The Papal Envoy
Translator: Cinder Translations
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After the first large-scale riot against the Church in the Messiah, the headquarters of the Horns Bay Church in Collins reacted swiftly, immediately mobilizing armed forces from various regions to form a defense army and suppress the unrest in the Messiah.
At that time, the coastal nations had not yet formally turned against the Church, allowing the Church's military to move freely within these countries.
Thus, the Church's army easily reached the main city of the Messiah, where the local populace hurriedly rushed out to confront the Church's forces.
However, at this point, the only armed force that the Messiah could muster was a group of dissatisfied knights along with a majority composed of conscripted militiamen.
The most respected anti-Church knight, Sir Richardson, became the backbone of the Messiah's side.
The lord of the Messiah, caught between an enraged populace and the uncompromising Church that had sent soldiers, felt he couldn't offend either side and fled with his confidants to seek refuge elsewhere.
But how could a hastily assembled army possibly contend with the Church's forces, which had long been used to hunting witches? Moreover, the military capabilities of the coastal nations were primarily focused on naval warfare, while the Church's troops mostly hailed from the inland states of Collins, excelling in land combat.
Outside the main city of the Messiah, after two hours of conflict, the two armies quickly determined the victor: the Messiah was utterly defeated and hastily retreated into the city.
However, due to their disorganized retreat, chaos ensued, and the panicked soldiers, no longer following commands, blocked the city gates.
Seeing this scene, the Church's army ordered a full advance despite the risks of ambush.
Their gamble paid off; this was not a clever ruse by the Messiah but a genuine rout.
The gates of the Messiah were seized by the Church's forces before they could even be closed.
In this era, the fall of a city gate practically marked the end of a siege; soon, the entire Messiah would fall into the hands of the Church's army.
The Church conducted a large-scale manhunt throughout the city, capturing many participants in the riot and publicly executing them in the square.
Particularly, Sir Richardson, who commanded the army, had his head severed and hung on a pillar in the square until it dried out.
Even the lord of the Messiah's pleas to neighboring rulers were in vain.
The day of the collective execution was the 19th of July in the Horns Bay calendar, which would later be known as the July 19th Massacre.
The hearts of the Messiah's people suffered a heavy blow.
Though the first fire had been extinguished, embers still flickered within, waiting for the right conditions to reignite.
Under the high pressure from the Horns Bay Church, discontent began to brew, and various dissenting groups emerged like bamboo shoots after rain.
The now-deceased Sir Richardson became the shared spiritual leader of these organizations.
"Remember Richardson, remember July 19th!"
This phrase became their common rallying cry.
In this climate, the Church's previous witch hunts lost all popular support, and with the momentum from the "Record of Injustice," more and more people began to believe that the Church merely used the witch hunts to suppress dissent and seize the wealth of innocents.
The Duchy of Eaton was the first to stand up, declaring that any actions taken by the Church within its territory must be approved and supervised by the Ducal government; otherwise, they would be illegal, including investigations, trials, and punishments concerning witches and heretics.
Archbishop Elvis was furious, declaring his intent to mobilize troops to repeat the actions taken in the Messiah against the Duchy of Eaton.
However, a second and third nation quickly issued statements expressing their intent to adopt the same measures as Eaton.
Ultimately, even the most powerful nation in Horns Bay—the Horns Bay Alliance—sided with the Duchy of Eaton.
This immense contradiction even led to divisions within the Church itself, as many clergy from the coastal nations began to break away from the Church, publicly declaring their refusal to obey its directives.
They interconnected and supported one another, re-establishing their organization based on the Church's former internal structure, calling themselves the New Church while referring to the original Church as the Old Church to signify their split.
The leader of this new sect was the pivotal figure from the first "thrown out the window" incident—Bishop Angelo of Niceport from the Horns Bay Alliance.
It was he who had represented the Niceport clergy in opposing the transfer of ninety percent of the tithe to Collins. When the Church envoy decided to arrest him and take him to Collins for punishment, the outraged Niceport populace stormed the cathedral and threw the envoy out of the window.
This situation was beyond what Elvis had anticipated; he had thought it was just a few troublemakers, never expecting so many nations to unite against the Church, and even a large number of clergy standing against him.
Of course, in the eyes of the archbishop, what these so-called New Churches represented were all heretics—filthy and unworthy beings.
But when it came to whether to engage Eaton militarily, Elvis found himself in a dilemma.
At that very moment, the Vatican once again sent envoys to Horns Bay.
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"An iron fist! We must strike hard against these heretics who stray from the teachings of the Father, so that the foolish people of the coast can return to the righteous path."
"Lord Elvis, please lead us into battle against these heretics!"
In the meeting hall of the Horns Bay Church, a crowned figure seated to Elvis's right shouted loudly.
He was the King of Collins—Segovia II.
Collins was the most adamant advocate within the Horns Bay lands for taking a hard stance against the coastal nations, with a strong willingness to go to war among nobles and commoners alike.
As the headquarters of the Horns Bay Church, everyone in Collins took pride in residing in the land directly illuminated by the Father's glory. However, due to geographical limitations, Collins was not as wealthy as the coastal nations.
This spiritual superiority coupled with material poverty led to a significant psychological dislocation among the people of Collins; they viewed coastal residents as vulgar nouveau riche, while secretly envying their immense wealth.
"Your Majesty, please remain calm."
Among the clergy seated to Elvis's left, one stood up.
He had a kind face, gray hair, a wrinkled face, and sparse beard.
"The purpose of the Vatican sending me and Anthony to Horns Bay is to make one final effort. War—no one wishes for it. If war breaks out, how many mothers will lose their sons? How many wives will lose their husbands? How many children will lose their fathers?"
The newly arrived Vatican envoy—Libate—slowly expressed his views while surveying the crowd.
"How much unnecessary suffering and tragedy would be added to the world? I believe this is not what the merciful Father wishes to see."
"Therefore, Anthony and I will go to the coastal nations to pray for the continuation of peace and to prevent the outbreak of war."
(End of the Chapter)
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