Chapter 292: Upheaval in the Holy Land (Part 1)
Haggai shook his head: "I am not clear about this. I'm sorry... my lord."
Kalvis looked worried: "The Land of the Holy War is extremely dangerous. His status is so noble; if an accident occurs, the impact will be massive."
He turned around as he spoke.
"As an Archbishop, I have the responsibility to protect the safety of the Holy Clan. This is my dereliction of duty. Record this oversight; I will personally confess my sins to the Church."
The several clansmen who also belonged to "Saul" immediately nodded: "We will follow your orders strictly."
After speaking, these few people actually took out pens and paper.
Haggai's head instantly ached.
If, because of his few words, a member of the Holy Clan was punished, he would be in big trouble!
Even if there were no procedural flaws, this could be perceived as "an expression of dissatisfaction from Isaac towards Saul."
His father would definitely punish him severely.
Thinking of this, Haggai hurriedly raised his hand to stop them: "This is not your fault."
"Before Lord Shiloj left, he mentioned that this matter must be kept secret. As for the dangers of that place, he has also made ample preparations."
Hearing this, a strange look flashed in Kalvis's eyes, but he returned to normal the next moment.
"Of course, we must obey that lord's orders, but my dereliction of duty is equally clear."
"It's over..." Haggai's heart sank to the bottom.
The lord in front of him was the famous "Iron-Faced Bishop," extremely meticulous about Church rules.
But then he heard that Archbishop's voice again.
"You just said... made preparations?" Kalvis asked doubtfully: "Could it be that Lord Shiloj found a way to restore Holy Power?"
"Uh... this... that lord didn't say explicitly." Cold sweat began to break out on Haggai's forehead.
However, this time, the Archbishop in front of him didn't mention the matter of "confessing his sins" again, merely nodding his head.
"May the Lord bless you." At this time, a female voice came from the side.
Haggai turned his head, only to see it was the leader of the Zadok family.
"Sister Lorcy, may the Lord bless you too." Kalvis narrowed his eyes.
"I wonder what you are discussing?" Lorcy revealed a beautiful, faint smile.
"If there is new intelligence, you must tell me, so we can rescue the trapped people faster."
Kalvis remained silent.
Seeing this, Haggai could only bite the bullet and speak: "Uh... this lord was inquiring about Lord Shiloj's whereabouts..."
He immediately repeated what he had just said.
"Oh? Lord Shiloj's spirit of dedication is admirable." Lorcy drew a cross across her chest.
"Lord Kalvis doesn't need to blame himself either. After all, this is not your fault. Right now, those trapped people are the top priority. We still need to work together."
"I am very clear about this; I don't need you to remind me."
Haggai smelled gunpowder in the air, his throat involuntarily rolling.
Lorcy just smiled slightly, not angered.
"Little Haggai, none of us can use Holy Power this time. We will have to rely on your knowledge." She lowered her head.
"W-willing to serve you." Haggai hurriedly bowed and said.
Although he also bore the surname of a "Holy Clan."
But for reasons known to all, he didn't have the same status as the two people in front of him.
On the other side.
Caroline looked back and forth in the inner hall.
"What are you looking for?" Bettis asked.
"I haven't seen my brother yet." Caroline's eyes showed some worry.
William, however, pointed near those "big shots": "Isn't he over there?"
The two nuns looked in that direction and indeed spotted Hugh's figure.
At this time, this Medici family heir looked somewhat nervous. He was hovering near those three Holy Clan members.
Seeing the few people finish their conversation, he immediately jogged forward.
"R-respected three Excellencies, I..."
Before Hugh could finish speaking, he was stopped by several Saul family members.
The latter turned their heads to look at their team leader.
But Kalvis narrowed his eyes: "Inside the Dome Temple, loud noises and running are not allowed."
Lorcy aside, however, smiled: "You are truly strict. This is the eldest son of the Medici family."
"Regardless of one's status, violating the rules means receiving punishment."
"But this brother is willing to enter the Land of the Holy War. This is also a contribution to the Church." Lorcy spread her hands.
"Does Lord Kalvis want to reduce our numbers before the rescue operation even begins?"
Kalvis narrowed his eyes, ultimately saying no more.
"Let him come over," Lorcy smiled.
The several Saul family members looked at Kalvis again, and the latter nodded slightly.
Thus, Hugh was finally able to approach.
"T-three Excellencies, may the Lord bless you." His fingers trembled slightly.
Only Haggai returned the salute; the remaining two didn't move.
"Heir of the Medici family, you coming to find us, could it be that you have news about the Land of the Holy War to report?" Lorcy said softly.
Hugh was instantly stunned upon hearing this.
