CHAPTER 132. ……………………………………………
In the Name of God
The central-southern continent of Norgil.
A port city crowded with various trade guilds, associations, and pirates.
The coast, however, was far removed from the bustling harbor center, at the very edge.
Finding it wasn’t difficult.
The city’s direction could be determined through magic, and Ronan had taken care of running there and back.
“Here it is.”
“…Thank you.”
Leonis received a leather-bound diary and a quill from Ronan.
“I asked for… the cleanest and finest one. I… I don’t really know…”
“Don’t worry. It’s not worth a single gold coin, but… this is a perfectly good item.”
Leonis gently shook the diary at cautious Ronan, reassuring him.
Ronan’s trip to Norgil wasn’t just to locate their current position—it was also to fetch this for Leonis.
“Emilion… liked to write.”
Leonis spoke softly, stroking the diary’s leather cover.
“He kept a journal… not missing a single day. You’d be surprised how many letters I received. From those early days, practically every day we spent together… He even wrote poetry like a bard… really…”
Leonis couldn’t finish the sentence.
Even from behind, one could feel his voice choke up.
“…I will never forget you, Emilion.”
With those words barely squeezed out, Leonis placed the diary neatly on Emilion’s chest.
“That’s enough now.”
Stepping back, Leonis spoke to me.
“Begin… now.”
“….”
After a brief pause:
“<The sun setting from life to death, the final page of a story that seems endless>.”
Slowly and solemnly, he chanted the spell.
“.”
Reaching out, a sparkling ember flew through the air, landing on Emilion’s corpse.
“.”
Whoosh―!
A crimson flame instantly engulfed Emilion’s body.
is a spell used only on the dead.
Originally, it’s for dealing with undead—zombies, ghouls, skeletons—but this time, it was simply for cremation.
This was the method of the Solius Church.
Of course, they usually used divine flames, but…
Black smoke rose from the blazing fire.
“<Friend of the night, curtain that conceals secrets, descend here>.”
He waved his arm through the air, shrouding the area in a magical veil.
“.”
The surrounding space shimmered like a heat haze.
From a distance, they wouldn’t be able to see them.
Crackle, crackle.
We silently watched Emilion leave this world for a long while.
Solanis was consumed by grief and burning with rage.
“Ah! How could it happen to the saint!”
“We must judge this heresy! How could they do such a thing…!”
“This is nothing less than blasphemy!”
“His death does not mark the end!”
“Indeed! This is a matter the Empire must answer for!”
Tears ran from the eyes of grieving followers, while curses escaped their mouths.
Saint Mary’s funeral was held at the garden chapel where she had taken her own life.
They burned the entire garden, holding a grand funeral.
The Solius Church cremated the dead, believing the sun’s light would guide the deceased to Solius.
Thus, the massive flames were seen as a more splendid funeral.
And the one to light Saint Mary’s body…
“Now, send her forth, Commander of the Holy Light.”
It was Elnor, the commander of the Holy Light Knights, who had been closest to her and sworn to protect her.
“….”
“You need not blame yourself. It is not your fault.”
“But… Your Holiness… I… I… How could I…”
“All of this is the heretic’s sin. By setting this fire, you begin the judgment against the heretics.”
Judgment.
Lukarion’s whispers kindled a fire in Elnor’s heart.
Everyone wants to blame someone else.
They want to free themselves from the guilt of having done wrong.
That is why so many confess their sins to God, yearning for forgiveness.
“I was wrong, but I had my reasons. I had no choice because of these circumstances.”
All false excuses to justify oneself—but nothing is sweeter.
“This is not just your revenge, Elnor.”
Pope Lukarion, a lifelong member of the church, knew this better than anyone.
“You punish those who defied God and desecrated His will.”
Thus, he continued whispering to Elnor:
It is not your fault.
You did nothing wrong.
They are the ones at fault.
So judge the heretics.
“….”
Elnor stepped into the garden where Mary had stayed, fists clenched tight.
Her palms stung, but not as much as the hollow feeling in his chest.
A poor rural village.
A remote, empty town.
Elnor had been by Mary’s side since her birth.
She was the first girl younger than him he had ever cared for, and such a beautiful child.
Elnor had truly believed Mary was an angel sent by God.
Every radiant moment she shone…
“…Why did it have to be this way?”
Her final image, shrouded in darkness, haunted him.
“‘I’m… sorry…’”
Mary stabbing herself replayed vividly in his mind.
“It’s okay… none of it matters… now…”
Grinding his teeth, he raised his fist high into the sky.
Golden light seeped from within, soon radiating like the sun.
A divine light so intense it could blind.
All clergy and worshippers around gasped in awe.
Some devout followers already had tears in their eyes.
Whoosh―!
Elnor swung his raised fist down to the ground, releasing the light.
The brilliant explosion burned all the plants in the garden.
A burst of yellow-gold divine flames shot high, consuming even the broken chapel.
Watching Mary lying in the center.
“The bastards who made you feel sorry…”
He swore bloody vengeance.
“I will kill them all. Leave none alive.”
The sacred flames blazed high.
Elnor, the highest-ranking paladin, engulfed in rage.
Pope Lukarion, watching from behind, smiled inwardly.
