Land of Ill Omen

The oppressive atmosphere on the Holy Mountain was finally gone. The poor Archbishop Sigurd was stripped of all honors after his death, and many of those who had been by his side on the Holy Mountain were imprisoned to atone for their sins.

This was all his fault; he failed to pass the Lord's test and also disappointed His Holiness the Pope's expectations of him.

Immediately afterwards, the Holy Mountain was filled with cheers and jubilation.

As servants of the Lord of Dawn, and followers of Dawn, they once again triumphed over the evil empire, destroying the empire's distorted faith in its so-called light, turning the power of faith that should not have existed in the Andara Kingdom into ruins.

This is all a victory brought about by the glory of the Lord, a victory for them, the servants of the Dawn.

They are powerful; they have received the Lord's grace, and even the Lord's soldiers, the archangels, have descended upon the Holy Mountain.

The arrival of the Archangel Samir apostle boosted the morale of the Holy Mountain. Faced with the archangel's questioning, the Pope lowered his noble head, deeply reflecting on his own abilities, but also swore to the archangel that the land of Dawn would not turn into darkness.

Immediately afterwards, an extraordinary army left the Holy Mountain and headed towards the Path of Dawn, which was almost impossible to suppress.

Corresponding to this was the Emperor of the Florian Empire.

The esteemed Emperor Flor, the Archbishop of Light, was much more somber. He did not show anger, but the death of Nyx Columbus and the destruction of the Church of Light in the Andara Kingdom had tarnished His Majesty the Emperor's ambitions.

Fortunately, Ryan's subsequent handling of the situation was somewhat gratifying for the emperor, as he nipped some damned signs of trouble for the empire in the bud.

However, the appearance of the archangel on the Holy Mountain completely enraged the emperor.

"Where is that damned bastard Angbelde? What on earth is he doing? Why did he let the archangel appear on the Holy Mountain?!"

The appearance of Archangel Samir directly gave Dawn and Light, who were originally embroiled in conflict, a correct direction of faith.

This left the Imperial Capital how to proceed with the subsequent war of faith.

He has already won the war between the Andara Kingdom and the Sera Kingdom. This is a victory for the Empire. He should have pressed his advantage and killed those damned fanatics in the Thousand Lakes Province.

But now things are different. Nothing works anymore. The appearance of the archangel has made the kingdom's war just a kingdom's war, and it has nothing to do with who is right or wrong in terms of faith. And under this premise, the Empire's Church of Light in the Andara Kingdom was also destroyed.

The empire appeared to have won, but on the truly crucial battlefield, he, the Grand Pope of Light, suffered a complete defeat.

No one could have predicted the unexpected appearance of the archangel; it was something beyond human control.

"His Majesty the Emperor will not know how the archangels came to be."

This is also a difference in the aristocratic system. The people of the Clayton County would not inform the Emperor of Flor's Empire Emperor. The Monarch of Monarch is not their Monarch.

The appearance of the archangel brought cheers to the Holy Mountain, praising it as yet another victory for the empire, for they were always victorious.

Immediately afterwards, the Pope mobilized an army in the name of Divine Oracle.

"The Lord has shown you mercy and allowed you to atone to the great Dawn."

"At Dawn after thirty Eternal Night, you will face judgment, death, or rebirth."

The Pope addressed a disorganized army, leading them into the Path of Dawn.

They weren't like an army; they were more like a bunch of local thugs, completely lacking in discipline, but their fighting spirit surpassed that of any soldier.

They are sinners, sinners condemned by the Church of Dawn, imprisoned in a prison from which there is no escape. They should have been burned to death by the Sacred Fire of the Dawn at the right time, their screams and wails serving as a warning to all humans who are disloyal to the Dawn.

The Church called them the Crusaders, and this army brazenly marched into the Path of Dawn in the name of atonement.

They must have been very strong, otherwise they could not have survived in the prison on the Holy Mountain.

