Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

Lindsay was surrounded by the crowd, looking completely bewildered, even though the townspeople were trying their best to remain calm. The pushing and shoving still managed to knock off her glasses, causing her to burst into tears of fear.

Just then, a young man's angry shout rang out. "You're not here yet, are you? You're not here yet, are you...?"

"Calm down, everyone!"

The crowd fell silent instantly. They watched as Liu Xia gracefully landed, then quickly made way for her, muttering amongst themselves.

"That's great, it's the Consul. With him here, everything is alright."

"What are you saying? He's the Governor now, even Miss Hetia is a rank below him..."

Ryūka picked up Lindsay's slightly deformed glasses from the ground, helped the girl up, and asked seriously:

"What exactly happened?"

After Lindsay recognized Liuxia, her face flushed red and she burst into tears.

"I...I don't know...they didn't tell me anything..."

She was sobbing uncontrollably and couldn't explain herself properly. Meanwhile, Ryusha spotted a familiar figure in the crowd: Atina's father, Old Maia. He was in a wheelchair, being pushed by Evelyn and her sister. His weathered face was composed, but it couldn't hide his loneliness and worry.

Liuxia patiently calmed the crowd and Lindsay, and after they left, she learned the whole story from Old Man Maya and the twin sisters.

Just as the investiture ceremony was taking place in Sochi, several clergymen arrived at the church and summoned Luminova, but this did not attract much attention at the time. Even Lindsay assumed that the newly appointed bishop, Sinatiel, and Luminova, both from the Inquisition, might have some private dealings.

But today, the town was bustling with activity as the celebration was held for the returning soldiers. However, just as the festivities were taking place, the papacy arrived.

This time, it was the bishop himself who led the group.

The townspeople initially welcomed them warmly, but Hinatil remained unmoved and headed straight for the church... Before long, the deafening sound of the church echoed throughout the entire town...

Planks and bricks flew everywhere, silver vines and petals engulfed the entire church, and the holy light was like a blinding sun, leaving everyone bewildered.

Then, no one saw the bishop emerge, but the clergy she brought stormed into the town like madmen, interrogating and accusing them of heresy. The ordinary townspeople were no match for them, and the celebration instantly turned into an execution ground. But they seemed to have gotten nothing from it and quickly left.

But... Atina is gone...

"Today, to celebrate, Atina only scheduled half a day of classes for the children and told me I would go home at noon. I was at home when I heard a loud bang from the church. Before I could even ask anyone for directions, Evelyn and Elena came and took me away... Soon after, the Vatican's people stormed into my house and turned everything upside down..."

Old Mya's tone was one of barely suppressed anger, while Elena looked uneasily at Ryusha and said:

"Atina, she...she is a heretic..."

Ryuga felt a sudden rush of light in his head. He looked at Elena and the others in disbelief, while the twins exchanged a glance and slowly began to recount what had happened in the church.

They happened to come to the church school to find Atina and ask her to join the celebration, but after the roar, Atina was covered in silver petals, laughing wildly, and she fought with the bishop.

Because the scene was too dangerous, the two of them quickly left, but Evelyn immediately thought that Atina's father might be in danger. No matter what had happened, they prioritized protecting old Mya...

Chapter 23 Past Events

Atina is an aberrant ability user? Ryuka was somewhat taken aback. Atina rarely communicated with him, and even when they were together, she would only listen to him in silence. He had repeatedly invited her to participate in the work on the territory, but she had refused. This made Ryuka wonder if Atina didn't like him, and he gradually began to ignore her.

As one of the first few followers, Ryuka only knew that she was skilled in military combat and had some magical talent, but heretical abilities? Right under his nose?

Just as Ryusha remained silent, Old Mya finished listening to the Evelyn sisters' description: silver vines and petals? He sighed softly.

"It's that sword..."

Ryuka asked in confusion, "Sword? What sword?"

Old Maya's eyelids twitched: "A sword I brought from the battlefield, silver, very beautiful, engraved with flowers and vines... I should have known that sword was wrong... Oh, Atina..."

