Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

But... how could this be?

Even Joe Harvey looked over in disbelief. The steel gate sealing the secret passage behind Ryūka was intact, without a trace of being opened. But Ryūka stood right behind his father, gently wiping the blood off his longsword.

"Teleportation magic, I should have mastered it by now in a few months."

Liu Xia tapped her heels, and a hidden beacon rune on the stone slab at the entrance to the secret passage gradually disappeared. At such close range, as long as the beacon rune was left in advance, it would only take an instant to teleport over.

Just in case, Ryūka left this beacon rune near Joe Harvey beforehand. Although this kind of teleportation magic, which does not rely on magical devices, has limitations in terms of distance and the duration of the beacon's existence, it is convenient enough for Ryūka.

Although he hadn't fully considered that Matt Harvey would sacrifice his own son, Ryusha felt there was a reason why Joe Harvey was left in Black Rook Hold. Of course, there were other uses for him in saving Joe Harvey.

"A few months...hehehe...hahahaha!!!"

Matt Harvey, who had lost both arms, couldn't help but smile bitterly. His two bare, bloodied shoulders, coupled with his deranged appearance, terrified his own son.

Space—this is a power entirely different from ordinary forces. Even with short-range teleportation, it took me several years to achieve. Even within the Papacy, unless Carmela and the Pope bestow upon them a scepter or artifact imbued with holy power, ordinary bishops and paladins wouldn't dare to dream of such an ability.

The people from the Bauhinia Kingdom and the Merchant Guild also paid a long time and a lot of money in order to master personal-level teleportation magic.

The boy in front of me mastered it in just a few months, and acted as if it were perfectly natural.

"This is the 'power of God's Chosen'! They said mortals weren't qualified! I believed it so much! I believed that Carmela was right!"

Matt Harvey laughed self-deprecatingly. Although his arms were still healing, he knew he was no match for Ryūka no matter what, and muttered to himself in a self-deprecating manner.

"But she isn't...she's a devil...you are too, you are too..."

“A madman.” Ryuka kicked him aside. Unlike the believers he knew who worshipped goddesses, Matt Harvey seemed more like a madman driven by superstition. This made him even more curious about what the ‘Chosen Ones’ really were.

But Matt Harvey was clearly not in a speaking state, so Ryuka simply froze him completely. Even so, his body was still healing; it was unclear whether cutting off his head or piercing his heart would have been effective.

After that, Ryuga went straight to the bookshelf that Matt Harvey had mentioned. Untitled leather-bound volumes, each containing his secret records, were mixed in with thousands of other books.

"Is this an old diary? Hmph..."

Ryuga skimmed through the first few pages with almost quantum speed reading; the boring content was filled with Matt Harvey's passionate faith in the Papacy and his self-doubt in his youth. Like most lost souls who eventually turn to religion, this story was rather uninteresting to Ryuga.

But Ryusha was afraid of missing the opportunity to join the 'Chosen Ones'. Was it when they had already made contact within the Holy See, when he returned home to inherit his title, or at some other time?

"Ok?"

Suddenly, a hand-drawn sketch appeared in the folded pages. In the center of the picture was a novice nun, her petite figure nestled among the people praying in the church. Her nun's robes looked rather thin, and her youthful face was calm and expressionless.

Like everyone else, she listened to the clergyman's speech from the platform, her arms clasped together. But seemingly sensing someone observing her, she slightly turned her head to look in their direction. The twelve or thirteen-year-old girl, in a fleeting profile, resembled a stunning sculpture in a sanctuary. Although the artist's brushwork was still somewhat immature, the scene he depicted, from the angle to the simple light and shadow, perfectly captured the subject's charm. Especially striking were the eyes—not merely a stylized depiction, but perhaps the girl herself truly embodied them; those calm eyes, so unlike her young age, were filled with serenity, yet still retained a girl's curiosity and innocence towards the observer…

"Wow, is this a picture of Carmela when she was even younger? Was it drawn by Matt Harvey? Did they know each other so early?"

Ruklati recognized the person in the painting; at that time, she appeared to be just an ordinary novice nun. Ruka also noticed the date at the bottom of the sketch.

In the year 300 of the Ottus calendar, the holy city witnessed the ceremony.

