Master the Abyss, starting from an apprentice priest.

Chapter 708 So-called Sacredness, So-called Prophecy
The "Red Deacon," the "Chosen Saint" bestowed by the Emperor, Hardy Lambert... He returned all his holy offices and titles and came to Red Maple City, expressing his desire to become his "right-hand man."
When Luo Xiu heard Huber say these words, he was subconsciously stunned and looked at Hardy's side.

He still saw that gentle smile; Hardy still stood there, as quiet as a sacred sculpture.

Luo Xiu did know that this "compassionate saint" Hardy had announced at the investiture ceremony that he would come to "Saint Carlos Territory" as a "black-clad deacon" to establish a new diocese.

But clearly, the current situation is different from what he announced at the ceremony—

As he was thinking this, the "compassionate saint" Hardy walked towards Luo Xiu.

He moved quickly, taking only a few steps to reach Luo Xiu, bowing respectfully, and said in a solemn and reverent voice:

"It is an honor to see you again, Lord Luo Xiu."

"No, I should now address you as 'Your Majesty the Wise King,' which is more in line with your current status."

“We have finally met again. Now that there is no other ‘cardinal’ here, we can open our hearts and talk about many things.”

"..."

As Hardy was saying these things, Luo Xiu noticed a strange light gleaming in his eyes.

His expression gradually revealed a strange fanaticism and piety, which gave Luo Xiu a strange illusion—an illusion that he himself was "The Great Sun in an Instant," and that Hardy was his most devout follower...

Is this right... right?
"……Hello."

Luo Xiu returned the greeting to Hardy.

He nodded to Hardy and said:
“You need not stand on ceremony with me, Lord Hardy. Whether on our shared path of glory or in the Holy Court where we dwell together, you are my respected senior, and it is I who should ask you for guidance and instruction.”

"Please enter the Holy See. There are many things we can discuss there. You are an important guest of Red Maple City, and I would also like to know your opinion on the future of the 'Saint Carlos Territory'."

“Okay.” Hardy smiled and nodded.

Throughout the brief exchange, Hardy remained restrained and humble, even when facing himself, much like a student's attitude towards a teacher...

That made Luo Xiu feel even more uneasy... well, not exactly uneasy, but rather had a very strange and peculiar feeling.

But outside the bishop's seat, during his initial greeting with Hardy, Luo Xiu didn't say anything more to him.

Accompanied by Hubbard and Anthony, Rosh and Hardy entered the bishop's seat together and went to the hall, where they took their seats.

……

Before Rosh's return, the main seat in the Holy See Hall had been empty, but it was not covered in any dust. The clergy had kept the main seat very well, and it had always been an important symbol of Rosh Carlos, the "Bishop of Red Maple City".

In the Red Maple City Church, any decision made by "High Priest" Anthony, when the clergy looked toward the throne of "Bishop" Rosius Carlos, was as if Rosius himself were present at the meeting, watching over everyone with gentle yet solemn eyes.

Luo Xiu went to the main seat and sat down, while Hardy very consciously went to sit in the side seat. Hubbard and Anthony sat in the lower seats respectively.

"I apologize for disturbing you, Your Majesty."

Hardy looked at Luo Xiu and said to him in a devout, somewhat apologetic voice:

I hope this hasn't caused you any trouble.

“…No.” Luo Xiu shook his head slightly.

"Back in the capital, you accepted Emperor Augustusville's bestowal of the title 'Chosen Saint' as a 'meritorious person.' However... it seems you have returned this title?"

"Yes." Hardy smiled and nodded.

"Any title bestowed upon me by the Supreme One is meaningless to me. I accepted the title conferred by Emperor Augustusville for one reason only: to be able to break free from the core of the Holy Authority of the 'Holy Court' and thus embark on a 'pilgrimage' journey that is more important to me than the pursuit of power."

He gazed at Luo Xiu, a glint in his eyes, and said:

“I know that you have declined several invitations to go to the Holy See, to be trained as a prospective cardinal, and even to join the College of Cardinals as a cardinal.”

"That's why I left the Holy See to find you, because in you I can see a divinity closer to the Radiance than the current cardinals of the Holy See."