His tone was filled with helplessness as he slowly began to tell Ryūka's story.

More than a decade ago, Old Maya waged a war against heretics.

The location was west of Sochi Territory, far from Linhu Territory. Moreover, Linhu Territory was on the edge of Ottus at the time and had no lord, so not many people knew about it.

Even old Maya only knew that the incident began when a lord in a castle went mad. It was said that he worshipped an evil god and tried to awaken something through wicked sacrifices, causing people in his territory to disappear one after another. In the end, he even killed his own family members as sacrifices. Only then did the Papacy finally realize what was happening and, together with the armies of the surrounding lords, attacked the castle.

But for some reason, his knights and mages were extremely loyal to him and exceptionally powerful. They held out for nearly a year in their castle high in the mountains, to the point that they eventually had to eat the corpses of their comrades and their families to survive.

The attacking punitive force also suffered heavy casualties, forcing the Papacy and other lords to massively expand their armies. Knights, mages, and ordinary soldiers, even old farmers carrying pitchforks, were all sent to fill the gaps. (The last sentence appears to be a nonsensical string of characters and doesn't translate directly.)

Old Maya and his two sons were also among them.

A foolish militiaman, with his son, fought a pointless and meaningless battle for a pittance.

Finally, the castle fell, and the mad lord and his fearless army perished. Amidst the ruins, old Maya saw that beautiful, flower-like sword…

Just then, another old and heavy voice rang out.

"As for that war, I know..."

Outside the church, two old farmers wearing straw hats walked in carrying fishing rods. The one in front had a towel draped over his shoulder. If it weren't for his voice, Liu Xia would have thought he was just an ordinary town resident.

“Mr. Du… Mr. Ronald…”

The newcomers were Ronald Duke and his bodyguard, Clemmer. The former master of Sochi was dressed like a typical farmer, and even Clemmer's brown skin looked like it had been tanned from working.

The fact that this elderly man, who lived in seclusion at the hot spring resort, had also come here surprised Ryuka. But Ronald simply waved his hand, rubbed his tired back from the long ride, and said to Ryuka:

“I was fishing this morning when Kramer suddenly sensed something approaching, so he rushed out. Kramer, you should tell Ryukyu.”

Ryūka looked at Kleimer, the shadow guard who silently conveyed his previous observations to her using a dark elf secret technique.

"Two women, one tall and one short, were fighting their way from the direction of Linhu Town. They passed by the Hot Spring Resort and headed east up the mountain. They were too strong; I dared not approach them..."

Evelyn and the others just stared at Ryukyu and Kramer, completely clueless about what they were talking about, and looked on with puzzled expressions...

Upon hearing this, Ryuga was about to set off to chase after them when Ronald stopped her.

"Wait! According to Kramer's observation, the stronger one is that girl. Ryuka, why don't you gather more information first, and then think about what to do..."

The old count found a piece of church gravel and sat down gently. Although Ryūsha was somewhat anxious, he calmed down. He was surprised that Klemer also said that Atina seemed stronger than Sinatiel, but was deliberately moving towards the high mountains to the east.

Furthermore, according to everyone's descriptions, Hinatil's purpose in storming the church this time was likely Atina. While Luminova had also been taken away, Atina wouldn't reveal this to herself, much less to Luminova.

Could it be... that Hinatil found out through other means?

In Ryūka's premonition, he saw Luminova looking distraught, but not Atina. This gave Ryūka a feeling that Atina was probably alright in this incident, but rather that foolish nun might be in a bad situation.

Besides, he himself didn't know where Atina's heretical abilities came from, so listening to Earl Duke's explanation might be the right thing to do.

“That mad lord is my old friend, Viscount Noor Antony. We've known each other since we were young…”

As Count Duke recounts his story, Ruka gradually learns about the events that occurred more than a decade ago.

Nur Anthony was a kind and gentle man among the nobles, who cared for the common people. Although his territory was not in Sochi, he was a loyal ally of Count Duke.

No one knows why he went mad. First, he secretly abducted his own people to sacrifice, then he ordered his men to arrest people, and finally even his wife and children were not spared...

