“The novice priest will be temporarily looked after by Master Kaleido, Your Holiness.”
Matthew reported to Sharia as he bowed his head.
As the night deepened, the Twilight Church’s building was enshrouded in silence.
The fervent followers who had been shouting the name of the Pope had already returned home, and now only the Pope and her confidants remained.
“The Apostle said that once Edwin’s brainwashing is complete, he will be outwardly directed, just like Drakon.”
A chilling tone laced Matthew’s voice.
Edwin would wander within Kaleido’s illusions for days.
The destination of that journey was the same as Matthew’s.
Matthew himself had been brainwashed through Kaleido’s illusion magic and became a faithful follower of the Twilight Church.
However, Edwin, being a member of the White Church, had higher usage value.
Wasn’t Paladin Drakon, who was recently brought in from the mountain range, also utilized for his value, and thus not brainwashed?
Unlike Edwin, Drakon’s role was not loyalty to the Twilight Church but to deliver false information to the Church.
Soon, chaos was about to descend upon the Church.
“I understand. You’ve done well, Matthew. You are dismissed.”
Upon hearing Matthew’s report, Sharia waved her hand and replied.
Her voice held an indifferent tone.
In fact, Edwin was not her concern.
Already addicted to the pleasures of the arena, he was now in the Twilight Church’s grasp.
He was like a trapped fish that required no further effort.
“Well then, Your Holiness, rest well.”
After Matthew withdrew, only Sharia and Lucas remained in the room.
They were warlocks, the captain and vice-captain of an organization called Eclipse.
However, after encountering a fortuitous encounter in the Silent Mountain Range, they had completely changed.
“Indeed, the Apostle is cruel. But that cruelty is a merciful grace to us.”
Lucas’s voice was full of sublime reverence.
The Apostle he spoke of was the fortuitous encounter.
Apostles, who served the Evil God, were not ordinary beings.
The first Apostle, Celia, and the second Apostle, Necros.
These two alone possessed immense power.
The Apostles presented Sharia and Lucas with a new path.
And that was not all.
They provided generous support to help them reach their goals.
With such kindness, Eclipse was reborn as the Twilight Church.
“Yes, without such cruelty, our great cause could not be achieved either.”
Sharia nodded in agreement with Lucas.
“Lucas, is the work on the scripture proceeding smoothly?”
Sharia asked in a stiff voice.
She tried to suppress her inherent playfulness, exuding the dignity of a Pope.
When she first founded the Twilight Church, she was full of mistakes.
While she showed genius in dark magic, her performance as a Pope, proselytizing to others, was terrible.
Still, by preparing scripts and casting Kaleido’s illusion magic on followers, she had now become a proper Pope.
“Yes, Your Holiness. We are faithfully incorporating the teachings of the Apostles, so you need not worry.”
The creation of the Twilight Church’s scripture.
Compared to the White Church, which had a long history and tradition, the Twilight Church was like a newborn.
They couldn’t proselytize in the underworld forever.
When the time came, they would have to face the Church in the open, so it was necessary to refine the doctrines of the Twilight Church in detail.
“Good. Speaking of which, how is the atmosphere of the inner circle meeting?”
Inner circle meant the executives of the Twilight Church.
All the warlocks who belonged to the original Eclipse were part of the inner circle.
As they still lacked manpower, the inner circle members served as the pillars of the Twilight Church by proselytizing outside or handling minor tasks.
“Yes, Your Holiness. They are also very satisfied with their current lives. They wondered where Your Holiness suddenly got the money.”
Sharia smiled at Lucas’s witty reply.
While the dignity of the Pope was important, before that, Sharia was the leader of Eclipse.
Back then, they were always short on money and lived by eating moldy bread.
There were many days when her subordinates starved, and even when they were sick, she couldn’t provide proper treatment.
Due to those reasons, she always felt uneasy.
But that was now a thing of the past.
Now, when they were hungry, they could eat delicious food to their heart’s content, and when they were sick, they received proper treatment.
Not a single subordinate was dissatisfied with the greatly improved environment.
“I’m glad to hear that. We just need to continue living as we are.”
Sharia nodded.
However, not all members of the original Eclipse shared all the secrets of the Twilight Church.
First and foremost, the existence of the Apostles was kept strictly confidential.
Only Sharia and Lucas knew about the existence of the Apostles.
Although they planned to reveal the information someday, it wasn’t now.
This was not because their subordinates were untrustworthy.
On the contrary, it was for the sake of their great cause.
“Lucas, we must not forget our ultimate goal.”
Sharia’s voice turned serious.
Sensing the atmosphere, Lucas also agreed.
“Of course, Your Holiness. For the resurrection of the Great One, we will do our best.”
The Twilight Church is a religious organization.
It was a group that aimed to gradually turn followers into worshippers of the Evil God.
However, if one looked within, there was an abyss.
This place did not operate solely for proselytization.
“Good. Shall we pick our first fanatics now?”
Sharia picked up another stack of papers from the desk.
It was titled ‘Fanatics,’ and it was planned to select some from the followers.
