Chapter 481 481. Desperate Times
'This is the highest clergyman in the West?' Sylvester found it hard to believe. 'How can the Church endorse someone like him to toil here? And this slave...Is he even alive?'
"Saint Cardinal Joseph, I'm going to catch thieves today." Fernis voiced as if she was used to seeing the man.
The Cardinal glanced up at her and forced a smile upon his face. However, his sunken, ghastly eyes did not reflect the same reaction, revealing that he performed his duties out of obligation rather than genuine benevolence.
"Princess! Welcome to the house of the lord. Apprehending transgressors is a divine task in itself, so I bestow my blessings upon you to prosper in alleviating the burdens of the people," the Cardinal uttered in a shaky voice. "If you require anything, you may speak with my adjutant. Now, I shall depart and walk the streets to bless the poor souls!"
Fernis lowered her head to pay respect. "Thank you, Cardinal. I will go now."
She hastened to the notice board, where sketches of criminals were displayed, accompanied by their names and offenses. Among them were thieves, murderers, and rapists. However, the matter of handling heathens rested within the purview of the Church's internal forces and thus remained undisclosed.
"Let us select one of each. Today, we shall capture a thief, a murderer, and a rapist!" Fernis declared and plucked three sheets of paper from the board.
Then she headed out with much fervor and hope. "Let's go where the crime took place."
Silently, Sylvester trailed behind, his mind brimming with countless questions. But there was one he couldn't resist asking. "Why does the Saint Cardinal...appear so peculiar?"
She shrugged and mounted the horse. "I don't know. He only appeared three years ago as the previous Saint Cardinal suddenly went missing. Even the Grand Wizard that came with him is nowhere to be found. So, Saint Cardinal Joseph took over the task of running the monastery."
Sylvester smelled no lies from the princess, but he easily sensed a conspiracy unfolding. Beneath layers of secrecy, he knew all too well that something was afoot, likely orchestrated either by the Shadow of Masan or the Emperor.
'Have they been captured? Are they even alive? If I can rescue them, I will have a Saint Cardinal in my debt and gain the support of the Fifth Guardian of Light, Soulbreaker.'
Sylvester didn't dare ask any more questions as he was yet to discover Fernis' true character. Instead, asking questions would reveal his curiosities and provide her with information about himself.
He followed the princess to her humble endeavor and assisted her here and there in uncovering clues and apprehending the criminals. Unfortunately, capturing the thief proved to be the most challenging task, as the man was constantly on the move. Meanwhile, the murderer was found and killed when he fought back, while the rapist had already met his demise at the hands of his victim seeking revenge.
In fact, only three hours were dedicated to apprehending the criminals, while the rest of the time was spent by Princess Fernis indulging in exploring the bustling city, relishing unfamiliar food, and experiencing new things.
Sylvester remained vigilant about her safety, constantly sensing that someone was watching them. However, he chose not to act on it as he believed it to be the royal spies ensuring the princess' well-being.
As evening descended, the weary princess desired to return and sleep soundly. Sylvester happily obliged, as he had much work to attend to. It was finally time to sow chaos and investigate the Church simultaneously.
...
As the sun set and darkness enveloped the city, the streets became deserted. Only the guards and evil forces lurked, but a larger and far more perilous entity roamed silently that night.
Sylvester altered his appearance, donned different attire, and even changed his scent using special items. But escaping the heavily guarded and rune-enchanted Hundered Castle City proved to be a challenge in itself.
However, Elder Runes represented the pinnacle of magic, which he had mastered. Capable of circumventing minor runes created with ordinary magic, he ventured into the Southern City with a well-thought-out plan to spread chaos.
"Maxy, I will fly in the sky and alert you of anything dangerous." Miraj graciously volunteered, leaping off Sylvester's shoulders.
Sylvester agreed and continued to venture deeper into the slum-like narrow alleys. Disgusting smells and suspicious noises were all over the place while the wild street dogs growled here and there.
'There needs to be a distrust of the monarchy among the people first. I need to ensure that Masan remains internally unstable, granting me the freedom to execute my grand plans,' Sylvester pondered as he moved from one street to another, cross-marking several houses with red paint.
No, he didn't do it randomly. He had a list of many informants of the royal family and the city guards. These individuals appeared to be ordinary citizens, and to some extent, they were. However, in addition to their regular lives, they also served as undercover informants, responsible for reporting any brewing schemes or propagating positive propaganda for the Royal Family.
