Chapter 65
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: The Black Sun
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A watchtower in the citys inner ward.
From there, Rex stared blankly at the city.
Even after becoming the Count, his new position still felt unreal.
Beside Rex stood Palios, the knight who had watched over him for a long time.
With Evan having left after completing his mission, Palios had taken his place.
Palios gazed at Rexs back as he looked out over the city and asked.
Did you truly have to go that far?
A hint of resentment colored the voice that reached Rex.
At Palioss words, a troubled expression crossed Rexs face.
After Rex became the new Count Maier, Palios had sworn his allegiance as promised.
But it seemed he was less than pleased with the process.
With Rexs ascension to the countship, Countess Maier and Max Maier were executed.
Thanks to this, Rex was able to consolidate most of the power, but it was only natural that some factions he couldn't suppress would rise in opposition.
Do you resent me?
I resent myself for failing to protect the young master you were then, and the Count.
You know it was unavoidable.
Still, if you had said something, my lord couldnt they have been saved?
How could I have let them be, with Maxs forces still intact?
A deal with a devil.
It was a transaction worthy of such a name.
Rex had been able to ascend to the countship thanks to his deal with the Cult of the Evil God.
And in return, the Cult had taken over the entirety of the Counts inner domain.
Members of the Cult were now watching Rex from every corner of the inner ward.
Moreover, a mysterious altar was being constructed beneath the domain.
They call you Bishop. Have you, my lord, completely become a follower of the Evil God?
Its just a title.
That is
They need a justification to keep me tied down.
Are you happy living as their puppet, my lord?
Palioss sharp question pierced Rexs ears.
The term puppet wasnt exactly wrong.
After all, Rexs decisions required the absolute approval of Archbishop Loan.
And yet, he now lived a comfortable life as a Count, with no threat to his life.
Should he be dissatisfied with such a life?
Rex gave a bitter smile at the thought of himself having become a well-fed animal.
Sir Palios. I
Just as Rex was about to speak to Palios.
A strange phenomenon began to unfold around him.
Rumble
A deafening roar began to reverberate, tearing at his ears.
The sound, loud enough to burst his eardrums, made Rex immediately cover them.
But the unidentified roar pierced through his hands and burrowed into his ears.
My lord! What in the world is!
Ah
Palios, who had also covered his ears, shouted at Rex.
But his voice was drowned out by the immense roar and couldn't be heard properly.
Rumble
The roar did not cease, continuing to echo across the sky.
At the same time, the sun in the sky began to turn black.
The repeating roar.
And the descending darkness.
As these strange phenomena occurred simultaneously, screams erupted from all over the inner ward.
Wh-what is this!
U-uaaaargh!
Th-th-this is
Some fled, trying to escape the encroaching darkness.
Others covered their eyes, trying not to see the dark sky.
Some among the people covered their ears, weeping as they cried out to the heavens.
Sob, sob Save me!
The sun, the sun is turning black!
Rumble
Rumble
The irregular roars that had echoed beneath the screams began to slowly subside.
As the noise lessened, Rex lowered the hands that had been covering his ears.
As the sound died down, Palios too lowered his hands.
Despite this, the darkness that had begun to cast its shadow over the entire city continued to deepen.
The blackening sun withdrew the light it had been shining down upon the earth.
As the light began to fade, Rex stared at the sky with horrified eyes.
A black sun
Beneath a black sky, a black sun rises.
The moon and stars lost their light completely, and the vast heavens were filled with darkness.
An unprecedented disaster, the first he had ever witnessed.
The darkness that had completely enveloped the world began to sprinkle a profound silence.
In a world that had lost its light under a dark sky, Rex could only feel the presence of Palios standing behind him.
My lord. Do you perhaps know what is happening?
The Black Sun. Its the symbol of the Evil God.
The symbol of the Evil God?
I remember reading about it in a book once.
The day the sun loses its light.
And the day the demonic beasts, having lost their reason, run rampant.
The contents of a book he had read long ago flashed through Rexs mind.
The deep darkness before him was a heinous sight that only an evil god could create.
A great fear of the Evil God instantly blossomed in Rexs chest as he stared at the sky.
Sir Palios.
My lord.
Do you think a mere human can stand against such a being?
A world of darkness where one could not see ahead.
Only the torches lit by the soldiers barely entered their field of vision.
In a world that had lost its light, there were few emotions a mere human could face.
Fear and awe.
There was no room for a fighting spirit to intervene.
Within the darkness-filled vision, Palioss voice echoed toward Rex.
For me it is impossible.
The shadow of the Evil God fell over the entire city.
Those who had seen the light could no longer see even what was in front of them, and those who spoke could only use their voices to scream.
A world ruled by deep darkness.
The world of humans became a living hell.
The Holy Land, Crossbridge.
In a conference room in the Holy See, the Holy Emperor looked around with a dark gaze.
