Volume 1, Chapter 35 – A Greater Misunderstanding

That night.

Side chapel of the Aurora City Temple.

Gathered around a round table were the Chief Inquisitor of the Milcandis Holy Kingdom and the bishop of Aurora City, along with other prominent figures of the city. Every person in the room was among the most distinguished in Aurora, yet now, each wore a grave expression.

As the Chief Inquisitor had anticipated, the Elf Princess was indeed within the city. However, her power far exceeded their expectations. According to the surviving soldiers’ reports, that morning, the princess had cast a fifth-tier spell—without incantation.

Such a feat was unparalleled among all humanoid races on the continent. A fifth-tier spell was powerful enough to obliterate their entire temple. In other words, if the Elf Princess wished, she could storm the Aurora City Temple at any moment or cause them some “minor inconveniences” within the city.

This was deeply unsettling news—no one wanted to wake up with their backside set on fire.

After a long silence, a man in white priestly robes spoke up.

“Your Honor, Chief Inquisitor, could we not divert a portion of the Unsinkable Moon’s power to protect the temple?”

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The Chief Inquisitor, a man in his fifties, shook his head lightly.

“Impossible. The Unsinkable Moon only has two modes: attack and blockade. The blockade merely severs connections with the outside world—it has no other effects. If we shrink its range to protect only the temple, it will no longer cover the entire city, allowing the Elf Princess to leave Aurora at will.”

“But if we leave her unchecked in the city, what if she attacks civilians?”

“You’re just afraid she’ll come for you, aren’t you? With the Chief Inquisitor of the Seventh Seat of the Tribunal here, a mere Elf Princess—lacking combat experience and barely at the seventh rank—is hardly a threat. If anything happens, His Honor can still rely on the Unsinkable Moon for support. Not to mention, the princess is likely using magic crystals rather than actual incantationless casting.”

“Indeed. Even His Holiness the Pope cannot cast fifth-tier spells without incantation, let alone some greenhorn Elf Princess. She must have paid some price to survive the Unsinkable Moon’s attack. Otherwise, with her seventh-rank strength, she wouldn’t have stayed hidden in the city all day without making a move.”

Just as the table was on the verge of erupting into argument, the sound of flapping wings echoed above them.

Nearly everyone looked up at the same time.

This was the Temple of Yuna in Aurora City—no animal could evade the guards’ surveillance and slip inside.

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Thus, the appearance of this bird was deeply suspicious.

A pitch-black harbinger of death, like a crow.

“Darkborn!”

The Chief Inquisitor immediately rose from his seat and began chanting a spell, while the others in the temple drew holy seals or staffs, preparing for battle.

Yet the foot-long raven seemed indifferent to their agitation. It perched steadily on the table and spoke in the deep voice of a grown man.

“Governors of Aurora City, I wish to propose a deal.”

“Your Honor, this—”

“Silence. This is a messenger familiar.” Raising a hand, the Chief Inquisitor stopped those preparing to cast spells, then turned his gaze back to the raven. “You should know we have nothing to discuss with the Darkborn.”

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“Oh? Are you certain you don’t want to know what happened in the Dry Desert? That was a tenth-tier spell—a realm even we Moon Dragons cannot reach. I came to propose a temporary sharing of intelligence. I, too, am interested in the one who cast that spell. Surely, you also wish to know who that being is. If we join forces—”

“Impossible! If not for you Darkborn, humanity would never have had to struggle for survival. Who knows what schemes you harbor? We will not collaborate with you!”

“My, what a pity.” The raven tilted its head, its glowing purple eyes sweeping over the group. The priests’ hands shimmered with golden light, their magic ready to strike. “Many are eager to work with me. You will regret today’s decision.”

“Get out of this temple, filthy Darkborn!”

“Humans remain as impatient as ever. Very well, I shall grant you a small mercy—the Elf Princess’s goal is to destroy the Unsinkable Moon, not to escape. Your little scheme has been seen through. Until we meet again.”

With those words, the raven on the table dissolved into the air as if melting away, leaving the group staring at each other in stunned silence.

“Your Honor, we—”

“The… the Elf Princess aims for the Unsinkable Moon.”

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“Everyone, stay calm. This could be a lie from the Moon Dragon, meant to mock us.”

The bishop of Aurora City tried to steady the room.

But the Chief Inquisitor’s expression darkened as he frowned.

“The Unsinkable Moon is a divine artifact bestowed upon us by the Goddess of Life. A mere Elf Princess cannot destroy it. If the Moon Dragon were lying, this would be too foolish a deception. Even among dragonkin, Moon Dragons are renowned for their wisdom. He must have some evidence. Report this to His Holiness the Pope. Until we receive his instructions, we will shift our strategy. Withdraw some of the soldiers originally assigned to hunt the princess and redeploy them to monitor the Unsinkable Moon around the clock, as a precaution.”

“I agree.”

“So do I.”

With no objections, the Chief Inquisitor’s proposal was swiftly approved.