NOVPUB"Won’t there be trouble?"
Talia pondered that the Demon Race wouldn’t go to such extremes. Although the Demon Race was capable of harboring murderous intent and would kill if they needed to, they wouldn’t care about your identity or status, merely whether you could be killed or not.
That was also considered a kind of Demonic trait of equality.
"At that time, when the nobles were committing extreme atrocities against people’s lives and continually escaping punishment, emotions finally exploded."
Lanci continued,
"But speaking of which, Tata, do you know that the conflict between the nobles and the common people of the Cerryti Empire is very intense today? It is said that in addition to the common people who deeply hate the nobility, there are even nobles who loathe the common people."
Lanci suddenly brought the conversation back to the present and asked her.
"Why is that?"
Talia did not understand why Lanci brought up past incidents and mentioned the current conflicts at the same time.
"Because many years ago, in the Botswana Province of the Cerryti Empire, there was indeed a major uprising where many nobles were killed, and that day came to be known as ’Blood Cleansing Day.’"
Lanci explained.
"The despondent and furious commoners, armed and organized, stormed into the nobles’ mansions, looting, killing, and setting fires. In the defeated noble households, the men were killed outright, and the women lived lives worse than death."
"And those nobles’ offspring who had managed to escape and survive inherited their families, with the psychological shadow still looming in their memories, casting their hatred upon all common people."
It wasn’t until later that the Emperor established a charter, restraining the nobles, pacifying the common people, investigating the involved nobility, and punishing the rioters, that the acute conflicts were finally addressed.
Afterward, for quite some time, the conflict between the Cerryti Empire’s nobles and commoners improved.
But that was only temporary.
As the great harm left from "Blood Cleansing Day" slowly festered—the seeds of hatred began to take root and sprout, the internal conflicts of the Cerryti Empire rapidly intensified in recent years.
Lanci closed the history book, more or less having explained the current conflict between the Nobility Faction and People’s Faction within the Cerryti Empire to Talia.
"Doesn’t that mean the greater the conflict, the better for us? After all, we are here to wreck havoc within the Empire."
Talia probed, tempting him like a devil nestled deep in his heart.
She believed Lanci was excellent at stirring up trouble, and with her ’Demon Sound’ and ’Gentle Town’, she could assist Lanci splendidly in misdeeds.
"That is not the best way to solve problems."
Lanci showed a rare look of compassion.
It was as if he saw the suffering of the people and did not wish to make it worse.
"...Then what do you want to do?"
Talia was puzzled.
"I want to make the Cerryti Empire great again, to become a sacred country that doesn’t need war."
Lanci appeared contemplative, musing aloud.
"...What the hell."
Talia occasionally couldn’t understand Lanci’s muttering to himself.
But she was too lazy to bother with it now. She was the Great Love Poet, following Lanci on a covert espionage mission in the Empire, and when it was time to return to the Kingdom gloriously, the thought of receiving commendation did cheer her up.
As the dedicated car slowed down after tens of minutes of driving, Lanci knew he had finally arrived at the Saint Kray Monastery.
The declining autumn sun painted the sky a vibrant orange, maple leaves danced lightly in the breeze, moving gracefully, casting dappled tree shadows. The air was filled with the dryness and richness characteristic of autumn, mixed with the faint fragrances of sweet osmanthus and earth.
The car had unconsciously entered a vast expanse of land, trees lined orderly along the road, and in the distance, the buildings appeared like mountains with their layered and towering scale, so large that it was difficult to estimate the school’s true size with the naked eye.
The most acclaimed aspect of the Saint Kray Monastery was its attached magic school, where the Cerryti Empire’s elite received comprehensive education, practiced military exercises, studied knowledge, and honed their will, ultimately becoming pillars of the Empire.
The towering spire pierced the heavens, complemented by intricate window lattices, while colorful ivy clambered up the walls. Monks in pristine white robes occasionally stood by the door.
On the way, Lanci passed through numerous places. The monastery itself was comprised of structures such as the chapel, the bishop’s hall, the Knights Order’s headquarters, parks, libraries, and more, while the school buildings occupied a separate corner with lecture halls, villas, training grounds, restaurants, and auditoriums each having several distinct areas.
In essence, it had become a small yet complete city-state.
Until Nara’s Secretary’s driven vehicle stopped in front of a certain building.
