The Necromancer's Church Management Manual

The far north of the Norville continent, the permafrost ridge.

Amidst the surrounding mountain range, a massive, pitch-black crater, thousands of feet wide, has been ripped open. Boiling, dark purple mist slowly rises from within the crater, carrying with it the stench of decay.

In such harsh conditions, Nidhogg slowly opened its cloudy eyes and looked at the red dragon sitting to the side.

The red dragon opened its mouth and emitted a hoarse sound:

"Nidhogg, are we really going to attack the Kingdom of Slo? Weren't we supposed to follow the Bourbon's wishes and wait for that human race named Gar to develop?"

Nidhogg sat up as well, but instead of looking at the red dragon, it gazed at the southern sky:

"That Bourbon kid knows my character, he must know that once I've recovered, I'll take my revenge."

"Therefore, our all-out attack must also be within his calculations. Attack boldly and decisively, and crush that throne stained with filthy blood!"

-

The capital of the Kingdom of Slovenia.

Charles rested his chin on his hand, sitting lazily on the throne.

Beneath the throne, the minister nervously clutched the original edict, examining the handwriting and the signature at the end, absolutely certain of its authenticity.

He began to read:

"Edict of King Edmond Jean Philippe de Bourbon"

—In the name of Icarus, the holy god of light.

When Charles heard the name Edmund, he frowned, sat up straight, and began to listen carefully.

"To all souls bathed in the banner of Slo—whether nobles, commoners, warriors, or devotees of the god of war wandering in the temple."

"When this edict sees the light of day again, I will already be buried in the land of the Glory Sanctuary, sleeping with all the kings of the past."

"I have learned the whole truth, but I can no longer speak of it, so I use my will to write down the truth of all this."

Firstly, repentance.

"With the blessing of the god of war, I expanded the territory of the Kingdom of Slo and forged the throne with iron and glory."

"However, behind every battle lies countless homeless souls."

"When I stood atop the burning ivory tower and looked down—at the children struggling in the scorched earth, the prisoners being burned by flames... the soldiers' ruthless slaughter made me realize that war is never something to be celebrated."

"The god of war bestowed upon me the power of the King's Sword, but also plunged me into the abyss of slaughter."

Secondly, revelation.

"The god of war has sealed away all my compassion. I am imprisoned in the symphony of war. The endless slaughter almost suffocates me. Only then did I see a ray of light shine into this hellish world."

"Icarus, the holy god of light, the dawn of the Age of Gods, the god who holds the power of dawn, light and oath, awakened me from my confusion and gave me eyes to see the truth: this world should not only have war and despair, but also peace and hope."

Thirdly, exposure.

"If I die in an accident or by assassination, the mastermind behind it all will be my son Charles, who should be on the throne right now—"

"Shut up!" Charles's expression turned cold the moment he heard his name.

Using the blessing of the god of war, he instantly appeared in front of the minister and snatched the imperial edict from his hand.

A line of blood instantly appeared on the minister's neck. His mouth gaped open, his pupils contracted sharply, and he reached out in disbelief, trying to touch his neck.

However, he could no longer think; his pupils became bloodshot and dilated, and he finally collapsed to the ground in despair.

The Queen was filled with disbelief when she saw Charles's sudden madness.

This was the first time she had ever seen him so enraged.

Charles paid no attention to the minister's blood splattering on his magnificent clothes, his gaze rapidly moving across the imperial edict.

"The God of War discovered my epiphany and knew that I was no longer a pawn to be used, so he issued a divine decree to bewitch Charles."

"Charles resonates with the god of war. He desires not only the throne, but also a civil war to offer the god of war a sacrifice that will please him."

"He forced me to confront Nidhogg—the guardian of the kingdom—with swords drawn, and sealed me in the secret vault of Nidhogg Castle. Because Nidhogg was the being he feared most."

"I am destined to die in his conspiracy with the god of war."

"What utter nonsense!" Charles angrily tore the original manuscript of the will to shreds.

The process was completely wrong, but the result was correct!

It must be some beast who's slandering him behind his back!

