Inside a tavern called ‘Blackstone and Barbeque,’ a female knight donned in a silvery white armor placed down a wooden cup, “Norland is truly a decent city.”
Named after the Nation of Holy Church, her name was Messai. But, that doesn’t mean that she possesses some sort of extraordinary identity. She was only named as Messai because the nun that picked her up wanted to bless her with the name bestowed by the God of Holy Light and Righteousness, Monicar, so that she couldsurvive past the sickened, weakened and suffering state she was in when she was picked up.
Messai firmly believed that the prayers of the nun that picked her up were heard by the gods. Bestowed the new name, she managed to discard the sickly body of her childhood and remerge anew. Not only that, after she grew into an adult, she even managed to join the Templars of the Holy Church.
“So, why did you insist on bringing me to this tavern?”
Messai shook around the ale in her wooden cup. She was not fond of alcohol for it will affect her state of mind. She needed to keep her consciousness clear and firmly remember her belief at all times.
“Lady Messai, we are currently acting as missionaries and not as members of the Templars. The mages of Norland’s upper echelon are simply too stubborn. It is very difficult for us to make them believe in our doctrine.”
The person speaking was Messai’s adjutant. He was wearing a spotlessly white mage gown. He looked very young. He took a glance at the scene behind him. Calling this place noisy would be a praise. Chaos would be better suited.
Over eighty percent of the tavern’s customers were dwarves. Every night, they will turn this tavern into a carousal. It was no wonder that Messai, someone fond of quiet, would find this atmosphere very displeasing.
“Apart from that, I’ve always thought Lady Messai to be someone who likes older individuals.”
Messai’s adjutant looked to the Holy Church Templars. He hasn’t been Messai’s adjutant for long. While he doesn’t know where this strange rumor came from, he heard that this nearly 25 year old unmarried female knight was more interested in older men.
“Adjutant, if you’re going to make this sort of senseless joke again, I’ll have you return to the Lord’s side and repent for it,” said Messai.
“Please excuse my insolence, Lady Messai,” The adjutant realized the person he was following possessed a temperament much different from the friendly appearance she had on the surface.
“Shouldn’t you be telling me exactly what is going on with this city recently? My attendant told me there’s a play publicizing demons enjoying great fanfare in this city.”
While Messai doesn’t have a good impression of her adjutant, he was still a missionary of the Holy Theocracy of Messai. He had been staying in Norland for a very long time. He might even be the person who understood the City of Magic the most among the templars.
This tavern was a terminal decided by this adjutant. If that wasn’t the case, Messai wouldn’t bother frequenting a tavern as noisy as this.
“I am unable to make a final conclusion about that matter yet. The reason for that is because I’ve yet to have a chance to watch that play. The contents of the play are merely oral recounts and hearsays I heard from others.”
The adjutant had a slightly ashamed tone as he said those words. Nominally, his identity was a missionary of the Holy Church. But, in truth, he was an intelligence officer dispatched to gather information in Norland by the Holy Church. Thus, gathering information was his fundamental job. Unfortunately, he had clearly failed to fulfill his obligations recently.
“Yet to have a chance to watch that play?”
Messai was slightly confused. The Holy Theocracy of Messai was also a place with theaters. They’ve also performed plays concerning demons before. Merely, the stories of those plays were all about how the Holy Church Templars would crusade against the demons.
Tickets for plays in the Holy Theocracy of Messai were not expensive. One could purchase them at any time. Thus, the only reason Messai could think of as to why her adjutant failed to secure a ticket would be him slacking off.
“That’s how it is... tickets for ‘Beauty and the Demon’ are simply too difficult to obtain. I’ve lined up outside the theater at 6AM, before their opening time, on many occasions. Yet, I still failed to obtain a ticket. That said, I believe the ticket should become easier to obtain in the next couple days.”
Even the adjutant himself felt the situation to be extremely strange. If it was the legendary Black Swan Theatrical Troupe, he would be able to accept how difficult it was to obtain a ticket for the show. After all, the reputation possessed by the Flower of Farucci was simply too frightening.
