Volume 1 Chapter 662

Chapter 662: The Turning Point

The three days had swiftly come to an end.

For Lolth, this brief span did not feel particularly drawn out.

She even felt…

…it had all gone by a bit too quickly.

The sole consolation lay in the apparent smooth progression of events.

Word of Janine Irene’s return had reached The Church of Light, reawakening memories of the “Janine Irene incident” among many in the Holy Capital.

The escape of the Oracles Knight Order’s commander naturally drew intense scrutiny, for all knew her allegiance lay with the Holy Maiden.

Within the Holy Capital, the current “Lady of Light” and the “Heretic Tribunal” now formed the most conspicuous alliance.

Initially, upon learning of Janine Irene’s rapid approach toward the Holy Capital, those opposing the Lady of Light had perceived this as worsening circumstances…

However, as unfounded rumors and whispers began to circulate, people soon realized something was amiss.

The Heretic Tribunal appeared distinctly displeased by these developments.

Through Lolth’s “proactive involvement,” the Tribunal became embroiled in a whirlwind of dubious incidents over three days—reports of “the Director cursing vehemently upon hearing of Janine Irene’s resurgence,” “Heretic Tribunal operatives staging ambushes,” and “attempts to brand her as a demon-collaborating heretic”—though none could be verified.

Yet few questioned Janine Irene’s devotion.

The Pope’s own protégé, this young knight had reportedly single-handedly crippled three Abyssal Demon legionnaire leaders during her escape.

One truth became clear: if the Tribunal sought to declare her heretical, it stemmed not from genuine suspicion.

Their inaction despite the rumors only deepened public skepticism.

The Tribunal’s recent ruthless efficiency proved they’d capitalize on any shred of evidence—yet here, they hesitated.

Speculation bloomed that within demon territories…

…complex machinations had unfolded between the Lady of Light, the Heretic Tribunal’s Director, and Janine Irene.

The Director’s “rescue” of the Lady of Light clearly concealed deeper intrigues.

Had Janine Irene been discarded? Was there no role for her in the Director’s designs?

Perhaps the Tribunal-Lady alliance required her absence as foundation.

Bolder whispers emerged—

“Could the current…Lady of Light be compromised?”

Most dismissed this as outlandish, though the seed of doubt lingered briefly in many minds.

Beyond Janine Irene’s drama, observant souls noted increased restlessness among the Holy Capital’s shadow dwellers.

To senior Church members, the Capital’s vulnerability was no revelation.

Yet now, cultists, infernal zealots, and Wizard Association spies moved with unsettling vigor.

This surge puzzled many…

For hadn’t the Heretic Tribunal already purged most infiltrators from the Church’s ranks?

Why are these guys growing even more active?

Even the spies infiltrating from other nations have become more restless amidst their confusion.

The Holy Capital now simmers with oppressive tension, thick with the promise of imminent upheaval.

All recognize this truth—whether they welcome the coming storm or dread its arrival…

None can halt the approaching tide.

Like the fierce winds and gathering storm clouds heralding an imminent tempest…

When the first dampness touches the air and dark shapes crowd the horizon…

Any attempt to act comes already too late.

"The Holy Capital teeters on the brink of cataclysm"—this truth strikes clear even to those in the highest positions, even those confined to dungeons.

Commonfolk sense it too—though ignorant of specifics, they shift uneasily beneath this smothering anxiety.

Yet many watch with dark satisfaction.

Hell’s collaborators, eldritch cultists, even mages packing their retreat—all understand…

However fractured the Holy Capital’s unity, however deep their infiltration…

This remains the bastion of order.

A smoothly functioning Holy Capital, free from chaos, spells disaster for their ambitions.

Success seems improbable…

Unless…

Through chaos comes opportunity.

Within the Wizard Association’s enclave, Patricia studied the remaining traces of "Never-ending Night" Philtes’ designs, finally reconstructing her colleague’s deranged scheme.

"’Artificial God of Crafted Magic’…’Ascending elemental essence to divine puissance’… Lacking inherent divinity, so he’d steal slivers of grace from the God of Light’s gift to the Pope, using divinity to breed divinity…"

"No wonder our master forbade this…"

She’d known god-forging required madness, but never imagined…

Philtes’ insanity ran so deep!

To harvest divinity split from the God of Light, purify it through Arcane means, then install it upon the "Natural Divine Throne"…

Performing such sacrilege within the Holy Capital itself—this defies all reverence for the Church of Light!

Yet precisely this madness…

Makes possible what First Era civilizations achieved only through entire civilizations’ efforts—this "artificial god" creation.

No wonder the elders first tacitly approved—no, actively permitted "Never-ending Night" Philtes’ decade-long operations here before dispatching me.

"How typical—the Wizard Association hedging bets on both sides."

Her sigh dissolved into bitter laughter.

"Still…I’d pay dearly to witness…"

"The moment when some random succubus—or whatever chaos those demonspawn create—wrenches these meticulous madmen’s ritual into catastrophic reversal. Especially old ‘Never-ending Night’s’ face when it happens."

