He looked at the kneeling woman and commanded her with the name he read on the letter. "Rise, lady Helga."

She cleaned her eyes and shook her head vigorously. "I am no lady, my lord. I'm just a peasant. I don't want any pity—I only want work to make an honest living and feed my children."

Even Felix was impressed by her strong will to be self-sufficient.

Sylvester nodded and put the letter into his robes' pocket. "You are the sister of a Cardinal. No matter what the vows say, you and he are related. Since my vows tell me all Clergymen are my brothers, that makes you my sister."

He then fiddled with his pockets and took out a little pouch. "Take this not as a pity, my sister. This is your reward for standing up to the Lord's testing. Worry not; I will get this letter to your brother. Until then, use this to better your lives."

She first had a defiant look. But once she glanced at her children, she took the money with shivering hands. But then she clasped her hands together and prayed to Sylvester with her eyes closed. It was unknown what she said under her breath, but the scent Sylvester felt was full of worship.

"You shine people's lives as bright as the travelling bard says, my lord." She said, "I will pray that you overcome all hurdles in life, no matter what."

Sylvester chuckled, knowing it would take much more than that to fix his rotten luck.

"Take care of yourself and your children." Sylvester patted the heads of the two boys and walked away. The scene was witnessed by all the nearby villagers and the crusaders.

Pat!

"Maxy, good boy." Miraj suddenly tapped on Sylvester's head and praised him.

Sylvester chuckled and patted Miraj's head back. "It's all possible because of the Chonky Bank, my furry lord."

"Hmph! You're right, Maxy! I'm a big, fat, rich pus… I mean cat!"

Sylvester ignored Miraj's almost slip of the tongue and looked back as Felix had not come yet. 'What's he doing now?'

Felix appeared to take a ring from his finger and hand it to the woman. Then he also patted the heads of the boys and jogged to Sylvester. "Hehe, what are you watching, Max? I'm a God's Favoured and Archpriest too. I shoul… Oh, fuck! I gave her the diamond ring instead of the gold ring!"

"..."

Sylvester shook his head and walked away.

"Ugh, I'll ask my brother to send me another. Anyway, why are you kind to some and so vengeful to others?" Felix asked as they made their way back to the carriage.

"You asked me the wrong question, my friend. Instead, you should ask me, why am I generally so kind to these peasants and even slaves than those nobles."

"You hate feudalism?" Felix asked.

"No, I hate nobody," Sylvester responded. "I merely go by common sense. A noble does a crime usually out of selfish needs or sickly minds. A peasant usually commits a crime out of helplessness or necessity. The most common crime is the theft of food and money, Felix.

"They do it because there is no other way. And then we have cases like the woman we saw. These people have nobody looking out for them, and in my eyes, they are as much, if not more important, as the followers of Solis. Remember, if numbered enough, even ants can devour an elephant.

"You see peasants, I see the largest social class that, if united, can destroy anything in their path."

Felix whistled. "Good lord, so you're playing the long game. Don't tell me you also pay the bards to sing for you around the Sol."

"No, I don't. It would be counterproductive because if someday someone pays them more to speak against me, then they'd do it. Right now, they sing out of the goodness of their heart and admiration of me."

Felix sighed and relaxedly folded his arms behind his head. "I won't argue. You're smarter than me. Anyway, let's return and eat. I'm starving. Also, the last one to reach cleans the dishes!"

Woosh!

Felix ran away.

"That's not right, boy! You can't escape your turn for the day!" Sylvester shouted and chased, but he didn't run, as that was against his noble demeanour.

…

The following day, the Crusaders again began their journey and headed to Baron Redman's keep. The place was five hours away from their location.

But it took them seven hours since they had a long procession and the roads were not wide or smooth enough. Lady Aurora's carriage had no problem, but the other supply carriages would have their wheels break down now and then.

However, Sylvester and the rest had taken horses by now, as they didn't wish to appear spoiled in front of the Baron.

"That's the keep of Baron, lord bard!" one of the knights pointed.

Slowly, they made their way into the little town around the Baron's keep. As they arrived, the town's people were initially scared, wondering what mess their lord had created now.

But as per Sylvester's command, the first task of Crusaders was to spread around and tell people they meant no harm and who they were. This was to avoid another situation similar to the Green City.

As for Sylvester, he rode his horse into the Baron's keep. It was not too big but was still a well-built stone castle with defensive walls and a small moat around it. But, seeing its state, it was clear that wealth was not a strong point of this house.

As they rode in front of the castle's gates, a small crowd came out of the castle. The man at the front appeared modestly dressed with no jewellery. He didn't even look like nobility with his ordinary clothes, black hair and pale skin.

