Chapter 867

【 WAIT, THIS ISN’T HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO!? 】

No one knew what had happened inside the prison of Dororia Castle.

However, as news of John, the Saint of the Goddess of Life, being ambushed by the Inquisitorial Knights of the Eternal Church continued to spread, tensions between the two churches grew increasingly severe.

Two months after Old John disappeared, protests and public gatherings organized by human followers of the Goddess of Life began appearing in cities throughout the various human nations. What had initially been isolated demonstrations gradually developed into widespread unrest, with clashes becoming increasingly frequent. In some places, angry citizens even stormed and burned down temples belonging to the Eternal Church, further aggravating the already volatile situation.

According to rumors, Pope Benedict II, the head of the Eternal Church at the time, flew into a terrible rage upon hearing the news. He immediately issued an order for the arrest and execution of all the “rioters” who had participated in the arson attacks, showing no intention of tolerating any form of defiance against the authority of his church.

Alas, his harsh response only added fuel to the flames.

As a result, relations between the Eternal Church, the Empire’s impoverished population, and the Church of Life deteriorated rapidly.

Yet, with the Church of Life secretly supporting the unrest, uprisings continued to erupt across the Empire like wildfires sweeping through an autumn grassland. Every time the authorities managed to suppress an uprising in one location, another would break out somewhere else, forcing the Imperial authorities to scramble from one crisis to the next.

At this point, both the Empire’s nobility and the clergy of other religious factions could no longer conceal their astonishment at the power the Church of Life had demonstrated throughout this storm. Its influence had expanded far beyond what anyone could have anticipated, and its ability to mobilize the masses had become a force that even the most powerful institutions in the human world could no longer afford to ignore.

Before anyone had fully realized what was happening, the once-weak elven church had already acquired the power to shake the very foundations of the Eternal Church, the largest religious institution in Seigües!

Such a transformation was nothing short of astonishing.

Of course, whenever those who knew the truth considered the real identity of the Goddess of Life and recalled the connections between the World Tree, the Eternal Lord, and the true gods who had once been worshipped, they could not help but feel that perhaps this outcome had been inevitable from the very beginning. Given the complicated history connecting these divine beings, the rise of the Church of Life and its confrontation with the Eternal Church might have been destined to occur sooner or later.

Some of the weaker deities, who had endured a thousand years of oppression at the hands of the Divine Human Coalition and had watched their followers’ living space steadily diminish, even felt a sense of satisfaction at seeing the Eternal Church struggling to contain the situation.

However, compared with the Eternal Church’s increasingly fierce reaction, the Church of Life displayed a somewhat peculiar calmness.

Despite the escalating unrest and the growing hostility directed toward them, neither the Church of Life nor the Goddess of Life standing behind it appeared particularly eager to escalate the confrontation further. Instead, they seemed to be exercising considerable restraint, as though they were deliberately holding back their strength and avoiding any unnecessary moves.

Outside the capital city of Maniya, Demacia, who wore a hood and had used a transformation spell to assume a human appearance, shook his head smugly as he addressed the novice players behind him. The group had been discussing the current situation across the continent, attempting to make sense of the growing conflict between the two churches and the political upheaval spreading throughout the human territories.

“Waiting? Isn’t that obvious? The Goddess is simply buying time. After all, as time passes, the player population keeps growing, and our levels and strength continue to increase. We’re also planting more and more missionaries throughout the human territories. With our strength growing while theirs declines, the advantage is obviously ours!”

Demacia spoke with the confidence of someone who believed he had already seen through the Goddess of Life’s entire strategy.

Most of these players following him were newcomers who had recently joined the Heart of Nature. Their average strength had only just reached the threshold of the Silver-rank. For this expedition, they had accompanied Demacia to the Holy Empire of Maniya under the guise of a merchant caravan, allowing them to travel through the human territories without immediately drawing unnecessary attention to themselves.

Moreover, as the number one ‘cult leader’ in the entire game, Demacia naturally had no intention of sitting out the Goddess’s missionary quests.

Shortly after returning from Dragon Island, where he had brought several players and dragons to wreak havoc on the gold mines of several great nobles, he had joined this grand missionary campaign with a group of newcomers.

Of course, the reason he had brought newcomers instead of veteran players was simply that Demacia had opened an exclusive business opportunity within his guild.

The deal was honest and straightforward, with a guaranteed position as a priest at the very least.

“Truly worthy of your reputation, Boss Demacia!”

“Straight to the heart of the matter!”

“Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!”

“Big Shot, please carry us!”

A chorus of flattery rose from the players behind him, and Demacia thoroughly enjoyed every word of it.

As a member of the closed beta player and NPC pecking order’s lowest rung, Demacia had rarely received this kind of treatment, despite being the vice president of the Heart of Nature and the CEO of the Amway Trading Group.

This was true even though his overall strength had long surpassed that of most players, placing him among the very strongest in the entire playerbase…

Of course, things were different now.

As the level gap between veteran and new players widened and the player population continued to grow, he could finally display the impressive bearing of an experienced veteran without holding back in front of these newcomers.

