Let him keep running the Church, and occasionally hint at the future—he’d do the job well!
You work, I rest easy!
Today’s showdown was, all in all, an unexpected success. At least, Allen no longer felt the hostility from those special forces.
The Archbishop, too, felt it was time to end the conversation.
Smiling, he asked, “Sir Allen, is your body well? Do you need treatment? Perhaps the effects have not yet entirely dissipated.”
“No, no, I feel fantastic—just eager to get back, I have other important matters to attend to.”
Allen replied briskly. He couldn’t wait to return and study his “new toy”—Marianne’s Brand of Shadow.
No one in the Church’s core had even noticed it. This was surely a gift from the Star Listener himself.
As a villain, Allen understood the wisdom of having “three burrows for the cunning rabbit.” He would always keep a way out for himself.
While cooperating with the Church, he never stopped preparing for a sudden betrayal, and Marianne was now his ace in the hole.
Just as he was pondering the best way to stab the Church in the back, the Archbishop’s gaze settled on him.
His tone was casual, but there was an edge hidden within: “Sir Allen, can the Church fully trust you?”
Trust?
No, he didn’t need that. He needed the world’s fear.
Allen raised his head with pride, flashing his trademark villain’s grin. “It can’t. The moment I think the Church has lost its value, I’ll destroy it with my own hands.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the air froze. Even Marianne sensed the surge of killing intent in the shadows.
But the Archbishop only smiled, waving his hand gently. Instantly, the invisible pressure vanished.
“No matter.” His voice was gentle, yet carried the peace of someone who had seen far into the future.
“At present, you are not yet the Divine Emissary. I will wait for the day you choose to bear that name.”
“I cannot yet take on the title of Divine Emissary, not until I travel to richer pastures, remake myself, and devote myself to the supreme authority.” Allen refused to relent.
“That’s all right.” The Archbishop seemed to see through everything. “Death…is part of your plan as well, isn’t it?”
At this, Allen’s pupils returned to black, his demeanor becoming once again light and mocking.
He shrugged, grinning, “To tell the truth, I’m terrified of dying. But if humanity falls, I go down with it. Death is part of my calculations—I’ve been prepared all along. If that day truly comes, I’ll face it without fear.”
“If that day comes, I’m willing to be by your side!”
Already moved by Allen’s declaration, Marianne stood up, full of emotion.
“Trying to act like a loyal dog, are you? Silly maid, your feudal brain needs an upgrade! It’s almost the twelfth century—who still plays that game?”
Allen shot down Marianne’s bizarre line of thinking.
“Also, we really gave an Oscar-worthy performance today. The Archbishop was totally stunned—don’t add any more drama and mess it up!”
His joke drew a hearty laugh from the Archbishop. In the end, the Archbishop made his decision:
“Sir Allen, the Black Sword you require—come to the cathedral in a few days to fetch it. As for the Saint’s Relic, I believe I understand your purpose.”
“You plan to manufacture firearms, don’t you?”
“Uh…” Allen suddenly thought of his saltpeter and asked, “By the way, what standard weapons does your Church use? Laser guns? Explosive guns? Or gauss weapons?”
Allen’s grasp of technology left Victor Solen utterly dumbfounded.
As a member of the Inner Circle, he had read plenty of documents and could barely grasp the concepts behind these weapons.
However, he’d never seen firearms before, much less possessed any technical expertise. These weapons all sounded formidable, but he couldn’t even imagine their appearance, power, or use.
As expected of the Divine Emissary! His scientific knowledge was just as unfathomable!
The Archbishop replied, “The weapons you mention, not even the pre-civilization could produce. Those weapons designed by the pre-civilization, after several sessions of the Council of Grand Dukes, were classified as forbidden, their blueprints sealed away forever and the physical items destroyed long ago.”
“What a waste!” Allen shook his head.
Grumbling aside, Allen understood the Church’s reasoning.
Once any civilization reached the information age, their mass-produced weapons could easily inflict serious harm on ordinary Engraved Mark bearers.
However, if firearms—these hot weapons—became common, they’d greatly accelerate social progress and would seriously threaten the Church’s efforts to maintain the status quo.
