The Lich of Glory Knight Spirit: Moving towards Krimasha!
Chapter 71 - 06: Pearce Cathedral

Chapter 71: Chapter 06: Pearce Cathedral

"Yilin, it’s me. This is urgent, please open the door."

At the break of dawn, Count Gruglu knocked on Yilin’s door.

As soon as the door opened, he noticed Yilin was still wearing her ball gown, with immaculate makeup. He was momentarily stunned.

Looking around the room, he saw that the bedding was still perfectly untouched.

"You stayed up all night?"

"Not yet, I’m not tired." Yilin’s face already showed signs of exhaustion, but she forced a smile. "Uncle Gruglu, please come in."

Turning around, she walked further into the room.

Count Gruglu quickly followed, speaking urgently, "Yilin, there is something very important I must tell you right away."

"What’s the matter?" Yilin sat down on the sofa.

Count Gruglu also sat on a nearby sofa, his face full of tension. "The situation is quite urgent. You saw yesterday’s anomaly—clearly, the King has a scheme. I sent someone to investigate and discovered that recently, the King has been unusually close to the church, far beyond normal state affairs and preparations for the welcome ceremony. I think there is something suspicious going on. Did the King mention anything to you yesterday?"

"Go on." Yilin, with weary eyes, stared at Count Gruglu.

"Alright." Count Gruglu paused momentarily, then continued, "Another piece of news from four days ago. There’s word that, due to an unusual troop movement in the Kingdom of Allen, the King issued an order for Duke Tangjis to send his forces to the border, but... Duke Tangjis refused."

Yilin nodded slightly, indicating she was listening.

Count Gruglu continued, "Strictly speaking, this news surfaced fifteen days ago, but the Royal Family suppressed it until four days ago, and it was only confirmed two days ago. The Royal Family’s credibility has dropped to a historic low, far lower than we imagined. The King urgently needs support. I suspect that his dealings with the church are an attempt to gain that support. After all, the church is the most reputable entity right now. However, since the church cannot interfere in state affairs, I think the King is most likely targeting Gray or you."

"Your analysis is very reasonable." Yilin smiled and nodded.

Count Gruglu paused, as if realizing something suddenly. He quickly asked, "Has the King already laid his cards on the table with you?"

Yilin lowered her head slightly, pressed her lips together, and did not answer.

Count Gruglu hesitated before asking further, "I had originally intended to bring Gray here with me, but he’s not in his room. Where is he?"

After taking a deep breath, Yilin finally raised her head and spoke softly, "He’s at the church."

"He went so early?"

"Yes. Last night, right after the ball ended, people from the church arrived. They had timed it perfectly. Today is Sunday. They invited Gray to attend a service and to meet with Lord Bishop before the service."

"Why didn’t you go with him? You’re the one Gray is sworn to serve. Wouldn’t the church also invite you?"

"I’m feeling unwell."

Count Gruglu’s eyes widened, staring blankly at Yilin. The foreboding feeling in his heart grew stronger.

After a brief silence, Yilin finally said, "Don’t worry, I’ve already asked Gray to bring Miss Shelley."

"Why do you use the word ’don’t worry’ when talking about ’sending Gray with Miss Shelley’?" Count Gruglu pressed further.

Yilin did not answer.

Count Gruglu grew visibly anxious, standing up abruptly and demanding, "What exactly did the King say to you?"

...

At this moment, Pearce Cathedral in Lion King City.

The magnificent, white Pearce Cathedral is the second-largest building in Lion King City, surpassed only by the Lion King Palace. In truth, it is more accurately described as a complex rather than a single building.

As the morning sun rose, intricate sculptures on the building’s surfaces cast shadows with varying depths and shades, exuding a sense of solemn and delicate beauty.

A flock of white pigeons flew across the sky.

Gray looked up, dazed.

The bell echoed across every corner of Lion King City.

The towering clock tower seemed like a god surveying the people below. Its heavy brickwork emanated an aura of inviolable dignity.

At the base of the clock tower is a massive domed main building. The entire exterior of the building is covered with angel sculptures, each depicting mythological stories. These stories interconnected, forming layers of symbolism.

Every wall here is a work of art—so breathtaking that even the least discerning person would be awestruck by its grandeur.

The two adjacent auxiliary buildings, slightly shorter but sharing the same style, offered the same intricate yet solemn aesthetic. Columns of massive round stone pillars stood like towering guardians of the cathedral.

At the front is a grand curved staircase consisting of sixty steps, with platforms every ten steps. On each platform stand two statues of holy angels holding weapons. Altogether, there are twelve—the twelve commanders of the Angel Army in Heaven.

At first glance, Gray was utterly stunned.

"Wow... this cathedral is completely different from White City’s!"

"That’s because this cathedral isn’t just for prayers or services. It also oversees the entire district’s ecclesiastical affairs, which requires a large workforce. Naturally, the space must be large too," Catherine whispered in Gray’s mind.

"Does that mean the main cathedral is even bigger?"

"Of course. I hope one day you’ll get to see it."

"Can’t I go anytime?"

