The Holy Church Begins with Bestowal of Blessings

Chapter 379 : Must Not Be Allowed

The castle and the second tier had already been wiped out. In the city, only the City Guards stationed at the other two gates remained, along with the patrolling guards who had gathered in response to the City Guard Governor’s summons.The forces of the York Territory, under the assistance of Knight Paul and the knights from the Great Cathedral of Doyle, had taken control of the city’s defenses.

As for the tiered guards and patrolling guards of Doyle City, they had been assigned to clean up the chaos left in the third tier by the rampaging rebel knights.

After all these matters were arranged, Julian went into the Great Cathedral to meet with Jeremiah, who was already waiting there.

「As previously agreed, I’ve released a group of knights,」 said Julian.

Jeremiah replied,「But it looks like the number is a bit much. I’m worried that Marquis Shalier won’t be able to hold up. He’s the marquis adjacent to Greenwood—if they try to flee into the Woodlands, they’ll definitely pass through his lands.」

He sighed.「Perhaps I overestimated the combat strength of these knights and let them escape prematurely, which led to the deaths of innocent people.」

He appeared somewhat remorseful.

Julian did not want to linger on the topic. He came from a knightly family and later became a knight himself. He had fought alongside one or two knights, leading warriors and werewolves into battle. He had long since become familiar with the brutality of war.

Even if these knights killed less than three hundred people during their escape, even if it had been a thousand or three thousand, he wouldn’t have blinked.

This was war. Every life was merely a number on the path to victory.

Besides, wouldn't those knights wreak havoc in the Woodlands anyway? By then, the number of casualties might be in the tens of thousands.

Only after the war ends can one mourn the unfortunate dead.

But clearly, the war was not yet over. The Red Dragon Knight Order was still carrying out Julian’s commands beyond the city.

With the strength of these carefully selected knights, the number of people they could kill in one night depended entirely on how many were within ten li of Doyle City.

As for whether they were innocent or not—such things did not matter to soldiers. Once the strategy was decided, these people had only one identity: targets to be killed.

Julian said,「Marquis Gregor is currently at Marquis Shalier’s place as well, isn’t he? Should we send someone to eliminate him? This time, we’ve essentially cleared out everything he had. Rather than risk him becoming our enemy later, I think it’s better to deal with him now.」

Jeremiah replied,「It’s not that he’s lost everything—he still has this territory and its people. He also has new family and two knights loyal to him.」

Julian persuaded,「Every action leaves a trace. Once he returns and sees the state of the castle and second tier, he’ll naturally realize that this massacre was planned from the very beginning—when this city was built. And when it was constructed, it was with the blueprints you approved.」

Jeremiah said,「Even if he resents me for it, it’s justified. But this place still needs a noble strong enough to hold it, and obedient enough. Gregor fits that role perfectly.」

「After all, he shares a bit of blood relation with Marquis Richard. Even if they seem at odds on the surface, in the current Greenwood, they are natural allies. It’s just that Gregor isn’t mature yet and still clings to youthful pride.」

「And I know Gregor. What he values most is his title, then his land, and only after that his own life. His blood relatives come even further behind. So even if we destroy his entire castle but leave him alive, his title intact, and his territory unharmed—in fact, with potential for expansion—he won’t rebel.」

「Moreover, he no longer has the strength to rebel now.」

Julian asked directly,「What about you, then?」

Jeremiah said,「The civilians relocated from Doyle City will establish a new city on the shores of Lake Saron near the Woodlands. The Great Cathedral of the Doyle Diocese will be moved there. Naturally, I will also oversee the church affairs of Doyle Diocese there. I am, after all, merely the Church’s Bishop, not his Political Advisor.」

Julian asked,「And what about Marquis Gregor—or rather, the Doyle Territory?」

Jeremiah replied,「Gregor’s future wife, Camilla, is a clever woman. She will know what to do.」

「In eight days, Gregor, Camilla, and Marquis Shalier will come to the Great Cathedral. I will witness their engagement then. At that time, you can also have a proper conversation with Marquis Shalier.」

Julian nodded.「I know what to do. Before I came, the Administrator already told me the necessary objectives.」

Jeremiah said,「This is politics and war. You decide these things—I won’t interfere.」

Although Jeremiah said so, Julian didn’t take it at face value. When necessary, he would still consult him.

