by Feng Yue
Although some of the ports along the way showed signs of damage, they were still rather intact and the city was still in decent shape. It seemed that the moment the chaos ended, restoration was already underway. This was not what Norman expected. He had already been mentally prepared to work amongst the debris but once he was actually there, he realized that the situation was not as dire as what the Sacred City had predicted. Perhaps it was not out of pride that this country chose to decline aid from the Sacred City after all.
The worst case scenario of Anglo being destroyed by the Leviathan attack had not taken place. Although the death of the king in the battle should be mourned, overall, they did not sustain too much casualties. In fact, if one perceived the battle as sacrificing a royal palace in exchange for defeating a catastrophe, perhaps every country would already be rushing to build tens of palaces before bombing them to the ground in exchange for eternal peace. According to the reports that the Sacred City had received, the entire situation almost seemed too easy.
After utilizing all their trump cards and all the reserves of many years, Leviathan was thoroughly defeated by Anglo. It was thorough and complete. It was not just a temporary exile. It was the death of Leviathan, who belonged to the upper tier of catastrophes and was one of the Four Living Creatures. An outcome like this could be described as ‘sensational’. Anglo did not sustain any fatal casualties, nor sink into complete chaos after the battle. Instead, it only proved the potential that this country possessed. As for the neighboring countries that had planned to exploit their situation only found themselves biting off more than they could chew.
Now, any sensible person knew that this country has already survived its toughest times, and has even rid itself of its curse and progressed into the next phase of development. As long as the new king, Mary, did not do anything foolish, Anglo would be able to return to their most glorious times within five years. In fact, they might even progress to a stage whereby they could vie with the Asgardians for the control of southern seas.
“It seems that the plan needs to be tweaked,” Norman sighed. His face had become pale once again from thinking and worrying too much. He leaned over the ship railings and vomited out all the contents of his breakfast. Behind him, an old man sighed and patted his back, before taking out the remaining few pills for seasickness. After consuming the pills, Norman looked much better.
The old man shook his head, “If you are seasick, just eat your medications.”
“Apologies, Bishop Raymond.” Normal bowed with an awkward expression. “I had thought that we would be able to reach the harbor in the morning. I had no idea that there would be such a huge delay.”
“There will always be unforeseen circumstances.” Bishop Raymond grabbed onto the ship railings and looked at the city without saying a word. His expression was calm. It seemed that the wait would have to continue.
This was the first accident that they had encountered after reaching Avalon. The chief officer had walked out of the cabin with a mixed expression on his face to inform the passengers that they would have to wait for more than three hours before they could enter the harbor. In the ensuing commotion, Norman squeezed through the crowd and reached the chief officer. It has been such a long journey of enduring the torture of seasickness. Avalon was now finally within sight, yet they were not allowed to enter. This was such a huge blow that Norman could almost vomit blood.
Facing all the commotion, the chief officer seemed to be in a difficult position. “At the moment, only harbor 3 is opened and can allow us to dock. But news have just came in that the situation at the berth is tense and we need to give way for the time-being.”
“Give way?” Norman was stunned and his face was red with fury. Although he had left his family to join the Church at a very young age in order to become a friar, he still came from a rich background. His teacher in the Church also held a rather prestigious position. Although he should uphold the value of humility as the servant of God, he has never had to give way to anyone in his entire life.
“What are you talking about? This is the ship of the Church!” The consecutive days of seasickness have finally gotten to Norman. He could not suppress his rage and he hissed, “Besides, I just saw that the harbor is completely empty. There is no congestion whatsoever. Why do we suddenly have to give way?”
“This… I’m not too sure either,” the chief officer was helpless. Norman was so furious that he was just about to storm into the captain’s office, but was stopped by Bishop Raymond.
“Forget it, Norman,” Raymond said calmly. “We are only giving way. After all, that person is of a prestigious status. There is no shame in giving way to him.”
“That person?” Norman was stunned. His anger dissipated instantly. “Are you referring to the ‘Hand of God’?”
“Looks like he has completed his homeland patrol and has returned to Avalon.” Bishop Raymond raised his turbid eyes and looked at the edge of the sea that was far away. It was as if he could see the impressive and majestic ships. “Norman, we were too late.”
Very soon, hurricanes swept over across the seas, as the passengers gasped in shock. The ship began to rumble vigorously and Norman’s face turned pale again. He tried to control himself and looked into the distance. The first thing he saw was the black combat vessel, which has been branded with the markings of flame and holy emblem. The ship was clearly still some distance away, yet its details could be seen so clearly. One could barely fathom the immense size of the ship. A loud sonorous horn sounded. The crashing waves became calm under an invisible power. The surface of the sea was flat, with only small ripples caused by the passing of the ship.
