Chapter 134

Chapter 134
## Chapter 134

Continental Summit (2)

“Welcome to the Roselia Cathedral, Lord Rapori, Lady Cecily. It has been quite some time. It is a pity that our paths cross again under such grim circumstances.”

“We are grateful for your hospitality, Saintess.”

“Greetings, Saintess. I am Cecily Granwood, a High Elf representing the Elven Kingdom.”

The Elf girl, who had possessed a somewhat unique demeanor when they last parted, had now matured into a proper High Elf and offered a formal greeting to the Saintess.

Liesta, experiencing a wave of quiet pride, gave Cecily a warm reception, instantly establishing a cordial rapport between them.

In truth, Cecily, being an Elf, was actually older than her despite her youthful looks, though that detail mattered very little at the moment.

“Haha, I truly believed my previous assignment would mark the end of my field duties, yet here we are.”

Rapori offered a slightly uncomfortable laugh and gave a shrug of his shoulders.

It was an unavoidable necessity for Rapori to guide the delegation himself, given the extreme gravity of the situation.

However, it was quite unexpected to see Cecily, who was supposed to be fully immersed in her training back in Drasha, accompanying the group. Her presence was entirely due to her own intense determination to journey back to the Ion Continent.

‘Opportunities to cross between continents do not come often. I must seize this chance to fulfill my vow to properly compensate Harley.’

Ultimately, the rulers of the Elven Kingdom consented to her request.

The journey itself carried minimal danger, and they viewed it as a beneficial practical experience for her ongoing development.

“The rumors reached us. Sir Heinrich has ascended as a Saint? Even during our past encounter, I recognized his remarkable potential, and upon hearing the declaration, I simply thought, ‘Naturally’.”

“Hehe… He will be delighted to see you again as well. At the moment, he is fully occupied double-checking the cathedral’s defensive measures.”

Their reunion, occurring after a long separation, was cut short due to the demanding schedule of the Saintess, who still needed to greet arriving dignitaries.

The delegation from the Elven Kingdom was escorted to their designated quarters, where they would rest until the assembly commenced.

While the rest of the party was pleased with how smoothly everything was progressing, one individual remained visibly deflated…

“W-what? I am not throwing a tantrum or anything of the sort. I fully anticipated this outcome from the very start!”

Harris had not uttered a single word, yet she seemed startled by his silent observation, nervously adjusting the leather straps across her attire.

“O-of course? There is absolutely no reason for complications to arise with an escort of this magnitude, is there? This is merely a safety measure…”

He maintained his silence, leaving Shapiron to continue muttering transparent justifications in a quiet tone.

‘Well, the tactful response is to simply look the other way.’

Harris merely observed her with an affectionate expression, and Rapori, who was subtly watching the interaction with an amused glint in his eye, maintained the same silence.

Naturally, he shared the blame, having done nothing to dissuade her actions.

—

Delegations from various global factions began arriving at the holy grounds in rapid succession.

Predictably, not a single faction failed to appear.

‘To be fair, it makes perfect sense, as refusing to attend an assembly of this scale is essentially an open declaration of diplomatic isolation.’

The gathering truly lived up to the title of a ‘summit’.

Absence was completely out of the question now that every power was uniting with a singular focus, even if opinions might have differed before the event was officially locked in.

Furthermore, thanks to the highly efficient transit provided by the gate, the compressed timeline proved to be no barrier at all.

In this manner, the intervening hours slipped away without any major complications.

At long last, the day of the highly anticipated ‘Continental Summit’ arrived.

*Knock, knock—*

Deep within the interior of the Roselia Cathedral, which was under the absolute vigilance of holy knights positioned at every corridor.

Heinrich, clad in a suit of armor that gleamed far more brilliantly than his usual gear, rapped softly against the wood.

“Saintess Liesta? It is Heinrich. The hour has arrived to proceed to the grand hall, are you prepared?”

“Yes! I am coming out immediately!”

The moment she spoke, the door swung inward, and she stepped forward with measured grace, outfitted in her ceremonial vestments alongside her retinue of female priests.

It was impossible for her not to be highly mindful of her presentation, given the monumental scale of the occasion…

‘She appears rather tense. Understandably so, considering this is her debut on such a massive stage.’

Liesta moved toward him with a noticeably rigid posture.

Though she had long functioned as the public visage of the Main God Church, she remained a young woman of merely nineteen years.

This was undeniably her first experience managing a gathering of this magnitude, a situation bound to induce anxiety in anyone.

