The secret chamber of the Cathedral of St. Hermes.
The papacy remains vacant.
The three Bishops sat side by side, with Main speaking first. "I hear there's some unrest in the Kingdom of Eternal Winter?" "The Inquisition Army stationed there is already handling it. The Grand Priest of Coben is leading the operation," Teflun replied.
"What's the real reason?" "It's still those scum who were co-opted into the Church," Heather whistled. "After the Queen's execution, those Nobles flocked to the Church, transforming into its elite—all because of your compromise plan, Lord Mayne. Under the guise of witch hunts, they've plundered the city while the garrison turned a blind eye, causing public outrage that naturally sparked resistance." "Not my plan, Lord Heather," Lord Mayne retorted. "This is the Pope's decree. It allows us to seize the kingdom swiftly, rather than prolonging conflicts with the Nobles—many of whom are capable talents. If we recruit them, it would greatly benefit us. As for those parasites, lacking hereditary privileges, they'll be eliminated within a generation." "Well, since you've invoked the Pope's authority, I won't dwell on it," Heather shrugged. "But those who tarnished the Church's reputation must be handed over to me." Lord Mayne turned to Bishop Tavren, who pondered. "I suggest holding off on them for now. After quelling the unrest, we can place the offending Nobles under house arrest. They've only recently joined the Church, and attacking them now might cause widespread unrest among the Nobles." "No!" "Heather slammed the table, 'The Church's statutes forbid any violation. Any plunder carried out in the Church's name is a grave offense, and I am the one who enforces the laws and arbitrations!' 'This is a time to prioritize the greater good...' 'I mean the greater good,' Heather cut Tavren off. 'Don't forget what we built our reputation for across the Eternal Winter. If we don't crack down on these scoundrels now, the people here will lose faith in us! This is the Church's foundation—not those damned Nobles. If you disagree, I'll report directly to the Pope's throne! 'The Pope had no time for such matters. The Church's foundation lies not in its followers but in its power. Mayn sighed, gesturing for Tavren to calm down. 'Then have High Priest Coben escort them back to the New Holy City for trial?' 'No need. I'll handle it myself, 'Heather said.' I've been busy here lately and should be back in two or three months. Trials naturally draw crowds—the Ice Terrace in Eternal Winter's capital seems ideal. '' Are you sure? 'Mayn frowned.' No extra commanders are protecting you in the Eternal Winter now. You'll be in danger if you encounter a Super Witch.' 'There aren't that many Super Witches around, 'Heather dismissed.' A squad of the Inquisition Army would suffice. '' If you insist...' "Mein didn't want to dwell on this anymore," he said. "I have bad news. The Church army suffered a major setback during their assault on Broken Tooth Fortress in Wolfheart Kingdom, losing over twenty God Punished soldiers and more than a hundred Inquisition Army troops. The fortress remains unconquered." "Over twenty God Punished soldiers?" Tefren glared. "Who was the commander?" "Bell, she's dead." "The commander died in battle? Looks like they faced a formidable challenge," Heather said with interest. "Losing so many God Punished soldiers at once must be giving Lord Azeroth a headache." "It's not his fault. Broken Tooth Fortress has unique terrain-its gates are built into the mountainside, standing three zhang (about 10 meters) high. They destroyed the wooden bridge leading in and used some alchemist's gadgets," Mein explained. "Reports say when they set up the wooden ladder, the God Punished soldiers were attacked by strange flames as soon as they climbed up. First, a cloud of white solid material spewed from the pipes on the gate, then smoke and fire emerged. The flames clung to their bodies, impossible to shake off or extinguish until they were charred. They're now contacting Church followers inside the city to see if we can launch a two-pronged attack." "I bet the church inside was massacred," Heather pouted. "To breach it, you'd need more reinforcements. Those alchemist's gadgets can't be mass-produced-they're depleted after just one use." "That's the God Punished army!" "Lord Teflun's beard quivered with rage," he said. "Do you know how difficult it is to convert a God Punishment Army? With