"You can’t. Others might, but you can’t. Holy Knights and high-ranking clergy must follow the Pope’s arrangements. Unless the Pope assigns you something new, your activities are restricted to the Isaac Kingdom."

"Alright..." Gray replied, disappointed.

Getting off the horse, Gray and Miss Shelley were led up the steps by church personnel.

On the first platform, someone was already waiting for them—a priest from the former private chapel of the Beisher Family in White City. He respectfully made the sign of the cross over his chest and greeted them, "Sir Holy Knight, I am Dean. Do you remember me?"

"I remember! Mr. Priest! You enlightened me!"

"No, it was you who enlightened me." Dean turned aside with a respectful gesture to lead the way, then began climbing the stairs ahead.

Gray whispered, "But I didn’t."

"That’s because you aren’t aware," Dean said softly. "Priests can only inspire others with words, but Holy Knights can do so through actions—affecting far more people than us. That is perhaps the very essence of a Holy Knight’s existence. Your valor made me rediscover myself."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. When you charged forward, you were alone. But in that instant afterward, a divine miracle appeared. The Holy Spirit is always watching over us. All darkness is merely the Holy Spirit testing our hearts. If we have the courage to confront it, the Holy Spirit will stand by our side. That is the wisdom you taught me."

"Oh, really? I always thought I wasn’t very competent."

"No, you’re extremely competent. The whole Isaac Kingdom has seen it."

"And I thank you for teaching me to ’follow the heart.’ Without it, I couldn’t have become a Holy Knight."

"Ahem..." Dean awkwardly chuckled. "Every philosophy of life is already written in the Bible. It’s just that different readers gain different insights. I read it and chose to flee, whereas you became a Holy Knight. The Holy Spirit is indeed fair to everyone—it is our choices that lead us to different outcomes."

"’Follow the heart’—what does that mean?" Miss Shelley whispered.

Dean immediately laughed uncomfortably.

The Black Cat whispered from inside Gray’s armor, "Don’t say anything reckless. It’s best to ask Catherine before saying each sentence."

"Understood," Gray replied softly.

...

"The King wants to reassign Gray’s title?"

Yilin nodded slightly and said, "That’s what he said."

Count Gruglu’s eyes flickered as if he suddenly understood something. He lowered his voice and said, "We must stop him!"

"I did not agree with him, but I’m unsure whether Gray will refuse. After all, Gray..." Lowering her head, Yilin took a deep breath and said, "You know he is devoted to the Holy Spirit and dreams of becoming a great knight. If it’s the King’s will, I can assure you Gray will not agree. But if it’s the church’s will, I truly have no confidence."

"Then why did you let him go to the church alone?" Count Gruglu asked harshly.

Yilin softly replied, "This is a choice he must make himself, isn’t it? He has the right to choose his own path. The King said something that was true—the Beisher Duchy is too small to accommodate a Holy Knight. The Isaac Kingdom may be his true stage. We have no right to demand anything from Gray."

"You have an oath binding him!"

"But I do not wish to use that oath to bind him. What he’s given me has already been enough. He doesn’t owe me anything. On the contrary, I owe him, and I have no way to repay him."

The two stared at each other in the room.

Count Gruglu trembled with fury, while Yilin remained shockingly composed.

After a long while, Count Gruglu could only try to calm himself, resting his forehead on his hand as he asked, "The King also wants to annul his marriage with Miss Shelley, doesn’t he?"

"Yes, and I didn’t agree to that either."

"We may lose him forever."

"These two conditions seem to be bound together." Yilin took a deep breath and said, "The King wishes to reassign Gray’s title and annul the marriage. This appears to be an agreement reached with the church. Therefore, I didn’t go today. I know they will discuss this issue during today’s meeting. I don’t wish for my presence to put any pressure on Gray. But I asked Shelley to accompany him—perhaps, her presence might prompt the church to consider more carefully the personal wishes of the Holy Knight. If Gray agrees to the reassignment, they may help negotiate with the King to remove the annulment condition. After all, that isn’t as critical to the church. Let him decide for himself."

Count Gruglu looked as though he wanted to say something, but after opening his mouth, no words came out.

...

Upon reaching the top of the staircase, Bishop Anthony III finally appeared before Gray.

The Bishop personally greeted him—a privilege granted in the Isaac Kingdom only to the King.

Gray respectfully lowered his head and pounded his chest plate firmly. "Greetings, my Lord Bishop."

The Bishop made the sign of the cross reverently over his chest and replied, "Greetings, our Holy Knight. Welcome to your arrival."

According to the church’s hierarchy, the two held equal rank.

Upon noticing Miss Shelley accompanying Gray but not seeing Yilin, the Bishop appeared somewhat surprised.

"Where is Duke Beisher?"

"Yilin said she wasn’t feeling well."

"And this young lady... she must be Miss Shelley?"

"Yes. Yilin told me to bring her along so she could see this place. Since I am a Holy Knight and may need to visit frequently in the future, my future wife should become familiar with my place of work."

"I see." The Bishop nodded silently, turned around, and gestured with a "please" motion.

Led by the Bishop, Gray and Miss Shelley stepped into the grand cathedral together.