"Here's the news I was able to gather from the spies I sent. Right after the wall appeared, they investigated all of the areas in the west."
"Wait. All of it? How many did you send?"
"Hundreds... Later on, they learnt that a city had been built. A city of monsters... Upon further investigation, they were able to confirm the whereabouts of our target. He's their leader."
"You said his name was, Nerezza Vingar, correct? How did you find that out?"
"He registered as an adventurer in Havvothj'air. That made it a lot easier. The nation might be destroyed but the data isn't. We looked for any clues we could find, including the mana crystals used to record information. Eventually, we found out about an adventurer who was hired to fight an army from Crinelis."
"And you have reason to believe that its the same person who summoned the Heaven's Tower and is currently the leader of a nation of monsters."
"Face recognition. Whenever an adventurer registers, the crystal automatically records their appearance in case of certain, emergencies. Its usually placed behind the counter at a spot that would make it rather tough to notice. It is placed so to maintain secrecy of information."
"Right... You mentioned about having an idea that is sure to work. Please explain yourself." The High Priest was asked by King Ellion. The others were listening attentively.
"Of course. This is how it'll go down."
Most monsters generally tend to use magic. This includes the demi humans as well. Now they're currently living in one city. That made it easier for their plan to work.
"We'll start of by ensuring that none of them can escape, defend or generally survive the attack. The best way of doing so is by preventing them from using any kind of magic. Us priests will take care of that. The next thing we'll do is give them a surprise attack."
He continued. "I'll use my power as the High Priest of the chosen nation of this continent to give them such a powerful surprise attack that will make sure to kill their leader."
"What kind of attack?"
"A divine blessing so strong that even heroes can't hold a candle to it. The kind of blessing that only those who are loyal to the goddess can use."
"We don't care about your obsession with the goddess. What kind of attack will you do that's so powerful it makes you so sure that it'll kill our target?"
"Unfortunately, disclosure of divine secrets to the rest of the world is considered a sin. But I'm sure that you'll still see it."
The leaders looked at him angrily but they didn't say a word.
"That's it. That's how we'll fight back."
"What? What do you mean?"
"That's all I have to say on my part. The rest of it is up to you."
"What is the meaning of this?"
"The Holy Kingdom will kill the leader of the nation of monsters. But it is not guaranteed that all of them will die. Which means that there's a slim chance of them fighting back, and if they do, they will definitely win."
"That's why you asked for our soldiers?" King Andronicus of Nectaris said.
"And our weapons?" King Ellion added.
"Your telling us to make an army that will wipe out anything left behind..."
"So that you'll take the credit of ending the threat while we potentially sacrifice our soldiers who will come out of the battle without any form of honor given to them. This was never about fighting a common enemy."
"This was about your obsession with the goddess." This time, it was the Emperor. "Your trying to somehow show the people the power of the goddess. But why? Every human already worships her. So then what's the point?"
The High Priest looked down then slowly whispered. "You'll never know. You can never understand." He looked up and continued to speak normally. "I'm giving you a chance. You either choose between what's left of mankind, or honor. If you do choose honor, then we're all doomed."
"Your not acting like a normal person, priest. Your making us choose between our lives or word of the mouth. It doesn't make sense, no matter how you look at it."
"Of course it does." He wore an eerie smile on his face. "All honor belongs to none other than the goddess. No one else deserves it. After all, she gave us a great gift."
He stood up and laughed joyfully while looking at the ceiling. "Rejoice, I tell you. Rejoice. For our glorious goddess has given us yet another gift. Behold! It has been confirmed! The heroes of the next generation... They've already been summoned!"
The news came as a shock to those present. "Impossible! There hasn't been a single hero for 50 years! Neither has there been a demon lord. It must be a mistake."
The priest didn't listen to them again. Instead, he continued laughing hysterically louder and louder with each breath he took to the point that they couldn't hold a conversation with him anymore.
After some time, he left them to make a choice on whether to work with him or not. As soon as he left, they wasted no time on discussing the matter. Not about the offered cooperation, but rather, the aforementioned heroes.
"Do you think its true? The heroes, I mean?"
"If it is-then we have one thing less to worry about- must be his thoughts." King Andronicus started.
"He's only considering the fact that heroes have arrived. He's not asking why." King Abrupolis added.
"If a hero has appeared..."
"Then so has the villain."
This happened around three weeks ago. A few days later, the priests of the Holy Kingdom seemed to be preparing themselves for something. They rushed around the grand temple while wearing luxurious white and black robes. Others carried around big books and other equipment.
They all ran in and out of the main hall in the temple. The seats were removed and no access was granted to normal people. The High Priest looked at the progress they were making from a far. His secretary joined him and erupted a short conversation.
"My lord. Are you sure that they will agree to work with us?" He asked.
Before answering, the priest kept calmly looking at the work they were doing then he spoke. "You doubt even my words, Calia."
"No that's not..."
"Fear not. I can assure you. Whatever we're doing right now, they're also at it. Preparation for a battle that'll determine if we humans will continue to live in this continent. Do you think they'll pass on to such a determining event?"
Sure enough, he was right. Nectaris prepared its Scarlet Knights. Gristaigon shipped its mithril weapons to soldiers from the other countries. While Vraris prepared mages. Not to many, however. In fact, there were only 2000 Scarlet Knights, only 500 shipped mithril weapons, and even less mages. A total of 3000 extra soldiers were contributed by the Empire and the Lumar Kingdom.
This was the conclusion they came to. If the High Priest does end up using somekind of secret power that even a hero can't use, then not many monsters would be left alive. If you consider the faith that the priest had in his plan, then he is most likely to succeed. He might seem stupid at times, especially considering his obsession with the goddess, but he wasn't made a leader of a nation for nothing.
Three days before the present, everything was ready on the end of the Holy Kingdom. The families of the priests tried to stop them from what they were about to do. The gates to the the grand temple were flooded with women and children. But the priests didn't care. Above all else, devotion to the goddess is the most important thing to them.
So they went to the hall of the temple and knelt before the statue of the goddess which, by the way, does not look like her. they portray her as an angelic being with beautiful wings and looks just like a human. Basically, a woman with wings.
As soon as they knelt before it, they prayed with all their energy. For three days straight they continued to pray to the point where golden mana particles shone as they came from them and were absorbed by the statue. And when the High Priest joined them, they began falling one by one because of starvation. All their life force was sucked away from them. Even as their bodies became increasingly exhausted from not eating or drinking anything as their life is slowly sucked away, they kept at it. Would that be devotion or stupidity.
Once they all died, a beautiful golden light shone on the High Priest and he was able to finally have a conversation with the goddess. You could tell that he went absolutely crazy when he heard her voice.
That wasn't the case with her, though. The goddess beautifully sat on her seat and stared ahead as if she was watching something. Her jewelry, her clothes, her entire appearance was incredibly beautiful. Her seating posture, the way her legs were crossed and how her hands were placed were absolutely stunning. It was the kind of sight befitting a deity.
"How long has it been since you spoke directly to them?" A man's voice spoke to him from the side. There was no physical body. Only a formless fog.
"Too long." Her voice was stunning.
"Will their plan work? If it does, it might take off a heavy weight from your shoulders."
"Will it work? Of course not... I only helped because of the laws. As a matter of fact, this 'plan' of theirs is only going to make everything worse. So much more worse."