Chapter 18: The Darkness Surrounding the Empire (I)

— Early summer, 407 AD, Salonia —

The farce that took place at the sacred fortress of Arabel eventually reached the heart of the Church. After all, religion held absolute control over this country, and any kind of information would eventually make its way here.

As a result, Cardinals Neomi Metment, Gary Weplington, Jasper Warrenna, along with three other cardinals from various dioceses, convened an emergency meeting to impose sanctions on Thos… no, Volmon Klaest for his vile actions in Arabel.

“That’s too much! Absolutely too much! He certainly lacks the qualities expected of a clergyman. I demand severe punishment for Volmon Klaest! We can no longer tolerate such a man tarnishing the Church’s reputation!” Neomi Metment, who had already clashed with Thos, seized this opportunity to voice his anger. He had never trusted that brat from the start and had only held back out of obedience to the Pope’s orders. Now, with Arabel falling under his jurisdiction, he could no longer restrain himself.

“Archbishop Metment, please calm down. To call it an act of hostility toward the Church is a bit extreme, don’t you think?” Gary Weplington, also a cardinal, took Thos’s side. He picked up a document at the meeting table, glanced at it, and said with a smile, “Look, the report doesn’t mention any casualties, does it? You can’t possibly think that’s all that kid is capable of. He showed mercy…”

“Well, that may be true, but the local church in Arabel suffered enormous losses because of him. Many people witnessed it. Won’t those people assume it’s an internal conflict within the Church? Once such rumors spread, they will inevitably cause irreparable damage to the Church’s credibility! Local churches are the direct link between the people and faith. Any act of destroying Church property can be seen as an act of hostility toward the Church!”

“Actually, it’s not as serious as you say, is it?” Archbishop Gary Weplington smiled slightly before looking at him thoughtfully and saying, “And as far as I know, the incident started because the local church in Arabel refused to take in imperial refugees, right? I’ve also heard that the local bishop, Zoe Lill… uh, I believe he’s your direct subordinate, isn’t he? It may not seem like a big deal, but for a local bishop to ignore a cardinal’s authority seems even more unreasonable, doesn’t it?”

“Uh…” The anger on Naomi Metment’s face faded slightly. Reluctantly, she picked up her teacup and said calmly, “None of them have acted as cardinals should. That brat, and that Bon Hamsworth as well—interfering in the affairs of other dioceses without permission. How can local dioceses carry out their duties under such circumstances? Besides their status, I really don’t see any reason for my subordinates to bow to those two. Zoe Lill has guarded Arabelle for the Holy See for over twenty years. With such experience, there are few even in all of Salonia who can compare…”
“Are you saying His Holiness the Pope made a mistake?” Gary Weplington asked calmly.
“The former Pope!” Naomi corrected Gary, frowning. She sighed softly and changed her tone, speaking in a lower voice. “Indeed, I must admit that Maliz was an excellent administrator. When he was elected pope, I was somewhat reluctant to accept it—you all must have felt the same way back then, right? It’s human nature… But over the decades of his reign, I gradually changed my mind. That man was a natural leader, yet even he made mistakes! From the start, I refused to acknowledge that imperial brat as a cardinal—it’s pure nonsense! Not only that, as you’ve all seen, Maliz tolerated that brat time and time again, even passing on his own sacred mark power to him. I won’t comment on those things, but as the core force of the Holy See, he actually gave that brat the ‘keys’… As you can see, that brat has no regard for the Holy See at all, nor any sense of duty as a cardinal. I strongly demand that a search team be sent to arrest Volmon Kleist and retrieve the ‘keys’…”

“Alright, alright,” Archbishop Jasper Warrenner interjected with a smile, cutting off Naomi Metment. “It’s just a child’s mischief; don’t take it too seriously! You know well how powerful that child is—what kind of pursuit team would be needed to subdue him? A team of cardinals? Don’t worry. Though I haven’t had much contact with that child, I trust Maliz—oh, the former Pope—that he won’t go too far. As for the keys… originally, they were in the hands of successive popes. The situation this time is a bit special, but at least the keys are absolutely safe in that child’s hands, right? More importantly than this now is electing a new pope to lead the Church, isn’t it? Ah, the Pontifical Council of Regency is good, but after all, it’s just a temporary measure. Right now, we can’t even mobilize the Inquisitors or the Secret Priests…”