Twenty-seven years ago… the little girl in that painting must be a middle-aged woman by now, right? Ryuka pouted, glancing at Joe Harvey, whom she had left aside:

"Hey, how old is your father this year? And how old was he when he was sent to become a Templar Knight?"

Joe Harvey was slightly stunned; he hadn't yet recovered from what had just happened. How could he recover? His own father had just tried to kill him, and now he had lost both arms and was magically sealed in ice. The boy who had saved his life, who was also his father's enemy, was engrossed in reading a book. Yesterday had been just an ordinary day; this sudden change made Joe Harvey feel like he was having a nightmare…

"Hey, age, time."

Liu Xia wasn't going to tolerate him. With a flick of her finger, she slapped him across the face with her fighting spirit.

“My father… is forty-three years old this year… was sent to the Vatican by my grandfather when he was thirteen, and returned to inherit the family business when he was eighteen…”

When did you marry your mother?

"Nineteen years old... My mother was also a minor noblewoman in the capital. The marriage was arranged by our parents. She was supposed to marry my eldest uncle, but he passed away before they even met. After my father returned, the two were about the same age, and then..."

"I see," Ryusha nodded. "So this sketch was drawn by Matt Harvey when he was sixteen, during a ceremony in the Holy City of the Papacy. He knew Carmela then. But the nature of their relationship is unknown, and it's also uncertain whether the Carmela at that time was the same Carmela that Ruklati knew."

But judging from the diary, at least before meeting Carmela, Matt Harvey was like a normal person in every way, except for being stubborn and having no other quirks.

"It seems the problem arose after the two of them met..."

Chapter 27 Matt Harvey's Diary

In Matt Harvey's sixteen-year-old diary, he was filled with curiosity about everything during his first pilgrimage to the Holy City. Especially about the novice nun he met, Carmela. The girl possessed a completely different aura; she seemed otherworldly, though Matt Harvey couldn't quite put his finger on it. Deep down, he always felt that most clergy weren't truly devout, which displeased his idealistic youth. But Carmela was different; she was devout, serene, and beautiful, like a saint described in a book, which sparked Matt Harvey's desire to get to know her. Both were visiting the Holy City for the first time, one from the capital of Otus, the largest empire in the north, and the other from an unknown town in the south.

The Vatican regularly organizes pilgrimages to the Holy City, bringing together young and talented believers from across the continent. This is to increase the Vatican's influence, and also to provide these young believers with opportunities to broaden their horizons and meet more like-minded individuals. Therefore, many energetic young people actively reach out to believers from other regions during the pilgrimages, and Matt Harvey is no exception. However, by his standards so far, he hasn't found many peers worthy of his close friendship, except for the younger Carmela…

Unlike the proactive and enthusiastic Matt Harvey, Carmela maintained a consistently aloof politeness. This wasn't directed at Matt Harvey, the Templar candidate, but at everyone. Whether it was an adult priest, a nun, or a high-ranking regional bishop, the novice nun maintained the same attitude, which made Matt Harvey feel that she was different from everyone else.

However, based on etiquette, the two exchanged the addresses of their respective churches and maintained some correspondence thereafter.

According to Matt, while Carmela's mastery of holy magic wasn't high, she possessed profound insights into religious texts and news from various countries across the continent. Her intelligence and talent even made Matt Harvey feel it was a pity—if Carmela could have achieved greater proficiency in holy magic, whether in combat or healing, and accumulated more firsthand experience, she would undoubtedly have risen to prominence within the Holy See. After all, intellectual talent alone wasn't enough; the Holy See was a vast and complex organization with intricate internal power struggles, and individual strength was also extremely important.

Carmela, however, remained remarkably calm, stating that "serving God" was enough for her. This contrasted sharply with other clergy driven by worldly ambitions, especially in Matt Harvey's diocese of Otus, where Bishop Randall, a local figure, was vying for the archbishopship with the support of the Emperor of Otus against another clergyman from the Holy City. Even the young Templar knights had taken sides, creating an opposition that made Matt Harvey question her sacred faith. It seemed no different from the secular world...

