"My brethren… A great calamity is upon us."
The Pope's words brought a deafening silence upon the chapel. Every member of the Holy Church was aware that the world was on the precipice of chaos. The Demon Cult had emerged and were plotting to plunge the world into a Second Great Demon War. However, they believed that it was contained, and the actions of Eldorin and the Hyades Republic had been thus far sufficient.
But to hear that a calamity was coming directly from the Goddess's revelation…
"The Goddess has spoken… Zephys will be drenched in an ocean of blood, and the influence of mankind will wane."
"Your holiness, that!"
This was the first time that the Goddess had given them such an explicit instruction. That alone was horrifying enough, but the contents were even more horrendous.
"Therefore, we must prepare… we must give aid to the capital before it is too late!"
Pope Verena Hyades declared, her emerald eyes shining with vigour as holy power was raised within the chapel.
"I hereby declare a Holy War! We will lead a crusade to eradicate the Demons who stand in our way, and… I authorise the use of the Holy Grail."
A Holy War being declared wasn't that surprising. The Demon Cult and its ability to corrupt souls and summon demons were a threat significant enough to warrant a Holy War. One could even argue that they were already fighting a Holy War, given how the Saintess had joined Eldorin in hunting the Demon Cult, and the Paladins of the Holy Church had been eradicating as many Demon Cult bases as they possibly could.
The other instruction, however, brought the pious followers to their feet.
One of the five Heroic-grade artefacts.
A relic that has safeguarded Hyarum since its inception. Legend tells that the first Pope, a man bereft of magic, drank from its chalice, and through him, Holy Power descended upon the world for the very first time.
From that moment onward, the Holy Grail became the cornerstone of the Church's might, its radiance shielding the faithful. It raised a sanctuary no evil could breach, and its presence cemented the Holy Church's dominion against all outside influence.
Its presence within Hyarum was the only reason why no one dared to invade the autonomous holy city.
No one wished to challenge the Goddess's authority, and particularly, no one wanted to be annihilated by the Holy Grail's immense power.
But for the first time in centuries, the Pope was ordering it to leave the city walls.
"Please reconsider!" The first to object was Archbishop Ignatius Araquiel, Ellahan's grandfather. "If a calamity is really upon us, we will need to defend our walls, the holy city of the Goddess! Moving the Holy Grail during this critical juncture is a risk we simply cannot take!"
"Yes, your holiness! We cannot risk the safety of Hyarum to save Zephys!"
The members of the clergy all jumped in with their objections. And to a certain extent, they were right. As the temple of the Goddess, Hyarum's place on the planet was no less critical than Zephys. In times of crisis, humans would usually seek divine guidance. If that shining beacon in the darkest hour is gone… people would sink into the darkness instead.
But the Pope had other thoughts.
"Even if it means the annihilation of ten million people?"
"I understand your fears, I really do."
Pope Verena didn't push away her congregation's worries. After all, she was worried about the potential of a Demon Cult invasion after the Holy Grail left Hyarum, too. Alas, the Goddess's words were absolute.
"Understand this, my brethren. We are servants of the Goddess. We act in accordance with her will, even if it is to our detriment. For the Goddess sees the world on a cosmic scale, not our petty human one."
The Archbishop bowed with respect, realigning his heart to the Holy Church's ultimate cause.
"That said, I won't leave Hyarum completely undefended. Sir Arthur Pagiel!"
"Yes, your holiness!"
"Summon all the Paladins home and lead them to defend our holy land."
"Your holiness," Archbishop Ignatius Araquiel once again raised his hand. Although he was clear on the objective, there was one obstacle they had to clear.
"Sending a Heroic-ranked artefact through the doors of Zephys… The High Council wouldn't be pleased. Especially since it would counter the effect of the Staff of Yiirun."
The Staff of Yiirun. A Heroic-ranked artefact that defended the capital from any harm.
One wielded by the magician who stood next to the Solaris Founder, it was an artefact that could move mountains and pluck the stars from heaven.
Its power was no less impressive than the Holy Grail, as it constantly maintained a barrier that shielded Zephys from external damage. That was the reason why no external forces, not the Holy Church, nor the Solaris House, could invade Zephys without probable cause.
But if the Holy Grail entered Zephys… the influence of the Staff of Yiirun might wane, weakening the barrier for a period.
"Then we have no choice… Saintess Ellahan!"
