Chapter 199

Humans were weak to authority. Especially to an authority that possessed both power and a just cause. Seojin, accompanied by Saint Aikora, visited the Temple of Luna. The temple witnessed the miracles unfolded by Seojin's fingertips, and from that moment, Seojin's will became their own.

"Let's move on. To the Temple of Pyro."

Seojin proceeded without hesitation. Persuading Luna's followers, as he had expected, was easy. His objective was to subdue all the religions on this land under his command. And as with any process of expanding one's influence, the first step was always the hardest.

"What brings the archbishop here… Oh, to see the saint, what an honor!"

Saint Aikora. Archbishop Tanaris of Luna.

Their preaching of righteousness was enough to sway the archbishop of Pyro.

That's when Seojin stepped in.

"Please lend us the Living Flame."

The Living Flame.

If the Temple of Luna had 13th Month, the Temple of Pyro had the Living Flame.

Those who could freely wield the sacred flame, synonymous with Pyro.

"That's not possible."

The archbishop of Pyro refused, but as if expecting this, Seojin offered a solution.

"You recognize what this is, don't you?"

"Could it be…?"

A stone fragment filled with divine power.

The archbishop of Pyro looked at Tanaris in surprise.

As if asking if he had destroyed Luna's statue.

Seojin answered.

"Luna herself is present in the temple. There's no need to worry, archbishop."

"Then…?"

"We've found a way. A way to imbue this stone with the power of a god. I swear, we know how. Sure enough to teach it to someone else."

The archbishop of Pyro's eyes wavered greatly. Temples were not forces of arms. They were a peaceful people, united under the grand principle of serving their god.

Yet, they too had aspirations: to be as close to the gods as they could.

Not the blasphemous thought of becoming a god, but a desire to hear the god's voice from a closer distance.

And that qualification was, indeed, the level of divine power one could wield.

"What will you do, archbishop? Unfortunately, we won't be staying long. There are many others we must visit."

* * *

Something unprecedented was unfolding in the Camilton Empire. A group composed solely of the highest ranks of each temple were touring the Empire. Their destinations were the headquarters of each church, and with every visit, their numbers grew by one.

It was like a gathering of archbishops led by a saint. The group grew larger and larger, until they finally stopped when they included the archbishops of every major denomination in the Empire.

"This must be the Temple of All Gods," Saint Aikora said.

All those devoted only in serving their gods were now gathered in one place, with a common purpose.

The archbishops felt awkward, but the saint hadn't brought up the topic to grab a book.

"The emperor might be concerned about this. I will not forget your words. Please return to where you belong."

How the emperor would perceive this movement was uncertain.

After all, what was needed was not the archbishops themselves, but the armed forces operating under the archbishops' authority.

Before disbanding them completely, Aikora gave the archbishops one final charge.

"Say that everything was the will of the Staff of Faith. You have seen nothing, heard nothing. Remember, this movement is ultimately the will of the Temple of All Gods."

This was meant to shift all responsibility to the Temple of All Gods.

The archbishop was a high rank in the church, and the Camilton Empire respected religion.

But what if the emperor insisted?

The mere status of an archbishop couldn't possibly stand against it. Thus, Aikora told the archbishops, and it was because Seojin had instructed so.

"We must bear it. Using the saint's name might not be enough to cover it."

"What will you do in that case?"

"Obvious. We'd have to use Harry's name. Only the Staff of Faith could possibly complain to the emperor."

The best-case scenario was the emperor showing little interest. Or being satisfied with a Zen-like answer, that it was the will of the gods. If the emperor decided to dig deeper, then even the Saint's name wouldn't hold power.

"Let's wait for now. Here… in the temple of Luna. We'll move based on their response."

They deliberately did not return to the Pantheon. The imperial administration couldn't climb the tower anyway. Moreover, the mere act of a saint being active outside would be enough to draw interest.

Only a few days later, "The imperial court has sent someone. Just one person, and I know him."

Seojin got the reaction he was expecting.

The visitor was merely a count.

It was a man who would visit now and then under the pretext of checking in, or sending regards.

Seojin concluded, "The emperor has no interest in this matter."

Absolute power bred complacency.

"Let's move."

"Where to next?"

"To mine moonstone, of course. Aikora, you stay here. I don't have anything specific for you to do, just continue to act as if you are doing something here."

"Then my role is…."

"By being here, you can draw the imperial family's attention."

"I understand. Are you going alone?"

Aikora asked, concern evident in her eyes.

Even for Seojin, known for his exceptional abilities, venturing alone in the Empire was fraught with considerable risk.

