Ariehia never imagined she would one day become a member of the envoy team.
After all, the Church's envoy corps has always been made up of elite warriors—men of both literary and martial prowess, whose appearance must reflect the Church's dignity. She was confident in her combat skills and ecclesiastical etiquette, but when it came to looks... how could a woman who spent years on the front lines, constantly wielding a massive sword, possibly be considered attractive? The thought made her feel uneasy.
God official Mira reported that they were heading to the western border town of the Kingdom of Graycastle to negotiate a case of God desecration involving a witch under royal protection. The delegation, led by the God official, consisted of ten members from the Inquisition Army, including the cold-faced captain who had briefly crossed paths with the Hermes Defense Line.
Now it seems that even when not in combat, he maintains a cold expression. Just standing beside him, Airexia could feel the temperature drop significantly.
In stark contrast, Bishop Mirra, a woman in her forties with piercing wisdom, radiates warmth and grace. She often shares amusing anecdotes about the Church with a smile, her extensive knowledge and poised demeanor never faltering—not even before the Grand Bishop. Alesia has heard time and again that she is a strong contender for the next Bishopship.
To the female warrior's surprise, as a civilian, Mira's horsemanship was nearly on par with the Inquisition Army. For the past two days, she had been leading the group at the forefront, navigating from forested mountains to town paths while maintaining her horse's speed and conserving energy. Such skill was exclusively mastered by those who had undergone long-term equestrian training within the Inquisition Army.
"Are we heading south?" someone in the group asked after leaving Hermes territory and entering the Kingdom of Graycastle.
"No, Border Town is too far away. I wouldn't want to get my butt rubbed raw on foot," Mira waved her hand. "Let's head east to Valley Town first. There's a river leading to Redwater City, and from there, it's quick to reach the Long Song Fortress." "When did you join the Church?" Aelisha asked curiously. "Not only do you know all the stories about the Holy City, but you're also so familiar with the secular world." "Twelve years ago, when I was exactly thirty," Mira replied.
"So late," she exclaimed in surprise, "I've heard the older you get, the harder it is to grasp God's teachings. It's astonishing you rose from a mere believer to a God official in just ten years." "Indeed," Mira smiled, "That's the Church's magic. I was a merchant's daughter, traveling with my father across the Four Great Kingdoms. Goods from one region could be sold at vastly different prices elsewhere. Take the emerald coral from Sea Breeze County—purchased from local fishermen for twenty to thirty silver wolves per stalk. Packaged in a water tank and delivered to the Eternal Winter Kingdom's palace, it could fetch a golden dragon. The finest specimens, with perfectly even branches, could command over five silver wolves. I often wonder—why does the same item have such different values?" "Because... rarity makes things precious?" Aelisia interjected.
"I initially shared this view," Godgann nodded. "But an incident changed my perspective. A Noble in the capital secretly harbored a Witch capable of altering temperatures. Through ingenious methods, he managed to cultivate corals from the Sea Breeze County in the frigid Eternal Winter Capital. He transformed the basement into a massive pool with skylights, harvesting annually—yielding more than ten times our annual haul. My father traversed this long trade route only once a year. As green corals proliferated in the market, he sold them not only to the royal palace but also to high-ranking Nobles. If scarcity commands value, their price should have plummeted." "Yet within two years, the palace rejected low-priced corals, labeling them as counterfeits. My father's coral prices doubled instead. The Noble who hid the Witch was exposed by the Church and burned alive with him for harboring a witch. But I knew his corals were genuine, no different from my father's." "While scarcity is true, pricing depends on multiple factors. This is just one example—Eternal Winter Palace artificially inflated their value by branding green corals as luxury symbols." The emergence of more emerald corals disrupted the royal regulations, so on the day of the execution, the Queen held a grand celebration. "Do you think these items resemble us secular people?" "Like... what?" Aelisha didn't respond to God.
"Like the people under royal rule, my child," Mira spoke in measured tones. "We are born with a price tag that doesn't reflect our true worth. We're like these emerald corals-all the same, yet some are cheap while others are unattainably precious." "Unattainably precious... You mean Noble?" "Noble is the coral of the Eternal Winter Palace," God Officer chuckled. "They're born just like us-with hands, feet, eyes, and mouths. But they're artificially assigned the highest value. This inequality isn't about their abilities, but the king's decree. That's why I joined the Church. At least in the New Holy City of Hermes, birth doesn't limit your worth. If we could turn the entire continent into the Church's ultimate holy city, the so-called God's Bright Kingdom would be just like this." "You're absolutely right!" Airexia nodded repeatedly, her heart swelling with emotion. What a beautiful vision it would be if we could truly establish the earthly God's kingdom Mira described-where people are born without bloodline distinctions, and there are no commoners or slaves.
"God Nation? Hmph... How many more cold-blooded monsters do they want?" The stern-faced captain of the Inquisition Army jolted the reins and stepped forward. "God official, how much do you know about God's punitive army?" "Hey, you—" Airexia was about to call for his attention, but Mira cut her off before she could speak.
"God's Punishment Army is the Church's mightiest warriors, forged from the Inquisition Army—devoted, courageous, and unflinching in their faith." "Powerful? Fine. Need the Inquisition Army's transformation? Fine too. But what they produce aren't warriors—they're emotionless monsters!" With that icy remark, he spurred his horse to the front of the formation.
"What a disgraceful wretch!" Aelisia spat. When Hermes first met him, he had been a man of calm composure—combining a general's steadiness with a warrior's courage. How could he have become such a despicable creature?
"It's nothing, he's just restless," Mira shook her head. "Building the above-ground God Kingdom inevitably involves setbacks and sacrifices... But at least we're doing it voluntarily." By the time the group reached the next town, it was already dark. The God official led the delegation to the church for a rest. After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms, but Airexia followed the Inquisition Army captain and intercepted him in the hallway.
"Madam Mira is our guide. What do you mean by that? Have you forgotten all the Church's rules and regulations?" "You're calling Airexia, right?" He paused before speaking.
"Exactly. I'm now the captain of the Inquisition Army, just like you. Back in the Evil Demon's Month, I asked for your name, but you didn't say a word. Can you tell me now?" "Abrams," he said without emotion. "As for why I did that... Do you have any siblings?" "None," Alishia suddenly recalled. He had mentioned that his elder brother was a God Punishment Army member.
"I have. He grew up with me in the Church, and we knew each other like family. Later, he willingly underwent God's punishment of transformation, and I never saw him again—The Chief Judge told me his transformation was complete, and he's now out on special missions for the Church. I genuinely felt for him," he paused. "Until one day, I saw him again in the cathedral. I called his name, moved to embrace him, and guess what I saw?" A look of pain crossed Abrams 'face. "A stranger. He walked past me as if I didn't exist, staring straight ahead with eyes that seemed to have no God, acting like no human could." "..." A chill ran down Alishia's spine. She wanted to shout that he was lying, but her mouth stayed shut.
"God's punishment stripped the army of human emotions, reducing them to mere moving corpses." He shoved Airexia, who stood frozen in place, and strode toward his room without a backward glance.