On the other hand, Heinrich, a master of masking his internal state, exhibited zero signs of apprehension.

Deliberately ignoring her nervous energy, he struck up a casual conversation.

“An incredible variety of people have journeyed here from every corner of the world. This marks my very first time witnessing such a diverse global gathering. You must be quite accustomed to this, Saintess?”

“Th-that… Ahem, indeed. More than seven years have passed since I accepted the mantle of Saintess. I am well-acquainted with hosting diverse individuals, however…”

“And that is entirely due to your unwavering commitment, Saintess. This massive assembly exists solely because of your tireless efforts to bring everyone together, so it must feel like a profound milestone for you.”

“…I merely performed my obligated role. You have sacrificed much as well, Saint! You have been utterly consumed with supervising the security of the holy sanctuary over these past days.”

As they made their way toward the grand hall with their attendants maintaining a respectful distance behind them, the dialogue flowed effortlessly, and he could observe the tension draining from the Saintess.

While she possessed sacred magic capable of restoring her internal calm, her current anxiety stemmed entirely from the sheer weight of her responsibilities.

She stood as the ultimate figurehead and voice for the entire Church in this monumental hour.

‘Yet now, with Heinrich present as a fellow Saint, the entire burden no longer rests solely upon her shoulders.’

The Saintess appeared to share this realization, gradually unburdening her mind through her exchange with his unbothered self, and by the time the grand entrance came into view, she had completely regained her composure.

“Still, given that numerous officials have already audited the perimeters multiple times, was it truly necessary for you to personally oversee the patrol, Saint? And to do so in full battle armor rather than your traditional robes.”

“I remain a holy knight and the chosen champion destined to face the Immortal King in direct combat. Will this presentation not inspire greater confidence? Furthermore, the protection of this venue directly reflects the honor of the Main God Church, demanding our utmost scrutiny.”

The gathering comprised not only high-ranking ministers invested with absolute authority by their respective nations, but also delegates from smaller faiths dedicated to deities like the Sea God and the Earth God, alongside massive independent entities such as the Magic Tower Alliance and the Mercenary Guild.

When factoring in their respective retainers and personal security detachments, an overwhelming influx of outsiders had gained access to the holy grounds simultaneously.

Consequently, the security protocols of the cathedral had been elevated to an unprecedented level.

Paladins and Archbishops had been fully deployed, making it entirely reasonable for Saint Heinrich to take direct command of the security forces.

‘In addition, the Heresy Inquisitors are operating from the shadows, monitoring the attendees for any anomalies.’

There remained a constant threat of malicious actors attempting infiltration.

Mercifully, no saboteurs had been detected thus far.

“Ah, you have both arrived. Shall we make our entrance?”

They at last converged with Cardinal Cordelia, who stood waiting outside the grand doors to facilitate the opening procedures.

Word had reached them that all other parties had taken their places, meaning the proceedings would commence the moment they crossed the threshold.

The momentous ‘Continental Summit’ that would chart the destiny of the realm was about to begin.

—

The vast auditorium constructed within the heart of the Roselia Cathedral was a sight to behold.

At the focal point of the chamber, seats were arrayed in a massive ring to accommodate the primary leaders of each faction and their immediate aides, while the outer perimeter featured seating reserved for the supporting members of the various delegations.

With the commencement of the assembly mere moments away, the vast majority of the chairs were occupied, though the underlying mood varied drastically based on the political alignments of the respective factions.

‘Sigh, this is an uphill battle. I can only pray we secure meaningful commitments from this gathering.’

Positioned amidst the crowd, the individual displaying the most frantic activity, moving from one delegation to the next to establish contact, was none other than…

Prince Dennis Rohan, the designated successor to the Rohan Duchy.

His initial approach was directed at the Empire, their most steadfast partner, to plead for reinforcements, but the Crown Prince acting as their voice manifested nothing but irritation.

The imperial heir asserted that mobilizing a standing army was unfeasible under current conditions, offering instead to sustain their ongoing shipments of wartime resources, advising that they simply hold the line for the foreseeable future.

Dennis had harbored a fragile hope that a face-to-face appeal might yield a different outcome, yet the response mirrored the dead-ends they had encountered through formal diplomatic correspondence time and again.

‘While the supply drops are certainly invaluable, hundreds of lives are being snuffed out with every passing day…! Materials are useless without the soldiers to wield them.’

He rationally understood that the Empire was facing its own severe trials against the monstrous hordes, yet a bitter sense of abandonment lingered.

