Pillars of Ita

Chapter 1291 First Star X
A shell swept past the ship, causing the ship's shields to flicker briefly. The scholar, who was maintaining the shields, turned around and glanced in that direction with some concern.

The elegant, cheetah-like catwoman blocked her view, pressing the tip of her greatsword against the deck, frowning as she looked in that direction, and spoke in a low voice:
"Don't be afraid, they're still behind us, there's no angle to shoot."

Gita nodded with difficulty.

On the other side of the deck, Baggins was talking to the female pirate, when a fleeting halo of light in the clouds clearly caught their attention.

"This is what Miss instructed..."

Catherine made a gesture to interrupt, and both of them looked in that direction; the experienced boatswain even squinted.

The Rota'o people had reinforcements—the exaggerated decorations on the prows of the Oath Court were reflecting light, and a door seemed to open in the clouds, from which three larger warships emerged, followed by two smaller ships.

Catherine immediately turned around, and a gap suddenly appeared in the whirlpool in front of the ship. Baggins immediately pointed in that direction and said:
"Captain, look over there!"

“It’s the exit.” Catherine immediately turned around: “Hard to port.”

The messenger shouted the order through the throat: "Hard to port!"

The ship shuddered violently as the Seven Seas Storm and the Shining Silver Coin passed through the gap in the clouds one after the other. Everyone felt a sudden darkness before their eyes—the shadow of a floating island loomed in front of them.

The sudden change in light made people uncomfortable, as if they were transitioning from midnight to noon, with dazzling sunlight pouring down from above.

With his eyes closed, the boatswain heard a deafening roar coming from above the clouds. Baggins could even distinguish which type of ship's cannon was making the sound.

The island's shadow obscured the fleet above, but Catherine immediately recognized it. "This is the place he was talking about," she exclaimed excitedly. "This is Vol-Salastir!"

“Ms. Catherine, before the Rotao people catch up, let’s hide in the shadows of the mountain range below the island.”

Baggins opened his eyes and spoke again, "Don't forget what Ed said, those above are also from the Oath Court, and it's still unclear whether the two sides are friends or enemies."

Catherine nodded silently.

The female pirate looked up at the shadows, her eyes gleaming like two flames of emerald: "That is the proof of the pirates' dominance..."

The boatswain shook his head. He didn't believe the legend that a floating fortress could bring down all the sea pirates. The old age of that Silver Sea Pirate King didn't seem so glorious.

About half an hour later, three vortexes appeared in the space again, and three giant ships of the Oath Court slowly sailed out from them, followed by two smaller, fast sailing ships.

Then came the squadron that had been chasing the Shining Silver Coin. It consisted of three large ships and one small ship. The six Rota'o giant ships lined up in the air and sea, their gilded prows gleaming brightly in the sunlight.

The officer patrolled the area but couldn't find the prey he was tracking, so he had to report the truth. However, the ship's officer seemed to no longer care about this.

Knights and priests were gathered on one side of the deck, observing the island above through telescopes. The archbishop, comparing the observations with the records in the scrolls, quickly drew his conclusion:

"This is the place—"

"Exactly the same as in historical records."

Amidst the whispers, Captain Baldoma Eisenkel of the Marlan Oath frowned slightly, then declared definitively:

"Head to the Trog-Marlo district, where there may be a port where you can dock."

On the deck, which was covered with a long, golden-red carpet, all sounds fell silent, not only because the speaker was the fleet commander, but also because Baldoma was the bishop of the Diocese of Anderson.

He was also the only bishop with a staff on this trip.

"Sir, those mercenaries."

"Don't worry about them."

Baldoma shook his head slightly; he already knew the identities of those people from his adopted daughter.

The Oath Court and the Holy Son are not enemies, but he is not on the side of the Knights or the Pillars of the Stars. The Oath Court simply has a more important mission on this trip.

As the bishop of an important diocese, he did not intend to confront the other party at this time.

Baldoma looked behind her, where a figure seemed to stand in the shadows, pale as a vampire. But if Fang Zheng were there, he would definitely recognize the person:

The Wanderer, Alt.

“Mr. Kobelflick, remember your promise.”

"Rest assured," the shadowy voice in the darkness replied hoarsely but calmly, "You all know my identity. If there is anyone in this world who can lift the curse on you, then it is none other than me, who possesses dragon blood."

“To gain your trust, I have never hesitated to speak of my purpose,” Art chuckled twice, his inhuman laughter like a file scraping metal, sending chills down one’s spine.

"The curse of dragon blood is eternal, but the changing of the guard is an inevitable part of history. When I become the Dragon King of this world, the golden blood curse that Livegard placed upon you will naturally vanish—"

"And this is the only way to break the curse."

His voice seemed more magical than Baldoma's, causing the temperature on the deck to drop two degrees. The archbishop couldn't help but frown, but in the absolute silence, a voice asked:
"What happens after that?"

Alter, using the pseudonym Kobelflick, looked in that direction. The one asking the question was still that young man—Gunther, the idiot from the Brandbald family.

