Chapter 254. The Holy Kingdom (3)
After Seria's bombshell declaration, Archbishop Mitas' demeanor shifted dramatically. Now, he was nothing but cooperative.
"To formally become the Warrior, you must journey to the Holy Capital," Mitas explained. "When you're there, His Holiness the Pope will officially appoint you in front of more than seven Cardinals. Only then will your authority as a Warrior be fully recognized."
In short, all that mattered was for the Pope to publicly acknowledge Caron as the Warrior in front of the gathered Cardinals.
"So, I need to get their approval?" Caron asked.
Mitas shook his head firmly, then continued, "Not at all. The one who names the Warrior is the Grand Saint of the era. Now that Saintess Seria has ascended as the Grand Saintess, the decision lies with her."
Not long ago, Mitas had been throwing punches, but now he had returned to speaking to Caron and Seria with respectful formality. At that, Seria sighed and spoke up. "Archbishop, please, just talk to us comfortably."
"I couldn't possibly—" Mitas began, but wascut off.
"If you keep that up, I'll just head back to the empire," Seria interrupted.
People said even the most stubborn parent couldn't win against their child. Faced with Seria's stern expression, Mitas cleared his throat and relented. "Shall I? Truth be told, it is easier for me this way."
As Caron watched him, he shook his head and thought Mitas was truly a strange man. Then, with a probing tone, he asked, "What if Saintess Seria was lying?"
It was a valid concern—her claims certainly seemed like lies, especially considering how aggressively Mitas had acted earlier. Suspicion should've come first.
But Mitas' answer was so far from anything Caron had expected, it almost stunned him.
"Seria doesn't lie," Mitas stated flatly.
"And why is that?" Caron asked.
"Because she's the Grand Saintess," Mitas answered.
"...Ah," Caron responded.
"Even if what she said was a lie, if that lie comes true, then it ceases to be a lie. Do you understand, Warrior? That's the nature of prophecy. You'd better keep that in mind from now on," Mitas said.
Caron thought that Mitas was truly worthy of being the archbishop revered by fanatics. At the moment he was confronted with the logic of miracles, he felt as if his eyes had been opened.
"So... If a lie is fulfilled, it's not a lie?" he repeated.
"Exactly. But I'd appreciate it if you got your words right, Warrior," Mitas said sharply. "The Grand Saintess does not lie. Her very existence is proof that the Light loves us. Every word she speaks is divine. To doubt her is to blaspheme."
It was then that Caron saw it—the distinct gleam of fanatical devotion in the Archbishop's eyes. Twisted as it seemed, the man was an Archbishop of the Holy Kingdom, after all.
Mitas furrowed his brow as he stared at Caron, then said, "The fact that someone like you was chosen as the Warrior... It must mean there's a divine will beyond my understanding."
"What's so wrong with me?" Caron asked, feigning offense.
"You know better than anyone. Now sit down. We've got a lot to do," Mitas said.
With that, he casually dropped into a nearby chair and exhaled, then turned to Seria. "Seria, I assume you've heard that most of our forces are currently concentrated along the border with the southern kingdoms?"
Seria nodded, her expression grave, then replied, "I've already been informed through the Ducal Family of Leston."
"Elijah, that idiot of a Saint, is planning something insane. Our diocese didn't join in, but most of the others have sent troops," Mitas explained.
In the Holy Kingdom, dioceses functioned much the same way provinces did in the empire. Each diocese collected offerings and sent them to the Vatican in the Holy Capital. While they answered to the Pope, they also held considerable autonomy in matters like military deployment. The Archbishop, then, was essentially a feudal lord over his territory.
"There are a total of twelve dioceses in the Holy Kingdom," Mitas went on. "And eight of them are taking part in the crusade."
And that wasn't all.
"Of the Paladin Orders stationed in the Capital, all except the two directly under the Pope are being mobilized for this campaign. In other words, this is an all-out war," Mitas continued.
These lunatics were seriously throwing everything they had into this.
"They say those who don't join in are being threatened with charges of heresy," Mitas added.
"And yet, somehow you're still alive and well, Archbishop Mitas?" Caron asked dryly.
"Hehe," Mitas chuckled, flashing a devious grin. "The ones they sent after me? I buried them in the basement. After a few tries, they stopped coming."
"What a fierce personality," Caron muttered.
"Alright, let's get down to business. Time to put a proper plan together. Hey, anyone out there?" Mitas shouted out the door.
His voice rang out loudly, and moments later, a knight hurried in from the chapel entrance.
The knight was a middle-aged paladin clad in pristine white armor. He quickly approached Mitas and bowed deeply, then asked, "Have you summoned me, Archbishop Mitas?"
