「A little earlier.」

Beneath Valuva, a route had been established, running from the research building and the Guild to a small building in front of Saint Miller Church. The passage made use of the Royal Capital’s sewers and connected through the repaired Underground Tombs, and was now wide enough for a horse-drawn carriage to pass.

Yet, just ten days ago, the passage didn’t even exist.

"Have you all been planning to do this for a while?" Rorschach asked, watching the Star Robe and Alchemy Department personnel bustle about. They had gone ahead and bought the building near the Church, converting it into one of the tunnel’s entrances and filling it with various instruments and equipment.

Pavard of the Star Robe Team lowered his telescope. "It’s for the sake of fighting the Cult. The Order Church will understand, even if they find out."

Ahead lay the magnificent Saint Miller Cathedral. Pigeons fluttered up and down in the small square before its main entrance. For some time now, the Star Robe Mages’ primary task had been to capture individuals based on the detected aura of "Mother Earth." Once a Cultist was caught, the Guild didn’t bother feeding them. They were trussed up, transported by the cartload through the underground passage to this "Observation Post," and then thrown in front of Saint Miller Cathedral’s gates using a temporary, short-range Teleportation Technique with a large "passenger capacity."

The Cultists would then be taken into custody. At first, the Holy Knights guarding the gate were astonished. But after Priest Joseph examined the Cultists, he must have said something to the Knights, because from then on, they accepted all "packages" delivered by the Guild without question. It seemed a subtle understanding had been formed.

With nothing else to do for the moment, Rorschach found a quiet room and began to write a letter.

He had been following the news lately and would occasionally run into Pascal at the Tower of Stars, which made him feel all the more that the situation in the Holy Kingdom was growing unstable.

’I have to get out of here!’ Not only that, but there was also the matter of inviting Andre and his family to make a "technical immigration." Originally, Andre and his family had been unwilling to leave, but as food in the Royal Capital grew scarcer and law and order deteriorated, moving to Bayern had become a very attractive option.

The letter Rorschach was writing was one of introduction. He planned to have Andre take it to Bart, who would help settle his family.

As for the majority of citizens, who couldn’t take refuge with relatives in the countryside or just pack up and leave, they could only wait in terror for the Third Level Estate Assembly—no, the organization that had now been renamed the National Assembly.

However, the Kingdom’s situation didn’t improve overnight with the formation of the National Assembly. The people began to worry about a backlash from the Nobility. Whether inside the assembly hall or out, the citizens feared the King and the nobles would lead an army to violently shut down the fledgling assembly.

As a result, rumors were rampant—of military deployments near the Royal Capital, of collusion with foreign powers. The city’s property owners were especially suspicious, wondering if the Nobility would incite vagrants or bribe the sans-culottes of the East Suburb to start looting.

Clearly, the business owners, big and small, who still had some surplus grain, were terrified. They feared the King would confiscate their wealth and food in the name of taxes and donations, and at the same time, they feared the starving poor would rise up in violence and plunder their warehouses and cellars.

The same anxiety pervaded the Church.

Some Priests were in charge of the day’s cleaning, and they spoke in the hallway. "The property owners and the Nobility should be aiding the starving commoners. God said, ’Let your generosity be as great as your wealth.’"

"But their food and wealth were obtained under the order permitted by God. We can only persuade them to sponsor the Church’s soup kitchens..."

"But the soup kitchens are never enough! People are collapsing from hunger in the slums of the East Suburb, and during the harvest season, no less! How absurd..."

"God said: ’In your wardrobes, you should have clothes for those with none to wear; on your tables, you should have food for those who are hungry. For what you have received is a gift from Me, given to manifest My love, not to be the capital of your pride.’"

"Alright, alright, we know you have the scriptures memorized... You should be the one telling that to the fat cats. Take Father Macondo’s place, and after the sermon, get them to donate a little more."

"No, that’s completely useless!"