In just ten days, the territories of more than thirty nobles were destroyed and their families perished. In desperation, the nobles had no choice but to offer all their wealth to the Holy Mountain to atone for their sins.

This was the best possible outcome for those nobles. They knew that if they had stayed on the Path of Dawn, they would have had no chance of survival. Devout Dawn Believers would have punished every disloyal subject with death.

The Crusaders' methods on the Path of Dawn instilled fear in many nobles in distant lands.

They were completely unrestrained, and even when acting in the name of Dawn, the other nobles had no reason to help the invaded noble territories.

Unable to intervene, they could only watch as noble castles were destroyed by the menacing Crusaders soldiers.

The South lands, unlike the empire, are like the bloodline of Ignazio; they have been peaceful for far too long, so long that their families even need to buy weapons and equipment for war from Ryan in the north.

They forgot the smell of blood and vomited incessantly; they forgot the feeling of pain and took whatever they wanted from their enemies under the blows of fists and kicks; they forgot that the glory of nobility was filled with the splendor of blood and fire, and so they began to kneel even before death was a threat.

"You have to do something!"

The ancient bloodlines are secretly pressuring the empire's nobility, causing the Elector Floyd a great deal of trouble.

The South lands have armies and Extraordinary Legion, but those armies cannot openly appear on the battlefield to oppose the Church.

The Empire's army was even less likely to appear in the rear of this land of the Church of Dawn's faith; the war here was a lone battle for them.

This was an incredibly difficult task. Sometimes, Floyd couldn't help but wish he could switch places with Volvo; rebuilding the West Coast Fleet would be such a wonderful job.

However, there was nothing he could do; he hadn't yet gained the support of any Grand Duke, and his current abilities were inferior to Volvo's in the eyes of the Emperor.

Floyd didn't think too much about these political matters; he looked at the nobles around him, as well as the noble bloodlines from the empire.

"We can try to destroy that Atonement Army."

Compared to suppressing and appeasing these nobles, Floyd's methods were much more direct and decisive, imbued with a great deal of supernatural power, and he began another war against the Church's army.

But this time, they didn't have the same success as when they faced the Holy Kingdom Knights.

The Atonement Army, an army formed by those who should have been burned at the cross but were forgiven, was a very powerful fighting force.

It's not just about their extraordinary individual attributes, but also their instinctive reactions when facing war and combat.

The superhumans behind Floyd were no match for him at all.

"It is said that the Church's prison is built in the Abyss, and the prisoners there have to fight monsters from the Abyss every day in order to survive."

The nobles watched in awe at the fierce battle on the battlefield, terrified of this army that had crawled out of the brink of death.

Floyd's extraordinary and sweeping tactics inflicted considerable damage on the unequipped and undefended Crusaders, but they still lost.

The Legendary weapon in the hands of the Elector Floyd was corrupted by the power of the Abyss. His angry eyes blazed with golden majesty, annihilating his opponent. This was a supernatural quality that the Florian Empire's Imperial House had acquired during their blasphemy, but it still could not change the fact that they had ultimately lost the war.

They cannot sustain a prolonged war here, because armies from all directions will arrive to reinforce them, either voluntarily or involuntarily, under the orders of the Dawn, and then hunt down any enemies who dare to attack the Church of Dawn.

Among them might be the armies of nobles who should have been on Floyd's side.

"We should go."

Aatrox Clayton felt a chill run down his spine as he sensed the power emanating from Floyd. It was said that among the three Elector, Floyd was the most formidable in combat, but he never expected that even he, Legendary, would feel threatened.

The Elector did not want to leave, but leaving now would be an admission of defeat. The first task the emperor assigned to the Elector had ended in failure, and his reputation would be reduced to a very regrettable level.

Most importantly, Floyd didn't want to leave. He was furious about his defeat and dissatisfied with his own strength; he should have killed those damned the Church Crusaders in that battle.

"I will stay until I kill Damon."

Floyd did not deny the failure, but he needed to find success in the failure.

