Chapter 117: Priests of the God of Lies and Deception (2)

The priestess and the old man strolled through the capital of the Denian Kingdom. The priestess glanced around the city. “I heard the demons had descended here, but it looks better than expected.” “You’re right. There aren’t as many ruined buildings as I thought. People’s faces don’t look too grim, either,” the old man replied. Despite appearances, the capital was partly destroyed. Many buildings had collapsed, and quite a few people had died, but that was all. Two named Demons had descended upon the Denian Kingdom, and it wouldn’t have been surprising if the entire nation had fallen. Stopping such a threat with only this level of damage seemed almost impossible. The old man murmured with a perplexed look. “The Denian Kingdom has a Swordmaster.” Swordmaster Maximus was a true Transcendent, known even in other lands. “And they also have an elf,” the old man continued. He was talking about Arkemis, an elven alchemist who had a good relationship with the Empire and managed to achieve the strength of a Transcendent. Everyone knew she had stayed in the Denian Kingdom. “Do you think the two of them stopped the demons?” Hayes asked. “That’s what people say.” Two named demons—the Demon of Oppression, Ashetiaar, and the Demon of Severance, Butler—descended on the kingdom’s capital and rampaged to bring it crashing down. Forewarned by the Earth Goddess’s oracle, the King made some preparations but deployed most of his priests to the borders. The remaining priests fought desperately to stop the demons, only to be slaughtered. When the city was on the verge of collapse, Maximus hurried back, and Arkemis, who had been staying near the capital, defeated the demons. That was the story passed on to the public. No one knew about Ketal’s role in the battle because Barbosa, following advice from the Tower Master, had concealed the information. Hence, people were astounded at Maximus and Arkemis’s prowess. Driving away two named demons without divine power was no small feat, and they were being praised more and more. However, the old man still looked uncertain. “The elf is indeed a Transcendent, so it makes sense she could fight a named demon. But the city’s damage is strangely low. Even with their level of power, it would’ve been extremely difficult without support from the priests,” the old man remarked. “Are you saying someone else helped them?” Hayes asked him. “It’s just a hunch, but it seems highly likely.” The old man gave his back a quick tap. “For now, let’s go talk to them. We can confirm the truth afterward.” *** Barbosa closed his eyes, looking exhausted. Rebuilding the partially ruined capital demanded a huge amount of money and resources. He had to wring funds out of the nobles and then suppress or appease the backlash. That was not all; nations that heard about the demon attack were demanding information, and he also had to convey condolences and compensation to the Earth Goddess’s priests who had lost many of their own. All Barbosa wanted was an hour of rest without worrying about anything, but that was impossible. Another urgent matter arrived, and a chamberlain quietly entered and bowed. “Your Majesty, it’s time.” “I see. They’ve come in the middle of all this chaos. If I could, I’d just ignore them,” Barbosa replied. “Your Majesty, but...” “I understand. We can’t just brush off a matter involving the gods.” Regardless of how small or unpopular a particular faith might be, the gods who watched over the mortal realm were not to be taken lightly. “The Church of Kalosia, the God of Lies and Deception,” Barbosa muttered as he stood up. “Tell them to wait just a bit. I’ll be there soon.” *** Barbosa sat in the reception room. In front of him were a black-haired girl and an old man. The girl stammered with a tense look on her face. “Th-thank you for welcoming us, King Barbosa. My name is Hayes, a priestess who serves Kalosia, the God of Lies and Deception.” Hayes rose and bowed politely. The old man then spoke in a measured tone. “I’d like to offer my thanks as well. I am Naflas, one who serves Kalosia, the God of Lies and Deception. I hold the position of Elder in our church, though I’m not much to speak of.” Naflas offered a courteous nod without standing. Despite his casual demeanor compared to Hayes, Barbosa did not mind. Holding the rank of Elder meant Naflas had already proven his unwavering faith. Naflas had to show respect only to the higher authorities in his own church and the god he worshipped. In fact, some followers of other churches spoke rudely to royalty the moment they arrived, so his politeness was surprising for Barbosa. “I am Barbosa, King of the Denian Kingdom,” Barbosa said. “Given our current situation, let’s dispense with ceremony and get right to the point. Why have you come here?” They were from the Church of Kalosia, the God of Lies and Deception—an order shunned by many across the continent. Their sinister reputation was widely known. Barbosa prompted Naflas to answer, but the old man simply leaned back with deliberate caution. “The child beside me will speak for us,” Naflas said. “I am here to offer only my advice.” “I see...” Barbosa narrowed his eyes at that. Naflas was an Elder of the church, yet he yielded the right to speak to a mere priestess. It clearly suggested that she was being groomed for a high position. “She seems too young for that,” Barbosa muttered under his breath. Naflas ignored the remark. “Go on, Hayes.” “Yes... yes,” Hayes said, her voice trembling. But she managed to steady herself before speaking to Barbosa with a composed expression. “Your Majesty Barbosa. On behalf of the Church of Kalosia, the God of Lies and Deception, I officially ask for your aid. Would you be willing to