Chapter 146: The Theocracy and the Prison

High Priest Everton raised his head and looked at those training knights.

George felt that, in his eyes, he seemed to see hope.

Or was it despair?

High Priest Everton withdrew his gaze, continued examining the patterns he had drawn, and sketched three smaller triangles beneath the two larger ones.

Then, he drew a downward arrow from the large central triangle, followed by another arrow from the small circle on the right—representing authority—pointing to the large triangle.

After that, he drew a dotted bidirectional arrow from the three small triangles, connecting it to the small circle representing authority.

Finally, he traced another bidirectional arrow at the bottommost large circle, linking it with the small circle on the right that signified authority.

“And knights will receive the Earth Vein’s blessing—the more powerful the lord who confers knighthood, the stronger the blessing they shall receive,” he said while drawing a smaller square to the right of the five central triangles.

Then, he drew a one-way arrow from the bottommost large circle to the small square representing knights.

“This is the usage of the Earth Vein’s power—how this land’s strength flows outward,” High Priest Everton retracted his wooden stick and straightened his back.

“Just as I said earlier, the Earth Vein is like blood vessels, transporting the magical lifeblood that keeps this land alive.”

“Be it grasslands, snowy plains, or hilly mountains—despite the terrain differences—at the very least, this land nurtures life.”

“Plants, crops, birds, flowers, fish, beasts, insects.”

“This land is alive, like a person.”

At this point, High Priest Everton paused and tapped the topmost square with the wooden stick like a finger.

“But now, above this land, there exists an unknown presence, one that is draining the magic of this land—draining the life of this land.”

“And just as a body without blood dies, so too does this land perish.”

“Desertification of the land, death of crops, birds, flowers, fish, and beasts—losing the foundation of life, all begin to die off.”

“By now, outside the Holy City, only lifeforms capable of long dormancy barely survive.”

High Priest Everton sighed.

“That presence is too greedy. It seems to treat this place as its own, relentlessly plundering everything from this land.”

“Not just the magical essence that is the source of life—but all lifeforms living upon it.”

“From the flesh, to the soul, and even the emotions they exude.”

“Everything—all of it—is being squeezed for the value this land holds.”

“Those priests in the villages outside—they’re still ordinary people, after all.”

“Even after undergoing the Enlightenment Ritual, they remain ordinary people.”

“When facing Rituals that touch upon Secrecy, they gradually forget. Yet now, they not only retain the ability to perform the Sacrament, but even treat it as a scholarly subject, creating new methods.”

“Besides the simplicity of the Sacrament, that unknown presence also plays a part—like a guardian—preserving their memory of the Sacrament and using it to stimulate emotions.”

“Just like the Seven Deadly Sins recorded in the Holy Scriptures: Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Pride, Envy, Lust, Sloth.”

George recalled what he saw in the village of the Theocracy.

The priests’ Greed, Pride, Gluttony.

The villagers’ Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth, Envy.

Landon and Igor’s Wrath.

“Why not leave this land? Even if it means abandoning their homeland, they could at least preserve their lives,” George said.

He recalled what he was taught when he first met the Bishop—that one must always yearn for life.

High Priest Everton shook his head with a bitter smile. “We tried to escape.”

“Unfortunately, that presence treats this place like its hunting ground. No matter which direction we take, we can’t leave the Theocracy’s domain.”

“That unknown presence can touch the Earth Vein, even absorb its magic. That must mean it has access to the Earth Vein’s authority.”

“And that presence might also know how to use the Earth Vein’s authority to seal off the Theocracy.”

“Now, the Theocracy allows entry, but no exit.”

“For this reason, our Theocracy doesn’t even have a Rat Path.”

George furrowed his brows. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, “Why, then, is the Holy City—despite being in its hunting ground—still unaffected?”

High Priest Everton raised his wooden stick and pointed to the triangle representing the Patriarch, then to the triangle representing the High Priest, and finally to the square representing the Knight.

“This domain has its boundaries. And we have been granted authority over parts of this land,” he said.

“But we are too weak. Given the Theocracy’s current territory, we would need at least one Marquis, three Viscounts, ten Barons or Lords, and over a hundred knights to barely wrest land authority from it and anchor this land.”

“Nobles of such ranks must possess either great achievements or noble bloodlines—or be veteran knights who earned merit.”

“However, during the Theocracy’s founding, all nobles within the conquered lands were executed. This action offended all other nobles.”

“To confer knighthood, the individual must first be a strong warrior—otherwise, they cannot withstand the Earth Vein’s blessing.”

“All three of us High Priests were once scholarly advisors to nobles, with sufficient merit. We utilized our positions within the Theocracy and earned pseudo-Viscount titles through the Armor Donning Ceremony. As long as someone barely met the standard of a warrior, we conferred them the title of Knight.”

“The Patriarch is now a Lord of a County—equivalent to an Earl—and can confer twenty-four knights. Combined, we can confer sixty knights.”

“Of course, even with such a standard, we’ve only conferred forty-three knights.”