"Then what do you think would work?"

Faced with the question, the Priest fell silent. ’Something must have gone wrong somewhere,’ he thought. ’The order established by God is unshakable and perfect. The problem must be the people who refuse to abide by it!’

’Those Bishops who have effectively sold their Souls to the devil, those blasphemers who call themselves Mages and steal God’s power, those nobles who disregard the lives and deaths of their subjects... What is to be done? We need a great judgment! A judgment sent down by God Himself to decide all things.’

As some Priests and Holy Knights felt lost and in anguish, they desperately wished for God to appear, to think for them, to tell them what was right and what was wrong. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Similar thoughts were already spreading within the Order Church in the Royal Capital.

However, it was impossible for Dipresy and Joseph to probe everyone’s thoughts. They continued preparing for Ascension Day as planned.

In the square, a crowd gradually gathered to attend Mass. The faithful, of course, would not be presiding over the ceremony; the event was handled entirely by the Priests. The common people were merely "attending Mass," which meant observing the ceremony with piety and obedience.

"Why are there so many people?" Rorschach noticed the strange scene outside the window. ’Isn’t strolling in the square something you do when you’ve eaten your fill and have nothing better to do? Why would people come here when no one has enough to eat?’

Pavard was surprised. "You don’t know?"

"Mage Rorschach is from the Empire," Zhen explained on his behalf. "Today is the Order Sect’s Ascension Day. They should be holding High Mass right now."

An Archbishop in a red robe emerged, and the faithful hailed him. Rorschach looked closely and saw that the man presiding over the ceremony was walking with a cane, his steps slow and deliberate. It was Dipresy.

His voice, majestic and powerful, carried from the cathedral steps, across the square, and all the way to the Magic Guild’s "Observation Post" across the street. "Go forth!" (Jabber Language)

Rorschach was suddenly struck by the urge to leave. He realized an idea had been planted in his mind, which immediately put the young man on alert. The urge vanished instantly, like a thief discovered by a homeowner, scrambling to escape.

Just then, Zhen placed a hand on Pavard, who was about to stand up and leave. "Circulate the Ether in your body."

The Mage did as she said and quickly broke free from a strange state.

"That was the Archbishop’s Command, and also the signal for the Mass to begin. ’Go forth’ expels non-believers from the area." After speaking, Zhen glanced at Rorschach, who hadn’t moved an inch. ’He didn’t even know it was Ascension Day, so he couldn’t have known about the Command. Does that mean this young Mage resisted it with willpower alone?’

The great doors of Saint Miller Church stood open, the sounds of Holy Songs and the pipe organ soaring from its dome until every believer in the square was immersed in the sublime melody. By now it was evening, yet they seemed to be basking in the light of a rising sun.

The Cardinal delivered a sermon, his first in a long time. At the end, he gazed with deep emotion upon the faithful, upon the subjects of the Kingdom. "It is as if we are in the depths of winter, and the true winter is not far off. May my brothers and sisters not forget the Lord’s teachings. In these most difficult times, help one another, support one another, and love one another."

The Priests began to distribute the Holy Meal. Whether Nobility or commoner, rich or poor, anyone willing to accept the Lord’s baptism received a small wafer.

The unleavened wafer may have been dry and hard to swallow, but most people ate it bit by bit, tears streaming down their faces.

"I’m getting a little hungry myself," Pavard remarked from a distance, swallowing hard. With a sigh, Captain Zhen pulled out some dry rations. They looked a lot like the Church’s Holy Meal, but hers had butter, sugar, and eggs mixed in with the flour, making them much sweeter.

"Here, take one. Consider it a holiday treat."

"You celebrate Ascension Day?"

Zhen shook her head. "Originally, today was a southern continental festival celebrating the coming harvest. But as the Order Church spread, they appropriated it, turned it into one of their own holidays, and gave it a new meaning."

Rorschach was stunned. "Huh?!"