They were Sylvester's first enemies as he needed to spread his own propaganda freely.
Thankfully, for his help, Moonwatchers Hozin and Kimino had resided in the city for years while he was training and subsequently serving as a slave. They had been gathering information for a prolonged period, and it was now time to utilize it.
'Now to spread the word.' Sylvester completed painting crosses and proceeded to slip a few messages under certain doors. The messages were inscribed with charcoal on tree leaves.
The message was a riddle, but it was simple enough for everyone to decipher and comprehend its meaning.
'Think from your own mind, not words of another. The spies of the nobles dwell behind doors marked with bloody color.'
Sylvester pushed the message, especially under the doors where mostly crooks lived, the people who had a personal vendetta against snitches and spies of the nobles. Simultaneously, the impoverished populace generally held a negative sentiment toward the affluent, so that worked too.
Once the people identified who the spies were and realized they were all individuals who had suddenly acquired wealth, there'd be no stopping. With a few strategically planted rumors, the flames could be further kindled.
Bam!
"Psst!"
Suddenly, a banana fell from the sky on his head. He looked up, and sure enough, Miraj was hovering like an eagle. "What happened?"
"A big crowd is standing outside the monastery, Maxy." Miraj notified him.
Intrigued, he swiftly made his way toward the monastery. As morning approached, he had to hurry, given the princess's erratic nature, where everything concerning her was unpredictable.
"Take me!"
"I want to join!"
"Write my name too!"
"Telm Vars and Kaan Vars! We will come!"
As Sylvester approached the monastery, casting his gaze upon the entrance from a distant shadow, he saw a crowd of men shouting their names or expressing their eagerness to be added to what seemed to be a list.
Three clergymen of Priest rank stood at the gate, attempting to manage the crowd of at least five thousand men. They recorded names and addresses for documentation. However, instead of allowing those men inside the monastery, they instructed them to step aside and form a large group at a distance.
Every few minutes, an armed knight would arrive and escort the group away. The process was repeated time and time again, heightening Sylvester's curiosity as he witnessed elderly men and children actively being turned away.
'This can't be related to some labor work, or else they would have accepted the children. But what are they up to then?'
In the end, Sylvester decided to go and join the crowd. In his disguise, he was also a simple brown man with a black beard. He even mimicked the movements and jumped like the crowd, waving his hand.
However, he dared not directly inquire about the situation from anyone. Instead, he encouraged the people to speak of their own accord.
"Oh! When will they record my name so that I can also go?" he uttered with a weary voice.
As expected, the man immediately before Sylvester responded. "I feel you, brother. Can you believe even recruit the entire city at this rate!"
Sylvester felt his shoulders slump upon hearing the news. He had spoken with Xavia and Sir Dolorem it! They are offering a monthly wage of three silver coins for simply enlisting as a soldier. I can hardly wait to prove myself and earn more."
'This is a recruitment drive?' Sylvester realized. 'But for what? A war against Warsong?'
"I hope they don't stop taking names. There are too many of us." Sylvester added.
The guy before him laughed at it. "Haha! It's the great war against Beastaria, my friend—They might even recruit the entire city at this rate!"
Sylvester felt his shoulders slump upon hearing the news. He had spoken with Xavia and Sir Dolorem just a few days ago, and there had been no mention of such developments.
"So they have finally launched an attack. I wonder how severe it will be this time," Sylvester continued. "But in any case, our beloved Masan shall remain secure by the grace of the lord."
Many men beside him agreed with his words and joined the conversation. Particularly, a middle-aged man with a towering physique participated fervently.
"Those heathen bastards! The word came just yesterday. Dragons and Elves have attacked the entire Eastern coastline. But, this time, they seek to focus on the Holy Land directly—Propostropus!"
Sylvester's heart skipped a beat in worry for Xavia, yet he remained focused on gathering more information.
"I want to go and battle for the glory of the lord! I wonder when we can join the battlefield." He sounded dejected purposefully.
Pat!
The burly man patted his back and grinned. "Soon, my brother. As long as you know how to wield a sword, they will dispatch you immediately! By the end of next month, we could be slaying those wretched elves!"
'This fast? How bad is the situation for even Masan to be this desperate?'
However, before taking any action, he decided to speak with Xavia and ensure her safety.
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