Holy Land, Pope's Palace.
"What a fine day, such a relaxing morning. Feels so pleasant to see the world rightfully transforming. The limbs of the church so perfectly performing — Ah, this is revitalizing… Hmmm…"
The Supreme Pontiff of the Church of Solis, Pope Axel Tar Kreed, His Holiness, walked through the many hallways toward his office chambers. His deep, fatherly voice rang out through the corridors, singing spontaneous melodies, the lyrics pouring forth from the depths of his soul.
A broad smile graced his face, and he warmly greeted any clergyman he encountered, wishing them the best of luck.
Confused, the clergymen would go flustered and just bob their heads as fast as possible, greeting the old Pope back.
Soon, the Pope entered his chambers and closed the door behind him. Immediately, a dozen or so high-ranking clergymen poured into the waiting area of the Pope's office where the Pope's assistant, Bishop Gunther, sat.
"What's happening?" One Cardinal asked. "I've never seen him in such a great mood."
Gunther walked over to the notice board and fixed the parchment to it. The assembled clergymen gathered around the board to read the heading and accompanying details. "Here is the answer."
All the Cardinals and Archbishops huddled around the wall and looked. The parchment had a big heading, and underneath were some details.
"Unbelievable!"
"This is lord's blessing!"
"Finally, their misery ends!"
"The Church is blessed."
On the side, Gunther bobbed his head in agreement. "Indeed. Archbishop Sylvester Maximilian has vanquished the evil Grand Duke of The Patch in a masterfully planned standoff with the armies. No casualties on Lord Bard's side; meanwhile, the enemy suffered greatly. Now, the Sorrow Kingdom is no longer Sorrowful, for it is reunited — Once again, it is the Blackhart Kingdom!"
The clergymen read the report on the wall with focus, taking in every single detail on it. It revealed the brilliant actions of Sylvester, but that was not all. There was a second headline near the end of the article.
Gunther proudly spoke further. "As you can see, Archbishop Sylvester also found the cure to the ongoing plague that has claimed millions of lives and still spreads westward. It is because of Lord Bard's grace that the holy realm remains this safe."
The Cardinals and Archbishops gathered there, took long sighs, and walked back from the notice board. Their faces brimmed with smiles and a hint of jealousy as they were all bested by a young boy.
"Now, if you may excuse me. I need to sort out the Holy Father's schedule. May the holy light enlighten us." Gunther returned to his seat and indirectly told all of the members to return to their workplaces.
In no time, the crowd dispersed, but it wasn't going to take long before the word would spread. The legendary actions of Sylvester Maximilian were not something meant to be kept a secret.
That's why, right inside the Pope's office, beyond the closed room, the Pope had plastered himself beside the entrance with his ear on the door.
With a huge grin, he listened to all the clergymen showing their delight in Sylvester's work. In fact, it filled the Pope's heart with great pride, as Sylvester was his student and, quite possibly, his successor.
"Hah, go on, my gossip bees — spread the word! Tell the world about Sylvester." The Pope, of course, had planned everything from the start. Singing and patting the clergymen, it was all to grab their attention.
However, in his pure delight, the Pope didn't notice the door knob turning and the door opening. His carelessness left him in an awkward spot in front of his assistant.
"Ah! Your holiness, do you need something?" Gunther got flustered seeing the Pope awkwardly standing beside the door.
The Pope coughed and straightened his mitre on the head. "Ah, nothing… I mistakenly dropped a Gold Grace. Don't worry, I found it."
"..."
Of course, Gunter was doubtful. But, he didn't speak his doubts, for he loved his neck a bit too much.
"Your Holiness, another letter came from the bard. He is req…"
…
Thousands of miles down South, contrary to the cheerfulness of the clergymen in the Holy Land, faces were often tired in the Sorrow Kingdom.
A month passed, and then another, but the work seemed never-ending as the Sorrow Kingdom had suffered much destruction. Most of the cities lay in ruins, and almost all the villages and towns were destroyed. Rebuilding all of them was a daunting task, but Sylvester had bigger plans. He aimed to turn the Sorrow Kingdom into his base and rebuild it better than before.