help us?” Barbosa had expected a plea for help, so he did not appear surprised. Even so, it seemed curious. “As you can see, our kingdom is in no condition to assist anyone,” Barbosa said. Two named demons had invaded recently, and the Denian Kingdom itself was still reeling. He wondered why they would ask for aid, when they surely knew that. Hayes forced a rueful smile. “Yes, we are aware. I’m sorry to trouble you when you must already feel overwhelmed, but we’ve visited other kingdoms and have been refused.” Barbosa frowned at how humble she sounded. It was not typical for those serving a god to lower themselves to this degree, which only highlighted how desperate they were. “I recall that your church has at least one Transcendent,” Barbosa said. “Is that not enough?” “It isn’t,” Hayes answered flatly. “May I ask what happened?” Barbosa asked her. Hayes let out a shaky breath. “A group of dark mages, known as the Cradle of Darkness, is attacking our holy land.” Barbosa’s eyes widened. He knew the demons had begun to invade this world, trying to wrest it from the domain of the gods. Many cultists worshipped these demons, calling themselves the dark mages. Although the gods issued commandments to hunt them down at every turn, the dark mages had proven disturbingly persistent. Over time, they formed a formidable collective known as the Cradle of Darkness—traitors to humanity who threatened the mortal realm by serving evil. If the Cradle of Darkness had decided to mobilize, one Transcendent would never be enough. Their combined might could even confront the Church of the Sun God, should they choose. “How strong are they?” Barbosa asked her. “There are two Transcendent dark mages, many Advanced fighters, and hordes of monsters under their command,” Hayes explained. Barbosa let out a pained groan. That force was powerful enough to destroy a small kingdom. Hayes gave a bitter smile. “They are besieging our hold land. Our Holy Knight has tried to hold them back, but the situation is dire.” “Did Kalosia send any sort of revelation?” Barbosa asked her. Hayes nodded. “Yes. The divine revelation said we must defend our land from those who would defile it.” Barbosa sighed. The threat of these dark mages appeared genuine. “Normally, an attack on sacred ground would be done in secret, but the world is already in turmoil, which emboldens them. They have even declared their name publicly while they assault our holy land. We can hold out for a little while, but there is a limit to our strength. So please—lend us your help.” Hayes bowed her head reverently. “Will you help us, Your Majesty?” Barbosa fell silent. Under normal circumstances, he would have rushed to aid them, given how dangerous the Cradle of Darkness was. Their audacity in mounting a direct assault on a deity’s sanctuary rivaled the threat Denian had faced from the demons. However, Barbosa simply had no spare resources. “I’m sorry,” he said at last. “Our kingdom doesn’t have the capacity to help right now.” He truly meant it. Dozens of knights lay dead, including one the kingdom had nurtured in hopes he would become Transcendent. Maximus himself was recovering from injuries after the battle with the demons, and there was no way they would spare any additional forces. “I see...” Hayes’s expression faltered. She managed to speak in a calm tone, though her voice shook slightly. “Thank you for receiving us, especially when times are so hard. We appreciate it, Your Majesty.” Barbosa inclined his head. “No, I should apologize for giving you no better answer.” It appeared the meeting would end there with nothing gained. Just then, Naflas spoke up. “I have a question, Your Majesty.” Barbosa paused. “What is it?” “Rumor says that the Swordmaster Maximus and Arkemis, the elven alchemist capable of creating Transcendents, were the ones who banished the two named demons,” Naflas said with a curious smile. “Is that really what happened?” A tense silence filled the room as the Elder’s gaze locked with the King’s. “Yes, it’s true,” Barbosa replied after a moment. His eyes showed no hesitation. Naflas studied him briefly, then withdrew with a polite nod. “I see. My apologies if that seemed rude.” “Not at all,” Barbosa said in a calm voice. “Given the circumstances, it’s a reasonable question.” Their brief exchange ended there. *** Once outside, Naflas murmured under his breath. “Hm, I think we’re in trouble.” Hayes sank to the floor, her strained composure gone. She let out a despairing whimper. “What should we do? If even the Denian Kingdom turned us down, we really have nowhere else to go.” Nafla sighed. “We may have no choice but to approach another church. It’s risky, but we’ve run out of options.” “But that’s...” Hayes trailed off. “I know, it’s a big gamble,” Naflas said, shrugging. “But we don’t have many alternatives.” Hayes groaned and tugged at her hair, her glossy black locks becoming a mess. “I sensed they were hiding something,” Naflas said, narrowing his eyes. He recalled Barbosa’s slight delay before answering his question. That hesitation made Naflas suspect Maximus and Arkemis were not the true reason the named demons had been driven away. “Still, if the king kept quiet, it means the truth can’t be shared publicly. Whatever it is, I’d say it’s worth investigating,” Naflas continued. Then, he straightened his back. “We should visit that elven alchemist, Arkemis.” Even if the Denian Kingdom refused to help, Arkemis was not a citizen of Denian. She was only there temporarily, so perhaps she might be willing to lend a hand. “Let’s do our best so we don’t end up being Kalosia’s last followers,” Naflas joked. “Will you please stop saying such depressing things?” Hayes grumbled. Naflas chuckled, and Hayes trudged away with a downcast face.