Throne of Magical Arcana

The sense only lasted less than a second, like it was just a false hint. But the ring, Congus Ring, that Lucien was wearing was reminding him that it wasn’t just an illusion.

“Lucien…” Alferris tried to talk to Lucien, but was stopped by him. Its big amber-colored eyes looked confused.

Who is it? What was the person doing here this late at night, near the small church located in the civilian zone of the city?

But the dangerous power never came back again. So Lucien said to Alferris using secret messaging, which would only produce tiny magic waves, “Someone was nearby, at least senior-rank. Now it seems that the person has gone into the Salvation Church. We gotta wait here for a bit longer to make sure Richard’s safe.”

Alferris all of sudden got excited. An enemy meant a fight; fight meant victory; and victory meant trophy!

Lifting its claw, Alferris wiped off its drool.

……

Standing in front of the cross, Richard reflected on the conversation he just had with the young man. All the messy thoughts that had been bothering him had now become more organized and consistent, which helped him reform his heart full of faith.

At this moment, he felt great peace. He prayed silently, “My Lord, if you think I’m twisting Cannon, please let the divine light devour me, because I deserve it.”

In the course of time, Richard started to be covered in a layer of divine light, like he was a saint that got blessed by God. He opened his eyes and looked up again at the cross, and then he said in a deep voice, “You are one, and everyone. You are the moment, and forever… I think I understand why the Church should exist. The existence of the Church should protect faith, not interrupt it. Everyone is entitled to get enlightenment from Cannon, as long as they are devoted.”

Richard had never felt more relieved than right now. His heart was full of joy and faith, thudding a bit faster in excitement. He even felt that now he was able to reach level nine although the progress had been rather sluggish for the past decades.

“It’s all your blessing. Only truth lives forever.” Richard crossed his chest.

In Lucien’s eyes, Richard would have already stepped in level nine for a long time if it had not been because of his own confusion and struggling. His true faith and the deep understanding in theology would even bring him to the next level – a saint cardinal, legendary level.

Richard stood up. After all of the priests had left the hall, he headed for the garden. Breathing in the fresh air mixing with the flower aroma, he carefully thought about the reform that he was going to propose and felt truly blessed by his Lord.

No matter how difficult the reform would be, no matter who was going to step out and stop him, Richard was determined to carry it out.

At this time, he sensed someone walking to him.

It was someone with a red robe, wearing a biretta.

“Octave?” Richard recognized him.

Octave once listened to him preaching in Rentato, and he was the previous red robe in charge of the Holm Inquisition.

Octave was a serious-looking, middle-aged man, whose black brows were thick and light blue eyes sharp. He smiled and said, “You must have heard what’s been going on recently. I’m a bit confused, so I wonder if I can talk to you.”

“You have resentment in heart, so you are closing your eyes?” asked Richard using the lines in Cannon.

The look on his face and his voice was calm and soothing.

Octave crossed before he answered, “Yes, I’m afraid resentment will take charge of me and eventually make me forget my true intention – to serve the Lord. But sir Richard, should we just let the evil free and keep telling ourselves to hold ourselves back because of all the reasons? Isn’t this betrayal to Lord’s message?”

Then Octave cited the Cannon, “… because of faith, he showed no fear facing demons and flame. He threw himself into the crowd of the most dangerous enemies, and there was no retreat…”

He asked himself the question, and also the Church.

Richard shook his head, “What is evil? Why was the killed nobleman evil?”

“He listened to Arcana Voice; He worked with those sorcerers to make money.” Octave raised his voice.

Richard pointed at the Cannon in his hand, “Lord only told us not to be greedy, not to lie, not to indulge, not to disregard lives. Which one did he fail?”

“He lied.” answered Octave.

Richard smiled, “Those who lie will not ascend to Mountain Paradise, but linger on the land and be punished by lightning and flame. The Cannon never says that those who lie deserve death punishment.”

“He worked with a sorcerer! He listened to Arcana Voice!” Octave did not know what else to say.

Richard said peacefully, “As long as the sorcerer is not evil judged by the Cannon. There’s no such thing in the Cannon saying that he was not allowed to work with a sorcerer.”

“How can a sorcerer not be evil? The Doctrines says…” Octave cited the lines.

Richard just smiled, until Octave’s voice gradually lowered his voice.

“Since you’re willing to follow the Doctrines, I’d assume that you respect the Church’s decision. Why are you angry?”

Octave’s face lit up with this new perspective, “I see. I’m not against the Church, not the Doctrines, but the pope and the leading priests who stand high above in divinity but keep misinterpreting the Lord’s words. They have strayed away, thus they’re no longer capable of delivering the correct messages! Sir Richard, I know that you’ve been against the revision of the Doctrines. Please step out and awaken the rest of them! We have to propose to resume the original Doctrines.”

