The Lich of Glory Knight Spirit: Moving towards Krimasha!
Chapter 96 - 28: Sacred versus Sacred

Chapter 96: Chapter 28: Sacred versus Sacred

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The siege of Absburg was undoubtedly another miracle. Of course, for the Church, it might have been nothing short of a disaster.

Three days after the soldiers surrendered, King Allen and Duke Tangjis, upon receiving the definitive news, simultaneously chose to withdraw their troops. After all, who would want to fight an army capable of performing miracles, wouldn’t you agree?

If your opponent is merely strong, it’s no big deal. You can still hope to triumph over strength with weakness; after all, though rare, such cases are not nonexistent in human history. However, if your opponent is an army favored by the Holy Spirit, capable of miracles, the situation is entirely different.

An army that performs miracles has no record of failure in human history.

Engaging in battle with such an army is undoubtedly courting death. And it’s not merely death—it’s being nailed to the pillar of shame in history, becoming the despised antagonist in a widely recounted tale.

Although the Church repeatedly emphasized that Holy Knight Gray would not receive any assistance from the Church or the Holy Spirit, it’s unfortunate that hardly anyone believes this claim anymore.

The cardinals of the Cardinal Court have even received letters accusing them of being shamans.

Yes, the Church, representing Heaven’s power in the human world, has ironically been labeled as "shamans." As far as everyone is concerned, the Holy Spirit now stands firmly with the Holy Knight, and the Church has been abandoned. What right does the Church, abandoned by the Holy Spirit, have to call itself God’s spokesperson?

There are even rumors that the Pope has conspired with the Devil, and that demonic forces have infiltrated the Cardinal Court. Otherwise, how could the Church be forsaken by the Holy Spirit?

Isaac Kingdom’s fervor for sacred faith has reached unprecedented heights in millennia, but unfortunately, this fervor lies entirely beyond the Church’s control. They can’t even receive donations anymore. Meanwhile, trust in the Church across other mainland nations is collapsing.

Is there anything worse?

Of course there is.

That is, the Church can’t even declare Holy Knight Gray a heretic, launch a holy war, assemble troops for a campaign, or dispatch the other four Holy Knights to resolve this colossal dilemma. Even if they were dispatched, without Heaven’s support, the Holy Knights wouldn’t be able to exhibit miracles. This implies they might ultimately be defeated.

As for the Royal Families of Isaac’s neighboring nations... they’re already strategizing how to build amicable relationships with Holy Knight Gray; no one would accept the Church’s instigation.

It is unmistakably a chasm—an abyss. The Church stands on the precipice, and everyone is starkly aware of this.

...

At the end of February in the Holy Calendar 10754, Gray triumphantly returned to Lion King City from the siege of Absburg.

Flowers, applause, cheers—the residents had lined the roads in welcome five kilometers away from Lion King City. The welcome ceremony eclipsed the one held two months prior when Gray first arrived in Lion King City. The difference? The prior ceremony had been organized by the King, while this one was entirely spontaneous from the populace.

Gray rode at the forefront, accepting the cheers of the common people. Behind him were Carl, Shelley, Yilin, Count Gruglu, and the other members of the White City team. Following them were the knights of the Silver Moon Knight Order. And, of course, the King’s surrendered soldiers.

Yes, even the King’s surrendered soldiers participated. But not as defeated soldiers—they marched as converts.

In Gray’s words, they were lost lambs who had now awakened and returned to the path of righteousness. They were deserving of welcome and praise.

This was something the defeated soldiers never would have imagined. Despite being defeated, they still got to walk alongside the victors...

Eating the food offered by the crowd, drinking the water handed to them, many soldiers had tears in their eyes. Even if they had won, they wouldn’t have experienced such treatment, but here it was, realized through the failure of a war.

"Holy Knight! Holy Knight! Holy Knight! Holy Knight!" Everyone cheered and chanted; their voices shook the heavens and the earth. Even the worldly-wise Count Gruglu was left speechless in shock.

Nearby, Pas spoke softly, "I can hardly believe it—less than a year ago, I was working as a mercenary in Salted Fish Port, doing cat-and-dog jobs every day. Now, participation in welcome ceremonies has become routine. This truly feels like a miracle."

"Gray’s existence may itself be a miracle," Count Gruglu replied softly.

At this point, there was no denying it anymore.

Everyone understood—the siege of Absburg was merely the beginning. Under the inspiration of the Holy Knight, the entire Isaac Kingdom was undergoing a transformation. Among the crowd were even people from the Church.

From afar, Gray soon noticed individuals from the Church.

Dean the Priest had donned the white robes of a bishop, accompanied by a group of clergy, with Bob by his side.

"What’s going on?" Catherine asked in surprise.

"Perhaps the Church has finally made a decision?" Vivian remarked casually. "Honestly, I’d rather they stayed on the opposing side. Working relentlessly to crush an opponent’s head—now that’s the kind of storyline demons love. Not everyone standing on the same side."

