War!

Derius remained silent for a long time because of this answer. Bern looked at the clock once again. Time was up. He reached out and tapped the desk twice, saying, "Your time for shock is over." Pausing briefly, Bern continued, "Or rather, the time allowed for you to outwardly express your shock has come to an end." Derius licked his dry, chapped lips, took a deep breath, and asked, "Didn't you say that becoming the Hierophant requires entering the Messenger Space to be imbued with the insights and memories of past Hierophants, and that I would no longer be myself? Then... what about the Hierophant?" "You assumed that imbuement meant absolute loyalty to Pamires. In truth, that imbuement means absolute loyalty to Order." Derius fell silent. Bern interlaced his fingers with a faint smile on his face. "As I said, Order's infiltration into the Church of Pamires began much earlier than you imagine. Long ago, the first infiltrator who successfully climbed to the pinnacle of the Church of Pamires had already altered the inheritance ritual within the Messenger Space. "So over all these years, even though there were many times when someone not arranged by our Church of Order became the Hierophant, once their imbuement in the Messenger Space was complete, they... heh, became Order's people." "How... how is that possible?" "Nothing is impossible. The spatial forging techniques mastered by the Church of Pamires are far too vital to our Order. We could never permit the Church of Pamires and the Messenger Space to fall into the hands of other Orthodox Churches. "And when Order fixes its gaze upon a mid-sized church, failing to resist is only normal; successfully resisting would be the anomaly. "I can tell you one more thing: that first successful infiltrator took advantage of the decline of Light. Back then, the Church of Pamires belonged to the camp of Light, just as their true god, Pamires, ultimately turned to the God of Light's side to win the final Divine War. "Because of the Church of Light's demise, the Church of Pamires suffered a severe blow at that time as well. Originally, there were at least two or three elders guarding the Messenger Space, but during that period, all the elders in the Messenger Space perished after being dragged into Light's final struggle. "Now, there should only be one elder left in the Messenger Space. You should know him." "That elder... has always been asleep." "Yes. Do you know why he sleeps? He was a true genius who condensed a Pamires godhead fragment within himself. But when he became the Hierophant, he received the imbuement. "He must have felt deeply conflicted and in immense agony. To him, being awake was more like torture. That is why he chose sleep as a way to exile himself." "Then what does the Church of Pamires count as in the eyes of Order?" Bern looked at his son and shook his head somewhat helplessly. "I can only assume your emotions are too chaotic right now, which led you to ask such an idiotic question." With that, Bern stood up, walked out from behind the desk, and stopped in front of Derius. He continued: "In the world of churches, only major churches can maintain a certain degree of autonomy—and even they are constrained in many aspects. As for the mid-sized and smaller churches below them... "Their existence is merely a form of richness and diversity, like grass in a forest preventing the surroundings of towering trees from looking too monotonous. "Everything seems wonderful on the surface; even the grass drinks the dew and basks in the sunlight. But in reality, the fate of the grass beside every great tree has long been sealed. "Whenever the tree needs it, it can suck away all their nutrients in an instant. "That lush green from before, that swaying in the breeze—did you really think that was freedom? That it was freshness? "It was nothing more than a bit of dappled light filtering through the tree's branches, happening to fall upon them, yet you actually mistook it for dignity?" Bern reached out and pinched his son's chin. "This is the second time you have made me feel your words were foolish. I do not want a third time. Otherwise, I will discuss with your grandfather whether we should choose you to be the next Hierophant of the Church of Pamires." "You could have told me everything in advance!" "Then you would have lost the opportunity to grow and be tempered. Imagine it: in an unfamiliar environment where you were different from everyone else, you had to hide yourself and conceal your identity just to have a chance of survival. That kind of honing is something others could never obtain no matter how hard they begged. "Most importantly, that shift in your own faith, that agonized dilemma, that suffocating despair... In how many lonely nights did you question yourself, roaring and howling at your own soul? "That, too, was a superb shaping. "Had I told you in advance, none of that would have existed. This is an opportunity that no amount of point coupons could ever buy." "You... you all wanted me to change my faith?" Derius suddenly realized something. In his twenty-odd years in the Church of Pamires, for the first ten years he had held fast to his original self, faithfully devoted to Order. Yet as his position rose and he entered the Hierophant's sights, it was that kind, magnanimous old man who brought him the warmth he had lost, unfolding before him the true scenery of the Church of Pamires. It was he who had made Derius fall in love with Pamires. It was he who had guided him out of his agonizing confusion. It was he who had enabled him to resolutely become the Holy Child of the Church of Pamires, severing ties with his past self. Yet that man was his own grandfather... And most importantly, the father standing before him seemed to have held a precise grasp of his inner heart all along. "Yes," Bern admitted with a nod. "For a long time, our church walked the old path of Light." Bern began pacing in front of his son. "What Light loved was for everything drawn to its side to fade into dimness, leaving only Light to shine. But that was also why Light perished. To keep its light ever-glorious, it bore too heavy a cost and assumed far too great a risk. Compared to those burdens, the benefits the Church of Light reaped were negligible. "The path our