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"Is this a joke?" Even Saint Seer could not believe it.

Knock! Knock!

Suddenly, another subordinate assistant arrived at the door. "Bishop Gunther, another missive from Sandwall!"

"Ah, one more here!" Another assistant appeared.

The Pope composed himself and stood up. "I am departing for Sandwall. I will fly there!"

"You must not," Saint Wazir advised. "The Anti-Light Chief could be awaiting you. He is a Supreme Wizard, and this could be his ploy!"

The Pope did not wish to hear any excuses at that moment. He rushed to leave the chamber. "No, the letter bore the Archbishop of Sandwall\'s seal. I must verify it, even if it\'s a lie. Sylvester was the last hope for a prosperous future for the church. There is no other man in the world who has exhibited as much talent as him in politics and power! We must retrieve him..."

Bam!

This time a third assistant arrived, out of breath. "Your Holiness! B-beastkins! Five ships of Beastkins appeared, heading towards the Holy Land\'s port! The Bear, Panda, Fox, Cow, and Cat tribes fly their flags on them!"

Everyone glanced at one another, feeling the development could not have arrived at a worse time. But the Pope still wished to go and find Sylvester.

"Wazir, attend to them. I will depart no matter what. I must confirm the news myself, or I will never be able to forgive myself." The Pope commanded. "The council is adjourned until I return, hopefully with Young Bard."

At that point, no one had the will to stop the Pope from departing. They all wanted to go, too. From Saint Medico to Inquisitor High Lord, Sylvester was cherished by them all, for he had demonstrated his competency in managing everything they were accountable for. He was the perfect candidate for the future Pope—maybe even surpassing all the Popes in the past.

"Your Holiness, should we inform Mother Xavia about this?" Saint Wazir inquired. "It is better that she hears it from us than other Bright Mothers."

"No need." Inquisitor High Lord replied, his voice seeming colder than ever before. "Only a woman can understand the agony of another woman\'s heart. I will send Guardian Aurora to deliver the details."

The Pope lowered his head and rubbed his face with his palm. Of course, he was terrified and anguished, but he could not show it to others. After losing Grandpa Monk, he was too frightened of losing Sylvester as well.

"Keep it obscure, and prevent rumors from spreading before I return." The Pope ordered and departed. "Pray to Solis that he is alive. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the church to continue to survive—especially in these uncertain times!"

And everyone returned to their respective workstations. Regrettably, work was the last thing they could concentrate on.

…

By evening, the Inquisitor High Lord summoned Lady Aurora to deliver the dire news. As expected, she couldn\'t believe it initially, for she had fought alongside Sylvester against adversaries much stronger than a mere count.

Nevertheless, the Lord Inquisitor couldn\'t simply alter reality. Despite his sorrowful voice, he remained as steadfast and wrathful as ever. "Three separate letters from different sources have verified the information, Aurora. You must go and comfort Mother Xavia, for we are warriors, and our minds are tough. But for a mother, the revelations may be too rough."

Aurora nodded blankly and departed from the Inquisitor High Lord\'s chamber in the encampment. Her breath was heavy, and her heart was pounding rapidly. It was almost impossible to believe such news.

"H-How can he die so suddenly? It\'s impossible…He even stopped the Shadow Knight and that demon and…How?" 

Thud!

The instant she entered her tent in the encampment, she fell to her knees. Being a mighty warrior didn\'t mean the loss of a loved one didn\'t hurt just as much. As an orphan, Sylvester was like a true brother, and the news of his demise was as painful as any.

Small tears trickled down her cheeks. After years of forgetting how to, she once again learned to cry.

"You can\'t be dead, Max...This is impossible! How could you abandon Xavia? You are her only support...She must be devastated!" Worried for her friend, Aurora rose and rushed off to find Xavia.

She rode her horse hastily and arrived at the Guild Peninsula\'s infirmary. There, she entered Xavia\'s private office, as she was the Superintendent Healer there.

"Xavia!" She walked in. 

Sadly, to her dismay, she found Xavia sitting on the floor in a daze. Her eyes were unblinking, and her face appeared paler than ever before. She didn\'t respond, no matter how loud Aurora called her.

"Leave us," commanded Aurora to the Bright Mother, who had likely come to inform Xavia. "Do not allow anyone to enter."

Aurora then knelt down and embraced Xavia in a hug. She, too, had no words to speak, as her own trauma had not subsided. There was nothing that could be said to alleviate Xavia\'s pain.

After all, what could calm a mother who had just lost the only thing she deemed worth living for?

…

As time passed, missives spread throughout Sol, from the north to the southern regions. The monasteries were well-connected, especially when it came to disseminating important information. Thus, like a chain reaction, the word spread, and the nobility learned of the incident from the clergymen in the monasteries.

