Throne of the North.

Chapter 517 Ominous Place
The Holy Mountain was finally free of its oppressive atmosphere. Poor Archbishop Sigurd was stripped of all his honors after his death, and many of Sigurd's former entourage on the Holy Mountain were imprisoned to atone their sins.

This is all his fault. He failed to complete the test of the Lord and failed to live up to the expectations of His Holiness the Pope.

Immediately afterwards, the Holy Mountain was greeted with cheers and excitement.

As servants of the Lord of Dawn and believers of Dawn, they once again defeated the evil empire and destroyed the distorted faith of the Lord of the empire. The so-called light turned the power of faith that should not exist in the Andara Kingdom into ruins.

These are all victories brought by the glory of the Lord and the victories of these servants of the dawn.

They are powerful, they have received the Lord's gifts, and even the Lord's soldiers, the archangels, have descended on the Holy Mountain.

The arrival of Archangel Samir boosted the morale of the Holy Mountain. Facing the Archangel's questioning, the Pope lowered his noble head and reflected deeply on his own abilities, but swore to the Archangel that the land of dawn would not turn into darkness.

Soon after, an extraordinary army left the Holy Mountain and headed for the Road of Dawn, which was almost unstoppable.

Corresponding to this is the Emperor of the Flor Empire.

The honorable Emperor Flor, Archbishop of Light, was in a much more gloomy mood. He did not show anger, but the death of Nyx Columbus and the destruction of the Church of Light in the Andara Kingdom tarnished the ambitions of His Majesty the Emperor.

Fortunately, Ryan's subsequent handling of the situation made the emperor feel relieved, as he nipped in the bud some damn signs that were unfavorable to the empire.

However, the appearance of the archangel on the holy mountain made the emperor completely furious.

"Where is that damn guy Angerbeld? What on earth is he doing? Why did he allow the Archangel to appear in the Holy Mountain?!!!"

The appearance of Archangel Samir gave Dawn and Light, which were originally caught up in disputes, the right direction of faith.

This made the emperor not know how to conduct the next war of faith.

He has won the war between the Andara Kingdom and the Serra Kingdom. This is a victory for the empire, and he should have taken advantage of the victory to kill those damn fanatics in the Thousand Lakes Province.

But now, nothing works. The appearance of the archangel has made the war between kingdoms just a war between kingdoms. It has nothing to do with who is right or wrong in terms of faith. Then, under this premise, the Empire's Church of Light in the Kingdom of Andara was also destroyed.

The empire seemed to have won, but on the truly important battlefield, he, the Grand Pope of Light, lost completely.

No one could have imagined that the unexpected appearance of an archangel would occur, which was completely beyond the influence of human power.

"His Majesty the Emperor will not know how the Archangel appeared."

This is also the difference in the aristocratic system. The people of the Earldom of Clayton will not inform the emperor of Flor's Empire. The king of kings is not their king.

The appearance of the Archangel brought cheers to the Holy Mountain, praising it as another victory for them over the Empire, and they were always winning.

Immediately afterwards, the Pope mobilized an army in the name of the oracle.

"The Lord has shown you mercy and allowed you to atone your sins to the Great Dawn."

"At the dawn after thirty eternal nights, you will face judgment, death or rebirth."

The Pope spoke to a disorganized army and ordered it to enter the Road of Dawn.

They are not like an army, but more like a group of local thugs, without any discipline, but their desire to fight exceeds that of any soldier.

They were sinners, criminals sentenced by the Dawn Church, imprisoned in an impossible-to-escape prison. They should have been burned to death by the holy fire of the Dawn at the appropriate time, and use their screams and wails to warn all humans who were disloyal to the Dawn.

The Holy See called them the Crusaders, and this army openly rushed into the Road of Dawn in the name of atonement.

They are very powerful, otherwise they would not have survived the prison in the Holy Mountain.

In just ten days, more than thirty nobles' territories were destroyed and their people were killed. The desperate nobles had to offer all their wealth to the Holy Mountain for atonement.

This is the best possible outcome for those nobles. You have to know that they would not have any chance of survival on the former Dawn Road, and the devout Dawn believers would punish every unfaithful citizen with death.

The methods used by the Crusaders on the Road of Dawn terrified more nobles from afar.

They were not subject to any constraints at all, and even when acting in the name of Dawn, other nobles had no reason to help the invaded noble territories.

Unable to intervene, they could only watch as the noble castles were destroyed by those hideous-looking Crusaders.

The land in the south is not like the empire. Just like the Ignazio bloodline, they have been stable for too long, so long that their family even needs to go to Ryan in the north to buy weapons and equipment needed for war.

They forgot the taste of blood and vomited continuously, they also forgot the feeling of pain and took whatever they wanted from their enemies with fists and kicks, they forgot that the glory of the nobility was filled with the splendor of blood and fire, so they began to kneel when death had not yet threatened them.

"You have to do something!"

The ancient bloodlines were secretly forcing the nobles of the empire, and the Emperor Elector Freud was also troubled by it.

There are armies and extraordinary legions in the southern lands, but those armies cannot openly appear on the battlefield and oppose the Vatican.

