Er Mu - Release that Witch

Staying behind so as to take care of Border Town, safely making it through the Months of Demons, defeating Duke Ryan to seize Longsong Strong, and I have now, even completely lost contact with Lehman and his 1’500 militia. In the end, how is this even possible?

Timothy didn’t have a deep understanding regarding his younger brother.In our childhood, no matter if it was Garcia or Gerald, they didn’t love playing with him. Even after they became adults, they would only occasionally meet during the palace banquets. However, news related to his naughty and mischievous deeds never stopped, even father wasn’t fond of him. Is it possible that he concealed his true nature from the beginning?

As soon as the idea came up, Timothy also rejected it. Even if he is as smart as fifth sister, it would only affect his learning ability and his reactive thinking. During Tilly’s childhood, there wasn’t any difference between her and an ordinary girl — how can someone be born with the knowledge on how to mask themselves and deceive others? It is inevitable that something must have happened after he had left for Border Town, which caused these changes.

Timothy shook his head, and threw those distracted thoughts to the back of his mind.

“What’s wrong, Your Majesty?”

“No, it’s nothing.” The new King took a breath, “A storm is coming.”

No matter what had happened to him. The situation is still the same. With Border Town’s population and its position, he is already doomed without somewhere to retreat to — he has no port or fleet. And with only the unreachable barbaric wasteland behind him, he can only defend his small corner to the death, waiting until he is completely swept off by my attacks.

“Do you insist on leaving tomorrow?” the Knight asked in fear.

Timothy turned around, “If you stop after encountering some rain, what would you do when you meet a real storm?”

Sooner or later, Roland Wimbledon will kneel beneath my feet and beg for my forgiveness. I will inevitably put Graycastle’s crown on my head. However, all of this is but a side act of a newly started play. The movements and intentions of the Church are becoming increasingly obvious. One day, the Church and Graycastle are bound to clash, that will be my real challenge.

“Go and attend to your own affairs. The sooner you are able to finish the task I’ve given you, the sooner you will be able to return to King’s City.”

“As you bid, Your Majesty.”

Ed walked two steps away, but then turned back to ask. “I almost forgot, may I ask Your Majesty, how do you wish to deal with those who swallowed the pills and haven’t died on the battlefield? They have already taken the pills for the third time.”

“Have them burn along with Port of Clear Water,” Timothy replied expressionlessly.

After the Knight acknowledged his orders and left, Timothy suddenly felt something cold on the tip of his nose. Lifting his head, he saw raindrops falling from the clouds, first there was only some spare droplets, but it became more and more dense, then setting off ripples over the sea’s surface.

***

The New Holy City at Hermes was at the peak of the Tower of Babel.

“Damn it, truly, fucking damn it!” Tayfun shouted as he vigorously smashed his fist against the table. “This whore of a bitch! That’s blaspheme! She dares to point her spearhead at the Church!”

This was the first time that Mayne had seen the old bishop lose his self-control, the veins on his forehead had risen in his rage, and his beard was trembling. In general, his sinister appearance looked as if he wanted to swallow his counterpart.

It was quite difficult to imagine that he was the same man as the man who constantly raised complaints regarding Heather, who could not exchange even a few words with her without quarreling the whole afternoon long. However, the moment he saw the content inside the small jewel box sent from the Queen of Clear Water, the old man had burst into a rage.

There had been no pearl in the small jewel box, it had only contained a single cast iron ring — the Bishop’s emblem that had personally been awarded by His Holiness, and it was still attached to a bloodstained finger..

Mayne sighed then reached out for the jewelry box. “Of course she dares, that’s because we also haven’t received the blessing of God — God… only favors the victorious.”

Hearing this sentence, Tayfun suddenly calmed down, then silently went to sit back in his chair, heavily gasping for air, before he was once more able to stiffly ask, “Then, what do you intend to do?”

This was indeed a situation the Church hadn’t encountered in the last hundred years. No one had thought that Garcia would come the whole way up from Graycastle to the Kingdom of Endless Winter, and even send the Black Sail Fleet towards Hermes after having seized the capital. Although the Wolfsheart Kingdom had been on its last breath before being conquered, Mayne still hadn’t hesitated to order the God’s Punishment Army to come back to the Old Holy City.

This city, even without any walls, was the barrier defending the base under Hermes and they couldn’t afford to lose it no matter the price.

After they repelled their offensive, the Black Sail Fleet didn’t try to go on and instead returned along the river all the way back to King’s City of Endless Winter. The other’s intention was quite obvious, as long as the Church dispatched troops attack the Wolfsheart Kingdom, Garcia would attack the Old Holy City from the river. Furthermore, the nobles who had previously been suppressed by the sudden loss of Endless Winter’s royal power would now begin to stir. Mayne believed that as long as Garcia promised that they could keep their territories and possessions, all those greedy nobles wouldn’t hesitate to support Garcia to become the new Queen of Endless Winter.

Now they had a dilemma which couldn’t be easily settled.

But the Church would not bow just because they were facing a difficult situation. Even before he had become an Archbishop, Mayne had already known that the road before him would be a long and thorny one.

“First, the Holy City needs to announce a new Archbishop, so we will first make a list of possible candidates, the final candidate is to be decided by His Holiness,” Mayne slowly stated.