Jeremiah continued,「The bard I was in contact with has already been sent into the Woodlands. Let’s see if he can find any information about the revival of the Old Gods.」

Julian frowned.「These bards are not trustworthy.」

Jeremiah replied,「But they did quite well this time. In a very short span, they ignited the desires in the hearts of these nobles and knights, influenced their decisions, and rallied them to Doyle City. It saved us a lot of trouble.」

Julian said,「But their mouths are full of lies. Who knows if they’ve deceived us in other matters? You should know their ranking titles, right? A Tier-Two Fraudster—the very name implies deceit.」

Jeremiah responded,「Lies are their words, and their words are like the swords in a knight’s hands. Some are light one-handed swords; others are heavy two-handed swords. But weapons are weapons because they can be used in battle—regardless of the type. For them, lies are just one kind of weapon.」

Julian said,「But titles of that kind wouldn’t and couldn’t be publicly disclosed by the Bard Guild. Once exposed, people would be on high alert.」

Jeremiah answered,「It’s not just the bards. So far, only the Warrior Guild, Knight Guild, Scholar’s Guild, Merchant Guild, and Lawyer’s Guild have made public announcements. The other guilds only have names—no actual headquarters, let alone any public sequence titles. Your Ranger Guild is the same.」

Julian said,「That was simply the Senate’s final compromise. After guild formation, their prior plans for mercenary use were completely shelved. They didn’t want free agents like mercenaries, but they couldn’t bear to relinquish the power in their hands either. Only after weighing both sides did they decide to hide certain guild matters. They claim revealing some sequence names would panic the common folk.」

Jeremiah asked,「And do you agree or not?」

Julian answered,「Of course I agree. His Excellency the Administrator agrees too. But it’s also because the power struggle following the guilds’ formation was so intense behind the scenes. Official positions and social structures were severely shaken. That’s why the bards’ dissemination of Woodlands news in York City had little effect.」

Jeremiah said,「Not everything must show immediate results. As long as those words are spread and heard, time will preserve them. When the time comes, those messages will naturally resurface for discussion.」

Julian said,「Perhaps. At the very least, I’ve already dispatched some Rangers to gather intel in the Woodlands. I truly can’t trust those bards.」

Jeremiah smiled.「Perhaps they’ll even run into each other in the Woodlands.」

Whether they met or not didn’t matter to Julian. This was his attempt to utilize the skills of various professions to control a war. It was a post-New Testament Era experiment in warfare.

Like those orderly war drums, and the battle mages who cast spells to lighten armor, quicken steps, and boost stamina.

Or using those bards to mislead the enemy.

Julian said,「That dangerous fellow Hobert didn’t respond this time. Even though Yorn sent a Fraudster specifically to him, he couldn’t be persuaded.」

Jeremiah replied,「There’s an unknown deity at his side. You shouldn’t meddle recklessly. It’s a dangerous god—even if It hasn’t fully returned, It still possesses unknown powers.」

Julian said,「We’re Senators. We can’t just let such a dangerous man roam freely in Greenwood.」

Jeremiah praised,「That is a responsible and admirable quality. I commend you for it. But your army belongs on the battlefield. Such unknown forces are not your specialty to handle.」

Julian said,「Aren’t there so many guilds now? Assassins, thieves, bards, rangers—they can all deal with matters in the shadows.」

Jeremiah shook his head.「But that is a god.」

Julian said,「If the kingdom is to survive, we must engage with the gods. This too has been approved by His Excellency the Administrator.」

Julian’s voice was firm.

Jeremiah was momentarily stunned. He fell silent, recalling the moment he had summoned Original Sin: Greed. It had only been a wisp of will, yet just hearing Its voice slightly had nearly made him lose himself.

Even though he later broke free under the Lord’s Protection, his will and spirit were scarred.

While it didn’t affect his daily actions, even now he could feel his thoughts being influenced.

Julian’s words reminded Jeremiah of Jeven, who had used his own body to endure the pain of a Phantasm Beast.

Even though Jeremiah had mocked Jeven back then, once he sensed Greed’s presence, he, like Jeven, had not hesitated to use his own body to experience the power of Original Sin.

So finally, Jeremiah said,「Perhaps this offensive against the Woodlands will allow your army to truly confront those gods.」