Killing Damon, the Legion Commander the Holy Kingdom Knights, was the only way he could give himself leeway.

Aatrox nodded. Some of the nobles around him tried to dissuade him, but most shared Aatrox's opinion.

He is a nobleman, and moreover, the heir to the Count Clayton Family, the future Count Clayton.

However, he is not yet one. Even if he could make the decision, nobles should not interfere too much with an Elector before deciding which Elector to be close to.

The Count Clayton is now on Emperor Flor's side, not on the side of the Elector.

So Aatrox left, along with many noble bloodlines. They would return to the Empire, and what they brought back with them was probably not good news.

That His Majesty the Emperor should smash a few more tables to vent his anger.

In contrast to the emperor, there was naturally His Holiness the Pope, high above on the Holy Mountain.

The Pope has recovered from the shadow of localized setbacks and spends his days praying kindly on the Holy Mountain, treating everyone with courtesy.

Then, he began to inquire about the handling of the Sera Kingdom.

"Who among you intends to go to the Sera Kingdom and take charge of the faith of my Lord in that land?"

This question was posed after summoning a large group of Archbishop.

The same thing happened last time. The Archbishop competed based on their fathers' connections, their power, and their strength. In the end, Archbishop Sigurd won and happily went to the Sera Kingdom.

But this time... no one spoke.

Within the Church Papacy, that land was already viewed as a monstrous threat. Not only was it far from the Holy Mountain, but it was also extremely dangerous. Pastor Soto was already a Legendary figure within the Church, having wielded immense power as a priest, yet he died in the north.

Later, the Sera Kingdom appeared, and a series of troubles ended tragically. Almost no clergy above the rank of bishop could gain any benefit in that land.

Instead, they all died.

That place was an ominous place, and the Archbishop did not want to go there.

"As devout believers of my Lord, you should dedicate your lives to spreading the faith of my Lord, so that the light of my Lord may illuminate every dark land."

Are you afraid of the darkness?

The Pope was displeased, and the Archbishop began to speak up, offering their own reasons for refusing to take the blame.

They can't go to prayer today, they can't go to sow the glory of the Lord tomorrow, and they can't go to celebrate the birthday of the Cardinal Archbishop the day after tomorrow. In short, the Archbishop always have their own reasons, and some even say that they couldn't get away last time because of a certain reason.

They were unwilling to go to that ominous place, but seeing the Pope's unfriendly expression, the Archbishop naturally left themselves an escape route.

And so, they all started scrambling for it again.

"I think... Bishop Agatha's is quite good."

"I believe Bishop Eric would be a good fit for the Sera Kingdom."

"I think..."

They needed to give the Pope a candidate to go to the Sera Kingdom.

Soon, a suitable candidate was chosen. Bishop Eric, deeply favored by the Lord, would preside over the Dawn Faith of a kingdom as a bishop. Bishop Eric was deeply grateful and praised the Lord and the Pope. Considering that he would soon be leaving the Holy Mountain, he entrusted his property to the Archbishop Andre, whom he trusted.

And so, Bishop Eric embarked on his journey to the Sera Kingdom.

The Church of Dawn is filled with envy and admiration for Bishop Eric's appointment. The Lord's glory will guide him to Kingdom of Heaven, and they look forward to him receiving Divine Favor in the northern lands and entering the Eternal Kingdom of Heaven soon.

The Sera Kingdom also expressed its welcome to Bishop Eric. The entire kingdom bathed and rested, preparing to welcome Bishop Eric. Everyone was eagerly anticipating his arrival.

Then...

No one ever saw the esteemed Bishop Eric again.

"Where is the bishop?"

The Holy Mountain expressed its doubts and asked questions.

"Where is the bishop?"

The Sera Kingdom stared at each other in bewilderment; the banners were already up, but the people had vanished.

Ryan and Sera King were staring at each other, and finally Ryan turned his gaze to Egil beside him.

The latter shook his head.

"Your knight did not wait for him; it seems... he never came here."

