"Ha ha ha..." Heather burst out laughing. "Expecting the pawn to obey completely is unrealistic. Aligning with our ultimate goal suffices. Wherever he fights, just keep draining the warrior's strength. After all, Graycastle is the last kingdom in the plan, and we still have time to let them clash. Didn't Roland Wimbledon reject our pill last time? We could pressure Tefiko into the Westerlands—maybe he'll agree." Though she said this, the Queen's outright rejection still irritated Maine, as this pawn was his personal choice. If Tefiko occupied other Graycastle territories but avoided a decisive battle with Garcia, merely maintaining a stalemate, the Crown War Order would fail to achieve its intended effect. It seemed other measures were necessary.
"We'll wait for the envoy's report from the western frontier before making a decision," he declared decisively. "Let's wrap up today. Gentlemen, proceed as planned—I must visit the Hermes Agency." "Ah, right," Heather exclaimed, as if suddenly enlightened. "Is today the conversion day? How many have applied for the ceremony?" "That's the Agency's secret," Mein said, rising abruptly and leaving the chamber without a glance back.
...
After descending the long suspended staircase to the cave floor, the Great Bishop stepped over the mirror-smooth white polished stone and headed toward the depths of the mechanism.
Unlike the usual tranquility, the temple was unusually bustling today. A group of the Inquisition Army, having passed their review, stood outside, most of them entering for the first time and curiously scanning the surroundings. Upon seeing Main, they stood at attention, clasping their fists in salute. "Bishop!" he replied with a smile. These Inquisition Army members were the Church's elite warriors—devout and willing to sacrifice. The God-penalty conversion ceremony was not guaranteed to succeed, and they understood this even before submitting their applications. Yet, they remained ready to lay down their lives for this immense honor.
Under the reverent gazes of the warriors, he crossed the third checkpoint and arrived at the Secretariat. The Pope's guards were already waiting. They bowed in salute and then pushed open the metal gate behind them.
Mein followed Guard into the inner gate. From this point onward lies the heart of the Hermes Mechanism, where all research and inventions of the Church are conducted.
The Secretariat was devoid of torches, and his vision suddenly went dark. After a brief adjustment, a narrow passage came into view. The walls and ceiling were cast in iron, with both sides inlaid with fluorite—a peculiar stone, one of God's punishment stones, that glows emerald green when tainted by the blood of evil beasts.
At the passage's end stood a suspended cage. As he stepped inside, Guard pulled the mechanism, and the chains overhead creaked with a metallic grating sound that cut through the stillness. With that, the cage descended into the hollow below, and suddenly, the view before Maine opened up.
A very open underground space appeared before him.
No matter how many times he sees such a stunning scene, he will feel a sense of insignificance.
By all logic, the underground cavern should be pitch-dark and pitch-black, yet here the entire space is illuminated by the light emanating from the God's Stone. The colossal God's Stone rises like countless prisms from the earth, forming clusters of crystal blossoms. The smallest prism is as thick as a human body, while the largest requires over ten people to encircle. Their heights vary wildly, with the tallest one nearly reaching the ceiling, surpassing even the Tower of Heaven in the Cathedral of Hermes.
Their hues vary dramatically: the densest cluster of God's Punishment Stones glows a pale violet, while the surrounding ones shift from deep blue to light green. Smaller ones are white, and some newly emerged prisms from the ground are nearly transparent. The purple stones emit the most striking glow, especially the one beyond the Tower of Heaven, whose brightness rivals a full moon. Without torches, the cave floor becomes faintly visible.
The dense and massive God's Stone formations render the mountain's interior completely immune to Magic Power. Notably, all God's Stones sold by the Church are extracted from this very area.
The cave's vast space could accommodate five or six Hermes cathedrals. They indeed built a replica here, naming it the Secret Sanctuary. Yet compared to the mountain-top church, this structure appeared far more weathered. From mid-air, Main could see a black iron gate on the mountain wall behind the sanctuary—a gateway to the foot of Mount Hermes, connecting to the Old Holy City. Thus, this ancient building was, in a sense, the core of the mechanism, existing here long before the New Holy City was established.
After a full half hour, the grappling cage finally touched the ground. Meen emerged, straightened his robes, and followed the escorting messenger to the temple.
The conversion ceremony was held in the first-floor hall.
Upon entering the hall, Bishop felt the surroundings brighten—no longer the cold blue-purple glow, but the warm orange light from countless burning candles. Three tiers of candle chandeliers hung overhead, while candlesticks scattered around the hall, their flickering lights resembling a constellation of twinkling stars. The sacred fire had dispelled much of the cave's chill.
The man standing between the two transformation platforms is Pope John Paul II, the supreme leader of the Church. Dressed in a striking red robe with golden trim and a gleaming gemstone crown, he is meticulously examining the transformation tools, making final preparations for the ceremony.
"Under the Pope's authority," he knelt before Oberlein and kissed his fingers.
"Rise, my child," the Pope's voice was hoarse and slow. "There's no one else here except the Guardians. No need for elaborate formalities." "Yes," Mein stood up, taken aback. The Pope looked much older than last time—he wore deep wrinkles, his skin was unhealthy white, loose and dull, with dense brown spots standing out starkly. Bishop's eyes welled up. "You... have labored." "These are the marks of time," Oberlain said calmly. "No one can fight time. My days are numbered. I doubt I'll live to see humanity defeat the Devil, so there's no point enduring that unknown agony. But you must keep fighting until you either defeat the enemy or are defeated by them." Another defeat would mean our complete destruction. Mein nodded. "I'll serve until the very end." "Very well," the old man smiled. "You've done well recently—adding over a thousand more Inquisition Army members to the Church, and this time applying for conversion to sixty-two people, the highest number in years." "Your Majesty, may I ask how many God's Punishment troops we need to defeat the Devil?" Mein hesitated. "All I know about the Devil comes from the Holy Books. But their accounts are incomplete—no origins, no numbers, no descriptions of combat methods." I know these secrets require waiting until you become the Pope to learn, but... "Aubreyan cut him off." You're too impatient, my child. Take your time. Soon you'll receive this crown and become the next Pope, when all your questions will be answered in the vault at the top of the Secretariat. For now, I can only tell you as much as I can. "He drew a breath." Though I didn't summon you for the conversion ceremony, since we're at it, you'll try presiding over this one. With me watching, it'll help you gain... well, let's just say... experience. "Meen promptly patted the Pope's back. When he regained his composure, he bowed." As you wish, Your Holiness."