In the first winter after the White Horse Kingdom's collapse.
The Royal Capital had already taken on a different face. Demon nests from the Abyss had parasitized the once-glorious palace complexes, humans reduced to laborers, listlessly working under the lash of demon overseers.
Even the Holy Light Cathedral, once a symbol of radiance and hope with soaring spires and stained glass, was now shrouded in ominous shadow, repurposed as the main cathedral of the Xirik Church.
Here, worshippers in pitch-black robes walked the deep corridors upheld by massive stone pillars. The stained glass that once depicted saints' deeds and heavenly scenes had been replaced by twisted, abstract dark-red patterns. Only a few weak slivers of winter sunlight forced their way through, casting blurry patches on the floor.
The cathedral, once sacred and majestic, had been dulled by pervasive darkness and silence, becoming gloomy and oppressive.
Occasionally a black raven would perch on the eaves, preening its feathers, then peer down with brass-colored eyes at the hooded worshippers whispering beneath.
Compared to usual, the weather today was slightly warmer, as if hinting winter was ending. The worshippers spoke louder than usual, and the topic they discussed surprised everyone: news from the south.
"Have you heard? That high-ranking fire demon in the south... Boneburner Margus, its lair and body were annihilated, completely wiped out. Sounds like it was our people."
"Has the Church issued large-scale orders for operations in the south recently?" another asked.
"Which envoy did it?" the first worshipper asked.
A brief silence.
There were four envoys of the Xirik Church operating in the former horse kingdom, but it seemed unlikely any of them were responsible.
"Unless... there is a fifth one we don't know about? Or perhaps the bishop himself secretly authorized the operation?" the third speculated.
At that moment, a rhythmic set of footsteps sounded. The worshippers immediately fell silent and bowed.
A tall figure in black robes approached, cuffs embroidered with a dark-golden twisted solar wheel pattern — one of the envoys, Simon Elia.
Simon scanned the worshippers without speaking, only slightly tilting his head. The nun following him stepped forward and whispered.
The worshippers respectfully relayed the gossip to the envoy.
After listening, Simon's brow furrowed.
Strange... could the Church really be behind this?
The Xirik Church did have designs on the south, and they had infiltrated many worshippers there. Not long ago, they had even secretly shipped a newly made Sun Chalice from the southern kingdom through Misty Bay Harbor Merchant Alliance channels... Could some lower-level worshipper have stolen the relic and rashly tried to challenge a demon? Or... was the bishop secretly carrying out a plan even he did not fully know?
He did not understand, but that bishop — closest to the divine, the saint who could hear prophetic revelations — must have his reasons.
That reasoning made sense.
And so no further doubt remained in his heart.
Simon showed no outward emotion, only slightly nodded to the nun, signaling her to handle follow-up matters while he prepared to leave.
Just as he turned, heavy deliberate footsteps came from the other end of the corridor. A nearly eight-foot-tall demon guard strode up on purpose, pushed through the crowd, stared at them with its eyes, and let out a bored buzz:
"Those bugs hiding outside the shadows, behave yourselves. Kassavak's little ones have kept their eyes on you. Don't pull any big stunts in the dark."
With that it snorted and left with a light, measured stride.
Simon watched the demon disappear around the corner without comment, only bowing his head slightly to murmur a prayer barely audible to himself: "The new sun will descend... bringing thorough rebirth and purification to this filthy, decayed old world..."
.....
Eagle's Nest Fortress, the northwest gateway of the southern territory, was built among the jagged peaks known as the Beak Mountains, firmly guarding the only flat pass to the fertile southern plains.
Although it could not rival the scale and grandeur of Storm Fortress, it remained one of the White Horse Kingdom's top military strongholds.
Notably, beside the fortress itself, the nearby summits held ruins of several ancient mage towers and, on more perilous cliffs, gryphon nests.
The Eagle's Nest Fortress birthed the tradition of Gryphon Knights. Ambitious young knights, under the witness and assistance of the fortress's tower mages, would scale the heights, risking death to attempt communication with a gryphon. Gaining a gryphon's recognition meant becoming a Gryphon Knight.
