In the Empire of the Kapatia All-People, the Duchy of Kapatia serves as the de facto capital, while the Infura Church Region acts as the spiritual pillar.
The central headquarters of the Church of the Celestial God is located in the Infura Church Region.
If Marlen, the holy site of the Church of the Celestial God, exists in the Southern Continent, then the Infura Church Region lies in the Northern Continent.
The Infura Church Region is quite close to the city.
With the Kapatia Forest behind it, the headquarters of the Church of the Celestial God is perched atop a hill, featuring a celestial statue towering over everything, bigger than even the royal palace across the entire Northern Continent.
Surrounding the statue is a fountain made of pure white marble, creating a plaza paved with marble stepping stones to elevate the holiness of the place.
Every morning, the new priests, tasked with diligently cleaning those stepping stones, might feel that it’s a tough gig, but their faith in cleaning the plaza under the celestial gaze makes them oblivious to the hardship of the chore.
Deep within the headquarters of the Church of the Celestial God lies a modestly designed sanctum so hidden it could be called a place of refuge.
Supported by eight pillars as thick as a group of adult men, this unique space serves as the office and living quarters of the current Pope Akzel IV.
Hailing from the Duchy of Glakien, he inherited the title of general from the Glakien family.
Rumors had it that he wasn’t just a hybrid elf but received even more human blood, making him incredibly strong, showing exceptional martial prowess, and was even dubbed a traitor to the Aezero Holy Empire. It’s been 60 years since he suddenly realized his divine powers and devoted himself to the Church of the Celestial God.
After over 40 years of being a priest, he has already spent 20 years as the Pope.
No matter how tough he was, age nearing ninety was not something he could overcome.
His once stiff shoulders seemed to have shrunk, and the waist that once stood straight and proud was now bent, bringing him closer to the ground.
However, his eyes still sparkled with unyielding vigor, and Pope Akzel IV gazed at the priest sitting on the sofa in his office.
“…Was it Vervaria you said?”
“Yes, Your Holiness. That was definitely the name.”
“Vervaria… Vervaria. The demon of insult, Vervaria.”
“Yes.”
The priest bowed his head slightly.
“So, you are saying that Regent Olcamine is on his way here?”
“That is correct, Your Holiness.”
“Hmm.”
Pope Akzel IV slowly stroked his silver beard.
“Understood. You may go.”
The priest did not respond. Instead, he stood, took a step back, deeply bowed to the aging Pope, and slowly exited the office.
After greeting, he slowly left the office.
A lonely office where only Pope Akzel IV existed.
Behind the Pope’s desk was a gigantic window.
The window, which practically took up an entire wall, was adorned with yellow and blue stained glass depicting the Celestial God, casting a long shadow of the divine figure across the office due to the sunlight streaming in.
“There’s been a Dullahan sighting in Evian, and in Kapatia, Vervaria… right.”
Reports were trickling in from both the Cathedral in Evian and the Cathedral in Kapatia.
Not only that, strange occurrences were happening throughout the entire Duchy of Kapatia.
“I can’t tell if it’s coincidence or inevitability.”
Given that they shared a border, the relationship with the Katus Empire, along with the alliance of the eight brothers and the Kingdom of Capitulosi, had never been good, yet half a year ago, they all simultaneously permitted the propagation of the Church of the Celestial God.
It was rather strange that nations which maintained indigenous beliefs and strictly prohibited the Church’s spread suddenly changed their stance, and since then, a series of monster attacks had been occurring throughout the Duchy of Kapatia.
The so-called ‘wild’ monsters that didn’t belong to any of the ethnic nations were relatively easy to deal with. However, the Dullahan that appeared in Evian—a messenger of the Demon King—and the doppelganger of Vervaria that had appeared right in the heart of the Duchy of Kapatia were another matter.
The sheer coincidence of these events filled him with dread.
“Why does the Celestial God remain silent?”
Since appointing a Saint, the Celestial God had remained silent, offering neither manifestation nor oracle.
He did not respond to any prayers, nor did he make an appearance during any rituals.
Some whispered that the age of echoing silence was returning.
“I can do nothing but hope that the Hero and the Saint are individuals of proper spirit…”
The old Pope grasped the rosary hanging from his neck and recited prayers repeatedly.
His prayers echoed hollowly through the office.
*
“I’m not going to eat you. Come here and sit down.”
Ceres grabbed her wrist with surprising strength.
Yona was dragged along like a stringless puppet, being led to her room, sitting across the Table.
