Chapter 77

The Holy Church was a gathering of those who worshiped the world’s one and only divine being—the Goddess—and followed Her teachings. They were not bound by borders, respected the law without being chained by it, and did not restrict the freedom of the faithful but rather encouraged voluntary good deeds.

Though the Church had existed since time immemorial, it only began to truly intervene in the world’s history about three hundred years ago. That was all thanks to one person: the Holy King Rodrick.

He was a hero of such unmatched talent that not even the Goddess could fathom it, a man who single-handedly saved the world with his own might. Back then, the Holy Church did nothing.

They received the glory of that salvation simply for serving the Goddess alongside the hero, basking in praise for feats and virtues they never performed. For priests who had shunned wealth and fame all their lives, those honors were nothing but shame.

“We must remember our humility!”

The first Saintess, Elahan, who gave up her name and took the name of the Holy Iron Breaker, stood before all and raised her voice.

“If we remain silent like this, if we simply accept it like this, our Church will be nothing more than parasites clinging to the grace of the Goddess and the Hero! The whole world may praise us, but we must remember that we are not worthy to receive that praise!”

No one could say for certain if that’s exactly how it happened, but according to the records that remained, every priest gathered in that hall wept that day. It was said the Saintess herself shed tears as well.

People who had lived with not a shred of shame beneath the heavens could not dare raise their heads for once in their lives. After that, the Holy Church began to change dramatically.

“Just as there is no meaning in speaking of goodness without practicing it, who would believe in a justice that does not exist? Our role is to fill that void.”

Until then, the Church’s charity had been passive and minor. They would share honestly earned wealth with the poor and offer refuge for those who had been exploited, a mere desperate measure that never truly changed anything at its root.

The first Saintess pointed it out without hesitation.

“We are people too. We must eat the crops that grow in this land, be drenched by the rain that falls from the sky, and live laughing and weeping with our neighbors. If we keep our distance from the world to guard our own purity, we will never repay this debt.”

To pick the lotus blooming in the mire, one must step into the mud. To change the world for the better, they needed to face the evils of this world head-on, the evils they had long avoided.

So the Holy Church chose to grow its strength. They abandoned even their stance of remaining untainted, deciding to use the towering prestige left by Holy King Rodrick’s legacy and the good deeds they had built up over centuries. They traveled to the farthest corners of the world, gathering those who would join their cause.

One hundred years, then another hundred. And another hundred after that.

Roughly three centuries passed this way, bringing the Church to the holy age it now enjoyed. Villains who feared not even the empire’s law flinched at the sight of the Holy Church’s crest. Simply by existing, the Church had become a bulwark that restrained evil, waiting for the day the Hero will appear again.

And at the central branch of that Church, in one corner of the round table, an old man with a long, flowing beard opened his mouth to speak.

“We shall now begin this year’s annual assembly.”

Despite the deep lines of age carved into his face, his eyes were clear as a boy’s. This was Lark, the First Cardinal.

Easily the oldest of everyone gathered at this table, he was a cleric who had served the Church for over a hundred years. The holy power that brimmed within his body, and the connections he had forged through decades of service, were treasures no one could replace.

“It makes me very happy that none of you missed the meeting this year. Last year, nearly half didn’t come. That left this old man quite lonely, you know,” Lark said with a broad, genial smile.

He always hosted the annual assembly. Once a year, the Holy Church summoned cardinals from all over the continent to gather in one place and discuss major matters.

Though the Church granted its members a high degree of autonomy, it was ultimately the headquarters that had to set the course. However, attendance at the annual assembly was never high.

Cardinal Anna, who sat across from Lark, replied with a wry smile, “What can we do? Last year we had a Level 2 incident. Everyone had to rush there.”

The other cardinals all nodded in agreement. It was true. Even the Holy Iron Inquisitors spent every day traveling without rest, and the cardinals, who stood above them, bore an even heavier burden.

It was common for incidents of Level 3 or higher priority to break out during the assembly, and when they did, the cardinals had to abandon the meeting and deploy.

Lark decided to have some fun.

“

Haha

, yes, I know well how hard you all work. Of course, there are more pressing matters than this old man warming his backside at headquarters. Yes, yes.

Haha

haha!”

“

Ah

, that’s not what I...”

“

Ahem

...”

