Episode 144
In the northern lands, once the domain of the Demon King, now under the name of the Saxon Duke, stood a church dedicated to the twin goddesses of Sistina.
True knights of the goddess, self-proclaimed wielders of holy magic and the church’s sword, gathered there. Among them was a man.
“The will of the divine shall be done…”
Master Templar, Guy de Lusignan.
“Praise be!”
As the hymns of the white mages echoed, wings of light began to shimmer behind them, heralding the dawn that would sweep away the dark twilight of the Demon King’s realm.
Before the charging horde of ghouls, the Master Templar raised his sword.
“Goddess, grant me the strength to vanquish evil.”
In that instant, a pillar of light descended from the heavens, striking the point where his sword aimed, like a satellite strike from a science fiction film.
A satellite beam.
The celestial bombardment enveloped the ghouls, freezing their bodies. What appeared to be ice was, in fact, not ice at all.
It was salt.
Like the divine punishment that befell Sodom and Gomorrah, everything touched by the heavenly light turned into pillars of salt.
“Praise be, you poor souls who know not the mercy and compassion of the twin goddesses!”
Overcome with fervent faith, the Master Templar made the sign of the cross.
The wrath of the goddess unfolding there was far from compassion or mercy in many ways, but he paid no heed.
“We shall drive out the darkness of this land and etch the will of the goddess deeply.”
The Master Templar murmured. And the land he spoke of was not limited to the Demon King’s domain. He turned his gaze.
Towards the northern Saxon duchy, the land of apostates who had long forsaken the divine.
Even after the Demon King’s domain was offered to the church, Dale remained there as the ‘representative of Saxon.’ No longer in the Saxon lord’s castle, but in the former Saxon fortress, now transforming into the Sistina Church’s cathedral.
With the church officially overseeing the grand labyrinth project in the city of Labyrinthos, several new decrees were enacted.
The tithe.
Offering 10% of one’s earnings to the goddess.
As the Demon King’s domain was reborn as a diocese of the Sistina Church, no one there was exempt.
Not the pioneering farmers, not the monastic orders, not even the adventurers challenging the labyrinth. They had to pay this tax in addition to the brokerage fees for artifacts or magic stones they acquired, which had also risen in the name of the goddess.
Nevertheless, the artifact rush continued to promise fortunes commensurate with its risks. Knowing this, the church began to squeeze the wealth of the Demon King’s domain to the fullest extent possible.
Around that time, whispers began to spread among adventurers about the new ruler of the Demon King’s domain.
At the forefront was none other than ‘Edward of Dulles,’ the leader of the noble adventurer faction, reaping the greatest profits in this labyrinth city.
Dale had been aware of his presence from the start. Yet, his silence on Edward’s excesses was not out of fear of his backing or lack of evidence.
Sometimes, poison can be medicine if used correctly.
It was around this time that Dale sought out Edward as a countermeasure.
“Those damned church bastards!”
In Edward’s mansion in the labyrinth city of Labyrinthos. With the advent of the pioneering projects a few years back, it wasn’t unusual for successful adventurers to own residences in the city. Among them, some mansions were particularly large and luxurious, at least by the standards of the remote northern Saxon duchy.
“Even the almighty twin goddesses can’t seem to escape financial woes.”
In that very mansion, Dale muttered as if it were someone else’s problem.
“Surely, Prince Edward must be feeling the impact.”
“Do you even need to ask?”
Edward’s voice rose again at Dale’s words. Dale glanced around.
The interior of Edward’s mansion, belonging to one of the wealthiest adventurers in the labyrinth city, was in utter disarray. It looked as if it had been hit by a bomb.
It had happened just moments ago.
The church had swallowed the adventurer’s guild Dale had established, using its information to identify high-income adventurers. Based on that, the ‘tithe enforcers’ of the Templar Order had stormed Edward’s mansion.
Under the pretext of collecting tithes according to church law, they ransacked the mansion, stripping Edward of his wealth.
The church was legally entitled to take 10% of the wealth adventurers amassed in the labyrinth city. Thus, they began to shake Edward down to extract the ‘maximum 10%’ possible.
They also left a message that 10% of his future monthly earnings in the Demon King’s domain would not be exempt.
“And now they want to double the brokerage fees! It’s enough to make the twin goddesses weep!”
“It seems the goddesses are in dire need of funds.”
“What on earth was the Saxon Viscount thinking, handing over the territory to them?”
“What can I do against robbery in the name of the divine?”
Dale shrugged. There are many types of robbers in the world, and the most terrifying are those who invoke the name of the divine.
“But we can’t just stand by and watch the labyrinth city crumble!”
