Chapter 143
It was truly one disaster piled upon another.
Prince Mordred, grinding his teeth over the matter of the Sacred Sword and harboring personal vendettas; Princess Chiara, whose true intentions remained utterly inscrutable; and the magicians of the Crimson Magic Tower, still plotting with their insidious, dark schemes.
And to make matters worse, the Church and the White Magic Tower were sharpening their blades, demanding accountability for the shattered Sacred Sword.
Surrounded by enemies on all sides, the only silver lining here was the existence of the ‘Duchy of Saxony’ and his father, the Duke of Saxony, who stood encircling those enemies.
The greatest feudal lord of the empire—the fear people held for him was never without reason. Even the reckless prince, who shared the imperial bloodline, was no exception.
‘He cherished the Sacred Sword like his own father?’
And when the Black Knight warned Mordred, seeing him swallow his breath in bewilderment, he could sense it instinctively.
‘Surely not…’
If that suspicion were true, it would be utterly laughable. But at least right now, the royal family’s internal strife was not what he needed to think about.
I cannot rely entirely on the protection of my father, the Black Duke. Dale, too, has duties to fulfill as the ruler of this Demon King’s Domain and, furthermore, as the Saxon Duke’s representative.
The gathering at the Saxon Viscount’s estate evoked memories of when the heroes from another realm had faced the Demon King Valour.
Though not quite the same as back then, when it literally tipped the scales of the continent. Yet its weight was by no means something to be taken lightly.
True to the Grand Demon Alliance sparked by the Saxon-Lancaster alliance, it fell to the Duke of Heavenly Sword Lancaster to pull the trigger first.
Ironically, until the very end, he failed to recognize Michael’s true nature. He merely assumed the ‘Great Demon Alliance’ his son had spoken of before dying was his unfulfilled ideal…
He gathered the last remnants of the utterly shattered House of Lancaster and entrusted them to Dale of Saxony.
To the very man who had driven the Lancasters to ruin in the Second War of the Roses and plunged a blade into Michael’s chest.
It was a truly cruel irony, yet nothing would change.
Simultaneously, in the Imperial Capital, the Seventh Prince Mordred and the Fifth Princess Chiara participated, along with the Iron Cross Knights, Lady Scarlet, and the dark mages under her command.
Finally, the most troublesome White Mage Tower could not be an exception either.
It was not Cardinal Nikolai, who had long been Dale’s puppet. Rather, the true powerhouses of the White Magic Tower never held high ecclesiastical positions. For them, joining the church organization was no different than gaining a secular position.
Moreover, the true value of the White Mage Tower does not unfold solely at the fingertips of a single mage. Thus, the participation of the knightly order that the Sistine Papacy boasts of was no exception.
The Church’s sword, trained from the outset to coordinate with white mages. The fanatical enforcers bearing blood-red crosses on their white surcoats: the Templar Order.
The Viscount of Saxony’s stronghold, the labyrinth city of Labyrinthos, served as the core base for pioneering ventures across the Demon King’s Domain.
Within one chamber of that very castle, the leadership of the ‘Great Demon Alliance’ had gathered.
The Imperial Prince and Princess, Lady Scarlet and her senior Purifier, the Lancaster family’s Oru Master, and finally the senior elder of the White Mage Tower and the Templar of the Templar Order.
‘All around, red and white fill the air.’
The forces of fire and light filling the black domain, the golden standard.
Only now, as the empire’s mighty warriors—including the heroes from other realms—gathered, did the burden the Black Lord must have felt begin to make sense. At the same time, as long as they upheld their righteous cause, Saxon had no legitimate means to stop them.
Moreover, it is Dale who thoroughly governs this domain, and thus the Black Count did not officially attend this gathering.
Yet it was ultimately Dale’s decision to unite the forces of fire and light. Nothing had changed.
Setting aside their ambitions crisscrossing from all directions, manipulating them by wrapping puppet strings around their bodies. Through this, it would become the key to uprooting the deep-seated darkness within the Demon King’s Domain and breaking Saxony’s isolation.
“The alliance between Saxony and Lancaster, and furthermore, the desire to pioneer the Demon King’s domain against the threat of the demon race—this is the wish of the entire empire.”
That is why Dale spoke up.
“On behalf of House Saxon, I express my deepest gratitude to the Imperial Court, House Lancaster, and furthermore, to the Red and White Magic Towers and the Church.”
This Demon King’s Domain was Saxony’s territory, and governing it fell to Dale. Therefore, spearheading this alliance was also his role. To prevent the hyenas from revealing their ambitions.
“You speak truly.”
At that moment, a knight clad in a white surcoat bearing a blood-red cross pattern rose to his feet. It was the Church’s Sword, the Templar, seated alongside the representative of the White Mage Tower.
And that is the Master Templar, symbolizing the highest-ranking knight of the Templar Order.
“Purifying the darkness that dwells in this land and scattering the light of the goddess—that is truly the ministry Sister Sistina desires above all else.”
“Ah, the Goddess desires it! What a splendid statement indeed.”
At those words, Lady Scarlet burst into laughter, seeming delighted.
“And the goddess willingly desired to destroy her own realm and become part of our empire. Is that not so?”
For a moment, the expressions of the Master Templar and the White Mage twisted.