Pope Verena halted, her gaze resting upon the other figure of grace within the chamber. With a subtle gesture, she beckoned Ellahan forward. The Saintess moved without hesitation, her heart quickened by a sense of holy urgency, and she bowed low at the Pope's feet.
Verena's smile, gentle and knowing, lingered for but a moment, then their powers flowed forth. Holy radiance welled up around them, two streams of light entwining as though ancient trees had found strength in each other's roots.
The Cathedral of Beginnings stirred.
Overhead, emerald leaves glimmered with a brilliance that seemed to whisper eternity. Slowly, the Holy Throne yielded to the divine presence, its form unravelling into living vines until it blossomed as a fountain of blessing. The sound was like crystal breaking, yet from it came not ruin but renewal.
Amid the cascade emerged a vessel plain and unadorned: a wooden cup, simple in form yet suffused with the weight of eternity—the Holy Grail.
At its revelation, silence gave way to reverence. The devout fell weeping, foreheads pressed to the ground, while the rest knelt with trembling anticipation. For they beheld what few in all of history had seen, the Holy Grail, the wellspring of their faith, revealed at last.
"Saintess Ellahan… Take the Holy Grail and head to Zephys in my name. I hereby grant you the authority of the High Council. Use it to execute the Goddess's will."
"As you command, your holiness!"
Ellahan received her orders with a dry smile. Accepting the Holy Grail was a heavy burden, one that she didn't wish to bear just yet. However, during her time with Eldorin, she had seen what terrors the Demon Cult could unleash.
Human experimentation, land corrosion, and the annihilation of mankind.
The fate of humanity would be bleak if Zephys, its capital and the epitome of humanity's strength, were destroyed by the Demon Cult.
"Your holiness… If I may be so bold to ask… what was the calamity you foresaw?"
At Ellahan's question, the entire room was silenced. They glanced over at Pope Verena as they wondered what the holy woman would divulge. Alas, she only shook her head and said:
"Fire and ash… The entire Hyades Republic will be covered in fire and ash." The Pope spoke grimly. "Atop an ashen throne, the heathen will laugh. The dragon's wings will be clipped, and the moon will cry. And as the tears subside… the capital will fall."
The clergy listened, and all of them gulped in horror.
"This will be the worst calamity we will face in our lifetimes… thus far."
"Your holiness… Should we… call for assistance? The Solaris House, the Elune House, and a multitude of other powerful houses would join in the call if we sent them the Goddess's declaration."
"That… would be good too. I will leave the administrative task to you, Archbishop."
As the Pope finished her declaration, she was finally able to rest her restless heart and she scanned the room, only to find something peculiar.
"Hmmm? Where's Nirvana? I believed I summoned all Archbishops?"
The chapel quietened down, unsure of how to reply to the Pope's sudden query. However, they quickly gathered their bearings as Ellahan's grandfather answered plainly.
"Your holiness, Nirvana Karnam has strayed from the Goddess. He started his own religion, called the Utopia Church, and has set up his base in Zephys. When he left, he took a portion of our followers with him, and all of them converted to his faith. I apologise, but we were unable to stop him."
"Left the church? How strange…"
Nirvana Karnam was one of the most talented priests the Holy Church had ever seen. His control over Holy Power wasn't anything too impressive, but his ability to move hearts and bring people to peace made him an invaluable asset to the Holy Church. Not only that, he was exceptionally young for an Archbishop, meaning his future was exceedingly bright.
Pope Verena was also considering grooming him to be the next Pope, but now that he'd left, it was an impossible dream.
"Should we brand him a heretic, your holiness?"
"No, Nirvana may be away from the Goddess for the moment, but I have faith that he'll return. Saintess Ellahan, when you arrive in Zephys, you may seek help from him. As a former Archbishop, he'll see the bigger picture and understand."
As the Pope finished her sermon, a wave of drowsiness hit her mind. Feeling completely spent, she gestured for the altar priests to return her to her chambers.
"Archbishop Araquiel, I will leave Hyarum's affairs to you. If you need me, I'll be resting in my chambers."
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"May the Goddess bless you!!!"
The members of the Holy Church all bowed respectfully as the Pope returned to her seclusion. Although she had an abundance of Holy Power, Pope Verena was, after all, an elderly woman. And as they watched the Pope leave, their minds all thought the same thing…
The world wasn't going to be the same ever again.