Chapter 67: Western Fantasy Romance (IX)

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Chapter 67: Western Fantasy Romance (IX)

Sathalia Campbell’s slender fingers traced through the air. The holy smile at the corner of his lips somehow carried a hint of temptation. A scepter almost identical to the one beside Miao Lichen appeared in his hand, with the greatest difference being that this one was far more exquisite than the one Miao Lichen possessed. Its aura was also far more powerful. From this alone, it was clear how highly Sathalia regarded the Holy Church. However, the curve of his lips deepened slightly.

What had he just discovered? Around his own scepter, he had sensed the presence of demon. If it had only been an ordinary demon, it would not have attracted his attention, much less awakened him from his slumber. But the sovereign of dark who had always stood opposite him had appeared beside his envoy. Now, what could be the reason for that? Could it be for the sake of faith as well? Heh… Servius had never touched that power. Perhaps it was precisely because he had refused to do so that it made Sathalia somewhat curious.

His fair fingers slowly traced from the bottom of the scepter to its top. Suddenly, his hand tightened, and the scepter vanished from his grasp. His fingers remained suspended in the air as though still holding something, then gradually closed. The depths of his eyes rippled like water. The holy smile on his face remained unchanged, and not the slightest trace of darkness could be seen anymore. He was the embodiment of light. From ancient times until now, and continuing into eternity, he would remain so. Perhaps only after the destruction of the world itself would this expression of his ever have the possibility of changing.

The Sacred Mountain of the Kedor Continent—the greatest headquarters of the Holy Church and the sacred land of all believers. It was also the only place where ascetics and fanatical believers existed. Suddenly, a dazzling radiance appeared. The divine statue within the Holy Church released a gentle halo that slowly spread outward, dispelling the darkness that should have existed in this place. Like the warm light of the rising sun, it carried the most comforting temperature, touching the bodies of the people nearby and awakening the sleeping believers.

Almost instantly, everyone on the Sacred Mountain realized that a divine descent had taken place. As the Divine King, Sathalia Campbell naturally could not have come to the Kedor Continent alone. Therefore, he had brought his guardian angels with him. The scepter swayed lightly between his fingers, and the smile on Sathalia’s lips remained unchanged. Yet in truth, he was far from relaxed. Unlike the Demon King Servius Joy, who had been summoned, those like them who had voluntarily crossed from the Divine Realm and Demon Realm into the Kedor Continent did not possess the same freedom from restrictions that Servius enjoyed.

Even Sathalial’s power had been suppressed to the bare minimum. He was at the peak of Saint rank, yet he was unable to use the power that belonged to a true god. The strongest person on the Kedor Continent was Aesop, who stood only one step away from becoming a god.

However, this did not mean that Sathalia’s true strength was equivalent to the peak of the Divine rank. As the world’s representative of light, all the fundamental laws of light of this world belonged under his authority. This was the difference between a complete existence and an incomplete one. Although Servius’s current displayed strength had already reached Divine, it did not necessarily mean that he could gain any advantage against Sathalia.

Miao Lichen opened his eyes and met those obsidian-like eyes. Servius quietly stared at the faint golden radiance surrounding Miao Lichen, the trace of light power, and the extremely familiar sense of law within it. Sathalia had already awakened from his slumber and had even arrived on the Kedor Continent. Servius was not surprised by his appearance. If Sathalia had known that he had appeared on the Kedor Continent and still shown no reaction, Servius would have found that strange instead.

Servius placed his hand on Aesop’s body and watched as the faint glow slowly faded away, causing the world between the two of them to return to darkness once more. Even though it originated from the summons of another scepter, Aesop’s scepter had not suddenly appeared at his side, demonstrating the extent of his control over it. Unless Sathalia used the laws contained within the scepter to establish authority over it, he would be unable to control this scepter. Unfortunately, anything that had already been branded by the Laws themselves could never truly belong to Aesop. If he forcibly seized it, he would only become Sathalia’s subordinate.

Servius narrowed his eyes slightly, considering the possibility of inheriting the position of Pope of the Holy Church before Sathalia arrived. As for whether holding the scepter in his hands would anger Sathalia to death, that was beyond his concern. Unfortunately, it was probably nothing more than a thought. Looking at the faint trace of light at his fingertips, Servius’s lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile. However… even just this small achievement would be enough to irritate Sathalia.

If not for this body, which was almost human, he truly would not have been able to succeed. Only at this moment did he feel that his followers were not completely useless. Allowing the body of a Demon King to store light power that was originally incompatible with his power—although the amount was insignificant, it was still a historic breakthrough.

Servius’s lips moved slightly, but in the end, he still did not speak. The hand gripping Aesop’s inner garment tightened, leaving obvious wrinkles in the fabric. In Aesop’s eyes, although he was somewhat unusual, there was no way he could discover the truth of his identity through mere observation. Although Servius himself was not human, for some unknown reason, he did not want V to know. At least, he did not want him to know yet.

On the Kedor Continent, the attitude of the people of the Holy Church toward those of the Dark Church was enough to predict how Aesop would react upon discovering a demon. For the Pope of the Holy Church, the first qualification for becoming Pope was absolute reverence for the Light Gods.

‘Sathalia… truly is impossible to get rid of.’ The darkness in Servius’s eyes grew increasingly intense, and even a trace of red light flashed within them.

∇ Capture Target Servius Joy Favorability: 50.

