Path of Desire

"The glory of the Light... you've thrown it all away!"

Deacon Wallace stood with his head bowed, accepting a reprimand from the bishop of Bress Cathedral of Light.

In the eyes of the world, a bishop was a lofty office, held by a sacred member of the clergy.

Within the Orthodox Church hierarchy, a bishop was a priest in the faith, ranking above servants of the gods, deacons, and priests.

A bishop was equivalent to a Sequence 6 mid-sequence Beyonder, though his actual power and influence were greater.

Casimo Roberts was the bishop of Bress Cathedral of Light. At that moment, he was furiously berating Deacon Wallace for bungling his duties, along with Father Roberto for knowing nothing.

In contrast to the Church of Light's anger, the Church of Night was in a lighthearted mood.

"Bishop Anka," who had arrived at the same time as Bishop Casimo, was now comforting the heroes of the Church of Night.

Arthur, the central target of the Black Devil Rite, sat on a sofa in the Blue Bay Private Tavern, being questioned by two groups.

Bishop Casimo stroked his yellowing white wig. He had come from Bress Port to Blue Bay Island without taking any precautions.

The wig he prized had yellowed in the sea breeze. His eyes stayed fixed on it while he watched Arthur from the corner of his eye.

Three purifications of the Light had revealed nothing abnormal, which meant Arthur was completely clean.

Clean in both the supernatural and physical senses.

"Why would He want to kill this man?"

Casimo examined him carefully once more, but still found nothing unusual.

Anka, the bishop of the Church of Night, was a kindly old woman. She wore a long purple robe embroidered with golden crescent moons.

Her scepter was set with a black opal the size of a dove's egg, and a sacred sash adorned with pearls hung from it.

Bishop Anka beamed. This time, the Church of Night had made quite a splash among the churches!

In the Church of Light's strongest region, the Tudor District, the Church of Night had thwarted the Black Devil Order's wicked plot and saved the faithful of Blue Bay Island from danger.

It didn't matter how many believers Blue Bay Island had. What mattered was that a body had been left behind.

After careful examination by several parties, the body of Buck, whom Arthur had killed himself, was confirmed to belong to a member of the Black Devil Order.

"Lord Arthur, since you personally killed a member of the Black Devil Order, I'll apply to the church for a reward in gold coins, as is customary."

"Bishop Anka, you're too kind. Foiling the schemes of a heretical cult is every believer's duty!"

Bishop Anka looked curious at his reply. "Are you a believer in the Goddess?"

She had already obtained all of Arthur's information. He was a servant of Stuart's household, yet he still had ties to the Shadow Temple.

His previous enfeoffment as a lord had also been closely connected to the Church of Light.

Arthur smiled honestly. "I believe in every god and pray for their blessings."

A believer in every god meant a believer in none.

Bishop Anka's lips twitched slightly. But the credit and honor belonged to the Church of Night, and she had this brave lord to thank for it.

Arthur took the opportunity to ask some questions that had been troubling him for a while.

"Bishop Anka, could you tell me about the Black Devil Order's abilities?"

Bishop Casimo interjected, "Supernatural knowledge is forbidden. The same goes for information concerning heretical cults."

"But you've earned merit, and you're being hunted by that one. I suppose there's no harm in telling you."

Anyone hunted by the Black Devil was naturally a friend of the Orthodox Churches, so long as their beliefs didn't conflict.

"The Black Devil Order's supernatural path is called Desire. It represents the original sin people yearn for most."

Bishop Casimo's voice grew solemn. He had just begun to show off his extensive knowledge when Bishop Anka interrupted him.

"Casimo, I think the most important thing for you to do right now is go back and explain yourself to your archbishop."

Bishop Casimo's face reddened. He glared at Anka, then turned and left the Blue Bay Private Tavern.

"Wallace!"

"Roberto!"

"Now! Get to work! At once!"