"This is Sir Chris Leopold. Just call him Sir Chris," Mitas introduced the paladin.
The paladin named Chris gave a polite nod toward Caron, then slowly turned his gaze—and locked eyes with Seria. He exclaimed in shock, "Saintess Seria!"
"How have you been, Sir Chris?" Seria asked with a warm smile.
"Seeing you safe and sound... I can barely hold back tears. Truly... I'm so relieved," Chris said.
With trembling hands, Sir Chris gently grasped Seria's. A single tear was already sliding down his cheek.
Mitas, looking mildly exasperated, waved a hand. He said, "We can save the touching reunion for later. Chris, Seria has become the Grand Saintess."
"O dear Light..." Chris muttered.
"Have you finished compiling the list of Order of Truth members currently staying in our diocese?" Mitas asked.
"Yes, Archbishop. The list is complete," Chris answered.
"From this moment on, we must cleanse the Holy Kingdom for the Grand Saintess. Chris, a trial is coming. Steel yourself," Mitas warned.
"I will, Archbishop Mitas! But... These mercenaries here—who are they?" Chris asked.
He gestured subtly toward Caron and his group. All three were still disguised using artifacts, making it hard to discern their true identities.
In response, Caron shrugged and said, "Well, since we're in the same boat, I suppose it's only fair you see our faces."
Caron turned to glance at his group, and both Leon and Leo gave slight nods.
Whoosh.
The three of them lightly tapped their faces.
Caron had crafted a new artifact using the doppelganger skin he'd acquired from a recent dungeon—modeled after the original mask he carried. The Magic Tower Master had made it himself. Though not as potent as Caron's own, both Leon and Leo had received similar masks, allowing them to change their appearance. They were like standard-issue doppelganger masks.
As the mana faded, their real faces were revealed—cousins with blond hair and blue eyes, unmistakably of the Ducal Family of Leston's bloodline.
"A pleasure to meet you. I'm Caron Leston," Caron said as he offered his hand.
Caught off guard, Chris awkwardly took it and said, "N-Nice to meet you."
"Well then," Caron continued, "We've got a lot of work ahead of us. The Ducal Family of Leston—specialists in coups—will be taking responsibility for assisting this operation."
"...Did you say coup?" Chris asked.
"Our objective is simple. We're going to remove the wicked, corrupt clergy and support His Holiness the Pope," Caron answered.
At that, Mitas interjected, "Caron Leston is the Warrior."
"Light... O dear Light!" Chris shouted.
"A Warrior plotting a coup... A rebel Warrior, hmm? Fascinating," Mitas mused. "If it's the will of the Light, then who are we to question it? Sir Chris, wouldn't you agree?"
"It seems the Light desires change in the Holy Kingdom," Chris replied solemnly.
"Perhaps it does," Mitas said, pulling a flask from his robes and taking a swig. A faint smile played on his lips. "Looks like my twilight years won't be so boring after all. Don't you agree, Warrior?"
"I'll make sure your retirement is anything but dull," Caron promised with a smirk.
"Good," Mitas said with a pleased nod. Then, he said, "So, Warrior who dreams of rebellion, Let's hear your plan."
Caron simply shrugged and replied, "Originally, I wanted to stay under the radar. But with things the way they are... It's time to revise our strategy."
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Caron's approach usually followed one of two paths. Ideally, he preferred working in silence—that was a core principle of his. But when subtlety was no longer an option, he caused a scene. One so large no one could ignore it.
"Let's cause a scene," Caron said. "By the way, what's the fastest way to spread a rumor in the Holy Kingdom?"
"That would be the Holy Kingdom Daily, most likely," Mitas replied.
"Can we run a story about Saintess Seria becoming the Grand Saintess? I'm worried the Order of Truth might've already taken over the press..." Caron trailed off.
"No need to worry about that. The publisher's an old friend of mine," Mitas reassured Caron.
"Perfect. Then let's start by spreading the news that Saintess Seria has returned as the Grand Saintess, and that she's brought the Warrior with her," Caron suggested.
"You're going completely public?" Mitas asked.
"Yes. It'll be much safer that way," Caron answered.
It was time for the greatest spectacle of all.
"Let's see how they respond, shall we?" Caron said.
Without a shred of hesitation, he lit the match.
***
Two days later, a storm of rumors swept through the Holy Kingdom: The Grand Saintess had returned, and the Warrior had appeared.
The Holy Kingdom, which had been preparing for a crusade, began to shift—rapidly, and in ways no one had foreseen.
***
Soon, it was a full week since Caron and his group had entered the Holy Kingdom.