The Papacy at the time seemed quite anxious, and the crusade against heresy was not led by the local bishop, but by inquisitive knights from the Holy City. They continued searching for something even after the war, but ultimately returned empty-handed.

Whether they were looking for that sword is now unknown. Because Viscount Anthony did not display the silver vines and petals of Attina during the war, and he and his men were far more bloody and violent, this may explain why the Papacy failed to notice that a silver sword had been secretly taken away by an old militiaman.

Many lords participated in that campaign against the heretics, and it was even rumored that the royal family had connections behind it. And there was another person involved in that war whom Ryūka was not unfamiliar with…

Joe Harvey's father, Marty Harvey, the Earl of the Frontier, made his greatest contribution in that war, rising from viscount to earl and acquiring the territory and castle of Viscount Antony, which he renamed Black Rook Castle.

In other words, the location of that heretical extermination battle was on the other side of the border where Ryūsha and Hetia first met Joe Harvey.

According to Count Duke, although Matt Harvey, the "transparent man of the East," only publicly sided with the fourth prince Elias a few years ago, he had a close relationship with Elias, who was still a teenager at that time.

So much so that behind that turmoil, Count Duke could more or less find some traces of Elias's existence...

"At the time, Matt Harvey was still a viscount, but he was very close to the Inquisition Knights from the Holy City. Ultimately, his greatest contribution was due to the saintess who led the Inquisition Knights… It's said she had some connections with Prince Elias of the Imperial Capital, so in the final attack, Matt Harvey was chosen as the main attacker…"

By the way, that saint back then is said to be Cardinal Carmela, now the strongest contender for the papacy… and the current head of the Inquisition. She's also the superior of the new Bishop of Sochi, Sinatil. Considering their ages, it's quite possible they were teacher and student…”

Earl Duke squinted as he slowly recounted his story. Though his tone was calm, his words sent a chill down Ryuu's spine.

These familiar names and networks of relationships kept connecting in Liuxia's mind, and finally...

'Watch out for my fourth brother…'

For some reason, Clovis's words suddenly echoed in Ryuka's mind.

Chapter 24 Atina's Letter and Lindsay's Stance

No sooner had Earl Duke finished speaking than his eldest grandson, David Duke, a teenager, arrived at the church entrance on horseback.

'Grandfather! Grandfather! '

The boy, whom Ryūka had rescued a year earlier, now possessed a maturity beyond his eleven or twelve years. He seemed to have come to see Earl Duke, but his eyes lit up upon seeing Ryūka. He deftly dismounted, and without even a greeting, brought Ryūka new information:

"Brother Liuxia, this is what that blonde sister asked me to bring to you!"

As he spoke, he took out a letter, which surprised everyone. Even his grandfather, Earl Duke, asked curiously what had happened.

It turns out that after Atina and Sinatil fought their way through the hot spring resort, she suddenly accelerated and shook off Sinatil, then circled back to the hot spring resort, where she left a letter for David Duke to deliver to Ryuk.

"Brother Ryuka, this happened so suddenly, I didn't expect it either. I'm sorry for hiding it from you, but I have a demonic sword called [Idunir] inside me. When that priestess suddenly attacked, she finally told me some of the truth."

At the end of the war a thousand years ago, after Kranar defeated the cruel witch, humanity launched a full-scale counterattack against all non-human forces, labeling them heretics. Idunir, one of the most notorious 'demon swords' among these heretics, was left to languish in a corner of the continent. Her last knowledge was that the remaining heretical forces were about to evacuate the central continent through the portal of the World Barrier…

She told me that once I was targeted by the Vatican, the only place I could go was the city fortress where the teleportation portal was located, deep within East Heavenly Lake. There, a powerful magical barrier prevented the Vatican from activating it, making it the perfect hiding place for me.

I am not in mortal danger, but I don't know when I will be able to see you again, I'm sorry. But please pay attention to what I'm about to say, it's a rumor I heard during Idunir's long, rambling conversation, it's fragmented and vague, but it might be useful to you.

