The Lich of Glory Knight Spirit: Moving towards Krimasha!
Chapter 130 - 16: The Holy See’s Secret Decree

Chapter 130: Chapter 16: The Holy See’s Secret Decree

In the evening, the sunset was as crimson as blood, radiant yet laden with a peculiar undertone.

Standing where Gray was, that streak of sunset exactly shrouded the small town.

A white dove with golden trim at the edge of its wings soared into the sky from Buck Town, heading northeast at a speed that could rival Catherine’s.

"He’s notifying the Church. That’s a messenger pigeon we specially trained for them, its speed is many times that of a typical pigeon. They should take action soon."

"What kind of action?" Gray asked.

"I don’t know," Catherine replied helplessly. "Things are becoming more and more complicated. Regarding your matters, the Holy Spirit has already stated they won’t intervene. So, for many actions, they don’t even need to inform us."

"Then can we also take action against them without informing the Holy Spirit?"

Catherine froze for a moment, then after a long pause, she answered softly, "We can. But I don’t wish for things to escalate to that extent. After all... as I’ve said before, I believe if you completely tear apart relations with the Church, the happiest one would undoubtedly be the demons."

"Why should we care whether the demons are happy? Shouldn’t we be more concerned about whether what we do is right or wrong?" Gray countered, "You say demons deceive us—if that’s the case, why would we define our actions based on their likes or dislikes? That would only lead to confusion."

"Alright... you have a point."

Carl still gripped the Silver Moon Flag, standing quietly at Gray’s side.

Campfires were already lit in the camp.

Shelley sat before one of them, pouting. She stole a glance at Gray’s back from afar, then turned her gaze back to Vivian, who was sitting beside her.

Since her identity was exposed, Vivian no longer bothered to hide herself. She moved freely around the camp as if she were an ordinary person.

"It’s ready." Vivian handed a skewer of roasted meat to Shelley, smiling sweetly. "Sister Shelley, I added some special spices. It’s really delicious."

Shelley eyed Vivian suspiciously. She cautiously took the skewer and sniffed it, finding that it did smell heavenly. However, for the sake of maintaining her demeanor, she didn’t immediately eat it but instead asked, "Who exactly are you?"

"My name is Vivian."

"Why are you in our camp, and why do you seem so familiar with Gray?"

"Because... Sir Holy Knight saved me, so I’ve been following him," Vivian said, blinking her big eyes.

Shelley’s eyes widened slowly. "He saved you? When? Why have I heard nothing about it?"

Vivian pursed her lips and, with a look of grievance, said, "You must have noticed by now—I’m not human. I’m a pitiful... Blood Elf!"

"Pfft!" Nearby, Andrew spit out a mouthful of water, spraying it all over a stick he was holding, nearly choking.

The stick, now drenched, glared angrily at Andrew.

Shelley turned to glance at Andrew, then furrowed her brows as she asked, "Andrew is also a Blood Elf. Why do you two look so different?"

Vivian answered earnestly, "Actually, I’m the real deal when it comes to Blood Elves. Think about it—Blood, Elf. My hair is red, my eyes are red—doesn’t that look more like ’blood’ to you?"

"You have a point," Shelley thought about it and nodded.

Andrew, holding his cup of water, deliberately passed by Vivian and whispered in her ear, "The reason Blood Elves are called ’Blood Elves’ is because they have a blood feud with humans. ’Blood’ means blood-debt vengeance, not anything red."

Vivian turned her smiling face toward him and, clenching her teeth, widened her eyes with a look of menacing ferocity. "Drink more water and talk less, or you might not know how you’ll meet your end."

"Got it, I understand," Andrew replied with a forced smile as he walked away.

Turning back, Vivian once again put on a harmless, gentle smile. She looked just like a sweet, ordinary girl.

"What did he say to you just now?" Shelley asked.

"Nothing much. He said his father was a human and that he’s a half-blood, which is why his hair and eyes turned black."

"I see," Shelley nodded.

Adopting a pitiful expression, Vivian changed her tone and said, "Sister Shelley, actually, I’m a Blood Elf who was kidnapped."

"Elf trafficking?"

"Yes, exactly—elf trafficking!" Vivian choked up as she spoke. "Originally, I lived happily with my mom and dad. But one day, a group of humans appeared. They killed my parents and abducted me. Then... then, they sold me to a disgusting old man! I lived a life worse than death!"

By this point, Vivian was already sobbing uncontrollably, her face streaked with tears.

Shelley sat there with her mouth agape, dumbfounded as she listened. Her heart seemed to melt completely.

Struggling to regain her composure, Vivian continued, "Later, I met Sir Holy Knight. He rescued me from that hellhole. Not only did he save me, but he also didn’t mind that I’m a Blood Elf and took me in when I had no one else. He’s my savior. And so is Sister Shelley."

"Why me?"

"Because Sister Shelley is the Holy Knight’s fiancée! You two are such a perfect match, truly meant to be together. I’m so envious," Vivian said, looking at Shelley with eyes full of gratitude.

Shelley blushed a little. After thinking it over, she suddenly hugged Vivian tightly and declared with conviction, "Don’t worry—no one will bully you again. Not just the Holy Knight—I will protect you too! From now on, you’re my little sister!"

"Really?"

"Of course, it’s true!"

In the distance, Andrew rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "So just for a lie, she has to kill off her parents?"

