In the luxurious hall of Mandrake City's church, beneath the statue of the Lord of Light,
the newly appointed bishop, Orad, received his official appointment, personally signed by the Archbishop, from two priests sent by the Empire.
He carefully broke the wax seal embedded with the Holy Wing Ring's emblem,
and solemnly imprinted his soul mark upon it.
A dazzling light surged from the appointment document, illuminating the entire hall instantly, bringing warmth akin to soaking in a hot spring to those present in the still-chilly early spring.
The holy light resonated with the statue of the Lord of Light, and a radiant pillar shot upward from the statue's cupped hands toward the church's ceiling.
Through a series of lenses, the light was projected to the top of the church's tallest tower, and pierced through the spire, shining out toward the sky.
At dusk, the milky-white column of light stood out vividly against the sky.
If it were midnight, this beam would be visible across the duchy and even in some neighboring regions.
This spectacle announced the birth of Mandrake's new bishop, who would serve as shepherd of this parish in place of the Pope.
"Bishop Orad, congratulations."
"May the Lord of Light bless you, Bishop Orad."
The gathered church members and Mandrake's nobles on the benches all rose, offering their blessings to Orad.
Even the newly appointed Grand Duchess of Mandrake personally attended.
But Orad, glancing at the flattery around him, merely nodded politely.
He cleared his throat and announced in a loud, firm voice:
"I give thanks to the Lord of Light, to the Pope, to the Archbishop, and to all of you for your trust and support.
Today, I, Orad, formally succeed to the position of Bishop of Mandrake. Yet, this is undoubtedly a new challenge for me.
The Mandrake Duchy has endured the beastmen invasions and the great catastrophe, and now faces new suffering.
This is the plague brought by the beastmen, constantly devouring the lives of our most loyal faithful.
For this, I must represent the Church of Mandrake to act for God's people.
Therefore, in this very ceremony, I announce my first decree as bishop:
I will personally inspect the entirety of Mandrake Duchy, to spread the glory and blessings of our Lord."
After speaking, Orad ignored the shocked expressions in the audience.
He waved to several church knights loyal to him and left the cathedral, following his own path.
Once Orad departed, the remaining people in the cathedral erupted into chatter and speculation.
None of them fully understood Orad's actions. Even if it were to suppress the plague, why would he personally inspect every region?
Even the transcendent individuals were not completely immune to the plague—they were stronger and less likely to be infected, but still had a chance of contracting it.
Had this been the previous bishop, there would have been no such hands-on courage.
But on his very first day, the new bishop issued this bold declaration. Could he be a truly benevolent shepherd?
Most nobles present were dismissive, thinking it merely a publicity stunt to gain favor.
But the church staff, largely of commoner origin, admired Orad's action.
However, one person in the audience was an exception.
She was the newly appointed Grand Duchess of Mandrake, Brenda.
She understood Orad's true intentions.
He sought a legitimate reason to personally go to Heim City and, under the guise of righteousness, eliminate Hel.
Brenda didn't know all the details of Orad's plan, but she knew one thing: Hel was doomed.
Regardless of Orad's success, Hel had no future in the eyes of the Holy Judgment Church.
Even with hidden strength, Hel was seen as a mere ant.
If Orad succeeded, Hel would surely die.
If Orad failed, it would mean Hel struck first, triggering relentless pursuit by the Church.
Thinking this, Brenda felt a surge of satisfaction—her long-awaited vengeance could finally be realized.
Unfortunately, the third princess was away, leaving Brenda with no one to share her joy.
Meanwhile, in Selerphis City, the third princess had no time for Mandrake's affairs.
Upon receiving news of her second brother's death, she immediately returned to Selerphis City, doing everything she could to sway the nobles who had supported her second brother.
Even now, she was still in shock.
She had spent so much effort winning Brenda's favor, helping her become Grand Duchess, all to gain political capital and eventually defeat her elder and second brothers to become the next queen of the Sacrifice Kingdom.
Yet, fate had intervened: her elder brother died in the great catastrophe, and her second brother died battling demons.
Suddenly, the two greatest obstacles to her coronation vanished.
She had become the ultimate winner.
The dreamlike outcome felt almost unreal.
She even felt as though all her previous efforts had been wasted.
"Others can be ignored, but the fifth prince and seventh princess remain threats."
The third princess rested one hand on her forehead, tapping the table scattered with intelligence reports on various royal siblings.
The fifth prince and seventh princess were the original elder prince's siblings, sharing the same mother.
After the elder prince's death, some nobles loyal to him shifted their allegiance to them.
While the second prince also had younger siblings, they were too young and weak to contest the throne.
But the fifth prince and seventh princess were now adults, and gifted as well. Given time, they could truly challenge her claim.
"It's time to find a way to make them disappear."
She tapped the table in frustration again, sighing:
"If only that Grey Fox hadn't disappeared, I wouldn't have to worry about this."
The "Grey Fox" she mentioned was the sixth prince, who had gone to Heim City to negotiate with the Worshipers' Association—her full-blooded younger brother.