Naturally, Seojin shook his head.

"Of course not. I'll have a guide. Not exactly someone suitable for this place but…."

At Seojin's gesture, a shadow in a corner of the temple stirred.

It was a man.

Cloaked head to toe in black, his presence had gone unnoticed by everyone in the temple.

"Neat, isn't he? He specializes in such abilities."

"A thief?"

"Yes, and a very good one at that. I had a friend named Kartna who had taken on some work for me. This guide was provided by him, so don't worry…."

Seojin looked around.

The Temple of Luna.

As long as she stayed here, he would have to worry about the saint.

The tasks ahead were for Seojin to handle alone.

"Let's depart. Contact me if anything happens."

"W-wait. How should I… Ah!"

"Through that friend."

Another shadow moved, this time beside the saint.

Thieves of the Camilton Empire were perfectly ensnared by Kartna's bait and now served as Seojin's faithful communication infrastructure.

"I'll stay here."

"Think of it as a vacation. It'll get busy as soon as I return."

Vacation? Aikora smiled bitterly at that unfamiliar term. Her life had been nothing but guarding her post on the 80th floor of the Pantheon.

A life desperate for meaning. The term "vacation" only held meaning in a life filled with struggles.

And now, Aikora found that term surprisingly pleasant.

"I will enjoy this time, adventurer."

"Sure. After this is over, I might take a break myself… didn't expect things to be so busy…."

Seojin mumbled as he left the temple.

He muttered, as if dissatisfied with the situation.

However, to Aikora's eyes, Seojin's departing figure seemed to be enjoying the moment.

* * *

"This is as far as I can go."

"Thank you for your hard work. Can you wait nearby?"

"If I receive supplies once a week, I can wait for months. I will wait until you return."

"I'd appreciate that. It won't take that long."

With those words, the thief guiding Seojin slipped into the forest's shadows. Given their profession's nature was of always being on the run, this wasn't an unusual situation.

'Let's see. That's the boundary over there.'

At a distance, a strictly enforced boundary could be seen.

The gateway that one must pass through to enter Moonstone Village, complete with a heavy iron gate.

-Heading out now.

Thunk!

With a loud clunk, the iron gate opened.

Two figures appeared. They were Kartna, still wearing a smooth smile, and Montblanc, giving orders to the guards.

"This is one of ours. Do you need to verify their identity?"

"No need! You're clear to go through!"

"I thought so. Thank you."

Somehow, she seemed to have gotten better at dealing with NPCs since the first time.

Suppressing his laughter about to burst out, Seojin passed through the gate.

He was about to speak to them, but stopped himself.

Montblanc and Kartna.

Both remained silent, taking in the atmosphere. The reason for this was explained by Flappy, quietly fluttering nearby.

-Surveillance magic extends up to here. Everything you say is recorded

-Oh? How did you find that out?

-Of course…

-Our great elemental spirit must have discovered it, right?

Flappy, though unable to use magic, was profoundly knowledgeable about it. Instead of revealing her own identity, Flappy had informed them through Montblanc's spirit.

-So, that's why you're doing this? To share that information?

Seojin remarked, watching the mushroom spirit twist its body in front of him. It seemed to be signaling that they shouldn't speak here.

-Right. You wouldn't believe how long it took to teach this.

-You've improved a lot. It must be thanks to Flappy's teaching.

-Of course. Who do you think I am?

Seojin stifled the laughter that threatened to escape again.

The mushroom spirit quieted down, seemingly satisfied.

And after some walking, the surroundings opened up to a peaceful countryside road, and a perfectly ordinary village, visible down the hill.

"Phew, we should be fine now. Just to be safe, I avoided even DMing…."

"I see the situation. You've done a great job training the spirit."

"I knew you'd notice! Guess my hunch was right. At this rate, it won't be long before evolution…."

"That's great. But apart from the spirit, Montblanc, you handled those guards quite skillfully."

"Well… one has to adapt to live here."

Montblanc shook her head as if to dispel the thought.

"She's right. Do you know how excruciating each day was staying at the inn? Leaving the room was almost painful. If it weren't for your instructions…."

"It was that bad?"

"Don't even mention it. The temptation was unbearable. I thought I'd collapse from the urge."

It seemed understandable given that Seojin had experienced it for himself, which is why Seojin had cautioned Kartna.

But right now, that wasn't the priority.

"So, you managed to overcome that torment?"

"Why of course?"

Kartna pulled out something from his chest pocket and unfolded it.

A document detailing how Moonstone Village operated, including when and how to extract moonstone most efficiently.