Chapter 201 : Chapter 201
Chapter 201. Each Side Makes Its Plans
The Bishop watched William’s departing back, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth. Isabella came to his side.
“Lord Bishop, since this William Kroll’s aptitude is real, why do we not detain him by force?”
The Bishop gazed in the direction William had left, the smile on his lips carrying a trace of certainty, as though victory was already in his grasp.
“Detain him by force? That would be too wasteful.”
His fingertips rubbed over the patterns on the cross, and his tone was casual, yet it concealed a possessiveness that could not be mistaken.
“A ‘talent’ like his must be ‘brought into the fold’ in the cleanest possible way. Only then will he be worthy of becoming a vessel of the Holy Light.”
Isabella lowered her eyes, concealing the fleeting complexity in them.
“But he seems to resist the Holy Light.”
“Resist?”
The Bishop chuckled softly, turned, and walked toward the altar. His fingertips brushed over the cold stone surface.
“At first, sheep are afraid of sheepdogs as well. Once they get used to them, everything will be fine.”
He picked up the gilded chains on the altar. Beneath the candlelight, the chains gleamed with a cold luster.
“Once the Blackgold Empire is dealt with, he will understand that remaining in the Holy Light Empire is his only home.”
Isabella frowned slightly. The Holy Light patterns on her armor rose and fell gently with her breathing.
“But Dragon Mother Daenerys is still outside the fortress. She has five Domain Giant Dragons under her command. The people we brought do not give us absolute confidence in taking William Kroll away.”
The Bishop walked to the map of the continent hanging inside the tent. His fingertip landed on the position of Dragon Island, where a coiled giant dragon had been drawn in golden ink.
“The Dragon Clan? They are nothing more than stubborn old relics guarding ancient secret treasures.”
He gave a soft laugh.
“Once I obtain the divinity inside the Totem Pillar and purify it into pure divinity, I will advance to Demigod. At that point, even if the Dragon Island Grand Elder comes, what of it?”
He suddenly turned around, his gaze falling on Isabella. His tone carried unquestionable authority.
“Make the arrangements. Have the army prepare to break camp in three days. In addition, keep a close eye on William’s movements.”
“Yes.”
Isabella bowed and accepted the order. As she turned away, her gaze beneath the helmet swept over the Crystal Bottle on the table, the one filled with Impure Divinity, and a trace of complexity flashed in her eyes.
She had followed the Bishop for many years and knew very well that this seemingly gentle Bishop had never minded using the cruelest methods for the sake of so-called “Holy Light glory.”
Only the Bishop remained in the tent. He picked up the Crystal Bottle and shook it against the candlelight. The murky radiance inside the bottle cast mottled shadows across his face.
“William Kroll…”
He murmured the name, as though savoring a rare treasure.
“Aptitude, the trust of the Dragon Clan, and even the ability to allow the Holy Light and Dragon Breath to coexist… A ‘thing’ like him, once brought back to Holy Light Main City, will be enough to silence those conservative cardinals.”
He placed the Crystal Bottle back where it had been, walked to the Totem Pillar in the corner, and kicked the cracked wooden pillar.
“Those fools from the Barbarian Tribes were guarding a mountain of treasure, yet they did not know how to use it.”
He sneered.
“Something like divinity can only reveal its true value under the guidance of the Holy Light—just like that boy.”
Outside the window, the Holy Light Barrier rippled faintly, as though echoing his words.
The Bishop walked to the window and looked toward Dragon Island in the distance. On the horizon, the vague shadow of a dragon swept past.
“Soon.”
He spoke softly, tracing a Holy Light mark on the windowsill with his fingertip.
“Once I obtain the Blackgold Empire’s divinity and bring that brightest Chess Piece back to the empire… when that time comes, even the cardinal archbishops will no longer dare to point fingers at me.”
The candle flames inside the tent suddenly surged higher, casting his shadow onto the wall. It twisted and swelled like a dormant giant beast waiting for the moment to devour everything.
The Blackgold Empire’s encampment was buried deep within a canyon formed from volcanic rock.
Sulfurous mist coiled around the camp, and the black crow emblem on the banners glimmered ominously beneath the torches.