But now the information about the will has already been widely publicized, and it is too late for Charles to do anything now.

But if the incident is allowed to escalate further, he will definitely be dethroned by the entire nation!

"Damn it! What on earth is this God of Light, Icarus?! Why have I never heard of him before?!"

He stomped his feet angrily, trampling the ministers on the ground until they were unrecognizable. Only then did he kick off his shoes in disgust and pace around the empty palace.

-

Duke of Gusenberg.

Outside the Duke's mansion, the air was thick with a chilling atmosphere, as many members of the Cardisia family were trampled underfoot by what they once considered their allies.

Duke Cardissa was a brave warrior, but he was not a good duke.

When it comes to interpersonal skills and scheming, Duke Cadisias is like a green recruit, easily fooled.

His power had long been devoured by the other two dukes of the Kingdom of Slo over the past decade.

Duke Cardissa was now a lone commander. Even if he wanted to resist, he was utterly powerless against Duke Roderick's tens of thousands of soldiers.

At this moment, in the reception room of the Duke's mansion.

Duke Cardissa sat listlessly in the main seat, directly opposite Duke Roderick, who had come from afar.

An eerie silence filled the air.

After pouring the tea, Butler Jefferson instinctively stepped behind Duke Roderick, avoiding Duke Cardisia's gaze.

Yes, he had long since submitted to Duke Roderick, which is why he was able to obtain the identity of a dragon knight so easily and hand it over to Lucia to pass on to Andrew.

Everything was exactly as Duke Roderick had anticipated.

In Jefferson's eyes, the Duke of Roderick was an omnipotent being.

After a long silence, Duke Roderick finally picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and moistened his lips.

Good afternoon, Duke Cardissa. It's been a long time.

"Speak plainly," Duke Cardia said coldly.

"You're still the same. We were allies fighting side by side against the enemy back then, how come you've become so distant?"

"Just say what you have to say."

"Very well." Duke Roderick's tone turned icy. "Duke Cardisia, you have privately handed over the identity of a Dragon Knight to your son Andrew, who is a necromancer who has wreaked havoc in the Kingdom of Slo, causing incalculable damage to Nidhoggburg. I have now united all the dukes within the territory and am preparing to have the King reclaim your administration of Gussenburg and all the surrounding lands."

"What do you mean? Are you threatening me?"

"Yes, that is the threat." Duke Roderick admitted without hesitation: "Soon, you will no longer be the Duke of Gusenburg, but a sinner of the Kingdom of Slo."

"You will be arrested on charges of treason and become a penniless prisoner. Everything you once owned will become mine."

"King Charles will uphold justice for me."

"Heh, that patricide beast?" Duke Roderick scoffed. "That beast can't even protect himself, and you expect him to uphold justice for you?"

"Besides, our loyalty has always been given first to His Majesty Edmund, not to this bastard who rose to power by murdering his father."

Duke Cadisias stated decisively, "I only wish to help His Majesty Edmund protect this territory."

"Hector, you're still that same old relic..." Duke Roderick said coldly, "I only need you to promise me one thing, and I will immediately withdraw my troops and leave Gusenburg."

Duke Kadisia fell into a long silence. After a long while, he sighed and asked, "What do you want?"

"I still cherish the past, the years we fought together, those were the beautiful memories we created together, but all of that is gone forever. I want us to be able to go back to that beautiful relationship we had in the past, so..."

Duke Roderick paused slightly, then pointed to the 300-pound child beside him:

"I have a good-for-nothing son, and you have a good-for-nothing daughter, so why don't you..."

Martin, when mentioned by his father, happily shook the fat on his face, but his gaze never left Lucia.

Lucia instinctively took a step back, but she knew that she was partly responsible for the Cardiac family's predicament.

She had sworn that she would not back down, so Lucia secretly made up her mind and stepped forward:

"I......"

"I refuse!" Duke Cardias coldly refused.

This was clearly a very profitable deal, but Duke Cardisia resolutely chose to protect his daughter.

He was not a good father.

He wanted to be a good father.