It is even more impossible for the Empire's army to appear in the rear of the land of faith of the Church of the Dawn. The war here is a solitary fight for them.

This was an extremely difficult task. Sometimes Floyd couldn't help but wish that he could switch places with Volvo. Rebuilding the West Sea Fleet would be such a great job.

But there was no way, he had not yet received the support of any grand duke, and his ability was not as good as Volvo's in front of the emperor.

Freud did not think too much about such political matters. He looked at the nobles around him and the aristocratic bloodlines from the empire.

"We can try to destroy the Redemption Army."

Compared with suppressing and winning over these nobles, Freud's methods were much more direct and decisive. With a large number of extraordinary people, he started another war against the Vatican's army.

But this time, it was not as smooth as the last time they faced the Holy Heavenly Knights.

The Redemption Army, which is the army composed of those who were forgiven for having been burned on the cross, has great fighting power.

It's not just about their individual extraordinary attributes, but also about their instinctive reactions when facing war and battle.

The extraordinary people behind Floyd were no match at all.

"It is said that the prison of the Church is built in the abyss, and the prisoners there have to fight monsters from the abyss every day in order to survive."

The nobles looked on in shock at the flourishing battles on the battlefield, terrified by this army that had crawled out from the brink of death.

Floyd's extraordinary means and bold attacks caused considerable destruction to the unequipped and defenseless Crusaders, but they still lost.

The legendary weapon in the hands of the Emperor Chosen Freud was eroded by the power of the abyss. His angry eyes burst into a golden majestic power that annihilated the opponent. This was the extraordinary characteristic acquired by the royal family of the Flor Empire in the process of blasphemy, but it still could not change the fact that the war was ultimately lost.

They could not keep fighting here for a long time, because armies from all directions would come to support actively or passively under the order of Dawn, and then hunt down the enemies who dared to attack the Dawn Church.

Among them may be the army of nobles who should have stood on the same side as Freud.

"We should go."

Aatrox Clayton felt the power of Floyd with some fear. It was said that among the three emperor elects, Floyd's fighting ability was the most terrifying, but he did not expect that even a legend like himself would feel threatened.

The elector did not want to leave. If he left now, he would admit his failure. The first mission given to him by the emperor ended in failure, and his evaluation would be reduced to a very regrettable level.

And most importantly, Floyd didn't want to leave. He was angry at his failure and dissatisfied with his own strength. He should have killed those damn Vatican Crusaders in that battle.

"I'll stay until I kill Damon."

Freud did not deny this failure, but he needed to find success in failure.

Killing Damon, the commander of the Holy Heavenly Knights, was the leeway he gave himself.

Aatrox nodded. Some of the nobles around him tried to persuade him, but most of them shared the same attitude as Aatrox.

He is a nobleman and the heir to the Earl of Clayton's family, the future Earl of Clayton.

But he is not yet, and even if he can make the decision, the nobles should not interfere too much with an elector before deciding which elector to be close to.

Earl Clayton is now on the side of Emperor Flor, not the Elector.

So, Aatrox left, and with him left many noble bloodlines. They will return to the empire, and what they will bring back probably won't be good news.

His Majesty the Emperor should smash a few more tables to vent his anger.

In contrast to the emperor, of course, is the pope who is high up on the Holy Mountain. The pope has recovered from the dark cloud of local failure and prays kindly on the Holy Mountain all day long, being polite to everyone.

Then, he began to inquire about the handling of the Kingdom of Sera.

"Who among you intends to go to the Kingdom of Sera and be responsible for the faith of my Lord in that land?"

This question was asked by calling a large number of archbishops.

It was the same last time. The archbishops competed with each other based on their fathers, power and strength. In the end, Archbishop Sigurd won and went to the Kingdom of Serra happily.

But this time... no one spoke.

In the internal communication of the Holy See, that land has been regarded as a scourge. First of all, it is far away from the Holy Mountain, and it is too dangerous. Pastor Soto is already a legendary figure within the Holy See. He gained such great power as a priest, but ended up dying in the north.

Later, the Kingdom of Serra emerged and a series of troubles ended tragically, and almost no clergy above the rank of bishop could gain any benefit from that land.

Instead, they all died.

It was an ominous place and the archbishops did not want to go there.

"As devout believers of our Lord, you should spend your life spreading the faith of our Lord and let the light of our Lord illuminate every dark land."

"Are you afraid of the dark?"

The Pope was unhappy, and the archbishops began to speak up, evading the issue and stating their reasons.

I can’t go today because I have to pray, I can’t go tomorrow because I have to sow the glory of the Lord, and I can’t go the day after tomorrow because I have to celebrate the cardinal’s birthday. In short... the archbishops always have their own reasons, and some even say that they were unable to get away last time because of a certain reason.

They were reluctant to go to that ominous place, but seeing the Pope's unfriendly expression, the archbishops of course left themselves a way out.

So, everyone started fighting for it again.

"I think... Bishop Agatha's is pretty good."

"I think Bishop Eric is a good fit for the Kingdom of Sera."

"I think……"

They have to give the Pope someone to go to the Kingdom of Serra.

