Ryan returned to the military camp and told Count Clayton what he had learned.
"The Holy Son of Dawn?"
Count Clayton was surprised as well, then understood the connection.
"Solarian wants the Holy Son of Dawn to earn achievements and win people over. Isn't he said to be the Pope's son?"
Hearing that explanation, Ryan agreed. In a war between the Church and the empire, what moment could give the Church a greater advantage than this? Even at full strength, the Imperial Second Legion only had tens of thousands of men, while the Church of Dawn's believer-soldiers numbered several times that.
And Ryan had reason to believe that Solarian had arranged powerful legends for this Holy Son of Dawn.
"Building momentum for the Holy Son, using us as his stepping stone?"
"If we lose, what will the emperor do?"
"Floyd; His Majesty Columbus won't do anything. We are his staunch allies. But the imperial nobles won't let this chance pass." Count Clayton said it without even raising his head, his eyes on the sand table as he calculated when the Holy Son of Dawn would arrive.
From now on, the real headache had only just begun.
On the hillside, inside the Church of Dawn's church tent.
"Archbishop Albright, our priests cannot enter the royal city. It seems that king has imprisoned the nobles and is about to become a heretic." A priest entered the temporary church and reported the news to the archbishop. The latter raised his head, his gaze calm and undisturbed.
"Let him. There is discord between King of Nant and the Pope. Since he has chosen to become a heretic, the Sword of Judgment will grant him death."
"But, Archbishop, are we really going to do nothing?"
"His Majesty's order is for us to recover Dawn's lost