In a letter to Carmela, Matt Harvey expressed his anxieties, to which the novice nun, three years his junior, replied: 'We are biological beings, and even those who claim to be devout believers cannot achieve complete holiness without divine blessing. Even so, faith is a necessary process in our pursuit of perfection, a necessary test in our effort to transcend our animalistic nature.'

Matt Harvey strongly agreed with these words, although the two still had some differences in subsequent discussions. Matt Harvey believed that the 'original sin' inherent in all living beings must be punished, whether against oneself or others. To be qualified to worship a goddess, one must possess the same determination as the martyrs of history.

Carmela, however, did not see human imperfections as a sin; she simply viewed them as a reality. Just as fish have no wings and birds cannot swim, they are predetermined by birth. And as she said, God exists, therefore perfection exists in the world, and humanity's faith in God is a pursuit of a better self.

No matter what means...

"These two people are both pretty obsessive..."

Ryusha pursed his lips. Judging from Matt Harvey's diary, this disagreement hadn't created a rift between them, at least that's what he thought. Ultimately, the matter ended with them finding common ground. At the end of the letter, Carmela mentioned that she was about to participate in an operation led by the higher parish, and if things went well, she would become a full-fledged nun. She was only fourteen at the time, while seventeen-year-old Matt Harvey, while offering congratulations and best wishes, was still immersed in the pain caused by his surroundings. It wasn't just the internal strife within the Ottus Church that caused the changes; his father also worried Matt Harvey about his brother's growing enthusiasm for radical adventures and duels between noble knights…

And the operation that Carmela mentioned...

“If I remember correctly, this is the time she met me,” Ruklati said after a moment’s thought. “At least judging from her appearance and age, it should be this time. But the Carmela I met is definitely not a naive novice nun! She must have already been in contact with the ‘Chosen Ones’ before that. Otherwise, how do you explain that all the Judgment Knights who were with her committed suicide? Judging from Matt Harvey’s diary, Carmela didn’t seem to reveal much of her secrets to him…”

If that's the case, then for a fourteen-year-old girl, Carmela is remarkably meticulous. However, Ryuka still noticed something strange: throughout her communications with Matt Harvey, Carmela consistently used the term 'God.' According to the Vatican, the Goddess is the only true God, so Carmela's use of the term is not problematic. Matt Harvey also mixes 'Goddess' and 'God'...

Carmela never used the term 'goddess', and Matt Harvey, whom she met... also seemed to never use the term 'goddess' again, instead referring to her as 'god'.

“That’s not surprising. Carmela hates the Vatican. Perhaps the ‘god’ she’s talking about is some wild deity who gave them some ancient secrets and then established that kind of organization.”

Hearing Ruklati say this, Ryusha couldn't help but laugh. In the mouth of this demonic sword, even gods are ranked according to their strength. I wonder if Chloeel is some kind of hidden 'mountain god' in her mouth.

Despite his laughter, Ryūka didn't agree with Ruklati's idea. In his view, Carmela's explanation of faith didn't seem like a lie; she was a person with strong opinions, or perhaps even a bit obsessive. This kind of person certainly fit Ryūka's definition of a 'villain'...

"It's true that she believes in God, but whether this 'God' is a specific deity or just a beautiful fantasy in her mind is uncertain. Perhaps this is why she was able to perfectly integrate into and hide her hatred of the Vatican for so many years..."

Ryusha continued reading. After the operation Carmela mentioned, her correspondence with Matt Harvey decreased. Most of the time, it was Matt Harvey who contacted her, and Carmela only replied politely, with no more lengthy discussions like before. Matt Harvey also gradually forgot about the relationship. As his son Joe Harvey said, a year later, at the age of eighteen, Matt Harvey's elder brother, who was supposed to inherit the family title, died unexpectedly, forcing him to leave the Papacy and return to inherit the family business.

The tedious daily routine, the loathing for the fame and fortune of the capital, and the fact that Matt Harvey had just returned from the Papacy made it almost impossible for him to adapt to life as a nobleman. His writings suggest this was fate's punishment, perhaps a consequence of his many discussions of his own opinions with Carmela, a punishment from the goddess for his lack of piety. It was during this time that Matt Harvey became increasingly silent, transforming into the humble but taciturn nobleman of the capital that others spoke of.

