Chapter 131

Chapter 131
## Chapter 131

### Interlude (3)

The moment the midday devotions concluded, Heinrich silently remained in place, waiting for the Saintess to wrap up her duties. Their responsibilities did not simply vanish when the service ended; they required a dedicated period to coordinate their next steps.

As they fell into step together, making their way toward the administrative wing, she offered him an appreciative, slightly self-conscious smile.

“Ah— Sir Heinrich, my deepest thanks for your help earlier! I stepped out quite early today to handle some preparations, but I found myself lingering near the flower bed, and before I knew it… ahaha.”

She had ventured out at dawn to ensure she wouldn’t be delayed, yet she had remained captivated by the blossoms until the absolute last moment.

“But you have always been remarkably punctual, Saintess. You surely would have arrived on time regardless.”

Even without his intervention, she would have either realized the hour on her own or another member of the clergy would have sought her out, ensuring she did not miss the congregation. It was common knowledge throughout the cathedral that she had been dedicating all her spare moments to that garden recently.

“Hmm… y-yes…”

Despite his reassuring words, a shadow passed over her expression as if an unresolved thought troubled her, and she pouted slightly. Heinrich wondered briefly if his response had been clumsy.

“…You did mention that I could use your name when we aren’t performing formal duties.”

She murmured the reminder in a hushed, hesitant tone. Heinrich, whose senses had sharpened to the point where he could perceive the mildest disturbances in the air, caught every syllable clearly at such proximity.

‘Now that I think about it, she did request that. It happened right after my ascension as a Saint.’

However, the suggestion had been made so informally, and it had naturally slipped from his mind amidst the relentless demands of his daily routine. Because both had been overwhelmed by their respective obligations of late, every single one of their interactions had taken place under official circumstances.

‘She feels isolated because no one addresses her by her personal name…’

Occupying one of the pinnacle positions of authority within the Main God Church, very few individuals possessed the status required to speak to her with such familiarity. The vast majority addressed her strictly by her title. She was the sole bearer of that mantle in this era, making such reverence inevitable. The name she had used to introduce herself, ‘Liesta Saint Hatianuss’, was merely a formality reserved for foreign dignitaries and outsiders.

In the past, the Pope, who stood as her only true equal in rank, would call her by her proper name.

‘But that practice ceased once he became confined to his bed.’

And it was during that vacancy that the newest Saint, ‘Heinrich Saint Landguard’, had emerged.

“Hahaha— I have grown so accustomed to addressing you as the Saintess that changing my habits proves quite difficult. I shall endeavor to be more mindful moving forward, Lady Liesta.”

Naturally, he had no intention of abandoning respectful honorifics simply because he was utilizing her given name, but the adjustment alone seemed to appease her, as a soft smile graced her features. That expression, combined with the perpetual radiance of the aura surrounding her, cast a brilliant luminescence that elevated her striking appearance.

‘I notice it constantly, but she genuinely seems to exist under a perpetual beam of celestial light. I certainly lack such a distinct halo.’

Heinrich silently noted his admiration mixed with a touch of envy, though to any outside observer, his own presence was no less extraordinary than hers.

“Quiet down and show proper reverence! The Saintess and the Saint are approaching.”

“Mm, the Saint appears to have grown even more formidable. The sheer gravity he projects, even when his energy is fully contained. That distinct aura…”

The holy knights of the Radiance Guardian, tasked with securing the cathedral grounds, offered distant salutes while conversing in hushed, respectful tones.

The two figures walking side by side both possessed cascading, luminous silver hair and amber eyes that gleamed like sunlight. Their combined presence was nothing short of breathtaking, each perfectly balancing the other.

Granted, the nature of the ambient light they projected differed, a direct result of receiving distinct ‘Grand Blessings’. While Liesta possessed a distinct, localized crown of brilliance above her head, Heinrich was enveloped in a translucent, shimmering current of energy that resembled a formless flame. It remained subtle enough to escape casual notice, yet this essence—emanating naturally without any conscious direction of his holy power—left an undeniable impression upon the environment.

It resembled a beacon piercing through shadows or a lighthouse piercing a storm, serving as an unyielding guide even in absolute darkness. No matter how dense the void became, it could never swallow his presence.

