For Nimrod, Reinette Tinekerr was a very useful potential partner.
First was her identity as the Highland Kingdom's heir, and second was her identity as the leader of the Rose School's Temperance faction.
These could all be used to great advantage. Perhaps in the near future, a brand new Highland Kingdom would appear on the Southern Continent—but it would no longer be a country that believed in the "Bound God," but rather a new world that believed in the "Mirror God."
After giving instructions about specific destruction tasks, Nimrod finally began asking about serious matters:
"Is the intelligence source correct? There are no errors in the whereabouts of that Iron-blooded Knight and Lightless One?"
"Your Highness, please rest assured. The source of the information is very reliable—it was passed along by a devout believer working in the city lord's mansion."
"Mm. Besides those two demigods, is there anything else noteworthy in the city lord's mansion?"
Hearing that the intelligence source was reliable, Nimrod nodded and continued asking.
"According to intelligence we've gathered over the years, besides the two recently arrived demigods, only that general supported by Intis requires attention.
According to outside rumors, he seems to be from the Eggers family and appears to be a demigod himself. There are also rumors that he possesses a demigod-level sealed artifact from the Death domain."
"A descendant of Death? Hmph, just remnants of the Balam Empire—nothing to fear."
With that, his figure quickly faded and disappeared from atop the bell tower bathed in crimson moonlight...
Southern Continent, Eastern Star Plateau
Near the ancient forest, there was a city named "Kadra," a city-state famous throughout the Southern Continent for producing spices and rubies, named after the immortal feathered serpent from ancient legends.
During the former Balam Empire period, it was one of the few cities second only to the capital. After the original Balam Empire and the Highland Kingdom—the ruler of the Star Plateau—successively collapsed, following disputes among various factions, this city was controlled by colonial forces represented by Intis, who supported an Eggers family member with Death God bloodline as the colonial ruler.
As the frontline for Intis's colonial forces in the Southern Continent against indigenous armies, "Kadra" had implemented a curfew from the beginning of its control, strictly prohibiting anyone from moving about the city during the night. So except for the brightly lit city lord's mansion, the entire city was frighteningly quiet, like a city of the dead.
In a luxuriously decorated parlor on the second floor of the city lord's mansion, sitting on a sofa, Vahar Soren—with his blood-red hair—absent-mindedly wiped his short sword while looking at the elderly figure beside him, whose body emanated a faint glow and who was praying peacefully with a kind expression, and laughed:
"You fellows from the Eternal Blazing Sun Church are really strange. It's clearly the middle of the night now, yet you're still praying to the sun. Even if prayer could receive a response, the one responding to you wouldn't be the Eternal Blazing Sun, but the Goddess of Night.
By the way, as a Lightless One, do you still need to turn on lights at night? If we put you in Whitehall Palace and let you emit natural light, wouldn't that save a lot of court expenses?
Those parliament members should really consider this proposal."
Hearing Vahar Soren's mockery, the elderly figure who had been praying silently turned to look at him and replied calmly:
"I pray not to seek the gods' favor, but to express my devout faith. For you, you might not understand that feeling.
But for me, the Lord's radiance exists within every believer's body. In our daily prayers, the Lord is merciful and generous. He teaches us to..."
Seeing that the old man in bishop's robes and clerical soft cap seemed about to begin preaching, Vahar Soren quickly interrupted his next words, laughing and waving the short sword in his hand:
"I indeed don't understand that feeling, nor do I need to. For hunters, we only need one thing—war, war, and more war.
And war, whether for the instigator or the victim, absolutely has nothing to do with mercy or generosity. Rather than believing in ethereal great existences, I prefer to believe in iron and blood—at least they give me a real sense of still being alive..."
Sheathing his short sword, Vahar Soren continued:
"As long as those boys can defeat those indigenous armies in frontal combat this time, my Iron-blooded Knight potion can be digested by at least one-fifth, saving me several years of effort at once.
Hahaha, this kind of war with tens of thousands fighting in chaotic battle hasn't happened for many years. Although I hate Roselle, in this aspect, I have to praise his achievements.
After all, it was he who found the safe shipping route to the Southern Continent, officially beginning the colonial era. If those poor natives want to hate someone, they should hate Roselle."
Hearing this Iron-blooded Knight's statement, the elderly Lightless One shook his head and sighed:
"They are merely lambs who have strayed from the righteous path, beings who need redemption. They are equal to us, all beloved by God.
And I came here to save them. God says: all who hope shall be saved. For lambs who have strayed from the righteous path, we always hold compassion."
"Heh, hypocrite."
Vahar Soren snorted coldly, stood up, and looked at the other man:
"Kriech, since you keep talking about compassion, why did you come to the colonies? There are no lambs you expect here. Even if there are, they're just lambs waiting to be slaughtered!
Tomorrow you stay in the city, and I'll lead the army alone to attack those damn indigenous coalition forces.
If that hidden demigod doesn't appear, that's fine. If he does appear, with our cooperation plus that city lord planted by the Spirit Order, we'll have enough to take him down!
Hmph, Rose School—a bunch of third-rate characters. If their headquarters weren't located in the Southern Continent, the kingdom could easily destroy them!"
Hearing Vahar Soren's words, the Lightless One named Kriech nodded, accepting the other's arrangement. Then he closed his eyes again, clasped his hands together, and began devout prayer.
Seeing Kriech begin praying again, Vahar suddenly felt bored. For him, the last people he wanted to work with were these high-ranking officials who had been brainwashed into fools by the church.
Rigid, inflexible, hidebound—these terms could perfectly describe them.
"Too bad it's not Leovel accompanying me this time. If it were him, things would be much easier. With his control over spirit threads, he could easily discover that hiding demigod.
That way, the war's objective could focus on decapitation operations. As long as that demigod dies or leaves, I could win this war with minimal cost! And digest the Iron-blooded Knight potion much more quickly!"
Leovel was a demigod from the Secret Order who, after Zaratul's disappearance, had accepted the Soren family's invitation to serve as director of Intis's intelligence agency.