This was the opinion of the first Apostle, Celia.
Fanatics.
While the name might suggest followers deeply devoted to the Twilight Church, its meaning was different.
Rather, they were akin to livestock.
Well-raised livestock were eventually slaughtered.
And it was the natural order for them to appear on human dining tables.
The same applied to fanatics.
These were individuals who were no longer useful as followers.
The chosen followers here would be sent to the Silent Mountain Range.
And a fate awaited them, where they would become sacrifices in front of the Apostles.
By becoming sacrifices and becoming one with the Great One, it was not necessarily a bad thing for them.
Rather, it was a glorious moment.
In a way, they were no different from livestock, but Sharia glorified them as fanatics by focusing on the act of self-sacrifice.
And this information was also unknown to the inner circle.
There was no need to tell the members the truth.
“Many sacrifices will be made from now on.”
Lucas took a deep breath and chimed in.
They were warlocks from the beginning.
They had merely hidden their claws due to unfavorable circumstances, but they had not abandoned their predatory nature.
However, the situation had changed.
With the Apostles behind them, what was there to fear?
It was time to reawaken the cruelty of warlocks.
“…But at the end of that path, eternal glory awaits us.”
The chilly night air seeped through the window cracks.
In their conversation, the livestock destined for the slaughterhouse were being selected.
However, there was no guilt to be found within them.
They only moved forward, disregarding the blood scattered on the path.
***
At the same time, Captain Drakon’s story was delivered to the White Church.
The main conference room at the heart of the Church was filled with tension.
The hastily convened emergency meeting was attended by the Cardinal, the High Vice-Priest, and all the senior priests.
“Hmm…”
A heavy and somber atmosphere filled the conference room.
The attendees exchanged glances with troubled expressions and remained silent.
After a moment of silence, High Vice-Priest Aurel broke the quiet.
“As you all know, various threats have emerged on the continent recently.”
Upon hearing his words, some attendees gulped with unease.
Among them, Cardinal Valentine spoke with a trembling voice.
“His Holiness the Pope is greatly concerned about this situation. Disaster has struck the Sail Kingdom, and we have suffered painful losses, losing the Titan Priest and the Knight Captain. Now, Eclipse has reappeared too… If this continues, I doubt people will trust and follow the Church.”
High Vice-Priest Aurel frowned at Cardinal Valentine’s words.
Hidden within the Cardinal’s statement was a reprimand: “What have you all been doing until now?”
‘These old useless people, all talk and no action…’
Aurel suppressed his anger inwardly and glared at the Cardinal.
However, he could not openly retort.
The person before him held a power second only to His Holiness the Pope.
Instead, he decided to skillfully change the subject.
He needed to shift the target of the Cardinal’s criticism.
“Analyzing the testimony of Brother Paladin Drakon, it appears that the Free City Alliance is supporting Eclipse. Other Paladins were reportedly killed by their hands.”
Aurel’s statement caused a stir in the conference room.
Eclipse, an organization composed of warlocks.
The sudden reappearance of Eclipse, which was thought to have vanished long ago, was shocking.
The news that the Free City Alliance was backing Eclipse was even more so.
“Furthermore, the recent rumors of a dungeon spreading in the Sail Kingdom also seem to be part of their scheme.”
The rumors spoke of a treasure in a certain dungeon in the mountain range.
However, the fact that numerous adventurers who set out to find the dungeon had gone missing in the mountain range raised suspicions of Eclipse’s involvement.
“Hmm, we need to hear Drakon’s testimony in more detail.”
Cardinal Valentine mumbled, stroking his beard.
Of course, everyone in the room, including him, was unaware that Drakon had been brainwashed by illusion magic.
Even if they used artifacts to verify the truth, it would be meaningless since Drakon genuinely believed his own testimony.
Seizing the opportunity, Aurel pressed on.
“This is a clear challenge to the Church and heretical act that insults our Goddess! We must immediately muster the Crusaders!”
The assertion was valid.
Many agreed with his proposal.
It was righteous to exterminate the wicked heretics who sought to resurrect the Evil God.
However, most were hesitant at the mention of mustering the Crusaders.
At that moment, a senior priest raised his hand and spoke.
“I agree with High Vice-Priest’s opinion. However, with the recent demise of the Titan Priest, the Inquisitors have suffered a significant blow. Moreover, with the Knights of the Church also having lost their captain, it is difficult to expect their full strength.”
The Titan Priest, who perished in the disaster that befell the Sail Kingdom.
He was a former inquisitor and the priest overseeing the Inquisitors.
Naturally, his death, the pillar of their strength, caused upheaval.
Furthermore, with the Knights of the Church having lost their captain, their condition was not good.
However, another person shouted at the senior priest’s statement.
“No! Are you telling us to do nothing? At times like this, we must respond fiercely—!”
“Let’s face reality. Hasty decisions will only harm the Church.”
The debate grew increasingly heated, and the conference room became noisy.
Cardinal Valentine watched the situation silently, while Aurel also cautiously assessed the atmosphere.
