Chapter 661: Moths to a Flame - 1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 661: Moths to a Flame - 1
Saint Rene was a legendary missionary, and also the great mage who brought the spark of magic to this frigid northern land.
But before all that, Saint Rene was a saint.
One of those prophesied by the Saintess who sees all futures to save this era from darkness.
A great figure who practiced goodness, bestowed virtue, and drove out the evil cast by humanity.
A human who became a singularity in history.
Saint Rene.
Her deeds are passed down in hymns, the cloth she wore is enshrined as a Holy Shroud, and her body is laid to rest in a Holy Ark. A saint who dedicated her entire life to the world receives the reverence of all in death.
The Sanctum collects what the saints leave behind. It is both a duty and a promise. To honor the saints' footsteps, to praise their achievements far and wide, and to ensure they live on forever in the hearts of the faithful even after death. Thus, they teach all people to emulate them.
However, the Sanctum had yet to obtain the most important thing Saint Rene left behind.
The Holy Relic.
The power Rene left behind.
“This is an affront to God! To offer a saint's holy relic as a prize!”
Cardinal Elton slammed his hand on the table in a rage. It was a fury both religious and political in nature, intended to grant logical justification to the decisions that would follow.
“Our delegation must have formally delivered our demand for its return. For the Mage King not to even deign to reply… This is an act of hostility against God, the Saintess, and all the faithful!”
In truth, the cardinal had never set foot on the Floating Castle, and the "delegation" was nothing more than a few priests and about ten paladins leading him. Cardinal Elton knew better than anyone that it was shameful to call themselves a delegation when all they could do was chase the tail of the distant Floating Castle.
But it had to be done.
The Holy Relic of Saint Rene had to be brought to the Sanctum.
“Saint Rene served all people her entire life, and drew her last breath in the arms of the Saintess! She put the scriptures into practice, saved the innocent, and cared for the powerless! It was not the Mage King who created and shaped the lands of this Mage Federation. It was Saint Rene!”
Saint Rene was a saint. That was a simple fact, neither an exaggeration nor an understatement. She always carried the scriptures and acted according to the Saintess's words.
It was only right for the Sanctum to take Rene's belongings and enshrine them as holy relics. This was the belief not only of Cardinal Elton, but of all the faithful.
“The Mage King should have returned Saint Rene's effects! To remain silent all this time, only to act on a whim!”
That was why the Sanctum periodically sent formal requests to the Mage King for the return of the effects. As evidenced by the fact that these requests continued to this day, the Mage King had never offered any response.
A priest cautiously posed a question.
“Your Eminence. The scriptures say that penance has meaning in itself, but that refers to our spiritual discipline, not to practical change. We who cannot grasp the Trajectory of the Heavenly Axis cannot reach the Floating Castle. Is it not meaningless to make requests if they cannot be heard?”
The Floating Castle could never be reached without gravity magic and knowledge of its spatial coordinates, known as the 'Trajectory of the Heavenly Axis.'
Yet the cardinal's delegation had only scurried across the ground, chasing the Floating Castle visible in the distance. To the young priest, it seemed like a fool's errand.
The cardinal considered for a moment, then decided to scold the priest harshly.
“You see only one thing and fail to look beyond it! The light that illuminates the world is everywhere. The delegation's missive has already been delivered to the Mage King. We are awaiting his reply!”
“But… we have not yet seen so much as the Mage King's shadow.”
“We have not. But the will of the Sky God is everywhere, even beside the one impudently called the Mage King. The message was delivered, and we are awaiting his answer.”
“I was too foolish to realize. However, they say the Mage King commands space at will and is elusive. How was that possible?”
“Through the grace of the Saintess.”
The cardinal would not falsely invoke the Saintess's grace. And with the Saintess's power, sending a message to the Mage King would be a simple matter.
His doubts dispelled, the priest marveled at her grace, made the sign of the cross, and stepped back. The cardinal gave him a mildly reproachful look before speaking again.
“However, the Mage King is arrogant and willful beyond measure. If he has descended, he should rightfully answer our demands! Whether he refuses or accepts, is it not common courtesy to give a reply?”
“Indeed.”
“This is blasphemy against God, and an insult to us.”
“No one would say we are overreacting for blaming the Mage King.”
All the priests who joined in the denunciation knew.
The Mage King would not give them the time of day.
It was like a well-rehearsed play. For fifty years now, the Sanctum had been periodically demanding the relic's return. During that time, countless priests and pilgrims had followed the path Saint Rene had walked, decrying that the holy relic must be returned.