“Only with this setup can we barely hold onto some authority and preserve this Holy City.”

As he spoke, High Priest Everton sighed once more.

“But just as the knight said—this is only one city. Even if the stored provisions and resources can last half a year, they’ll eventually run out.”

“Furthermore, this crowded capital is suffocating. The Seven Deadly Sins continue to breed, which is precisely the sustenance that presence desires.”

“Even among these knights, we didn’t have enough time to examine their personalities and desires. Some have already developed other thoughts.”

George fell silent.

From High Priest Everton’s account, he felt the Theocracy resembled a massive prison, locking away all within.

He also thought back to when he passed through the Nation of Werewolves—those who raised villagers like livestock, seeking methods to convert more Werewolves.

Those Werewolves, and the presence that High Priest Everton spoke of, seemed to be doing the same thing.

“I would like to invite the knight to accept our conferral—to become a knight of the Theocracy,” High Priest Everton sincerely invited George.

“You are currently only an Honorary Knight, without fief, and with barely any Earth Vein blessing.”

“That is merely a token of praise.”

“I can have the Patriarch personally confer you, and appoint you as Knight’s Commander, to lead these knights.”

“They will become your sword and shield.”

“The Patriarch possesses great strength, but lacks experience leading a knightly order. Furthermore, the power gap between him and them is too great—leading them would only hinder him.”

“We are scholars—experienced in governance—but lack the power to lead them.”

“But with you in command, they can follow you to earn merit. Even if we follow the teachings of the Saint and do not recognize nobility, we can still arm them. That way, the Theocracy will gain more people capable of fighting for Earth Vein authority against that presence.”

High Priest Everton said this with pleading eyes.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot accept your invitation,” George rejected him flatly.

“I am a Temple Warrior of the Church of the Sanctuary. I only accepted Baron Belair’s conferral because Honorary Knights are free.”

“And while the Theocracy also worships the Lord, the Bishop calls it an Aberrant.”

“Though I will not antagonize the Theocracy for that, and like the Bishop, I respect your Faith…”

“I cannot approve of the Theocracy.”

“Even though you use the Holy Scriptures, I do not agree with your Doctrine.”

He spoke resolutely.

“But, as I said earlier—while one may enter the Theocracy now, one cannot leave,” said High Priest Everton.

“You can’t return now. Why not consider joining the Theocracy?”

“We share the same Faith. Even within the Theocracy, you may still continue your devotion to the Lord.”

“If you still uphold the ideals of the Church of the Sanctuary, we could even establish a special parish for you, where its Believers follow your teachings.”

George still refused.

“The Bishop said Faith should not be forced. It is only when the lost seek the right path that they, through hearing the Lord’s Teachings, find their way.”

“That is also one reason I cannot approve of the Theocracy.”

George’s refusal left High Priest Everton stunned. His gaze toward George became layered with complexity.

“I see…” he murmured.

“And I believe in the Bishop. He said I should retrieve the Nation Founding Manifesto of the Theocracy—so I will definitely return to the Church,” George said, paying no mind to High Priest Everton’s muttering.

High Priest Everton remained silent, as if savoring George’s words. Finally, he snapped out of it and lowered his head slightly in apology.

“I understand your resolve,” he said, even altering his way of addressing George.

Then, High Priest Everton took out a bound book.

“This is the Nation Founding Manifesto. We also call it the Zeda Manuscript.”

“Saint Zezel’s name was cursed by that presence. If the document bore his name, it would vanish alongside him.”

“Of course, this is my own Copy.”

“Just as the Saint once requested a Holy Scriptures from a Temple Warrior of the Church, I now follow the Saint’s example and entrust you with this Zeda Manuscript Copy.”

He handed the document to George.

“Since you do not wish to join the Theocracy, I will not try to keep you.”

“This is not out of anger, but because with each day you remain, it becomes harder to leave the Theocracy.”

“Therefore, we shall not prepare food for you. The food here belongs to the Theocracy—eating it would also bind you further.”

“Forgive me for not escorting you. I am old—just bringing you here has left me out of breath.”

“I will have my apprentice guide you out of the Holy City.”

“Once you leave, head due west. Do not veer toward Lake Salvador.”

“The lands there are fixed. Some have tried—even swimming across the river won’t work.”

“If you move across the land, the moment you touch the border, you’ll be randomly tossed somewhere within the Theocracy.”

“We three remain here to defend the Holy City, while the Patriarch expands westward—delaying that presence’s plundering speed, buying time for the Holy City.”

“That is newly claimed land—the Theocracy’s influence is still weak there. You might have a better chance of escaping.”

“When you get there, you will spot the Patriarch immediately—he wears dark golden armor.”

“Yes, once you see him, you’ll recognize him at once.”

“But do not look at him for long. Do not greet him. Do not linger. Just try to pass through.”

“The Patriarch has certain eccentricities. That is why no priests or warriors follow him during his expeditions.”

George suddenly understood. No wonder the entire time, no one had mentioned the Patriarch—and he hadn’t seen a single trace of him.

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