In fact, Aurel had other options.
The Chimera they were raising deep within the Church’s basement.
Mobilizing the Chimera would be enough to deal with the Free City Alliance.
However, it was too early to reveal this card.
While he was contemplating, another person raised their hand.
“Vice-Priest Emily?”
Vice-Priest Emily, in charge of administration, stood up.
“Then, how about this method?”
Everyone focused their attention on Vice-Priest Emily’s words.
“To be frank, many incidents have occurred recently. Starting with the death of Priest Yuel, Paladins and the Titan Priest went missing or lost their lives. And with the Cataclysm of the Seven Stars and the emergence of Eclipse…”
The series of incidents.
Investigating these incidents alone was already a burden.
And then to mobilize the Crusaders?
It was clear that the Church’s strength would be diluted.
Therefore, Emily had devised a clever strategy.
“So, I would like to propose one thing: Let’s request help from Queen Irena.”
Upon hearing Emily’s words, Aurel asked back.
“Queen Irena?”
“Yes, Queen Irena is the one who defeated the Cataclysm. She is also called the next Saintess. If we borrow the strength of the Sail Kingdom to check the Free City Alliance, there will be no need to deplete the Church’s strength.”
It was a rather good idea.
Perhaps that’s why many nodded.
Even without it, Queen Irena’s status was growing day by day as she defeated the Cataclysm.
While the supporters of the current Saintess Helisa might be strong, supporters for Queen Irena were also emerging within the Church.
“Hmm. Queen Irena…”
Aurel fell into thought for a moment.
Receiving the Queen’s help would come at a considerable price.
‘If that happens, the Free City Alliance will become the Sail Kingdom’s.’
If that were the case, the Sail Kingdom would possess power comparable to an empire.
In the long run, this was not a welcome development for the Church.
Although she was mentioned as the next Saintess, she was not yet officially recognized as one.
On the other hand, voices supporting the current Saintess Helisa were still loud.
Aurel’s deliberation continued.
‘What should I do…’
Mustering the Crusaders was difficult given the Church’s current situation.
But to let Eclipse and the Free City Alliance go unchecked?
Then the Church’s image would plummet.
As Aurel continued to ponder, a good idea suddenly came to him.
‘Then, Queen Irena can just become the Church’s Saintess!’
If that were the case, the Sail Kingdom would essentially be within the Church’s embrace.
Then, even if the Sail Kingdom became an empire, it would be of no concern to the Church.
‘In that case, we first need to diminish Saintess Helisa’s influence.’
As Vice-Priest Emily said, let Queen Irena handle it.
If Queen Irena handled this matter well, Saintess Helisa’s position would naturally narrow.
‘It’s not bad.’
From Aurel’s perspective, it was a scheme to both check Saintess Helisa and gain control of the Sail Kingdom.
Of course, Queen Irena’s intentions were important, but surely she wouldn’t refuse the Church’s will.
Having sorted out his thoughts, Aurel finally spoke.
“As Vice-Priest Emily suggested, let us first send an envoy to the Sail Kingdom. If the Queen agrees, with His Holiness the Pope’s permission, we will declare the Free City Alliance as heretics and entrust all authority to Queen Irena.”
The meeting then approached its conclusion.
However, one more problem remained.
The Church had identified Eclipse as the mastermind behind this situation.
Above all, they needed to block the rumors of the dungeon in the mountain range that had triggered this crisis.
“And please send an official document to the Adventurer’s Guild. It is to inform them that the rumors are false and warn them of Eclipse’s tactics. That way, we can prevent innocent people from falling into danger.”
The attendees agreed to Aurel’s proposal.
If the Church directly intervened, they would be able to significantly curb the flow of adventurers heading towards the mountain range.
A day later, the Adventurer’s Guild received a letter from the Church.
And as its contents spread among adventurers, interest in the rumors began to wane.
***
– Adventurers’ interest in the dungeon “Evil God’s Nest” decreases.
– Adventurers’ interest in the dungeon “Red-Haired Tribe” decreases.
– Adventurers’ interest in the dungeon “Scraps of the Demonic Realm” decreases.
– Adventurers’ interest in the dungeon “Village Covered in Mist” decreases.
“What is this now?”
Following the notification that the existence of the dungeons had begun to be known to adventurers, there was now a notification that their interest had decreased.
“What on earth is happening on the El Dorado Continent?”
Well, regardless, it was beneficial to me.
It was much better than the situation where adventurers stormed the dungeons and were subjugated.
“Thanks to this, I gained abilities too.”
With the sacrifices offered by Celia, I gained decent abilities.
Poison Blast and Spirit Affinity.
These were both A-Rank and B-Rank skills and traits, respectively, which would bring me great benefits if utilized well.
Still, my heart felt much lighter.
I had been on edge since the existence of the dungeons became known to adventurers.
However, with the notification that adventurers’ interest was decreasing, I felt at ease.
“Now I can visit the Fire Bird Guild with peace of mind.”
I had been waiting just in case, but now it was time to visit the Fire Bird Guild as an advisor.