Lark knew the reality better than anyone, but when else would he get to tease the cardinals like this? At his pointed words, the cardinals cleared their throats and turned their heads.

His mischief did not last long, however.

“Well then, thank you again for gathering. Now that you are all here, I’ll get to the matter at hand. I’m sure you’ve already heard, but this time our Eighth Saintess is here with us as well. Her coronation ceremony is yet to come, so the former Saintess has come along with her.”

The nine cardinals turned their eyes in unison. Seated beside Lark was someone quite different from last year—a girl who looked barely twenty, with silver hair that shimmered like starlight and eyes of radiant gold.

Feeling all nine pairs of eyes on her, Elahan tensed up and spoke in a tiny voice, “N-nice to meet you all!”

And with that, her forehead smacked straight into the table with a loud

bang!

She’d lowered her head too quickly while still seated, and disaster struck.

The cardinals stifled laughter at the clumsy sight, and the air in the chamber softened at once. Only the former Saintess, standing behind Elahan, heaved a long sigh.

Perhaps she really should have focused more on her etiquette.

“

Haha

, there’s no need to be so nervous. This is your first time, so just watch how the meeting goes today. Next time, you can join in the discussion yourself. It’s easier than it looks.”

“Yes, understood...”

Lark smiled at her as if watching his own granddaughter, then his expression turned solemn as he said, “Now then, shall we begin?”

The other cardinals likewise shed every hint of a smile. Each picked up the files before them and flipped through the pages one by one.

The first to speak was Cardinal Anna. She distributed the documents she had prepared and began her explanation.

“With the day of prophecy drawing closer, the world is growing increasingly unstable. Disasters have increased more than tenfold in every region, and we’ve already had nearly ten Level 3 incidents this year alone. We normally might see one or two at most.”

“Ten, you say...” Lark muttered.

“At this rate, the Holy Iron Inquisitors will be pushed to the brink. It’s time we asked for more cooperation from each nation.”

The Holy Iron Inquisitors were the strongest armed force on the continent, but even they could not guard every corner without gaps. The variance in each member’s strength and fatigue was another major issue.

No matter how strong one person might be, their capabilities could fluctuate wildly with their condition. Also, each Inquisitor’s effectiveness could differ greatly depending on the type of incident. At Anna’s words, most of the cardinals nodded solemnly.

“Cardinal Anna, thank you for your input. Send out a circular to every nation on the continent,” Lark said. “Have the Holy Iron Inquisitors extend the intervals of their regular patrols for now and just make sure they stay near their designated sectors so they can move flexibly only in case of emergencies.”

“Yes, I’ll move things forward that way.”

The annual assembly moved forward as smoothly as water flowing downstream. This was one of the Holy Church’s greatest strengths.

There were no factional struggles within the Church, no rigid hierarchies to slow things down. Everyone simply did what was needed. When they had to cooperate, they laid every piece of information on the table and tackled it together for the best possible outcome.

“The management and usage rights for relics—”

“Cardinal Cron and Cardinal Berid can handle that—”

“There’s a mysterious famine and drought spreading in the south-central region—”

“Work with the Mage Tower first to confirm whether it’s a natural cause—”

Dozens of issues crossed paths, and conclusions emerged one after another. No one shied away from hard work. Everyone carried out their role faithfully—and because of that, it was possible to settle the bulk of the agenda in just three hours.

Had this been a meeting of greedy merchants, nobles obsessed with power struggles, or royals who forced sacrifice on their people, even years wouldn’t have been enough to resolve it all.

“Let’s take a breather after these.” Lark picked up two sheets of paper and read them aloud, “The City Swallowing incident in Blaine the Freedom City—it’s been classified as a Level 3 crisis.”

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

“

Hah

, the City Swallowing... So there were still heretics from that sect lingering around after all.”

“Still, Bishop Cesare handled it well. Confirming the death of the priest alone is a huge win.”

“As expected of one of our leading candidates for Cardinal.”

The cardinals murmured at the grave name of the incident. Seeing their reactions, Elahan couldn’t help but smile. She alone knew exactly who had truly been involved in that disaster: the Hero Leon.

The Goddess’s emissary, the bringer of light. Born in an age of chaos to quell it—the one all the Saintesses had waited centuries for, building up three hundred years of prayer and deeds.

Yet his feats did not end with City Swallowing.