“This is mainly because…” Gary Weplington seemed to want to explain something, but before he could finish, Archbishop Jasper Warrenner waved his hand smilingly and said seriously, “Putting aside his nationality, that child… no, Lord Volmon. I’ve also learned some about him in recent years. If this world truly can no longer resist the invasion of dark forces, then sooner or later, the Church will need Lord Volmon’s strength. The Ancient Will—is that not a divine existence? It would be extremely fortunate for the Church to gain control over such power. I don’t think humans have yet reached a level capable of dealing with divine forces. So, be grateful—for God hasn’t given up on us and still provides us with much help!—Praise the Lord, Amen!”

“Amen!” Archbishop Naomi Metment sighed helplessly, then slapped the table and said firmly, “But no matter what, Volmon Klaest’s actions have damaged the Church’s reputation. I demand he be removed from the list of pope candidates. A man who ignores Church rules isn’t qualified to be a candidate!”

Seeing the other three cardinals nod in agreement and side with Naomi Metment, Archbishop Jasper Warrenner glanced at Gary Weplington and nodded silently, indicating his compromise on this matter.

“Sigh, very well!” Gary Weplington shook his head helplessly and said solemnly, “Then, starting today, Volmon Klaest will be removed from the list of pope candidates!—That’s it, the meeting is adjourned!”

“Hmph!” Archbishop Naomi Metmenter hummed in satisfaction.
—Meanwhile, north of the Sacred Fortress Arabell, within the Empire—
Sos finally set foot on this land again after three years. Of course, he didn’t really have much affection for this country; whether it was the Empire or the Church, it made no difference to him.
It’s just…
When did the Empire turn into this?
He had thought that what Bella, her brother Agi, and the villagers had said was just an exaggeration, but upon seeing this land filled with sorrow and desolation, Sos frowned deeply.
Since leaving Arabell, he had passed by three villages—more precisely, abandoned villages with no one in them. After all, most of the commoners had fled to Salonia.
A faint dark aura permeated the air, growing denser as he got closer to Sassen, as if the country had fallen into an abyss of darkness…
What on earth was going on?!
What had that guy, Argus, done?
From the information obtained from the Empire refugees, about three years after he left the Empire, an army of undead knights in black armor appeared. They took many commoners to Sassen to build dark altars, and not a single person has returned. The situation has worsened recently—this army has begun searching for commoners everywhere…
Was it a shortage of labor to build the dark altars? Or had the altar already been completed and put into use, requiring a large amount of pure soul energy…
Argus…
Looking at the desolate abandoned village ahead, Sos raised his head to look at the sky. In the twilight, a faint red glow could be seen, like blood.
“W-Wait for me, Lord Volmon!” Suddenly, a figure stumbled out of the sandstorm carried by the wind. A man around forty years old rushed over, panting heavily. He then stared at the empty village and said in a trembling voice, “No way… this is already the fourth village. Is there really no one here?” Saying this, he helplessly patted his empty stomach and let out a few mournful cries.
Sos gave the guy a brief glance before continuing on his way. He suddenly regretted having wasted half a day in Arabell. If only he had traveled further while that annoying guy was trying to persuade the people of Arabell to take in the Empire refugees, he wouldn’t have had to be chased by him.