The other party's first sentence made him secretly delighted for a moment, but the next sentence made it impossible for him to speak.
How could a marginalized heir of the family have such important news.
But for the sake of his mother, his sister, and his own future in the family.
Hugh still bit the bullet and spoke: "S-sorry, I don't have news in that regard."
"Coming to meet you Excellencies this time is just to ask..."
He took a deep breath.
"Can you let me join your team? The Medici family also wants to contribute to the Church."
As soon as these words came out, the air instantly fell into silence.
A moment later, it was still Lorcy who spoke first: "To have such determination is highly commendable. But I remember... you seem to already have a team."
Hugh was slightly surprised, not expecting this lord to actually know about his affairs, so he gained a bit more confidence.
"That is indeed true, but those teammates of mine are foreigners and are not very familiar with the affairs of the Holy Land. They might delay the Church's important matters. So..."
Hearing this, Kalvis instantly revealed a look of disdain.
Haggai also pursed his lips, thinking inwardly: "So he's looking for a backer..."
Lorcy raised an eyebrow: "Then that is truly unfortunate..."
"My team happens to already have a member of the Medici clan."
She pointed to the side as she spoke.
Hugh looked over in confusion, and then saw the face he hated the most.
He saw Falco with neatly combed hair and extremely elegant attire. His whole person looked very noble; he had obviously spent a lot of effort on this.
He bowed to Lorcy, and then looked at Hugh with a smile.
Although no words were spoken, Hugh understood the mockery in the other party's eyes.
Before long, he returned to William's group in low spirits.
"Brother... you..." Worry flashed in Caroline's eyes.
Hugh didn't respond, merely finding an empty spot and sitting down.
William and Bettis also remained silent respectively; all three of them had seen that scene just now.
Clang~
Suddenly, a bell chimed in the Dome Temple.
All the Holy Clergy Members, including the three Holy Clan members, raised their heads.
They saw the main doors of the council chamber open outward, and several people walked out from inside.
The person at the very front wore an exquisitely crafted red robe, with a round red hat on his head, looking quite refined.
"May the Lord bless you, Your Eminence..."
"Respected Your Eminence..."
"..."
The respectful greetings in the inner hall rose and fell. Everyone bowed, expressing the highest etiquette from their hearts.
"That is Lord Cardinal Parolin Saul, the person in charge of this term's Council of Bishops," Caroline lowered her voice and said.
William nodded.
He had some understanding of the Church's organization. "Your Eminence" was the respectful title Holy Clergy Members used for Cardinals.
"Oh~ Please rise, my children." Parolin smiled and helped Lorcy up.
"You are the true heroes. On behalf of those trapped pioneers, I thank you."
He bowed deeply as he spoke.
The Holy Clergy Members below felt trepidation in their hearts and hurriedly bowed to return the salute.
"Regarding the Priest Order selection, I believe everyone has already heard the relevant news..."
Lord Parolin introduced the background of this operation.
Most of the content was the same as what William knew, but there was also new information.
"...The danger of the Land of the Holy War lies in the fact that it is very difficult to leave once you enter. For this, the Church prayed to the Lord for help, and the Lord has responded..." Parolin clapped his hands as he spoke.
The side doors nearby suddenly opened, and then many Holy Clergy Members walked out from inside.
Each of them held an exquisite wooden box, approaching the participants one by one.
Clack... Clack...
Accompanied by a series of sounds, the wooden boxes opened one after another.
William peeked his head out, only to see two pale blue stones inside the box, their surfaces engraved with clock-like patterns.
"This item is named the Teleportation Flying Stone. As long as it is activated, it can teleport things within a one-meter radius of the Flying Stone to a specific location."
As soon as these words came out, discussion instantly erupted in the inner hall.
William also rubbed his chin: "Teleport to a specific location... I didn't expect the Church to actually master this kind of power."
"The Church has already set up the teleportation coordinates."
Bishop Parolin said as he opened the wooden box beside him, taking out a cylindrical long stone from inside.
This thing was entirely deep blue, its surface engraved with dense runes. Even observing from afar, William could feel a powerful force.
"This is the Holy Teleportation Cornerstone. It has a powerful connection with the Teleportation Flying Stones; even in the Land of the Holy War, it cannot be severed."
Everyone felt joyful inwardly.
Although the rescue operation was a glorious thing, no one truly wanted to die in vain.
And the Teleportation Flying Stones could obviously greatly increase their survival rate.
However, William frowned.
Such a thing couldn't possibly be without limitations; otherwise, everyone would use it whenever they encountered a little danger.
Sure enough, Parolin quickly added: "Regarding the activation method of the Teleportation Flying Stone..."
"These holy relics did not appear out of thin air, but came from those brothers who previously entered the Land of the Holy War."