Marriage, childbirth, father's death... In the years that followed, Matt Harvey's diary entries became increasingly filled with a sense of discontent. This repressed emotion, like worms hidden beneath the skin of a corpse, was slowly preparing to burst forth...

One day, Matt Harvey, the commander guarding the city gates, was suddenly reassigned to be the bodyguard for the fourth prince, Elias, on his hunting trip. This humiliated him; he was a viscount, and even if his position in the capital was lowly, such a change should at least have been communicated in advance!

But as he suppressed his anger and went outside, he discovered that this was not a hunt at all, but a private meeting between an imperial prince and the forces of the Holy See! And the girl who appeared before him was the very reason why the Fourth Prince had asked him to come along!

Carmela! Despite the years that had passed, Matt Harvey recognized the girl at a glance! Unlike himself, who had transformed from a young knight into a weary father in the past few years, this girl remained as pure and aloof as when he first met her.

No, they're too similar... because the Carmela in front of me looks only sixteen or seventeen years old, which is obviously not in line with the time!

Chapter 28 The Chosen Ones' Magical Research

"Don't ask me, I don't know either. After all, I didn't even know how old Carmela was back then."

Ruklati shrugged. After all, she had only spent a few years with Carmela. From the perspective of the infinite lifespan of the Demon Sword, the changes in humanity over a few years were negligible.

Ryuka glanced at Matt Harvey, who was encased in ice. After meeting Carmela again, it wouldn't be difficult for Carmela to pull Matt Harvey, who was already dissatisfied with his life, to her side.

This contact was merely the beginning of a clandestine alliance between the Fourth Prince, Elias, and the Papacy. Ryusha had always assumed Matt Harvey was under Elias's command, but now it seemed the order was entirely different. During this outdoor meeting, Matt Harvey didn't gain much access to core secrets; he was merely a guard stationed on the outskirts of the camp. This only fueled his anxiety. In the years that had passed, Carmela had risen through the ranks within the Papacy, remaining beautiful, while he himself was a man constantly on the run.

In their younger days, Matt Harvey always insisted that he was more mature than Carmela because he was a few years older. Now, however, those extra years feel like a burden, serving no purpose other than proving he's even more of a failure…

Months later, just when Matt Harvey was feeling down and out, he received a letter from Carmela…

Are you willing to explore the true meaning of the world and unveil the mystery between us and God? If you are still weary of the mundane world, then please come to the location indicated by this picture.

The diary only contained that sentence; there was no map from that time. After this, Matt Harvey's diary stopped. He stopped keeping a diary, while Ruka picked up another identical notebook, the contents of which had completely changed to experimental records…

Had his personality changed? Or had this part of the information been hidden? Ryuu had no way of knowing. But judging from the later experimental records, Matt Harvey had become the cold and insane person she had just met.

"I offer my own flesh and blood, my own children, with this life possessing ancient forbidden divine power to please my god... As Carmela said, even an ordinary life can possess this incredible power. Limbs can regenerate, bones can grow new flesh... The immortal power that those great emperors of history pursued throughout their lives may be right before our eyes..."

"The result was not ideal. Although I am the child's father, the process of fusing with this 'blood of life' was not smooth... My self-healing ability is not as strong as his, and it is often accompanied by excruciating pain... But even so, it is enough to make me invincible within the same realm. But the source of this power is too sinful... I sacrificed my own son... God, if one day, please punish my sins..."

"Liar! Liar! I was the test subject all along!!! Carmela!!! She and her chosen ones wanted to use me as a medium to obtain this life magic!! Is this my punishment for stepping into the abyss?!"

“Carmela replied to me… She apologized for what her companions did to me, claiming it wasn’t her intention… I don’t know if I should believe her again. But those miracles she demonstrated, the ancient gods and secrets, and that demonic sword… Perhaps she does trust me, but the Chosen Ones aren’t all of one mind…”

"She improved my magic. Although my body couldn't withstand the power of the transplanted organ, the price... was that I had to use all the blood of another blood relative to release all the power within me. This would allow me to attain the Heavenly Rank, the Saint Rank, no, this power cannot be defined by conventional realms. Immortality, this is almost godlike power..."