The bishop's anger spilled over onto Deacon Wallace and Father Roberto.

The two lowered their heads and followed in the bishop's footsteps.

Bishop Anka quickly whispered, "Sequence 9 of the Path of Desire is Rogue.

"Its specific ability is to delay or hasten one's desires."

Delay or hasten one's desires?

Arthur thought back carefully. Buck, whom he had encountered, was an excellent fighter.

But some of his actions had defied common sense, like sacrificing an arm to create an opportunity to strike.

Pain and bleeding didn't seem to affect Buck.

Could he delay pain, groaning, and bleeding too? Or had he brought forward his desire to fight, drawing on it ahead of time?

"Sequence 8 of the Path of Desire is Priest of Fury. They can ignite the anger in people's hearts."

"They prefer to stir up the desires of angry people in crowded places, provoking impulsive acts and causing localized riots."

Bishop Anka briefly introduced Sequences 9 and 8 of the Path of Desire, without going into much detail.

She thought that was enough for young Arthur.

She rose and said, "There's no need to worry for now about being targeted by the Black Devil. The traces left by two bishops should keep them hidden for quite some time."

After speaking with the Church of Night's squad, Arthur learned an important fact.

The Black Devil Order had a notorious reputation because they often launched attacks in places where the churches had little influence.

Even the heartland of the Tudor Dynasty had once been attacked.

At the time, the regional bishop and priests had all been summoned to an important meeting, giving the Black Devil Order an opening.

Simply put, the Black Devil Order was a nest of rats. They showed up wherever the defenses were weakest.

"Farewell, Bishop Anka."

After watching Bishop Anka leave, Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't noticed anything unusual about him.

The churches would soon hand out their rewards, and the Tudor Dynasty would show its appreciation as well.

He would soon receive a considerable sum of money.

With that, and his friendship with the church, buying a collection of books shouldn't be a problem. It would be safest to have them sent to Rhine Island.

Early the next morning, an invitation from Rhine Island arrived.

Hisoka, acting as Governor Drew's messenger, invited him to Rhine Island to attend a celebration banquet specially arranged by the governor.

Arthur returned to the Great White Shark and raised a flag to summon the sailors.

Eight sailors crawled out from the bottom of the ship. Gunner Thorn had taken the gunners down to hide in the bilge.

Kaia and ten sailors returned. The incident had happened at night.

After a couple of quick drinks, they eagerly settled into private rooms at the pastry shop, enjoying the company of the girls.

Only two unlucky drinkers had stayed at Scimitar Bar and been killed.

"I've decided we'll rest on Blue Bay Island for now. I'll let you know how long. Kaia, arrange the watch schedule."

"Aye, Captain!"

After making arrangements for the ship, Arthur returned to the captain's quarters and asked Parrot Gro with a grave expression, "Was there anything unusual last night?"

"Yes!"

"Captain, the evil dream appeared again late last night."

Parrot Gro sounded certain.

The Black Devil Rite had taken place on the night of October 18. The two bishops had arrived on Blue Bay Island the previous day and conducted a thorough search.

Yet the evil dream had appeared again on the night of October 19.

Arthur tapped the desk. Some hidden cultist had kept their identity concealed.

Blue Bay Island was no longer safe!

His eyes flickered. Who could it be?

"Keep watching Blue Bay Island tonight. Report to me if anything unusual happens."

"As you command, Captain! Your most loyal navigator, Parrot Gro, will keep watch!"

After making all the arrangements for the Great White Shark, Arthur still took Mickey with him aboard a small sailboat to Rhine Island.

Governor Drew's celebration banquet was being held especially for him, a sign that his reputation had grown considerably.

He had a chance to learn more about Rhine Island's coastal defenses. Better yet, he might even get his hands on a map of its military layout.

The Black Devil's wanted notice made Arthur feel pressed for time. He couldn't use this identity anymore. Changing identities was now urgent.

"I still need a replacement for my old body."