The female knight's severed head came rolling down towards Vidan leaving a bloody trail behind. Bloody muscles and tissues hung from beneath its neck where it was severed.
Everyone looked away from the unbearable sight and eventually got back to their fighting, but Vidan was indifferent to the sight.
He got up from the ground, covering his nose with one hand as the head smelled of burnt skin. "Gross." he casually kicked away the head and got his attention back to the battle ahead.
The battle had started to look in their favour and it they would win any minute now. Suddenly a voice echoed.
"STOP AT THIS VERY INSTANCE"
Everyone stopped at their track and turned towards where the voice had come from.
A short man with a large head was walking towards them, from the enterance of the large building followed by almost a dozen Knights.
The egg headed man wore an extravagant white Robe with gold embroidery on it, even the buttons were gold studded.
While the man along with the Knights walked towards them, Vidan ran through his memories. He discovered that the man was a Priest and the Building behind was called Canatean Church.
"Why do we owe such unpleasantries Prince." He spoke. The man's body language was calm, and he didn't even try to hide his devious smile. It was clear that he was least bothered by what had happened here.
"They are the ones who attack-" Darius tried speaking but was cut short by the priest.
"YOU LOW-LIFE! How dare you speak." The priests' expressions twisted. He was more furious on this matter than at the two Knights's death.
The Knights behind the priest manifested their swords and took a hostile stance, waiting for orders to charge.
"AS IF I CARE !" Darius roared and held his axe more firmly, the other two soon followed him and took their stances.
"Everyone !" Vidan spoke firmly and commanded his party to stop with a raised hand. It was good being brave but only when the situation allowed it to be, and right now it wasn't bravery but foolishness.
"Sorry for my guard's actions." Vidan gave a slight bow and added "I will make sure to train this one well."
Fighting here would only mean death, and it was clear that the priest had some ulterior motives, otherwise he wouldn't have spawned just at the exact moment the second Knight fell. Even if somehow it was a coincidence, still there was no overlooking the fact that no one had interrupted the battle earlier while there were so many Knights present inside.
"I understand. I understand." The priest spoke rubbing his hands. " I am very pleased to see someone sensible here among these buffoons. The Prince is wiser than I had heard him to be." The priest almost chirped getting his smile back.
Vidan gave a smile of his own "Only a wise man can spot another one. And I deeply apologize for this mild inconvenience. Now If would allow me I shall take my leave" Vidan gave one more bow and started to leave.
"COUGH! COUGH !" The priest gestured towards the two decimated bodies "But you see taking care of this…would require some modest contribution." This had been his motive all along, he had waited all this time so he could extort money and resources from the King.
The Priest didn't stop there, he turned his shameless lust lust-filled eyes towards the starry girl,"…throwing in some human resources like this one would only please the Church further." he smacked his lips after speaking.
Vidan's temper rose after hearing the Priests shamelessly speak in this manner.
'The honey talking was worth a shot.' Vidan thought and turned towards the priest with a deadpan face.
"Two dozen brooms and 20 gallons of Camus piss. Will this be modest enough or do you want some more modesty ?"
The priest's face distorted, and even the Four cultivators behind Vidan looked at each other in disbelief of what they had just heard. It was not every day someone talked to the Priest in such a manner.
"Do you even know what you are saying and to whom ?" The Priest spoke irritably.
"Tchh" Vidan clicked his tongue without bothering to even reply. The priest's face turned red at such disrespect.
"YOU WRETCHED SIMPLETONS! First, you struck down the Knights of Peace with such savagery. And now you make a mockery of me and the law." Taking a few steps ahead he stood close to Vidan "Know this you fool through your mindless actions you have not only sabotaged yourself but also your kingdom's future."
The priest looked like a red hot spoon head.
Showing no signs of fear Vidan took a step closer and towered over the short priest. Where he was from, back on Earth, you acted bold when you were right, and twice when wrong.
"Knights of peace in name only." he stated firmly staring deep into the priests' eyes showing the priests couldn't intimidate him "You talk of law, their actions here have violated the Nation's law by raising their sword against the royal blood.
And the Land's law stands above the Church's. So how can they be anything more than criminals? You should rather thank us to have unrooted such rogue Knights."
"PRINCE !" The priest roared "Don't you know the premises of the holy place is out of bounds even for the King, and by law, we have every right to punish you all here and now "
Loud sound of gulping of saliva could be heard behind Vidan. They were sure now it was their death here, and gathering some courage the healer tried interrupting Vidan but with just a shake of his head Vidan made it known that he wanted no interruption at the moment.
What all information he had gathered until now he knew he could manage to get everyone out of this one.
"Talking about the law are you? You ignorant priest" Vidan's tone unapologetic.
The Knights manifested their swords in fury listening to him.
"YOU ALL DARE NOT." Vidan looked at each Knight one by one "Before coming here we have already sent a line pigeon to the queen, telling her of my whereabouts, and if in case I don't return you all know what follows."
