Chapter 159: The New Fire (Part 2)
I thought I had a handle on what Tarlasha was going to say.
But lo and behold, as he began to unveil the entire event’s intricate details, it dawned on me just how complicated the powers involved were, how many participants there were, and how grand their ambitions stretched. The web of interests was sprawling; this was no mere imperial royal war that could be neatly placed in a box.
In fact, this was just one of many sparks that led to the “firestorm” igniting.
April 27, 1189.
Just a few months ago, I had a meeting with Rect, and not long after leaving Alectine City on my way to the Fortress of Silence, I found myself in a hidden valley outside Lagomus City in the northern part of Ethanbel. There, a small cadre of people at the pinnacle of power had hustled and bustled to dodge the Holy Church’s attention, gathering from all corners of the Western Continent for a conference that was more top-secret than your grandma’s cookie recipe.
And the topic of this congress? The nitty-gritty details about overthrowing the current theocratic system.
In other words, they were forming a new anti-Holy Church alliance.
A truly…
brand new, perhaps even more potent “Gate of Truth.”
“I can’t reveal too much about the attendees for now. In fact, even I don’t have the full scoop… I’m merely following the lead of one specific person. I believe her path is righteous, so I chose to stand alongside her. And that queen of Ethanbel? I reckon she has her own reasons too…”
The “alliance” hadn’t even formally named itself yet; it was still labeled an “organization” or “new church” in public circles, and all the core members were operating under the radar at this initial phase. The one piece of information not shrouded in mystery? They had a provisional leader – the former cardinal of the Holy Church, the big cheese from the Williams Family, Sir George.
According to Tarlasha, Sir George had been preparing for this step for ages, but the real motion only got underway recently after that secret meeting, which involved some higher-ups in the Holy City and a tangled mesh of other factions reaching a consensus. It was at that moment that the gears truly began turning.
This was a fierce game of chess taking place over the entire Western, and even Eastern, Continental boards.
The nitty-gritty details? Well, the man wasn’t going to spill any more beans than necessary, and frankly, we didn’t have the time to hear it all.
He laid out the three initial steps of action: first, ramping up the hype around the Church’s shady dealings behind the scenes; second, bringing the house down on the Holy City and Pope Angel’s increasingly deranged xenophobic measures. Sir George would oversee this counteroffensive personally, and right at the top of the hit list was the Rodris family, which had taken over the currency exchange as the new ruling clan, bumping the Williams Family aside.
And aside from that…
It seemed they had their sights set on a much bigger goal, one even Tarlasha wasn’t privy to.
“I was tasked to head towards the Holy City…”
The man spoke solemnly to us, “I’m not the only Pope Knight on the case; at least seven of us have made our way over there, not to mention a horde of bishops and priests from various places. It’s tough to say how many are on our side and how many are Pope’s cronies…”
“But I ultimately didn’t make it because I suddenly received a decree from the Holy Church, instructing me to team up with a formidable nun to assist the Fourth Knights Army at the southern front of the Empire, helping to resolve the royal disputes that have dragged on for three years.”
And that was why he ended up here.
That decree was penned by Pope Angel himself. After pondering over it for a long time, Tarlasha figured that action at the Holy City hadn’t truly kicked off yet, meaning this wasn’t the time to expose their network. So, after getting the green light from the man to include “her,” he turned tail and rushed to the Empire to participate in executing “The Third Action” unfolding in the Northern Western Continent.
This third action aimed to expand their “Anti-Church Alliance,” persuading more powerful forces to hop on board.
The primary target? The Northern Region of the Empire, the Shanter Army, which had the central workshop at its disposal and was poised to become the next Emperor of the Empire. However, thanks to Church interference, they were stalled from launching a full-scale attack on Cheryls Royal City. That Duke Skarlij Cornwall Land of the Winter Moon?
None other than the chilly queen of Ethanbel was leading this operation.
This was truly…
jaw-dropping stuff.
“So, my lady, do you now see why the Duke wants to keep you out of this?”
As Tarlasha posed this question, Mother’s gaze flickered, her mind drifting deep into contemplation.
“Her Majesty the Queen has been in the know since day one; she always understood that the Church had ulterior motives for this trip. She even warned Duke Skarlij! But our esteemed Duke has been playing it safe, convinced that our actions aren’t justified—it’s not a choice one can make lightly.”
“Even before I arrived here, Elizabeth had already had several talks with Duke Skarlij, hinting that if the Church continued on this path, the Northern Army would only face doom. Your husband knows this deep down—but despite that, he’s still hesitant.”
Who would have thought…
The Church’s actions were so swift, leaving no room for doubt.
Before all this, Queen Elizabeth had already laid quite a bit of groundwork for the Northern Army’s assault on the royal city, with the Sword of Kanli coordinating with the Shanter Army to eliminate numerous undercover forces attempting to destabilize them from within. Moreover, the two Pope Knights sent to “assist” the Fourth Knights Army, along with even more Choir members, were fully aware of the situation thanks to Tarlasha and had already begun their preparations.
As of two days ago, Her Majesty still had two other Pope Knights she summoned under the guise of the “alliance.” Not even Mother nor Father knew about this since those two hadn’t shown their faces in public after arriving in Baihao City with Ethanbel’s troops. They were just waiting for the Church to think they had the upper hand and launch their actions.
At that point, Tarlasha would adjust plans as needed, and if necessary, even switch sides on a dime. With Duke Skarlij, Her Majesty, and a total of five Pope Knights’ firepower, there was almost no chance of failure, regardless of how things played out.
“I have confidence in my own power, but as for that nun from the Holy City, I’ve heard of her—Cardinal Iliena’s head bodyguard, the infamous Torturer Kaimilante. Years ago, her reputation was based more on her twisted ideas of justice than sheer strength. I never thought much of her.”
But—
Both Tarlasha and Victoria had underestimated her.
No, it wasn’t so much underestimating…
Rather, that nun named Kaimilante was far more powerful than anyone expected, even surpassing what the Church believed her capable of.
