Chapter 15: The Border Gate, Arabell

What on earth is this guy doing here?
Watching the newly appointed archbishop, Bon Hamsworth, gobble down food, Thos couldn’t help but feel a surge of astonishment.
It had to be said that just a few days later, Archbishop Hamsworth’s appearance had become rather pitiful. Not only was the red hat, a symbol of a cardinal, long gone, but his red robe, full of wrinkles, was also stained in several places—especially under his ribs and along the hem, where there were even scratches. His yellowish hair was covered in grass, his face was dusty, and worse still, his poor eating habits, as he choked frequently while eating, left no trace of the dignity befitting one of the Vatican’s twelve cardinals.
“Uh…” Suddenly, the priest stopped eating.
“Choked again?” Girl Bella carefully handed him a curved jar filled with water, looking at him with surprise.
“Ah, sorry, sorry…” Father Bon scratched his head awkwardly and said sheepishly, “I’ve been hungry for days on the road. It’s just…”
“Hehe…” Bella forced a smile, still looking surprised. Next to her, little boy Agi kept poking at the holes in Father Bon’s red robe with a dry branch.
“Agi, stop that. It’s rude!”
Facing his sister’s reprimand, the boy pouted before curiously asking Father Bon, “Why is your clothes like this? Did you roll down a mountain?”
“Uh…” Father Bon looked embarrassed. He made a small gesture with his right hand and said sheepishly, “I got lost and unfortunately encountered a pack of wolves. While running away from them, I slipped—just a little.”
“Haha, so stupid!” Ignoring his sister’s disapproving look, the boy laughed triumphantly.
“Hehe…” Father Bon scratched his head and couldn’t help but laugh too.
“Sigh!” Watching this seemingly harmonious scene, Thos helplessly covered his forehead.
To what extent were these twelve cardinals of the Vatican incompetent as to be chased by wild animals?
When Girl Bella and her brother Agi brought over the remaining meat from the stream, Thos glanced at Father Bon and asked with a frown, “Are you the only one? Where are the others?” He was referring to the priests and monks who should have been accompanying him.

Seeing Thors ask, Father Bon immediately lost his smile and spoke in a cautious tone as if addressing a superior, reporting as he went, “I’m the only one from the Central Church coming this time, so the Church specially assigned several outstanding priests to accompany me. My orders were to meet up in [Rimi], but I really don’t know where Rimi is… They said it’s in the northwest, so I headed that way, but I still haven’t found it after all this time…”
“You went too far, fool!” Thors rolled his eyes in exasperation.
“Uh,” Father Bon smiled sheepishly, scratching his head. “I never expected such a mistake on my first major mission. Luckily, I ran into you…” He paused, then looked at Thors curiously and asked, “Why is Lord Kleist here? I remember you were by His Holiness the Pope…” He couldn’t continue.
That was because Thors was staring at him with a cold gaze, speaking in a threatening tone, “What? Do you want to take me back?”
“No, no!” Feeling the chill behind him, Father Bon instinctively leaned back, swallowed hard, and waved his hands frantically. “I definitely didn’t mean that. I’m just curious, that’s all…”
“Hmph! Then shut up!”
“Yes!” Seeing that Thors wouldn’t press further, Father Bon secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After all, he had also been in that meeting room that day. Though he was only fifteen or sixteen years old, that man dared to challenge other archbishops and even His Holiness the Pope in the Church’s highest council. Especially his immense power was far beyond someone like him who only possessed a few basic white magics and a little holy power.
Glancing at the young man and then at himself, Father Bon sighed helplessly. Then, as if remembering something, he asked curiously, “I heard Lord Kleist has three holy seals?” As soon as he said that, noticing Thors’ gaze, he quickly added, “I’m just curious, that’s all…”
“Hmph,” Thors said indifferently with a light snort. “Yes, and so what? I just obtained power that belonged to someone else!”
“You can’t say that!” Father Bon said in surprise. “The cultivation in the Church is already much slower than that of the Empire’s black magicians. Especially faith— it’s built up bit by bit. If obtaining power that belonged to someone else is the case, then most of the outstanding figures in the Church are like that, right? The power of angels was built up over generations, even dozens of generations…”

