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Chapter 82 - 82 Gift Church
Chapter 82 - 82 Gift Church
82 Gift Church
The Gift Church was originally established by Duke Simon.
It was an organization built according to the basic structure of the Church of the Three Goddesses in the ancient Blackwater Kingdom and was designed to quickly replace the Holy Spirits Church as the new pillar of faith in the new Blackwater Kingdom after the Blackwater Province became independent.
Perhaps to hide it and give himself a way out, Simon built the Gift Church’s headquarters in Blacklight City—a city with an even older tradition of Moon Realm worship than Thorn City.
Not only that, but Simon also gave the Gift Church’s Prelate, Rudolph, immense authority. It wasn’t just in Blacklight City, but in the entire western Blackwater Province’s Nakuland area. Simon allowed the Gift Church to grow barbarically.
Back then, Duke Simon’s core advisors had always been very uneasy about his actions, believing that giving them such freedom might in turn threaten the Rose Palace’s control of the Nakuland area.
According to the information Layton was privy to, the Gift Church had already shown signs of losing control three years ago.
They had expanded their worship and faith in the Moon Realm. It wasn’t just the three ancient goddesses of the Blackwater Province. The higher-ups of the Gift Church even hoped to worship the Moon Realm as a whole.
However, strangely, Duke Simon didn’t take action to control this mess. Even after the Gift Church explicitly rejected the Rose Palace’s orders last year, Simon only calmly expressed that he would let them be. Everything would return under his control next year, and the influence they had expanded would easily fall into his hands.
Back then, his face was filled with confidence as if everything was going according to plan.
Of course, no matter what genius plan Duke Simon had back then or how far-sighted his plan was, everything ultimately burst after his sudden death in the graveyard’s Holy Sepulchre.
As for the situation in the Gift Church, it naturally spiraled out of control like a wild horse.
However, it was this out-of-control situation that became Layton’s final straw to clutch at.
“You’re saying that after Vincent took over Thorn City, he began to completely purge all organizations related to the Moon Realm?”
Rudolf Bolton, the Prelate of the Gift Church, stroked a cleric’s staff embedded with 13 gems and asked with interest.
“Yes, be it the secret meetings in the Mage Hall, the secret societies developed in Offa University, or even the ad-hoc worship groups in the Bramble Guards, everyone related to the Moon Realm’s worship has suffered a tragic blow recently. It’s said that the entire Rose Palace’s dungeon can’t hold the arrested people,” Layton replied with sweat on his forehead.
For some reason, he felt extremely stressed sitting in front of this relaxed-looking man who wasn’t tall.
It was as dangerous as being at the edge of a cliff.
Upon hearing Layton’s answer, Prelate Rudolph maintained a relaxed and casual expression and nodded slightly.
“Therefore, I’ve long said that someone like Vincent, who is extremely arrogant deep down and doesn’t have the slightest respect for true strength, should have been kicked out from the beginning. However, our dear duke didn’t take my suggestion seriously back then. What a pity. The outcome of trusting him so much eventually led to him seizing power. It’s a pity that the feat he had been working on for half his life ended up in ruin.”
Although he said that, he didn’t show any pity.
Before Vincent made a name for himself, Rudolph was the former Chief Palace Mage of the Rose Palace’s Mage Hall. At the same time, he was the peak Master-level powerhouse whom many had high hopes of breaking through to the Legendary domain.
However, five years after Simon was crowned Duke of Thorn, he made an exception and got Vincent, who hadn’t reached the peak of the Master level, to replace Rudolph. Back then, Rudolph, who had reached the peak of the Master level for many years, challenged the unknown Vincent, who had just stepped into the Master domain, to a mage duel.
The outcome of that battle was a draw between the two.
For a peak Master to fight a magic chanter who had just stepped into the Master domain to a draw in a mage duel, the outcome was obvious.
To Vincent, this was the beginning of his legendary status as the Sage of Scorching Scars.
However, to Rudolph, it was an indelible inner demon.
As if savoring his foresight, Prelate Rudolf continued asking, “Therefore, how did he do it?”
“What do you mean how?” Layton asked at a loss when he heard this random question.
“I remember that at least two-thirds of the magic chanters in the Rose Palace’s Mage Hall have joined the three goddesses’ secret society, right? Coupled with Offa University’s club and the believers in the Bramble Guards, how did he throw so many people into the dungeons? Does he have so many armed forces under him that are willing to listen to his orders? Or could it be that our so-called number one person below the Legendary stage, Lord Vincent, personally captured them one by one? Hahahahaha…”
Rudolph’s last sentence was not a funny joke, but the others present cooperated with him and laughed.
Under such an atmosphere, Layton could only smile reluctantly.
He didn’t know what to say in this cheerful atmosphere.
After a while, when the laughter calmed down, Rudolf looked at him and continued asking, “Therefore, how did he do it?”
The other party asked him very calmly this time, causing the entire conference venue to fall silent.
Layton couldn’t help but lower his head and whisper, “Vincent… has broken through to the Legendary domain.”
Rudolph fell silent for about a minute.
Layton couldn’t stand the other party’s murderous gaze and continued, “It’s true. Three Master-level magic chanters joined forces and cooperated with their respective high-level Moon Realm spirits, but they were easily subdued by Vincent alone. I barely escaped with the help of my special ability gained from contracting a Lunar Monster. If he hadn’t broken through to the Legendary domain, this wouldn’t have made sense.”
Rudolph’s expression kept changing when he heard that. Then, he took a few deep breaths as if he was calming down.
After a while, he asked stiffly, “Then? Which Void Sovereign’s spawn is the Moon Realm spirit he signed a contract with?”
Upon hearing this question, Layton—who sensed that the other party had misunderstood him—felt goosebumps rise on his back, but he could only brace himself and answer, “He probably didn’t advance using the Moon Realm…”
“Liar!”
Rudolph’s voice made Layton subconsciously lower his head.
A terrifying aura spread throughout the conference hall with this roar.
Layton didn’t know if it was his imagination, but he felt the temperature in the entire hall rise several degrees.
It wasn’t an illusion…
Looking up, he saw sparks and ashes dance around Rudolph out of thin air, and his body emitted embers.
“He has already been permanently removed from the Astral Council. Unless the Holy Spirit manifests, he cannot advance to the Legendary domain through the Astral Laws…” Rudolph muttered to himself.
After a while, the sparks and ashes beside him disappeared, and the expression on his face returned to calmness.
“It’s fine. In the upcoming new order, nothing will change even if he advances to the Divine Realm… But now, the Stranger Astral Lighthouse in Thorn City is still under his control. This is a little troublesome. This will severely affect the progress of our plan…”
As Rudolph spoke, he held the staff embedded with 13 gems and walked to Layton’s side. He placed a hand on his shoulder and slowly said,
“Therefore, let’s talk about that nifty solution of yours. How should we take down Thorn City from Vincent, who calls himself the First Citizen, before the Moon Realm’s blessing descends on the Blackwater Province?”
This was to prove his value.
Layton fully understood the meaning in the other party’s eyes.
Sensing the rich mana surging from the other party’s body at close range, Layton finally understood why he felt so pressured in front of him.
The other party had also broken through to the Legendary domain.
Therefore, under the pressure of the scorching Fire magic, Layton replied with sweat all over his forehead, “I’ve found Simon Walde’s heir and planted a large number of spies in the Rose Palace. As long as there’s a Legendary mage who can restrain Vincent, I can guarantee that we can successfully snatch the Thorn throne and the Astral Lighthouse back into our hands.”