Chapter 292: The One Protected by God
The human subjugation force, composed of a four-nation alliance, gathered to retake the Pontifical Palace.
The Duchy’s full strength, led by Duke Aronjake Hispenril, Princess Eltea, and Hilde, along with the Silver Citadel Knights.
Cardinal Cattleya Gillet and the Holy Knights under Rex, who had collectively converted to the Incantation Cult.
The elite Royal Knight Army, led by Marquise Romina Lekandro, including Chez, Cheryl, Printz, and Raywin.
The pair consisting of Moriphis Marcelion and Fliegel Knight, and the Magic Army under Sword Master Winard Van.
And the supreme commander leading all of them was the Holy Saint Aillet Rodelain, with the Holy Sword’s Master Tesillid Argent as her deputy commander.
Har-Magedon was both a Holy-Demonic War and a religious war. Therefore, the four-nation allied subjugation force was named the ‘Holy Incantation Army’.
Their objective was clear.
To defeat Demon King Abyssinis, who had conquered the Pontifical Palace, and to prevent the advent of the Chaos Evil God.
To this end, the Holy Incantation Army first used Spatial Teleportation Stone to the west of the Elfenheim Holy Theocracy, then marched southeast towards Pan-El, the capital of the Elfenheim Holy Theocracy.
Of course, they also didn’t forget to retake the corrupted churches located along their path.
The medium-sized city, Ruwen.
Originally a prosperous city, its atmosphere was utterly desolate as all its citizens had chosen to flee.
In the center of such a place was a corrupted church, where Deadly Blooms writhed and demonic energy billowed.
Aillet, seeing the Deadly Blooms grown like a palisade, activated her 9th Divine Power Tier.
“Blue Holy Flame.”
Whoosh.
The powerful Holy and Fire attribute skill melted not only the demonic plants but also the iron that originally formed the church’s fence and iron gate.
Even the signboard that read ‘Saint Kazriel Church’ melted away with it, but no one paid any mind.
The blue flames that spread inside the main gate served as an excellent vanguard.
While the flames incinerated the front yard, which had become a Deadly Bloom garden, Aillet commanded in a clear voice.
“All forces, advance once the flames inside subside.”
“Yes! Your Holiness the Holy Saint!”
The mighty shouts announced their morale had reached its peak.
Indeed, their commander was the Holy Saint, who had already single-handedly fought and defeated a Demon King. Was victory not guaranteed?
An excellent state. However, there was a part that seemed insufficient in the eyes of God. [‘The Voice-Spirit that Constructs the World’ complains that the title used for you seems incorrect.]
[‘The Voice-Spirit that Constructs the World’ asserts that you should now be addressed as His Holiness the Pope, not Your Holiness the Holy Saint.] ‘Ah, come to think of it, that’s right.’
Indeed, ever since Aillet declared the Incantation Cult, the system’s quest names had been upgraded from ‘Incantation Cult Master’s Mission’ to ‘Incantation Pope’s Mission’.
The problem, however, was that Aillet was the sole holder of personnel authority, meaning it would appear as if she were promoting herself.
‘For now, it should be considered a dual role. The issue of my ascension to Pope should probably be discussed after organizing the Cardinal Council first.’
Around that time, the flames inside the church subsided.
“All forces, enter!”
With Aillet and Tesillid at the forefront, the Holy Incantation Army entered the demonic territory.
Saint Kazriel Church was a large religious facility. Its front yard stretched out, comparable to the central courtyard of a sizable mansion.
Not long after they marched, trampling on the Deadly Bloom sprouts that had begun to regrow, someone urgently pointed forward.
“Your Holiness, over there…!”
At the pathway leading to the church building, a massive fountain was installed.
Originally, it would have been a beautiful sparkling place, with sunlight reflecting off transparent water droplets splashing into the air.
But now, unpleasant red mud squelched, and within it, a deformed being coiled.
Hiss… hiss…
A male naga, Sernax, with the upper body of a beautiful half-naked man and the lower body of a creepy cobra’s torso and tail.
He raised his elongated body and looked down at the humans.
The troops behind Aillet and Tesillid each sensed battle and prepared themselves.
<Have you… finally arrived…?>
Sernax’s voice, as he greeted the subjugation force, was strangely listless. Furthermore.
‘This guy, he’s not just listless.’
‘He seems to have no will to fight either?’
As Aillet and Tesillid exchanged glances, Marquise Lekandro of the kingdom and Winard of the Magic Republic rushed forward, vying with each other.
“Your Holiness, our Royal Army will deal with this one. Please rest.”
“No, our Magic Army will handle that one!”
It was almost as if they were competing for credit.
It was then that Aillet stopped them with a light gesture.
The half-human, half-serpent monster, devoid of energy and will to fight, looked directly at Aillet and spoke an unexpected phrase.
<Evil’s Bane Executor, quickly, kill me.>
“What?”
“Huh?”
“Oh?”
The subjugation force spat out dumbfounded questions. Aillet and Tesillid, however, showed no agitation on their faces.
They merely gazed at the male naga, Sernax, with piercing eyes.
Instead of the unresponsive two, those behind them offered their outspoken opinions.
“Your Holiness, it’s clearly a trap!”