Edward began to raise his voice as if he were the lord of the Demon King’s domain.
“It’s true that many adventurers are earning significant income from the grand labyrinth. However, my primary goal is to cultivate this land into a place for people. As long as the church is faithfully carrying out that mission… some losses are inevitable.”
“But with the imperial princes and princesses, and strong figures from across the continent gathering for the ‘Great Demon Alliance,’ isn’t it absurd for the church to unilaterally lead the situation?”
“Indeed, Prince Edward.”
Dale smiled softly at his words.
“In fact, I deeply sympathize with your sentiments.”
He continued with a smile.
“It seems we have no choice but to be in the same boat.”
After concluding a certain ‘deal’ with Edward, Dale headed straight to the hideout of the shadow court he commanded.
Their grand court, temporarily hidden in the Saxon duchy to evade the church’s grasp over the Demon King’s domain.
The shadow court’s true form, the shadow church, was an unpardonable heresy from the perspective of the Sistina Church.
And as long as Dale existed as the ‘Shadow Lord’ commanding the shadow church’s loyalty, their existence had to be kept secret.
In this regard, it was fortunate that they were also the continent’s foremost assassin organization.
“Just as the apostles of fire and light fall, new apostles of gold emerge.”
In the grand court, a girl with her eyes covered by black bandages spoke.
The shadow saintess, the focal point of their organization, serving Dale and the ancient mother of darkness, Shub.
“You referred to Mikhail Lancaster as the apostle of fire and light.”
“Indeed.”
“What do you mean by ‘apostle’?”
“Exactly what it sounds like.”
The shadow saintess smiled as she continued.
“They are the agents through whom the gods of gold and shadow deliver their will to this world. Just as the holy maiden Aurelia of Britannia once was.”
“Are you talking about power granted without reason?”
“Sometimes, yes. Or individuals like Mikhail Lancaster might awaken to their special talents and convictions. There are even those who unknowingly fulfill their roles as apostles. The forms and methods vary, but ultimately, the apostles have one goal.”
“And what is that?”
“To establish an empire for their gods on this earth.”
“Are you referring to gold and shadow?”
“Broadly speaking, yes. But just as there are various forms within the shadows, gold is no exception.”
She seemed to imply that, like political ideologies, there are different spectrums within gold and shadow.
“There are apostles who claim to be the loyal standard-bearers of the lords of gold and shadow, and there are those who aspire to become the lords of gold or shadow themselves. Like the ‘Empire of Fire and Light,’ which is embroiled in endless intrigue beneath the surface to claim the golden throne.”
The shadow saintess’s words were abstract and fanatical, like a priestess receiving an oracle. Yet, there was a certain logic to her words.
Mikhail Lancaster was not merely a loyal servant of the empire. The peace he spoke of was imbued with greater ambition.
“What exactly are ‘gold and shadow’?”
“There’s no need to rush to understand. Soon, whether you like it or not, you’ll come to know.”
The Shadow Saint smiled enigmatically once more, her face still obscured by black bandages.
“I swear, both I and the Shadow Court will serve the Shadow Lord more faithfully than anyone else, trusting in the empire you will bring to this land.”
“And what if someone more suited to be the Apostle of Blackness appears, claiming the name of the Shadow Lord in my stead?”
“Who would dare to claim the name of the ‘Black Prince’ in your place?” the Shadow Saint retorted.
“Isn’t it you, the heir of darkness, alongside the Mother of Ancient Shadows, who embodies the ‘Black Prince’?”
”…”
“Mikhail Lancaster, the Apostle of Fire and Light, is just the beginning. Countless apostles of gold and shadow will emerge, standing in your way. Just like the ‘Master Templar’ currently ravaging this land.”
The mention of the Master Templar made Dale catch his breath.
He glanced sideways. There was Master Baro, feet propped on the table, sipping his beer.
“Master Baro.”
“Why are you calling me?”
Finally, Dale voiced the true reason for his visit to the Shadow Court.
“Gather the men. It’s time to draw some blood.”
Though Dale had struck a deal with Edward, it didn’t change the fact that Edward’s very existence was a poison to him. Considering the tyranny Edward and his noble adventurer faction wielded within the labyrinth city, it wouldn’t have been surprising if Dale had already cut them down.
To Dale, ‘Edward of Dulles’ was nothing more than a disposable hunting dog. In fact, he wasn’t even a hunting dog.
The hunt against the church was not Edward’s task, but rather that of Dale and the Shadow Court.
However, once the hunt concluded, it would be Edward and his cronies who would bear the brunt of the ‘responsibility.’
The time had come to unleash the hunting dogs, prepared long ago for this very betrayal, and commence the church hunt.