Highland Kingdom,
In the Weeping Lake, there rested the small island called Isle of None, the headquarters of the Weeping Ghosts Assassin Guild. Once filled with green and scattered wooden buildings, it now lay in complete ruin as a single Supreme Wizard had wreaked havoc.
Boom!
Specially tasked, Julius arrived on the island with the sole aim of destroying everything within the site and removing the Assassin Guild from existence. The SSS-ranked guild was a scary and powerful thing for most, but for the Holy Land, it was a nuisance, even more so after it supported Leyon.
Of course, Sylvester had lured them to commit the folly, but it was all a grand plan to clean the world before he left for the Demon Realm. Being a naturally paranoid man, he tried to think of any negative scenario that could arise and hoped to stop a few of them.
"I wished to erase you all for a long time, and finally, the auspicious moment has arrived." Julius moved at a speed unmatched, and his thundering blasts of dark elemental energy left holes in buildings, incinerating bodies of even Grand Wizards among the guild members.
There wasn't even a struggle, just a one-sided massacre.
…
Similarly, Emperor Raz was busy doing a little bit of cleaning on his end. Leyon wasn't just a conqueror but also a magnet of all sorts of scum of society. Anyone who wanted the Church to lose had flocked to his side in hopes of receiving some rewards when he finally won all of Sol.
So, the few leftover Assassin Guilds approached him. Amongst them was also a wealthy man with a mask on his face, who extensively funded the army and the campaign. He was the man behind the Tears of Solis.
"I hope I can stop doing this now, First Guardian. I'm a preacher, not a drug lord." Complained Cardinal Bison, who had lived his life under disguise for the past year or so. "It's been a while since I returned from Beastaria… I wish to stay in the Holy Land now."
Raz chuckled, his bony, skeleton jaws clacking together. "Don't worry, His Holiness has marked all the targets because of your great work, Cardinal Bison. I'm sure you're soon going to be assigned as one of the first State Councilmen to one of the new States of Sol."
Cardinal Bison, burly and old, sighed and relaxed in his seat while staring at the thousands of men and women lined up and made to kneel without any clothes on them, their future already decided.
"After being the overseer of operations in Beastaria for so long, I'm willing to take any normal job in Sol, First Guardian," Bison sounded utterly spent. "Luring all of these good-for-nothing drug producers and peddlers with that unholy Tears of Solis was the easy part. Making them believe I was the Drug Lord was the hardest. The vile words I had to use, the actions… I hope the Lord will forgive me for my sins."
"Well, if an undead Lich can be embraced by the God of Light, anyone can be forgiven… Not them, of course." Emperor Raz sighed and patted the old man's shoulder before looking at the gathered criminals. "The first-time offenders among you are to be imprisoned and educated for five years, and the rest of you are to be killed. May you find salvation in the world beyond?"
Thud!
With that, the undead soldiers, under the command of Emperor Raz, swung their blades in unison and severed heads from bodies. A major cancer from society was removed, and to ensure it never grows again, Project Sky Eye was enough.
A thorough cleaning was slowly occurring throughout Sol. However, that still left the fate of the other two human continents in question.
What of the Sand Continent and Central Continent?
…
Inside the Holy Land, Leyon of Sol's body was finally put to rest.
The man had no family of his own, so Sylvester performed all the rituals for the last rights and placed the fire on the pyre. Afterward, he collected the ashes and put them in a golden jar, wanting to keep it in his office as a reminder of what it cost to form the Sol Theocracy.
As decided, Sylvester never left the Holy Land for the coming days and worked day and night without stopping. At best, visiting his home was some of the solace he could afford, before he once again started focusing on his personal evolution under Nehilius' guidance.
"It took twenty-eight years," Sylvester muttered as he placed the jar of ashes on a showpiece cabinet with glass doors. "Yet everyone thinks I'm blessed to have accomplished this in such a short time."
"Because you have, Max. It's strange to most that you live as if you aren't a Supreme Wizard, but a regular person with a regular lifespan," Gabriel commented, sitting in the visitor's chair.
Gabriel and Felix had come to visit him as friends, not Preachers, not Cardinals, nor subordinates.
"In any case," Felix broke the silence and fumbled into his clergy robe's pockets to take out a little box. "Happy Birthday, Max."
"What's in it?" Sylvester received the box and opened it to see. "Hmm? It's the… Desert Cannibals' dagger… This brings back memories."
Felix laughed heartily, remembering their first day in the School of Dawn. "I still remember the way you punched Romel and won one like this. I reckoned I'd give you mine… I earned it after defeating a Cannibal leader at the age of six, in one of my father's forced campaigns to make me stronger."