Behind the black vessel was a gigantic fleet of tens of ships from various countries. Raymond stared for a very long time before finally sighing, “Too fast. We will not have enough time. Looks like we have underestimated the determination of that person…”
Norman stood on tip-toes and watched the black combat vessel, which was sailing silently like an incubus. As he recalled some of the dark and terrible rumors of this ship, he could not help but feel a chill down his spine. How long has it been? Eight days? 10 days?
After Leviathan was killed, the fog gradually subsided. There was chaos everywhere as the entire Anglo had lost contact with its capital for such a long time. When the news of the old king’s death came, everyone was shaken. Subsequently, when the envoy of the new king travelled to the various lands, more than half of them chose not to pledge their loyalties to the new king. It seemed that the influences of several other countries were lurking in the shadows. It was a precarious period of time.
As expected, everyone had planned to exploit the chaotic situation for their own benefits. Regardless if one was to choose to be independent or seek alliance with others, everyone knew that this opportunity would only come once in a lifetime and it would be foolish not to take advantage of it. Everyone knew that the fastest way to gain wealth and power was when the country was in chaos. Unfortunately, the moment ‘that person’ set out on his ‘Mountain of Nomadism’ to patrol the homeland on behalf of the new king, everyone knew that they had made the wrong decision and it was too late to turn back.
The first person that tried to repent was already too late. The entire family was declared to be heresies and was burnt to ashes on stakes in front of a crowd. The second and third followed very soon after…
Those that had not pledged their loyalties to the new king before the black ship had arrived eventually found themselves on the stakes. All these souls that have sinned were sent to heaven for judgment and purification.
Some people tried to compromise but it has been proven that ‘compromise’ was not something that existed in the dictionary of ‘that person’. Some tried to put up a fight but it was proven very quickly that it served no purpose, except a more tragic ending. Neither peace nor violence worked. The moment one’s name has been included in the list of ‘that person’, nothing else mattered. Some people even tried to seek refuge
in other countries after making a fortune, thinking that their newfound wealth would guarantee their survival. In the end, the black ship caught up with them the moment they had entered territorial waters and in the name of God, were attacked with a barrage of bombs.
The traitors and their wealth were erased. In less than half a month’s time, more than 600 people have been mercilessly burnt to death and countless that have been implicated were locked up in the Religious Court of Inquiry. It was unlikely that they would ever see a single beam of daylight anymore for the rest of their lives.
With the death of Leviathan, the name of the Religious Court of Inquiry resurfaced in this world once again. What was once a dismissive attitude of ‘that little bastard’ has been thrown away, just as the countless corpses that have been dumped into the sea. Until now, no one has dared to speak of his name, except to refer to him as ‘that person’, who would bring about only death and doom as the new Chief Inquisitor. Thereafter, everyone else would pledge their loyalties to the new king as soon as they could, all the while praying that the black ship would never dock at their harbors.
Now, this person has finally concluded his homeland patrol and his nickname, ‘Hand of God’, has also been tainted with blood and has spread across all countries. No one could have imagined that just one year ago, ‘that person’ was still an exile from Anglo who had nothing in his possession.
What has happened since then was nothing short of a miracle. Perhaps this was really the will of God. Ever since that Staff of Fate had burnt Leviathan completely into ashes and turned the clone of Hyakume into a toy in the bottle, no one has dared to doubt his wrist and ability.
“Is he really human?” Norman could not help but shake his head and sigh. The majestic fleet was fast approaching. Even without binoculars, one would be able to clearly see the black armored exterior of the ship and the ferocious and massive main cannon. Rather than describing the two ships as having passed each other by, it was more like their ship was welcoming the other with reverence and respect.
Norman could not help but cast the movement of revelation on himself. His vision crossed over the distance and landed on the deck of the black ship. In the midst of the heightened security, he could just about make out white hair that was like mercury. It seemed that the young man, who was about the same age as Norman, felt something and raised his head to give an indifferent glance. Those pair of dark black eyes seemed to contain a bottomless pit and they pierced Norman’s eyes, even from such a great distance. Norman lowered his head subconsciously and no longer dared to look.
The vision left Norman and landed on the elderly Bishop beside him. Raymond sighed guiltily as he apologized for what Norman has done. That young man was not offended and smiled, before retrieving his vision.
When the black ship finally sailed past, it veered towards the other side of Avalon, instead of stopping at harbor 3. It sailed past the formation of the royal navy that were there to welcome their return, and into the berth that belonged to the royal family. Norman finally breathed a sigh of relief. He could feel his back drenched with cold sweat. He could not help but laugh bitterly, “That was Ye Qingxuan?”
“That’s right.” Raymond continued to watch the black ship. For some reason, there was an indecipherable expression on his face. “… Hand of God, Ye Qingxuan.”