“And the enemy?” Tayfun snorted from his nostrils.

“I will explain everything to His Holiness, do not worry,” he closed his eyes, “His Excellency will execute a holy judgment on them.”

Mayne passed through the gloomy corridors before he rode the hanging cage into the depths, arriving at the secret temple inside the gigantic cavity.

His Excellency O’Brien was already waiting at the doorway.

He seemed to have aged since the last time he’d seen him. He had wrinkles spreading out like a spider web from the corners of his inwardly sunken eyes and over his cheeks. However, his smile was still just as soft and filled with concern. Mayne couldn’t keep his eyes from becoming wet at the sight. He quickly sunk to his knees, “Your Holiness, we — ”

“Rise, child,” the Pope’s voice was both gentle and calm. “I’ve heard that you’ve run into some trouble. Follow me to the hall and we can talk.”

Today wasn’t the Day of Conversion, so the hall’s walls weren’t decorated with as many candles as stars in the sky this time. Instead, only a few candles had been placed over in the corner. The Pope returned to his Lord’s seat, breathing out in relief after he sat. “Explain, just what happened outside.”

Mayne fully realized the heaviness of His Holiness O’Brien’s responsibility. It wasn’t that His Holiness couldn’t find out news from outside of the Holy City, simply that he did not have enough time to pay attention to trivial matter. As a result of this, the three Archbishops were then established, and would coordinate themselves to manage all of the religious affairs. Making sure that they avoid bothering His Holiness with their matter as much as possible, but the current troublesome situation was something he was unable to solve by himself.

Mayne sharply began to narrate the matters at hand, one piece of news at a time from beginning to end.

“Heather is dead…” After listening to everything, O’Brian remained silent for a very long time, then released a long sigh before saying, “She possessed a keen sense of observation and she was both a clever and devout little girl, I’ve seen her as she slowly grew up…”

“Feel free to grief, Your Holiness.”

“The murderer must be punished,” the Pope nodded. “How is the current situation, are Garcia and the Wolfsheart Kingdom mutually helping each other? Isn’t the new poison showing any effect?”

“During the attack and capture of the Broken Tooth Castle it already showed its effect. After a month passed, all of the stronghold’s defenders had fallen dead, and the Army of Judges could quickly storm the city. They were unable to find almost any living soul within the residential areas. However, for the attack on Wolfsheart City, it seems the poison wasn’t able to have the same influence and the enemy still remains tenaciously resistant.” Mayne reported.

“You made two mistakes,” O’Brien slowly said. “The disease caused by the poison will lead to death within seven to ten days. You should have taken advantage of the illness’ first appearance to attack, then quickly rescued and given medical treatment to the residents inside the city. This would’ve significantly reduced their hostility. Do not forget that what we need the most is to get as much of the population as possible, not a ghost city.

“The second point is that you waited one month until you attacked, although by doing it in this way, you were able to reduce the casualties to a minimum, you also gave the enemy enough time to respond, which allowed them enough time to find a way to cure the disease. The essence of the new poison was the magic to transform demonic beasts. According to what the Canon of Magic says, there are more than 70 kinds of abilities that can restrain the infections, and also more than 30 types which can exterminate it. In the end, it isn’t surprising for there to be such a witch within a city filled with tens of thousands of people.”

“You mean, they colluded with witches—”

“In the end, when facing a life and death crisis, no one will care whether they are the Devil’s minions or not,” the Pope muttered.

“No matter if those witches took the initiative to come out by themselves, or if they were unmasked and forced to treat the plague, both possibilities sound like bad news for the Church. If they really can stop the momentum of our attack, it is inevitable that the witches’ reputation is bound to undergo some dramatic changes, even so far… that they could be regarded as heroes.”

“This is all my fault,” Mayne said while lowering his head.

“It certainly was a mistake, but not a grave one. The reason you used this tactic was to reduce the losses of our Army of Judges and God’s Punishment Army,” O’Brien used his scepter to knock Mayne on the shoulder, “Furthermore, the fact that Graycastle’s 3rd Princess Garcia and the Wolfsheart Kingdom are working together is also an opportunity for us.”

“Op…portunity?” the Bishop asked shocked.

“That’s right! This way we will have the opportunity to catch everything in one net,” O’Brien stood up, “You, come with me.”

Escorted by guards, Mayne followed the Pope out of the Pivotal Secret Institution, and they slowly walked further into the depths of the cave. The gloomy rays of light coming from the immense God’s Punishment Stones illuminated the path beneath their feet — gradually, becoming darker and darker, until Mayne was no longer able to keep himself from looking back, only to see that the Pivotal Secret Temple and the God’s Punishment Stone was already great distance behind them. In the end, it even became necessary for the guards to light up torches to prevent them from stumbling over the rubble that was on the ground.

“We are… going where?”

“We are already there, child,” His Holiness O’Brian halted his footsteps, breathing a bit hurriedly, “Sigh… I’m getting old, from just this short journey, I have already expended such a large amount of effort…”

A guard came up to support him, “Your Holiness, please permit me to carry you.”

“That’s not necessary, a short break will be good enough,” after saying this, the Pope stood in place and tried to catch his breath, he then commanded, “Light the brazier.”