So, where is the esteemed Archbishop Eric?

This became the question in everyone's mind, and His Holiness the Pope on the Holy Mountain, of course, once again found his mood shifting from sunny to cloudy.

Last time, the Archbishop Sigurd died in the north, and at least his body could be recovered. Now, Bishop Eric has disappeared without a trace.

To ensure his safe and successful journey to the Sera Kingdom, the Holy Mountain bestowed numerous blessings and Divine Art upon him. Bishop Eric even donated his entire fortune to an Archbishop in exchange for a resurrection Divine Art, allowing him to be resurrected on the Holy Mountain even in death and continue serving as a bishop in another form.

Missing? What a ridiculous word. The Church of Dawn doesn't even know whether Bishop Eric is dead or alive.

This time, not only was the Pope even angrier than before, but all the clergy on the Holy Mountain finally united.

Last time, at least they knew it was the Empire that was behind it, and the enemy was the one they had always been fighting. This time, however, it was so bizarre that the resurrection spell was not triggered. If Bishop Eric was like this, what if they had encountered it?

No one can escape the presence of countless terrifying forces, for the Lord of Dawn in the heavens always shines upon this world.

Soon, the truth came to light.

"Bishop Eric has disappeared into the [The Woodlands]."

"The territory of the Elves."

"Because Archbishop Sigurd died in that hilly area, he chose to head north from that plain, that is, the side closer to the Woodlands, and then... he disappeared into it."

"They disappeared into the land of the Elves."

"The ancient Elves have many methods, especially the Lady Moon whom they serve, who has ways to prevent Bishop Eric's Divine Art from taking effect."

silence.

The prolonged silence underscores the gravity of the situation; what began as an internal human conflict has escalated into a racial tension, making it no longer a simple matter.

The matter of Bishop Eric could not be resolved in the short term, and the Pope once again inquired about the Sera Kingdom.

This time... even the bishop didn't want to go.

"That place is an ominous place, Your Holiness the Pope."

Of course, the first bishop to utter these words was imprisoned that very day and never had the chance to join the Crusaders.

The people who followed dared not speak, but they would change their words.

"We have no right to steal the glory of Archbishop Adriana's faith. She is Divine Oracle Archbishop blessed by our Lord. If we try to steal Archbishop Adriana's honor, the Lord will no longer love us greedy servants."

"He gives us Divine Punishment."

What an ominous place! As servants of the Lord of Dawn, they have only one faith: everything, good or bad, must be a gift from the great Lord of Dawn.

Their death was the Lord's punishment for them; otherwise, how could the Lord's servants die? Even in death, they would be led into the Eternal Kingdom of Heaven.

Living is also a gift from the Lord. Their life and death are in the Lord's control. If He wants them to live, they can live. No power can kill them.

Correspondingly, the deaths of clergy must have had a reason, and must have been due to God's displeasure and punishment of them.

This explanation is much more reasonable and well-founded.

After Archbishop Adriana received several Divine Grace on the Holy Mountain, even the Pope turned a blind eye to her actions, let alone the clergy.

How dare they try to steal the fruits of Archbishop Adriana's labor in the Sera Kingdom? What's wrong with the Lord punishing them?

This is all their own fault. Don't these clergy understand the magnitude of Deities Divine Grace and Divine Oracle Dawn? How dare they go against the Lord?

The Lord gave Archbishop Adriana Divine Oracle to do her work, and you still want to interfere? Do you even want to live?

Thinking about it that way, it seems... that's actually the case.

The clergy of the Church of Dawn may be corrupt or degenerate, but their faith in the Lord of Dawn is unquestionable; the more they think about it, the more convinced they become of it.

The Empire? The Empire and the Church have failed in their major wars in the south, but have repeatedly succeeded in the land of the Sera Kingdom. Is it really because of the Empire?

It must be due to the Lord's dissatisfaction.

Everything was God's best guidance for their Fate.

(End of this chapter)