Volume Four: Withering in the Mortal World, Chapter 281: Moonlit Night

The highest echelons of the Divine Law Cult are the three Goddess of Prayer, divine law, and sacrificial spirits, below whom are the Twelve Saintesses, one for each of the twelve provinces. It may seem that the power center of the Papacy is female, but this is not the case.

They were closer to "high-level executives" or "idols" than to those in power. Neither the Three Goddess nor the Twelve Saintesses wielded much real power.

The true pinnacle of the Papacy is held by the Pope and the Cardinal Archbishop.

The Pope is the Son of God, the embodiment of goodness and beauty, the de facto leader of the entire Divine Law Cult, the head of the Papacy, and possesses supreme power. All the people of the entire West Saint Continent, except for the Rebel Army, are believers of the Divine Law Cult, and he is the mentor of all believers, able to decide the fate of countless people with a single word.

The College of Cardinals is the highest religious institution in the West Saint Continent. It is the Pope's most capable assistant and advisor in governing the Papacy, and also the highest decision-making body comparable to the Pope. It consists of three major ranks: Cardinal, Cardinal Priest, and Cardinal Deacon. The affairs it manages cover all aspects of life, and the core of all Cardinal is the Cardinal Archbishop, who can be described as a figure second only to the Pope.

Even within the various dioceses, the Saintess is not the highest-ranking figure. The de facto highest leader within a diocese is the Archbishop, and the leaders of the dioceses below the diocese are the Diocesan Bishop. The Saintess is a symbol of the Papacy. Although she does handle affairs, she exists more as an idol worshipped by thousands, does not participate in decision-making, and has no real power.

The Papacy maintains a regular army of six million, and every believer has the obligation to serve in the military. However, the vast majority of soldiers who come from ordinary believers are just ordinary people without any special abilities. The Papacy has dominated the continent for over a thousand years, and the comfortable days have lasted too long. Even its military has become lax. Although the army composed of ordinary people has an astonishing quantity, it lacks sufficient quality.

The true core of their military power lies in their 200,000 paladins. Compared to the relatively disorganized ordinary army, each paladin is a rigorously trained superhuman, an elite capable of fighting a hundred men single-handedly. These 200,000 paladins are arguably the most direct threat to the Blood Blade Knights. The Bloodblade has nearly 600,000 troops, all fearless revolutionary fighters, far superior to the ordinary soldiers of the Holy See. However, the vast majority are ordinary people without superpowers, making it extremely difficult for them to contend with 200,000 well-trained superhumans.

One of the defining characteristics of paladins is that they all use "divine magic".

The Truth Incantation symbolizes "holiness" and "order," with order being the force that brings order to things. While those with supernatural abilities are powerful, the sheer variety of these abilities makes forcibly combining them counterproductive, causing interference and diminishing returns. Therefore, MacArthur, the first Pope of the Divine Law Cult, created the "Paladin System" using the Truth Incantation. Ignoring diversity, he treated every "supernatural ability" as a "power," using the Truth Incantation to unify these immense "powers," distributing them evenly among all soldiers and manifesting them in a unified new form. This "special variant of supernatural ability given a new form" is "divine magic." Although it sacrificed diversity, it greatly enhanced the army's cohesion, resulting in a leap in overall combat effectiveness—a major reason for the Rakshasa Divine Sect's defeat.

Above the Paladins are the Templar Knight.

Each Templar Knight is an extremely powerful superhuman, so powerful that "it would be a waste to regulate their abilities with the Truth Incantation." They usually reside in the Cathedral of the True God in the Holy City Gloria, the headquarters of the Divine Law Cult, and only appear before the world when the situation is critical enough to require their intervention.

Apart from the top three Templar Knights, they are by rule never to leave Gloria City unless there are extremely special circumstances.

Because they bear the responsibility of protecting the Goddess and the Pope.

Generally speaking, the Chief Templar Knight would jointly serve as the Guardian Knight of either the Prayer Goddess or the Pope, while the Third Templar Knight and a personal guard composed entirely of the elite would protect the other. The priests would be the responsibility of the Templar Knight after the Third Templar Knight, and the Cardinal Archbishop would be protected by a dedicated Cardinal Knights. As for the Heavenly Law—she only needed regular guards, as she herself was the ultimate fighting force of the Papacy.

However, the configuration of the Vatican's central leadership is somewhat different this generation.

The Chief Templar Knight, Yang Yujie —supposedly volunteering—serves as the Guardian Knight of the sacrificial spirits. The most important Prayer Goddess is the responsibility of the brothers Zanra Simon and Zane Simon, the second and third seats respectively. The current Pope Ouyang Sun, is protected by the Fourth Seat and his personal guard. Only the current Cardinal Archbishop Latran Carrel remains unchanged.

The destination is visible in the distance; the scenery on both banks is rapidly converging. The harbor and docks expand quickly in view, and the ship is only a dozen meters from the shore.

Attire... okay, luggage... okay, condition... okay.

After confirming that I was in good condition, I looked at my companions.

"Gentlemen, are you ready?"

"Ready to fight at any time." Xiao Wu changed into new leather boots and gloves, and the Black Star and White Night in the holster on her waist were polished until they gleamed.

"I promise I won't hold Xiao Ye back." Haoyue wore a gentle smile, but her eyes, slightly closed, gleamed with intense passion.

"Do I need to say anything more?" Givinia was as calm as ever, but for some reason I felt she had something on her mind.

"I... I'll try my best too! Although I might be the weakest one..." Xiao clutched the thick book, her face slightly flushed. She finally changed out of the long, nightgown-like dress and into a purple and white fitted outfit, which made her voluptuous body look even more sexy.