It was obviously a lie that Vidan had devised at the moment to save their heads. But it was said with such firmness that the Knights were looking at each other unsure what to do as the Queen's affection for her son was known to everyone in the Kingdom.
Secondly no matter how big an institution the Church was it still had to follow the law of the land just like all the Kingdoms.
Vidan's attendants were themselves unsure when the Prince sent a line pigeon to the Queen.
Vidan continued "And I call the priest ignorant because how can he not know that the law clearly mentions that in the state of war, the Church is open to the Royal Family ."
The Priest became red and redder without uttering any word further after hearing Vidan. He wanted to punish him with every fragment of his body but he was helplessly bound by the web of laws and rules he was using earlier to trap the Prince.
'Finally dodged this Church Shit.' Vidan thought after there was no reply from the Priests' side for several seconds. Vidan was ready to leave with minimum damage when laughter ran through the area.
"HAHAHAHA" A man who looked in his fifties was standing near the church building.
Vidan facepalmed when he saw another problem had arrived, just when things seemed to be getting normal the one above seemed to throw in problem after problem only for his plot to advance.
The man had been observing everything, he had long black hair reaching his back along with a long beard both of which had streaks of grey in them. His hair were disheaveled looking as if he had just woken from his sleep.
He wore a brown cloth which was barely hanging over his upper body, and faded grey pants which had been black once. He looked like some sort of a hermit.
"LORD ARCBISHOP !" All the Knights along with the Priest spoke in unison and got on their knees.
"My Lord…My Lord have we by any chance dis-disturbed your cultivation ?" The priest who was roaring just moments ago was now stammering with a pale face and shivering body.
The unknown man didn't replied and just walked towards them in a slow and a calm manner.
The shivering of the priest became even more intense as the man neared, and suddenly the air was filled up with a pungent smell. The 'high and mighty priest' had soiled his pants in fear.
The man giggled like a child "No. No. If it would have been the case do you think you all would still been breathing ?" though the man was giggling but his words sounded truthful.
"O-Offcourse my Great Lord…" The priest spoke with his head bent happy to be just alive.
The man then looked at Vidan and spoke "So what about your attendants, I am sure they are not royalty." saying so he vanished from his position and appeared next to them like some teleportation skill.
Even the Girl and Darius who were both Warrior ranked cultivators couldn't track his movements.
"Should I trial them myself ? " the man spoke and his body started to exert great pressure upon Vidan and his four attendants.They all fell onto their knees with a thud, and with their heads bowed. The only thing that was at all functioning were their mouths and lips.
'What is this skill ?' Vidan thought, it was as if his body was pressed under a large weight, but it was no skill at all, the Archbishop was a high-ranked cultivator. The pressure which was exerting over them was just a fraction of his aura which he had let out of his body.
If the Archbishop would have stopped restraining it everyone there would have bursted with just its presence such was te might of a high ranked cultivator.
This man wasn't like the priest or anyone Vidan had ever come across in any of his lifetime. This man was pure force, and beyond reasoning.
Vidan quickly scanned through his memories. He jumped through loads and loads of data and felt a drowsiness in his head but it was his least worry in this situation. He had to find something there was no other choice.
As the starry girl used every ounce of her energy her veins in the neck popped out and her eyes started to tear up, but she was no match for the Archbishop and couldn't even move a centimeter.
The same was Darius' condition. They all were like ants in front of this Mountain.
The Archbishop observed the girl and Darius' efforts and was piqued by interest "IMPRESSIVE ! You Sectless Backyard Cultivators." he spoke excitedly "Then let's start from you little lady." he brought his hand over the girl's head.
It was just an inch above her, but if he would have let his hand fall freely without constraining his strength it would have smashed her to the ground, killing her instantly.
"RO-ROYAL GUARDS..." Vidan shouted from his place. "Royal Guards can enter…They are my Royal guards…"
Normally the kingdom was required to submit a list of the names of their Royal guards to the Church at least a month prior. However, during the state of war this requirement was termed as null and void.
The Archbishop smiled widely "BINGO !" He said putting down his hand, and the pressure upon the five disappeared, and they all fell to the ground.
"You are smart Prince. Contrary to what I have heard." He moved closer to Vidan's ear and whispered "Was there really a Line Piegon ?" Vidan's face paled. The Archbishop caught this change of expression and giggled while returning to the Church building followed by the Knights and the Priest.
Everyone's heart was beating fast even after minutes after the Archbishop departure.
They hadn't recovered from this when a Knight walked upto them with quick footsteps. "The Archbishop had allowed you all to enter the Church, you all can use the visitor's room and its roof." He spoke and stood there waiting for them to follow him.
The noise from the battlefront had already seized by now and Vidan wondered if he even wanted to enter that accursed of a building anymore.