Just as Dale once clashed with the blue of the House of York, the Golden Standard could not be an exception. After all, during the Empire’s unification wars, wasn’t it the Red Tower that claimed the Empire’s banner and brought down the Sistine Church?
‘They’re nothing but crumbling bean dust from top to bottom.’
At least, Lady Scarlet’s mockery had never sounded so convincing before.
“In any case… should House Saxon repent their darkness and vow to bring the goddess’s mercy and benevolence to this land.”
Master Templar continued, paying no heed.
Our church and the White Tower are prepared to willingly offer our lives as martyrs, following the teachings of the Sister Goddess.
“It is truly a relief to hear you say that.”
“However, before that, there is one thing that troubles me.”
Just then, Master Templar cut Dale off as if he had been waiting for this moment. Dale, expecting as much, asked,
“What is it?”
“His Holiness expresses deep concern about whether the Black Prince of Saxony and the Dark Prince truly understand the goddess’s will.”
The white mage beside him chimed in.
“Indeed, did not the Black Prince shatter the sacred relic—the sacred sword—of the first White Mage Tower Lord and dishonor the sister deities?”
“It truly was an act of force majeure.”
Dale answered as if it were someone else’s affair.
“I was waging war. Should I have simply allowed myself to be stabbed by that blade just because my opponent wielded the goddess’s sword?”
“All we desire is for the Lord to repent his sins.”
“Then have the empire that destroyed the goddess’s realm and the mages of the Crimson Magic Tower repented their sins?”
Dale retorted.
“Assuming Kyung is correct. Shouldn’t the first ones to bow their heads be Lady Scarlet and His Excellency the Marquis of Yuris here, and His Majesty the Emperor?”
“How dare you…!”
At Dale’s words, Mordred and the church officials raised their voices in unison. But Dale paid them no mind and continued.
“The sacred relics of the first White Tower and the land of the goddess are not the goddess herself. Ultimately, they are nothing more than idols fashioned by worshippers.”
Dale answered.
“To claim that smashing an idol is an act of blasphemy against the goddess—is that not precisely the act of idol worship the church so fiercely guards against?”
Ironically, before the goddess’s champions armed with theology, Dale began to counter according to the church’s own laws.
“Do not think that will erase Saxony’s sins of darkness and apostasy.”
Master Templar snapped, deliberately shifting the subject.
“And what we demand is precisely that proof of repentance.”
“What do you demand?”
“The pioneering work we are undertaking in the Demon King’s Realm is no longer merely the work of the Master. It is the divine mission of the great Sistina Sister Goddess. Therefore, as servants of the Goddess, we have the duty above all else to thoroughly monitor and oversee this sacred undertaking. In other words…”
Master Templar replied.
“Convert this Saxon stronghold into a cathedral, and consecrate this land to the Church in the name of the Sister Goddess. This place shall fulfill its sacred mission as the first pioneering parish to atone for the sins of the Saxon House.”
In simple terms, it means to surrender the Demon King’s Decree to the church. To sweep up the priceless treasures arising from this whirlwind of artifact rush, this land of new adventures and opportunities.
Dale burst out laughing at the sheer absurdity of it. Even the most shameless person couldn’t be this shameless.
“If I refuse, what does the Church intend to do?”
“We would accept that the Demon King’s Domain development project is not the sacred work of the Goddess, but rather a purely secular business venture for the Saxon family.”
Master Templar continued.
In the name of the Emperor, I hereby declare the ‘Demon Realm Pioneering Project’ an act that accumulates sins of both spirit and flesh, and furthermore, I will issue an order for all pioneering monasteries within this Demon Realm to withdraw.
“I’m truly terrified and don’t know what to do.”
“This is no joke.”
“Is that so? It sounded so absurd I thought it was a joke.”
Hearing this, Dale burst out laughing as if utterly dumbfounded.
After laughing, he said.
“Then go ahead.”
“……!”
“In the name of the Duke of Saxony’s representative, the Viscount of Little Saxony, I promise. I promise to hand over the entire Demon King’s Domain here to the Church for free.”
“Wh-what did you just say…?”
“He said he would surrender the entire Demon King’s Domain to the Church.”
Dale answered without a moment’s hesitation. Even those who had been threatening him moments before were so stunned they had to swallow their breath. As if they had known he would say this from the start.
The promise to dedicate the entire Demon King’s Domain to the church in Saxon’s name and to rebuild the viscount’s castle into a cathedral.
“Did you give in to their threats?”
Dale reported the matter to his father, the Black Duke. The Black Duke coldly retorted. As one of the empire’s foremost great lords ruling the northern territories.
“That can’t be.”
Dale shook his head.
“Do not worship idols, nor covet wealth. For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”
After shaking his head, he recited the doctrine of the Sistina Goddess Cult.
“At least for now, confronting the Church would be a meaningless, wasteful battle.”
At Dale’s continued words, the Duke of Saxony remained silent.
“But when the church becomes blinded by greed and abandons its own legitimacy, that is not the case.”
“Did you say the church’s legitimacy?”
“For there is nothing better than poison to cure poison.”
Dale replied. At those words, the Duke of Saxony burst into laughter, as if he had known it all along.
As always, his son had his own thoughts, and for the two of them, it was simply a matter of waiting for the right moment.