“Oh?” Father Bond glanced at Father Thors in surprise. With a half-smile, Thors said, “It seems you already know some of the Vatican’s secrets!”
“After all, I am now a cardinal after all. I have sufficient authority to understand things that were once unclear to me,” Father Bond said with a sheepish smile, tinged with regret. “It’s a pity that an angel’s power is limited by one’s own capacity. No matter how firm one’s faith may be, without outstanding talent, it’s impossible to master such power… I didn’t realize it before. I thought an angel’s descent was just magic. Ah, what a shame…” He turned to Thors, speaking with a hint of envy, “In terms of capacity, Lord Kleist is probably the greatest in the Vatican. No one has ever been able to contain the immense power of three holy marks, not even the Pope himself…” Realizing perhaps his words were disrespectful to the Pope, he quickly fell silent.
“Envious?” Thors glanced at him indifferently, with a hint of mockery. “If you keep holding this mindset, then you’ll be the next to be tempted by endless desires!”
“It’s more like admiration, I suppose,” Father Bond said with a melancholic smile, contrary to Thors’ expectations. Gazing into the distance, he murmured, “I’ve never had much talent since I was young. Not to mention being inferior to Lord Kleist—you, even as an ordinary priest, I can’t compare to you. Becoming a cardinal feels like a dream… Even without power, my faith remains firm. I can still guide those in need and bring them the light of God! The Vatican’s doctrine is love for all things in the world, an equal love for everyone. Holy power is just one of the gifts God has given us to counteract dark forces. A firm faith and an unyielding will against darkness are our greatest weapons!”
“God?” Thors smiled mockingly, his left eye gleaming with silver light like stardust. “Have you seen your so-called God?”
“Huh?” Father Bond was stunned, clearly unable to understand Thors’ words.
“It seems you haven’t met him yet… Well, although you have the authority, you haven’t had the chance to see him yet…”
“What are you talking about?”
“Give up these pointless fantasies. There is no real God! Your so-called faith and will only show weakness in the face of a powerful enemy! Without power, you can do nothing!” As if recalling some unpleasant memory, Thors grew somber. Lying on the ground with his hands behind his head, he gazed blankly at the starry sky.

Suddenly, the seemingly weak and incompetent priest beside him spoke in a serious tone, “I cannot agree! — Please take back your words!”
“What? Want to fight?” Thors smiled mockingly, releasing only a slight amount of holy power, yet its pressure made Father Bond unable to move.
But this man with his peculiar personality did not back down this time; he continued to gaze at Thors with a firm look.
To influence others with unconditional kindness? What kind of thinking is this from such an era?
Shaking his head, Thors retracted some of the holy power he had released and said indifferently to the panting Father Bond, “Your spirit is impressive, but that’s about it! — If we had true strength, Salonia would have long been conquered by the empire’s black magicians. How could you even stand here spouting such ridiculous and childish nonsense?”
“Uh…” Recalling the brutality of the War of a Year, Father Bond was speechless but still forced himself to say, “I believe peace achieved through force cannot last forever. This world… this world will surely see a new era, an era where people can smile without the need for force. By then, holy power will no longer be a weapon for the Church to fight against dark forces or even black magicians, but simply, as before, a means to ensure a stable life for the people! When believers fall ill, we can heal them; when they are lost, we can guide them! — That will be enough!”
“…” Gazing deeply at Father Bond’s serious expression, Thors replied perfunctorily, “Mm, mm, not bad, not bad. I believe such a world would indeed be wonderful. Then work hard, Archbishop Bond Hamsworth!” With that, he raised his head and pointed at the siblings washing wild boar meat by the stream, adding indifferently, “But before that wonderful world arrives, you might as well use your so-called beliefs to influence Father Abel in that place…”
“Uh…” Father Bond fell silent.

He had also heard about the story of Bella and Agi in the previous conversation. Personally, he was somewhat dissatisfied with the attitude of Fort Arabell toward imperial refugees. After all, whether it was the Empire or Salonia, kind-hearted people should all be believers of the Lord. To reject them merely because of food or location, or because they might be influenced by evil forces, was unacceptable to this newly appointed archbishop. After all, when he was in Port Polisnia, he had approached those criminals with an equal-minded attitude, guiding them back on the right path—otherwise, he wouldn’t have gained such prestige in the Southeast Harbor region.

But Fort Arabell wasn’t Port Polisnia. It was a key battlefield during the Year of War and the frontline where the Church resisted the Empire. Not only were the local residents biased against the Empire, but even the local churches were filled with discriminatory radicals. Worse still, thousands of Crusaders were stationed here. To resist the Empire, the Church’s teachings toward the Crusaders were extremely radical—perhaps only slightly better than those of the Inquisitors. After all, they were soldiers, and soldiers without fighting spirit were doomed to death on the battlefield.

