Inside the Holy Light Cathedral.
“You say you have a way to solve the gray mist problem?”
Miles fixed his gaze on the youth before him. Dressed in an elegant noble robe and surrounded by his guards, the young man appeared remarkably calm, showing none of the panic that gripped the other nobles.
“Yes, Bishop Miles,” Leon replied.
“However, I will need your assistance.”
Miles asked, “What do you intend to do?”
Instead of answering directly, Leon asked, “Why do you think the gray mist suddenly crossed the pass and invaded the city?”
“Something went wrong with the Gray Mist Barrier,” Miles said.
“If it were only a minor leak, there could be many possibilities: a special gray mist monster could have used some means to breach the barrier, or someone could have used magic to cut off the barrier's power...”
“But for a gray mist invasion on this scale, there is only one possibility.”
“—The Gray Mist Barrier is damaged.”
“My deduction matches yours,” Leon said, his eyes locked onto Miles.
“Since the problem lies with the Gray Mist Barrier, wouldn't we just need to repair it and restart the device to repel the mist from the city?”
Miles's gaze darkened. “Leon, as a scion of a ducal house, you should know that the core of the Gray Mist Barrier is the Gray Mist Blood within it.”
“Once the barrier is damaged, the Gray Mist Blood inside is exposed and loses its protection. It is incredibly attractive to gray mist monsters...”
“This means that the Viscount's manor, where the Gray Mist Barrier is located, will be swarming with terrifying gray mist monsters.”
“Furthermore, when Gray Mist Blood comes into contact with the gray mist, it spontaneously generates monsters. The longer the contact, the stronger the monsters it produces...”
“I am aware, Bishop Miles,” Leon said. “That is why I need your help.”
“I need you to protect us and get us safely into the device as quickly as possible. We must prevent the situation from dragging on long enough for the Gray Mist Blood to generate monsters far beyond our ability to handle.”
Miles shook his head. “The monsters around the Gray Mist Barrier are numerous and powerful. Even I would find it difficult to clear a path to the interior of the device for you.”
“No, there is no need to clear a path,” Leon’s eyes flickered.
“We only need you to stall them and block their attacks after we have weakened those powerful monsters.”
“Weakened?”
Miles was about to ask how Leon intended to weaken the monsters inside the manor when he suddenly noticed that the roars of the gray mist monsters outside had become much sparser. Even the eerie whispers had faded.
He walked to the cathedral window and looked out.
Amidst the swirling gray mist, a blank area where the mist could not enter had suddenly appeared, like a bubble in water.
Miles’s gaze swept through the crowd, landing on the Falcon warrior carrying the massive device on his back.
“A small Gray Mist Barrier?”
“Viscount Clyde requested it from the Imperial Ministry of Magic. Since the Viscount has not yet returned and the current situation is exceptional, we have put it to use.”
Miles nodded slightly, finally understanding Leon’s plan.
With this small Gray Mist Barrier and his own escort, there was indeed a chance to get Leon inside the barrier device.
Once separated from the gray mist, the monsters’ strength would rapidly diminish, like fish deprived of water.
Miles pondered for only a few seconds before quickly making a decision.
“To the Viscount’s manor!”
...
“No, we do not agree!”
In front of the gates of the Holy Light Cathedral, a noble dressed in finery with a string of glistening pearls around his neck shouted.
After some brief preparations, Miles, Leon, and the others had stepped out of the cathedral to announce the news to the gathered crowd.
Of course, to protect the people gathered outside, Miles left both High Priests behind in the cathedral.
If Miles himself could not stop the gray mist monsters, those two High Priests would be of no use anyway. If Miles could handle them alone, there was no need for the priests to follow.
Upon hearing the news, the two High Priests and the city’s residents had no objections. Instead, it was a certain Baron who stepped forward, shouting aggressively:
“I strongly oppose your actions!”
“Bishop Miles, your primary responsibility is not to fix some Gray Mist Barrier, but to remain here at the Holy Light Cathedral to ensure our safety!”
The Baron’s face was flushed with agitation, mixed with hidden fear and panic, completely lacking the composure he usually displayed at banquets.
“As noble blood of the Empire, the life of every noble here is of paramount importance! There can be no room for loss!”
“Your duty is to stay here and guard us, not to go off playing the hero—do you really think the safety of those commoners can be compared to ours?”
“Dangerous tasks like repairing the barrier can wait until Viscount Clyde returns. Right now, you must focus solely on our protection. That is what you should be doing!”
His words naturally garnered the approval of most of the nobles present.
To them, rushing from their estates to the Holy Light Cathedral in the middle of the night was for the sole purpose of seeking Miles's protection and avoiding the monsters in the mist.
They had already turned a blind eye to the presumptuous fact that Miles hadn't invited them inside the cathedral, leaving them to huddle outside.
They had even allowed Miles to use Light to guide the lost townspeople—even though the spell might attract gray mist monsters.
As the nobility of Solainem, they felt they had already set aside many of the high-standard treatments they were entitled to during this crisis.
But for Miles to leave the cathedral instead of protecting them just to fix the barrier was simply going too far!
It was a complete disregard for the lives of the nobility!
Miles’s brow furrowed the moment he heard the Baron and saw the other nobles echoing his sentiment.
Before Miles could speak, a giant hand condensed from dazzling white light suddenly reached out toward the Baron. Its fingers snapped shut, forming a massive, clenched fist.
The Baron stumbled back, startled by the sudden appearance of the giant fist. Then, feeling humiliated by his own cowardice, he forced himself forward two steps, his face contorted with rage.
“Who did this?! How dare you use a divine spell against a noble like me! Do you priests have a death wish?!”
However, even as his blustering roar fell, the Hand of Divine Spells above his head did not dissipate. Instead, its light grew even more brilliant, its form becoming increasingly solid.
And then—
Boom!
The Hand of Divine Spells slammed down with the unstoppable force of a steamroller, crushing the Baron without mercy.
Splat!
The rage on the Baron’s face froze instantly.
Not just his expression—his life came to an abrupt end at that very moment.
After the Hand of Divine Spells vanished, only a slurry of bone, flesh, and brain matter remained on the spot.
This sudden, bloody scene caught everyone off guard. Even Miles and Thomas looked on in shock.
At that moment, Leon slowly lowered his priest's staff and spoke calmly.
“Steward Hunter, if someone tarnishes the reputation of a ducal family, what should be done?”
Old Hunter quickly recovered and replied loudly, “It must be washed away in blood!”
Leon’s cold gaze swept over the gathered nobles.
“Do you have any objections to my handling of Baron Terra?”
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