Turning his head, he suddenly noticed that Vivian, who was being hugged tightly by Shelley, was glaring daggers at him. Startled, he quickly lowered his head and pretended to keep drinking water.

...

The white dove with golden-edged wings sliced through the clouds, speeding northeast.

...

The candles were already lit.

Inside the residence arranged by the bishop, Levi sat upright, casually eating. Directly in front of him was a balcony facing toward Gray’s camp.

The table was set with the simplest of dishes—bread, cream, vegetables, and fruits.

Outside the door, Bishop Fides had just finished conversing with an attendant. He lightly pushed the door open, entered, glanced at Bishop Bert standing to the side, and said softly, "His Majesty the King has sent people to gather information about your movements, Lord Levi."

"Understood," Levi replied without even lifting his head.

Looking at Bishop Bert, Bishop Fides asked in a low voice, "The Duke Bert has also sent people, hasn’t he?"

Bishop Bert gave a slight nod.

...

Gray stood on the hillside silently, overlooking the occasional couriers riding between the two camps and Buck Town.

Before Levi had arrived this morning, there was almost no interaction between the two camps and Buck Town. It was as if they had completely forgotten this town that served as the supposed reason for the war. Now, the communication was incessant.

...

White Fox Camp.

"The relationship between the two Holy Knights doesn’t seem very friendly. Whose side should we stand on?" Gene II asked his advisors in a low voice.

In the tent, the advisors exchanged glances, unsure of how to respond.

Camilla, who had been ordered to sit and listen quietly, sat behind Gene II with her head bowed low.

After some time, one of the advisors finally spoke softly, "Holy Knight Levi is alone. He doesn’t have a military force like the Silver Moon Knight Order. Comparatively, Holy Knight Gray is evidently stronger. But if we side with Holy Knight Gray, would he side with us? Based on Miss Camilla’s account, we don’t sense any clear indication of support from Holy Knight Gray."

"Perhaps Miss Camilla should visit him again tonight. It would be best if... something were to happen. That would be advantageous to us."

Camilla lowered her head even further, her hands unconsciously clasped together.

"And if nothing happens? Tomorrow is the day of the duel. We can’t request an audience with Holy Knight Levi immediately after Miss Camilla meets Holy Knight Gray. If I were Holy Knight Levi, I’d consider it an insult."

"Then what should we do?"

"We should tread carefully. If we make the wrong choice, there will be no turning back."

...

Golden Snake Camp.

"The situation doesn’t look good for us. From the information gathered, Holy Knight Gray seems to have a preference for Camilla. If he shows even the slightest bias during the arbitration, we’ll virtually have no chance of winning. Perhaps we should immediately seek the support of the other Holy Knight."

"But he doesn’t have an army."

"Supporting him doesn’t necessarily require him to have an army. He’s a Holy Knight. If he’s willing to fight on our behalf, I doubt anyone on the other side could defeat him. And as the arbitrator, Holy Knight Gray wouldn’t personally enter the fray."

"Having a Holy Knight fight for us? You must be joking. Hiring some mercenaries is one thing; no one would recognize them. But Holy Knights swear loyalty only to the Pope and the Cardinal Court. What justification could he have to participate in the duel without breaking his vows?"

"Then what should we do?"

King Lusien V sat on his throne, watching his quarreling advisors with an increasingly grim expression but remained helpless.

Prince Arthur, standing behind him, stayed silent.

...

The white dove flapped its wings as it flew directly into the hall bustling with cardinals and even the Pope himself. Soon, it beat its wings again and took off, retracing its path back.

...

"Tomorrow’s duel will definitely have twists. You’d better prepare yourself," Catherine said.

"I know," Gray replied softly.

"Will it lead to a declaration of war against the Church?" Carl asked from the side.

Gray turned to look at Carl.

Carl continued, "Vivian has already informed us. That Holy Knight is questioning us. We’re ready to fight for honor."

"Carl, this isn’t the same as the previous wars. Before, you were only facing ordinary humans. Julian might intervene this time, and we might lose," Catherine cautioned.

"I know," Carl answered nonchalantly. "Does it matter? We’re all already dead—dying again wouldn’t make a difference... if that could even be called ’dying.’ Living shouldn’t just be about existing. We should have dreams and principles. To die for those dreams isn’t shameful. On the contrary, it’s the glory of a knight."

Catherine fell silent.

...

Time passed bit by bit. Eventually, night had fallen completely.

It was another Scarlet Night, with a dark red moon and a sky filled with stars.

A soft breeze brushed past Gray, rustling the surrounding wild grass like waves upon waves of an ocean tide.

The Silver Moon Banner fluttered in the wind.

"It’s back," Catherine suddenly said.

From a distance, Gray saw the white dove glowing faintly as it flew in from the northeast, heading southwest. In the blink of an eye, it landed on Levi’s balcony.

...

The two bishops who had been keeping vigil by Levi’s side quickly hurried to the balcony, carefully bringing the white dove inside and handing it to Levi.

Removing a letter from the dove’s leg, Levi smoothed it out, glanced at it, and promptly placed it on a nearby candleholder to burn.

"How is it?" Julian asked.

"The Pope and the Cardinal Court have unanimously agreed to my proposal," Levi said, turning to Bishop Fides at his side. He softly instructed, "Arrange a meeting with King Lusien V for me. Tonight, immediately."

Bishop Fides nodded, bowed deeply in respect, and exited the room.