“What if the pope says ‘no’?” asked Richard. He had just been through lobbying, and therefore he immediately noticed the indication in Octave’s words.

“If he says no, then we will choose a new one! I believe that many grand cardinals share the same opinion!” said Octave excitedly, “In my mind, sir, you’re an ideal candidate!”

“This Isn’t what we want. The correct way to do it is to let every devoted follower to interpret the Cannon. That’s justification by faith!” Richard shook his head.

Octave was a bit surprised. He did not expect that Richard’s belief was even more radical than his.

Ocatave kept trying to persuade Richard, but Richard would not listen. Richard had made up his mind to stick to his reform.

In the end, Octave said in frustration, “Then I should leave you alone now, sir. I hope that one day you’ll agree with us, and we always expect you to be one of us.”

Us? Richard slightly frowned, but he did not ask.

After Octave had left, Richard went back to improve his reform proposal.

Meanwhile, at the end of the corridor, Octave suddenly stopped walking. There was a creepy smile on his face, and in his hand, there was a brown scroll which contained formidable power.

It was always much easier to use a dead person because his mouth was forever shut.

A Richard who got killed by a sorcerer was more of a trigger than a Richard who was alive!

The moment after Octave tore the scroll, the formidable power rushed out. Instantly, the grey color climbed onto Richard’s body and infected the entire space within a certain radius.

Everything in the area had stopped moving under the power of the ninth circle spell, Time Stop.

Then Octave tore open another black scroll. The surging magic power targeted directly at Richard and removed all the defensive divine spells that Richard had, and the power could also by chance damage the items that Richard was wearing.

The ninth circle spell, Cracking (Advanced)!

However, when Octave took out the last scroll, Orb of Ultimate Destruction, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

The figure pointed at him, and then all of the divine items he was wearing instantly broke into pieces, including the red robe, and part of his body!

Octave was totally unprepared. He had lost the ability to take any actions either physically or mentally.

With New Alchemy, Lucien’s spell, Elemental Order, had now had even stronger power, close to the ninth circle.

Although the divine circles had covered most of the magic waves from the spell, since Lucien was so close to it, he still sensed it and was now here to save Richard’s life. To avoid being noticed by the legendaries in Rentato, Lucien did not choose to use Congus Ring.

In Lucien’s eyes, what Octave just did was such a waste. Senior-rank scrolls were even more scarce than senior-rank items, since they could only be used once and the materials were rather difficult to find.

In other words, basically, Octave was trying to kill Richard using a great sum of money.

Lucien pointed at Octave again. He was going to lower Octave’s magic resistance and then take him back using Petrification for further questioning.

At this time, someone suddenly jumped out from the darkness and his sword directly hacked at Lucien’s neck!

Octave was not alone. There was another radiant knight, possessing the bloodline of Elimination!

He knew Lucien, and Lucien knew him, too. The radiant knight was the previous night watch leader from Aalto Inquisition, Lend!

Now Lend was already a level six radiant knight, and somehow he recognized Lucien. Driven by the exhilaration and anger, Lend could not hold himself back anymore.

Because of his bloodline, Elimination, Lucien defensive spells would be removed!

The edge of the sword cut in Lucien’s body, but the body turned into foam. With a creepy smile, Lucien disappeared gradually.

Illusion! Lend’s heart sank. He hurriedly wielded his sword for defence.

However, at this time, a giant creature showed up behind him. It’s big, amber-colored eyes looked at Lend attentively. And then its mouth opened, and the freezing and numbing dragon breath came out.

Under the great pressure from the most powerful creature, Lend’s mind blanked for a moment.

Meanwhile, Lucien appeared again beside Octave. And he directly jumped onto the level eight red robe.

Octave realized that Lucien had cast Baler’s Transformation. He scoffed in his mind – A sorcerer turning himself into a radiant knight, how stupid was that?

So he laid a divine defensive circle in front of him against Lucien’s attack. As long as he could get out of the place later, he could report to the Church that Richard was in collusion with the Fallen Angel!

However, to Octave’s great surprise, Lucien’s left hand had directly broken through the divine circle. The fist was covered with a layer of moonlight, and a mix of colors black, white and grey.

Octave wondered what it was.

He wondered if he was just in a dream.

Lucien’s left fist went right into the side of Octave’s face. Instantly, blood burst out and his teeth fell out.

Octave passed out.

Lucien controlled his power, or he would have punched Octave’s brain out