Servius made no move to withdraw his hand. Instead, maintaining the same posture, he wrapped his arms around Aesop. Had it been an adult man, it would have been an unmistakably possessive embrace. But coming from a child of only five or six, it could only be interpreted as a child’s attachment to someone he relied on. His small body curled completely into Aesop’s arms. Both of them carried a slight chill, so there was naturally no warmth created by their contact. Perhaps the only warmth between them came from the blood flowing through their veins and the steady beating of their hearts.

Miao Lichen likewise slipped one arm around Servius and gently ruffled his hair with the other. Sweat beaded across his flawless face, where not even the slightest imperfection could be found at such close range. Controlling the scepter had not been easy for him, yet Servius had accomplished it with apparent ease.

Even so, the smile on Miao Lichen’s lips never changed, nor did the look in his eyes waver in the slightest. A child capable of appearing alone in the depths of Yas Forest could never be ordinary. There were even rumors that near the very center of Yas Forest, one might encounter “humans.” Of course, these “humans” were merely magic beasts in human form—the legendary beings of the Divine rank.

Miao Lichen trusted no one. The Pope, however, trusted the Holy Church. Not every child raised within the Holy Church developed an unwavering sense of loyalty or would willingly lay down their life for it. The Holy Church’s greatest strength lay not only in its light magic, but also in its ability to indoctrinate its followers.

Servius’s ears twitched slightly. He rolled out of Aesop’s embrace and burrowed beneath the thick quilt. Rhythmic footsteps approached from outside, carrying an unmistakable note of urgency, followed by the sound of someone opening the door.

“Your Holiness, have you already retired for the night?” Caelric’s voice sounded from outside.

“Not yet. What is it?” Miao Lichen rose and opened the door. The person standing outside was also dressed in a set of inner robes. Unlike Miao Lichen’s, which carried an effortless elegance, Caelric’s white robes were embroidered with subtle golden patterns, giving them an air of understated luxury.

“A message has arrived from the imperial capital. They say a divine descent has occurred on the Sacred Mountain.” Caelric’s attitude was noticeably more respectful than it had been during the day. A Holy Church backed by a true god was incomparable to one without divine support. Moreover, the Kedor Continent had gone far too many years without the descent of a true god. This divine descent was no longer merely the Holy Church’s concern—it concerned the entire Kedor Continent. More importantly, if a god of the Light faction could descend, then what about the other gods? Could they descend as well? If so, the authority of the gods would inevitably eclipse that of mortal rulers…

“A divine descent? Without a summoning altar, how could there have been one?” Miao Lichen frowned slightly, as though something had occurred to him. If it were that Divine King, then anything was possible. It was just that his arrival had come far earlier than Miao Lichen had anticipated. The Divine King’s appearance introduced far too many uncertainties. The gods who dwelled in the Divine Realm were hardly easy beings for humans to deal with. His gaze swept over Caelric. Everything was about to change. Compared to what lay ahead, the heroine, Minea, suddenly seemed far too weak.

“I don’t know the exact details, but I’m certain Your Holiness has a way to contact the Sacred Mountain directly.” Caelric answered with complete confidence. This world was nothing like modern society, where everyone carried a mobile phone. Yet human ingenuity was limitless. Even in this world of magic, there were still means of communication comparable to one.

Miao Lichen turned to glance at Servius before giving a slight nod. A scepter radiating golden light appeared in his hand, its brilliance driving away the darkness within the room. As the light spread outward, a luminous screen materialized before them.

On the other side of the luminous screen, instead of the red-robed priest they had expected, stood a man holding a scepter of his own. A compassionate smile graced his lips, the faint upward curve of his mouth carrying an air of boundless mercy. He bore a slight resemblance to Aesop, yet where Aesop possessed effortless ease, this man radiated solemn dignity and authority. There was also an ethereal beauty about him, but far less of the authenticity that Aesop possessed. Perhaps the greatest difference between them was that one smile belonged to a god, while the other belonged to a human.

“Aesop Leslie, my envoy in the mortal world, your excellence has surpassed even my expectations.” Only after a long silence did Sathalia casually set his scepter on the table, lightly tapping its surface with his fingers. The Kedor Continent’s Laws suppressed his power, leaving him unable to perceive Servius’s movements outside the range of the luminous screen.

Even so… his Pope had indeed exceeded all expectations. He had mastered “God Said,” yet there was not the slightest trace of the power of faith within him. Should he one day ascend to the Divine Realm, his potential would far surpass that of the gods who served beneath Sathalia. His faith in the gods was utterly pure, yet rather than believing in Sathalia, the Divine King of Light, it would be more accurate to say that he believed in Light itself.

If the Divine King were ever to act in a way that betrayed the image of the God of Light in Aesop’s heart, Aesop would likely have no qualms about committing deicide. No wonder the power of faith Sathalia received had grown stronger than before, yet among the countless threads of faith, one had always lacked a true master. Because Aesop did not place his faith in him.

The smile on Sathalia’s lips deepened ever so slightly, carrying with it a hint of genuine warmth. How many years had it been since that word had crossed his mind? A human slaying a god? There had never been any shortage of mortals who harbored such ambitions. But a human who truly possessed the power to kill a god had never existed—and never would.

∇ Side Mission: Capture the Supporting Male Lead, Sathalia Campbell (Favorability 100).

∇ Reward: 10 Favorability Points can be exchanged for 1,200 Points.

∇ Capture Target Sathalia Campbell Favorability: 15.

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