Pastor Mog

"Leave, all of you! I told you already, our church isn't taking anyone in right now, and there's no work for you either. If you don't leave, I'll have you thrown out!"

At the center of the crowd stood a young man in Priest's Robes with a black base and red trim, clearly a Ritual Priest of the Candle Sun Church. He held his arms wide before the entrance, blocking anyone from entering the church.

"But, Pastor..." A middle-aged woman suddenly squeezed through the noisy crowd. "I want to go in and pray for Holy Water for my son. He suddenly started vomiting and having diarrhea this morning. My poor Little John—I don't know what sin he committed."

"May Radiance bless your son. I'll personally bring the Holy Water over later."

"Pastor, Pastor, my husband..."

"Pastor, please..."

After persuading the believers to leave one by one, the young priest turned his gaze toward the outsiders. They neither spoke nor left, merely staring at him expectantly, giving him a terrible headache.

"Yes?"

"I told you, the church isn't taking anyone in right now..."

"I mean..." A black-haired girl stepped out from the crowd and said calmly, "Is Pastor Mog here right now? My teacher, Siswell, asked me to deliver a message to him."

*

"I am Mog, the current priest stationed in Ake Town by the Holy Church."

In the church's reception room, the young priest looked at the girl before him, his eyes full of suspicion.

"You know Siswell?"

"Siswell is my mentor."

Li Wen lied without the slightest change in expression.

In truth, she did not know Siswell at all. She had only vaguely heard his great name in her previous life. That elderly elf was known as the greatest mage in the Kingdom of Arthur since Merlin. He had served as the kingdom's Court Mage for a century, only stepping down in the past decade or so, after which he became an honorary professor at the Sunday Secret College of the Mage Society.

"You're a student of the Sunday Secret College?" Pastor Mog did not readily believe her, because the girl before him did not look like a mage in the slightest. "Then prove that what you say is true. As far as I know, those who leave the Sunday Secret College are all mages of the Origin Essence or Aether Spectrum."

As Arthur's largest Magic Society, the Sunday Secret College was a sacred ground for all occult scholars, historians, mathematicians, and artists. Every person who emerged from it was an Archmage of profound Mana. How could there be some unseasoned little girl like the one before him?

"That is merely your prejudice." Li Wen replied calmly. "Besides, I never said I came from the Arcane Academy. Mentor Siswell often admonished me: beneath the clarity of Radiance lies only deep darkness."

As she spoke, Li Wen's figure gradually faded, as though she were about to meld with the darkness in the room.

Pastor Mog's pupils contracted. This was the power of the Umbral Lineage.

As an Order Faction nation that worshipped Radiance, the Kingdom of Arthur had explicitly forbidden extraordinary beings of the Umbral Lineage. Ordinary people who wished to embark upon this path could only do so through certain secret illegal societies.

For example, Dark Dawn, which had always advocated that Radiance and deep darkness shared the same origin.

Mog rose and lit a black candle at each of the room's four corners. The dim yellow candlelight flickered, sealing all light and darkness within the room.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Despite having already confirmed her identity, Mog remained highly vigilant.

"There is no need for you to guard against me, Pastor Mog... or rather, Tilroggzak. Mentor has told me everything. He gave me this instruction: you need only follow my orders."

Upon hearing his true name, Mog instead relaxed and let down his guard. He did not even ask Li Wen's identity.

"Siswell! My beloved master, wise man, mentor—what instructions does he have this time? If he wants to transfer me away, that would be wonderful. I've had enough of this godforsaken place!"

Mog's expression was cold and stiff, but the fervor in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

Li Wen sighed inwardly. No one would have imagined that Siswell, the Kingdom of Arthur's greatest mage, former Court Mage, and beloved professor of the Arcane Academy, was actually this nation's greatest traitor.

The secret society he had founded, Dark Dawn, was a formidable enemy that gave the Kingdom Investigation Bureau endless headaches. The forbidden knowledge and rituals it spread throughout Arthur had poisoned countless people.

Li Wen even knew that, many years in the future, Siswell would personally orchestrate the destruction of the Kingdom of Arthur, reducing the vast kingdom to misery and devastation.

After that disaster, the Strategy Group followed the Holy Candlemas Church's Red Knight Legion to eradicate Dark Dawn's headquarters, where they seized the full roster of Dark Dawn's members.

Mog was among them: an utterly inconspicuous Ritual Priest stationed in Ake Town, on the kingdom's frontier.

"At present, there is nothing within the society that requires you to leave this place. I will be staying in Black Dragon Territory for a while and need a safe, stable residence and identity. That should not be a problem for you."

"It can be done, but I need to know why."

"That is none of your concern, demon!" Li Wen rebuked him coldly. "Do you intend to sabotage our great mentor's plans?"

A wary look appeared on Pastor Mog's face. "I only wanted to share our mentor's burdens."

"Hmph. Then you should be even less inclined to ask unnecessary questions." Li Wen continued, "I also need a Radiance Spectrum path: Sacrifice or Judgment. Choose one."

"That's impossible!"

Mog suddenly became irritated. Right now, he only wanted Li Wen to get the hell out; as for the great mentor's plans, whoever wanted to handle them could do so.

"I'm just a priest stationed in a small town. How could the church possibly entrust something like that to me?"

"I never asked you to bring it to me now. The Candle Sun Church is already observing those outsiders. They will likely soon select the first batch of candidates. You only need to reserve a slot for me in advance."

Mog stared at the girl concealed in the shadows, his expression shifting uncertainly. At last, he took a deep breath and said in a hoarse voice, "I have neither Sacrifice nor Judgment."

"Then what do you have?" Li Wen smiled faintly.

*

Pastor Mog temporarily arranged for Li Wen to stay at the church with the nuns. Publicly, he claimed she was his niece. Her village had been raided by bandits, both her parents had died, and with nowhere else to go, she had come to seek refuge with him.

"The Nun Dormitory is up ahead. You know this is only a small church, and there aren't many nuns, so don't complain that the dormitory is too small or shabby. Familiarize yourself with the rest on your own. Remember, do not let anything slip in front of those nuns, especially the power of the Umbral Lineage!"

"Of course. Mentor Siswell will remember your contribution."

Li Wen replied with a smile.

Pastor Mog did not even spare her a glance. He left with a cold face; he still had to provide those damned commoners with Holy Water or treatment.