Passing through the dim corridor, and descending into the vast underground cavern via the cage, Mayne once again stood before the Secret Holy Hall.
His Eminence, Oberlain, was already waiting at the entrance.
He appeared older than last time, his eye sockets sunken, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes spreading across his cheeks like spiderwebs. Yet his smile remained gentle, filled with concern. Mayne couldn't help the stinging in his eyes as he knelt before him. "Your Eminence, we—"
"Rise, child," the Pope's voice was calm and steady. "I hear you've encountered trouble? Let's talk in the hall."
Today was not a day of transformation, so the hall wasn't lit with long strings of star-like candles along the walls. Only a few candelabras were placed in the corners. The Pope sat back in the main seat, catching his breath. "Tell me, what exactly is happening outside?"
Mayne was well aware of the weight of His Eminence Oberlain's responsibilities. It wasn't that he couldn't learn of matters outside the Holy City, but rather that he didn't have time for such trivialities, which was why the three archbishops were appointed to manage the church affairs together. He should avoid bothering His Eminence with such matters as much as possible, but he was now powerless to resolve the current predicament.
Mayne quickly recounted the events from beginning to end.
"Heather is dead..." Oberlain sighed deeply after listening, remaining silent for a long time. "A sharp-eyed, clever, and devout little girl. I watched her grow up."
"Please accept my condolences, Your Eminence."
"The culprit will surely be punished," the Pope nodded. "The situation now is that Garcia and the Wolfheart Kingdom are mutually assisting each other? The new poison didn't work?"
"It was extremely effective in conquering Broken Tooth Keep. The garrison held out for a month before succumbing, and the Judgment Army quickly stormed the city. Hardly any living people could be seen in the residential areas. However, the poison didn't seem to have the same effect when attacking Wolfheart City. The enemy's resistance remains strong," Mayne reported.
"You made two mistakes," Oberlain said slowly. "The disease caused by the poison is fatal within seven to ten days. You should have launched the attack during the first peak of the outbreak, then quickly treated the city's residents. This would have greatly reduced their hostility. Don't forget, we need as much of the population as possible, not empty cities."
"The second mistake was waiting a month before acting. While it minimized casualties, it also gave the enemy ample time to react and find a way to cure the disease. The essence of the new poison is a demonized evil beast. According to the Magic Codex, there are over seventy abilities that can counter its spread, and over thirty that can directly kill it. It's not surprising that a city of tens of thousands would have a witch like that."
"Are you saying they're colluding with witches—"
"In a life-or-death situation, who cares whether they're the devil's claws," the Pope said calmly. "Whether this witch came forward on her own or was exposed and had to treat the plague, it's not good news for the church. If they can truly stop our offensive, the witches' reputation in Wolfheart will inevitably undergo a subversive transformation, even... being regarded as heroes."
"It's all my fault," Mayne said with deep remorse, lowering his head.
"It was indeed a mistake, but not a serious one. You formulated this strategy to reduce the losses of the Judgment Army and the Punisher Army," Oberlain tapped his shoulder with his scepter. "Besides, the Third Princess of Graycastle and the Wolf King gathered in one place is also an opportunity for us."
"An... opportunity?" the archbishop stammered.
"That's right, an opportunity to wipe them out in one fell swoop," Oberlain stood up. "Come with me."
Guided by guards, Mayne followed the Pope out of the Secret Office, slowly heading deeper into the cave. The enormous Divine Stone of Retribution emitted a dim light, illuminating the path beneath their feet—gradually, the light grew dimmer and dimmer. Mayne couldn't help but look back, only to see that the Secret Holy Hall and the Divine Stone had been left far behind. At this point, the guards also lit torches to avoid tripping over the stones on the ground.
"Where... are we going?"
"We've arrived, child," His Eminence Oberlain stopped, his breathing sounding somewhat rapid. "Hah... I'm getting old. Even this little bit of walking is so tiring..."
A guard stepped forward to support him. "Your Eminence, let me carry you."
"It's alright, I just need to rest," he stood in place for a moment, then instructed, "Light the braziers."
Only then did the archbishop notice that several towering iron frames were erected beside the stone path. Unless the guards holding the torches approached them, it would be difficult for the average person to spot these metal creations hidden in the darkness. The guards climbed the frames using ladders and lit the resin basins at the top. Several dazzling flames burst forth, and Mayne squinted at first. Only after adapting to the changing light did he look forward.
In the flickering firelight, a dust-covered canvas appeared before them. It bulged high, obviously covering a huge object beneath.
"I originally planned to wait until the last two years to bring it out to resist the increasingly fierce evil beasts, but it seems that it must be activated ahead of schedule now." Oberlain waved his hand. "Uncover the cloth."
"This is..." As the canvas fell, Mayne couldn't believe his eyes. It was a gigantic, monstrous-looking four-wheeled iron vehicle. A single wheel was taller than him. It had no carriage, only terrifying metal ramming horns and beast bone supports. At the center of the supports was a bone shield covered in barbs, as large as three or four door panels. Two straight, pointed iron rods extended from the openings in the shield, one on the left and one on the right, pointing straight ahead, like arrows ready to be launched. On both sides of the iron vehicle, there were dozens of such iron rods, each as thick as his thigh, reflecting a dim metallic luster under the braziers.
"The codex names it the 'Siege Beast'," the Pope walked to the iron vehicle and patted the sturdy iron rod. "It can only be activated by magic power and requires three or four witches to operate normally. The Siege Beast's attack range far exceeds that of catapults and ballistae. Ordinary city walls are difficult to withstand the destruction of the iron arrows, and wooden sailboats are like thin paper in front of it. Destroying the strong walls of Wolfheart City or blocking the advance of the Black Sail Fleet is easy for it."
"This... is also a weapon developed by the Secret Holy Hall?"
"No," Oberlain shook his head. "You should be able to guess that it comes from our enemy—the devils in the abyss of hell. This is also why the church hides the Siege Beast deep in the cave. Remember, when you use it, be sure to hide its whereabouts as much as possible and do not let ordinary people see its appearance."
"I understand," Mayne said, lowering his head.
Why can the devil's weapon be manipulated by witches? Do they also possess the same magic power as humans? He suppressed the doubts in his heart and did not continue to ask. Obviously, these things can only be understood when he becomes the new Pope.
"In addition, to prevent Garcia and the Wolf King from fleeing again, I will send two Purified to assist you in battle." The Pope said solemnly. "No one can escape their hunt... Go, use the blood of these blasphemers to bid farewell to Heather."
His Eminence the Pope's Purified! He was shocked. Witches raised and survived by the church are called Purified, but the witches under the Pope are the strongest chosen from thousands of selections. Their abilities are not even recorded in the Magic Codex, and they are completely different from Heather, Tyferen, and the ones under his command! Now that His Eminence has personally said that escape is impossible, then the ending of the two has been determined.
"As you command, Your Eminence," Mayne responded excitedly.