Chapter 272: Dying for the Nation

A marquis could confer knighthood upon thirty-six knights, while a grand duke could confer forty-eight. Of course, most nobles would never use up all of their conferment quotas. Yet Grand Duke Raymond had already conferred knighthood upon thirty-two knights.

In order to fulfill Jared’s order more quickly, they split into four teams, taking only squires who could ride horses, and went door to door informing the nobles of the territory.

The highest rank among the nobles summoned by the knights was no more than a baron. How would such nobles dare to resist? Even without mentioning that these knights and squires could easily destroy their manors, the earthquake-like disaster that had struck just yesterday was already enough to instill deep fear in their hearts.

They too desperately needed the protection of the strong.

Olivia sat to the side, eating the food Jared had carefully prepared, while the nobles who had been “invited” one after another were summoned by Jeven. They all wore smiles as they accepted Jeven’s demand: to give up their lands, and to lead all the food and commoners of their territories to gather in Blackrock City.

Before leaving, they paid respectful salutes to Olivia.

Even though Jared had not explained things in detail, through the “unspoken understanding among nobles” they understood what was happening.

It was only by nightfall that Jeven finally finished handling the matter.

Olivia said, “Is everything over now? Then I will head back first?”

Jeven shook his head and said, “No, this is only a temporary end. We still need to wait until Senator Puniel’s army arrives. Only then can it be considered truly finished.”

Though that was true, whether Olivia stayed or not would not affect the progress anymore. Still, Jeven did not dare to simply let Olivia act on her own.

Olivia sighed and said, “I already told Melia that I would return soon, but if I keep staying here, won’t that mean I lied?”

Even so, she ultimately did not insist on leaving.

Jeven asked, “What about Grand Duke Raymond’s body? Is it fine to just leave it stored in the warehouse?”

Raymond had “consumed” several Holy Relics, and after his death, the power of those relics was reviving on his body, distorting the surrounding environment.

Olivia said, “It’s fine. I had Big Gold seal him with gold infused with its own power. Within half a year there won’t be any problems.”

She then added in dissatisfaction, “Big Gold still didn’t manage to kill that vampire. He escaped into the underground.”

Jeven frowned. He knew the “Big Gold” Olivia spoke of was a powerful Fantasy Species—the Golden Lion.

According to the monastery’s teachings, such a Fantasy Species surpassed ordinary gods in strength. Yet even such a Golden Lion had failed to kill that vampire.

Jeven asked, “Is that vampire really that strong?”

Although he had already decided to relocate everyone here to Blackrock City, vampires were dark creatures—the very targets the Church must purge.

Olivia nodded and said, “Very strong. According to the monastery, he should be classified as a demi-god. Raymond and I should both be considered of the hero level.”

A Five-tiered Grand Knight stood at the fifth tier. Beyond that, those who surpassed limits became Sixth-tier Heroes.

Before this, the monastery had not truly witnessed the power of those at this level. They merely thought: if one such as Knight Wolf could be called a Grand Knight, then anyone stronger than Knight Wolf—one capable of changing the course of a war alone—was, whether good or evil, rightfully called a Hero.

As for Olivia, who would have guessed that she possessed the strength of a Hero until she truly made her move this time?

Later, with the appearance of Knight Richard and his Dragon-Eagle mount, the monastery truly came to understand what kind of power a Hero should wield—existences whose very presence alone could affect reality.

Thus, they raised a further question: above Heroes, what then? Gods? Demi-gods? In the end, Dean Oscar directly settled it with his authority.

A Demi-god—an existence between man and god. As for how powerful a Demi-god could truly be, no one knew.

Jeven thought, if that madman Oscar were to learn that the vampire had been judged by Olivia to be of demi-god level, he would definitely order Sir Puniel to blast open Blackrock Point and dig that vampire out.

Jeven said, “Agamemnon wants to clear out the dark creatures in Blackrock Point as well. Wouldn’t that vampire be a danger to them?”

Although Jeven had come here, he had not cut off contact with the other side. He knew that Puniel had gathered 1,500 warriors, nearly another thousand mercenaries hired by Melia’s war contracts, and with the existing Church forces in Rod City and the Virtue Knights, the total number already reached nearly 2,500.

But remembering the destructive clash between Olivia and Raymond yesterday, Jeven doubted whether sheer numbers could gain any advantage against a demi-god vampire.

Olivia shook her head and said, “I don’t know. But all the other dark creatures in Blackrock Point are already dead. Only this one remains. And who knows how deep the underground stretches there. Most likely Sir Puniel and the others will have made the trip for nothing.”

She paused, thought carefully, and then said, “I doubt they’ll encounter that vampire this time. He was too timid. Just one look at Big Gold, and he shed his skin to flee. He didn’t even try to fight. I don’t think he dares to show himself again. Maybe that vampire has already run away underground.”

Jeven shook his head and said, “We can’t just rely on guesses to conclude this. I must trouble you to accompany them for a while when they arrive. I’ll speak to Melia when I return.”

Olivia sighed and said, “Fine. I’ll go with them for a while.”

…

More than ten days later, Senator Puniel arrived with his army. Looking at the nobles who all wore obedient expressions, he smiled, though dissatisfaction churned in his heart.

This expedition had included fifty suddenly-appeared apprentices, yet they had not been able to display the monastery’s high-class methods.

He was displeased.

