บท 30: Chapter 31
Inside the magnificent cathedral of the divine capital, within the heavily guarded "Hall of Heroes," a man clad in silver armor and golden hair stood in disbelief.
"How is this even possible? How could Pix have died like this?"
His face was filled with shock as he stared intently at the ten blue soul gems embedded in the goddess statue's staff.
These gems weren't just for decoration; they were specially designed to reflect the hero's life force. The brighter the gem, the stronger the hero. A dimming gem signaled a weakened state, and a shattered gem meant the hero had died.
In front of him, one of the blue gems had already shattered, marking the end of a hero's life. It had been a hundred years since the last unexpected death of a hero, and now his close friend, the eighth Apostle Pix, had met his end. Overcome with emotion, he turned anxiously to the red-robed elder beside him.
"Father! What's happening? How did Pix die? Was it those heretics from Windy City?"
"No," Archbishop Nick replied, shaking his head. He looked slightly displeased at his son, Philippe,
"How many times must I remind you to address me as Archbishop within these church walls?"
"Oh," Philippe, another golden-haired man, glanced at the two black-robed knights beside the statue of the goddess, feeling a little embarrassed as he nodded slightly,
"Sorry, Father—I mean, Your Grace. If he wasn't killed by these heretics, then how did Pix die? Who would dare attack one of our church Apostle? Are you saying he was really killed..."
"Who told you Pix died in Windy City?" Nick interjected, his face showing a trace of annoyance.
"Your old friend was supposed to be on standby there, but he got reckless and ventured into the Forest against the pop's orders. Consequently, he died needlessly outside the forest. What a foolish mistake."
Pix was an Apostle personally trained by Nick, and he was a great asset to him.
Pix's unexpected death in the Winter Forest was undoubtedly a huge loss.
Even more significant was the fact that Pix was the first Apostle to die in Winter Forest in a century, a blemish that could jeopardize Nick's future prospects for becoming pope.
'Damn it!'
'The more I think about it, the angrier I get!'
Nick's old face became more and more ferocious, making Philippe feel a bit scared beside him.
At the same time, Philippe was filled with confusion.
"On the outskirts? There shouldn't be many high-level Abyssal Demons there, right? Pix was a Seventh-level Sword Saint! How could he die so easily? Could there be a mistake?"
"No mistake. The battle location has already been found. And judging from the concentration of Shadow energy left at the scene, it's clear that Pix faced a Demon King."
"A Demon King? But they're usually found deeper in the Forest, not on the outskirts," Philippe said puzzled.
"Who knows?"
"But, with Pix's strength, even if he cannot defeat a Demon King, he should be able to escape, right?! Their team brought many teleportation scrolls!"
However, after hearing Philippe's words, Nick couldn't help but sneer.
"You stupid kid. When a Sword Saint meets a Demon King, most of them can only be killed in seconds. Escape? Impossible. As for those teleportation scrolls, they are only suitable for use when they encounter a group of Abyssal Demons. As for encountering a Demon King? It is too late to activate them."
"What?! Killed in seconds?"
Nick's words made Philippe stunned.
Obviously, his father's words were completely different from what he usually heard, and he couldn't help but exclaim again.
"No! Your grace! Don't our Apostles have the strength to challenge Demon Kings? Before, the teachers also told me that three Apostles working together can definitely kill a Demon King! How, how could they be killed in seconds?"
"You..."
Hearing his son's words, Nick helplessly rubbed his forehead.
At this moment, the Archbishop suddenly realized that he had been lacking in educating his son.
After sighing slightly in his heart, Nick smiled bitterly and said,
"Philippe, in the future, don't believe everything the teachers say. The words spoken in the academy, the comments on major news, and even our own speeches, are mostly just used to deceive the believers, including the strength of the Apostles. In reality, even the last eight Apostles working together in the past couldn't defeat any known Demon King. The Demon King level is the real Monsters."
Philippe felt like his entire understanding of the world had just been turned upside-down.
"If that's true, why does the Church say otherwise? Why do the academies teach that?"
"Hahhhh...."
"How else would we keep people's faith? Or attract more followers? Or increase our revenue through tithes and offerings? Think, Philippe, Think"
"This..."
Caught off guard by his father's blunt words, Philippe fell silent, taking a moment to absorb this new, unsettling information.
"So now, if the Demon King appears outside the eastern forest, won't it be very dangerous for the team we sent there? The nearby defenses may also be attacked, right?"
"I know..."
Nick nodded without giving a clear answer.
"There's a newborn Demon King emerging in the eastern forest. To amass souls and blood, he might lead an attack on nearby defenses and cities. I've already ordered our teams to retreat. As for the fate of the people in those cities and outposts—"
Nick's face gradually became fierce.
To him, the possible invasion of the demon king was not a crisis.
For the Asumos Church, it was a great opportunity!
"As for the life and death of those heretics and civilians, it doesn't matter. On the contrary, the more they die, the better. We can use their deaths to wage a propaganda war and deal a heavy blow to the reputation of Snow Night Empire. This way, we can further develop our power within Snow Empire. However, if we want to gain the belief of those barbarians, we need to do something else."
"What do we need to do?"
"Hehe, just like what we did in the Western countries before, play the role of savior. When the Abyssal Demons and the Galrose border of Snow Night Empire both suffer heavy losses, we will appear with divine weapons to save the people from the fire and water..."
"Oh, oh, oh! I understand! By then, the people will turn to us! Um, but what if we really encounter a Demon king?"
"You don't have to worry about that."
Nick smiled slightly and took out a scroll and a token with an exquisite wing symbol from his spatial ring, handing them to Philippe.
"You should leave now and inform Snow Night Empire about our willingness to cooperate in resisting the Abyssal Demons. Also, give this scroll, which I personally wrote, to their Emperor. With this token, go to the Golden City and find Bai, and let her lead her troops to support the Wind City."
"Miss Bai?!"
Upon hearing this name, Philippe's internal unease dissipated, and his face showed a hint of excitement.
'With Lady Bai's help, our plan would surely proceed smoothly!'
Once successful, the influence of his father's faction within the church would greatly increase!
When that time comes,
'Hehe~'
Fantasizing about his beautiful future, Philippe couldn't help but show a greedy smile on his face.
However,
In the next moment, he seemed to think of a very serious problem, and his face suddenly stiffened in place. He looked a little embarrassed at his father, who was grinning at him.
"Um, Your Excellency," he said hesitantly.
"Hmm? Is there something else?"
"Uh, Your Grace,"
"what if the Abyssal Demons and their Demon King decide not to invade? What's our plan then?"
Nick: "..."
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