The young man didn't seem stupid, just a bit dull and taciturn. He was dressed as a knight's squire with a breastplate over it. He was taciturn, but few could see through him.

Even Baldoma couldn't see through this young man. Rumors circulated that he was his adopted daughter's little follower, and it was precisely because of this relationship that he brought this young man along.

With a bishop looking after him, this 'fool' naturally didn't encounter any setbacks in the fleet. However, the bishop's remarks were unpleasant, so not many people were willing to deal with him.

And so, the young man was naturally isolated.

But only Baldoma himself knew that the truth was not so; as the only scepter bishop of Anderson diocese, he had never given any unnecessary orders.

This young man was introduced by his adopted daughter, but Baldoma knew very well that his adopted daughter had many secrets, some of which even he might not know.

Therefore, Baldoma only frowned slightly at this moment.

Alte chuckled softly:
"...You worry that the vanquished enemy will return? Heh, what does it matter, young man? Ancient prophecies have already foretold it; what has happened will happen again."

"Dragon blood is eternal, the heart of darkness beats on and on. If not me, then someone else. Perhaps in the future, someone else will embark on the path of slaying dragons, once again drinking their blood and beheading the evil dragon—"

"But at that time, will one of you once again bear the cycle of destiny and suffer the curse of dragon blood?"

Art looked at these people with amusement. He knew that the descendants of the former heroes had fallen. A thousand-year curse had worn away all their ambitions, making them avoid glory like the plague.

However, the young man was someone he also couldn't quite figure out, so he became more cautious and dropped his teasing tone:

"Besides, once I gain power, the first person I'll turn around and deal with is the Lord of Shadows, who is also your enemy, the most respected among the Dark Saints. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, isn't he?"

Baldoma shook his head.

The bishop, holding his scepter, calmly said, "Your agreement with us is merely to lift the curse, Mr. Corbelflick. As for anything else, we care nothing."

His blue-gray eyes looked at the wanderer who claimed to be from the Coast of the Staff. "If one day you become a dragon, or fall into darkness, then we will naturally be enemies, not friends."

Art just smiled.

After hearing the bishop's reply, Gunther Brandbald nodded and returned to the crowd, his attitude remarkably similar to that of those rigid, traditional knights.

However, he was merely a knight's squire, and Baldoma couldn't help but frown as he watched this scene.

……

More than three hundred years later, the path of the Holy Flame Oath has faded away, and the glory of the Oath Court is no more. But the same group of people, wearing the same battle robes, have returned to their old home once again.

Meanwhile, in the city of Vor-Salastir, a bishop of the scepter was leading an army in battle, and Belial Loyal, who would later become one of the Twelve Oaths, had learned from the rear that a strange fleet had arrived.

However, she didn't have time to pay attention to that right now, because some tricky situations had arisen in the city. In this dead city filled with the minions of death and shadow, some human traces had actually appeared.

She also recognized the humans. One of her squads of knights seized a prisoner and slammed the crazed man to the ground, but otherwise, they were helpless. "How come there are Dragon Worshippers here?"

The knight captain asked sternly.

Unless these Balrog followers are actually on the island, but that's highly unlikely, this isn't the first time they've attacked Vol-Sarastil, though it would be the first time in this situation.

If these followers of the Dragon Cult are not actually on the island, then it means that someone has managed to bypass their defenses and infiltrate the island. This speculation is even more chilling than the first one.

There is only one way to get to the island: by transporting people up by wind-powered boat. There is no other land around the island, and they are under constant surveillance. How did these people get here?

Or is there a traitor within the Oath Court, and these Dragon Worshippers infiltrated the fleet to reach the island?

The knight used his iron gauntlet to lift the man from the ground and slam him against the wall, trying to bring him to his senses for a moment, but to no avail.

That person—no, he should no longer be called a person, but more like some kind of animal that had lost its mind—slowly slid down the wall, his limbs twitching and twisting into a shape that could not be described by common sense.

Throughout the entire exchange, the other party kept chanting some incomprehensible words.

The Free Knight was enraged and stepped forward to try to pull the other man up again, but a sword flash came from the side and severed the arm of the cultist he was holding at the root.

Beryl had already drawn her sword, holding a scepter in one hand and gripping a blood-stained longsword tightly in the other. She stared imposingly at the knight and rebuked him:
"Throw it away!"

"Ms. Beryl?"

In the moment the knight was stunned, the severed arm in his hand transformed into a flowing shadow, climbing up his arm and about to engulf half of his body in the blink of an eye.

He was startled and immediately tried to shake it off, but before he could do anything, purple flames rose from his ears, mouth, and nose, flowing all over his body and turning him into a blazing torch.

Beryl had raised her sword, but seeing this scene she had to lower it, until she saw the flames burn out and the knight turn to ashes with a whimper.

Not even a trace of starlight remained.

"Filmmaker—"

A shadow crossed Berel's mind.