“That’s all I wanted. But when I learned that you had also been chosen by the Supreme Emperor as a person of merit and bestowed upon you the title of ‘Radiant Wise King,’ and that you displayed such divine power at that ceremony, I knew that my choice was correct.”

“Then I should return the sacred title of ‘Chosen Saint’ to the [Supreme]. For you are the true ‘Chosen Saint,’ and there is no need for two ‘Chosen Saints’ in the territory of Saint Carlos…”

"I only wish to follow you as an ordinary saint, to witness how you practice [glory], and to witness you establish new sacred achievements!"

“I am willing to be your right-hand man and assist you in building the sublime and sacred San Carlos Domain. This is the path that the Great Sun has guided me to take and the mission that I should fulfill.”

"..."

As Hardy spoke, the strange, yearning light in his eyes grew brighter with each word he spoke.

His words sent chills down Luo Xiu's spine.

……ah?

No... huh?

—You mean, Hardy Lambert, the chief "Red Deacon" second only to the "Black Deacons" in the "Holy Court," gave up everything he had in the "Holy Court," including all the wealth, power, and prestige bestowed upon him by Emperor Augustusville?

And so... he came to Red Maple City, just to follow himself?

This is a bit surreal... Why? Is it because, as Hardy said, he displayed the divine authority [the Seven Luminaries of Revelation] left to him by Pope Lawrence during the investiture ceremony in the capital at that time?
At the time, I only wanted to convince a wider range of [Radiant] clergy to believe in me, thereby eliminating some unnecessary misunderstandings or doubts, but the AOE ended up affecting Hardy...?
"..."

These thoughts were racing through Luo Xiu's mind.

But looking back, it seems that it was during that investiture ceremony, when I was on the viewing platform looking at Hadi, that Hadi's gaze also fell upon me. At that moment, there was a kind of almost fanatical light in Hadi's eyes as he looked at me...

“I… thank you for your approval, Your Excellency Hardy.”

When Hardy finally finished speaking, Luo Xiu looked at him and politely replied:

"I am but an ordinary saint who, by chance, achieved some minor merits on the battlefield of the 'Judgment War.' Therefore, you need not treat me this way. I regard you as a predecessor who walked the path of [Glory] before me, and I regard you, who are also in the 'Holy Court,' as my precious comrade. I hope you will regard me in the same way." "..."

"No, Your Majesty."

Hardy shook his head.

“You are different from me, and even more different from them, Your Majesty the Wise King.”

As he spoke, his tone became serious—

“You don’t know—after the fall of Pope Lawrence, the ‘Holy Court’… I know, I can feel it, the Holy Court has begun to decay from a deeper level.”

“In the kingdom under the rule of the Supreme One, many of my comrades are no longer pure. Power, wealth, and many other tangible and intangible things have caused faith to lose its original meaning—the ‘Holy Court’ is not sacred, and the roots it pursues have long been corrupted. I realized this long ago.”

"The Compassionate Saint" Hardy, just like his class name in [Glory], had an expression on his face filled with compassion:
“I once thought of leaving the Holy See, leaving the ‘worldly’ saints I once identified with, and joining the Pure Order, joining the ‘Pure Faction’… But I know that is not the right path. The so-called Pure Faction has long been corrupted and has become filthy.”

"Therefore I remain in the Holy See, but I am powerless to change what I have seen, Your Majesty. But I know that even so, there are still comrades who uphold the original precepts of the Holy See, restrain their ever-growing desires, and steadfastly walk the right holy path. Like Pope Laurent..."

“But the Pope is gone… Her Highness is also a very pure and devout person, but after all, she is too young and does not have the achievements and power that Pope Lawrence has achieved to convince all the saints. I do not see any hope in her to change the ‘Holy Court’.”

“Although Lord Monigne has always protected her and been able to share a lot of her burdens, the current Holy Court… ‘Knight Templar’ Demosth, ‘First Cardinal’ Finlake Saint-Lerran, and even our chief deacon, that ‘Black Deacon’… I know that our Holy Maiden cannot control them.”

"In that case, the 'Holy Court' is in danger. Any small external or internal trigger could cause the 'Holy Court' to become distorted from its very roots, leading to a great calamity—and the meaning of reshaping such a Holy Court is... not great. Therefore, I seek a new sanctuary where I can find peace and dedicate myself."