A surprising number of people agreed with them, as Saint Rene was a missionary revered by all. Having won over public sentiment, the Sanctum gleefully used popular opinion to press its demands for the relic's return.
But no matter how much noise they made in the world below, it would not reach the Floating Castle. No one would listen to the prattling of deluded commoners.
As long as they had no way to reach the Floating Castle, the Sanctum was just another insignificant creature of the Lower World.
The fact that the Mage King resided in the heavens, the domain of the Sky God the Sanctum served, was a considerable blow to their pride.
Exchanging these tired platitudes to bolster their bruised egos was all they could do.
“Hmm? If the Mage King has acted this way despite our message having been delivered…”
And here, the cardinal finally, belatedly, got to the main point.
“Could we not interpret the Mage King's declaration—to climb Babel and take it—as his answer?”
It was an unexpected turn. The priests forgot the lines they had prepared in their minds. After a long moment, the stammering young priest asked.
“Your Eminence, my training is still lacking. I do not understand what you mean.”
“We are a delegation, and at the same time, we are pilgrims. We merely walk the path Saint Rene walked; we do not deny or harm anything in the nation of the Mage Federation.”
It was a statement of fact.
The Sanctum's vast and wide-ranging influence stemmed from the belief that it would not wield its power carelessly. To the rulers of each nation, the Sanctum was an entity that did little more than express its solemn regrets from time to time.
That was why rulers placed no restrictions on pilgrims or priests passing through their territories. The clergy gained freedom by not meddling in politics. It was a reward, in a sense, for the long-held customs the clergy had upheld.
The cardinal was no different, merely requesting the relic's return without taking any other action. That was why the great magic houses and the Floating Castle left them alone.
But his words meant they would now gently nudge this unwritten rule.
“We will claim the Holy Relic at the end of the penance of climbing the Tower of Babel. This is not an invasion, nor is it politics, and it is certainly not interference in domestic affairs. We are simply obtaining it legitimately, through the means presented by the Mage King himself.”
There was no reason not to seize the opportunity to obtain the Holy Relic when it was right before their eyes. Besides, though the delegation didn't show it, they were thoroughly incensed. They would do anything to cause trouble for the Mage Federation.
“That…!”
“It is a brilliant idea. If the Paladins ascend, reaching the summit of Babel will be easy.”
“For we, who are watched over by the Sky God, will not lose our way.”
There was no rule that said climbing the gateway meant one had to become a mage of the Floating Castle. They just had to take advantage of the Mage King lowering Babel, climb it, and secure the Holy Relic.
Even if the gateway was a chaotic free-for-all where all sorts of people fought, they were just a rabble. If the Paladins were to act, people would wonder how the Sanctum had restrained itself for so long with such power at its disposal.
“I shall ascend as well.”
“What?!”
And with that, the cardinal drove the final nail in.
Cardinal Elton rose to his feet. His white mozetta slipped down, revealing a powerful frame beneath. Even through his thick priestly robes, Cardinal Elton's strength radiated an extraordinary presence.
“I, too, am one who follows in the footsteps of Saint Rene. How could I simply leave it to the Paladins and stand idly by?”
He was old, but not frail. The title of cardinal was a position that could only be earned by one who had proven their strength and faith. There was a reason Cardinal Elton had been able to endure the long pilgrimage in these northern lands.
Still, a cardinal was too precious a figure to act directly. The paladins, especially, were shocked and tried to dissuade him.
“But…! It is not a place for Your Eminence to go!”
“Please remain here. We will bring the Holy Relic to where it belongs.”
“I have heard there is a rather capable priest in the missionary society. Someone so knowledgeable about the affairs of the Mage Federation would surely be of help.”
Cardinal Elton fell into thought for a moment. It did not take long. A moment later, he put on a deliberate frown and scolded the priest.
“Cease. As important as finding the Holy Relic is, everyone has their own domain. Should we really use someone who is fulfilling their duty in their own place?”
“But…”
“I said cease! They are the ones who carry on Saint Rene's will, dedicating themselves to endless sacrifice and service in this land! You want to use them? Whether it goes well or not, he would no longer be able to remain here! Stop this nonsense and prepare to climb Babel!”
There was no room for compromise in his firm words. The priest bowed his head and withdrew.
But eventually, this voice would reach him.
Missionary Casas would help them just enough, as he saw fit.
Cardinal Elton knew this as well. But he intentionally feigned ignorance.
Everything would flow as it should—which is to say, in the direction that favored the Sanctum.