Order wishes to walk now is neither annexation nor assimilation. Rather, so long as everything operates under the rules of Order, it may exist. "Over the past two centuries, the decline of the Church of Pamires has been conspicuous, which has led to a noticeable drop in the forging success rate and forging capacity for many high-grade spatial sacred relics. "Order does not wish to merely claim an empty shell or a colossal warehouse packed with books and notes. The result of that kind of annexation would be that our church would have to spend its own energy cultivating another Church of Pamires from scratch... "The cost of that is simply too great, and the results might be terrible. "Therefore, the Church of Order wishes to see a Church of Pamires that develops healthily. We will no longer stifle or restrict the growth of the leadership of the Church of Pamires. We only need to control one or two key points to ensure the Church of Pamires never deviates from Order." Bern leaned down and looked closely at his son. "That is why we cultivated you in this manner. You will not deviate from Order, yet you appreciate the scenery Pamires brings you. This is very good. I believe that under your future leadership, the Church of Pamires should be able to halt its decline and recreate its former glory. "And as for you, there is no need to struggle, no need for agony, and no need to choose anymore, is there? "Just as the god Pamires once said: "'Though I hold a letter in my hand, what I enjoy is the scenery along the delivery route.'" "Do I have any other choice?" Derius asked back. "No." "Very well. I choose to accept." "Right. That is the feeling my masterpiece should project. Keep it up." "When will you remove the shackles on me?" "Do you mean the ones you wear now, or the ones you will wear in the future? "The ones you have now, I can have someone remove immediately. As for the ones in the future, I'm sorry, but you will wear them for the rest of your life. "Once this matter is concluded, your grandfather—the Hierophant—will arrange a marriage for you. "Your child, my grandson or granddaughter, will take my place in the Church of Order." Hearing this arrangement, Derius looked at his father and asked: "I want to know, how did you feel when you faced this kind of choice back then?" "When my father parted from me, or when my son parted from me?" "Either." "I cried, I raged, I felt wronged, I went numb. Every emotion you can imagine, and those you cannot yet imagine, I experienced them all. "In the end, I came to understand. "Perhaps this is our family's destiny. Our family is destined to stand with one foot on Order's side and the other on Pamires' side. "Regional Bishop, Hierophant— both are exceptionally exalted positions. "Look at it from another angle: Do you really think this is suffering? "I believe this is the kind of arrangement and outcome that every father, grandfather, and elder would be most pleased to see for their descendants, wouldn't you say?" "Really?" Hearing this question, Bern spread his arms and burst into laughter. "Hahaha, of course. "After all, what elder would willingly give up the position of 'Hierophant' or 'Bishop,' sparing nothing and abandoning everything, just to give their descendant... the so-called warmth of family and the freedom of life?" ... The Church Affairs Building of the Church of Samsara was located in Narag Community, in the southwestern part of York City. It was an old-style building occupying a large footprint, though it was not tall. Compared to Sycamore Street, where the Church of Order's original Church Affairs Building stood, it was in a completely different league. As far as the eye could see, there was only a slum packed with densely patched-together shanties. In truth, this area had not originally belonged to York City proper; it had once been a Chaset settlement. But as the city continuously expanded, the area was swallowed up, gradually degenerating into a gathering place for the ruined and bankrupt. Several successive York City municipal administrations had failed to produce a viable plan for redevelopment, offering plenty of seemingly reasonable excuses to get through reelection cycles. However, a former mayor had once said over drinks at a banquet when Narag Community came up, "A city is just like a house; it always needs a toilet." "The Church Affairs Building of the Church of Samsara is truly low-profile," Karen remarked, looking at the building across the street. "They like places like this, and they like the numb and desperate people here," Neo said. "Because these people have already lost hope in their current lives, they are far more willing to believe that they can obtain a better chance in the next life. It fits their doctrine perfectly and suits their recruitment of believers." "It really is each getting what they need, calling out to one another," Karen said. "At least it can add a little hope to their lives." Neo nodded. "Mm, that's true enough, but it also makes their spirits even more listless and degenerate." "Captain, do you have a very poor opinion of the Church of Samsara?" "Of all the Orthodox Churches, it's the one I detest the most. Probably because people like me, even if we don't know what we're living for right now, will still strive to keep on living rather than lie down, resign ourselves to fate, and look forward to some next life. "If you couldn't figure out how to live in this life, what makes you think you'll be lucid in the next?" Neo reached behind him for a bottle of red wine and took a swig straight from the mouth. "Striving to live better... who knows, maybe one day I'll find a purpose in life, right?" "Yes, Captain. I believe that taking life seriously and working hard will never be wrong at any time." "If you're not drinking wine, there are soft drinks in the back. Help yourself." "Captain, don't we need to return this car?" "The mission is only paused, not over. This car is still considered mission equipment, so it's fine." "Oh, I see." "If nothing unexpected happens, in a few days we'll resume that security mission. Only next time, the negotiations should go much faster. Maybe half a day—or rather, they'll probably just go through the motions, sign the papers, and wrap it up." "That's great. We'll still get our