Within the guest palace of the Imperial Palace, an impromptu operations center for the Oceanwolf Knight Order had been established. There, Caron's father, Fayle, was delivering an urgent report to Halo, having just received it from the Holy Kingdom.
Halo sat behind a desk, carefully reviewing the documents in front of him. They were filled with intelligence gathered by spies dispatched into the Holy Kingdom—nearly every page detailed Caron's recent actions.
"Currently, Caron Leston is heading to the Holy Capital, Eden."
"The people of the Holy Kingdom are fervently supporting Warrior Caron Leston and Saintess Seria."
"Members of the Order of Truth have begun to move in earnest. They are expected to make contact with Caron Leston soon."
Each report came in with rushed, urgent handwriting.
After reading through them all, Halo let out a heavy sigh and said, "...So Caron has become a Warrior."
Halo had been waiting to hear something about Caron's situation. But this wasn'tt the news he'd hoped for.
Fayle watched his father's deeply furrowed brow and offered a bitter smile, then said, "Well... It's Caron."
"I thought he'd handle things quietly," Halo muttered. "Clearly, I was wrong."
"Given the Holy Kingdom's nature, it would've been difficult to stay covert," Fayle said. "As you know, politically, they're incredibly closed off. Getting in might be easy—but getting out? Nearly impossible. The people there are used to being tightly controlled."
That closed system had one major advantage. It made the populace easy to manipulate or indoctrinate. Ironically, however, Caron had simply acted to use that advantage before the other side could.
"A Warrior... When was the last time one appeared in the Holy Kingdom?" Halo asked.
"It was fifty years ago," Fayle answered.
"James was the last one," Halo remarked.
His thoughts went back to that encounter half a century ago. James Rodriguez, the paladin-turned-warrior with a warm, gentle face. That memory lingered vividly.
But the thought of Caron as a Warrior was absurd.
"Are there any special privileges granted to Warriors?" Halo asked.
"I'm not entirely sure, but according to older records, Warriors are said to receive numerous powers—including the authority to judge clergy," Fayle answered.
"Judge clergy?" Halo asked.
"Yes, it includes the right to execute them," Fayle replied.
It was, put simply, an extrajudicial power. And now that power had been handed to the Mad Dog.
Halo sighed again, louder this time, then said, "The die is cast."
In any case, their side had already committed. Full operational authority had been entrusted to Caron. They had no right to criticize the Holy Kingdom for doing the same.
"Have the special task force been prepared?" Halo asked.
Fayle nodded immediately and said, "We've selected only knights at 6-Star and above, stationed near the Holy Kingdom's border. The elves have also dispatched their elite patrol units. And from the Pajar Sultanate, the Scorpion Corps is standing by."
"The Scorpion Corps..." Halo trailed off.
"Yes, it's the Sultanate's royal assassination unit," Fayle finished the sentence.
"Incredible," Halo remarked.
All of those forces had aligned for Caron. If anything were to happen to him within the Holy Kingdom, those elite troops would storm the nation without hesitation.
Halo tapped the desk with his fingers, lost in thought. He murmured, "A Warrior, huh..."
A Warrior was a being beyond the law. Halo wondered what Caron planned to do with that kind of unchecked power.
"To be formally recognized as a Warrior, he still needs to be appointed by the Pope," Fayle added.
"Then the path ahead won't be easy," Halo said.
"I never expected it to be," Fayle replied. He gave a small nod, then handed Halo another report.
"And as you requested... We've obtained information on Beatrice, former member of the Imperial Guards. Just as Caron claimed, she's confirmed to be within the Holy Kingdom," Fayle continued.
Halo read the report silently.
Time passed, and when he finally reached the end, he let out a deep hum of disapproval. He said, "This... complicates things."
"What will you do?" Fayle asked.
After a long pause, Halo sighed, then answered, "We leave it to Caron. Find a way to get him this information."
"Understood," Fayle replied.
Halo turned his gaze toward the window. A long breath escaped him again. He murmured, "Beatrice... What are you thinking?"
Something ominous was stirring in the Holy Kingdom.
***
At the same time, uncontrollable chaos continued to spread through the Holy Kingdom.
"I swear, it's as if there's a demon crawling around inside your brain. You're a heretic," Caron said.
"What nonsense! And just who do you think you are to say that?"
"I'm the Warrior," Caron replied simply.
"That's nonsense!"
"If you argue with me, that makes you a heretic. Got it?" Caron turned to Seria. "Grand Saintess, wouldn't you agree?"
"...Hah. I don't even know anymore," Seria sighed.
"See? Why would you make Caron a Warrior," Leo chimed in.
"That's exactly what I'm saying. This is a disaster of her own making," Leon said.
The mad Warrior had officially been let loose.
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