“What? Silent now?” Thors taunted.

“I understand,” Father Bon said solemnly, meeting Thors’s gaze. “Leave this matter to me. I’ll show Lord Kleist my determination!”

“Huh?” Thors was stunned. “What do you plan to do? Even if you use your status as a cardinal to negotiate, it won’t necessarily succeed. Those old folks in the Church will surely hold several meetings over this… Tch, I’ve seen this kind of thing plenty!”

“We can’t wait that long,” Father Bon said with a smile, glancing at the siblings by the stream. “Among those imperial refugees rejected at the gates of Arabell, there must be villagers or relatives they know, right?”

“Mm, yes. But probably just villagers. Relatives… Their father and mother sneaked into Salonia with their two children from a dangerous place. Only they managed to escape; their parents were captured by those Crusaders and sent back outside Fort Arabell. So, before everyone else shows a smile, try to make these two kids smile first!”

“I understand! — Perhaps this is also divine guidance, deliberately leading me astray…”

“Hey, are you saying that being chased by a pack of wolves is also divine guidance? It’s just your own incompetence! Anyway, go ahead and try to take down that fortress!”
“Well, I definitely will!” Father Bond said, then seemed to remember something as he looked at Thors lying on the ground and asked in surprise, “You… Lord Klaest, aren’t you coming with me?”
“If I go myself, what need do I have for you?” Thors rolled his eyes and replied indifferently. “Weren’t you going to prove to me that problems can be solved without relying on force? Besides, do you think it’s appropriate for me to show up openly in a place like this? Or are you trying to know if I’m confident in passing through that fortress? Let me tell you—I am! But some bad things will happen!”
“…” Father Bond couldn’t help but sigh bitterly. It was easy to guess what the so-called “bad things” meant, after all, this important figure was currently wanted by the authorities.
—After dawn, Fort Abel—
Abel was the most famous defensive fortress in Salonia, as well as one of its strongest lines of defense. It was built primarily to resist imperial invasions, and 18 years ago, the empire’s invincible forces had been halted right here.
The Abel Defense Line wasn’t just a single fortress but rather a hundreds-of-miles-long barrier that included the city itself. Along this area, there were small energy reaction towers. Once any energy other than sacred power was detected, the Crusaders stationed nearby would intervene, sending those who crossed back to imperial territory north of the defense line or killing them on the spot.
Abel had 3,000 permanent Crusaders and around 20,000 residents, making it one of the few large cities in Salonia. Its defensive capabilities were no less than those of the imperial fortress of Galic in the north, and barriers were set up in many places.
Unlike the barriers created by dark magicians, Salonia’s barriers posed little harm to ordinary people. Even if touched, they only caused a slight tingling pain like from an electric current. However, they were much more effective at blocking dark forces. Forcing one’s way through would inevitably cause severe damage, which was one of the reasons Thors chose to enter through the interior of the fortress. After all, the sacred power and dark forces within him were in a delicate balance. Once that balance was disrupted, Sloth’s power would resurface and affect him, especially when he was injured.

The administrator of Arabel was a local bishop named Zoe Lyle. Near sixty years old, he was a well-known priest in the Holy See and had performed exceptionally well during the Year of War. Yet, despite this, he never received the honor of becoming a cardinal under the central Holy See. The reason was that he was among the most radical among radicals, holding discriminatory views toward the Empire, considering its people as heretics abandoned by God. It was undoubtedly difficult to get such a person to willingly open the gates of the fortress to save those Imperial refugees. Worse still, if he had been just an ordinary priest, Archbishop Bon Hamsworth might have been able to force him to obey using his authority. But since he was an experienced priest with greater seniority, prestige, and competence, things became even more complicated. Indeed, when Bishop Zoe Lyle heard of Bon Hamsworth’s arrival, his attitude was extremely casual…
“Bon Hamsworth? Who is that?”
“Uh, I heard he recently became a cardinal…” a priest nearby whispered as a reminder.
“Oh? A cardinal? Let him in!”
Let him in…
A local bishop actually ordering a cardinal from the central Holy See to enter instead of greeting him personally showed clear arrogance. Yet, he indeed had reason to be arrogant—after all, he had been the local priest governing Arabel for twenty or thirty years. In a sense, his influence and power were comparable to that of a cardinal. On the contrary, the newly appointed archbishop seemed somewhat nervous. As he entered the splendidly decorated local church with Bella and the Agi siblings, he appeared uneasy.
“Um… Hello, Bishop Zoe Lyle. I am Bon Hamsworth!” Looking at the somewhat plump old priest, Archbishop Bon hadn’t yet adjusted to his status and spoke first.
“Oh, so you must be Archbishop Bon Hamsworth,” Zoe Lyle said with a smile, narrowing his eyes as he glanced at the two children beside Bon. “I’ve heard of your remarkable achievements. What an outstanding successor… So, what brings you here today, Archbishop?”
“Uh… Well,” Bon hesitated after organizing his thoughts, “I was sent by His Holiness the Pope to the Empire to negotiate with Vandal. On my way through your city, I heard that a large number of Imperial refugees have gathered outside Arabel. I was wondering…”