Such was the nature of the ‘Hero’.

“Therefore, leading up to the grand assembly… our primary focus must be…”

“Ah, I have already instructed the Heresy Inquisitors to oversee that matter…”

Heinrich continued his walk alongside the Saintess, diving deep into the logistics of their work. In this manner, the champion and the holy maiden, bearing the collective aspirations of the populace, dedicated themselves anew to the preservation of the continent.

—

While the champion applied himself to his duties, the sovereign of monsters and the Immortal King, who bore the collective malice of the world, was similarly occupied with his own endeavors.

[I swear my eternal allegiance! Immortal King!]

[My spirit belongs to Your Majesty—!]

As the structural barriers deteriorated following the tearing of the chasm, vast hordes of the dead manifested across the lands. Among these ranks were numerous intermediate leaders possessing high intellect and the capacity to direct lesser thralls, even if they had not belonged to the original command structure of the eternal legions.

Death Knights, born of fallen chivalry; Liches, masters of forbidden sorcery; Dullahan Knights, the headless executioners of the battlefield…

Each possessed capabilities on par with ‘Death Wizard Malcolm’, the inaugural sentient undead created under his own hand. A vast number of these entities had broken through the planar divide and were navigating the terrain with survival-driven caution, analyzing the state of the world to ensure their own preservation. Consequently, the host under Hans’s banner naturally multiplied as these powerful wanderers united with him one after another.

‘This is a satisfactory outcome. My decision to personally scout the territories has proven correct.’

The Immortal King himself commanded the absolute highest capacity for detection and swift transit, making his direct involvement the most practical approach. It felt slightly beneath his station, but the results spoke for themselves. Through his relentless travels, he had successfully gathered the entirety of the dead that had manifested across the western territories and was currently pushing his search parameters into the central heartlands.

‘A significant portion eluded my retrieval, despite prioritizing the west. I can only imagine the numbers remaining unaccounted for in the other sectors.’

Naturally, the dominant factions of civilization did not remain passive in the face of the rising dead. The landscape was defined by continuous friction, characterized by undead incursions, imperial pacification campaigns, and sudden, chaotic skirmishes. Ultimately, a devastating number of potential recruits were destroyed before they could ever integrate into the eternal legions.

‘Even so, discovering additional field commanders during this process represents a significant victory.’

The ranks of the upper echelon within the eternal legions had been drastically depleted during the previous conflict, making these discoveries highly fortunate.

‘The commander I brought into the fold a few days back answered to the name Pagos.’

He had recently secured the subordination of ‘Pagos’, a Dread Phantom who had formerly held a rank near the top twenty within the hierarchy of the legion. In stark contrast to Banshee Queen Olivia, who maintained the likeness of a mortal woman, this entity manifested as a churning mass of dark vapor. Though only its upper torso retained a distinct configuration, its physical proportions were immense, looming nearly three meters in height.

[Eternal honor to the Immortal King— I shall pave the path— broadcasting terror across this mortal realm—.]

The visage of Pagos, defined by twin crimson embers burning within a shroud of shifting black smoke, was the absolute definition of a malevolent phantom. His voice, sounding as though it rumbled from the depths of a subterranean cavern, carried a heavy concentration of magical energy designed to trigger panic in those who heard it. However, since such traits were universal among upper-tier undead, Hans found it entirely unremarkable.

‘And the specimen discovered during this particular excursion is a Ghoul Lord…’

[Fiona—]

An otherwise unremarkable woman, who had recently been brought to heel and was currently prostrating herself in his presence, lowered her head further as Hans spoke her name. In the old hierarchy of the eternal legions, she had occupied a position around the thirtieth rank.

Ghouls, which surpassed standard zombies in every physical metric save for their shared status as animated flesh, possessed the unique trait of amplifying their power through the consumption of mortal remains. She was the absolute apex of this lineage, having achieved her status through the ceaseless consumption of flesh.

‘Her external appearance bears an uncanny resemblance to a living human.’