With that in mind, Allen asked solemnly, “If I create firearms, it will completely change the era. Will the Church try to stop me?”
The Archbishop looked at him with deep meaning. “It’s not just us who would stop you—it would be the whole world.”
Hearing this, Allen couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction. “That’s just what I wanted. It’s this Old World that I aim to destroy.”
The Archbishop instantly grasped Allen’s grand plan—the Divine Emissary intended to drive history forward.
If that was the case, the Church must not remain stagnant!
“…Understood. When your plan begins, I’ll provide whatever you need.”
“By the way, the Church’s Black Sword can suppress the Mark, correct?”
“Yes.”
“No wonder it’s the Church’s holy artifact. If you can provide me with the Black Sword, it’ll be a great help.”
“Not at all, it’s my honor to be of service.”
Only now did Allen truly feel how wonderful the Church route had become!
Cheer for me, give me a round of applause!
Hee hee, Livia, now even the Church’s holy artifact is nearly in my grasp.
You’d better behave, because you’re about to experience what it’s like to face the ultimate villain’s greatsword.
With everything that needed saying said, Allen’s tug-of-war with the Church was, for now, at an end.
“Archbishop, I may use the Church’s name to boost my personal reputation in the days ahead. You have no objections, do you?”
“You are our ally.” The Archbishop smiled warmly. “The doors of the Church will always be open to the Laval House.”
So, he’d secured the Church’s protection just like that?
Things had gone so smoothly, Allen began to doubt reality. His paranoia kicked in again.
Wasn’t all this just the Archbishop’s way of placating this suspicious character, waiting for him to drop his guard before springing a trap?
His repeated failures in past Cycles of Reincarnation had left him desperately lacking in security, always suspecting things were going too well to be real.
Perhaps seeing his unease, the Archbishop added, “In addition, my student, Sister Amelia, may be able to assist you. From now on, she will serve as your assistant, participating in your efforts to bring relief to the world.”
Now that’s more like it!
Allen understood that in the Church’s eyes, Anna—once their monitor—had grown ambiguous in her stance, not pure or steadfast enough.
Meanwhile, someone like Amelia, who harbored “hostility” towards him, made an ideal bridge for communication.
This artificially created barrier and challenge would, in fact, foster trust.
“Thank you, Archbishop. Then I’ll take my leave for today. I’ll be dropping by frequently in the future.”
“You’re welcome anytime.”
At last, Victor Solen led Allen, Marianne, and Anna back to the surface.
Archbishop Lucien remained alone at the round table, lost in thought.
The Black Sanctuary members ended their concealment, turning their gaze upon the Archbishop.
They all knew—the Archbishop had made a radical and risky choice.
“Gentlemen, what are your thoughts?” The Archbishop asked in a low voice.
He was not asking these dark-robed warriors.
Hovering around the massive sarcophagus, the metal monuments began to glow with a deep red light.
In the air, several cold, emotionless synthetic voices sounded:
“Albert Morel, we have witnessed it all. Allen de Laval, as you said, even if not the Divine Emissary, is nonetheless key to humanity’s salvation.”
“So…shall we begin the Nirvana Project?”
“As he said, we have already lost. Now that the last stake is gone, there is no reason not to overturn the table. Begin. If the Church cannot bear the mission of defending humanity, then we shall be its final shield.”
“Predecessors…your sacrifice will never be forgotten by mankind. In the end, I too shall join you.”
“No, Albert Morel. We are remnants of a bygone age. There is no ship in the new era that can bear us. Your mission is to lead the living to the future, not follow us into the past.”
“The Observer—that being whose name we only now know—surely never foresaw that our research into the Soul had already surpassed the expectations of so-called gods. We…shall never forget. Nor shall humanity ever yield.”
“Then, whether it’s the end or the future, please, Predecessors, witness it with your own eyes.”
“It’s in your hands now, Albert.”
The red glow faded from the monuments, and the Sanctum returned to silence.
Archbishop Lucien solemnly saluted the monuments, then turned to the Black Sanctuary members, who were exchanging glances, and revealed a confident smile.
“Humanity will be saved.”