“Oh, that matter,” Zoe Lir nodded with a smile and said casually, “Indeed, there is such a thing. What instructions do Your Eminence have?”
“I wouldn’t dare give instructions. I merely think that opening the city gates to shelter these refugees might better align with our Church’s principles.”
“…” Zoe Lir’s gaze sharpened slightly as she frowned and said bluntly, “Are you saying that what I’ve done goes against the Church’s principles?”
“No, no, that’s not what I mean,” Bon quickly waved his hand and spoke softly, “I just think the Church’s purpose is to save those in need and bring them the light of God. Recently, the Empire has been in chaos, and innocent people have suffered as a result. They’ve come here from afar seeking our help—this is the perfect opportunity to spread the Lord’s compassion. Why turn them away? The Lord says those who believe in Me shall have eternal life. As long as they still have kindness in their hearts, they are the Lord’s people. As His servants, how can we close this door to eternal life on our own?”
“Heh, truly befitting a cardinal,” Zoe Lir laughed and clapped her hands. Then, changing the subject, she pointed at Bella and Agi and asked, “Who are these two children?”
Seeing the slightly fearful expressions on the children’s faces, Bon Hamsworth smiled gently and reassured them softly, “Don’t worry, it’s okay. You’ll soon be reunited with your family!” Then he raised his head and recounted meeting these two children, omitting the matter of Thos.
“Oh, so these two children aren’t from Salonia but from the Empire? Your Eminence, I’m sure you’ve heard about recent events. Even the most devout clergy in our Church have been tempted by demons. The Empire is hit hardest—it’s become a swamp of darkness…” Zoe Lir narrowed her eyes.
Seeming to sense the hostility, Bon Hamsworth instinctively shielded the two children behind him and retorted, “I dare not agree with your words. After all, only a few are influenced by evil forces. How can we turn away countless innocent people in need just because of a handful? I ask you to open the gates of Arabel immediately to help those who need assistance!”

“…” Looking at Bon Hamsworth’s serious expression, Zoe Lill took a slight breath and suddenly changed the subject. “Your Eminence must be tired from traveling all the way here. How about resting at the church for the night? Please!” She nodded at the priest standing nearby.
“Uh, this…”
Before Bon Hamsworth could finish speaking, the priest stepped forward and said, “Please!”
“Very well… I’ll come bother you again tomorrow…” With that, Bon Hamsworth led Bella and the Agi siblings after the priest.
Watching them leave, Zoe Lill’s gaze turned cold. With a disdainful snort, she said, “Just an ordinary local priest from a poor port. I wonder what good luck brought him to become a cardinal. How dare he give orders to me based on his status! — What does Arch-Cardinal Naomi Metmenter say?”
“We’ve already contacted Arch-Cardinal Naomi Metmenter using the communication magic stone,” one of the priests said softly. “Your Eminence doesn’t understand why the Pope appointed this guy as the new cardinal. But he has little reputation in the Central Church, so we can ignore him. Additionally, Your Eminence has asked the bishop to closely monitor the empire’s recent developments. Once the time is right, he’ll persuade the other cardinals to fully liberate the empire and bring it under our church’s rule!”
“Hmm, what about dealing with this Bon Hamsworth?”
“Your Eminence wants you to take full control of everything here. As for that new cardinal, he’ll handle persuasion…”
“Very good!”
Meanwhile, Bon Hamsworth brought Bella and the Agi siblings to the temporary resting room, comforting them with gentle words to ease their fears and anxieties.
But every half hour, a priest would suddenly come to knock on the door, saying there was a message from Arch-Cardinal Naomi Metmenter. Doubtful but not wanting to neglect it, Bon Hamsworth followed the priest to the communication room in the church.
Arch-Cardinal Naomi Metmenter’s message was simple: she wanted Bon Hamsworth to stay out of local church affairs and focus on his own duties. In other words, she wanted him to mind his own business and negotiate with those dark magicians.
Just a few words extinguished most of this newly appointed arch-cardinal’s enthusiasm. Yet when he returned to his room, he heard that Bella and the Agi siblings had already been sent back outside Fort Arabell.