The number of people needed to conduct the meeting was smaller than usual.
It was a grand council where all the Saintesses, Elders, and the Knight Commander were supposed to gather, but for some reason, two seats were empty today.
Serena Etherunt, the Saintess of Abundance, who represented the most influential of all the temples, the Temple of Abundance.
And her escort, Vice-Commander Lian Crost.
The two of them had not attended.
Surveying the room, Holy Emperor Highprite II looked at the Elders and spoke.
Where has the Saintess of Abundance gone?
The Elders who received the Holy Emperors gaze avoided each others eyes and remained silent.
The current situation was already giving them enough of a headache; they had no desire to be reprimanded for a missing Saintess as well.
It was the Knight Commander, Ribelles Etherunt, who stepped forward to bear the Holy Emperors gaze.
The Black Holy Sword, Ribelles Etherunt.
He looked at the Holy Emperor with a stern face.
Then, on behalf of everyone, he began to explain why the Saintess of Abundance had disappeared.
I will explain the matter.
You will explain, Sir Ribelles? Very well.
The Saintess of Abundance checked out a Holy Relic four days ago and left the Holy Land.
The Saintess left the Holy Land herself?
It seems she coaxed Sir Lian into taking a Holy Relic and snuck out.
Tsk, tsk.
Upon hearing Ribelless words, some of the Elders clicked their tongues.
They couldn't understand the Saintesss attitude, being absent during such an emergency.
For most, it was a move to shift the blame for this incident onto Ribelles.
The Holy Emperor then asked Ribelles why she had left.
The Saintess snuck out without requesting an escort?
Judging from the letter she left, it seems she received a revelation about a Hero and went to bring him here.
The Hero of Abundance
Still, with Sir Lian accompanying her, she should be able to return to Crossbridge without any issues.
At Ribelless words, one of the Elders stood up.
The one who rose was the First Elder, Antonio.
Antonio rebuked Ribelles for bringing up the Saintess of Abundance and spoke.
Sir Ribelles! Are you not being too lenient with the Saintess just because she is your daughter? Taking a Holy Relic and leaving without permission is a grave crime!
Elder Antonio. Blood ties are not important when handling the temples affairs.
You may think so, but the people here might not! In the first place, wasnt it the Holy Knights who authorized the removal of the Holy Relic?
Ignoring Ribelless denial, Antonio continued his interrogation.
The Holy Relic was for Sir Lian to enhance his escort detail
Is the Vice-Commander not also a member of the Holy Knights?!
That is
Sir Ribelles will also have to take responsibility for this matter!
As Antonio raised his voice, the atmosphere in the conference room grew increasingly heated.
A heavy thud echoed several times in the room.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
The Holy Emperor, who had been listening, struck his gavel, interrupting the two mens conversation.
His sharp gaze swept over the Knight Commander and the Elder.
Receiving the Holy Emperors fierce stare, Antonio quietly cut himself off and sat down.
Elder Antonio. Did I convene this meeting to assign blame?
I got too heated.
It would be best for you to restrain yourself and listen.
I understand, Your Holiness.
The Holy Emperors gaze then turned to Ribelles, who was opposite him.
The Knight Commander, under the Holy Emperors scrutiny, maintained his stern expression.
The Holy Emperor addressed Ribelles, concluding the matter of the Saintesss unauthorized departure.
And Sir Ribelles. We will discuss the Saintess of Abundances punishment when she returns.
Understood.
You are to arrange a search party to find the Saintess.
Yes, Your Holiness.
Then we will conclude the matter of the Saintess of Abundance for now.
As the discussion concluded, Ribelles also returned to his seat.
Only then did the atmosphere quiet down, and the Holy Emperor set down his gavel.
He once again surveyed the faces in the conference room.
One of the Saintesses required for the meeting was absent, but the matter at hand could not be postponed.
In the quieted atmosphere, the Holy Emperor addressed those present.
Now that things have settled down. Let us begin the meeting.
Yes.
As everyone gathered here knows, the Black Sun, the symbol of the Evil God, has once again risen in the sky.
The Black Sun
Upon hearing about the Black Sun, everyone in the conference room grew solemn.
The Black Sun.
A symbol of the Evil God that only appeared when he extended his malevolent reach into the world.
Under the blackened sky, one couldn't see an inch ahead without a torch, and even crops failed to ripen without sunlight.
According to old records, there was once a time when the Black Sun remained in the sky for a full two months.
The Black Sun, which had encroached upon the heavens, was a grave problem for the Holy Land.
By borrowing the Goddesss eyes, we have determined that the range of the Black Sun is estimated to cover the Holy Land and a portion of the Empire.
What about the Hegros Kingdom?
Once you cross the border, the Black Sun completely disappears.
Hearing about the Black Sun, the Elders began to murmur amongst themselves.
A black sky covering the Holy Land and part of the Empire.
If this phenomenon continued for months, the grains and fruits of the Holy Land would not ripen properly.
