Chapter 359: The Apostate

A Duke?

Pergrande wondered if she had misheard. As far as she knew, Rose City had no such nobles.

A higher-pitched voice came from the other side of the door. "Your Eminence, my brother is already actively in contact with them, but it's said their own war efforts are strained. I'm afraid they won't have the spare hands to support us."

"His suggestion is to start with Delusional Land. If we can bring that faction under our banner, the Religious Order's standing in their eyes will improve dramatically, making it much less difficult to secure their support."

"Delusional Land..." This was another voice. Pergrande could tell the speaker was a Chief Bishop of a diocese, on the same level as Sred. "But according to the reports from Judge Aron and the others, while Delusional Land has its dangers, it seems to have no other resources besides an abundance of herbs. What could possibly be so important there?"

"Danger doesn't just spring from nowhere," this was the Archbishop's voice. "If there were no benefits, why would those people choose to settle in a place like that?"

"Especially that Lord named Ron. According to the reports from Judge Aron and Priest... Bishop Pergrande, he is definitely not the refugee of rumors. He's more likely the prodigal son of some family, especially since his surname remains unknown."

"There must be resources there that are of great importance to the Duke; it's just that Aron and his team were unable to discover them."

Sred's voice chimed in with agreement. "His Eminence is right. To ensure the Holy War proceeds smoothly, we must incorporate Delusional Land into our plans. My brother has served for many years as the butler in the household of a newly-appointed noble in Rose City. That noble's adopted daughter supposedly went to Delusional Land half a year ago to train. Perhaps we can start there."

"An adopted daughter? Is she also a follower of the Duke?"

"No. According to my brother's report, his master dotes on this adopted daughter and strives to keep her from getting involved in our cause."

"Hmph. This could create significant resistance for our cause," the Chief Bishop snorted. "Sred, you and your brother must solve this problem. In a Holy War against the Abyss, any misplaced compassion can lead to severe consequences!"

"I suggest having your brother make contact. Make sure that Lord understands the stakes and cedes his interests! If not... then we'll have to play hardball!"

Pergrande's breathing grew ragged. She covered her mouth and nose, forcing herself to calm down, and then she heard the Archbishop speak.

"Justin, that's a bit too radical. We can absolutely use another method, one that is as low-risk and as secretive as possible."

"You mean..."

"Investigate the people close to them," the Archbishop ordered. "Take control of them, then lure them into an encirclement. It would be best if he knows what's good for him. If not, taking action will still be to our advantage. That Ron is a Caster, and a conflict within his own territory would be disadvantageous for us. Judge Aron and his team have already confirmed this."

The leader of the Molten Iron Barrier let out a cold laugh. "These so-called Lords come and go. The forces they assemble are nothing but ramshackle organizations. All we have to do is give them a kick, and— Who's there?!"

Suddenly, the sound of something hitting the floor came from outside the door. When the senior members of the Religious Order opened it, a Magic Cloak was lying silently on the threshold.

"That's my..." The Archbishop froze for a moment, then flew into a rage. "You! Get Bishop Pergrande back here at once!"

"That foolish girl!"

The Archbishop had been the one to promote Pergrande, so of course he didn't suspect anything else, assuming she had simply panicked and fled after eavesdropping on the secret meeting. But what he and the others never expected was that Pergrande didn't return to her quarters at all. Instead, she bolted straight out of the Religious Order's garrison and headed due north!

By the time the Religious Order reacted and began organizing a pursuit, a vast expanse of snow in the mountains had already covered the Bishop's tracks. The glare of the sun off the snow made Magic like Eagle Eye Magic difficult to use effectively. How could they possibly catch up?

But failing to catch her didn't mean they had lost her. As they unleashed a torrent of Divine Magic—Biological Positioning Skills, Divine Communication Magic, and more—Pergrande's attempts to hide her trail became futile. She was laid bare before the eyes of her former brethren, utterly exposed.

"She's heading north!" The Archbishop's face was grim as he stared at the information fed back by the Magic. "Mobilize all our followers along the route immediately! You must capture the apostate, Pergrande, and bring her back!"

"It's highly likely she has learned our secrets. If she spreads them, it will be a major blow to both the strength and reputation of our Religious Order!"

The once kind and benevolent-looking Archbishop now wore a different expression. He shot a sinister glare at Bishop Sred, who stood beside him, silent with fear. "Sred, notify your brother to act at once! Put the plan into effect. Only then can we secure as much support as possible from Duke Dispart!"

This Archbishop, who had long since lost the ability to cast any Divine Magic, paced back and forth in the empty hall. "What are you all standing around for? Get moving! The Master of Dis does not appreciate surprises or accidents!"

'Duke, Duke... The most famous Dukes are just those nine or ten! And they're our natural allies in the fight against demons—how did I not think of this from the very beginning!'

Pergrande cursed inwardly, over and over again, but she didn't even know who she was cursing. Maybe it was her meddlesome self. Maybe it was the bishops who were the true apostates. Maybe it was the Lord who insisted on settling down in a place of turmoil. Or perhaps, it was the demons, relentlessly seeking to invade.

Pergrande had strength and faith, but she was never particularly zealous about order and rules. Raymond Aron and Big Beard had told her as much more than once, believing she would surely stumble because of it one day. Now, they could say, 'Don't say you weren't warned.'

'I never should have eavesdropped on the bishops' conversation! Even if I did, I should have heard a few words and left! Why did I have to get involved in this?' Pergrande even had the fleeting thought of simply going along with their vile plan. But whenever she looked down, she saw the robe she wore, embroidered with the Holy Emblem of the Religious Order. How could she bring herself to make such a decision?

「Three full days had passed since she escaped the Religious Order's garrison.」

Pergrande hadn't dared to rest or slow down for a moment. Her thin Bishop's Robe offered little warmth in this environment. More fatally, she could only sustain herself with food and water created through Divine Magic. But now, even she no longer had the strength to create the resources needed for survival.

'At this rate, I'll be caught sooner or later.' As a Priest, she knew exactly what methods her peers would use to track her, but without adequate preparation, she was powerless to take any countermeasures.

Her only hope was to rely on others. But it was painfully obvious, even to her frostbitten toes, that Old Ray and the others were surely under orders to capture her too. 'Should I really expect them to defy orders out of camaraderie? Impossible!'

"Oh, God..." Utterly exhausted, Pergrande finally collapsed headfirst into the snow. The Holy Emblem she clutched in her hand grew faintly warm, but it couldn't bring the slightest bit of heat to the Priest.

"Since Your divine light shines upon this world, why can't it shine... just a little brighter?"