“It seems like a scheme to transfer an insidious curse to Your Holiness! We must respond cautiously here!”
“Indeed. It would be best to carefully send Moriphis Marcelion.”
“What, Marquise Lekandro? Are you done speaking?”
“Hmph, it truly seems like a cautious and rational choice.”
“Hey, Duke! You too! Fliegel! At least say something!”
“……”
Signs of division appeared within the Holy Incantation Army. Of course, Aillet, as supreme commander, would not permit such discord.
Her decision was simple.
“Did you just ask to be killed?”
<Yes.>
“Alright. I will, then.”
A silver flash gleamed from Aillet’s hand.
“Yo-Your Holiness!”
“Gasp!”
By the time the subjugation force let out their shrill cries, everything was already over.
The Sacred Lily Cross Scythe that Aillet summoned had bisected Sernax’s body.
As a Possessor who had read the original work dozens of times, she possessed the bold initiative to act decisively, confident that there was no trap or curse.
Sernax, who had quietly submitted to his execution, didn’t even scream.
Only a rustling sound remained as his form crumbled and scattered into black ashes.
At that moment, something fluttering down amidst the black ashes caught everyone’s eye.
“That’s…”
“A letter?”
Tesillid, who was nearby, reached out to grab the black letter.
However, the letter instantly emitted insidious sparks, batting his hand away.
The recipient was predetermined.
In stark contrast to its aggressive rejection of Tesillid, the black letter gently settled into Aillet’s hand like a feather.
And it quietly waited to be opened.
Just as when she dealt with Sernax, Aillet’s hand showed no hesitation. Inside the letter, pulled from a deep red sealing wax, was a short, to-the-point message:
-I’ll be waiting at the summit of Mount Eltio.
“……”
There was no sender. However, the neat yet beautiful handwriting held a sense of familiarity.
Above all, there was only one person capable of using a demon to deliver an Invitation to Aillet.
‘Reed…’
Aillet and Tesillid, lost in thought, each lowered their gazes in their own ways.
“Your Holiness, what is that?”
Marquise Lekandro, as if representing everyone, asked from behind Aillet’s shoulder.
Aillet cleared the swirling thoughts from her mind and returned to reality.
“Someone has invited me. They want me to come to Mount Eltio.”
“Mount Eltio? Abyssinis should be at the Pontifical Palace, though.”
While everyone wore a bewildered expression, Fliegel, the Night Eagle Guild Master, spoke up.
“The sender of the Invitation doesn’t seem to be the Demon King. Who is it, then?”
“The Black Sword Master, Reed.”
“……!”
Gasps could be heard from various directions at the mention of the name.
Most of the people present had encountered Reed before.
Kyrils Province, where the Helkaion subjugation took place; the Pontifical Palace, where Holy Ground Construction was deployed during Doomsday; Litniel Plain, where Inferinos’s liberation was narrowly prevented.
With each appearance, Reed had etched memories of annihilation and slaughter into people’s minds with his overwhelming strength.
“The Black Sword Master, you mean that one from back then…”
“That man is targeting Her Holiness the Holy Saint…”
“Good heavens…”
Out of three encounters, one was where Reed himself retreated, and twice he was narrowly defeated by the Holy Saint at the end of a Dance of the Heavens Beyond Heavens battle.
Because of this record, the subjugation force understood why the Black Sword Master would target Aillet.
However, there was something they didn’t understand.
Aillet clutched the Invitation and said,
“I have to go.”
“Understood, Your Holiness. Then we will adjust the subjugation force’s route towards Mount Eltio…”
“No, Marquise Lekandro.”
“Yes?”
“I will go to Reed alone. There’s no time to waste, so the subjugation force should proceed as planned towards the Pontifical Palace.”
“……!”
It was a shocking declaration beyond comprehension.
What did it mean for the supreme commander to play along with a powerful enemy’s ploy?
Naturally, the staff officers of the subjugation force were in an uproar.
“What are you saying?!”
“You intend to face him alone, Your Holiness?!”
“Even if it is Your Holiness the Holy Saint, no! Why would you deliberately seek out danger?!”
“No one is held hostage. There’s no need to do the enemy a favor!”
“Surely it’s not because we are holding back your combat capabilities…?!”
The Holy Saint’s strength was overwhelming and unrivaled.
Even those renowned as strong individuals on the Serentra Continent would surely be people she had to protect.
It was then, as a somber mood began to spread among the subjugation force.
“Your Holiness the Holy Saint.”
Marquise Lekandro stepped forward, exuding the solemn aura characteristic of an Aura Master.
“I understand the situation well. The Black Sword Master is not an enemy we can contend with. So, I would not dare suggest that we fight alongside Your Holiness.”
Aillet was not naive enough to take this preamble as an affirmation.
“However, Your Holiness, are you not forgetting how strategically important your current position is?”
“……”
“Your Holiness, it is true that you possess powerful martial prowess and serve as the main pillar of combat in our subjugation force. But your importance is not limited to tactical aspects.”
“……”
“You are the commander of this subjugation force and the Holy Saint of the Incantation Cult. Beyond tactics, your role is crucial at a strategic level. Please keep this in mind.”
It was impeccable common sense. However.
“I know.”
Aillet Rodelain would not have acted without considering that aspect.
Privilege for Possessors