Thanks to this combat unit, Eagle's Nest Fortress had won many victories over the years and became an important hope for southern nobles resisting the southernbound Restoration Army.
Sadly, when knights betrayed faith and honor to serve the powerful, corruption inevitably followed.
No new recruits, old men drowning in alcohol and debauchery, bodies hollowed out — the Gryphon Knights were, in the Arevalo family’s view where Arthur hailed from, utterly ineffective.
When Chen Yu culled the Restoration Army, Arevalo family head Raven was among them.
In his place, the younger Alice actually commanded the frontline cavalry.
Although the legion knights did not fully understand the orders from Slime Majesty and Princess Louisa, they obediently followed commands and managed to stall the vulnerable Eagle's Nest Fortress for several days.
When the Restoration Army captured the Gryphon Knights and took the fortress walls, they did not rush south. Instead, they spent several days reorganizing and looting the fortress before finally claiming full control.
An outsider might think the fortress's garrison had fiercely resisted for days.
In truth, after taking the walls, the Restoration Army fully liberated the fortress within three hours; the rest of the time was spent in indulgent rest.
The young knights particularly loved massages from the Slime masters, though forbidding Metal Slime from running a side business as masseurs drew complaints from some Slime knights.
But every rule had a bitter lesson behind it. Previously, one knight seeking thrills got a massage from a Metal Slime and broke bones — still bedridden.
Aside from the two east-west defensive sectors, the fortress actually contained a sizable commercial and residential district between them, home to many citizens, craftsmen, and merchants.
Where people gathered, faith followed.
Besides some small chapels, the residential districts held many Sun Churches scattered through upper and lower towns, woven into the community regardless of class or wealth, granting everyone the freedom to worship the sun.
These churches also served as community managers, arranging festivals, mediating disputes, offering confession for the wealthy and food and aid for the poor.
To fully occupy and stabilize Eagle's Nest, earning the trust and cooperation of these sun-worshipping residents was crucial.
Chen Yu's approach was simple.
Although the Sun Church appeared secure, it had long been worn down. Our influence in the south had penetrated lightly; the New Sun heresy spread like locusts, burning no matter how you tried to stamp it out.
I only sent a few converts who followed Little Alice's teachings to persuade them, recounting our experiences with the Misty Bay Harbor Merchant Alliance, and those Sun worshippers gave up resistance and handed the district to Restoration Army control.
Xirik did indeed have grievances against those Sun worshippers but had not mistreated us.
That move seemed to win the Restoration Army the Sun worshippers' trust, and from the Church we learned some secrets.
For example, a seemingly loyal noble knight secretly had an unclear debt relationship with a Misty Bay Harbor guild. A mage of a mage tower was privately conducting undead magic experiments...
Or, beneath the church, beyond the hidden area once used to detain heretics, now there was a prisoner: a "shepherd" captured by New Sun worshippers and those hunting them.
They said this shepherd possessed some "strange" power; her existence alone unsettled New Sun worshippers.
A shepherd locked in the underground dungeon?
The Sun worshippers sounded sympathetic, even compassionate, in their words. Yet why did they permit her to be caged in that dark cell?
This piqued Chen Yu's interest.
He decided to go with Alice and see the underground dungeon himself.
Not every Sun Church had an underground dungeon. Only those that housed ordained clergy, had some scale and authority, and had the right to judge heretics and detain dangerous people built such cells.
In Eagle's Nest Fortress, only the upper-town church met those qualifications; it was currently managed by an elderly priest.
When Alice and Chen Yu arrived, accompanied by two guardian knights, Father Edwin was already waiting at the door.
The old man wore a washed, faded vestment. His face was gaunt, eye sockets hollowed, but his eyes held a look of relieved gratitude.
"Your Majesty Slime, Knight Commander Alice." Father Edwin bowed slightly. "May the light guide you. Thank you, Your Majesty. Your mercy and strength have not only freed the fortress but saved us all."
