Chapter 46: The Chain We Wish to Repair (Featuring New Plot Details)

The West Coast is a port city located very close to Hemur, and it is a typical commercial hub as well.

The West Coast boasts numerous famous landmarks and prominent figures, such as the magic academy founded by the Dark Elf Sharan, Roger Levin, a well-known basic materials merchant in Arad, and "Magatama," the unique flying transport of the Dark Elves, among others.

The most breathtaking of all, naturally, is the once-existing passage between Empyrean and Arad—the Sky Tower.

However, the Sky Tower had been occupied by Bakal and hidden from public view for centuries, until recent various anomalies and the great fire of Elvengard caused it to reappear.

The people of Arad, harboring immense curiosity about Empyrean, naturally yearned for this legendary realm, especially after Kelly's fall provided definitive confirmation that Empyrean truly exists!

Subsequently, adventurers who attempted to reach Empyrean via the Sky Tower were taught a harsh lesson by the monsters left behind by Bakal, and even the Iron Wolf Knights could not escape, suffering devastating casualties.

"Let's first go to the Remidia Cathedral to pick up Yurna, and then try to find a freeloader at Windshear's dojo. If we find one, great; if not, so be it."

Yelin rubbed his palms together, eager to try. Although he was theoretically quite familiar with the Sky Tower, since a certain chain was beginning to break from its very first link, he was rather curious about what kind of wondrous events would unfold.

Moreover, as a trial ground for increasing one's strength, there was no place more suitable for him than the Sky Tower.

"Five minutes, I'll just pack a few things and be right there," Shiat nodded.

Outside the door, he intercepted Soria, who happened to be passing by.

"Sister Soria, the two people I asked you to help look for, have you found them?"

"You mean Pinosia and Clarak? Not yet, but someone said they seemed to have joined some adventure party and apparently went to the West Coast?"

She had also seen those two mage sisters, who were beautiful in appearance and figure, and she had originally planned to make them Moonlight Tavern waitresses.

Before her voice faded, Yelin's expression stiffened slightly. A strong, ominous premonition suddenly surged into his heart. Something was amiss!

The floating city, the repeatedly lost ice and fire sisters—what was going on?

Carrying this unease, he frowned and walked next door to bid farewell to Tana and Seria.

Creak~

Before he even knocked, the door was opened from the inside by Tana, as if she had foreseen it.

"You sense it." Tana held a bag in her hand, shoved it at him, and said, "Someone is trying to repair the originally broken chain. At the very top of the Sky Tower, there might be something you don't know about."

"Hilder?"

"I don't know. Perhaps you need to see for yourself to get an answer, though it's only a possibility..."

"Well, I can only try. Where is Seria?"

"She hasn't woken up yet. She was too excited about making money yesterday and slept late. Do you want to go in and say goodbye?"

"Forget it, I won't disturb her sleep. The Sky Tower won't be cleared in a single day, and the distance between the two places isn't far. We might return at any time."

After a moment of silence, Yelin resolutely stepped forward to hug Tana, saying fiercely, "I'm going to collect some interest on the principal!"

After messing up the back hem of Tana's dress, he lifted the bag in his hand and asked, "What is this?"

"Four-in-one, the ultimate happiness pack. Especially Seria's share, which was just pulled right off her body, yo. If you need it, Soria's share is no problem either."

Tana patted her chest with a smug look, as if she had done some incredible good deed, her eyes full of the expectation of being praised.

"I'll believe your nonsense. I didn't act as a lingerie thief, yet you're the one acting smug."

Unwrapping the paper bag, sure enough, inside was a batch of decent-looking, shiny candies meant for feeding Mael to satisfy her cravings when idle.

"Let's go, let's go. Before Kelly finishes remodeling the estate and the shop, you must be careful."

"Mm, we will."

Remidia Cathedral

One of Hemur's iconic structures, it still featured Mary's favorite white as its primary color and served as the headquarters of the Priest Order.

The current bishop is Majero, a descendant of Milan Roshbach, one of the former Five Saints. He once single-handedly eliminated nearly a hundred Imposters and enjoys an extremely high reputation and prestige within the order.

If ghost hands instill fear, and martial arts stir the blood, then mentioning priests invokes only respect!

More than six hundred years have passed since Chaos Ozma was sealed. Countless major and minor events sufficient to astonish later generations have occurred during this time, but priests still silently walk the path of opposing "Imposters."

The holy books left behind by the order allow later generations to more clearly understand the hardship and terror of that "Dark Crusade."

Following the phenomena of anomalies and transposition, the Remidia Cathedral is no longer restricted to ordinary people, though dedicated reception areas have been established.

Approaching the cathedral without entering, a wave of infectious music drifted into the ears—low-pitched, soothing, and serene.

Guided by directions, in a ward providing care for casualties wounded by Imposters, he met Yurna, who was bestowing blessings upon the injured, along with... Granitis.

Yurna made a silencing gesture and whispered, "Sorry, can you give me a few minutes?"

Specks of fluorescent light scattered from between her hands as her healing magic tended to the heavily bleeding, unconscious wounded man before her.

His friend was a deeply hidden Imposter who ambushed him in the dark, and fortunately, he managed to escape.

"Let me take over, Yurna. You go receive your friends." Granitis walked over to replace her.

"Thank you, Miss Granitis."

Yurna bowed slightly in gratitude. Even with Neilbas mysteriously missing, she still endured immense grief while working, earning everyone's respect.

"Word has come that the Iron Wolf Knights have temporarily withdrawn to regroup. We can head to the Sky Tower now."

"Mm." Yurna nodded and told the waiting group, "Give me a moment to prepare. You can look around freely, and we'll gather at the cathedral entrance."

Neither Shiat nor Mael had any desire to wander around, so they simply went outside to wait. Yelin, on the other hand, held immense interest in Remidia and strolled about casually.

"You could say this is the most wonderful place in all of Hemur."

He gazed at the beautiful surroundings in amazement. The Remidia Cathedral did not refer to just a single church, but rather a massive architectural complex centered around the grand cathedral as the headquarters of the Priest Order.

Some priests could often be seen passing by, though professionals who comprehended profound mysteries were exceedingly rare.

On his way back along the same path, he accidentally spotted a rather peculiar building—peculiar because, according to the doctrines of the priests, such a structure should not exist.

Inside the building stood five lifelike statues, which could roughly be deduced to be those of the five original saints from the Dark Crusade.

"Strange, isn't it? We priests worship the one and only God who holds eternal truth. Why are there statues of the Five Saints?"

"Not really strange, I suppose. I can pretty much guess that what was left to later generations was not just that painful history, but also the glory of the priests of the past."

He glanced at Granitis, who had walked over at some unknown moment, and then shifted his gaze back to the central statue.

It was a saint in the likeness of a youth, yet bearing a cold expression, his eyes seemingly flowing with endless wisdom.

Michael of the Holy Eye, the true founder of the Priest Order, the only figure who transcended the Five Saints and stood on equal footing with that ethereal "God," and also the 12th Apostle—the One Who Pierces Truth and Falsehood.

At the same time, he was also the figure who would drive the Priest Order toward division in the future.