Chapter 1111 - 1112: Uncharacteristic
The Holy City, this was its name. It sat at the heart of the Holy Empire, the seat of power for the Temple and everything they were had been built around its magnificence.
Oddly enough this city had once been nothing more than ruins, with a single glorious temple standing upon its lands.
The settlers who first came here after the Fall of Gods encountered a Saint kneeling outside that temple. He had claimed he was being punished by the Goddess herself until one night she sent a divine messenger into his dreams and told him he was finally free.
When he awoke from that dream he left Eidolon where he had once been imprisoned and journeyed here, and by that time he discovered Aetherus slumbering deep beneath the earth itself.
It was this Saint who guided his followers to create what was simply known as the Temple, an order devoted entirely to worshiping the Goddess.
This Saint eventually died during the Golden Age of Lysithara.
But the Temple did not die with him.
Instead they spread their faith, patiently awaiting the day Aetherus would awaken.
Then Lysithara fell.
The world was plunged into darkness.
A massive power vacuum formed and hopelessness spread across the land like disease.
Religion was an opium and belief in divine salvation, the promise of a fruitful afterlife after enduring suffering in the mortal world, was frighteningly easy to spread.
What had once been a minor power during the Golden Age of Lysithara rose rapidly until it became one of the foremost powers in existence and with the simultaneous rise of demons upon the Doom Continent, Centros, the world had been handed the perfect enemy to fear.
And so the Temple grew.
It started with frightened peasants.
Then merchants.
Then nobles.
Then knights.
Then kings.
By the time civilization began recovering everyone had become a follower of the Goddess and questioning faith had become no different from questioning divine law itself even when many things no longer made sense.
Perhaps in its earliest days the Temple had truly done good.
But as more power accumulated corruption naturally followed.
In the present day it had become the single most influential institution in the world having led countless religious wars and holy subjugations all in the name of the Goddess of Doom.
Even nobles, even those who were truly powerful, preferred not to make enemies of the Temple.
After all they controlled the hearts of the people.
Their faith.
Or at least they once did.
Now they had enforcers.
Now their faith was fueled not by devotion but fear.
Not fear of some unknown evil or some distant imaginary enemy.
No.
Fear of their own inquisitors.
The chamber doors suddenly burst open and Father Dantalion came rushing inside.
"We are under attack."
Damon narrowed his eyes.
Behind Dantalion stood several Templar Knights and Paladins all carrying expressions of clear panic.
"Who is attacking us?" the High Templar gasped from the floor while clutching his bruised neck.
"Is it the outsiders?" he asked urgently.
Dantalion shook his head.
"No... we are unsure. This appears to be an organized force and the way things currently stand they seem to have hijacked sections of the defensive barriers. The entire city has now been broken into isolated segments."
He was breathing heavily by the time he finished speaking.
"Well what are you waiting for? Disable the barriers and kill them all," the High Templar barked immediately.
"We can’t," Dantalion answered through gritted teeth. "And we cannot destroy the barriers either. The magical output has become too powerful."
"I will do it."
Aetherus spoke calmly.
His power alone was more than sufficient.
Dantalion immediately bowed though his lips tightened nervously.
"We have discovered if the barriers are destroyed then the entire city will be destroyed in the magical fallout."
"Why?" the High Templar demanded.
"There is some kind of device they are using, most likely ancient... perhaps recovered from a ruin. This is the device allowing them to manipulate the barriers to this extent."
Aetherus remained silent.
He was clearly unfamiliar with such things.
In his era humanity had not been nearly this advanced.
"How did they set it up? Something like that can’t possibly be established in one day."
Damon was the one who interrupted.
Dantalion bit his lip hesitating for a brief moment before answering.
"They built it within the central square... using spies they planted years prior. We do not know how many of our own people are secretly working for them."
"Them..."
Damon slowly raised an eyebrow.
Dantalion took a deep breath and suddenly the entire room fell silent.
"We call them the Unknown Order. They have no known name, no known base of operations. They are everywhere, with wealth and resources that cannot be traced or explained. They move freely across borders and continents and possess exceptional talents drawn from nearly every race."
Damon narrowed his eyes.
"Yes... I heard something similar from the princess. Even so we still need to stop them. I cannot allow anything to happen here."
Dantalion immediately nodded.
"Yes. And we will protect Lord Aetherus."
Damon raised an eyebrow at that.
"Protect him? Wasn’t he supposed to be an all powerful god?"
And then suddenly Damon realized something.
What if Aetherus was still incomplete.
What if his current power came with some kind of condition.
What if Lilith and Renata had been right all along.
Yes.
That was why he had not revealed himself sooner.
He was weaker than he appeared.
Guess it was a good idea sending a probe attack force first.
And more importantly...
This might be the perfect chance to earn his trust.
Or perhaps weaken him further.
"Very well," Aetherus said calmly, accepting the logic without resistance.
Damon found himself slightly taken aback by how cooperative the god seemed.
Then he reached into his shadow and slowly pulled forth a sword.
At that exact moment Evangeline began approaching him.
He turned toward her.
"Let’s go Eva. We have to deal with the invaders."
Evangeline frowned immediately, her face tightening with concern.
Invaders?
Shouldn’t his first priority be protecting his daughter?
Ranar was still inside the city.
That was when something clicked inside Evangeline’s mind.
Why wasn’t he doing exactly that?
Damon was selfish.
Painfully selfish.
If forced to choose he would always prioritize keeping his daughter safe above all else.
So why...
Did he know about this attack beforehand?
Or is he pretending?
She quietly shook her head.
No.
Damon always had reasons for the things he did.
Even if nobody else understood them.