Chapter 293
Inside a massive fortress, the Altifes continue their training.
Three thousand bishops move in an orderly fashion.
As loyal subordinates of Beled, they swiftly obeyed Vargan’s orders.
Some bishops found it disgraceful to follow human commands, but they couldn’t express it outwardly.
Vargan held the rank of Executor.
One of only two among the archbishops.
Moreover, as someone favored by Cardinal Beled, being on her bad side was undesirable.
“1st Battalion, widen the formation!”
As Vargan’s orders fell, the bishops of the 1st Battalion moved in perfect unison.
Following the strategies explained beforehand, they formed a line like spreading wings to block the charging 2nd Battalion.
Boom! Bang—!
As the two battalions clashed, a thunderous sound erupted.
Spear and shield.
As the fierce struggle of the two forces began, thick dust, roars, and heat rose rapidly.
“3rd Battalion, charge!”
At that moment, the external forces, the bishops of the 3rd Battalion, covered the back of the 1st Battalion from a distance.
Surrounded on both sides, the 1st Battalion had to awkwardly change their formation, continuing the fierce battle.
“Ugh, ugh…. Ugh…!”
A young man with horns resembling a sheep.
Top-level Bishop Cyclamen belonged to the 1st Battalion.
When faced with danger, he let out a scream loud enough to deafen those around him.
“AAAHHH!”
“Someone stop that guy’s mouth!”
At that, not only the 2nd Battalion but even the bishops of the 3rd Battalion halted their movements in distress.
The wide-area attack that Cyclamen always used.
Observing from the command unit, Vargan squinted his eyes and soon had a smirk on his face.
“It was worth bringing him along.”
Vargan evaluated the situation on the mock battlefield.
Cyclamen was screaming. Surprisingly, the bishops of the 1st Battalion remained unscathed despite the sounds.
The ones suffering were only the enemy forces of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions.
Cyclamen had become better at controlling his powers.
“That’s enough! Training ends here!”
Seeing it no longer feasible to continue, Vargan concluded the training.
Exhausted from the grueling session, the bishops finally caught their breath, and some even collapsed from exhaustion.
It was often seen.
Zuhng—.
Only then did Vargan wipe away the pressure of mana that was heavily pressing down on the training ground.
The bishops were continuing their training in an environment several times the usual gravity.
Vargan announced once again that today’s training was finished.
Finally, the bishops could relax comfortably.
“Hahaha! It’s like you’re dying to eat the bishops, Executor!”
Archbishop Blurans walked over with a hearty laugh.
He had a long spear resting on his shoulder with both hands draped over it.
“To think bishops are doing tactical training. No matter how you look at it, it’s an unfamiliar sight.”
The Altife, whose individual physical abilities and combat skills were superior to humans, usually didn’t receive proper training according to their instincts.
Especially tactical training, which emphasized community harmony, was even less so.
What they only believed and followed were the higher Altife to whom they pledged their loyalty.
The other Altife on the same level weren’t seen as comrades who would help each other out or work together.
Reading Blurans’ expression, Vargan spoke.
“Looks like you’re not too keen on me becoming an executor, huh?”
“Hahaha! That’s obvious! It’s painful to my gut! But it’s not because you’re human; it’s that the Archbishop who came in after me is now above me. That’s what really grinds my gears.”
“…If you want, I can reprove you anytime.”
Vargan easily manipulated mana as he looked at Blurans.
Blurans snorted, “Kek! Enough! I already know how strong you are. Even I, who loves to fight, am not foolish enough to challenge someone who just defeated me a few days ago.”
“Well then, that’s a relief.”
Vargan suppressed the fierce mana he was exuding.
He was always prepared to show his strength.
Vargan’s impactful words and actions always intrigued Blurans, who had human blood flowing in his veins.
“…You’re quite a fascinating human.”
Blurans chuckled.
After sharing some light military discussions with Vargan, he got to the main point.
“The Regular Conference will start soon, so we should move.”
The Regular Conference.
A meeting convened for important matters, where only archbishops and above within the Goddess Church could participate.
“I know. I was just about to move anyway.”
“Did I hinder you? Ha. Coming all this way just to let you know…”
“Um, um, um, the Regular Conference, you’re discussing the selection of the archbishops, right?”
Cyclamen suddenly interjected into Vargan and Blurans’ conversation.
He was scared and hesitant to take the position of archbishop, but there was a hint of excitement in his eyes.
Vargan nodded.
“Yeah. It was the same when Blurans was selected as archbishop five years ago during the last Regular Conference. Of course… that’s not the main agenda for this meeting.”
“…Finally. I’m more nervous than I expected.”
As Cyclamen swallowed hard, Blurans burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! No need to worry. After all that trouble we went through, do you think you won’t become an archbishop?”
“Do you think you’ll never become an archbishop?”
“Well, it’s not that I’m completely unconcerned, but that position… you know.”
“The Regular Conference?”
“Yeah. It’s a place where the cardinals and other archbishops gather… With all those terrifying moderates and neutrals present… Ugh. I don’t think I could go even if I became an archbishop.”
“You little coward.”
Blurans gave Cyclamen a hard slap on the back.
Cyclamen whined, nearly tearing up, just as Vargan sensed the mana of another archbishop arriving.