The Rohan Duchy was on the absolute brink of collapse, a stark contrast to the Azeria Empire, which was managing to maintain its defenses with relative stability.

Dennis cast a slow, sweeping look across the expansive auditorium.

It was an extraordinary display in its own right, witnessing the preeminent powers of the continent assembled within a single hall.

Regrettably, he could discern no one among them willing to throw his homeland a lifeline.

‘…I was completely blocked from even initiating dialogue with the demi-human factions. Though realistically, even if they were sympathetic, the sheer geographical displacement would prevent them from sending reinforcements in time.’

His attention shifted toward the cluster of delegations representing the Enamel Continent.

The ‘Elven Kingdom’, the reclusive domain of the Elves who pledged their devotion to the World Tree,

‘Titania’, the industrial realm forged by the Dwarves under the worship of the ‘God of Fire and Metal’.

Alongside representatives adhering to localized spiritual traditions, including the beastman coalition known as the ‘Wild Land’ and the lizardman collective of the ‘Central Swamp’…

These were predominantly non-human civilizations historically cold toward humanity, maintaining ties almost exclusively with the Main God Church, making any diplomatic approach immensely difficult.

The vast majority of them would have ignored the summit entirely had it not been for the direct invocation of the Church.

‘In contrast to the total devastation gripping the Ion Continent, the Enamel Continent remains relatively untouched by the crisis.’

To be sure, they would offer basic resource allocations on a global scale to ensure the containment of the threat—much like their strategy during previous eras of the Immortal King—but the desperate leadership of the endangered Rohan Duchy required far more than passive support.

They stood in dire need of immediate, boots-on-the-ground military intervention.

‘The Zepia Republic, whose friction with the Empire is legendary, flatly refused to grant us a hearing. It is an unavoidable consequence of our duchy’s strict pro-Empire alignment…’

Despite exhausting every ounce of his diplomatic leverage, he failed to locate a single sovereign state willing to offer a constructive commitment.

This included the Talia, Sharotti, Tulk, and Lesque Kingdoms—the western four-nation alliance that had escaped the brunt of the devastation due to a lower frequency of undead incursions—

As well as the Wizet Magic Kingdom, the isolated island domain to the southeast housing the nerve center of the Magic Tower Alliance, and the southern Calcos Tribal Federation.

It was entirely logical for these states to hoard their defensive forces during a global cataclysm, yet he could not suppress a profound surge of resentment.

‘The minor religious factions possess virtually no militarized assets to speak of. While the Mercenary Guild gave assurances regarding introductions to prominent sellsword companies, there is no telling how many weeks the contract negotiations will drag on.’

This reality placed immense weight on the outcome of this specific assembly.

The Main God Church had already committed substantial resources to the Rohan Duchy, deploying holy knight divisions and even high-ranking Paladins to their front lines.

The clergy possessed an intimate understanding of just how cataclysmic the situation had become for the duchy.

It was highly probable that their plight would be tabled as a matter of maximum urgency.

If a unified continental coalition force could be successfully ratified to reinforce the duchy, they might yet survive this existential threat.

Just as Dennis Rohan was spiraling down a rabbit hole of strategic calculations,

*Clank—*

The monumental doors of the auditorium swung wide, signaling the long-awaited arrival of the Church’s high leadership.

Every eye in the room locked onto the threshold, and the ambient hum of hushed conversations vanished instantly into total silence.

A sizable contingent entered the space collectively, including the administrative staff assigned to manage the protocols, yet the focus of the room was universally captured by the singular man and woman leading the procession.

“Ah— truly, they bear the undeniable touch of the divine. It is as if the very air surrounding them belongs to an entirely different realm.”

“Behold, the newly ordained Saint…”

“Mmm… I caught a fleeting glimpse of him previously, but his sheer aura is utterly commanding.”

The seated delegates began exchanging quiet whispers after the initial shock subsided.

In contrast to Saintess Liesta, whose constant public engagements had made her a familiar face across the lands, the collective gaze of the assembly was thoroughly fixed upon Saint Heinrich, marking his definitive debut on the global stage.

In truth, it was impossible to look anywhere else.

He was an individual who naturally radiated a formidable, commanding presence as fierce and consuming as a raging inferno, juxtaposed against his peaceful, compassionate smile and the profound piety that enveloped his form.

He stood before them as the definitive champion and beacon of this age—the chosen weapon who would stand against the Immortal King and shatter the darkness gripping the world.