She certainly knew these mortal enemies of the Oath Court, the legendary enemies from church records, the true rulers of darkness, who would surely return when the calamity returned.

However, these shadow figures had nothing to do with the legendary disaster. These Dragon Worshippers were conducting an ascension ritual in the city, with screams all around and many in the procession turning to ashes in the purple flames.

This is only the first step of the ritual. Those who are burned to death do not truly disappear, but are replaced by beings in the shadows, who then lie dormant.

Until their numbers reach a certain point.

Beryl sensed a conspiracy in the air. Where did these Dragon Cultists come from? Her people were trustworthy, and the Ancient Order of Knights should be reliable as well.

But apart from that, the two cardinals, the fleet members, and even the Sons of Saltbone could all be sources of infection. This is why these ubiquitous cultists have always been a major threat to various organizations.

"Stop the offensive for now."

Beryl gazed into the distance towards the city and calmly issued the order:
"Separate all the teams with dead members."

"Others should also conduct self-examinations and use the holy emblem to confirm their identities."

Even so, we cannot rest easy. In the past, the followers of the Dragon Cult were able to bypass the eyes and ears of various countries. In addition to the Pillars of the Stars, they could even plant spies in the upper echelons.

They relied on this special ability, a kind of meme-like contagion, otherwise, these dragons' minions would have been wiped out the moment the Dark Dragons were destroyed.

She turned around and asked:
"Is it possible to contact the two bishops?"

“Yes, Lady Bellel,” the knight who was asked nodded. “The two cardinals’ entourage has arrived at the tower, but the other entourages have not yet arrived at their designated locations.”

"The progress of the Sons of Saltbone seems to be going smoothly. As for the Free Knights... there's no news yet, and there's no news about the Central Magic Array either."

“Madam Bellel, the sun is already high in the sky, and the best time to unfold the sacred artifacts is in about fifteen minutes,” the knight asked. “His Holiness Bishop Barberos has asked us whether we should begin the operation earlier?”

A growing unease was creeping into Beryl's heart. It seemed that some places were under attack, while others remained peaceful, but she did not believe it was merely a coincidence.

This is where the Dragon Worshippers and Shadow People are; what about the rest of the world?

She didn't believe this was the work of the evil dragon within the city, because this wasn't the first time they had set foot in the fortress; these dragon worshippers were clearly outsiders.

Who has joined this game, and who is orchestrating it behind the scenes?

However, Beryl remained silent. She knew very well that such an offensive would not happen again, and the window of opportunity for the Holy Relic to be deployed was only about half an hour.

With noon approaching, she had little time to make a decision: either activate the sacred artifact and start the magic array, or abandon the offensive and declare the entire expedition a failure.

“Tell Bishop Barberos,” Berel began, “that they immediately put away the holy relic and retreat to the point where the attack began.”

"Let the Ancient Order of Knights cover their retreat, and let the various units withdraw from Vo-Salastir in an orderly manner."

"Hey?"

The knight stared blankly at the bishop. He knew perfectly well what this order meant; it was not merely another failed attack.

They no longer have the chance to organize another attack. The vortex of time is about to end, and it won't start again for at least thirty years.

But the time left for the Oath Court is no longer thirty years.

"Ms. Ke..."

“Pass on the orders,” Beryl interrupted him coldly. “The entire operation is now concluded. I will take charge.”

Unpredictable changes have occurred on the battlefield. Clearly, someone is waiting for them to fall into this trap. Although the sacred artifact has arrived, there is obviously a problem with the magic array node.

Even if the magic array were forcibly activated, it would be too much of a stretch. The central magic array was not yet under control, and the number of node magic arrays was far below expectations.

Beryl had seen those gamblers who had lost everything for a vague and non-existent opportunity.

But she's not that kind of person.

She can lose, but the Oath Court cannot lose. If they perish here, the future of the Oath Court will be bleak.

Even if they cannot solve the problem of bloodline magic, and the future of the Holy Flame Oath may be bleak, as long as the Oath Court still exists, one of the Twelve Paths will one day have the opportunity to return to the world.

As for the blame, she should bear it herself; a scepter bishop is enough to answer to the Secret Order and the Twelve Pillars of the Stars.

Before Berel could finish speaking, a dazzling flash suddenly rose from the tower in the distant city, as if a second sun had risen from within the Vol-Salastiel fortress.

Beryl looked at the sun, her face turning ashen. She turned to the knight with disbelief: "Who made Barberos activate the sacred artifact?!"

But the knight was equally bewildered, staring dumbfounded at the bishop before him. "I...I don't know, Your Excellency. I...I clearly conveyed your message to Bishop Barberos..."

"But...why..."

"Cancel the previous order."

Beryl acted decisively, her uneasy premonition gradually becoming a reality: "Record my order, notify the Ancient Order of the Knights, notify the Sons of Saltbone, and have all the remaining units move together."

"But a sacred artifact..."

Beryl glanced in the direction of the tower and shook her head.

That is no longer their sacred object.

……

(End of this chapter)