A massive food crisis could befall the entire Holy Land.
Furthermore, if the Black Sun was also rising over the southern breadbasket of the Empire, receiving food aid from the Empire could also prove difficult.
It was a matter that could lead to the starvation of many people in the Holy Land.
Opinions from the Elders on this issue began to fly from all directions.
We must find out how long the Black Sun will last.
What about enveloping the Holy Land with a divine barrier?
How do you propose to solve the problem of a Black Sun that covers both the Holy Land and the Empire by merely shielding the Holy Land?
If that doesn't work, we could request food aid from the Hegros Kingdom
The proposal to create a divine barrier to surround all of Crossbridge.
The proposal to study the duration of the Black Sun.
And even the proposal to receive food aid from the neighboring Hegros Kingdom.
All sorts of countermeasures were being thrown out in the Holy Sees conference room.
Just as the conversation was leaning toward receiving food aid from another country.
Ribelles, who had been listening quietly, looked at the Elders and spoke.
Receiving aid from the Hegros Kingdom will be difficult.
Sir Ribelles.
Setting aside the food situation in the Hegros Kingdom, under the Black Sun, demonic beasts go berserk.
The phenomenon of demonic beasts going berserk during an eclipse.
The Elders present at this meeting were well aware of this.
As if anticipating Ribelless point, the Elder who had suggested food aid replied.
Cant the elites from the Holy Land handle the transport of the food?
That number of personnel would not be enough to transport enough food to feed the entire Holy Land.
If you cant even do that, then what is the purpose of the Holy Knights?
The Holy Knights are a force for the defense of the Holy Land. We cannot allocate all our personnel to a transport mission.
As before, an argument began to brew between the Elder and the Knight Commander.
The Elders and the Knight Order were known to be rivals, with a notoriously poor relationship.
It was a very common occurrence for a dispute to arise between the two organizations over the same issue.
Seeing Ribelles bring up the defense of the Holy Land, the Elder frowned and said.
You always go on about expanding the Holy Knights, yet you still haven't secured enough forces for something like this?
There is a limit to the size the Holy Knights can maintain with the current budget. If we lose key personnel now, the Holy Lands defensive capabilities will decline.
Ribelles shook his head at the Elders words, bringing up the Holy Knights budget.
As the conversation dragged on, the Elders face grew red.
A thick vein stood out on the Elders neck as he spoke to Ribelles.
Then how do you propose we resolve this situation?
Unless we find a way to fundamentally resolve the Black Sun, we will end up with massive damage.
Does Sir Ribelles know of a way to fundamentally resolve the Black Sun?
Isnt that a problem for the theologians of the Holy Land to research?
If that were possible, why did the great famine occur during the war two hundred years ago?
Two hundred years have passed. With so many excellent former theologians among the Elders, I am sure many good methods will emerge.
The Knight Order and the Council of Elders began to pass the buck on finding a solution to the problem.
Sigh.
The Holy Emperor sighed at the sight of the two men arguing before him.
Highprite II had seen this scene countless times, but it was impossible not to feel discomfort watching them bicker even in an urgent situation.
Perhaps, if not for their faith in the Goddess, they were a tribe that could never be united under one name.
The Holy Emperors loud voice echoed through the conference room after his sigh.
Enough! Silence.
Yes, Your Holiness.
Yes. Understood.
As soon as they heard the Holy Emperors voice, the arguing Elder and Knight Commander fell silent.
The Holy Emperors gaze first fell on the nearby Knight Commander.
He intended to step in and conclude this matter himself.
The Holy Emperor issued a new order to Knight Commander Ribelles, who met his gaze.
Sir Ribelles.
Yes.
You are to endeavor to prepare troops for food transport.
But, for the defense of the Holy Land
That is an order.
Yes. Understood.
The Holy Emperors gaze then turned to the Elder.
The Elder who had been arguing with Ribelles was a man who had become an Elder after gaining fame as a theologian.
He met the Holy Emperors gaze with anxious eyes.
The Holy Emperor issued an order to that Elder as well.
And gather the theologians of the Holy Land and proceed with research to resolve the Black Sun.
Your Holiness.
This is also an order.
I-I understand.
Elder Antonio, you must prepare an envoy to be dispatched to the Hegros Kingdom.
Understood, Your Holiness.
The chaotic meeting was brought to a swift conclusion by the Holy Emperors words.
Having settled the situation, the Holy Emperor looked at the Elders with a solemn face.
As the meeting had been convened for an emergency, there was a mountain of work to be done.
They couldn't afford to waste time arguing over the same issue.
The Holy Emperors solemn voice once again echoed in the conference room.
This is a grave matter, so if any plausible plans arise, I will consider them even after the meeting is over.
Yes.
Then for now we must address the next item on the agenda.
Beneath the risen Black Sun.
The meeting of the Holy See continued without end.