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The Bishop’s Keep was a massive church that seemed like a blend of a church and a lord’s keep. Structurally, it was essentially a large church with additional facilities that one would typically find in a lord’s keep. As such, it wasn’t an unfamiliar architectural structure to Sophia and Hildegard, the two Nun Knights.

The difference between the Bishop’s Keep and a typical lord’s keep was also notable. Unlike a lord’s keep, which was usually guarded by soldiers hired by the lord, the entrance of the Bishop’s Keep was manned by monks and nuns who had voluntarily devoted themselves to the Church Order. This was a unique scene stemming from the fact that the Bishop’s Keep was, at its core, more of a church than a defensive fortress.

As the Nun Knights approached and presented their identification tokens along with a letter from Cardinal Andrea, they were promptly guided to where Bishop Toriento and Cardinal Andrea were waiting.

True to its size as a church built within a keep, the interior of the Bishop’s Keep was neatly arranged with chapels and prayer rooms for various purposes. Surprisingly, there were few religious paintings or statues to be found. This was because the members of the Church Order were all capable of wielding Light Power, making it unnecessary to rely on visible grandeur like statues or paintings to exert influence over the common folk.

However, in place of statues and paintings, the chapels of the Bishop’s Keep had something else: roughly hewn stone altars and tablets inscribed with the names and symbols of various gods worshipped by the local people. These were arranged to signify how the Grand Master had stripped the ancient priests and spellcasters of their qualifications to communicate with the Celestial Gods.

Bishop Toriento and Cardinal Andrea were waiting in one of these chapels. As the bishop was conducting a service at the time, Sophia and Hildegard quietly stood near Cardinal Andrea and attended the service.

When the solemn ceremony concluded and the service ended, the bishop descended from the altar and approached them.

“Pleased to meet you, Paladin Knights. I am Bishop Toriento, a faithful follower of the Grand Master, Giovanni di Salieri.”

“I am Sophia de Chazel, a Nun Knight of the Paladins.”

“I am Hildegard Ritter von Wolfstein, a Nun Knight of the Paladins. Forgive me, but you seem remarkably young for a bishop.”

Hildegard’s blunt observation caused the priests tidying up the chapel after the service to flinch. Though her comment wasn’t meant maliciously, it could easily be taken as rude.

Fortunately, no one present was bothered by such trivialities. Sophia, of course, and Cardinal Andrea, who as the leader of the Paladins, had long been accustomed to the strong personalities of the Templar and Nun Knights. His nerves were far too thick to be shaken by such remarks.

What was surprising, however, was Bishop Giovanni di Salieri’s reaction. As Hildegard had noted, he did indeed have a youthful appearance for someone in his position. Unlike the Paladin Knights, who actively roamed the land to vanquish evil, high-ranking clergy typically didn’t benefit from looking young.

Light Power, after all, stemmed from inner cultivation and accumulated virtue.

Of course, youth and age each had their pros and cons when it came to inner cultivation. The young were flexible and open-minded but prone to impatience, while the elderly were cautious and deliberate but often rigid and narrow-minded.

However, when it came to accumulating virtue, the difference in the time lived was unavoidable.

Unless one was constantly throwing themselves into dangerous situations to eradicate evil, as the Paladin Knights did, it took time for ordinary priests to accumulate virtue. Some even claimed that the years etched on one’s face were a testament to the virtue a priest had accumulated.

Given this, one could only imagine how much prejudice and suspicion Bishop Giovanni had faced for rising to his position at such a young age. It was an environment where developing a complex would be entirely understandable.

Yet, to everyone’s surprise, Bishop Giovanni showed no concern whatsoever about his “youth.” Those who knew him, however, would nod in understanding. He believed that the only way to prove oneself was through unwavering devotion, inner cultivation, and the Light Power that naturally flowed from it—principles he had lived by.

“It’s thanks to the guidance of the Holy Spirits. Since I first set my intentions, I’ve never once gone against their guidance, and before I knew it, I had risen to the position of bishop at this young age.”

“Indeed, that explains the vibrant Light Power emanating from you. It’s not something that can be achieved merely through years of accumulated virtue.”