In the lush city of Gracia, Isabella read the letter. Her mind went numb, and darkness enveloped her vision. She fainted right there in her room.

…

In the meantime, Count Riveria, Duchess Iceling, and Baron Strongarm were apprehensive about the future of the world and their own territories. Sylvester was the link that connected them all and gave them direction to progress.

Without him, they were like a headless serpent. All they could see was darkness in the future, followed by excruciating misery.

However, one thing was universal: the hatred for House Sandwall.

…

In Riveria, King Conrad looked somewhat disappointed as he learned the news. He considered Sylvester a great ally who could solve issues he could not. However, he did not feel as sad.

On the other hand, Kaecilius had a much more devastating look, as Sylvester was at the center of his plan to overthrow King Riveria. The weapons, money, and everything else required for success were all supposed to come from Sylvester.

\'The plan Lord Bard provided me only concerns the next few years. But what after that?" Kaecilius wondered in silence. 

…

High Ragnum, Alfia Kingdom

"NO!" 

Jolted awake, the elven King rose from his bed. Using his Worldsight, he tried to look for his family, a solace he found in isolation. The mere knowledge of seeing his beloved family safe brought immense joy to his heart that made him keep moving ahead. 

But scenes he never wished to see appeared in his vision, stealing his breath away. Fury and discomfort filled his body, causing him to clench his fist so hard that his palms bled. The veins on his head protruded with the gravity of the situation he just realized. 

"You can\'t die like this…My son…" 

His throat was dry, and he thought about his next actions. He wanted to do something to protect his family, but all he ever achieved was failure.

"First Elder! Bring me the First Elder!" He roared to the servants outside his chambers, calling for his prime minister.

In no time, a tall, long-blonde-haired elf entered and knelt. "Your Majesty."

"Prepare the armies!" The elven King commanded. "Prepare to attack humans! We go for their Holy Land this time!"

"W-What? But Your Majesty, we have not yet recovered fro—"

"Do as I command! I order you as the King!"

With no choice, the First Elder left with a frowning face, confused as to why the King would take such an abrupt step, especially when the recent elder meeting was about delaying the war.

Sadly, no one could ever guess what was going on in the elven King\'s mind. The fear of losing the last remaining piece of what he held dear to his heart was so great that he was willing to do anything to protect it.

\'Xavia—I could not protect Sylvester. But I can\'t lose you too—I must bring you to safety!\' 

…

Unbeknownst to them, the Holy Land was already in the midst of planning for war. But, by the dawn of the following day, the news of Lord Bard\'s demise had already spread throughout the Holy Land. Faces lost smiles, and weeping Bright Mothers became a sight in common. 

The Sanctum Council was called once again, but this time, not for discussion, but for a revelation. The Pope had returned from his quick flight to the Sandwall.

From the Pope\'s face, all the Council members knew what to expect and prepared their minds accordingly.

"What did you find, Your Holiness?" asked the Inquisitor High Lord, still maintaining a calm demeanor.

The Pope could not bring himself to look up. "The missives were true… The Count killed Young Bard and allowed the cannibals to take his body."

Thud!

Inquisitor High Lord stood up, finally allowing his rage to show as the chambers became noticeably warmer. "What of the Count?"

"He hanged his eldest son to death and committed suicide. Only Felix Sandwall remains, who saw the unholy crime with his own eyes. Young Bard is... no more." The Pope\'s voice broke at the end, as years of fond memories resurfaced in his mind, and many moments of shared joy pinched his heart.

Clank!

Suddenly, the Inquisitor High Lord removed his Rank plate and placed it on the stone table, followed by his authority seal and identification token.

"What are you doing?" The Pope asked. 

"I quit!" The Lord Inquisitor answered in a fuming, loud voice. "For years, we tormented that child, knowing from the first day that he was blessed. We made him commit crimes so the Shadow Knight could pursue him and attempted to kill his mother—all in the name of tests!"

"You are mistaken!" Saint Seer interrupted. "We did everything to ensure he is the right candidate for the next Pope. We made him a Cardinal when he was merely nineteen. We took risks by supporting his ri—"

"SILENCE!" Roared Lord Inquisitor, his palms suddenly engulfed in flames. "Not even a day has passed, and you shamelessly address him in the past. He had proven himself the day he cured Pitfall Town of a plague at the age of five. Accept it; you never valued him when he was alive!"

Thud!

Inquisitor High Lord furiously tore off his heavy red cape and placed it on the table as well before walking towards the exit.

"Are you forsaking your faith in Solis?" The Pope inquired in a soft, weak voice full of sorrow.

The Lord Inquisitor looked back at the Pope\'s face. His blazing red eyes behind the visor met the Pope\'s gaze.

"My faith does not allow me to serve you any longer—an administration corrupted by the lust for power. Find a replacement for the position where I stand—I quit, not my faith, but the Holy Land."

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