Chapter 43
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Chapter 43: Target, Hillenbrand Town!
Compared to the escalating situation in the Demon Army’s Abyssal Hall, the Holy Alliance and other forces on the mainland behind them remained relatively calm about the fall of the Western front.
Although the collapse of the defense line was problematic, apart from a few Elf and Dwarf tribes directly affected, most larger forces did not react much. In fact, for the entire Elf and Dwarf races, losing half of the Moon Rising Mountains and Dragonspine Mountain was within an acceptable range.
Even after losing the entire Vera Plain and two affiliated duchies, the Republic of Seychelles showed symbolic support by sending additional military aid to the front-line troops after receiving refugees and noble survivors who had escaped earlier.
Even neighboring countries like Ryman, which could be considered arch-enemies of the Republic of Seychelles, applauded their loss of the Vera Plain.
After all, if Ryman’s troops were to reclaim the lost territory in the future, there would be disputes over who the land truly belonged to!
Of course, the Republic of Seychelles also took pleasure in the misfortune of Isabella being captured and the myth of the undefeated Northman Knight Order being shattered.
As the Demon King said, although the Holy Alliance is unified militarily, and politically it is merely a coalition that appears united but it’s actually divided.
Every race and power is hiding their best and strongest fighters, the most skilled and experienced warriors, at the rear.
It has been three thousand years since the last Abyssal plane opened a fixed channel and launched a massive invasion.
Even the longest-living creatures like Wood Elves, dragons, and armored Orcs, who fought in the war against the demon race, have passed away hundreds of years ago.
Shortly after the war with the Abyss ended, in less than a hundred years, peace in this land crumbled again without the presence of the demon race.
Elves and Orcs have been at war for decades, the hero of the dwarf tribe established an empire that crumbled after only three years of conquering one-third of the continent, and humans hired mercenaries to hunt young dragons, which led to disasters caused by the Dragon race seeking revenge – for the past few hundred years, there have been continuous conflicts, conspiracies, and civil wars between dwarves, Orc tribes, human nations, and different factions.
Relying solely on the ancient alliance of the “Holy Alliance” reassembled at the time, naturally lacked any real authority.
Of course, this does not mean that the current powers on the continent underestimate the Abyssal Demons.
Since the day the Demon King descended, everyone has been well aware that the Abyssal Demons are not something any single power, or even any alliance of two or three powers, can resist.
Nonetheless, due to past betrayals by supposed “allies” and the chaos that followed the last Abyssal War, which lasted a hundred years, every faction had to tread carefully.
The fall of the Western Front made it clear to everyone that the Abyssal Demon was intensifying its actions, and the Holy Alliance’s current strength was insufficient. However, at the same time, for many factions, this was also seen as a chance.
Danger and opportunity are two sides of the same coin.
The Abyssal Demon had already taken control of Vera Plain, parts of the Moon Rising Mountains, and the Dragonspine Mountain range. All forces across the continent would need to reveal some of their hidden resources.
However, where and when these hidden resources would be revealed remains uncertain.
Even the question of whether to use all these hidden resources against the Abyssal Demon is still open for discussion.
At that moment, a plot was taking shape in the secret chamber of Eden Palace, the seat of the Church of Light, in the capital city.
Seated at the head of the banquet table, a person dressed in a white robe, with intricate golden embroidery on the collar and cuffs, indicated their high rank within the Church of Light. At the opposite end of the table, two projections of women appeared—these projections were so lifelike, it almost seemed like the real people were present, thanks to the use of powerful magical artifacts.
The woman on the left was dressed in a stunning, elaborate gown in the red and purple hues of the Golden Peacock Dynasty, one of the six largest human kingdoms on the continent. Her youthful and alluring face, with slightly tilted wine-colored eyes, radiated an enchanting charm, akin to a succubus from legends.
Though she appeared young, her demeanor carried the weight of a seasoned leader, clearly a powerful figure hiding her true age.
On the right side sat a young girl who seemed innocent and pure. She was small, still in her growing years, wearing a light blue mage robe from the Cloud City Sorcerer Association. However, her robe was altered from the loose, traditional style, exposing her thighs, shoulders, armpits, and ribs—clearly tailored to her own taste.
The seven-star and double-moon emblem on her chest explained why she was able to modify her robe without reprimand, as this emblem marked her as one of the three Great Sages of Cloud City, a symbol of her authority within the city’s rules.
The appearance of the projections of these two individuals made it clear that this was a conspiracy involving the Church of Light, the Golden Peacock Dynasty, and Cloud City!
After the projections settled into place, the host in the white robe spoke first.
“Thank you both for accepting the invitation… I believe you are already aware of the breach in the western front, correct?”
Although mostly hidden by the robe, the soft, pleasant female voice revealed the speaker’s youth and gender.
“Of course, the Church of Light sent an urgent communication—not just to inform us, but also to request our help, correct? Although the Golden Peacock Dynasty is far from the western front, we are not uninformed.”
“Who wouldn’t know about this… Let’s get straight to the point…”
Both the representatives from Cloud City and the Golden Peacock Dynasty sounded slightly impatient, urging the girl from the Church of Light to proceed.
“Alright, since you’re both already informed, I won’t go into detail about the battles in the West,” the girl continued, unbothered by the interruption. “The Church of Light has invited you both here because they hope to recover something lost after the fall of the West with your assistance.”
“Oh, so the Church of Light needs help finding something too?” The woman from the Golden Peacock Dynasty smirked, mocking, “Aren’t your sanctuary knights and priests from other branches enough? And weren’t there no soldiers from the Church of Light in the West? How could something be lost there?”
The girl from the Wizard Association remained silent, patiently awaiting further revelations.
