Pioneer Lord: I Have Conquering System

"You’ll find this hard to believe, but the Holy Light Church has cut down its Knight Orders significantly compared to the past. They’ve even let some become little more than a page in the history books," Fatir said.

"That’s a completely idiotic move, in my opinion," the Lord criticized bluntly.

Back in the day, the Holy Light Church’s Knight Orders numbered in the hundreds of thousands—a truly staggering figure. They wouldn’t have been able to launch the famous Eastern Crusade across the Seven Kingdoms otherwise, nor could they have almost single-handedly held back the Sea of the Dead that threatened the entire Middle Ages Continent.

While other Churches and kingdoms also contributed significantly, the Holy Knights were undoubtedly the backbone of that force.

’Even someone whose brain had been eaten by a Goblin wouldn’t be stupid enough to voluntarily dismantle the Knight Orders. What’s the difference between that and crippling yourself?’

A hyena without fangs or claws is just a puppet for others to control.

"No. In fact, it’s because the Church made the painful decision to carry out this difficult reform that it didn’t vanish into history during the lowest ebb of the Magic Tide." The setting sun bathed Fatir in its light, casting a golden sheen over her and making her seem all the more divine. "When Magic Elements were at their weakest, all Magic became as laughable as a child’s trick, and Mages earned the ridiculous moniker ’Magicians’."

"Under those circumstances, if the Church had maintained a number of Knight Orders large enough to intimidate the royal houses, it would have inevitably led to a bloody war."

"That was an era of intense conflict between kings and gods, between royal authority and divine right. Many Churches disappeared during that time. Of course, there were also those that emerged victorious from the struggle."

"Talisi must be one of those Churches you mentioned. I heard it’s a kingdom where the Church itself grants the right to rule, and the Priests there live more lavishly than the nobility." Levi nodded. "I see your point. No King would tolerate a power capable of threatening his authority sleeping right next to him."

"When Mages lost their powerful Magic and the Churches lost the Extraordinary Power they depended on, what were the kings to do but kick a dog while it was down?"

"So, by maintaining our Knight Orders at a size the throne could tolerate, and with our Holy Light Priests focusing almost exclusively on supportive Holy Light Techniques..." Fatir stopped abruptly as they reached a great hall. "...we made it easy to win favor. After all, who would refuse a friend who posed no threat but could offer aid? This is how the Holy Light Church has maintained its foothold in Gonda for millennia."

"I apologize for what I said earlier." The Lord had always been quick to admit when he was wrong.

All of that just boiled down to four simple words: the way of survival.

Four simple words, yet a truth that many could never grasp.

Otherwise, the Elves wouldn’t be in their current decline, and the Dwarves wouldn’t have spent the last few millennia confined to their forges, hammering out weapons.

"But back to the matter at hand. The reason I can’t pass the rest of the Holy Word Treasure Manual on to you isn’t just because the laws of Gonda forbid it. The main reason is that the later sections cannot be recorded through memory."

The door was opened from within by two heavily armored Holy Knights. Each carried a massive cross on his back, forged from some unknown material.

Levi recognized them as the Holy Cross Knight Order. ’Their appearance alone was intimidating enough.’

Levi followed Fatir into the hall, and the sound of the heavy doors closing echoed behind them.

An exquisite crystal chandelier on the high-domed ceiling, along with sconces on the walls, bathed the hall in light as bright as day.

"Beneath the church lies a vast Underground Holy Hall. This is where the Church Court keeps its Sacred Artifacts and ancient texts," Fatir explained, pressing a spot on a pillar in the center of the hall.

A low RUMBLE echoed as a section of the floor slid open, revealing a passage leading down.

Fatir, clearly familiar with the way, headed down without hesitation. "Follow me. Before you receive the Holy Word Treasure Manual, there’s someone I want you to meet."

The two of them descended into the passage.

Fortunately, both cultivated Holy Light. They summoned the light, which illuminated their path like two glowing orbs as they descended.

