NOVPUB"...Although our Rebirth Church is currently recognized as an orthodox sect by the Protoss Empire, we cannot blatantly defy the imperial law. Otherwise, we will be treated as criminals."
The silver-armored priest seemed to ponder for a while before he slowly spoke.
If he made a move against the legitimate noble of the Empire, namely Viscount Francis who was the Lord of Lilom City, he would face severe punishment if investigated by the Empire’s upper echelons. He may even face execution as a warning to others, despite his high status in the Rebirth Church.
"Do you know? The Lord’s daughter has some ancestral traits of the Demon Race. Even if her parents are undeniably human, people with demonic traits like hers are still considered as half-demons and are not entitled to inherit lands. Once Viscount Francis is gone, I will quickly make her my relative. I will control this city-state by then. I promise that everything would be covered up—she wouldn’t have the slightest chance to let people from the imperial capital investigate the cause of Viscount Francis’s death."
The noble lifted the corner of his mouth. His chubby face was shaking, presumably conjuring dirty thoughts.
Pretentiously a wife or concubine, indeed, such dirty thing is only suitable to be his plaything and slave.
"You are really a bad man."
The silver-armored priest laughed as he picked up his glass of wine.
Although dealing with this kind of noble could leave him vulnerable, the noble didn’t have the courage to toy with a priest from the Hegemony Branch.
After all, they are no good guys either.
If he truly angered the Bishop of Hegemony, this city-state would disappear forever in a moment, and this kind of noble would be nothing more than a worm.
"So, how do you feel about it, sir? Viscount Francis is currently out to sea and is estimated to return from the main port city on the east in a few days. I can provide you with the usual travel route that he takes."
The nobleman once again poured the priest a small half glass of wine, and asked.
In the past, collusion with the sinful heretical Rebirth Church was punishable by death if discovered.
Now, the Rebirth Church has been brought to the forefront. In the Empire, you don’t need connections to request their services. They can be found anytime in public. Even the temples in Lilom City have been handed over to the Rebirth Church.
But everyone knows what reserved businesses the Rebirth Church has.
The current Protoss Empire is in a tumultuous gray period. If he does not seize the opportunity, once the Empire has completely transformed and stabilized, he may never have such a good opportunity again.
"Then I’ll help you."
The silver-armored priest leaned back into his chair, the armor on his body creaking.
Indeed, Viscount Francis is a hindrance. It would be better to eliminate him.
After all, it is reasonable for the weak to be killed by the strong. If Viscount Francis dies with his eyes open, it’s only because he is too weak.
"I will bring you the nautical chart that records Viscount Francis’s usual route, and I will arrange a ship for you and the priests. Rest assured, you can get close to them without alerting them."
The nobleman stood up, shaking his belly and laughing.
Imperial policies, the Rebirth Church, northern unrest do not concern him.
The focus was on what he would do after gaining power.
Knowledge is power, power can rule everything in front of you. Few people understand how sweet it is.
Once power and authority collude, even the black can be washed into white, they become the law.
The current Empire is absurd yet wonderful.
A feast for villains.
"I’ll go with you."
The silver-armored priest also stood up. It seemed that he had finished dinner.
Of course, the nobleman welcomed him to tour the mansion together.
They walked up along the corridor and stairs and soon arrived in a study room on the third floor of the mansion, offering an expansive night view.
The calendar hanging on the wall had just turned to a new year not long ago. Now it’s already Solar Calendar 1798.
There was a heap of official documents sent from the imperial capital on the dark wooden desk.
Most of them were about the remnants of the Church of the Goddess of Destiny. If these wanted criminals were found in the border cities, they need to immediately notify the capital of the province and then report to the Imperial Military Department.
"It’s really ironic. In just two months, the prestigious Church of the Goddess of Destiny was swept out of the Empire."
The nobleman opened the drawer, glanced at those papers with a sarcastic shake of his head.
Most people couldn’t understand the seeming madness of it all, but those who were aware of the shifts in political affairs might have been able to discern some clues.
The Protoss Empire needed the strength of the Rebirth Church, and then, possibly, it would be time for a grand settlement with the nations in the northwest.
Although unsure about what changes were happening within the empire, it was clear that the goal of eliminating the obstruction that was the Church of the Goddess of Destiny, was to pave the way for everything.
Yet among these public notices...
There was a striking red warning.
From the beginning, it had caught the eye of the silver-armored priest.
It contained a hot-stamped personal profile of High Priest Loren of the South Continent’s Church of the Goddess of Destiny, requiring all the ports of the south coast to be especially vigilant of his presence.
Although there was unrest within the Northern Continent’s Church of the Goddess of Destiny, which could potentially trigger support from the South Continent’s Church of the Goddess of Destiny, the chances were very slim.
High Priest Loren was unlikely to abandon the protection of his native kingdom and personally cross the ocean to come to the Northern Continent.
The Bishop of Destruction, Ivanos, was already more than he could handle.
And the Saintess of the Church of the Goddess of Destiny, in the Aestheland Kingdom in the northwest, didn’t pose much of a threat by infiltrating from the southern shore deep into the land of the Protoss Empire.
"The Empire is certainly strangely cautious."
The silver-armored priest lifted the notice, and sighed.
The first line of the notice related to Loren said.
If the holder of the [Original Slabstone Tablet-Wind] is discovered, immediately report to the Imperial Military Department.
Beneath it depicted the image of the [Original Slabstone Tablet-Wind] and an example of the unique glow caused by the Original Slabstone when the carrier casts Wind Magic.
Since strong people like Loren often disguise themselves carefully when travelling far, he couldn’t be detected under normal circumstances.
But he had a weakness. Once he used his most proficient wind magic, the anomaly necessarily produced by the [Original Slabstone Tablet-Wind] would strike the soul, which couldn’t be imitated, and would be extremely conspicuous.
Therefore, recognizing a person by the slab was better.
If someone held the [Original Slabstone Tablet-Wind], that person was definitely Loren.
"Hehe, although High Priest Loren is known as a virtuous man, and he is unlikely to do something despicable, the Empire always looks at the powerful with extra caution. Suppose he really dares to abandon his native kingdom in the South Continent, and secretly infiltrate the Empire..."
A nobleman commented.
"The Empire really doesn’t understand Loren."
The silver-armored priest put down the red notice and shook his head,
"Even if he were to come, he would openly support the Aestheland Kingdom, not lurking deep within the Empire causing destruction, and he certainly wouldn’t have the guts to make a scene in the capital."
"Unless he’s crazy enough to release all those Great Demons who have been imprisoned for hundreds of years in the imperial prison, which would indeed create chaos in the Protoss Empire."
The nobleman, his words oozing with flattery, found common ground with the silver-armored priest on this subject.
At this remark, the silver-armored priest actually furrowed his brow in serious consideration.
One has to admit, this nobleman has a mind made for mischief.
Unfortunately, the eighth-order demons, without a leader, have no cohesion and in essence, the threat they pose isn’t as large as imagined.
The silver-armored priest quickly burst into laughter.
The nobleman’s joke had finally amused him.
"Who would dare go to that prison? That’d be a trap!"
The nobleman also laughed wickedly.
The Church of the Goddess of Destiny is now defined as a cult in the Protoss Empire.
As for Loren, the head of this cult, if he dared to come, he wouldn’t be able to escape the judgment of the Empire, and he would definitely be thrown into that prison!
