Paladin of the Dead God

Juan opened the door and waited for the Emperor to approach.

However, the Emperor did not move, merely gazing at him from a distance. It was as if he were silently saying that if Juan had anything to say, he should come to him directly.

Fortunately, Juan did not have to make the sweaty journey over himself, as Delia Lyon rode up on horseback.

“Do you have any messages to convey to His Majesty?”

She asked with a bright smile. Juan cleared his throat several times, wearing a displeased expression, before speaking.

“Currently, we are rigorously enhancing security procedures to ensure a ‘fair election’ within the city. And… His Holiness the Pope has permitted Bishop Katyn to enter the holy capital.”

“I apologize for the inconvenience, Cardinal,” Delia said with a grin. “May I ask if we can assign a ‘small escort force’ to Bishop Katyn? It seems there have been some unfortunate incidents in the holy capital.”

“…A large force would be difficult. But do as you wish, and convey to His Majesty that he should refrain from rash actions.”

“Haha, I shall obey.”

The mere fact that Juan could open the gates without any hindrance was evidence of that.

However, the Emperor was not foolish enough to trust this blindly and enter the holy capital. The show of force would continue until the election results were determined.

Even up until the moment the bishops placed their ballots into the voting box.

At that moment, Juan added with a touch of reluctance.

“Um, and let Bishop Katyn know… that I was against her demotion from the priesthood until the very end.”

“Pardon? Ah, haha. Of course. Everyone is well aware of the Cardinal’s devout faith.”

Delia smiled contentedly and glanced at the other priests and paladins. None of their expressions looked particularly pleased, but there had to be a sufficient consensus internally for the gate to be opened.

There were many within the Order who sensed the numerous problems.

And among them, the most extreme individuals had already headed for the Holy See.

“Who has apprehended the disruptor hindering the election?” Juan’s lips quivered slightly.

“The Watcher’s Council.”

***

“Rohen, you bastard!”

Crash! An explosion of flame erupted in the grand meeting room of the papal palace, a sacred space known as the Holy See. The tremendous blaze filled the corridor, but when Cardinal Rohen recited a short prayer, it dispersed into smoke.

“You dare betray me! Do you think the Emperor will leave you alone once he seizes power?”

Rohen did not bother to reply.

The Watcher’s Council was indifferent to who became the Pope, as long as they could manipulate the figurehead.

The current Pope, Horma Kmuel, was nothing more than a puppet they had put in place. Now his usefulness had ended.

“Calm down, Your Holiness. It is merely a cardinal election.”

“And if the Emperor gains control over the cardinals too, the next target will be the Pope! Then he’ll appoint priests at his whim and turn all his knights into paladins, just like in the Kingdom of Elil! What heresy is this?”

As the Pope ranted, Rohen quietly peeked through the door. In an instant, a sharp whooshing sound split the marble door of the Holy See.

Rohen realized it wasn’t that he had narrowly avoided it; rather, the other party had shown restraint. He spoke calmly.

“Captain Dera Heman of the Golden Lion Paladin Order. I admire your dedication to your duties, but now is not the time to protect him. Withdraw your men and help reconvene the Holy See meeting.”

Dera Heman did not respond.

As the chief guardian of the Holy See of the Codex of Light, he was only committed to his duty. Rohen knew of the rumor that Heman had spoken fewer than ten words in his entire life, so he didn’t expect a reply.

“Your Holiness, think rationally. The priests are deeply dissatisfied. It’s true the Emperor has shown insolence, but he too cannot act too aggressively. Once we resolve this on our own, what can the Emperor possibly do?”

“Are you saying you plan to replace me?”

“Surely, you wouldn’t prioritize personal gain over the glory of the Codex of Light?”

“Horhel! Where is Horhel? He won’t stand by idly!”

Rohen found the Pope’s words laughable.

Why did the Pope think Horhel was loyal to him? Did he believe it was due to Horma’s admirable character and worthiness of respect?

No, it was because Horma was a compliant puppet, and above all, the Pope.

“If you think the Watcher’s Council will be divided, you’re gravely mistaken.”

The Pope cursed again and chanted a prayer. As tremendous heat and light began to gather, Rohen quickly recited a prayer to quell the miracle.

This insane Pope was attempting to blow up the entire tower. Several times, he had nearly triggered such miracles, and Rohen had barely managed to prevent them each time.

It was fortunate that Rohen, as a member of the Watcher’s Council, had a high resistance to great miracles.

“If you are truly afraid, then demand a divine judgment, Your Holiness.”

The Pope did not reply.

“Appeal to celestial authority for justice and morality, and yield all authority, begging for a fair trial. No matter how arrogant the Emperor may be, would he defy the command of the archangel?”

“Shut up!”

The Pope had made similar demands several times before, each time refusing. He had only ever summoned angels when he needed something broken or someone killed, never to request a ‘fair’ judgment. He had never even considered it, nor did he intend to.

He could not entrust his fate to the inscrutable embodiment of violent power.

He considered summoning an angel to incinerate the Emperor, but the moment it refused, his position would be over. The angels were far from fair.

They only acted in service of the celestial grand plan.

A young and powerful emperor with strong supporters and a clear sense of purpose.

And an old, fat, morally slightly deficient Pope.

