Chapter 1528: A Masterful Move
At this point, with the truth laid bare, the illusion Veronica had crafted from holy light still hovered before Gawain. After being re-rendered and completed by Ophelia’s matrix, the traces scanned directly from the floor of the side hall had now been pieced together into a clearer image. With just one glance, it was unmistakably the face of Baphomet, the god of commerce—Gawain even turned back to look twice at the granite platform’s statue, repeatedly confirming that it was indeed the same face.
Of course, the face pressed to the ground differed slightly from the solemn visage of the statue. At the very least, the former lacked the dignified aura of the latter. That was understandable—after all, when Mr. Baphomet left those marks, he was likely acting in haste, under pressure, with no time to compose his expression…
“…Looks like it was a good thing we had Archbishop Boris step out for a while,” Gawain sighed. Despite having tried countless alternative explanations for the traces in the side hall, he had to admit Veronica’s discovery was probably the only truth. This made him all the more grateful for having asked Boris to leave temporarily. “Otherwise, he might have been martyred by now…”
“Definitely,” Amber chimed in with a smirk, casually twirling the blunt club in her hands. For some reason, she seemed unusually cheerful—ever since she summoned that club, her mood had been surprisingly upbeat. “So our initial guess was right: Lady Night really did go to the realm of the Outer Gods to beat someone up…”
“Hold on, don’t jump to conclusions yet. I need to sort this out,” Gawain said, rubbing his forehead. The shock to his worldview was so great that even this resurrected old-timer was momentarily at a loss. He really couldn’t understand how Amber could be so calm about it all. “It seems the god of commerce, Baphomet, did get attacked. But what exactly is Lady Night’s goal here?”
“Isn’t it obvious? It’s a ‘coming-of-age’ ritual,” Amber said gleefully. “You were worried recently about how activating the homeworld’s barrier would trigger the coming-of-age, right? Looks like Lady Night really stepped in to help—and she went all out. A god who’s been around for 1.8 million years sure fights like it. Sweeping through the gods like slicing through melons…”
“No, you’re missing my point,” Gawain interrupted, cutting off Amber’s excitement. “Lady Night did attack the god of commerce, that’s true. But look around carefully—the statue hasn’t fallen, the cathedral isn’t covered in dust. Think about Archbishop Boris just now: he showed no sign of disturbance, and the other clergy still radiate the power of faith. What does that tell us? Clearly…”
“Hey, put that club away first,” Gawain said nervously, eyeing Amber as she swung the blunt weapon back and forth. “You’re making me nervous. I keep thinking you’re about to smash me in the face with it!”
“Oh,” Amber finally obeyed, stowing the shadowy club. Then, catching the hint in Gawain’s words, she frowned. “Wait, I get it now. You’re saying the god of commerce’s authority and divine status are still intact!”
“Exactly. Both are still there.” Gawain’s expression grew serious—recovering such composure after that shocking revelation wasn’t easy. He glanced back at the statue on the platform. Though it was a mortal-crafted secular object, in the realm of divine power, such symbols carried real significance. Statues in cathedrals often reflected the state of their gods. When the god of war fell, all war god statues and candles worldwide cracked or extinguished—an ominous sign. But Baphomet’s statue remained unscathed. The implication was clear.
Leight, standing nearby, finally spoke up, having been silent and serious all along: “The god of commerce still exists, and the bond between the god and earthly believers remains unbroken. Lady Night’s ‘attack’ didn’t disrupt the god’s operation… She’s not cutting down the gods for us.”
Amber blinked, confused. “Huh? Then what’s she up to? Leaving the Shadow Throne, invading the Outer God’s realm, even using the Voyagers’ trump cards—all just to beat up the god of commerce? That doesn’t add up.”
Veronica glanced between Amber and Gawain, her many computational nodes whirring before she tentatively broke the silence: “Maybe… she’s weakening the gods’ power in this way to minimize the divine calamity’s damage to the mortal world when the final rebellion happens?
“Based on our current analysis of the Thought Currents and the Talrond incident, relying on external forces to sever the bonds is risky. The true coming-of-age should be completed by mortals themselves. When the Voyagers eliminated the mad gods on this planet and took away the sentient beings, it was a last resort. As the ‘custodian’ left behind by the Voyagers, Lady Night would prefer to ensure mortal civilization can mature independently, as much as possible.”
“That’s possible, but I still feel it’s not that simple,” Gawain frowned, thinking aloud. “Just beating up the god of commerce to weaken him? We all know how gods operate—their existence depends on the Thought Currents, the collective ‘belief’ of mortals, which continuously fuels them. This can even ‘lock’ a god’s state.
“As long as the currents flow, even if Lady Night beats a god to near death, it’s meaningless. The god will recover quickly—just one prayer, a glance at a scripture, or a believer’s firm faith is enough to restore them. Remember the divine calamities we’ve faced? Every time mortal armies defeated a god, the first step was to sever the Thought Currents between god and believers, or the god had already lost that connection. Lady Night must understand this well.”
Veronica pondered. “So you think Lady Night’s attacks are futile, and won’t ease the pressure we face when the final rebellion erupts?”
“No, I don’t think she’s wasting her efforts. I believe she has a more complex plan, based on some principle beyond our current understanding,” Gawain said seriously. “Her strike against Baphomet was just an early step. And… Amber, do you remember the phrase you heard when you pushed open the side hall door? I think that’s crucial.”
“The phrase Amber heard?” Veronica, new to the scene, looked curious. “What did she hear?”