Everything was going according to his plan.
He slowly turned, facing the papal city and the masses of worshippers.
Raising both hands, he spoke:
“Our Lord, our Sun, our Father, Solius, has taken back His precious light!”
As he began, cries of sorrow erupted everywhere.
“She who bestowed healing upon the sick, guidance upon the lost, and equal light to all—the daughter of the sun, our saint—is no longer among us!”
The pope, with the blazing sacred flames on his back, looked almost otherworldly.
“But weep not! Do not lose your light to grief! Why does Solius test us this way? He never gives trials we cannot endure! These are trials we must overcome!”
Before Mary’s body was fully consumed, tears had dried on the faces of the crowd.
“What took the saint’s light! Heresy!”
“What tries to cover our light! Heresy!”
“What seeks to extinguish the world’s light! Heresy!”
Sorrow was gone, leaving only anger, burning alongside the flames.
“Brothers and sisters! The trials given by Solius are clear! He tests us! Casting our faith into the fire, He purifies it like true gold!”
At Lukarion’s fervent voice, the crowd roared as if ready to rise.
“So set down your grief! Put your tears into your blades, your sorrow into the fire! With the light of judgment Solius has placed in our hands, we shall burn all heretics who struck down the saint!”
Elnor stood beside the pope.
The Holy Light Knights spread like wings behind her.
On the opposite side, the Sun Knights, the church’s largest order, formed ranks.
Elnor raised her spear, other paladins raised weapons and shields, showing the church’s might.
“We shall bring forth the light! May Solius’ will be done on this land!”
The crowd’s roar resembled the roar of beasts more than men.
When the saint’s final ashes scattered into the sky, they no longer mourned.
They burned with rage.
“They will declare a holy war.”
After the cremation, Leonis spoke calmly.
“A holy war… against the Empire?”
“Yes.”
Ronan frowned.
“No matter how large the church is, it can’t match the Empire’s army, can it?”
“Correct.”
Leonis replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
“So they did all this just to start a hopeless war?”
“Pope Lukarion has no intention to win, nor needs to.”
“No intention to win?”
“What…?”
“The pope doesn’t need to win. He only needs to show the Empire how threatening the church is. At some point, the Empire might prefer granting independence to the church. Emilion and the saint… were just a pretext for war.”
As if he already knew his true intent, Leonis spoke smoothly.
“All that’s needed is a reason. And military strength to match the Empire’s forces… he achieved both at once.”
“Elnor…”
“Yes. You saw her strength, right? Her divinity inspires others who share the same faith. If she leads, the other paladins become stronger too.”
Leonis smacked his lips.
“Well, it still won’t work on the damned older brother anyway.”
The Empire’s army, commanded by the First Prince Calix Raymond.
Fine knights gathered from central families.
“If it were just ordinary knights, the church might stand a chance. But the issue is their equipment.”
“Equipment?”
“The Empire’s army is armed with artifacts.”
“…!”
Not just knights. Even ordinary soldiers wore armor with magical properties.
“And they have mages too.”
The Empire’s top mages, some reaching the Pentachain level, some even above, known as “Overload.”
“So Elnor alone cannot defeat them all. The pope will fight only to the point the church gains independence. Of course…”
Leonis added with a bitter smile.
“The damned older brother won’t allow it easily.”
He raised three fingers.
“We have three choices.”
First, return north, gather reinforcements from the east, and join the war between the First Prince and the Pope.
Second, wait until that war ends, then start a new one.
“In that case, we must choose who to attack. End it decisively, absorb the territory, and fight the remaining forces. Likely the damned older brother, though.”
Leonis folded two fingers.
“And the last?”
“The last…”
Leonis folded the remaining finger with a bitter expression.
“…Expose the truth and stop the holy war.”
Reveal Pope Lukarion’s plot and halt the war.
This would give them justification to negotiate, possibly gaining support in the fight against the First Prince.
Moreover…
“…We could save Elnor too.”
“That sounds good… but how?”
I couldn’t agree.
Thinking of Elnor attacking us earlier, I couldn’t imagine convincing her.
“I don’t think it’s possible either.”
“I know it’s the hardest option. But… I don’t want to treat Elnor as an enemy.”
Even at Ronan’s words, Leonis remained steadfast.
“…She wouldn’t listen to us anyway.”
“Maybe not us, but someone else.”
“Who else?”
“The Solius Church has four knight orders.”
The Holy Light Knights, led by guardians protecting the saint.
The Sun Knights, the largest order overseeing the entire church.
The Shadow Knights, executing the Pope’s secret orders.
“And finally… the Dawn Knights.”
Those who act according to the words of Solius, the church’s deity.
They prioritize protecting the church’s worshippers above all else.
“They do not obey the Pope, follow no orders. They follow only Solius’ words and protect only His followers.”
“Knights who ignore the Pope’s commands? Is that even possible?”
“Yes. The Pope, no matter how high, is not above Solius. They care nothing for the Pope’s authority. Only Solius’ word matters.”
“Will they help us?”
“They will.”
“…Why?”
“The Dawn Knights’ commander, Balen.”
Leonis said with certainty.
“He’s Elnor’s master.”
