Yulia's—

Augustin keenly sensed that they merely wanted to use him. Not only did they demand that he return the Church of Dawn's former three Light Divine Artifacts, they also wanted him to pass down all his power before the Lord of Dawn to the next pope. Furthermore, the rebuilt Church of Dawn would have no place for him at all.

If that could bring about the rebuilding of the Church of Dawn and