“Come on, show me a bit.”
“What, what do you mean?”
Yona’s bizarre personality reared its head again.
Pretending to be strong and fearless only in front of those who nurture her, but weak in the face of relentless pressuring like Ceres.
With her personality shining through without holding back, Yona could only respond in a dazed tone to Ceres, despite understanding what she was saying.
“Ugh, you know… that on your shoulder.”
“W-why do you want to know?”
“Because I’m curious! Or should I take it off myself? Plus, I’ve got something really nice prepared for you. Are you not going to give it to me?”
Ceres raised a meaningful eyebrow and pulled out a box from under the table.
The brown wooden box gleamed with an almost oily shine from how much it had been polished.
In this room where only a few candles flickered, the brown box sparkled as if illuminated by a chandelier.
“This is not something you can just get easily. Come on, look!”
Ceres beamed with a wide smile and straightened her shoulders.
Then, with a click, she opened the box on the table, and Yona’s eyes widened as if they could grow no larger.
“This, this is…”
“Right? You know what it is, since you’re the one who uses it directly, right?”
“T-this, this is…”
Flustered, Yona struggled to get her words out.
And who could blame her? The moment the brown box opened, there lay the Sacred Barrier.
The Sacred Barrier she received from Aege was certainly no low-quality item, but it was hard to even compare it to the one sitting in front of her now.
“This is the Sacred Barrier blessed directly by the predecessor of Pope Akzel IV, Pope Akzel III! Do you have any idea how expensive this is? Just showing it to you means I should give it to you!”
Ceres’s words seemed to drift away in Yona’s ears.
To the naked eye, it looked like just another piece of bandage, but those who actually used it like Yona knew better.
From the intricate weaving pattern to the density, the material, and even the circuits that contained magical energy, she understood everything.
And to Yona, this Sacred Barrier was indeed top-notch.
If Yona were to save up herself, she’d need at least ten years’ worth of earnings to even consider buying it, and even then, she might not find it on the market.
What a good person.
This person is such a good person.
Just as Yona was about to conclude that in her mind, she suddenly paused.
“W-why are you giving this to me…?”
Ceres poked her own cheek with her index finger. With her head cocked, she lightly pressed her cheek, looking somewhat cute, yet considering Ceres’ age, it felt a bit immature.
“The Duchy of Kapatia, the hero who took action to repel Vervaria, who descended upon Kapatia Port, the heart of it all. Don’t you think this is a fitting way to express my gratitude? Besides, it satisfies my own personal curiosity a bit too.”
“…Is that so?”
Yona was utterly confused.
“Plus, good equipment shines brighter in the hands of someone worthy. Since it’s just going to be stashed away anyway, wouldn’t it be better if someone as cool, capable, and exceptional as you, Yona, used it?”
“Y-You’re right…!”
What a good person!
After a brief moment of hesitation, Yona began to unwrap the bandages around her arm.
The pitch-black tattoo slowly revealed itself from her shoulder.
As the letters that filled her arm began to show, Ceres’s eyes lit up.
From her shoulder down to her elbow, wrist, and fingertips, Yona’s right arm had letters so dark it was hard to see her skin beneath them.
“What is this… Um, when did it become like this?”
“This… Well, it started in Evian…”
“Evian, for what reason?”
Yona slowly began to explain her past to Ceres.
“—And that’s how it ended up like this.”
“Hmm… The arm turned out like that after fighting off that goat-headed or sheep-headed demon. And below the wrist, it happened after purifying the holy tree.”
Ceres closed her eyes, nodding along with a thoughtful hum.
“Do you know why I’m the Chief Elder?”
With a sudden gleam in her eyes, Ceres asked.
Yona was slightly startled by the unexpected question, but the truth is, there’s a simple reason for obtaining the title of Chief Elder.
“W-Well, maybe because you made many donations…?”
But that didn’t seem to be the right answer.
“That’s not it. While it’s true I have a lot of money, my donations to the church are the same as any regular person. However, I have a tiny little talent. It’s magic, but I can use a purification-like spell. So, as a reward for assisting with the research on the operation of divine power, I obtained the title of Chief Elder. Well, it’s somewhat similar to donating.”
“Uh… Is that so? But isn’t purification supposed to require divine power…?”
Without any magical knowledge, Yona couldn’t be sure.
So she hesitated in her response.
“So I mentioned it was similar. Speaking of which, could I possibly try to… erase that tattoo?”
“Erase this?”
Yona’s eyes widened again in shock.
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