Upon hearing the remarks from the others, the girl from The Church of Light calmly continued speaking.
“Because that item was not lost by a member of The Church of Light, but by the Lord Divine himself fourteen thousand years ago… a Divine Artifact.”
Although the girl’s tone was calm, as if discussing something ordinary, the two projections couldn’t maintain their composure after hearing this.
Even though they were among the continent’s most powerful beings, the Divine Artifact of the God of Light seemed to them like a mere beginner’s magical item facing a legendary relic!
It was almost untouchable.
“Divine Artifact?”
“God of Light?”
Both of them spoke in unison, their voices filled with disbelief.
However, being powerful figures in high positions, they soon regained their composure.
“Why would that item be on the Western Front? And why hadn’t The Church of Light searched for it earlier?”
The girl who looked like a Sage put away her previously innocent smile on her face and asked seriously.
“Because it wasn’t in the Western Front before, actually, it’s not there now either,” the young girl asked calmly, “But it seems like you already have a guess, right?”
“Of course, the God of Light hasn’t intervened much… Is it true that it’s about to connect with the main plane of the continent soon?” Sage, a young girl, rubbed her forehead and gave a helpless smile. “Oh dear, that would be… quite lively.”
“Are you two making fun of me for being naive, speaking in riddles here,” the representative of the Golden Peacock rested their chin on their hand, tapping the table impatiently. “Where exactly is this place… and why did you outsource the task of retrieving the Divine Artifact? Shouldn’t you, as a saintess, handle it personally for the Church of Light?”
“The location is not convenient to reveal directly, but I can tell you… she didn’t go because she couldn’t handle it nobody in the Church of Light could handle this task,” Sage replied on behalf of the exposed saintess. “If the Church of Light could handle this on their own, not to mention this saintess, even the aging pope with one foot in the grave would have to dig himself out and rush over there!”
The saintess listened to this explanation without denying it, simply nodding slightly.
“Yes, choosing you two is also because… this matter itself has connections with the Wizard Association and your Golden Peacock Dynasty.”
“It’s getting more mysterious, but how could we be involved? We’re just a small country that’s been around for a hundred years without much history!”
The woman from the Golden Peacock muttered something under her breath.
“This matter is related to the previous hero, Terese Diana, Lady Maria Diana.”
A casual remark from the Lady of Light finally caused the woman from the Golden Peacock to drop her frivolous demeanor.
“The ones who should know the secret will probably know.”
Her hands were crossed in front of her chest.
“But if you say that, I might know where the Divine Artifact of the God of Light has fallen…”
“The Pope also believes that only people from the Golden Peacock Dynasty and the Wizard Association have the opportunity to do this.”
The saintess continued speaking.
“I understand, but The Church of Light surely wants our Golden Peacock royal family and the Sage from the Wizard Association to work for you as mercenaries, there must be some rewards involved, right? And The Church of Light will also offer some help, correct? The western front is very dangerous right now!”
Maria Diana narrowed her eyes and said.
Even though she and the young Sage both knew that by entering “there,” the benefits they could gain would be immense!
However, since The Church of Light had sought their help proactively, it was only right to ask for compensation.
“The Church of Light will send the sanctuary knights of the Oracle directly from headquarters to the battlefield in the West. I will personally lead the way. While you are in action, I will unite with the Holy Alliance to launch a full-scale attack to divert the attention of the demon race,” the saintess said softly. “People of judgment and decision will also protect those infiltrating Vera Plain… The reward is that all the ‘spoils of war’ from the Oracle team will belong to the Golden Peacock Dynasty and Cloud City, whether or not you bring out the Divine Artifact. Of course, if you do bring out the Divine Artifact, we will offer even more rewards.”
After the saintess finished speaking, Maria Diana and the young girl Sage exchanged glances and shared their opinions.
“A good offer, it seems worthy for me to personally make a trip,” said Sage with a nod.
Sage nodded in agreement.
“As a weak woman who can’t go in person, but I believe there will be someone from our Golden Peacock royal family willing to go on behalf of the church,” Maria Diana replied with a smile.
Maria Diana also smiled and said.
“Very well, the venerable saint and The Church of Light will not forget your kindness,” the saintess nodded, then continued, “So, before it opens, I will give you both some information…”
“As for the location, according to the prophecy of the Oracle and the pope, the approximate location is in a small town called Hillenbrand on Vera Plain. It is a rather inconspicuous town, so the Demon Army is unlikely to pay much attention to it.”
“Hillenbrand Town…”
After hearing this, the girl Sage seemed to think of something and began to ponder.
However, she did not alter her decision.
“Then, I will patiently wait for the news from the church.”
“Farewell, Her Holiness!”
Two figures bid farewell to the Lady of Light and disappeared into the secret room in Eden.
The operation involving “Hillenbrand Town,” planned by the Golden Peacock Dynasty, The Church of Light, and the Wizard Association, had already begun its preparations.
Meanwhile, inside the Demon King’s Castle.
Lolth, who had received a message from a little demon messenger, also walked into a secret room at the top of the tower.
It was a place filled with magic, resembling a control room.
“Moving day has begun—activate the full formation! Enter escape mode!”
Lolth pressed many buttons on the huge control panel in front of her, infusing them with magic.
In many rooms of the Torture Tower, the shimmering Space Magic Arrays lit up.
A silver-white light flashed on the outer wall of the Torture Tower.
Hidden magical fluctuations began to pulse, and within the Demon King Castle, except for a few strong individuals, most demons were unaware of it.
The magical fluctuations intensified, and when they reached their peak, Lolth pressed the red button in the middle of the control panel.
“Destination—Hillenbrand Town, transfer!”