I'm so sorry I ruined the school. Please tell the children I can't teach them for a while. If possible, could you please look after my father? Oh, and I can't keep my appointment with Elena and the others.

I wanted to become your strength, but this demonic sword is too dangerous, which is why I've kept it a secret until now. Brother Ryuka, I'm so sorry for causing you trouble, I'm really sorry…

The handwriting on the letter was messy and unlike Atina's usual organized manner. Ryuka could tell that Atina had made a spur-of-the-moment decision to return to the hot spring resort just to leave this letter for him.

The trivial information that Iduniel told her, which she mentioned at the end, was added at the very end.

'So-called heretics are not all evil; they are simply different from humans. In ancient times, all races coexisted peacefully until conflict erupted between the gods.'

"The goddess was once human and is hostile to all non-humans, including the Holy See."

'The 'gate' beneath East Heaven Lake connects to another world. Iduniel wants me to go there, but I—'

This part was crossed out, and Atina seemed hesitant, ultimately not saying it aloud.

"Please pay attention this way, for heresy may resurge from here. A cycle of 'millennia' will change the world," said Idunir.

"You have the qualifications to become a god, but the Church won't allow it; that's what Idunir told me. But she said you can't contend with the Church until you touch the 'Star,' so try not to reveal yourself. This isn't because you're not strong enough as a knight or a mage, but involves something else. I don't quite understand, but Idunir said you will."

'There is no conflict between divine positions. Idunir sensed your connection with Chloe; she describes her as a pitiful, foolish girl, who should be able to help you.'

'Vitales has a unique bloodline, originating in the North. Her background and lineage might offer you more insight.'

Treat all the gods kindly, if you can.

'Atina, your student and admirer, whom you have cared for.'

Ryuka touched the letter, which was torn from the self-study tutorial and notebook he had made for her. Perhaps this girl had always kept the things he had given her by her side.

Too many things happened at once, and they happened too suddenly. First, there was what Yu said, then the arrival of Hinatil and the departure of Atina, which caught Ryuka off guard.

This left him somewhat flustered, but for some reason, the sound of the wind, the soil beneath his feet, and the rustling of the leaves—this territory seemed to be soothing him, miraculously calming Ryuka's mood.

Earl Duke was taken aback, then shook his head: "Most of them have settled near the Hot Springs Resort, and they all went into hiding after Clemerson sensed that woman."

"That's good……"

Ryusha breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to David Duke. He didn't have much interaction with him, but perhaps because David knew he had saved him, he naturally had some trust and loyalty towards him.

"Thank you, David."

"You're welcome! Brother Liuxia! Please don't hesitate to ask if there's anything I can do for you! As for Father, I've sent him to the mountains to keep watch for that woman's whereabouts. He'll let us know if he finds her returning here!"

David patted his chest casually, which made Earl Duke choke. He stared at his grandson in disbelief and asked:

"You sent Tavis? You fool! Have you forgotten that our family has a dark elf half-blood? What would happen if your father were to run into a bishop of the Holy See in the wild?!"

"It'll be alright... Father is already a Grand Knight, even if he can't win, he can run away..."

David suddenly felt a little guilty and scratched his head with an embarrassed smile. Ryusha was also amused by this 'filial son.' It seemed that as the only remaining descendant of the Duke family, David was quite spoiled by his grandfather and father, to the point that he was now bossing his father around…

Earl Duke then gave David a hard tap on the head: "You ungrateful wretch! And another thing! You can't call Ryusha 'Big Brother'!"

David cried out in pain and asked indignantly, "Why! Brother Liuxia saved me! What's wrong with me calling him brother!"

Liu Xia chuckled to herself. It seemed that Earl Duke hadn't told his grandson that he had an aunt named Kira, perhaps because there hadn't been a good opportunity.

In a sense, although he was only a few years older than David, he could be considered his 'uncle'...

After giving David a helpless lecture, Earl Duke turned to Ryusha:

"The letter seems to have a lot to say. So, what are you planning to do now? You've only just become governor and there's already so much trouble, plus so many powerful figures around you. Compared to you, the difficulties I faced when I was young seem insignificant."