fewer than a thousand now, if we let them lose over half to unify the continent, what will we use to resist the Demon's Moon? Not to mention the future Devil." "Enough of the debate," Mein interjected. "I'm sharing this not to argue about tactics. The Church needs more God Punishment Army. With Eternal Winter now under Church control, we can justify certain actions more formally. Previously, we delivered' seeds 'twice a year, but now I demand one additional delivery. Since the Demon's Moon's influence caused inconsistent lengths this spring, starting from summer, we'll send seed shipments to the Holy City quarterly, with corresponding additional conversion ceremonies. This is your responsibility, Lord Teflun." "But there aren't enough orphans and infants to accommodate," the old Bishop stroked his beard. "Not everyone will send abandoned children to the church." "So you need to negotiate. Eternal Winter is the Church's longest-operated kingdom with the largest congregation. If we can't even provide sufficient manpower here, the other three kingdoms will struggle even more. Remember, any resistance during unification must be quelled by the Inquisition Army and God Punishment Army." "People aren't scarce," Heather said with a smirk. "The streets are as crowded with wandering children as stray cats and dogs." I've heard that even the Black Street Rats recruit these children to train them as pickpockets, informants, smugglers, or scapegoats. While Nobles could shelter them from the streets, now with Lord Mayne's blessing, they've all become part of the Church. With the sewers left uncovered, where else could rats hide? If we deploy the Inquisition Army to wipe out underground forces, I think we'll gain many recruits while cleansing the populace—this would give the people a good impression and deter those restless Nobles. Three goals at once, isn't that a win-win? "It's a solid plan, Mayne thought. No matter how radical she might be, she always comes up with solutions when problems arise—except for certain words she deliberately ignores." Let's implement this strategy. By autumn, we'll occupy the entire Wolfheart Kingdom. Except for the Inquisition Army maintaining order, all other troops must return to Hermes to defend against this year's Demon Moon—this time, the enemy will only grow stronger. "Though reluctant, Teflun eventually nodded." Don't blame me if the affected Nobles protest later. Besides, Dawn Kingdom has already noticed the neighboring countries 'movements. Many Nobles in cities are targeting the Church, and there've been incidents of church looting and burning. I suggest organizing believers to evacuate temporarily. There's no need to waste their energy on this conflict." "No, they must resist to the end," Meen countered. "The more the faithful sacrifice, the stronger our justification for retaliation will be. This isn't a waste—it's a spark that could ignite a fire. For a kingdom with few followers and shallow roots, retreat would only make the Church appear weaker." "Well, I'm just making a point," Tavren shrugged. "Graycastle is the last... well, you'll see." He pulled a roll of letter paper from his sleeve and tossed it in front of Meen.
Mein glanced around, surprised to find the letter was actually written by the Queen of Wimbledon, Jiaxiya Wenbund. His eyebrows immediately furrowed.
"She actually strangled Priest Deca?" "And fed the entire congregation fish," Tefren added. "The church was razed to the ground. She must have discovered the pill's side effects." Heather smacked her lips. "I told you so—this stuff loses potency with constant use, eventually weakening you to death. It's good for crushing enemy forces, but once the effects show, the enemy knows the Church's plan. The catch? I remember intelligence suggesting few of her men took the pills. Plenty were given to those barbarians in the South." "No more than a thousand," she said, putting down the letter. "It's absurd. Without the Church's backing, how could she become the Queen of Port of Clearwater? Where's Tefiko Wemberton? Why didn't they attack the South after receiving our pills?" "He's currently raiding the North, claiming the Northern Guardians attempted rebellion. We need to suppress the uprising first to stabilize defenses. Probably trying to seize the dukes' territories before facing Giasia in a final showdown," Tefren replied. "I wonder if this new king will head straight for the West after taking the North."