"The priest became a bishop?" Yilin also voiced her skepticism. "What could they be up to? Has the Church finally yielded?"

Gray rode forward and dismounted.

Dean immediately approached with Bob in tow.

Bob bowed respectfully to Gray, and Dean traced a cross over his chest, saying, "Welcome back in triumph, our Holy Knight. May the Holy Spirit be with you."

"May the Holy Spirit be with you, Mr. Priest, and with you, my Prince," Gray responded, returning the gesture of tracing a cross over his chest.

After exchanging greetings, Bob’s eyes reddened, his nose twitched, and he suddenly threw himself into Gray’s arms, bursting into tears. Gray quickly lifted him up high, comforting him.

Those around smiled kindly.

Shelley also smiled and glanced back at Jones, who was standing there blankly.

"Why do other children seem to adore your father, while you don’t appear to be close to him?" Shelley asked.

"Um... probably because I see him every day," Jones answered helplessly.

"Holy Knight Sir, please mount your horse," Dean said, personally holding the reins for Gray.

Gray placed Bob on the horse before mounting up.

Dean then mounted his own horse, and the two rode side by side.

"Did you notice his attire? That man has been promoted to Isaac Bishop... He’s not even forty yet," Black Cat whispered inside Gray’s armor. "I suspect his promotion is closely related to you. The Church must be planning something again. You ought to be careful."

Gray nodded silently, cautiously glancing toward Dean. Dean’s face was brimming with smiles; if Gray’s gender weren’t presumed to be male, everyone might well think the newly appointed bishop had fallen in love with him.

The procession continued toward Lion King City.

Sure enough, barely a short distance had been traveled when Dean eagerly leaned closer to Gray and quietly said, "Holy Knight Sir, I have something I’d like to discuss with you. If possible, I must trouble you to spare a bit of time later. I wish to speak with you alone."

The surrounding cheers were still unabating.

Gray asked softly, "What is it about?"

"About the Royal Family, about you, and about the future of the Isaac Kingdom."

"Are you representing the Church?"

"Huh?"

"I’m asking, are you representing the Church in this conversation?"

"Oh, no, I’m here as an individual. This is purely my personal wish to know."

"Alright, I’ll make some time later."

"Thank you."

The procession continued slowly forward.

Along the road, countless residents continued fervently chanting Gray’s name. The author of "Knight’s Guide to Success" joined the crowd in yelling as well.

The angel and demon in Gray’s mind remained silent, offering no opinion.

Shelley walked beside Gray, bathed in radiant sunlight, a sweet smile on her face.

Yilin was quietly conversing with Count Gruglu.

The welcoming ceremony was grand, involving the entire population of Lion King City. Yet it was also simple. These were extraordinary times; there was no room for excessive formalities like those the King had orchestrated earlier. The real authority figure now, Holy Knight Gray, valued substance over surface display.

Even though a considerable number of envoys from various nations awaited an audience in Lion King City, Gray still chose to reside within Pearce Cathedral.

...

After delivering a brief speech from the balcony of Pearce Cathedral to conclude the welcoming ceremony, Gray brought Carl and Yilin to a room inside the cathedral.

Bishop Dean was already waiting for them.

Seeing Gray enter, Dean immediately rose, traced a cross over his chest respectfully, and said eagerly, "May the Holy Spirit bless you, my Holy Knight Sir."

"May the Holy Spirit bless you too, Mr. Priest. Oh no, I should say Bishop Sir." Saying this, Gray seated himself on the three-seater sofa opposite Dean.

Yilin and Carl, after paying their respects, settled on two single chairs to Gray’s left and right.

The room wasn’t particularly large: a coffee table, three surrounding single chairs, and the three-seater sofa.

Dean was still standing awkwardly, grinning nervously. Noticing this, Gray spoke up: "Bishop Sir, please sit." Only then did Dean sit down.

By all rights, Dean, now Isaac Bishop, should command the space of Pearce Cathedral. Yet, Gray seemed far more the master here, a sentiment shared by everyone, leaving Dean feeling quite embarrassed.

"What is it you’d like to discuss with me, Bishop Sir?" Gray asked.

Dean cautiously glanced at the silent Yilin and Carl flanking Gray, hesitated briefly, and finally began: "Actually, you may call me Dean, or, as before, ’Mr. Priest.’ I would prefer that. After all, I’ve sought audience with you as a friend, not as a bishop."

Dean spread his hands, his expression awkwardly imploring Gray.

Gray gazed back calmly.

"Don’t believe him; he’s here on behalf of the Church, just trying to get close to you. ’As a friend’, he says—to make you treat him like a friend and reveal everything without reservation," Black Cat whispered inside the armor.

"If I ask him questions, will he answer truthfully?" Gray asked.

"Probably," Black Cat replied.

A while passed before Gray spoke softly, "Alright. Mr. Priest."

The moment these words came forth, Dean visibly relaxed.

But before he could circle around to his real inquiries, Gray darted straight to the question he least wanted to answer: "I’ve heard the Church harbors significant objections against me. Is that true?"

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