But, he had heard that the performers in Beauty and the Demon were all unknown nobodies.
Before Messai could finish discussing the matter about ‘Beauty and the Demon,’ the tavern’s door was violently pushed open.
With how violent the entrance was, Messai and her adjutant immediately turned their attention to the tavern’s entrance. They suspect that someone might be coming to cause trouble.
“Sure enough, all you damn brats are here!”
An old dwarf walked in. His voice shot awe through all the dwarves in the tavern.
When the young dwarves drinking alcohol loudly and arm wrestling with one another to prove their strength grew silent, the old dwarf walked inside their circle. As if picking up a chicken, he grabbed a dwarf by his neck.
“Damn brats, follow me! Stop wasting your time and strength at a place like this! It’s time to use your brains!”
Once those words were said, the majority of the dwarves in the tavern grew quiet. Afraid to speak, they placed down their drinking cups and collectively walked out of the tavern.
Only a dozen plus humans and a group of dwarves from another clan remained in the tavern. In an instant, the tavern grew much more lonely and quiet.
The adjutant recognized the old dwarf. His name was Frostaxe. He was one of the few Great Elders of Norland’s dwarven clans. His authority and position in Norland was only slightly inferior to the Council of Seven.
“What’s going on with those dwarves?”
Living in the Nation of the Holy Church for most of her life, Messai rarely interacts with dwarves. She had only heard that dwarves’ beard would reach their chest by the time they’re ten years old.
“No idea. Perhaps something happened in their clan? Regardless, it’s not something that we can meddle in. Not even the mages of Norland are able to meddle in the affairs of the dwarven clans.”
The adjutant shook his head to express that they would have no way to find out. The dwarves were a faction within Norland. Norland’s entire foundation was forged by them.
Even if the grand mages of Norland might be prestigious in the human world, they would still have to disregard their status during discussions with the Great Elders of the dwarven clans.
Some time after the dwarves left, one could no longer hear much noise in the tarven. The revelry atmosphere also disappeared.
But, Messai was not fond of the smell of alcohol that filled the entire tavern. Thus, she didn’t want to continue staying here.
“Adjutant, quickly obtain two tickets for ‘Beauty and the Demon.’ I suspect there’s influences from demons behind that play. No... there are most definitely influences from demons.”
Messai recalled the poster for Beauty and the Demon. She was not at all concerned with how romantic that poster appeared. Instead, she was concerned with the demon on the poster.
Sin Demon. The moment Messai saw that demon in the poster, her hand moved to her sword hilt.
Only the most experienced Legion Commanders of their templar army would be able to take on a Sin Demon. A veteran knight like herself would simply not be a match for a Sin Demon at all.
To be able to openly display the portrait of a Sin Demon, Messai felt that there was a conspiracy behind it no matter how she looked at it. It was a conspiracy schemed by those demons.
“Archbishop Desireless will arrive in Norland in a couple days. Before his arrival, we must thoroughly investigate exactly where those demons are hidden and what sort of conspiracy they’re plotting,” said Messai.
“Lord... Desireless?”
Messai’s adjutant was shocked to hear that name. All the citizens of the Holy Theocracy of Messai knew of Archbishop Desireless.
It was said that Archbishop Desireless was one of the earliest people chosen by the gods. He received immortality and has remained alive since the time of the birth of the Holy Theocracy of Messai.
This archbishop had experienced everything the world has to offer. Whether it might be the ugliest human desires or the most beautiful thing in the world, he had experienced them countless times to a state of being fed up with them. That was the reason why he became known as ‘Desireless.’ He had simply sampled all that humanity has to offer.
In the hearts of all citizens of the Holy Theocracy of Messai, Archbishop Desireless was a legendary saint.
“Lord Archbishop has been very interested in arcanotech devices. He hoped that he would be able to find some arcanotech devices that would perk his interest in the World Expo.”
Messai took out a silver coin and placed it on the table. Then, she stood up from the bar seat.
“Those demons have always been a cunning bunch. They’ve already infiltrated into this city. Adjutant, you should be on the alert.”
“I will be careful, Lasy Messai,” said the adjutant.