Hildegard smiled and nodded as she spoke, her eyes drawn to the Light Power naturally flowing from the bishop’s body.

Typically, the Light Power emitted by older priests carried a more mature aura, not as lively and vibrant as this. It was the difference between slowly accumulating power over time and passionately burning one’s heart and soul to achieve it in a shorter span.

“Well, it seems the introductions are done. Let’s get to the matter at hand.”

With his usual gruff expression, Cardinal Andrea opened the discussion.

“Knight de Chazel, Knight von Wolfstein. You’re both aware of why you’ve been summoned to the council.”

“Of course, Your Eminence.”

“The reason for your attendance at this Paladin council is not only due to the importance of the matter at hand but also to silence both the hawks and doves within the Church Order.”

When the Church Order was first established, everyone was desperate to protect the human territories across the continent and systematically counter the schemes of demonic forces. However, as time passed and human territories became more stable, two extreme factions emerged within the Church Order.

The doves argued that it was better to focus on caring for the common folk rather than wasting resources and energy on fighting demons, while the hawks insisted that anything related to demons should be eradicated without a trace.

Despite the existence of Light Power, a tangible force of good, neither faction strayed too far from the virtues the Church Order upheld. However, both were undeniably extreme in their views. The world wasn’t a simple stage where one could abandon one side and fully commit to the other.

From the perspective of the Paladins, who dealt with various incidents on the front lines, both arguments were nonsense.

The Church Order and human territories were neither stable nor safe enough to pick and choose which threats to address. If something needed to be done—and could be done—it had to be done, without overlooking anything.

If they failed to do so, the Church Order’s system would reach its limits, and humanity would once again face a crisis.

“That’s why you need to step forward and remind them of the urgency. I’ve prepared the necessary materials in advance. It would be best if you could review them before the council begins. Bishop Giovanni here will assist you with accessing the materials.”

“Leave it to me.”

Bishop Giovanni stepped forward and responded to Cardinal Andrea’s words. Sophia and Hildegard nodded in agreement.

“Well, that’s the main business concluded.”

As Cardinal Andrea was about to dismiss them, he suddenly paused and turned to Sophia.

“Knight von Wolfstein mentioned in her report that you performed exceptionally, Knight de Chazel.”

“Hildegard must have exaggerated. I didn’t do anything particularly remarkable.”

Sophia tried to brush off the compliment, sensing trouble. But Cardinal Andrea, as if anticipating her reaction, chuckled.

“Hmph, is that so? You were exceptionally outstanding even when you first came to the order to prove your worth for a position among the Paladins. I still vividly remember how many talented individuals were disheartened by the barrier you presented.”

Cardinal Andrea, with his usual gruff demeanor, reminisced about the past. Sophia, on the other hand, responded with a somewhat annoyed expression.

“Those are embarrassing memories. It seems Your Eminence remembers them more vividly than I’d prefer.”

No matter how one looked at it, having her past failures brought up was enough to make her bristle.

“Oh? You want me to keep quiet? Then draw your sword. A knight speaks with their blade, does she not?”

As if he had been waiting for this, Cardinal Andrea revealed a sword hidden beneath his robes and tapped the hilt. Provoked to this extent, Sophia, as a warrior, couldn’t back down. She subtly bared her fangs and reached for the longsword at her side.

“If you wish, I’ll gladly oblige.”

The tension was palpable. It was Bishop Giovanni, standing nearby with a troubled expression, who broke the tension.

“Now, now, this is a chapel where we must maintain decorum. It’s not appropriate to display such hostility here. Since there’s a training hall in the Bishop’s Keep, why not settle your differences there? I’ll guide you.”

At the bishop’s words, the tense atmosphere eased slightly.

“Very well. It’s a good opportunity to show Your Eminence how an elder should conduct themselves.”

Sophia, having completely dropped her formal tone, spoke with her usual bluntness. Cardinal Andrea responded with a fierce smile.

“Well said. Let’s see if your skills match your words.”

Watching the cardinal, who was exuding an intensity unbecoming of his age, Hildegard couldn’t help but facepalm. Was she the only sane person here? She shook her head inwardly at the thought.

 

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