"Curse! Curse them all! They have completed their research on the magic of life! But I have become an unchangeable defective product! No! This cannot be! I must obtain their research results! Even if I take them to my grave, I will not allow anyone else to possess power greater than mine!!! Especially those greedy southern nobles!"

The record ends here, followed by several methods of practicing magic. This record is rather erratic and lacks Matt Harvey's usual practice of including a date. Judging from the handwriting and different ink colors, it seems to span many years.

The magic that Matt Harvey recorded later explained another thing that Ryukyu had been concerned about...

"Life Magic: 'Potential Release', 'Ultimate Healing', 'Sage's Blood'..."

Ryuga silently read the three different spells. Among them, 'Potential Release' was the first spell researched by the 'Chosen Ones' members left behind by Carmela in Raven Ridge, with the immortal infant as the test subject. This spell could greatly enhance the cultivation potential of the target, whether a knight or a mage. However, the price would be a lifespan shortened by half! And it could only be used during adolescence or early adulthood.

Even if future promotions grant knights and mages longer lifespans, these 'potential unleashed' individuals will always only live half the lifespan of a normal person… Moreover, given that most people have average talent, even with this spell, it only allows those who were originally unable to cross the threshold of a Grand Master's rank to quickly break through and gain an opportunity to challenge the Heavenly Rank; it does not guarantee that they will become Heavenly Rank members!

Seeing this, Liu Xia's lips twitched. Just how greedy were these mysterious guys? They couldn't even guarantee becoming a Heavenly Rank cultivator? You know, a Grand Master, if healthy and without injury or illness, could almost certainly live to be over ninety years old. Although their condition would decline later, that's nearly twice the average lifespan in this world!

The Heavenly Rank allows them to extend their lifespan to over 150 years. However, each full-power burst in the latter half of their lives may affect their remaining lifespan, but this still allows them to become the guardian deity of a region or even a small country!

The magic 'Potential Release' limits a person's lifespan to under forty years. This is a forbidden magic that uses life force to enhance cultivation abilities. But in Liu Xia's view, a short lifespan means fearlessness! If there were a group of such powerful individuals, plus several Heavenly Rank experts, even if their peak period was only ten years, it would be enough to change the world's格局 (geju, a concept encompassing overall structure, overall situation, and overall character).

This immediately reminded Ryuga of the previous intelligence: the proportion of 'geniuses' among the next generation of young people in the southern countries far exceeded the data from the most developed and wealthiest regions of the Otus Empire! Considering the Bauhinia Kingdom's anxiety about its 'national destiny,' Ryuga understood perfectly well what was going on!

Their trump card isn't just teleportation magic, a spatial magic that alters the terrain! It's also a group of young, powerful individuals who have used enhancement magic! Monica might be one of them! Although their lifespan is only forty years, if the number is large enough, some of them could reach the Heavenly Rank by the age of thirty. Even with only ten years left to live, they would be enough to shake the existence of the Otus Empire!

Especially... there's the teleportation magic that allows them to appear anywhere on the continent... These ubiquitous caravans might have set up teleportation arrays in various locations. Even with limitations on numbers and scale, the sudden appearance of a reinforced assault team on unsuspecting territory is an outcome no opponent would want to see!

Ironically, although Matt Harvey stole such terrifying magic from the Chosen One, he was unable to use it because he was merely a knight who cultivated martial arts and holy magic, and his magical proficiency was very low.

Not only could he not use it himself, but his taciturn nature also prevented him from sharing it with others. Perhaps it was his distrust of others that blocked the path he could have taken to recruit mages to serve him and strengthen his power...

There was only one reason he recorded these spells! His life had been blessed by Idunir, and he wanted to learn magic from scratch during his long life to gain these powers. But unfortunately, for someone without talent, practicing magic is an extremely difficult thing. Otherwise, Matt Harvey wouldn't have been so distraught after hearing that Ryūka had easily mastered teleportation magic…

If the first spell, 'Potential Burst,' was discovered by the Chosen Ones through their research on Matt Harvey's unnamed children, then the remaining two, 'Ultimate Healing' and 'Sage's Blood,' were developed by their research on Matt Harvey herself...

Chapter 29 The Chosen Ones' Conspiracy

If the first spell still falls within the realm of 'magic,' the latter two approach the realm of divine magic.