Soon, a suitable candidate emerged. Bishop Eric was deeply favored by the Lord and would preside over the Dawn Faith of a kingdom as a bishop. For this, Bishop Eric was grateful and praised the Lord and the Pope. Then, considering that he was about to leave the Holy Mountain, he handed over his property to Archbishop Ande, whom he trusted, for management.

In this way, Bishop Eric set out on the journey to the Kingdom of Serra.

The Dawn Church is full of envy and admiration for Bishop Eric's appointment. The light of the Lord will guide him to heaven. They hope that he will receive God's favor in the northern land and enter the eternal heaven as soon as possible.

The Kingdom of Serra also expressed its welcome to Bishop Eric. Everyone in the kingdom bathed and dressed, preparing to welcome Bishop Eric's work. Everyone was eagerly looking forward to it.

then……

No one waited for the Venerable Bishop Eric.

"Where is the Bishop?"

Shengshan expressed doubts and started to ask questions.

"Where is the Bishop?"

The Kingdom of Sera looked at each other in surprise. The banners were already hung up, but the people were gone?

Ryan and King Sera were also staring at each other, and finally Ryan looked at Egil beside him.

The latter shook his head.

"Your knight did not wait for him. It seems that he... did not come here."

So, where is the Venerable Archbishop Eric?

This became the question in everyone's mind, and the weather on the Holy Mountain for His Holiness the Pope naturally turned from sunny to cloudy again.

Last time, Archbishop Sigurd died openly in the northern land, and at least his body could be collected. But now Bishop Eric disappeared inexplicably.

You have to know that in order for him to go to the Kingdom of Serra smoothly and safely, the Holy Mountain gave him a lot of blessings and magic. Even Bishop Eric himself gave all his wealth to an archbishop in exchange for a blessing of resurrection magic. Even if he died, his soul could be resurrected in the Holy Mountain and continue to serve as a bishop in another way.

Missing? What a ridiculous word! The Dawn Church didn't even know whether Bishop Eric was dead or alive.

This time, not only was the Pope more angry than last time, but all the clergy on the Holy Mountain finally united.

Last time, they knew it was the Empire that was behind it, at least the enemy was the one they had been fighting against. But this time it was so strange that the resurrection spell was not even triggered. Bishop Eric was like this, what if they encountered it?
In the face of countless terrifying forces, no one can hide, because the Lord of the Dawn in the sky always shines on this world.

Soon, the truth came to light.

"Bishop Eric disappeared in the [woodland]"

"The land of the elves."

"Because Archbishop Sigurd died in that hilly area, he chose to go north from that plain, which is the side close to the woodland, and then... he disappeared in it."

"Disappeared into the kingdom of elves."

"The ancient elves have many methods, especially the Moon Lady they serve. She has a way to prevent Bishop Eric's magic from taking effect."

silence.

The long silence represented the seriousness of the matter. It had changed from a war within humanity to a conflict between races. It was no longer just a simple matter.

Bishop Eric's affairs could not be handled in a short period of time, so the Pope once again asked about the affairs of the Kingdom of Serra.

This time...even the bishop was unwilling to go.

"That is an ominous place, Your Holiness."

Of course, the first bishop who said this was thrown into prison that same day and had no chance to accompany the Crusaders.

The people behind don’t dare to say anything, but they will change their words.

"We are not qualified to steal the glory of Archbishop Adriana's faith. She is the Archbishop of Oracle blessed by our Lord. If we steal Archbishop Adriana's honor, the Lord will no longer love us greedy servants."

"He has bestowed upon us divine punishment."

What an ominous place! As servants of the Lord of Dawn, they have and can only have one belief. No matter what happens, good or bad, it must be a reward from the great Lord of Dawn to them.

Death is the punishment from the Lord to them, otherwise how could the Lord’s servants die? Even after death, they will be led into the eternal kingdom of heaven.

Being alive is also a gift from the Lord. Their life and death are controlled by the Lord. If the Lord wants them to live, they will live, and no force can kill them.

Correspondingly, there must be a reason for the death of clergymen, and it must be the Lord’s displeasure with them and his punishment for them.

This kind of argument suddenly makes more sense.

After Archbishop Adriana received many divine graces in succession on the Holy Mountain, even the Pope turned a blind eye to her, let alone the clergy like them?
They actually dared to pick the foundation peaches planted by Archbishop Adriana in the Kingdom of Serra. What's wrong with the Lord punishing them?
This is all their own fault. Don't these clergymen understand the significance of divine grace and divine oracle? How dare they go against the Lord?

The Lord gave Archbishop Adriana an oracle to tell her to do something, and you still want to interfere. Do you still want to live?

When I think about it this way, it seems... that is the case.

The clergy of the Church of Dawn may be corrupt and depraved, but their faith in the Lord of Dawn is certain. The more they think about it, the more they feel that this is the case.

The Empire? The Empire and the Church had failed in all major wars in the south, but had repeatedly succeeded in the land of the Kingdom of Serra. Was it really the Empire's fault?

It must be caused by the Lord’s dissatisfaction.

Everything is the Lord’s best guidance for their destiny.

(End of this chapter)