As he liked to put it, “You won’t know how satisfying it is to show off until you’ve actually done it yourself.”

As Demacia continued nodding smugly, one of the players asked, “Boss Demacia, then… why did we have to travel all this way to the capital of the Empire to spread faith? Wouldn’t a city in the Empire’s border have been better? This place is the very heart of the Eternal Church.”

Demacia smiled faintly.

“Of course, I didn’t bring you all here simply to preach and spread faith. I’m also here to rescue someone.”

The other players looked curious.

“Rescue someone?”

Demacia chuckled.

“You’ve heard of John, the Human Saint of the Goddess of Life, haven’t you?”

“Of course! He’s currently the most famous NPC in the game these past few months!”

“Yeah! I remember you Boss Demacia making a whole bunch of magical recording and using his story to incite chaos among the Empire’s poor people!”

The newbies chimed in one after another.

“Inciting what—Cough! Cough, cough, cough…”

At their words, Demacia, who had been drinking water, nearly choked. He burst into a fit of coughing before glaring fiercely at them.

“What, ‘inciting chaos’? I was enlightening the masses!”

“Ah, yes, yes! Enlightening the masses!”

“As expected of Boss Demacia! Even the way you rephrase things sounds so impressive!”

“Please tell us more, Boss Demacia! I need to take notes!”

Demacia: “…”

Were these guys genuinely praising him, or were they making fun of him in a roundabout way?

Seeing his expression grow increasingly dark, the newbies stopped fooling around and quickly returned to their original question.

“By the way, Boss Demacia, how did you determine that Saint John was in this city? And even if he is here, where exactly is he being held?”

As the newbies turned their gazes toward him, Demacia silently wondered what kind of motley crew of misfits he had recruited this time. Nevertheless, he patiently explained his reasoning.

“This city is the Eternal Church’s holy city and the capital of the Empire. Given how much attention they’ve paid to Old John, where else would they take him? Besides, my Amway Group’s underground intelligence network isn’t just for show.”

“I see!”

“As expected of Boss Demacia!”

The newbies nodded in sudden realization.

Watching their exaggerated reactions, Demacia’s mouth twitched. He suddenly began to wonder whether they genuinely admired him or were simply after the rewards from his missionary experience.

Of course, he could not be bothered to dwell on it.

Rather than obsess over such trivial details, he would be better off thinking about how to rescue Old John.

After all, John was one of the few NPCs with whom he had a favorable relationship!

He was also a purple-ranked Epic NPC!

Furthermore, John had been recruited into the organization by Caesar, and Demacia knew Caesar personally. So in a sense, Demacia had even served as Caesar’s missionary mentor, with his own achievements now surpassing those of his former pupil.

So, by stretching the connections a little…

Well… wouldn’t that technically made him Old John’s grandmaster?

Yes, that was absolutely how the relationship should be calculated!

A grandmaster rescuing his grand-disciple was only natural!

It certainly had nothing to do with his desire to rescue John and see whether doing so would trigger a hidden storyline!

Demacia’s mind was filled with such elaborate justifications.

Still shaking his head smugly and riding a little donkey, which he had deliberately switched to after approaching the city, Demacia led his group toward the gates of the city while listening to the newbies behind him shower him with praise.

the capital city of Maniya was unquestionably the largest city in the world of Seigües, with a population exceeding three million.

The city’s architecture was dominated by the distinctive domed Maniyan style, resembling a combination of Romanesque and Byzantine architecture from Earth. Its buildings were predominantly white and gold, the colors symbolizing the Eternal Church, and glittered brilliantly beneath the sunlight.

Known as the Eternal Holy City, this city was extraordinarily wealthy. It had never suffered the ravages of war throughout its thousand-year history. Even as power within the Empire changed hands repeatedly, ambitious figures had never dared to allow warfare to spread into this religious center. At most, they would engage in political intrigues within the imperial palace inside the city.

As a result, the city was magnificent, bustling, and prosperous. Even players who had witnessed the splendor of Chosen City could not help but widen their eyes in amazement.

Of course, they had not come here for sightseeing and they had more important business to attend to.

“Boss Demacia, where exactly is Saint John currently being held? How are we supposed to rescue him?”

One of the players following Demacia asked curiously.

Demacia’s expression grew serious.

His gaze swept past the bustling streets before finally settling on a distant point at the end of one of them.

There, they could just make out a towering black castle that stood in stark contrast to the architectural style of the surrounding city. Its appearance conveyed an oppressive sense of gloom and solemnity.

“According to the records, this area has a castle called Dororia. It holds political prisoners from across the continent who have resisted the nobility, as well as heretics accused of blaspheming against the Eternal Church…”

“That castle has been blessed by the gods. It’s known as the impregnable castle prison, one that can never be breached. If my guess is correct, Old John is being held there.”

Demacia spoke in a low voice as he gazed at the castle at the end of the street.

The newbies exchanged glances.

“Then… how are we supposed to sneak inside it?”