Sylvester cherished it and placed it in the same showpiece wall. "I remember it… I remember Markus too. Did you find anything about his family? We promised him to take care of them."
"We did," Gabriel started. "His little sister, Elis, is now married to the elder son of a goldsmith and lives a happy life. His brother, Moris, is studying at the Blessed School of All Arts in the Highland Kingdom. He doesn't have talent in magic, but he has a good analytical mind, and studies architecture there."
"His mother? Gianna?" Sylvester recalled the name.
"She… She passed away a few years ago," Gabriel revealed with a heavy heart. "She didn't live a happy, comfortable life for most of her years, Max. The sacrifices she made as a single mother to raise her three children weighed heavy, and the toll on her body increased with her age. Despite being relatively wealthy now, one of the winters claimed her life."
A moment of silence formed among them on its own. Sylvester remembered the woman's tired face from years ago. "If there is an afterlife, I hope she meets Markus. What of the siblings? Help them if they are in any financial need."
"You don't need to, Max. It was Queen Trinity Highland who found a perfect match for Elis. It was also her who made Moris take various tests to see what he was good at," Gabriel added.
That brought a smile to Sylvester's face. Initially, he was so wary of the Highland Royal Family, but it turns out, among all the monarchs he had met, they were the only ones he never thought of replacing.
"It appears even the swamp of filth can nurture a few righteous ones," Sylvester mumbled his thoughts. "But I'm sure it's their peak strength that allowed them to remain incorruptible, and just."
Bam!
"Ah! What was that for?!" Felix suddenly felt a strong smack on his face and looked around. "Why did your guardian angel hit me?"
Sylvester looked down under the table and chuckled. "You stepped on his tail."
With a slight change in mood, Sylvester took his seat and looked at his two friends. "So, what are your plans now? I can also sign your resignation and request to end abstinence if you want to."
"Also? How many did you receive?" Felix asked in amusement.
"Ehm." Gabriel was the Wazir, so he had the numbers. "We have received nearly five thousand requests from various Clergymen and Bright Mothers. Among them, twenty were Cardinals."
"But why?!"
Sylvester laughed painfully while answering that. "Good times, my friend. There are no wars to fight anymore. The realm knows peace not just in terms of society, but also economy. There are no nobles to harass you. All the criminals are too scared. Many Clergymen hope to start families, and Bright Mothers who joined us in fear for their lives wish to go back… I expected it, but it still alarms me."
"Suffering from success, ha?" Felix jested and relaxed. "But I'm not going anywhere. With the kingdom gone, I can freely work as Saint Viceman for the Church. At the same time… I need you to help me train. The talent-testing orbs don't show one's talent beyond the highest rank. I'm already a Platinum Knight, and I wish to see if I can go beyond."
Sylvester easily saw through what Felix was trying to do. "Forget it, Felix. You don't need to do this. Just go and focus on making kids with Isabella. There are no more battles left… for you."
"I'm a free man, and I decide my own fate!" Felix angrily bellowed this time. "Don't try to paint yourself as some damn tragic hero and battle those 'whatever' gods on your own. If the First Pope was elevated beyond Supreme Wizardhood, then I, Julius, Raz, and King Rathagun can also go beyond."
"It won't be enough," Sylvester bluntly replied.
Felix remained firm in his decision. "You call us brother and act like a mother. Isabella will be with my child soon enough, Max. I'll have a family, a big one, I'm sure. But it's all useless if we're going to die anyway. So, I don't care about the cost, I want in on the plan. No matter the price… once, twice, as many as it takes, I will keep going beyond the limit."
'The problem is, I don't know if it's even possible.' Sylvester silently sighed, feeling worried.
"You think I don't want to? But what's the point if you'll vanish like the First Pope as soon as you ascend? There are hidden powers that manipulate the very basic nature of this world, Felix. I'm not strong enough to challenge that… yet."
Felix didn't fail to notice the last bit. "Then I'll wait for that 'yet' to become a reality. Until then, I will continue to grow stronger."
Sylvester sighed and looked at Gabriel. "What about you?"
"All I can do is be your Wazir, my friend. I'm not strong enough to challenge the limits of anything." There was a hint of disappointment in Gabriel's voice.
'Perhaps Nehilius can help me with this.'
Sylvester smiled and pushed a document toward Gabriel. "Then maybe you would like to push the limit of your work tolerance."
Gabriel felt sweat form on his forehead as he picked up the paper and read. "N-No… I don't want this."
"What is it…" Felix snatched it and read, only to bellow in laughter. "Haha… Poor you, Gab."
Sylvester extended his hand. "Congratulations on being the first Deputy Pope, Gabriel Maxwell."
Thank you for reading. Gifts and GT votes are highly appreciated.
