“Farewell to Her Majesty the Empress!”
Gerald watched Alexia’s entourage disappear into the distance, then turned to Simon, the Knight Commander standing beside him.
“Let’s talk in private, Knight Commander.”
Simon followed Gerald back into the empty Cathedral Hall.
Before Gerald could speak, Simon spoke first.
“There’s no need to be so formal, Archbishop. We’re both loyal to Her Majesty the Empress.”
He then gestured for Gerald to bring out the item.
“I know you know the locations of those heretics. There’s no need to beat around the bush.”
Gerald paused, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
“So the Knight Commander knows everything, huh!”
Simon nodded.
“With the strength of the Cathedral in the Imperial Capital, even if the Holy Knights weren’t fully armed when entering the city, you still had enough power to strangle those heretics in the cradle.”
“Yet you chose to do nothing and allowed them to lurk in the Imperial Capital. Wasn’t it just to prove the value of the Church of Light’s existence?”
If there were no heretics, then what reason would these people have to support the Church of Light?
Alexia was not an Empress who kept idle people.
Things with no value simply shouldn’t exist in her eyes.
Just as she herself said, she cared only about facts and results—nothing else mattered.
“Now, it’s only because those heretics crossed the line and directly provoked Her Majesty the Empress that you’ve taken action. Otherwise, you’d probably still be ‘peacefully coexisting’ with them for a while.”
It was also the first time he’d seen someone so bold and audacious, daring to stand against Alexia.
This was undoubtedly seeking death.
“Heh… The feeling is mutual. Since you know everything, Knight Commander, why not report it directly to Her Majesty the Empress?”
Gerald studied Simon.
It seemed this Knight Commander also hid many secrets, far less fanatical and loyal to Alexia than rumors suggested.
But perhaps Alexia knew everything, only needing someone else to speak for her.
Such tricks were easily understood with a little thought.
Gerald was not arrogant enough to think he could deceive that supreme Empress or the Imperial Knight Commander before him.
“If I spoke up, the Church of Light would be guilty of deceiving the sovereign. If I don’t, I believe we still have vast space for cooperation in the future.”
Simon smiled lightly.
He was well aware that the Archbishop of the Imperial Capital before him appeared unremarkable, but was in truth a smiling blade.
No matter how turbulent the events, his actions were silent and rarely drew suspicion.
Moreover, he understood the lower strata of the Imperial Capital like the back of his hand.
The Church of Light was not only a place for prayer and faith, but also truly engaged in profitless, thankless works: grain relief, funeral rites, free medical care…
Through these, the Church of Light quickly gained control over the lower populace, gradually guiding their faith to the God of Light.
“Cooperation, huh…”
Gerald chuckled.
“To be more accurate, we’re now accomplices.”
“In that case, let’s speak frankly. I will eliminate those heretics according to Her Majesty the Empress’s will, leaving none behind. Even those I don’t yet know of, I’ll find them.”
“If Her Majesty wants a great purge, I’ll comply. After all, those heretics were raised by me to begin with.”
Heretics who truly threatened the security of the Imperial Capital could never even pass the city gates.
“So then, Knight Commander, what kind of secrets are you willing to share with me?”
Gerald asked tentatively.
“We need a shared crime, one sufficient for beheading.”
It wasn’t that he distrusted Simon excessively—human hearts were simply unpredictable.
Now Simon held leverage over him, while he had none over Simon.
That was unfair.
Although Simon said he wouldn’t tell Alexia, if he casually mentioned something after returning, it would cause trouble for Gerald.
The current Empress Alexia was iron-blooded and ruthless, far more than any previous monarch.
A single misstep could mean losing both life and property, with no room for recourse.
Simon smiled slightly.
“My requests are few. I only ask that the Archbishop add a few names to the list. Rest assured, it doesn’t concern Her Majesty or the Church of Light.”
Some people would soon become stumbling blocks in Alexia’s grand reforms of the empire.
To prevent this, he needed to act in advance, cutting off dissent before it began.
After all, once labeled heretics, did truth or falsehood really matter anymore?
Gerald smiled knowingly, a mutual understanding flashing in both their eyes.
—
“Boom!”
A deep bell tolled from the top of the Imperial Capital Cathedral, its resonant sound echoing throughout the city.
Countless holy rays pierced the clouds, illuminating the entire Imperial Capital and banishing shadows and darkness.
Everyone within the city faintly heard voices of praise, feeling refreshed, as if all the gloom in their hearts had been swept away.
Soon, a white tide surged from all directions of the Imperial Capital, advancing in neat formation along predetermined routes.
The Holy Knights of the Church of Light were its main armed force, and a key measure of a cathedral’s strength.
Generally, a cathedral would have at least a hundred Holy Knights.
As the capital of the empire, the cathedral in the Imperial Capital was naturally formidable.
Though Holy Knights specialized in battling demons and heretics, this did not mean they were any less adept at dealing with humans.
Strong bodies, efficient training, complete armor and weaponry…
These factors endowed Holy Knights with fighting power equal to regular military forces.
Moreover, due to their unwavering faith, their morale and discipline often surpassed that of the regular imperial army.
For this reason, Alexia strictly forbade Holy Knights from entering the city in full armor and armed.
If such an organized and disciplined force were ever to revolt fully armed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
They were fundamentally different from ordinary mobs—their threat could not be compared.
While the Church of Light’s Holy Knights were busy purging heretics, a blood-red tide followed close behind, sweeping out from the royal palace and surging toward the residences and estates of certain ministers.
The purpose of their actions was clear: under the guise of suppressing heretics, they were eliminating dissent within the court.
The Blood Knight Order had initially been just one among many knight orders in the Imperial Capital, its strength only average.
Apart from its somewhat intimidating name, it was little different from other orders.
However, the wheel of fate turned because of one man—Simon’s appearance, and his selection by Alexia.
From the moment Simon was favored by Alexia, the Blood Knight Order rose rapidly, gradually transforming from an Imperial Knight Order into her exclusive imperial guard.
Simon too advanced swiftly, ultimately commanding the entire Imperial Capital Knight Order and rising to Knight Commander.
The Blood Knight Order of today was vastly different from before.
Most of the old guard had been purged, leaving only outstanding and progressive young elites.
Through numerous reforms, the Blood Knight Order had ascended to become the Empire’s premier knight order.
After all, they bore the will of the Empress.
If they were defeated, the loss would not be limited to their own reputation and honor.