Because Ghouls possessed the capacity to mend their physical vessels through consumption, her form showed minimal signs of decomposition despite her condition. To a casual observer, she could easily pass for an ordinary mortal woman. Granted, a closer inspection revealed a profound sense of unnaturalness—such as the faint odor of decay clinging to her, completely unreactive pupils, and parched, brittle membranes—yet her physical preservation far exceeded that of her peers.

‘That is, until she parts her lips.’

The seams of her mouth tore back almost to the base of her ears, her jaw capable of unhinging in a manner reminiscent of a predatory reptile, revealing rows of jagged, serrated teeth. As the ultimate realization of a consuming monster, her internal facial structure was a nightmare that rivaled even Harley’s.

[…Fidelity…]

Fiona appeared disinclined to expose her visage, perhaps harboring a lingering sense of shame regarding her internal anatomy, and chose to remain quiet. She had no functional need to articulate words physically, given that the dead communicated by projecting vibrations through their internal magical pools.

‘An old habit carried over from her mortal consciousness, no doubt.’

A truly competent manager understood the value of respecting the personal boundaries and insecurities of their subordinates. Hans, who viewed himself as a flawless exemplar of leadership, refrained from reprimanding his followers over such eccentricities. External conduct mattered little, provided they executed their assignments flawlessly.

‘Then again, I have yet to witness any entity dare to behave insolently when standing before the Immortal King.’

Regardless, the incorporation of these diverse forces allowed the eternal legions to operate with far greater efficiency across multiple theaters. Yet, as their numbers swelled, maintaining absolute secrecy became an increasingly impossible task. In all likelihood, the continent’s major factions were already monitoring their trajectory with intense scrutiny.

‘Fortunately, no major engagements have broken out just yet.’

The various kingdoms were likely hesitant to initiate hostilities, wary of provoking an undead host that had remained uncharacteristically passive, and terrified of sustaining catastrophic damage if they acted without allies.

‘However, that tentative peace is drawing to a close.’

The grand ‘Continental Summit’, organized for the express purpose of formulating a unified strategy against the Immortal King and his legions, was fast approaching. The moment a unified policy was codified during that gathering, a direct confrontation would become inevitable.

And that occurrence would serve as the definitive opening curtain for Operation ‘Home Theater’.

—

Because the initial diplomatic maneuvering had been so protracted, the actual execution of the ‘Continental Summit’ moved forward with remarkable speed once the timeline was locked in. The vast majority of the logistical demands, including the construction of the grand pavilion, were managed by the Main God Church as the presiding authority. Observing the rapid progress, one couldn’t help but wonder why the preliminary stages had suffered such immense delays.

‘The other delegations must have come to the same realization.’

Heinrich gave a slow shake of his head as he surveyed the grand hall designated for the assembly.

There had been those who initially sought to exploit the unfolding chaos to elevate their own domestic political standings, entirely blind to the encroaching doom. Now, even they understood that continued self-interest would result in their collective ruin. The current state of affairs across the continent had reached a critical flashpoint.

The spreading plague of insanity was growing more virulent by the day, while the resulting insurrections and coordinated acts of terror occurring in every province were pushing leadership to the brink of collapse. This was uniquely true for the Azeria Empire, which commanded the vastest territorial expanse and shared a massive border with the Northern Mountains, alongside the Rohan Duchy, nestled to the north of the imperial borders and hemmed in on three sides by that same treacherous range. Both nations were locked in a relentless, daily struggle for survival. They were undoubtedly desperate for external intervention, whether brokered by a continental alliance or any other means. The Empire had almost certainly applied immense diplomatic leverage to force the surrounding territories to the negotiating table.

‘In any event, the assembly that faced so many bureaucratic hurdles is finally manifesting.’

The clergy at Roselia Cathedral had been laying the groundwork for this event over an extended period, ensuring they could pivot instantly to final preparations the moment a date was finalized. Through their foresight, they succeeded in pulling the schedule forward significantly. Furthermore, geographical separation posed no obstacle, given the presence of the cathedral’s spatial gateway.

Every element was locking into place seamlessly.

As the days trickled down and the highly anticipated assembly loomed just around the corner, diplomatic envoys representing the continent’s greatest powers began to step through the glowing framework of the cathedral’s gate, arriving one after another.