Still, he had been a senator long enough to know what he should do. That night, he squandered the food reserves of Blackrock City and held a banquet. Even the commoners were given sweet white bread to eat. The commoners cheered loudly: praising the benevolence of Sir Puniel, the benevolence of Bishop Jeven, the benevolence of the Lord. “From now on, we are the Lord’s most devout believers, the kindest commoners of the York Territory!”

That night, in a corner of the city, a woman in wrinkled linen clothes listened to the noisy cheers, while she herself tried to quietly slip out through the sewers.

“Is the Theocracy already at the final war now? Are you planning to run over there too, Alice?” Olivia’s voice suddenly sounded.

Alice froze, turning to look at Olivia.

Her ruby-like eyes shone bright even in the dark of night.

After a pause, Alice asked, “Do you want to stop me?”

Olivia said, “No. This is your choice. I won’t stop you. I only feel that going to throw away your life like this isn’t very good.”

Alice gave a bitter laugh and said, “I studied at the monastery. In fact, before the first semester even ended, I already knew—the path of the Theocracy was wrong.”

“Never mind the scholars’ political theories, natural theories, and theories of life evolution. Simply compare the natural and comfortable atmosphere of the York Territory with the suffocating, rigidly confined environment of the Theocracy—there is no comparison.”

“And I also learned that priests truly possessed power bestowed by the Lord. That was something inherent to priests. But in the Theocracy, even bishops were ordinary people without any power. As for me, what made me a Saintess was merely that the Patriarch and the Three Sages placed the future of the Theocracy upon me.”

“Compared to the Church, the Theocracy was never under the Lord’s protection from the very beginning. It was a place abandoned by the Lord. Even when I came to seek help from the Corlay Family, it was because the Patriarch told me—their power was originally gained through transactions with the Original Sins, and even the founding of the Theocracy bore the involvement of the Original Sins.”

“Otherwise, why would I not seek help from the Church, but instead from the Corlay Family who bore enmity with the Theocracy?”

“In the end, just as the monastery’s apprentices scornfully said, in the eyes of the Church, they had already foreseen the Theocracy’s future—destruction. How could I not know? My struggle with them was merely my refusal to accept that fate. I wanted to use pain, to use battle, to strengthen my faith.”

“But even the Patriarch and the Three Sages believed the Theocracy must perish. That is why they handed the Zeda Manuscript to the Church, why they sent me with the Seed to the Church. They never thought I would return. For them, merely letting me survive within the Church was already a reward.”

“But it was in the Theocracy that I was reborn. In my most helpless and lonely time, it was my faith in the Theocracy that kept me alive. That was my faith. And I should perish together with the Theocracy.”

Alice’s voice was filled with sorrow, yet it also sounded like release.

Olivia asked calmly, “Won’t you meet Melia before dying? Or Phil?”

Alice shook her head and said, “To Melia, I was just a foolish roommate. I held faith in the Theocracy, but she held no faith in the Lord. Our ideals were different. She could never understand my persistence. We were only placed together because we were both women.”

“As for Phil…” Alice did not finish, only sighed deeply.

Olivia said, “What about the Virtue Knights? They care deeply for you. They were willing to sell themselves in exchange for Jeven to save you.”

At the mention of the Virtue Knights, Alice’s voice carried pride as she said, “They are the pride of the Theocracy, the only ones recognized by the Lord. Because of their existence, I believed that even if the Theocracy was not under the Lord’s protection, its ideals were still acknowledged by the Lord, still under His gaze.”

“If possible, I hope they can forget the Saintess, forget the Three Sages, forget the Patriarch. Compared to us, they are the true symbol of the Theocracy. If possible, I hope the Church will take them in, and allow them to continue fighting while upholding the Theocracy’s final ideals. That would be the proof of the Theocracy’s existence in this world.”

Olivia said, “Alright, it seems your resolve to throw your life away is very firm.”

Alice said, “This is the last thing that the useless me can do for the Theocracy.”

After saying this, she no longer paid Olivia any attention and tried to slip into the foul-smelling sewer, but Olivia caught her.

Olivia said, “Since you’re going to die for your lofty ideals, it’s best to go in a clean state.”

She lightly tapped Alice.

Magic wrapped around Alice’s body, lifting her gently into the air, floating upwards.

Alice’s breath quickened, then she smiled and said, “Thank you, Olivia. Please tell Phil I’m sorry.”

Her figure disappeared behind the walls. The patrolling guards on the city walls seemed as though they did not even notice her.

Olivia withdrew her gaze and said, “She goes to her death. What about you? Do you wish to follow her as well?”

As Olivia spoke, four figures of the Virtue Knights stepped out from behind cover.

Silent at first, finally their commander, Odysseus, said, “We hope the Church will permit us to continue fighting while upholding the ideals of the Theocracy’s virtues.”

Olivia said flatly, “That is something you should ask Bishop Jeven.”

…

Olivia’s magic carried Alice across the city walls, over the lands polluted by dark creatures, over the scorched battlefield where she and Raymond had fought, and finally set her down before a stretch of blackened soil saturated with sin.

Here, bathed in the gentle glow of the White Star, Alice seemed to glimpse the Theocracy’s holy city still holding out, the Patriarch’s mighty form wielding his greatsword at the forefront of battle.

Her face unconsciously revealed a smile. Under the White Star’s light, she seemed almost sacred.

She lifted her foot and stepped onto the black soil. One step, two steps, three steps—then the earth swallowed her whole.

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