292
Amid the ruins of the Aurora Order's base, Ace Snake summoned a Mandated Punisher who had been busily running about and asked gravely, "How is it?"
"Yes! Reporting, Archbishop!"
The Mandated Punisher squad captain stood at attention and answered in a ringing voice, "All evidence of blasphemy has been destroyed. The personnel involved are receiving Requiem and memory erasure at the Church of Evernight. Some Mandated Punishers showed signs of losing control, but all have been restrained. We are now collecting the remnants of the murals and sculptures."
"Very well done."
Ace Snake nodded steadily. His mood, overcast for days, finally improved somewhat. Owing to his two successive misjudgments and failures of duty in the Desire Apostle incident and the earlier "East Borough Capim incident," he would soon be transferred out of Backlund, leaving Holy Wind Cathedral for somewhere at sea. Tonight's joint operation to eliminate the cult was his final command in this City of Cities.
After tomorrow, he would have to leave and let the diocesan bishop, the Deep Blue High Priest Redar Valentin, who had accumulated sufficient seniority, take office.
This left him somewhat melancholy, yet also vaguely comforted. His current agitation and impatience were indeed no good.
Perhaps only by leaving the glittering inland cities for the seas favored by the Lord of Storms could he return to simplicity and digest his potion. Only when facing the waves and storms could he experience the Lord's will and mighty power on a deeper level.
He gave a few more instructions, hoping to bring his less-than-perfect tenure in Backlund to a final close.
After the Mandated Punisher squad captain left, Saint Anthony, Archbishop of the Church of Evernight, drifted over. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the Evernight bishop, well aware of the other man's straightforward nature, asked