Speaking of this, the Cardinal's eyes grew dim.
"Therefore, the Church has engraved their power marks on them. As long as you can find them, everyone can return safely."
William narrowed his eyes; he heard the other meaning behind these words.
Subsequently, the distribution of the Teleportation Flying Stones began. The person in charge of William's side was a tall Holy Clergy Member.
This person had a scrawny build and was very polite in his demeanor.
"Before using the Flying Stone, please ensure you..."
The other party explained the activation method of the Teleportation Flying Stone very patiently, and also answered the dozens of "suspicious risks" William raised one by one.
A moment later.
"Your caution is admirable. I believe you will definitely be able to return safely," the other party said.
William shrugged: "Thank you, but that depends on whether I can find those noble lords."
Hearing this, the tall Holy Clergy Member raised an eyebrow.
Then he smiled slightly: "You are an interesting person."
After speaking, he quickly left.
Next, Bishop Parolin explained a few more matters, and then led the crowd to the Mount of Olives next to the temple.
The Church would open the passage to the Land of the Holy War here.
At the same time, at the top of the Mount of Olives.
A slender figure quietly gazed at the foot of the mountain. She wore a black hooded robe, with a wing brooch pinned to her collar.
"Sariel, Beelzebub's side is ready and can begin at any time," Samael walked over and said.
He then narrowed his eyes, looking at the dense black shadows below.
"Hey, to think so many people came. If we chopped down all these guys, the materials needed for the ritual would be enough, and we wouldn't have to enter that damn place anymore."
Sariel turned her head upon hearing this. She had the face of a young girl, looking very sweet.
"I will run away before you make a move. Who knows what incredible methods the Church's headquarters has hidden."
The corner of Samael's mouth twitched.
"Compared to our upcoming operation... is there any difference?" he thought inwardly.
Seemingly guessing his thoughts, Sariel spoke again: "Opening the Land of the Holy War consumes a lot of Holy Power."
"This will invisibly weaken the Church's power temporarily. Even if they can summon a true angel, we will have enough time to escape."
"And the Land of the Holy War is the only safe zone. Otherwise, directly attacking the Church's Holy Land is something no faction could achieve."
A drop of cold sweat seeped from Samael's forehead: "Yes, yes, you are absolutely right."
"This sis is still as meticulous as ever..." he thought.
However, Samael was also very surprised. He didn't expect they actually managed to sneak into Jerusalem.
"That guy Lucifer really has a way..."
This was the Holy Land in the hearts of Holy Clergy Members all over the world, and they were about to do something major here.
Samael could already imagine that after today, the name "Wings of Vengeance" would resound throughout the land, and he would also be remembered by the world.
On the other side, at the foot of the mountain.
The participants were waiting quietly.
The sacrifices needed for the ritual were already arranged around them.
At the same time, there were more than a dozen Holy Clergy Members standing in specific positions. Golden Lion Cross badges were pinned to their chests; they were obviously all from the Holy See's Priest Order.
And powerful Holy Power fluctuations also echoed in this space, even driving away the white clouds.
But William's focus was not on these people.
At this moment, he was staring intently straight ahead, where there was a small grove of trees. Tiny golden fruits hung between the green leaves.
"These are..."
"Holy Land Olive Trees," Caroline whispered.
"These saplings seem to come from Mount Sinai. Normally, even Cardinals can't easily come here. This is my first time seeing them too."
She then narrowed her eyes: "But these trees look so ugly, they don't seem like anything special either."
But William saw something different.
These olive trees emitted a holy aura. At the same time, the textures on their surfaces seemed to be some kind of rune, mobilizing the power of the entire Holy Land.
If he hadn't already practiced [Divine Eye Seal], he wouldn't have noticed it at all.
But most importantly—these olive trees were exactly the materials mentioned in the Holy Chapter for summoning angels.
"If only I could chop down one tree... no, just a branch would do!"
But after looking at the surrounding situation, William ultimately abandoned this idea.
On the other side.
Following the order of that Cardinal, the more than a dozen Holy See's Priest Order members took a step forward simultaneously.
Holding silver crucifixes, they chanted some unknown scriptures.
Buzz... Buzz...
The entire ground suddenly began to tremble. Beams of light shot straight into the sky, drawing a massive magic array in the azure blue sky.
At this moment, all the pedestrians in the Holy Land raised their heads, looking at this spectacular scene.
As the magic array took shape, massive Holy Power poured down, and the olive trees at the foot of the mountain also emitted a faint golden glow.
Immediately after, countless spirit threads manifested in the sunlight, outlining a long, narrow fissure.
Riiiip—
The fissure suddenly tore open, revealing a patch of nothingness.
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