'Ultimate Healing' is a self-healing spell discovered by the Chosen Ones through their study of Matt Harvey's self-healing process. It transcends ordinary healing magic and holy arts. Unlike conventional healing magic, it's almost a resurrection spell; even the most severe injuries can heal rapidly as long as the brain remains intact. They even conducted more daring human experiments, attempting to 'revive' corpses as long as they were not yet decomposed and the brains were intact. However, the time it takes for consciousness to return is uncertain, therefore this spell is only named Healing rather than Resurrection.

This is essentially the power of the Demon Sword Iduniel, so it cannot be wielded with ordinary magic. Instead, it requires the spiritual power of gods or Ryukatsu—the power that is more fundamental to the world. This power can only be possessed by those who hold fragments of order, or by those who have the blessing of divine power, such as Chloe's messenger…

“It seems that these ‘chosen ones’ either possess fragments of order like Carmela and I, or they have encountered other gods like I encountered Chloe. In any case, they have the ability to use spiritual power.”

Ryusha pondered silently. The Chosen One called this kind of magic 'spiritual magic,' which was beyond Matt Harvey's ability. His inability to obtain spiritual power was also one of the reasons why he gradually went mad.

Of course, even so, this would require a significant amount of spiritual energy. Ryuka estimated that even for herself, using Ultimate Healing once would exhaust almost all of her power.

The final spell, 'Sage's Blood,' has even more stringent conditions. Its essence is to use the life force of others to prolong the caster's life, like a large-scale sacrifice. It requires a vast casting space and various auxiliary offerings, and the percentage of life force that can be converted depends not only on the quantity but also on the quality of the offerings. For example, the lives of a thousand ordinary people can only be converted into the life force of one high-ranking official for one year—an extremely high attrition rate. Even so, it still sent chills down Ryūka's spine…

Under what circumstances could so many lives be sacrificed in a magical ritual without causing any problems?

war!

Once a large-scale war breaks out and the world descends into chaos, no one cares about the disappearance of a thousand, ten thousand, or even more people!

Ryūka had a vague feeling that this organization called 'The Chosen Ones' was plotting something big. If war really broke out between the southern kingdoms and Otus, they would definitely take the opportunity to expand their own power!

But what shocked Ryūka the most was a passage recorded later: 'Energy doesn't vanish into thin air; it transfers elsewhere. The life force dissipated during the large-scale sacrifice of the 'Sage's Blood' may very well return the world to its state of abundant spiritual energy a thousand years ago. At that time, it will be the moment to knock on the gates of God…'

It wasn't that Ryuka shocked the world by discovering the law of conservation of energy in a unique way, but rather the latter half of the sentence.

"Jukrati, do you know what this means?"

"Pretty much. Kurowell also said that because of the disappearance of the gods, the spiritual power of the world is waning, right? Other races besides humans have also been driven out. You know, the sacrifices to the gods, and the gods absorbing the ordinary power of this world into spiritual power, or giving it to believers to use, or letting it flow out, were important reasons why the world used to be rich in spiritual power."

In the war against the witches, many gods perished, and subsequently, witches and heretical races also vanished. Beyond magic and martial arts, the only remaining sources of power were fragments of lost order, demonic swords, and the worship of the papal goddess.

Then Ruklati revealed another secret from the past:

"Although high-ranking deities exist only in another dimension, in the past when spiritual energy was abundant, people could hunt low-ranking deities in the mortal world to obtain stronger spiritual energy, and eventually gain the qualification to challenge high-ranking deities in order to become gods. But that was before I was born, so I don't know much about it. Chloe should know more."

Rukla's words reminded Ryusha of something Chloe had vaguely told her: she too had once been an ordinary being before gaining this divine status...

Could this be the true purpose of the chosen ones? These people who accidentally glimpsed the power of the ancient gods have already reached the threshold of spiritual power, so they want to use this method to return the world to its previous state so that they can become gods themselves?

"If that's the case, then the matter of the Bauhinia Kingdom must be stopped even more!"

In a flash, Ryusha cleared her mind; she needed to get to the Bauhinia Kingdom as soon as possible. But Ruklati couldn't help but ask:

"Why try to stop it? If the world becomes like that, you might have a chance to become a god too!"