Intelligence

Three Demigods, sixteen Legendary figures, and two Divine Artifacts. The Church of Dawn is powerful... Jiang Hao listened to Ieta Cavendish while turning the information over in his mind.

I've never met the Lord of Dawn, but given his hostility toward me, he's bound to make another move. Should I strike first? Nitasabun, the Light of All Worlds, is dead. Only Pope Joseph Duben and the Inquisitor Wilmot can threaten me now. If the Church's Divine Artifacts are in the hands of Legendary figures, that adds another two.

But the moment I leave Ganzros City, the Lord of Dawn will send down divine punishment... I could have someone else try, perhaps an enemy of the Church of Dawn.

Ideas flashed through Jiang Hao's mind.

"The two Divine Artifacts are the Dawn Scepter and the Heavenly Wings."

Ieta Cavendish paused and glanced at His Highness. Seeing that he had no intention of speaking, Ieta continued. "As for their abilities... Pope Joseph Duben specializes in Divine Descent. You can regard him as the Lord of Dawn's incarnation on the Main Plane."

"The Inquisitor Wilmot is a Paladin with an extreme hatred of evil. That hatred has earned him many enemies."

"At first, the Lord of Dawn's protection was just enough to shield him from the consequences. But as time passed, more and more people came to oppose him, including many gods."

"Ten years ago, he was forced to go to the Sevenfold Heavenly Mountain and join the front line against evil."

Hating evil makes people hate you? Fiona Russell opened her mouth to ask, then remembered that interrupting someone was rude. After a moment, she closed it again.

But the question stayed with her.

Didn't Paladins help the good, show mercy to the weak, destroy evil, and defend justice? Every adventure story and bard's poem she knew spoke of Paladins with respect.

Why would this mysterious gentleman say that so many people were hostile to one?

Ieta Cavendish noticed that the young woman who loved adventure stories seemed to want to speak, and paused. "Do you have a question?"

"Yes," Fiona Russell said. "Aren't Paladins widely respected?"

"Priests of the gods, nobles of the kingdoms, and other practitioners—which of them doesn't have sin on their hands?" Ieta Cavendish answered.

I see... Fiona Russell nodded, understanding at once.

"But that isn't the real reason Wilmot was forced to join the front line against evil on the Sevenfold Heavenly Mountain." Avram Krell smiled gently. "He left the Main Plane because of his fanatical faith in the Lord of Dawn. He considers worship of any other god an evil heresy."

"The Lord of Dawn's followers have something wrong with their heads," Ieta Cavendish said coldly. Then Ieta returned to the subject. "Nitasabun, the Light of All Worlds, was a priest of the Lord of Dawn. Projection was his specialty."

"Ather the Silver Dragon Slayer is a Legendary assassin."

"Fulgres the Battlefield Master is also known as the Master of Rhythm. As a Word Spirit, he excels at controlling the rhythm of a battlefield."

"Cecil the Arbiter's profession is Purifier, a branch of the Priest profession."

"Sktir, the Master of Death Prayer, specializes in Instant-Death Magic."

"Jolez the God Attendant..."

Jiang Hao listened quietly to Ieta Cavendish and thought over what he had heard.

Nitasabun, the Light of All Worlds, had fallen, and the heretic Inquisitor Wilmot was no longer on the Main Plane. That left Pope Joseph Duben as the Church of Dawn's only Demigod.

But he was also the hardest Demigod to deal with. With his mastery of Divine Descent, he could become the Lord of Dawn's incarnation on the Main Plane at any time.

"The Heavenly Wings create an illusion. Their wielder can exchange places with that illusion, regardless of the distance between them."

So exchanging places with an illusion was the effect of the Divine Artifact, the Heavenly Wings.

That means the wings Nitasabun spread behind his back when he fought me were the Heavenly Wings.

Too bad he died in Mochulia, the Golden Heaven.

Jiang Hao felt a twinge of regret.

"The Dawn Scepter is in Pope Joseph Duben's possession. It was originally called the Dawnlight Scepter. Back in the previous era, before the Lord of Dawn fell, it could contact him and channel his divine power. Now, it presumably channels the Lord of Dawn's power instead."

Fiona Russell listened in amazement. She had never realized how powerful the Church of Dawn was. It had so many Legendary figures and Demigods, people even her father treated with respect.

Only after Ieta Cavendish finished did Jiang Hao smile and say, "I'm satisfied with your answer. As payment, you may make a request of equal value."

A request of equal value... What if I ask him to help me spread the Steam Engine across the continent so that the authority of steam takes shape quickly? No. That's asking far too much. It isn't equal at all.

After some thought, Ieta Cavendish asked, "Your Highness, I haven't decided what to request yet. May I wait until our next gathering to ask?"

"Yes."

Sixth Avenue, Noble District, Kishiniur, capital of the Violet Kingdom.

Fiona Russell held the arm of Duke Howard Russell, who wore a long black robe embroidered with intricate gold patterns along its edges. "Dad, do you really want me to marry Mr. Turner?"

Howard Russell smiled. "Don't you like Turner? He's the heir to the North Orlan Family and a future earl. Ten days ago, he reached level fifteen as a knight and became a high-level practitioner. I've been told he might even become Legendary."

"But he's so dull. He actually took me to see a boring play," Fiona Russell said miserably. "And I don't want to get married. Once I do, I'll belong to the North Orlan Family and have to leave you. I don't want to leave you, Dad."

Howard Russell smiled. "You'll have to leave me sooner or later."

"But I don't want to leave now." Fiona Russell shook Howard Russell's arm and put on a pitiful face. "Dad, please let me stay with you a little longer, all right?"

"All right, all right. I promise. The brightest jewel of the Russell Family can leave our family a few years later," Howard Russell said with a smile.

Wonderful. I can have a few years of peace at last... Fiona Russell smiled faintly as an apparition crossed through space and merged into her body.