“Now that Purpur is here, everyone’s gathered.”
“That old geezer. I was worried he’d be late since he was so far away, but he managed to arrive right on time!”
This place, the nest and fortress of Beled.
There are currently four archbishops in this fortress.
Vargan, Blurans, Veris, and Purpur.
All the archbishops subordinate to Cardinal Beled are gathered.
With just the right motivation, they could stage a coup large enough to topple a kingdom.
Realizing this, Cyclamen nervously asked,
“But, um, why are we gathering here? The Regular Conference is supposed to be in the middle of the ocean, right?”
“Cyclamen, you foolish child. Do you still not know what kind of cardinal you serve?”
“Huh? I do. It’s Lady Beled. She who rules space… Oh!”
“That’s it, you fool.”
Blurans smirked.
*
Vargan and Blurans stepped forward in front of Beled’s Audience Room.
Before the massive doors, Archbishop Purpur was already waiting.
A middle-aged man who looked to have aged considerably.
Yet, the sharp glint in Purpur’s eyes had not dulled as he regarded Vargan and Blurans.
“Is it you two?”
“Haha! It’s been ages! I’m glad to see you’re still in good shape. I was worried you’d be worn out and die on the way here.”
“I’m not at that point yet.”
Archbishop Purpur.
As they approached, the little Twelve Divine Beasts sleeping in Vargan’s pocket woke up and came out.
“…Whoa!”
A white fairy fluttered around Purpur, letting out a gasp of admiration.
It then flew back to Vargan’s shoulder.
Purpur gazed at the fairy before speaking.
“It seems to be around 4 years old now. The growth of the Twelve Divine Beasts is always rapid.”
“Are you jealous of this little one?”
Vargan said, playing with the Twelve Divine Beast on his shoulder.
Purpur shook his head.
“Why would I be jealous? That child already sees you as a father. Make sure to take good care of it until the end.”
“Purpur, you don’t need to worry about that! I’ve been with him long enough to assure you. Whether it’s anything else, an Executor absolutely cherishes a Familiar and a Twelve Divine Beast.”
Blurans responded instead.
Purpur murmured, “That’s a relief,” and smiled sympathetically.
After thoroughly playing with the Twelve Divine Beast, it crawled back into Vargan’s jacket pocket, prompting him to say,
“It seems you didn’t bring a Twelve Divine Beast with you.”
A light comment, as if referring to a pet.
A light remark, as if in a hurry.
It was a conversation only possible between Vargan, who had the Twelve Divine Beasts, and Archbishop Purpur.
“We left our kids in the nest. It’s not like I can just tuck them away in my pocket like yours.”
Two of the Twelve Divine Beasts serving Purpur.
Also, he had more monsters under his care than the mindless Altife, which made him similar to Vargan in the Familiar field.
Vargan pointed that out very clearly.
“Is it because you’re the grandson of someone once called the Demon King? You really treat the Twelve Divine Beasts like they were your own children.”
The Demon King.
A unique being who ruled all monsters as the pinnacle of the Twelve Divine Beasts a long time ago.
Purpur was the heir of a presence noted only in legends.
“The Demon King, huh… It’s long been since we pledged our loyalty to the Goddess since my father’s time. What a stale tale to bring up.”
Purpur knew almost nothing about his grandfather.
Perhaps his memories had been erased after being defeated by the Goddess, as even his father didn’t know much about his grandfather, and the stories of the Demon King had vanished from the world.
He was now of the Goddess.
Among them, he was merely an archbishop following Cardinal Beled.
“Oh, everyone’s already here?”
Lastly arrived was Cardinal Beris, the archbishop of blooming flowers.
The woman smiled brightly as she approached Vargan with a clicking sound of her heels.
“You look handsome today as well, Executor.”
“I thought you were going straight to take on Alicia, but it seems you didn’t.”
“One cannot disregard the Regular Conference with the stature of an archbishop. There’s a timing I have in mind. Just wait for it.”
Beris, radiating a rich floral scent, clung closely to Vargan.
She was trying to flirt, but her arrival signified the gathering of all archbishops, and the lord of the castle couldn’t possibly be unaware of that.
“My children.”
The gentle voice of a woman resonated through the hallway.
Yet, there was a solid weight of authority at her core.
As the voice of the woman echoed, the large doors before them began to creak open.
Creeeak—.
An enormous door that could easily be 20 meters tall.
As it opened wide, the great being stepped forth.
Simultaneously, a massive presence was felt. The oppressive aura prickled the skin of the archbishops, overwhelming them.
Snap. The four standing archbishops knelt on one knee to show respect.
“Rise.”
With large horns and towering over even an average adult male, the Cardinal Beled was speaking.
As she instructed, the archbishops stood up.
Beled examined each of her beloved children one by one, offering a captivating smile while gesturing with her hand.
Swwoosh—.
Instead of the door fully opened, a gigantic mouth appeared.
The gaping mouth revealed countless sharp teeth. The power connecting spaces was part of the authority Beled wielded.
“Other Cardinals are already in the hall, so let’s save any unfinished conversations for after the meeting.”
The hardliners.
Cardinal Beled and the four archbishops made their way to the conference held in the middle of the ocean.