“Rubena the Twilight City—this too was a Level 3 incident. A black mage who captured the Wallachia clan and harvested their blood. It must have been a struggle for just Demian and Angela to handle it, but they did well. We should be proud of them.”

“I heard he turned himself into a Lord-tier vampire? They somehow held out and dragged it to sunrise. I didn’t think they were that capable.”

“No surprise for Angela. She might still be in the early stages of her career, but her skills are easily top ten. Give it a few years and she’ll be one of the Inquisitors’ best.”

“

Oho

...” Lark mused and chuckled as he finished reading the report.

“It says here that Demian and Angela wrapped up the incident themselves and explained everything to the kingdom right away. There was so much clear evidence left that they didn’t even need to invoke the Church’s name,” Anna said. “Still, that clan truly has no luck. To think the land they chose as a safe haven was a trap.”

She sighed with a note of pity, prompting Dominic to speak up.

“We’ll have to extend them some protection on our side. For an entire bloodline to suffer because of one ancestor... I’d say two hundred and fifty years of labor sentence is punishment enough.”

“I agree. Let’s handle it as you suggest,” Lark said.

“Thank you.”

Elahan had to clamp her lips shut to stop herself from blurting out what she really wanted to say—that City Swallowing and the vampire farming incident were both the Hero’s work.

However, she knew it wasn’t the time for that. A Saintess could never act against the Hero’s wishes.

One day, his feats would come to light for the world to see. When that day came, she would proudly declare that she had known all along.

Just a little longer. Everyone will find out eventually. For now, I just have to keep it to myself and cheer him on quietly.

Holding that thought, Elahan pressed her hands together. She planned to soothe her bursting heart with a prayer—even if praying for the Hero instead of the Goddess was technically irreverent, the Goddess Herself harbored no complaints about her Saintess’ innocent devotion.

Of course, Elahan had no idea what the Goddess thought.

“

Ooh

, the Saintess is praying...!”

“Her faith is truly devout.”

“Let’s join her. We were going to rest anyway.”

“Yes, let’s. It’s rare we’re all gathered like this...”

Thus, quite by accident, the chamber filled with an unusual sight—ten cardinals and one Saintess praying in perfect unison. In that moment, a task failed successfully.

***

After many twists and turns, the annual assembly finally ended. Elahan, back in her chambers at last, immediately summoned someone for a report.

“I see. So, the Hero went to the Titan Mountains after that?” she asked.

“Yes, Saintess,” Demian affirmed as he knelt respectfully on one knee before Elahan.

He had recounted everything he had witnessed firsthand. He knew from Caesare that the Saintess looked up to Leon with deep admiration, so he had shared details he had told no one else.

Elahan beamed as she listened to every word and said, “

Hoho

, hearing it like this is completely different from reading the reports. I feel as if I can see him in action before my very eyes.”

“You would be even more awed to see him yourself,” Demian agreed eagerly. “He wields a light that cuts through the darkness of night. When the black mage tried to blow up the entire city with himself, the Hero severed it with a single stroke of the Holy Sword. If it weren’t for him, Rubena would be a ruin now.”

“

Ah

... my Hero...!”

Elahan, moved to her core, clasped her hands together again. She nearly started to pray again before freezing mid-gesture, remembering the ordeal just hours ago.

The moment she’d whispered a prayer for the Hero, she opened her eyes and found every cardinal beside her praying too. She hadn’t been able to get up and leave, so she’d had to kneel there for another hour until they all finished.

From now on, I’ll only pray for him when I’m alone.

Just then, Elahan’s eyes widened as she hit upon a brilliant idea.

“

Ah

! Demian!”

“Yes, Saintess?”

“Are you keeping good records of the Hero’s journey? Where he came from, what he did, where he went next—all of it.”

“Of course. Some parts are incomplete, but those are the Hero’s private matters, so I have not documented them.”

“Good. Very good.”

Elahan’s face shone as she reached out her hand.

“Could I read through them? I want to know more before I meet him in person.”

“It’s all stuff that you already know, Saintess.”

“

Hoho

. Yes, I do remember every one of his feats.”

“Then...”

With eyes bright as stars, the Eighth Saint, Elahan, said, “There’s still time before the day of the prophecy. I think I’ll visit each place the Hero has passed through. Yes—I should start with that Academy, shouldn’t I?”