Sylvester fixed his robes and gracefully stood at the lead in the middle of his companions. "It's good to meet you, Baron Redman. I am the Grand Crusader, Lord's Bard, Archpriest Sylvester Maximilian, and this is Lady Aurora, the Tenth Guardian of Light. "

"I'm not the Baron."

"..."

"Where is the Baron?" Lady Aurora stepped forward.

The man nervously answered. "I-I am his Prima, Jason Woods. Baron and his family have gone to Duke's castle to attend the harvest celebrations."

"Didn't Baron's daughter recently get murdered and her body mutilated?" Felix questioned.

"Yes, may Solis grant peace to Lady Wanda."

"Then why isn't he mourning her death?" Gabriel asked this time.

"She was his sixth daughter."

'Ah! That makes sense. She was expendable human then.'

"When will he be back?" Sylvester inquired.

"By tomorrow, my lord. All of you can rest inside the castle until then. Please, I welcome you."

Sylvester just walked away as he wished to investigate the town first, and this was the best time to do it. "Thank you, but I must refuse. We shall rest in our camps. Inform us when the Baron returns."

As they left, Felix rode close to Sylvester. "What's the plan?"

"Overturn the entire town. Find any clue possible."

…

As the moonlit night shrouded the Sol, a meeting was taking place in the Green City, still under the control of the Inquisitors.

In the southern tower of the royal palace, near the wall, a woman sat alone on the top floor's balcony. Her blonde hair was untied and fluttered in the wind. Her face was now old but clearly showed the remnants of the beauty she must have been in the past.

Her grey eyes, however, showed nothing but vengefulness as she heard the heavy footsteps and the thuds of staff behind.

"Been a while, Lord Inquisitor."

"Lady Rexina, I hope you're healthy and doing well."

She scoffed, almost spitting. "What can I say other than thank you for crippling me? Now don't tell me you people were not behind it. My son may be, but I am no fool."

Lord Inquisitor didn't sit, and just stood in front of her, looking at her paralysed body, stuck in a wooden wheelchair with only her head movable. "You reap what you sow, Lady Rexina. I warned you times and times again—that from war, you had nothing to gain."

"Gain?!" She boomed, her eyes widening in rageful anger and her face turning pale red. "You bloody sunfuckers! All I asked you people was that you let me take back Riveria! That I be allowed to bring back the Gracia Empire. Clearly, you couldn't let that happen, am I right?"

Inquisitor High Lord's eyes behind the visor shined red as the air in the vicinity turned warm, almost burning.

Bam!

He lifted his staff and slammed its bottom tip on her chest. "Disrespect my faith again, and I will end your bloodline, woman. Do not test my patience!"

"Hahaha… end my bloodline? Fuck you, Lord Inquisitor. So high and mighty, yet what are you? A slave to those who claim to be holy! I respect you, you are perhaps the true servant of the lord, but those you serve are not! That Pope, he's a sham! For control and power, he'd fall to depths even the vilest wouldn't."

"Gah!"

As the staff pressed on her chest, she coughed out blood. "Kill me if you wish to, my lord. You already took everything away from me. That war, I was winning it! All elders of the family were ready to strike—we were going to take back Riveria in one swoop! Until you meddled…"

Lord Inquisitor retracted his staff. "Because we wished for no bloodshed. Your war would have killed thousands of wizards and knights, even of Grand Wizard rank. That, in the future, would have weakened us in the war against Beastaria. You also have Masan and Anti-light to worry about now. You would have ruined everything."

She shook her head in ridicule and focused outside on the city. Being on the highest floor, she could see all the lights in the streets below. "I know who is behind the murders and vile mutilations."

"Who?" Lord Inquisitor asked, urgency apparent in his usually calm voice.

"Haha… I was the last decent Gracia ruler, my lord. My sons are buffoons, and my daughter is a useless, pretty flower. Now, do you know what I wish to see the most?"

"Who is it? Answer me, woman!" Lord Inquisitor again pressed his staff on her chest, this time much harsher.

But she just laughed even when blood spewed out of her mouth. "Hahaha… look at this beautiful city… my beautiful kingdom. Sad that you ignored all my past concerns—Now, all I wish is to watch this realm burn! Hahaha…"

She stared at Inquisitor High Lord, laughing madly, with a vengeful fire in her eyes. "Burn it to the ground, my lord! Destroy this realm so no one shall have it! You people wish to rule my kingdom? Go ahead, have it—after all the fiery gashes, you shall be none but rulers of ashes!"

Madness took over her mind. Her laughs echoed, and her hair fluttered with the wind. Broken so badly that there was nothing left to amend. In the city outside, none knew their Queen Mother wished for their end.

___________________

GT = 1 Bonus chapter.

Super Gift = 1 Bonus chapter.

APE TOGETHER STRONG!