Alice returned the standard knight's salute, then asked directly, "Father Edwin, we heard a special shepherd is detained here. Tell us the specifics."
Father Edwin shook his head. He gestured toward the church interior. "The specifics... are hard to put into words. Perhaps you will understand better if you see her. Please come with me."
The old man turned, took a brass oil lamp from a wooden rack by the door, and struck flint to light the wick.
The dim, flickering light barely chased away the entryway's shadows. He led Alice and Chen Yu through the empty, silent prayer hall, around the dust-covered statue of the sun god behind the altar, and to a heavy wooden door.
A heavy iron lock hung on the door. Father Edwin produced an old key from his chest and, with a clumsy "click," the door opened inward to reveal a stone stairwell descending downward.
A damp breeze blew up from the steps, making the lamp's flame tremble violently.
Father Edwin carried the lamp at the front. Alice followed close behind. Chen Yu peered curiously over her shoulder.
The stairs were steep, the walls rough rock without decoration or torch brackets. The deeper they went, the darker it became; the lamp's glow seemed swallowed by a viscous blackness, illuminating only a few steps at a time.
Silence pressed in, broken only by their footsteps, the rustle of clothing, and breath, making the narrow space feel suffocating.
Alice's hand unconsciously went to her sword hilt. Knightly instinct made her oddly nervous, as if nameless dangers lurked in the dark.
Then she felt the warm, gel-like touch on her shoulder, and calmed immediately.
Chen Yu observed curiously. He tried to extend his awareness to survey the dungeon, but felt a strange obstruction. His perception struck a veil that absorbed all senses; he could not penetrate the dense darkness ahead.
? Interesting.
After an unknown length of time, the stairs finally ended.
Ahead lay a relatively open stone chamber. In the center stood a crude cage made of iron bars, as thick as a child's arm and pitted with rust. Inside the cage was pitch-black; even the oil lamp's light seemed unable to penetrate.
Father Edwin approached the cage and gently tapped the cold iron with his knuckles, keeping his voice very low and calling softly, "Lady Lya... Lady Lya, wake up. Someone has come to see you."
Soon there was movement inside. Under Alice and Chen Yu's watching eyes, a small figure slowly emerged from the depths of the darkness.
It was a human girl of about twelve or thirteen, wearing an ill-fitting priestess dress, barefoot.
Her flaxen hair was dry, yellowed and tangled; deep dark circles ringed her eyes, her skin pale and freckled with light brown spots.
She was frail, clearly starved of sunlight, squinting as if she had not slept in ages.
This was the shepherd the Sun worshippers had mentioned?
Both Chen Yu and Alice looked puzzled.
The girl came to the bars and, through them, gave Alice a kneeling curtsey. Her voice was as thin as a mosquito's: "Hello, Miss Knight."
Then her light landed on Chen Yu, perched on Alice's shoulder, and curiosity glinted in her eyes.
She was about to speak when her expression suddenly froze. The eyes that had brightened moments ago lost all life as if the string had been cut. Her body went rigid and toppled backward with a thud into the cage's cold floor. Blood gushed from her head, staining the ground red.
She lay motionless.
It looked like she was dead.
????
Alice stood stunned.
Chen Yu was frozen too; a speech bubble indicating "what the hell" appeared on his round gel body.
A glance at the Slime and... dead?
Since when did he have a passive "stare-and-you-die" skill? How come he didn't know about it himself?
Alice swept her gaze across the dark cage and the girl collapsed on the floor, then at Father Edwin.
"Knight Commander Alice, please rest assured, this is normal." Father Edwin sighed helplessly, took a leather notebook and a charcoal pencil from his robe, squinted in the dim lamp, flipped to a page, and wrote:
"Saint Calendar 4793, Frost Moon, Day 23. Lady Lya's 327th death. Cause: sudden death (suspected due to severe emotional fluctuation). Witnesses: Restoration Army Knight Commander Alice, Slime Majesty."