Levi noticed the passage walls were covered in ancient, shimmering runes and prayers. He was certain they held immense Divine Power.

Next, they passed a room where texts were stored. A toothless old man sat guard. He didn’t even spare them a glance, simply remaining slumped over his desk, fast asleep and drooling, completely oblivious.

’But the Lord didn’t dare underestimate the man. He figured the old timer must have used a Mage’s Eye or a powerful Prophecy Technique to foresee their arrival and was simply feigning sleep, too bothered to acknowledge them—the typical arrogance of the truly powerful.’

’After all, according to every novel he’d ever read, the old men guarding archives of Divine Magic and ancient texts were always secretly overpowered masters.’

"That’s Grandpa Keli. He’s too old to support himself, so I hired him to do some odd jobs around here," Fatir explained. "Let’s be quiet so we don’t wake him."

’Alright, Levi had to admit he’d been reading too many novels. The man wasn’t a hidden master, but a master of getting in through the back door.’

The two stepped back into the corridor. This time, sconces lined the walls, casting their shadows long behind them.

"You know," Fatir said suddenly, "the story of the Twelve Saints isn’t just a myth. They were real, and the weakest among them was a Legendary Level powerhouse."

After dropping that bombshell, she continued, "The person I’m taking you to see is the world’s last surviving Saint."

"’Uh-huh, I know,’ the Lord nodded, playing along and spouting his own nonsense. ’And I also know the Holy Light Goddess was born at the dawn of time, the incarnation of light and life, a participant in the creation of the world. And after the great holy war, the Twelve Saints all went to her Divine Kingdom to live in eternal bliss.’"

"You think I’m joking?" Fatir asked calmly.

"’It’s not a matter of what I think. You *are* joking.’ The Lord rubbed his temples. If it weren’t Fatir standing before him, he’d be tempted to crack her head open and see if a Goblin had eaten her brain."

"Do you have any idea how long ago the last Saint lived? A full thirty-nine hundred years! Even Legendary Powerhouses only live for seven or eight hundred years, tops." Levi gave a slight smile. "Enough time has passed to bury anything and everything. Even a giant boulder would have weathered to dust by now."

’To live from almost four thousand years ago to the present day... you wouldn’t just be an antique or some ancient mummy at that point. You’d be a literal living fossil.’

It wasn’t that he disbelieved in the existence of the Twelve Saints; he just didn’t believe any of them could possibly still be alive.

"’The truth, once revealed, convinces on its own,’ Fatir recited, quoting a maxim she’d picked up somewhere."

"We shall see," the Lord said with a shrug.

They soon arrived before a massive Bronze Gate. Levi noticed that Fatir’s calm expression had shifted, now showing a hint of seriousness and awe.

"Levi, this door normally requires several Holy Knights to open. But since you’re here, I didn’t ask them to come down," Fatir said, looking at the Lord. "If you would do the honors?"

"My pleasure." Levi nodded. He stepped forward, placed his hands on the heavy Bronze Gate, which stood a good seven or eight fathoms high, and pushed outwards.

As the Bronze Gate slowly swung open, the scene within was revealed to Levi.

And the sight that met his eyes caused him to...

"Damn!" The Lord couldn’t contain his shock, his face a mask of pure astonishment.

It was a vast Holy Hall. Crystalline stones set around the room emitted a milky white glow, illuminating the space as if it were day. The walls themselves were engraved with all manner of esoteric scripts.

In the center of the Holy Hall was a massive Holy Water Pool. The water was crystal clear, and leaning back in the pool was a bare-chested man with his eyes shut.

If that was all, it would have been nothing remarkable.

The real reason Levi lost his composure was this: the man himself was nearly six fathoms tall! Golden, sun-shaped emblems shone on his forehead, the palms of his hands, and his chest, radiating a gentle light that seemed to hold an endless Power of Holy Light.

Legend had it these were eternal marks left behind when a god descended to touch the body of a Saint.

"This is the Twelfth Saint, Igo Saint."