After returning to the Wailing City, he spent most of his time singing hymns for the people, teaching arriving clergymen, and designing blueprints for cities, towns, and villages. His primary focus was hygiene, and he made sure that all the villages and towns had good sewage.
Additionally, since the Sorrow Kingdom was mostly desert, the soil was not very fertile, so he emphasized dung harvesting from farm animals and designated specific locations to store it.
Clean water systems and good homes that can stay cool during the day and warm at night, such small things were introduced through detailed explanations. He also imparted valuable knowledge on how to lay stronger building foundations and construct taller, safer structures, a skill much in demand in the Sorrow Kingdom, where earthquakes were an all-too-common occurrence.
For the present, the Sorrow Kingdom was to be governed as a temporary theocracy. Nevertheless, the long-term goal was to find a rightful ruler, even if that individual bore only the faintest resemblance to the royal bloodline. This was because the Holy Land was unwilling to hold ruling power, as it meant taking responsibility for the welfare of the populace, and any mishaps that occurred would reflect poorly on the church.
Nobles, Kings, and Queens were shields for the church that they didn't want to lose.
"Your grace, Azor the Dark Wizard is prepared for your interrogation." Count Bradley came to Sylvester's room in the monastery.
After the death of Archbishop Nelson, Count Bradley had attached himself to the guidance of Sylvester, as he was the famed wise Bard. Initially, the Count held a lot of doubt as he could not believe a young man could be so wise.
But, after seeing another legend being made right before him, his devotion went through the roof, and he became yet another staunch supporter of Sylvester Maximilian, the Lord's Bard.
"Thank you for informing, my lord. Did you tell Saint Medico too?" Sylvester asked as he closed all the documents on his table.
"I am yet to."
"Good, no need to tell him." Sylvester moved ahead of the Count. "I want to interrogate him in private."
Count Bradley asked no further questions, not letting his curiosity get the better of him. Instead, he showed Sylvester the path to the underground dungeons where the Dark Wizard was held, chained in the Darkstone cuffs.
It was all too dark and warm and dry since the sand lacked much moisture in the Wailing City with Mount Eternal nearby.
"I will stand guard, your grace." Count Bradley volunteered to stand outside the entrance to the dungeons.
Sylvester appreciated it and proceeded to move closer to the Dark Wizard. "I can understand the reason behind your pact. The thought of growing old and weak is indeed daunting, and accepting one's fate is not an easy feat. But, you not only made the contract, but you also turned evil. Enough to create a plague that has already killed millions. For you, there is no forgiveness, but the way you die is something in your control."
Azor Al Romana faced up weakly to see Sylvester. Fear of death was evident in the old wrinkled man's eyes. He knew he was tricked by the demon.
"What do you want?"
"Information about the demon. How did you make the contract? How did you come across it? Did it tell you anything?" Sylvester asked everything in one go.
Azor responded candidly, harboring no fondness for the demon in question. "His name is Zama'tar. He has existed in our realm for centuries, but solely as a demon key, a cursed and immobile object hidden in an isolated location. In his instance, the object took the form of a book located in the library of an ancient fortress on the Central Continent.
"Over a century ago, I came across this book and sensed the presence of a demon within it. Yet, I held onto it for my own research, never anticipating that it would serve any other purpose. As a Dark Wizard, my knowledge extended to various spheres, so I summoned the demon and proposed a contract."
Sylvester listened to the story with focus. There was nothing out of the ordinary until then. "Where is the demon now?"
Azor looked down in shame. "I… According to the contract, in return for my eternal life, I granted him a human body… One compatible with him."
Sylvester's eyes widened, and hair all over his body rose.
Bam!
He grabbed Azor's mouth and made him face up. "You freed a demon into our world? How strong is he in terms of us wizards?"
Azor's eyes flashed with a hint of regret, and the scent of fear poured out. "I… I comprehended the magnitude of my mistake and endeavored to slay it before it could flee. But… it overpowered me and stripped me of my magical abilities… Reducing me to a mere Master Wizard from my prior status as an esteemed Arch Wizard."
Sylvester breathed long and heavy, understanding very well what a significant threat this was.
"You mean he is at least equal to a Grand Wizard?"
Azor nodded. "He was… Fifty years prior… At present, I do not know."
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