“Oh, it was something that ‘flowed’ into my mind from Lady Night’s side, like the hallucinations I’ve had before,” Amber nodded, explaining to Veronica. “I heard a voice that sounded like Baphomet, nervously confirming something with Lady Night, asking, ‘Are you sure this thing really works?’ I didn’t get it then, but now it seems ‘this thing’ refers to the blow he was about to take…”
“That supports my theory. Lady Night’s move is part of a more intricate plan,” Gawain analyzed earnestly. “And the amazing part is, she even negotiated with the victim beforehand… though the victim didn’t seem too happy about it.”
Leight, who had been quiet and serious all along, finally couldn’t hold back. Looking around at the focused group, he broke the silence: “I feel like what we’re discussing is a bit… strange.”
Gawain’s immediate thought: the only relatively sane person here finally cracked.
“We probably won’t find more clues here,” he sighed, pulling his attention away from the scattered mess. “It seems likely these traces are just an uncontrolled energy release from the god of commerce, or a ‘reflection’ of events in the divine realm onto the mortal world. Whether Lady Night intended this or not, it’s definitely not a message from Baphomet to us.”
“Not necessarily,” Amber said uncertainly. “What if he was trying to send us a ‘hello’ in his own way?”
Gawain stared at the shadowy assault goose in disbelief. “A god sending a ‘hello’?! Would you dare write those words down on paper again?!”
“Okay, okay, I guess that’s unlikely. Anyone with a shred of dignity wouldn’t do that,” Amber shrugged, then glanced toward the side hall entrance. “So, should we get out of here? Before we go, should we clean up the scene? Not to destroy evidence, but I’m worried if Archbishop Boris comes back and notices something, his imagination might run wild and he could end up a martyr on the spot…”
Though usually unreliable, Amber’s concern was thoughtful this time. Gawain nodded slightly. “That’s a real issue. Leight, arrange for a team of disciplinary monks to come under the Divine Authority Council’s Class I scene disposal regulations. They’ll handle the traces here. Until then, no clergy of the god of commerce may enter this hall. Also, subtly explain the situation to Archbishop Boris. He’s smart and has been guided by the Council—he’ll understand.”
“Understood,” Leight nodded. “I’ll arrange it immediately.”
“Thinking about it, the clergy of various sects have it tough, especially those near the capital, dealing with the Divine Authority Council regularly,” Amber said with a sigh. “They know too many unbelievable truths but must maintain reverence for the gods. They understand many heretical ‘realities’ but still have to fulfill their duties, balancing believers, clergy, imperial power, divine authority, secular interests, and their own faith. They’re not just at a crossroads in life—they’re standing on the overpass of history…”
Gawain patted Amber’s hair and sighed. “It’s not just them. All of us are standing on that overpass. Be glad there’s at least Lady Night trying to guide us, even if we can’t read her expression. At least she’s keeping us from being forced off the bridge.”
Half an hour later, after wrapping up all the final tasks, Gawain and his group finally left the cathedral of the god of commerce. By then, the Divine Authority Council’s “professionals” had sealed off every area inside and outside the cathedral. Near the main entrance, Gawain spotted Archbishop Boris, who was calmly explaining the situation to anxious believers. The middle-aged, portly cleric, always wearing a gentle smile, reassured the crowd. After seeing off a group, he hurried over to Gawain and saluted respectfully. “Your Majesty, are you leaving now?”
“Official duties keep me busy,” Gawain nodded, then fixed his gaze on the other man’s face. “I hope you understand our arrangements—they’re for everyone’s sake, including your deity’s.”
“Sigh, I understand,” Boris sighed, his weariness and helplessness plain even before the ruler of this land. “In this position, I know many things, and I understand many truths. The path you’ve pointed out is the only one left for us to follow.”
Gawain nodded slightly, about to say more, when a sudden commotion nearby interrupted him.
He and Amber both turned toward the noise, which came from the far end of the square. A few priests clad in the robes of foreign gods stood before the tribunal’s inquisitors, their faces anxious as they spoke rapidly. Behind them, a dozen or so clergy in various vestments followed, all wearing expressions of unease.
“Go find out what’s going on,” Gawain said to Amber. In an instant, she vanished into thin air, reappearing after a few shadow steps right in front of the priests and inquisitors. Moments later, she returned, her expression strange.
Seeing her face and the priests’ robes, Gawain’s suspicions grew. He said flatly, “Don’t say anything yet. Let me guess—other churches are experiencing anomalies too?”
“You guessed right,” Amber spread her hands. “Several gods of the arts and the clergy of the Blood God’s church have reported strange phenomena in their ‘window zones’ inside their temples. From what I’ve heard, it’s very similar to what’s happening with the God of Commerce.”
Leight and Veronica exchanged glances. After a moment, Leight muttered, “Isn’t this a bit too brutal…? And how did It manage to strike all at once?”
Even though Gawain had expected this, he still froze for two seconds before twitching a smile. “Although the anomalies appeared simultaneously in the churches, the way they manifest in the mortal world might not be immediate. Maybe it’s like a ‘memory replay’—the victims were attacked by the Lady of Night days ago, but the traces only surface now.”
Veronica gave Gawain a peculiar look. “I really admire your composure to analyze the situation so seriously under these circumstances.”
“I admire the ancient god who struck with such ferocity even more,” Gawain rubbed his temples hard, feeling a dull throb in his forehead. “I won’t personally inspect the other churches. Leight, Veronica, you two take teams and check the remaining sites thoroughly. I’ll wait for your reports back at the palace.”
“Understood,” Veronica bowed slightly, her voice gentle. “Leave it to us.”
And so, Gawain left the temple district, his body weary and his mind throbbing with tension—he needed to cool his overheated brain.
Not long after, Leight and Veronica’s report arrived at Cecil Palace. It was dozens of pages long, detailed and formatted like a major crime scene investigation…
Just as Gawain had expected.
The Lady of Night had spared no one…
(End of chapter)