"Okay... everything's ready, Dorothy."

I looked at the girl who was of average appearance but had a faint presence. She was now wearing a dark red military uniform, simple yet beautiful in design, with a blood-dripping sword tattooed on her chest. Her subordinates, dressed in the same uniform, stood behind her.

"Yes, Blood Emperor," she said, glancing at the harbor where the firelight was faintly visible, gripping the dagger at her waist tightly.

"Thank you for your trouble—let's set off!!!"

Dorothy led the way, and the rest of us followed behind, rushing onto the land filled with the smoke and the smell of blood.

A few days ago--

The sea under the moon is so beautiful and mysterious. The Gold Silver Orange reflections of March on the surface are shattered and then reassembled by the waves. By the moonlight, you can vaguely see dolphins leaping out of the water in the distance. Is it because of the atmosphere? The sound of the crashing waves has become quiet.

On such a moonlit night at sea, I suddenly woke up from my sleep and, as if guided by something, went up to the deck and came to the bow of the ship.

Then, her slender figure, like that of a moon fairy, came into my view.

"Ah..."

"... Xiao Ye?"

Although I was already used to seeing her, I still couldn't help but marvel at her breathtaking beauty. Xiao once whispered to me that Haoyue's beauty was like the bright moon in a clear night sky, making all the stars pale in comparison—but I don't think so.

As I got to know her better, I felt she was more like a white Yuri blooming alone under the moonlight, beautiful and serene, unbound by worldly rules, living freely according to her own will...

"Xiao Ye? What are you doing here?"

Haoyue's soft call brought me back to my senses.

"I just woke up suddenly. What about you? It seems like you haven't slept at all."

"Hmm... maybe."

She smiled softly, then turned and leaned against the railing to look at the moon. Usually, when she was with me, she was always sweet and joyful, but now, there seemed to be a hint of... melancholy in her eyes?

At that moment, she seemed to have transformed back into the goddess I first met at that party—the one loved by everyone but who never opened her heart to anyone.

"Something on your mind?"

"..."

She didn't answer my question, but instead muttered to herself—

"When I was little, I loved looking at the moon..."

"... oh."

"Whenever I feel depressed, discouraged, or unhappy, looking at the moon makes me feel at ease, like a baby lying in a cradle. Sometimes I feel..." She spread her five fingers and stretched them towards the night sky, "As long as I reach out, I can reach the moon, and on that desolate land far from the Spirit Star, I can cast off the shackles of the world and be a free and true version of myself..."

"I know... Back in the capital, when we joined forces, you said—'Let us both break free of the shackles that bind us and move together towards a truly desirable goal...'"

"I remember it very clearly, I'm so happy!"

She gave a self-comforting smile, but her expression quickly returned to one of melancholy.

"But are we, who are now walking together, truly free?"

"..."

"Fighting side-by-side with the person you love in the capital, reuniting at the Central United Academy, living together, fighting the enemy together, and now heading to a new battlefield... This kind of happiness is something I never dared to dream of before, but why, why..."

Her hand, which was gripping the railing, was trembling slightly.

"Why do I feel that everything about us is under the control of others? Not some vague concept like 'fate,' but something 'real and tangible,' I feel, I feel... ah!"

I took action before she said "I'm so scared".

I opened my arms and hugged her tightly, as if trying to melt her into my body.

"Xiao... Xiao Ye?"

She made a flustered sound in his arms. Honestly, she's done so many more amazing things before, yet she gets shy when he holds her.

"Don't make that face, it's not like you..."

"But--"

"I have that feeling you're describing too."

"Well?"

I'm telling the truth, and I wasn't just trying to comfort her.

When I close my eyes and try to recall, certain images always flash through my mind: dilapidated streets at dusk, parks at night, dark and desolate highways, and corners of run-down, crumbling houses. I always feel like there's a pair of huge, dark eyes staring at me from behind, and a terrifying hand at my feet, ready to grab me at any moment...

"Beware of Yusuo Zai"—the last sentence in Ling Ye's notebook is like a brand on my cerebral cortex, impossible to forget, even though I know almost nothing about "Yusuo Zai".

"I also feel fear and anxiety, but that's okay. The one thing I will never back down is because—"

I leaned close to the face of the person in my arms and placed a light kiss on her cherry-pink lips. When we parted, her face was already flushed.

"--Because you are here, and all of you are by my side, it's okay. Things we can't escape, we just have to face them; things we can't break free from, we just have to let nature take its course. The key thing is--we're still alive and well, aren't we?"

"... Um!"

Seeing that her eyes had finally regained their sparkle, I felt relieved, but then she chuckled.

"Hehe, Xiao Ye, you were so cool just now!"

"Really? I think 'beautiful' suits me better than 'handsome'."

"Seriously! He exudes boyfriend-like charm!"

"What the hell is that...?"

I'm a genuine, stunning beauty now, with more allure than masculinity. And I don't have a boyfriend, so please call me Mother! Just kidding, of course.

Just then--

Ding!!!

The cabin door suddenly opened, and several people ran out, shattering our private moment.

It was Dorothy, panting heavily, along with several of her subordinates who looked grave.

"What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry..."

"Something terrible has happened, Blood Emperor!"

"... Is it the Revolutionary Army's side?"

"Yes! News just came that something has changed on the battlefield in Torres Ecclesiastical Province, and Bloodblade's main force is at a disadvantage! We must change our route on the spot!"

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I've been helping my mom with housework and driving her around all day, so I haven't really written anything yet, and the main post is even later... sorry.