mission rewards." Neo patted the steering wheel. "I've always wanted to build a replica of this car. With something like this, a lot of things would be much more convenient." "Indeed." "During past missions, I figured out its internal structure. Everything else is manageable; it's just that the array apparatus inside is rather expensive." "Once the shorting profits come in, you'll have the point coupons to build one, Captain." "Mm, I really plan on doing that." Just then, Neo looked across the road. A group of people clad in clerical robes inscribed with array runes gradually appeared. They softly chanted as they walked. If one could look down from the sky, their figures could be seen all around the Church Affairs Building. Neo shook his head somewhat helplessly, started the car, turned, and drove a bit further away. "This Church Affairs Building is about to be sealed off with the 'Throne of Order' array. That means, barring any surprises, we won't have a chance to profit from the chaos." This array had once appeared above a small church on Mink Street, attempting to seal off a single person—only to be voluntarily withdrawn in the end because of a single sentence from that man. Bringing the car to a stop, Neo glanced at a tall building nearby and asked, "Black Mist Walk—did you learn it?" "I learned it," Karen said. "When did you learn it?" "I studied and figured it out whenever I had free time over the past few days. It felt difficult, but it's finally showing some results." "Oh. Then I'll head up first." Neo's figure transformed into a cloud of black mist, drifting up toward the tall building. Karen scooped up the sword box containing the Sword of Arius, and his figure also dissolved into a cloud of black mist, drifting upward. When Karen landed on the rooftop, his footing was slightly unsteady, and he instinctively braced himself against the ground with one hand. Standing at the edge of the rooftop, Neo glanced back at Karen. "Looks like you really did just learn it." "Yes, I'm still a bit rusty." Holding the sword box, Karen walked over to Neo's side, placed the box at his feet, and stood up straight to gaze across at the Church Affairs Building of the Church of Samsara together with his captain. Neo produced half a pair of binoculars. Seeing this, Karen pulled the other half of the binoculars from his pocket. The two stood side by side, peering through them together. "Captain, are we only targeting this Church Affairs Building?" "Mm. Wien isn't a traditional missionary domain for the Church of Samsara; their influence here wasn't strong to begin with. Once this Church Affairs Building is sealed, they basically won't be able to make any waves. "The main thing depends on the progress on the main battlefield. "Three mobile knight corps as the baseline, plus the Third Knights here in Wien deployed as well. At a conservative estimate, Order Knight corps elsewhere must have deployed at least two. So at least six Order Knight corps are currently being teleported into the battlefield via the Messenger Space. "Half of our church's military might has mobilized, and it's a sneak attack. I imagine breaching three of the Church of Samsara's sacred grounds in a short time won't be a problem." "Not wiping them out?" "I don't think so. The longer the war drags on, the more time it gives other churches to react. What we'd fear is other churches starting to secretly support Samsara, which would make the gains not worth the losses for our church. "The purpose of a surprise attack is to achieve the greatest possible results in the shortest time and at the lowest cost. "Once the Church of Samsara is crippled, we force it to sue for peace, and then we take the rest of the benefits at the negotiating table. That yields the highest return." "I understand. It's killing one chicken to scare the other monkeys—teaching them fear, but without stirring up grief, indignation, and dread that makes them fear they're next, which would drive them into an alliance." "Mm, a bit convoluted, but an accurate description. Alright, it's starting. Next, there's something I need you to do with me." "What is it, Captain?" "Come, let's pray together that the sealing before us goes completely smoothly. Pray that nothing unexpected happens, not even the slightest mishap. May the Great God of Order bless us—Praise Order!" Karen: "Praise Order!" A colossal black throne manifested in the air, bringing with it a vast, boundless aura of majesty. It began to descend. As it fell, a red barrier of light surfaced around the perimeter of the Church of Samsara's Church Affairs Building—the building's defensive array. But in an instant, it was crushed to pieces by the throne. Finally, the Church Affairs Building was completely enveloped beneath the chair, and the four legs of the throne made contact with the ground. Boom! ... Boom! A massive blue gate descended upon the southern tip of Maima Island. The surrounding seawater began to recede, exposing the sand and stones beneath. Clack... clack... clack... A legion clad uniformly in black armor and exuding a chilling, murderous aura marched out of the blue gate in lockstep. Roar—! A winged black panther flew out from above the blue gate. Straddling the beast sat a young man—the youngest knight commander in the history of the Church of Order. Commander of the Seventh Knights—Barlow! The figure of a woman appeared at his side. It was Elder Sidi. Oddly, however, Elder Sidi, whose status was venerable and whose temperament had always been haughty, chose to stand level beside him. "Commander Barlow, ahead lies Maima Island. It is said to be the birthplace of the God of Samsara, and is now one of the core sacred grounds of the Church of Samsara." "Is that so? Noted." The young legion commander urged the black panther beneath him to fly to the front of the legion's phalanx. He drew his longsword, raised it high, and shouted: "We are the awakened from the abyss; we are the defenders of supreme Order! "We are the sturdiest shield before the God of Order; we are the sharpest spear beneath God's will! "Samsara has issued a challenge to Order. At this moment, it is our turn to give them Order's response! "The island before you is the birthplace of the God of Samsara. "Now, "I command you: "Shove him "back in!"