"Hell... This is Hell incarnate!" "Oh, Great Lord, I beseech You to save Your faithful followers..."
As the apocalyptic scene unfolded, chaos erupted throughout the harbor town. The hastily assembled militia was powerless to maintain order, with frantic figures darting through streets and alleyways in sheer panic.
The raging inferno that had ignited at the docks continued to spread with the wind, threatening to engulf the entire town.
"Move anything flammable out of the way! Create a firebreak! Where is the fire brigade? Get to work, now!" The temporary captain of the guards, Tiris, shouted himself hoarse, desperately trying to implement the isolation technique Lord Arden had taught him to contain the spreading flames.
But the morale of the entire guard had already crumbled. Many had thrown down their weapons and fled madly out of the town, ignoring his commands altogether.
As the roaring flames drew closer, despair took hold of Tiris.
It was then that a thunderous voice echoed in his ears.
"Praise Ella—the Kingdom of Heaven descends!"
In that moment, the chaotic harbor town seemed to freeze in time. The frantic crowds stopped in their tracks, as if by some unseen force, and looked up at the night sky.
The cloud of dust that had shrouded the city was torn apart by an immense power, and radiant white light poured down from the heavens, illuminating every corner of the town.
Under the sweep of that white light, everyone felt their weary bodies renewed with energy, and the despair and fear in their hearts rapidly melted away.
A man whose leg had been crushed by falling debris during the disaster was astonished to find that his leg had miraculously healed. His face immediately lit up with fervent piety.
The inferno that had consumed half the town, known as the flames of Hell and the devil's embodiment, was swiftly extinguished by this divine power, vanishing without a trace.
Then, the pure, immaculate light gathered, forming the sacred and exalted image of a goddess. She gazed down upon all beings, her eyes shimmering with starlight, filled with mystery and majesty.
"Lord, You have not abandoned Your most devout followers!"
"The devil... The devil is dead... Great Lord of the Stars, Ella, thank You for Your salvation..."
"Lord, I must confess my sins..."
Thousands of townspeople in the harbor knelt down, praying fervently, expressing their gratitude for the Lord's mercy. Many even kissed the ground in their zeal, demonstrating their devotion.
Among all those present, Tiris was the only one who managed to retain some semblance of rationality.
Even though a fervent piety surged within him after being bathed in the white light, he did not immediately kneel, as though some mysterious force held him back.
Unbeknownst to him, a middle-aged man clad in a red and gold robe and wearing an iron mask had appeared beside him.
"Your Eminence!" Tiris immediately recognized the figure by his attire and bowed respectfully.
"Where is Anselk? How did the harbor town come to be in this state?" Edwyle surveyed the townspeople prostrating themselves in fervent prayer, and directly asked, "If I am not mistaken, the witch-hunt was scheduled to begin tomorrow at noon."
Two days ago, the Holy City had received Anselk's request for aid. The archbishop of Nordland had nearly been wiped out along with his elite squad while pursuing several witches. Despite invoking divine intervention, he had failed to capture them.
By the Inquisition's protocols, no matter how troublesome a witch might be, it was not worth his personal involvement. But Anselk had specifically mentioned that the witch was exceptionally young, likely to become a significant threat to the Church in the future.
More terrifying still, the witch wielded a peculiar hellfire that could, if left unchecked, incinerate an entire town in short order—something Anselk had no means to counter.
Taking all this into consideration, Edwyle had decided to come to the harbor town personally. Upon sensing the divine power's eruption, he had abandoned his accompanying priests and rushed ahead alone.
Alas, he was still too late.
"Your Eminence, it happened like this: Earlier this evening, two devil's disciples infiltrated the harbor town and set fire to the granary..." Tiris recounted the events as succinctly as possible.
Upon hearing that the destruction of the harbor was caused by the same witch Anselk had been pursuing, Edwyle's expression grew grave.
A grand witch had concealed their power and lurked within Nordland, undoubtedly plotting some insidious conspiracy against the Empire and the Church.
With this in mind, Edwyle extended his divine projection's sight across the ruins of the harbor and the vast sea, spotting the sailboat disappearing into the mist.
Calculating the distance, Edwyle quickly abandoned any thoughts of an immediate attack. Even his most powerful divine spells would not be sufficient to threaten a grand witch at such a range.
"This time, you did well. At least the Empire has not suffered a greater loss."
In Edwyle's view, uncovering a deeply hidden grand witch at the cost of half a harbor town was, in fact, a fortunate outcome.
Previously, he had considered Anselk incompetent, having been so thoroughly outmaneuvered by a mere witch. He had been prepared to strip him of his archbishop status after this incident, but now it was clear that Anselk's failure was due to the overwhelming power of the enemy.
Moreover, the loss of life in the harbor town was far lower than he had expected. He had anticipated that such a calamity would claim at least half of the town's population, but the number of souls received into the Sanctuary indicated that fewer than five thousand had perished, including three thousand Black Guard soldiers.
It was nothing short of a miracle…
"It was all under Lord Arden's instructions," Tiris replied, without taking any credit for himself, his face full of bitter resentment. "But Lord Arden followed Archbishop Anselk into the harbor and is likely now..."
"What a pity!" Edwyle said with regret. To have quelled the chaos in the harbor town so quickly, organized the militia, and evacuated the townspeople—this was certainly the mark of a rare and valuable tactician.
"Has Anselk gathered any information on that grand witch?" Edwyle asked again.
Tiris hesitated. This was not something a guard captain like him had access to. Fortunately, at that moment, the town's lord, Merc, arrived. Upon learning of the cardinal's request, he immediately ordered Anselk's intelligence to be brought out.
However, as Edwyle scanned the parchment scrolls, his expression soon hardened.
Karl... the illegitimate son of Viscount Stherlan, an imperial noble, only seventeen years old, missing for six months, and it was noted that the captured witch, Kolu, had been in Stherlan territory at the same time.
It was speculated that this witch named Karl could be one of Kolu's apprentices.
"Which idiot collected this information?" Edwyle barked, thoroughly displeased.
This was pure nonsense. How could a witch, apprenticed for less than six months, wield the power to destroy half a harbor town?
The intelligence officers in Nordland must have lost their minds…
The harbor town's lord trembled, unable to respond.
Edwyle paid no further attention to Merc, instead drawing out a golden tome from his waist and turning to the newest page. Using his finger as a pen, he inscribed the latest information.
**Name:** Karl (True name unconfirmed)
**Extreme Danger (Grand Witch)**
**Crimes:** Slaying Archbishop Anselk, annihilating three thousand Black Guards, destroying half a harbor town!
**Bounty:** Sekas Gold Coins... Fifty thousand!