616 Wild Ambition
Westminster Church.
Mephistopheles sat on his chair, holding the tea cup of his afternoon tea, eyes
closed as if lost in thought.
In the dark light of the lamp, Bishop Lehman sat on the other side of the desk,
silent. Norman became restless in the heavy atmosphere.
After a long while, Mephistopheles heaved a sigh. He put down the cup,
obviously worried about something. “What you ask me to do is really difficult.”
Lehman seemed to be expecting this. He nodded his head. “We understand
the position of the Anglo Division. We only need you to provide any help you
can.”
“This is not a matter of position.” Mephistopheles sighed again, his eyes full of
helplessness. “To be honest, you are late. If you had come a few days earlier,
I could introduce to you someone who might be of help. But now, I cannot
help you at all. You know, the hand of god came back to Anglo. He must have
heard something.”
Lehman narrowed his eyes into a slit and looked at Mephistopheles. “Nothing
you can do at all?”
“Nothing I can do at all.” Mephistopheles was firm.
His face was grim and heavy. Yet behind the desk where Lehman could not
see, he was leisurely shaking his legs. He didn’t care about the business of
the two in his office.
To be frank, if it were not that the request was from the Church,
Mephistopheles would not let them get into his office at all.
What they had come for was too troublesome. If he was not careful,
Westminster Church would fell into a dilemma between Anglo and the Holy
City.
Mephistopheles had sacrificed his whole life and work for this church. He had
been a moral saint for his whole life and cherish his hard-earned reputation
very much. He now was half-retired and he didn’t want to make any mistake in
his late years. That would be too miserable.
Especially after Ye Qingxuan had established himself in Anglo and the whole
world. Anyone who had some brain would not fight against a man of Ye
Qingxuan’s status and fame.
The Church had much to spare and could just walk away if their conspiracy
failed. But Mephistopheles couldn’t afford to lose.
Mephistopheles had lived his whole life between Anglo and the Church. He
could earn the trust and support of the royal family of Anglo only because he
was smart and cunning. He had been working for this all his life and had
smuggled firearms with Maxwell to raise fund. In his heart, the Westminster
Church was more his own property than a division of the Church.
Therefore, he didn’t want to interfere with their business at all. They would
only bring him bad luck. He didn’t care at all.
That was the real attitude of Mephistopheles.
Yet, he could not say that. He needed to find himself sufficient excuses for him
to refuse the order from the Church and keep the neutral position of the
Westminster Church. But he could not offend them as the Holy City would
doubt his competence. This was the problem.
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but heaved a sigh again and patted himself
on his thigh. “This is really difficult!”
“Even you could do nothing to help?” Lehman stared at him.
Lehman was an ascetic. He worked in the sacrament Department all his life
and was praised for his sincerity. He was quite capable with his work and was
firmly with the Holy City.
Mephistopheles knew this guy. In Lehman’s mind, the divisions should carry
out whatever the Holy City commands at whatever cost and even be glad to
die for the Holy City. Mephistopheles’ reluctance had already made him
unhappy.
But what could he do?
Mephistopheles spread his hands, showing that he was also desperate. His
expression was sad and helpless, as if he was full of sorrow and pain.
“You may have noticed now.” He said, “honestly speaking, I don’t have any
power now in Westminster Church. Didn’t you notice that when you come?”
Lehman was surprised. He and Norman looked at each other. They didn’t
expect Mephistopheles to say that.
“You noticed when you come here, right?” M
ephistopheles went to the window
and drew the curtain. He peered out the window through the gap of the curtain
edge as if he could see something. “the knights guarding the church, and
those people in the church who are in no way missionaries.
Lehman frowned. “They are all sent by the Religious Court of Inquisitors?”
“Exactly.” Mephistopheles nodded grimly. “I have to get their permission even
to go out, not to mention speaking to them. And all my meals and guests are
under their surveillance.”
“What? This is house-arrest!” Norman exclaimed.
Mephistopheles was a little shocked by his reactions, but he suffocated his
laughter and nodded. “Exactly. This is house-arrest!” He looked around
carefully and locked the door. Then he turned to the two and, with a sad face,
he said, “Ye Qingxuan’s ambition was wild! He took over the church by force
when he arrived in Avalon. And he sent his men here to guard the church. We
are all under house-arrest. A man named Shi Dong would follow me
everywhere, even to the toilet.”
If Ye Qingxuan had been there, he must have spat on his face.
Take over the church by force? It was you that asked me to take the ring of
authority! It was you that begged the men from the Religious Court of
Inquisitors to guard the church for you!
As the deputy director of the first-generation Witch’s Hammer, Shi Dong
follows you to the toilet? How shameless you are! Why don’t you tell them the
secret deals you’ve made with Shi Dong? Why don’t you tell them the