“Yeah, I checked online but there aren’t even any guides which could tell us what to do…”

“Guides? Heh… At this point, do you still think ElvKing needs those things that only restrict players’ freedom?”

Demacia scoffed.

He shook his head and continued.

“Guys, just watch how I handle this! The whole point of bringing you here was to broaden your horizons, after all.”

“You’re all newbies, and these human kingdoms are full of hidden dangers. The Eternal Church isn’t some pushover. I’m afraid you wouldn’t know how to handle yourselves…”

“I’m more than enough for this rescue mission. I don’t need you Gold-rank-less rookies getting in my way.”

“But, Boss Demacia, didn’t you say that the prison was blessed by the gods? I remember reading on the official website that ordinary mortals can’t harm anything or anyone blessed by a deity.”

A player who had done his homework asked in confusion.

Demacia merely chuckled smugly.

“When did you get the impression that I couldn’t deal with a divine blessing?”

He raised his head and declared triumphantly, “Forget divine blessings. Even if a god showed up in person, I’d make sure they regretted it!”

Hearing this, the newbies rolled their eyes, clearly unconvinced.

Noticing their expressions, Demacia could not be bothered to explain himself.

Heh.

A bunch of rookies!

They had no idea what kind of power he was keeping hidden up his sleeve!

With that thought, Demacia reached for the bone whistle concealed on his person.

That whistle still contained a divine punishment from the Goddess of Death!

Sigh…

In fact, if he had not noticed that the light on the whistle seemed to be growing weaker over time, as though its power had an expiration date, he would not have chosen to bring it here.

Thinking about it, a divine punishment powerful enough to severely injure even a god could hardly be expected to remain available indefinitely as a defensive tool for a mere player. So it would be better to use it sooner rather than later and exchange it for something useful before its power expired.

And that was Demacia’s trump card for causing a massive commotion here in the Empire’s capital city!

“So… Boss Demacia, are you planning to storm the castle prison by force?”

A player behind him asked.

“Storm it by force? No… Resorting to violence is utterly foolish. Direct combat should only be considered as a last resort, when all other options have been exhausted. In ordinary circumstances, if you can solve a problem with your brain, then you should definitely use your brain.”

Demacia pointed at his head as he spoke.

“Use our brains?”

The newbies stared at him blankly.

Demacia chuckled and continued.

“Just watch. Not only will I walk right in through the front door, but I’ll also make the Eternal Church invite me inside!”

“Huh?”

The newbies’ curiosity was thoroughly piqued.

“Then… how exactly are you planning to do that, Boss Demacia?”

“Simple. I’ll become someone who is allowed to enter the prison.”

Demacia grinned.

With that, he suddenly leaped off his little donkey and sprang forward, charging straight toward a group of guards.

Under their bewildered gazes, he pulled a flag embroidered with the Scepter of Life from his robes. Waving it wildly, he shouted with fervent conviction:

“Down with the Eternal Church! Down with the hypocritical nobles of the Empire!”

“Overthrow the nobility! Liberate all humanity! The world of Seigües belongs to the Goddess of Life!”

The guards’ expressions changed immediately.

With cold snorts, they swarmed forward and subdued Demacia.

“Damn it… We run into a lunatic from the Church of Life first thing in the morning! Throw this blabbering fool into the castles prison!”

The captain of the guards spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the ground before issuing his order.

Immediately afterward, the guards dragged Demacia into Dororia Castle Prison like a dead dog.

Watching this scene from a distance, the newbies were left utterly dumbfounded.

T-That… actually worked?

Meanwhile, while the guards dragged him away, Demacia chuckled to himself and winked at them.

In their group’s chat channel, a message appeared, practically overflowing with smug satisfaction:

“The prisoners in Dororia Castle Prison are all political dissidents and heretics.”

“If you guys want to get inside, simply become a political dissident and a heretic, just like what I did. Easy, right?”

The newbies: “…”

We can do that?!

Their spirits immediately soared, and their eyes filled with eager anticipation.

Although Demacia had already said that he did not need their help, how could a bunch of troublemaking newcomers resist the urge to get involved?

With Demacia’s example fresh in their minds, they quickly came up with their own ideas and began looking around.

Before long, they spotted a patrol of silver-armored knights.

They were none other than the Eternal Church’s notorious Inquisitorial Knights!

The players exchanged glances and nodded to one another. Then, following Demacia’s example, they swarmed forward and shouted with fervent enthusiasm:

“Down with the Eternal Church! Down with the hypocritical nobles of the Empire!”

“Overthrow the nobility! Liberate all humanity! The world of Seigües belongs to the Goddess of Life!”

Seeing them suddenly surround the notorious Inquisitorial Knights, the surrounding citizens were utterly stunned.

Immediately afterward, the Inquisitorial Knights, who had been surrounded by the newbies, furrowed their brows slightly. They looked at them as though they were already dead.

The captain leading the group gave a cold snort.

“Hmph! Arrest all these heretics! Take them to the stakes in the public square and burn them alive!”

The newbies: “???”

W-Wait!

This isn’t how it was supposed to go?!

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