Unwittingly, a hint of anger surged in Bon Hamsworth’s heart. He immediately returned to the church, intending to question Zoe Lyle to get things straight, but this time, Zoe Lyle even refused to see him, simply giving him a small bag of gold coins and a pack of food before sending him away, which filled Bon Hamsworth with rage.

He silently left Arabell but did not head to Vandel to fulfill his duties. Instead, he stayed with the imperial refugees outside the city, protesting against Zoe Lyle’s actions.

A papal cardinal mixed among the imperial refugees, protesting against Zoe Lyle, who was also a cleric. If this became known, it would be the most serious scandal, damaging the reputation of the Holy See.

Day after day, until the third day, the new cardinal still did not leave, continuing his silent protest. In a way, he truly lived up to being a cardinal of Salonia—firm in his faith yet stubborn in his moral principles and actions.

This angered local bishop Zoe Lyle greatly. He already had little goodwill toward Bon Hamsworth. After Saint Charles George stepped down as cardinal and left the Holy See eighteen years ago, he had always hoped that divine glory would fall upon him. Yet, three years earlier, the central Holy See had bestowed that glory on a mere teenager. Zoe Lyle was extremely dissatisfied.

Fortunately, with the death of Archbishop Andrew Ashworth, another position as cardinal became vacant. Just as Zoe Lyle began to hope, Bon Hamsworth appeared, stealing his last shred of hope…

Compared to that kid, Zoe Lyle harbored even greater resentment toward Bon Hamsworth. After all, he had paid close attention to the name “Vormon Klaest” over the years. Through his observations, he gradually realized that this kid, who controlled both the Inquisition and the Tribunal, possessed both power and influence far beyond what he could handle. Even his direct superior, Naomi Metment, was at a loss against him. So what about Bon Hamsworth?

He was just an ordinary local priest, with mediocre achievements and abilities. What right did he have to become a cardinal? What right did he have to give orders to him? What right did he have to oppose his decisions?

In a fit of anger, Zoe Lyle ordered the dispatch of crusaders to drive the imperial refugees gathered outside Arabell City to more northern areas.

But as soon as this order was given, suddenly, a priest rushed in…
“Who? Who said they wanted to see me?” Overwhelmed with shock, Zoe Lir seemed unable to hear the name clearly.
“It’s Volmon Klaest!”
“…” Zoe Lir opened her mouth silently, pacing back and forth in the room, clearly very hesitant.
A priest standing nearby grew puzzled and said in surprise, “If His Eminence doesn’t want to see him, we can just send him back, just like that Bon Hamsworth…”
“That’s not possible,” Zoe Lir sighed slightly and shook her head. “You don’t understand that brat. Though he’s also a cardinal, he’s different from Bon Hamsworth…”
“Hm?” The priest was stunned for a moment before seemingly remembering something and hurriedly said, “I remember now. That lucky brat wasn’t removed from his position as cardinal for violating orders? If that’s the case…”
“I heard about this from Archbishop Naomi Metmenta a few days ago. The archbishop also said not to provoke that brat. If he wants to go through Arabell, we should turn a blind eye and let him go…”
“Why…?”
“Because that brat…” At this point, Zoe Lir sighed helplessly and shook her head. “In short, as long as he doesn’t do anything clearly against the Church, we can’t do anything about him… But I do want to meet that brat!—Anyway, in Arabell, I doubt that brat would dare to go too far. Let him in…”
Just then, a commotion came from outside the hall. Soon after, an overwhelming force rushed in with incredible speed. Before Zoe Lir could react, a young man in black-and-red uniform stepped in, wearing black boots. The sound of his footsteps sounded like a warning bell ringing in everyone’s hearts.
Glancing at Zoe Lir with an emotionless expression, the young man said indifferently, “The threshold of your local church is quite high!”
“Uh…” Feeling the immense pressure, Zoe Lir waved her hand to tell the priests surrounding him but too afraid to approach to back off, then said with a forced smile, “You must be Volmon Klaest…”
“Oh, right. The ‘that brat’ you were talking about just now!”
Feeling the chill in his words, Zoe Lir swallowed nervously, and a few drops of sweat appeared on her forehead.

After all, this guy in front of us… no, this lord, is different from that Bonhamsworth before—completely different!