If one were to ask the archangel who would be a more suitable leader for the Dawn Army, the answer would be as obvious as day. Moreover, the Emperor even had horns, while the Pope had no hair at all.

Yet Rohen persisted.

“The only one who can save you is the Lighthouse Keeper.”

Unfortunately, that much was true.

As Pope, his authority was already at rock bottom. Only an angel could restore his authority, the sole lifeline left to him.

The Pope pondered how the Order had come to this state. But upon reflection, he realized that from the very beginning, he had merely followed the directives of the Watcher’s Council. Now, that very Council was urging him to die just outside the door, and the thought made his blood boil.

“You’re the one who should summon the angel! Just like always!”

“Only Your Holiness can declare excommunication.”

The Pope felt like crying.

And soon he realized he had no other options.

He staggered toward the terrace of the Holy See.

Below the towering height of the spire, he could see the imperial army surrounding Lichtheim.

What a mighty army it was, what a glorious army.

They should have been setting out to reclaim the Holy Land and crush the vile heretics, not surrounding the Order and persecuting him.

Horma imagined himself as the unprecedented leader of the Dawn Army, finally succeeding in reclaiming the Holy Land.

Even now, a million, two million of the Dawn Army were gathering in Cielo, and countless paladin orders were assembling. If they were here, the Emperor would have already been crushed.

But now all that remained to him were a handful of paladins.

Those who remained not out of loyalty, but duty.

Horma Kmuel looked up at the sky and muttered.

“Please.”

In response to his whisper, it seemed a slender ray of light shone from the sky.

“May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Before his prayer even finished, a blinding flash erupted across the sky.

***

Isaac, riding swiftly on horseback, finally caught sight of Lichtheim. The grand majesty of Lichtheim was more magnificent than he had imagined. And around it, like tiny specks, lay the imperial army.

Upon seeing this, Isaac urged his horse on even faster.

At that moment, an incredible light suddenly exploded above Lichtheim. The storm of light swept through the area in an instant, and Isaac was momentarily blinded. His horse reared wildly and threw him off.

Isaac staggered to his feet. But he still couldn’t see well. His whole body tingled and shook uncontrollably. It wasn’t from the fall’s impact. An overwhelming force was pressing down on him, even from such a great distance.

‘An angel? Did the Pope actually summon an angel?’

[The Nameless Chaos is watching you.]

[The Nameless Chaos advises you to leave this place.]

Isaac was sure from the Nameless Chaos’s reaction.

A powerful angel, the likes of which Isaac had never encountered, had appeared in Lichtheim. And its mere presence posed a serious threat to Isaac’s safety.

Nevertheless, Isaac continued to approach the direction where the light was pouring down.

Towards the searing brilliance.

***

The radiance that floated 1 km above Lichtheim was visible to everyone in the area.

And everyone who looked toward it was momentarily blinded.

A brilliant light that filled the sky. A painful radiance just to gaze upon. A searing heat that made approaching it unthinkable.

The only thing people could do was to huddle and cower like charred pieces of meat to escape the light and heat. Yet, even in their scorched retinas, the silhouette that momentarily appeared remained burned into their corneas.

It was surrounded by six pillars of light, each one shining like a lighthouse. In the center were sixteen wings made of flames, burning fiercely without flapping.

Four of those wings obscured the figure at the center, making it impossible to see what it was.

That being, the Archangel Lighthouse Keeper of the Codex of Light, etched an unforgettable trauma into the minds of hundreds of thousands of people just by revealing itself on this land.

And the same held true for Emperor Waltzemer.

When the Lighthouse Keeper first appeared, he resisted, if only for a brief moment. He tried to endure as the radiance scorched his eyes and the heat pressed against his entire body. He wanted to demonstrate that he was indeed a man worthy of being chosen.

But he couldn’t last long, and like the others, like Dietrich and Brant, the valiant knights, he too bowed down.

The Lighthouse Keeper silently observed them.

Creak, creak, creak.

Then came a sound like clockwork turning. But the Emperor, blinded by the light, could not discern what the noise was. Suspecting that the Pope might be attempting some vile trick to distract the Lighthouse Keeper, the Emperor stood up.

“Oh, Lighthouse Keeper!”

Waltzemer stripped off his cloak and armor. It felt as if his entire body was being roasted in a desert sun, but merely standing before the Lighthouse Keeper was testament enough to his extraordinary nature.

“The child who received your divine favor has now become an emperor and stands before you!”

At the Emperor’s proclamation, his aides, as well as Bishop Juan and the priests listening from afar, were astonished. Their astonishment was justified.

The Emperor had never revealed this fact to anyone until now.

Of course, those around him assumed that, since he bore the Holy Form, he must have been blessed by one of the angels. But none had imagined that it was the Lighthouse Keeper.

If that were the case, then the Pope had effectively summoned the noose to hang himself.

“I am now ready to fulfill your divine will! Share with me your flames, your light, your wisdom! I shall offer the Empire unto you!”

Creak, creak, creak.

The sound of clockwork turning echoed again. Although the Emperor still couldn’t see, he sensed a change in the direction of the surrounding heat and light.

It was the sound of the six surrounding lighthouses turning.

Finally, a response came from the Lighthouse Keeper.

However, it was not the answer the Emperor had expected.

[Waltzemer’s arrogant actions are deemed heretical, and he is excommunicated.]

_____________

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