“Hey, Lord Volmon, wait for me!” Bishop Bon Hamsworth, still catching his breath, hurried after him.
Thors walked at a leisurely pace, saying casually, “How long do you plan to follow me?”
“Oh, don’t say that. Anyway, our destination is Vandel, right? It’s better to travel together—having someone to talk to is better than being alone, isn’t it?”
“I’m sorry!”
“Sigh… I knew you’d say that! So cold!” Saying this, Father Bon turned to look at Thors and said earnestly, “I feel like you’re not as unapproachable as you seem. Though I can’t agree with your methods, those poor people have finally found a better place to belong—that’s something to be grateful for…”
“Is that so?”
“Oh, right. Bella and Agina sent me to tell you, ‘Thank you!’”
“…What does that have to do with me? You were the one who convinced the local people, right?”
“But it was you who gave them this chance, wasn’t it? Otherwise, those helpless people wouldn’t even have had the right to enter that gate…”
“Is that so! —I just simply don’t like that guy, Zoe Lill!”
“Oh my, how dishonest…” Father Bon had only said half a sentence before Thors turned around, grabbed him by the collar, and said in a threatening tone, “When no one else is around, you’d better think more about your own life!”
Facing those cold eyes devoid of any emotion, Father Bon quickly nodded and stammered, “Y-yes! Th-thank you for the warning!”
“Hmph!” With a cold snort, Thors released him and turned to continue walking.
Sigh… What a peculiar kid…
Shrugging, Father Bon sighed and followed behind.
Throughout the journey, Thors didn’t say a word. This silent atmosphere was quite uncomfortable for the talkative new bishop. After walking for a while, he tentatively asked, “I heard Lord Volmon is from the Empire?”
“Mm!” After a long while, Thors uttered a single word.
“I heard you studied black magic in Heliriox before?”
“Mm!”
“Heliriox… the magical city of Vando… what a great place. Oh, I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard it’s wonderful… By the way, does Heliriox have cream cheese?”
“…”

“Ha, haha, it seems not…” As the atmosphere grew more tense, Father Bond smiled awkwardly. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he asked curiously, “I heard that you and Lord Vormon have a history of conflict. Is your return to the Empire aimed at killing Argus?”
“Mm!”
“Speaking of which, is that guy really that strong? So strong that even the power you possess now isn’t enough to kill him, which is why you went to Vandel for help?”
“Help?”
“Isn’t that right? If not, why not go straight to Sassen to wait for an opportunity, instead of taking the detour to Vandel?”
Thors’s pace slowed slightly before returning to normal.
After waiting for a long time, when Father Bond thought Thors didn’t want to talk, he saw Thors speak in an indescribable tone, “There’s plenty of time to kill Argus. Before that, I want to meet someone…”
“Mm?” Father Bond was stunned for a moment, then, looking at Thors’s expression, he chuckled and guessed softly, “Have you already found someone you like?”
“A fiancée!”
“Uh! — So direct…” Father Bond was taken aback, then asked curiously, “What’s her name?”
“Dia!”
“Dia… what a nice name,” Father Bond said with a slight sigh, smiling lightly. “Is she from the Empire? Is she as gentle and lovely as the girls from Salonia?”
“Oh, she’s a very gentle girl. I owe her a lot…”
“Already having someone you love at thirteen? The children of the Empire are really precocious…” Father Bond shrugged jokingly.
“Someone I love?”
“Mm?” Father Bond was surprised. “Isn’t that the case? You just called her your fiancée—this term is only used for someone deeply loved, right?”
With a slight sigh, Thors stopped in his tracks and murmured into the distance, “I’m not sure if that counts as love, but when I’m with her, I feel relaxed. It allows me to temporarily stop thinking about other things, those troublesome matters…”
“Uh, a source of comfort for the soul?” Father Bond looked at the seemingly youthful yet mature-looking boy beside him with surprise and said oddly, “To be precise, it’s just dependence. It can’t be called love. At most, it’s just liking… To call her your fiancée just because of that…”
“Does it seem strange? Well, at least she’s the only one who can accept me completely, including my dark side… In any case, I can’t let her down anymore…”

