Alel knew that if he couldn't retrieve these two missing demigods this time, his position as Southern Continent Governor-General would definitely be removed, and he would be excluded from the center of power.
"No, it can't be like this. I worked so hard to climb to this position - how can I be willing to step down like this?"
Looking at the burned buildings and ashes outside the window, Alel took a deep breath and looked at Frederick: "It seems we can't take action against the Highland rebel army for now. Set aside matters related to them. I'm preparing to gather all available forces on the Southern Continent and, at a certain cost, join with Loen to comprehensively eliminate the Rose School of Thought's influence! They've had this idea for a long time anyway, since we're not the only ones being harassed by the Rose School. Will you participate in this joint campaign against the Rose School?"
"The Empress has issued orders strictly forbidding us from participating in this matter, since it has nothing to do with us. As for whether the Artificial Death God faction will participate, I don't know. You know their minds aren't much different from the Rose School guys."
Hearing Alel's inquiry, Frederick flicked ash from his trouser leg and expressed his stance and position.
"Hmph, since you're not participating, you'd better manage those subordinates of yours. As for the Artificial Death God faction - those lunatics with screws loose in their heads - even if they wanted to join, we wouldn't let them. They can't accomplish anything except cause trouble!"
Hearing the Southern Continent Governor-General's words, the Undead Frederick looked at him and smiled: "If you do that, I'd better stay away from you. I'm afraid that when the time comes, those two angels from the Rose School will directly target you."
Raising an eyebrow and waving away the smoke the other had blown over, Alel said in a flat tone: "You don't need to worry about that. I've already passed this matter to the Eternal Blazing Sun Church and the Soren family internally. Before long, two angels might come here."
"What? Two angels are about to come to the Southern Continent? Alel, are you crazy? Don't you know that a battle between four angels could destroy the entire Southern Continent?"
Hearing that two angels were about to come to the Southern Continent, Frederick's brow furrowed tightly. The cigarette in his hand suddenly went out, and a cold wind seemed to begin circulating throughout the room.
Frederick wasn't surprised that angels would come to handle this matter, but he hadn't expected Intis to take this so seriously that they would send two angels to deal with it.
If these two angels engaged in direct conflict with the Rose School, the consequences would be unimaginable - the entire Southern Continent could be destroyed!
Taking a deep breath, Frederick felt he now needed to prioritize whether he should return to the Spiritual Order headquarters.
In the southern part of the Star Plateau, in a basin near the Hagati Grassland, stood a small-scale ancient city. This had once been territory ruled by the Highland Kingdom, and after the Highland Kingdom's collapse, this unremarkable small city was renamed Red Moon City, becoming the headquarters of Primordial Moon believers.
Most of those coming and going were natives from various Southern Continent tribes and some Highland rebels who believed in the Primordial Moon.
In the underground prison of Red Moon City, lit only by dim lamplight in the pitch-black darkness, Nimrod sat cross-legged on a stool, looking at the elderly clergyman across from him with a smile:
"Archbishop Koliqi, what do you have to say at this point?"
Hearing the young man's inquiry, the Eternal Blazing Sun Archbishop Koliqi - his hands bound, abilities sealed, transformed from a demigod to an ordinary person - sighed and answered with his aged, resonant voice:
"Since Your Highness hasn't killed me, you must have your own demands. May I know what price I can pay for Your Highness to let us go?"
Upon awakening and seeing this young man, Koliqi had given up any thought of resistance, knowing that no matter how much he struggled, it would be futile. Because sitting before him was an angel! A true, complete mythical creature that had transcended humanity!
Such a being - even if he were in good condition and wielding a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, he couldn't contend with it, let alone now as a prisoner.
"Mm, very good. You're much smarter than that Iron-blooded Knight. Dean, remove the Archbishop's shackles. Mistreating elderly people is not gentlemanly behavior."
Hearing Koliqi's response, Nimrod smiled and nodded, speaking to the bald middle-aged man standing behind him.
Hearing the God's Child's words, the Sequence 3 Pallbearer Dean respectfully nodded and used the key he carried to unlock Koliqi's shackles.
As soon as the heavy shackles were removed, the Eternal Blazing Sun Archbishop immediately breathed a sigh of relief. With his abilities sealed and physical condition greatly weakened, his current body was no better than other middle-aged and elderly people. Being bound by such heavy shackles for so long, he was already exhausted.
Looking at the weak and heavily breathing Koliqi, Pallbearer Dean touched his bald head and said coldly:
"You should be grateful for the God's Child's mercy. If it were up to me, you might not be so intact now. Your body might have some extra organs and limbs, or might be missing some protruding parts, and might have grown some strange things..."
As one of the three demigods permanently stationed in Red Moon City, Pallbearer Dean had no good feelings toward these colonizers from the Northern Continent. Although he himself was from the Northern Continent, in his years of believing in the Primordial Moon and residing on the Southern Continent, he had witnessed too many atrocities by colonizers - massacres, plunder, rape, slave trade, and so on, all of which filled him with rage.
Hearing the other's cold words, Koliqi raised his head and, by the dim lamplight, saw the other's face clearly. As if remembering something, he asked gravely:
"Are you the escaped Archbishop from the Mother Earth Church, the one most likely to succeed as the next Pope - Roland Constantine? There's been no news of you all these years. The outside world has been spreading rumors that you were secretly executed. I didn't expect you to still be alive and to have joined the Rose School of Thought."
"Rose School of Thought? What are they worth? Would I join an organization where all members have had their brains gnawed by living corpses? Also, let me remind you - Roland Constantine died long ago. What lives now is Dean, blessed by the Lord!"
"What? You're not from the Rose School of Thought?"
Hearing Dean's denial, Koliqi's aged face showed astonishment, and he looked at Nimrod with a question:
"Who is the one you believe in? Isn't it the Bound God?"
Hearing Koliqi's question, Nimrod, still cross-legged, smiled and said:
"The Bound God? That oversized mummy? Why would you think the Lord we believe in is him? Don't confuse us with the Rose School of Thought. Although some of our members work in that organization, we believe in neither the Bound God nor the Mother Tree of Desire. The existence we believe in manifests in this world under the name Primordial Moon. You may have heard this honorific name..."
Speaking thus, Nimrod clasped his hands in prayer and recited respectfully:
"The unique Crimson Moon, symbol of life and beauty, Mother of all spiritual power."
Hearing this honorific name, Koliqi's body suddenly trembled, as if sensing that an indescribable great existence had noticed him and cast its gaze upon him.