Commander Mog slammed the secret letter sent by the spies onto the stone table. In an instant, the paper was scorched by the dark-purple Dou Qi in his palm, leaving charred marks behind.
“Have those hypocrites of the Holy Light gone mad?”
He growled, violence surging in his scarlet pupils.
“They want to attack me? Are they not afraid that the Radiant Sun Empire will come back in force?”
His deputy knelt on one knee, his head lowered deeply.
“The spies say the Bishop does indeed have a mass of Impure Divinity in his hands. It is in a Crystal Bottle in the Main Tent. Judging by the situation, he intends to forcibly purify it and attempt to reach the Demigod Realm.”
“Demigod?”
Mog sneered. Dou Qi condensed into sharp claws at his fingertips, gouging five deep marks across the stone table.
“With that tiny bit of Impure Divinity? He thinks he is worthy?”
He abruptly rose to his feet. His black cloak swept over the skull decorations on the ground, producing a dull clatter.
“The Radiant Sun Empire is ready to come back in force at any time, yet the Holy Light dares to divide its attention at a time like this, playing with divinity and trying to advance to Demigod? That old thing of a Bishop must have had his head burned out by the Demigod Realm.”
The deputy hesitated before saying, “Commander, should we… strike first before they make their move?”
Mog walked to the edge of the canyon and gazed toward the Holy Light encampment in the distance. The Holy Light Barrier there was like a pale star suspended in the air. He licked his cracked lips, revealing ghastly white fangs.
“Strike? Of course we will strike.”
“But not now.”
He turned around, a sinister gleam flashing in his eyes.
“Have the Shadow Division investigate further. Find out when he begins purifying the divinity.”
“This time, we will not only seize the divinity back, but also make that old thing of a Bishop understand that the seat of a Demigod is not his to take.”
“If anyone is going to take that seat, it will be me.”
He raised his hand and summoned a messenger. His voice was as cold as the wind in the canyon.
“Go and tell the Shadow Assassin Order to prepare the ‘Heart-Corroding Gu.’ Since the Bishop wants to refine it, I will send him a generous gift and let him taste what it feels like when divinity becomes a death warrant.”
The messenger accepted the order and withdrew. Only Mog’s heavy breathing remained in the stone cave.
He looked at the ring embedded with a Shadow Crystal on the stone table. Reflected inside the crystal was his own twisted face.
The Radiant Sun Empire? The Bishop of the Holy Light? Before absolute power, they were all worthless rabble.
He would have that mass of divinity.
Whoever stood in his way would die.
At that moment, William returned to Despair Fortress.
The gates of Despair Fortress slowly closed behind him. When the heavy iron bolt fell into place, it made a muffled thud, as though drawing an end to this brief return journey.
William flipped down from the dragon and returned to the command room. He immediately activated the Communication Crystal. Kroll II’s phantom emerged within the crystal’s radiance, his brow marked with fatigue.
“Did the Holy Light side make things difficult for you?”
Kroll II’s voice carried concern.
“Not for now, but they have set their sights on Dragon Island and divinity. The Bishop also wants to force me to go to Holy Light Main City.”
William briefly recounted what had happened.
“I refused.”
Kroll II fell silent for a moment, his phantom wavering slightly within the crystal.
“What do you think we should do?”
“Stay at Despair Fortress.”
William’s tone was very firm.
“On the way back, Darwin already contacted the Dragon Island Grand Elder.”
“He said the Radiant Sun Empire’s fleet is closing in. Before they left, all their divinity was taken, and several Domain-Level Powerhouses died. The Radiant Sun Empire will never let this matter rest.”
The old king on the other end of the crystal nodded. The outline of his phantom became a little clearer.
“In that case, the Holy Light, Blackgold, Radiant Sun… all these sides are going to gather here?”
“Yes.”
William tapped the tabletop with his fingertip.
“But that is exactly the opportunity. They will restrain one another, and only then will we have a chance to obtain the divinity while caught between them.”
Kroll II suddenly smiled.
“William, you have become much steadier now. Very well. We will do as you say.”
Then his tone shifted, becoming heavy.
“However, I must transfer away two Gold Legions. The Kadiya Kingdom has been making constant small moves along the border recently. I intend to attack before they can react.”