Chapter 496 — Sunlight Shines Upon Frostgate

"Your Eminence, the crusaders' activity at the front is plain for all to see. The people around the Great Wood Pass now show an especially strong desire to embrace the Holy Light; great numbers of new converts appear every day—not a few of them converts from the alien gods, and soldiers of the Kingdom's army among them," one bishop declared loudly, joy in his voice. "Count Solin has written a formal commendation and letter of thanks, in gratitude for our priests holding the line for him."

"A temporary stalemate can make people realize the significance of priests and Church knights appearing on the battlefield," Saint Ivan III's low, slow voice echoed through the Great Hall of Radiance, "but beware—a stalemate too long will make people question the Lord's power. And we must be vigilant: the heretics are also using this chance to grow stronger..."

"Yes, Your Eminence. Great numbers of alien-god followers have entered the eastern region, and lately hostile priests wielding the divine power of the God of War and the God of Blood have appeared at the front. They may well imitate the crusaders and form an Eastern priest corps..."

Saint Ivan III fell silent a moment, as though listening to some faint whisper carried from the distant divine kingdom, and half a minute later broke the silence: "The Lord does not mind. Those heretics have not found the right path; even gathered together they are but a rabble. We need only continue spreading the Lord's gospel, and intercept those heretics who vainly seek to flee east..."

The council in the Great Hall of Radiance proceeded in a solemn and reverent atmosphere; under the guidance of the aged yet wise Pope, every matter was at last arranged properly and fittingly, and finally the meeting came to an end.

Virodai Moen, titled the "Living Saint," remained at Saint Ivan III's side as always after all the bishops had left the hall.

In the long silence, Saint Ivan III hunched in his great, magnificent chair as though half asleep and half awake. Brilliant holy light shone upon him and cast a long shadow behind his chair—though the light plainly fell from directly above, that shadow stretched out thin, long, and crooked, very far, and split into many branches, like some strange tree whose tips hung thick with ceaselessly shifting, changing phantoms shaped like palms, eyes, faces, and gaping mouths.

Virodai tilted his head slightly and glanced at the shadow behind the Pope's chair, his face utterly expressionless.

By the sacred canon, no one may stand behind the Pope's chair; apart from the Living Saint and the Yaoxiao Church, no one is permitted to peer at what lies behind it, for that place is held to be where "God" hides Himself and stands. The Scripture of Holy Light puts it thus: the God of Holy Light stands behind the Pope, and through the Pope's eyes watches over His people and His kingdom.

At a certain moment, Saint Ivan III seemed to have fallen fully asleep; a serene and peaceful air settled over him, and faint holy music drifted down from the air. The state lasted only a few brief seconds before the doddering old Pope suddenly raised his head: "The Lord's radiance has dimmed..."

Virodai bent slightly forward. "The south?"

"...The south. I see the Lord's radiance faltering in that land, blood and fire spreading over the earth, and the sound of blades being drawn..." Saint Ivan III had opened his eyes, yet his tone still seemed half a dreamer's muttering. "A phenomenon never seen before... not even in the eastern region did such a thing appear..."

At last a flicker of astonishment crossed Virodai's ever-serene and placid features.

In the east, Prince Edmund had already begun formally expelling priests of the Holy Light and issued orders to eradicate the faith of the Holy Light; those who followed the God of Holy Light could only pray furtively in their hearts. On that land, one could say, the blow dealt to the faith of the Holy Light was already unheard of—and yet in the south... a decay of faith more terrible and more thorough than in the east?!

What had happened behind the mighty walls of Stonehold Fortress? Could the resurrected founding duke have massacred every follower of the God of Holy Light?

Quickly, Virodai banished the astonishment from his eyes and continued in his calm, mild voice, "I wish to go south, and witness with my own eyes the changes there."

"You may not be permitted into the heart of the Southern Region, but if you draw close enough, you should be able to sense what it is that is affecting the Lord's radiance," Saint Ivan III said in a deep voice. In the eyes of this old man, seemingly ancient to the point of death, shone the mighty brilliance of the Holy Light. "Find it, investigate it. If Duke Gaoyang Cecil has truly committed some outrageous act of faith-extermination, then your first priority is your own safety—return, and we shall discuss our response. But if some power of desecration has entered the world... then destroy it."

"Yes, Your Eminence," Virodai bowed slightly. "For the Lord's glory."

"Go and make ready... As it happens, Silverkeep will soon be sending envoys south as well," the old Pope's voice sank low, as though he were about to slip into his next dream. "That land in the south... we have neglected it too long..."