Chapter 001: The Cathedral

A luxurious carriage moved slowly along the main streets of the capital city, flanked by the family’s guards on both sides, encircling it completely. Du Fan believed that even if a hundred assassins tried to approach him at such a time, it would take them a tremendous amount of effort.

Moreover, it was a sunny morning, and the streets were filled with pedestrians. Even the most reckless assassin would not choose such a time to carry out an attack, as doing so would mean seeking death rather than carrying out a assassination.

Duke Green’s residence was located in the eastern part of the capital, in the exclusive area for nobles. Here, nobles of all ranks in the empire took pride in owning a mansion, as living here signified full entry into high society.

Opposite the noble district was the civilian area in the west, where over 80% of the capital’s population lived. It was also the commercial center of the Gavin Empire. Almost every major trading group in the continent had its headquarters in this area, as although the prices were high, they weren’t exorbitant. With the heavy foot traffic, the daily earnings were more than enough to cover a month’s rent.

As for the southern part of the capital, it was an indefinable area. Here, one could find the most interesting forms of entertainment on the continent as well as rare treasures. Taverns, brothels, gambling houses, arenas… all kinds of places of debauchery existed here. Additionally, various guilds from the continent—such as the Archers’ Guild, the Knights’ Guild, the Assassins’ Alliance—had branches here, with some even setting up their headquarters here. After all, the capital was always plagued by conflicts, leading to a plethora of business opportunities. Such a chaotic place was ideal for various professions to make a living…

Of course, among all these professions, one stood out—magicians.

Although magicians could be considered one of many professions, their uniqueness and the power of magic granted them an extraordinary status in the Roland Continent. The laws of the two major empires in Roland both stipulated that even the lowest-ranked first-level magician was equivalent to a baron, with higher-ranked magicians enjoying even greater status.

Throughout history, those magicians who possessed a sacred character—let alone local nobles—even the emperors of the empire would treat them with utmost respect. With such a lofty status for magicians, it was only natural that the Magician’s Guild would not be located in such a mixed crowd. Similar to the cathedrals of the Holy Church, the Magician’s Guild stood in the northern part of the imperial capital, with a towering magic tower serving as its symbol. As for what was inside, Du Fan had never been there, so he naturally had no idea. However, he was very familiar with the cathedral located directly across from the Magician’s Guild. As for the most important building in the imperial capital—the Imperial Palace—it sat right in the center, surrounded by a moat and fortified walls. Apart from the four main gates, it was almost impossible to enter the palace from any other direction. This palace, a city within a city, represented the dignity of the royal family and the authority of the empire, a fact that no one could deny. Outside the palace’s moat, in addition to the four main roads, there was another wide road, but ordinary people were not allowed to use it. At that moment, Du Fan’s carriage was slowly moving along this road, from east to south, then from south to west, heading toward the cathedral in the north. Normally, one could go directly to the cathedral from the noble district at the east gate. But the Holy Church emphasized equality among all believers of the Light God. Although everyone knew this was just empty talk, the Holy Church still had to maintain appearances. Though the Holy Church was located in the north of the capital, its main entrance faced the civilian district in the west. One could walk straight to the cathedral along the road in the west. The east gate, though it had an entrance, was actually a back door. Usually, using the back door was fine, but not on a day like today—Du Fan would never use it. After traveling slowly along the bustling roads around the imperial palace for most of the day, the cathedral finally came into sight in the distance. On a huge square in the north of the capital, two massive buildings stood facing each other: on one side was the bustling cathedral, and on the other was the seemingly gloomy Magician’s Guild.

The square between these two giants is said to have existed a thousand years ago, and it’s impossible to determine what built it. The perimeter of the square is divided into six points, and when viewed from above, it forms a standard hexagram shape. Yet within this hexagram lies a radiant Holy Cross, adding a touch of sanctity to what was otherwise a mysterious place.

Though this design is ingenious and the concept bold, trying to please both sides equally is almost impossible.

As Du Fan knew, although there were many magicians within the Holy Church, the relationship between the Holy Church and the Magicians’ Guild had always been poor.

This was understandable, as the strength of the Holy Church lay in the faith of the people, while the Magicians’ Guild’s independence stemmed from the public’s fear of the unknown and mysterious. Faith and fear are often just one step apart, so it’s easy to see why the Holy Church and the Magicians’ Guild were at odds.

However, the Holy Church pursued a strategy of non-confrontation through competition, while the Magicians’ Guild needed to show disdain for worldly power. Thus, despite both factions having existed on the Roland Continent for thousands of years, they never engaged in any actual conflicts.

Given their elevated status, the continent had been plagued by wars throughout history, yet no faction dared to provoke these two major powers.

The carriage slowly drove into the square along a main road. When it approached the cathedral, Du Fan had already gotten out of the carriage. Surrounded by the guards of the Green family, he headed toward the cathedral.

At the cathedral’s entrance, the guards stepped back one by one. Old Mark glanced at Du Fan and smiled, saying, “Young Master, you know this cathedral better than I do. It should be very safe. Go ahead—enter. I’ll wait here.”

Du Fan looked at Old Mark and asked, “Grandpa Mark, aren’t you coming in with me today?”

Old Mark shook his head slightly and replied, “Young Master Du Fan, times have changed. Your status remains the same, but your position is different now… Various factions are trying to find fault with you, so it’s better not to leave any room for criticism. Besides, with so many guards following you today, I need to deal with them properly. They might claim to be under your command in the future, so if I don’t train them well, I’ll still be worried…”

Du Fan nodded slightly but didn’t insist.

He naturally understood as well that the Holy See emphasized equality for all. In other words, once one arrived here, no matter what one’s status was outside, one must be a believer of the God of Light. It was absolutely forbidden for a high noble to enter the cathedral accompanied by guards; even a king could not break this rule. Of course, when someone of high status came to this cathedral, the Temple Knights would naturally provide personal protection. Yet this seemed somewhat unnecessary, as even the Assassins’ League had its own rules: even if one intended to assassinate a peddler, they had to wait outside once the peddler entered the cathedral. Because if such a thing happened, the Holy See would not deliberately trouble the assassin but would instead target the Assassins’ League. If they refused to hand over the assassin, the Holy See could make sure the entire Assassins’ League disappeared from the Roland Continent. The Holy See certainly had the power to do so, so even the usually fearless Assassins’ League dared not easily provoke it. As for the nobles, even if they had grudges, if they met in the cathedral, they would surely pretend not to see each other. No one would dare commit the sacrilegious act of fighting inside the Holy See. Du Fan naturally understood these rules better than Old Mark. Previously, as an ordinary priest with just a servant, as long as he didn’t do anything outrageous, the Temple Knights would turn a blind eye. But now, being in a sensitive position with Archbishop Anthony’s attitude still unclear, it was better not to take risks. With these thoughts, Du Fan quickly adjusted his robes and strode toward the main entrance of the cathedral. He stepped up the steps in haste and arrived at the entrance in no time. This gate, even larger than the city gates of the capital, was well-known to Du Fan. He squinted and looked up; the crystal cross hanging high above the gate emitted a holy glow in the sunlight. After watching for a while, he couldn’t help but exclaim inwardly: The Holy See… the cathedral… I, Du Fan, am back again!