Patricia understood clearly—the Holy Capital’s turbulence, though chaotic and uncontrollable, might yet overwhelm even those who set these dark wheels in motion.

But at least one person maintained absolute awareness of all unfolding events.

That would be "Lolth."

All these developments… even if not precisely calculated, remained firmly within her anticipated scope.

Patricia herself harbored growing suspicions—

From cultist activities to infernal schemes, even the rising influence of two other factions beyond The Church of Light likely bore connections to that succubus!

Sharing this perspective stood another "Patricia" – Kanor, who currently operated under the stolen identity while infiltrating cultist circles.

Within the requisitioned residence of a certain mage girl, now serving as their operational base, Kanor meticulously charted magical surge points across the Holy Capital’s map.

"Four hundred sixty-eight arcane nodes forming a colossal compound magic circle… Seventeen disclosed cultist ‘anchor points’ for opening plane channels, plus forty-two concealed sacrificial sites… Sixty-six residual signatures from Hell Demon God manifestations…"

"Then there’s Golden Peacock, Ryman, and Seychelles operatives forced to activate emergency measures after exposure in Eastern Seven Kingdoms territory…"

"Meanwhile, factional tensions within The Church of Light approach open warfare due to the Heretic Tribunal’s drastic measures—three dungeon assaults already occurred…"

"The Holy Capital’s current chaos surpasses even South Sotua’s war-torn borders."

Kanor set down her quill, reaching an unsettling conclusion.

"Surface-level order persists through sheer pretense. Through magical perception, true structure dissolved long ago."

"This fragile calm stems not from maintained order, but from… chaos architects honoring mutual restraint."

She inscribed "Mutual Restraint" across the suspended map.

Below, Lalea studied the kaleidoscopic web of magical notations—chronological markers, event clusters, and mana flux anomalies—grasping the capital’s precarious state through visualized data.

From the lens of magic environment analysis…

The Holy Capital’s arcane currents now churn with unprecedented turbulence.

This metaphysical battlefield out-chaos any physical warzone.

Yet what truly captivated Lalea wasn’t the evident crisis, but the implications behind Kanor’s systematic documentation.

After prolonged contemplation, she ventured:

"Our original mission involved assisting your succubus mentor in coordinating cultists…"

"Given how even we struggle to parse this complex balance…"

"Could Lolth have foreseen all this intricate turmoil from the beginning?"

Kanor responded with muted laughter.

"Ahaha…"

"Foresight implies calculation. With Teacher, it’s more… an instinctual gravity."

"She requires no conscious scheming—her mere presence warps events. Do you comprehend, Sister Lalea?"

"When Master Lolth expounded upon spatial magic, she revealed a fascinating phenomenon… that the highest principles of space magic, time magic, and gravity magic share an interconnected nature at their highest laws."

"For when gravitational force—the ‘attractive pull’—reaches sufficient magnitude, both space and time become warped and distorted…"

"In essence, gravitational force possesses the capacity to attract and contort the fabric of time and space."

"Quite extraordinary, isn’t it? I too find it defies conventional wisdom, yet such is the reality of things."

"Later, however, I extrapolated an aspect our master hadn’t explicitly addressed."

"When a particular form of ‘magical energy’ or ‘rank’ achieves overwhelming potency, even the intangible forces that weave ‘fate’ and ‘causation’ begin bending toward you."

"Like how legendary heroes are ordained to confront invading Demon Gods and Demon Kings across dimensions, while simultaneously drawing formidable allies and Divine Artifacts to their cause."

"Master Lolth herself exhibits extraordinary distortions regarding ‘fate.’"

"Her mere existence plunges the Holy Capital into desired chaos… My own actions might unwittingly stem from this aspect of our teacher’s innate gifts."

As Kanor’s fantastical assertions hung in the air, even the progressive-minded Lalea required prolonged silence to process them.

"By the stars… That’s…"

The explanation struck her as suspiciously reminiscent of foundational myths for some Lolth-worshipping cult—

So outlandish it bordered on pure fabrication.

Yet some primal intuition mingled with past experiences whispered…

"This might hold truth."

Kanor showed no concern for Lalea’s acceptance of her theories.

With an indifferent shrug, she concluded:

"Thus I believe the impending ‘spark’ for widespread upheaval approaches."

"Though I cannot yet discern… its precise nature."

"A catalyst potent enough to ignite all factions and chaos simultaneously—Janine Irene’s return alone proves insufficient."

"What could Master Lolth be awaiting… How intriguing."

With this philosophical murmur, Kanor sealed their analytical session.

"For now, we can only bide our time."

As countless others did, consciously or otherwise…

Until twilight’s approach brought tolling vesper bells and sudden stormclouds breaching perpetually clear skies—

Announcing to all that this "spark" would surpass their wildest estimations…

Drowning even the Holy Capital’s cacophony beneath its magnitude.

The first raindrop descended.

Lolth emerged from the Heretic Tribunal.

The Pope… was no more.