It seemed to confirm Lanci’s thoughts, as the door was already being opened by the academy’s guards.
The unique tranquility and peace of the monastery washed over him.
"Professor Landry, we have reached our destination."
Nara’s Secretary’s words drew Lanci’s gaze out the window.
Saint Kray Monastery boasted a history of over a thousand years; its predecessor was an ancient structure that existed even before the Cerryti Empire was founded, the site of the Temple of the Goddess of the Moon.
In the changes of the South Continent, it held immense historical value and significance for research.
Hundreds of years ago, the large entity known as the Cerryti Empire didn’t exist in the southern part of the South Continent.
At that time, three major territories occupied the land: the Seross Empire, the Elsayia Holy Domain, and the Vensi Free Federation.
Named after its founding Emperor, Seross I, the Seross Empire was an ancient, militaristic monarchy that revered martial power, advocated divine right, and upheld absolute imperial authority – it was also the predecessor of the Cerryti Empire.
The Elsayia Holy Domain worshipped the Moon Goddess Elsayia and believed the land to be blessed by the Moon Goddess. Therefore, the devout populace named their country the Elsayia Holy Kingdom, where royal and religious powers were inseparable.
The Vensea Region of the Vensi Free Federation, fertile and resource-rich, was lauded as the "breadbasket" of the southern South Continent.
Local lords, for their mutual interests, formed a relatively loose alliance, governing independently.
The Blielda region, where the Saint Kray Monastery was located, sat at the center of these three powers.
Neutral Holy Land Blielda was both a stage for the contest of nations and a crucial counterweight in maintaining the balance of power among the three countries.
Blielda’s Moon God Monastery had always been neutral, following the duties of the Temple of the Moon Goddess’ priests. Regardless of the conflicts among the kingdoms, it would always be a ground to halt wars. However, several factions covertly sought to infiltrate and bring it into their sphere of influence.
The Seross Empire coveted the monastery’s solid defenses and rich resources. The Elsayia Holy Domain hoped to utilize the monastery’s religious influence to consolidate its rule, while the Vensi Free Federation, though slightly weaker, also secretly courted the monastery to balance out the other two nations.
In the end, war broke out.
The flames of war even reached Blielda, but the priests of healing and the Silver Moon upheld their benevolence, tirelessly aiding the homeless.
After the protracted war, a hero finally unified this part of the continent, ending the calamity and creating the Cerryti Empire – the largest empire in the history of the South Continent, occupying nearly two-fifths of the entire landmass.
Thus, during the Cerryti Empire’s integration and revival phase, the many kingdoms of the northern South Continent grew fearful of this new state, which led to the initial formation of what would become the Kingdom Joint Council.
Fortunately, whether it was the rulers or the common people of the Cerryti Empire, all remembered the agony brought by the long war, and actively engaged in diplomacy with the northern kingdoms, which led to a century-long era of peace in the South Continent.
The Moon God Monastery witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties, the clash of heroes, and the arrival of peace.
The protracted disputes among the three countries came to an end here, and a new chapter began for the Cerryti Empire. The capital was chosen in the Blielda region, previously at the junction of the three territories, and hence was named Blielda City.
In remembrance of that great unification battle and the Temple of the Moon Goddess’ purity, the Moon God Monastery was renovated and expanded within the new Imperial Capital, becoming Saint Kray Monastery, continuing to cultivate talent for the Cerryti Empire.
Nonetheless, this led to the subsequent and present ideological divisions within Cerryti Empire’s nobility, which were the Imperial Authority Faction inheriting the will of the Seross Empire, the Theocracy Faction carrying the will of the Elsayia Holy Domain, and the Democracy Faction maintaining the legacy of the Vensi Free Federation.
And the Saint Kray Monastery was led by the High Priest, held in succession by direct descendants of previous High Priests.
The current High Priest and Headmaster was Violet, a powerful figure who was also honored as the Sixth Army God with the Seat of Aqua Jade.
"Please follow me. Let me give you a brief tour of the Main Hall of the monastery before leading you to meet Headmaster Violet."
After disembarking, Nara’s Secretary placed her hands upon her abdomen and returned to her initial posture, slightly bowing and speaking to him.
Lanci nodded faintly, and Nara’s Secretary turned to lead the way.
