This bombshell comment was quite a blast, and for Nicola, it wasn't her first time. But for others present, her words sounded particularly harsh.
Setting aside the light elf villagers native to the empire, Elder Gwendolyn , the top maid of the Sebastian family, immediately voiced her objection:
"That's not fair! Even if the empire has problems, those were mistakes made during Reider's reign. Our lord's family has always lived peacefully, rarely involvd in national affairs. Besides, many imperial citizens have long been dissatisfied with Reider's actions!"
Though her defense seemed somewhat biased in favor of her master's family, Gwendolyn's statement was mostly factual. However, these excuses meant nothing to Nicola, who scoffed dismissively:
"They've built such a massive military base on your own territory and claim you're uninvolved! If you hate Reider so much, why don't you march to the capital and do something about it?"
"We're definitely going, but given the current situation, we need assistance..."
Just when Nicola thought she'd shut Gwendolyn down, she'd actually played right into her hands. Gwendolyn was here with another purpose - seeking help for the rebel forces to win this civil war.
After all, someone capable of wiping out the entire imperial capital's royal guard clearly possessed extraordinary strength. Some rough estimates even put Reider at nearly seventh rank.
While the imperial military was powerful, they notably lacked top-tier individual combats. The Sebastian family had decided to join the rebellion, and Gwendolyn's status as a ten-winged angel wasn't enough, especially since she needed to protect her master's family.
This was why both myself and Nicola were being recruited. After our recent experiences, we'd quickly reached ten-winged status. As an Elder, Gwendolyn was well aware of how we differed from ordinary angels. Dealing with Reider should be well within our capabilities.
"What? Help you take down Reider? This is the empire's internal affairs. I'm not interested. Not going, not going!"
Nicola immediately refused when Gwendolyn further explained her intentions. She even criticized Gwendolyn for being an angel yet willingly involving herself in imperial affairs, calling it a total waste of time.
Her reluctance stemmed partly from being previously tricked by Elara into fighting on the northern front. Nicola psychologically resisted any task requests from angel leadership. Fortunately, her "Ancestor Inheritor" status meant that even Gwendolyn, with her respected Elder position, couldn't compel her.
"Honored Inheritor... this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! We cannot allow the empire to fall into Reider's hands!"
Seeing Nicola's complete indifference, Gwendolyn unusually raised her voice, persistently attempting to persuade her again.
Her determination wasn't groundless. This wasn't just about helping the Sebastian family fight the former emperor. Ilandra Dominion was among the most powerful nations, particularly renowned for its magic technology developed in collaboration with the Sage Council.
Especially after the Earth invasion, removing Reider - an extremely unstable factor - could significantly reduce future continental troubles.
"Maybe we should just make a quick trip to Kyndrill? It's just helping out a bit..."
Although seventh-rank power was impressive, defeating him no longer seemed impossible to us. Considering Gwendolyn had helped us numerous times before, and weighing various pros and cons, I finally joined in trying to convince Nicola.
Moreover, compared to the mysterious Reider, I naturally found Princess Katarina more reliable. However, she had likely perished in the capital's upheaval. Whoever ruled the empire in the future would surely be better than Reider - a sentiment Gwendolyn and I surprisingly agreed upon.
"Just help out? It's not that simple. Are you really willing to get involved in this mess?" Nicola's tone softened slightly upon seeing me side with Gwendolyn, though she remained reluctant.
She wasn't naive. She understood the broader situation as well as we did. But Kyndrill was located even further south than Sifur, completely opposite our original plan to return to the Astralrealm Kingdom. Her reluctance to make such a significant detour was understandable.
"Angels are the Lord's faithful assistants! We should focus our energy on helping and sharing the burden, not getting held back by such trivial matters!"
Suddenly, a voice came from behind - a group of humans we'd never seen before.
The newcomers exuded a strong religious atmosphere, about five or six in total. The leader, holding a staff and wearing a typical cardinal's bright red robe, was clearly from the church.
"The True Church? How are you here?" I couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. This was a remote elven village in the southern continent, protected by an advanced illusion formation that had kept imperial forces from entering for years.
I apologize for any previous misunderstandings. I'll provide a complete and fluent translation that captures the meaning of the text while using simple English:
"Honored Harold is the special inspector for the True Church stationed in the border region of the Crestvale Republic. He heard that angels were recently staying in our village, so he made a special detour to visit while traveling to Sifur on official trip. It's worth knowing that the church in Duala, a city in the Republic, occasionally tries to establish connections with people across the border, beyond their local affairs. Our village has frequently received the church's grace, and during times of tension in the empire, we can sometimes obtain additional resources through their channels. So there's no need to worry - we're all old friends!"
As the village leader, Kalati quickly stepped forward to introduce the situation and clarify the misunderstanding in time.
There's no doubt that the Crestvale Republic doesn't prohibit the True Church's missionary activities. Although the empire, due to Reider, completely forbids the spread of any religious beliefs, border areas like Sifur are inevitably infiltrated by the church's influence from the outside.
Not to mention other things, just recall how Irene was handed over to the Norvale Preston Cathedral and sent to such a place - this shows how the church's behind-the-scenes operations should not be underestimated.
"Ahem, that's too polite!" Harold said. "After all, we're all naturally aligned with the light elements of Lord. Helping each other during difficult times is only right! Moreover, I'm recently honored to be promoted to Cardinal by the Pope, so naturally, I must work harder and try to perfectly complete the tasks assigned by the Pope!"
Harold was extremely modest, producing various courteous greetings. Of course, the Pope he mentioned was no longer Cysper I knew, but the new Pope Eminem who was later elected.
Gwendolyn couldn't help but ask with surprise, "True Church aside, why would a Cardinal personally come to imperial land? What task did the new Pope give you?"
After all, a Cardinal is a position second only to the Pope in the True Church hierarchy. Although there are likely more than one, most occupy high positions and are not easily seen.
Moreover, during these turbulent times, the fact that he disregarded the Ilandra Dominion's religious belief ban and personally risked crossing the border suggests something significant is about to happen.
"The Sebastian family, who controls the Sifur city, is probably part of the resistance, right?" Harold explained candidly. "Considering the empire's current unstable situation, our church, which has the largest influence across the continent, naturally has an obligation to contribute to the future stability and harmony of the land. Therefore, the Pope has officially decided to respond to the assistance request and send troops to support the lords within the empire who are resisting the tyrannical rule of the former Emperor Reider, and bring justice to the imperial people!"
Unexpectedly, he had come because of the empire's internal conflict. Harold didn't hide anything and straightforwardly explained his intentions to everyone.
The reason the resistance sought help from the True Church ultimately stems from the former emperor's aggressive centralization of power over the past few years, reducing the control of various lords. This uprising doesn't have the support of all lords - some who have benefited and still hold significant military power choose to stand with Reider. Thus, weaker lords unwilling to become cannon fodder secretly seek help from external countries.
However, the church's decision to intervene militarily was made unilaterally, and most members of the imperial resistance are likely still unaware. Therefore, the Pope first chose to make contact with the Sifur city bordering the Crestvale Republic, which also serves to demonstrate the True Church's level of concern and sincerity regarding the matter.