Father Bond’s expression immediately became quite strange. He sighed and said self-mockingly, “What responsible words! — But you’d better keep such words to yourself; they’ll hurt that girl…”
“Hm?”
“Don’t you understand? She thinks you’re with her because you like her. If she knew you feel a sense of responsibility because of her kindness to you, wouldn’t that hurt her?”
“But I still really enjoy being with her. If Argus hadn’t appeared, my life might not be what it is now…”
“Maybe?”
“Oh, we used to plan to open a small shop in Jelbart…”
“Huh? You already had plans for the future back then? Well, that’s truly remarkable!” Father Bond laughed and shook his head, then seemed to remember something and quickly said, “I’m… sorry, Lord Volmon. I got carried away a bit!”
Glancing at Father Bond, Thors sighed slightly and said in a deep voice, “Hm, let’s go.”
“Huh?” Seeming to understand something, Father Bond chuckled and followed Thors’ steps as they headed farther away. As they walked, he seemed to think of something and said anxiously, “To be honest, I still feel uneasy about this mission. Could you introduce Vandel to me first? So I can prepare…”
“The Empire’s black magicians hate you!”
“Oh, I’m not looking for preparation…” With a wry smile, Father Bond sighed slightly and said in a rarely serious tone, “It must be because of the War of a Year eighteen years ago. Indeed, whether it’s the Empire’s black magicians who hate us or many people in Salonia who still hold hostility and hatred toward the Empire, I think one painful lesson is enough. War only brings destruction and ruin. No matter which side wins, no one will be happy. At least those who have lost their loved ones will cry every night…”
“Just you alone can’t change anything!”
“Don’t you think so, Lord Volmon?” Father Bond asked in surprise.
“I’ve never wanted to get involved in such things. My only concern now is to kill Argus. After that, everything else has nothing to do with me!”
“Huh? Then what do you plan to do?”
“Open a small shop…”
“Huh? Haha, you’re still so young, yet you plan to marry that girl and ignore everything else? That’s not something someone like you would say!”
“Hey! — I’ll kill you!”

“Ah… I’m sorry! I got carried away!”
“Hmph!”
A few days later, Thors and Father Bond crossed the Lirang region and reached the heart of the empire. As expected, the conditions here were even worse—the thick darkness had affected the soil and water sources. The land had become barren, the water murky, and even the plants were withering away.
Although it didn’t cause any direct harm to humans, the pervasive darkness in the air still gave people a sense of discomfort, as if under the influence of some force. Breathing this polluted air gradually amplified desires within one’s body.
“That’s why, I suppose!” Stopping in his tracks and frowning as he looked around, Father Bond said in a serious tone, “It seems we arrived a bit late. The empire has completely fallen into darkness. Just the darkness here is already so intense—it’s hard to imagine what Sassen is like now… Is this the power of the Ancient Will, Mammon?—Even before arriving in this world, it’s already having such an impact. The Ancient Will… what a terrifying existence.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Thors, only to see him with his eyes closed, using his mental power to explore the surroundings. With a hint of envy, he said, “To be able to explore areas hundreds or even thousands of yards away just with mental power—what an enviable ability!”
“Stop talking nonsense!” Thors opened his eyes and said indifferently. He raised his hand, pointing in a distant direction, and whispered, “Over there, there are many people’s auras. It must be a village!”
“Uh, is this finally a decent village?” Father Bond rubbed his hands excitedly, filled with hope. “After several days, I really miss sleeping under blankets. Um, give me another bowl of broth—nothing cooked!” As he spoke, he suddenly noticed Thors’ furrowed brows and asked softly, “Did you detect anything?”
“Hmm, besides human auras, there are also many active dark auras!”
Father Bond was stunned and asked instinctively, “Could it be demons attacking the village?”
“No, it doesn’t feel like pure darkness. It has a smell like rotting flesh—more like the aura of death!”
“Could it be a necromancer?”
“No, it’s not the aura of a necromancer either!—I’ve seen necromancers; they still carry some trace of human aura. But these guys… they’re pure death energy!” With a frown, he headed toward the village.
“Wait for me!”

A few minutes later, they arrived at the location from where they could sense a presence. As Thors had predicted, it was indeed an imperial village. But what concerned Thors was that he saw a cavalry unit of about twenty men…
“Knights in black armor…” Father Bon, hiding in the bushes and watching those cavalrymen clad head to toe in black iron armor, exclaimed in shock, “Good heavens, could these be the knights in black armor mentioned by those two children?—There’s not the slightest sign of a living person’s breath; it’s as if…”
“Undead!” Thors succinctly summarized Father Bon’s words, then frowned as he watched the armored knights calmly drive the terrified villagers out of the village, putting black shackles on them, and even setting fire to the entire village.
“That’s too much! It’s downright demonic! No, absolutely!” Hearing the villagers’ cries of fear, Father Bon angrily pounded the ground beneath him.
Thors, on the other hand, continued to stare at those armored knights with emotionless eyes.
Have they already started acting, Argus?
The so-called complete destruction of this country…