"..."

Hardy was saying these things.

Before Luo Xiu, he fully expressed these things—what he saw and experienced as a "Cardinal" in such a high holy position.

For a true "saint" to utter these words, if Hardy were currently in the "Holy Court," he would likely be accused of blasphemy and heresy on the spot, suspected of being possessed by a high-ranking demon, and sent to the Holy Cardinals for interrogation and purification...

However, in Luo Xiu's panel detection, Hardy's "status" column was clean. He said these things purely from his heart. It was precisely because of this that his words made Hubbard and Anthony, who were originally just listening respectfully, seem a little uneasy.

Hubbard and Anthony, their expressions had become quite tense. They were both "priests" or higher-ranking "holy deacons," and they felt as if they had heard something quite dangerous... that if word got out, a tribunal would come knocking on their door the next day with something comforting.

But Luo Xiu knew that what Hardy said was true—

The Holy Court is indeed facing these issues now.

After the fall of Pope Laurent, many things that were originally united began to fall apart. Although the upheaval was subtle and not obvious, the internal division was inevitable.

Moreover, what Hardy saw was only the surface; he had not yet seen the deeper malice. As far as Luo Xiu knew, he, along with "Saintess" Franya and "Supreme Sword" Monine, had just resolved the disaster caused by Finlake and "Primordial Demon" Accipiles in Agus City, and this news had not yet reached Red Maple City.

And these reports should have reached Red Maple City within the last couple of days—

At that time, everyone will know that the head of the "Saint Leron" family, Finlake, the "First Cardinal" of the Holy Court, actually colluded with demons to create such a huge disaster.
Bishop Donovan, the head of the Church of Agnes, will also go to the Holy See to be investigated. Another "second cardinal," Azler, will most likely be placed under supervision and investigation, with all his positions in the Holy See suspended and his authority revoked.
The Saint Leron family and other saints will mostly be implicated. This is undoubtedly a disruptive upheaval for the entire Holy Court. It may be the beginning of the Holy Court's "rectification," but it may also be the beginning of the Holy Court's "split."

By then, Hardy will only be more convinced of his own ideas.

Furthermore, the Supreme Being deliberately fueled the flames, accelerating the internal divisions within the Holy Court—Hadi saw all of this, which led him to leave the Holy Court and place his hopes on me, thus deciding to stay by my side...?
Luo Xiu's mind was racing with these thoughts.

If that's the case, then there's only one major problem—

"Why do you...think that I, who accepted the title bestowed upon me by Emperor Augustusville and became the 'Radiant Wise King' by the [Supreme], would be able to change these things?"

Luo Xiu asked Hardy.

This is what Luo Xiu most wants to know right now—

"you……"

Hardy looked at Luo Xiu, his eyes flashing with that golden, bright light once more, and said to Luo Xiu, word by word, clearly:

"On that battlefield called 'Judgment,' the final battle, I saw you, just as a true 'ten-winged angel' descended upon 'Eternal Heaven'!"

"Not the ten-winged angels summoned by Pope Lawrence through sacrifice, possessing immense power but devoid of self and mercy, but rather ten-winged angels who truly descended from heaven upon seeing the suffering overflowing in the mortal world, out of mercy and compassion!"

"—[The Holy Angel Carolingian will descend from heaven on the seventh day of the earthly tribulation to save all—He saves all, good and evil, pure and unclean; ultimately He saves all and restores the world to its original state.] These are the words recorded in the sacred texts; they are prophecy!"

Hardy's voice grew increasingly impassioned, and he continued:

"My eyes have seen the radiance shining from you, a radiance that only true brilliance possesses, a radiance that illuminates everything!"

"Therefore, I believe that you are the one I have been searching for, the true guide. You are already the 'Lord of the Wings of Light,' and as you know, among the saints of the Holy Court throughout history, only a handful have become 'Lords of the Wings of Light.' They are the ones who led the Holy Court out of the shadows, allowing the 'Radiance' to flourish and enabling the Holy Court to shine once again!"

"Therefore I believe that perhaps you are the prophesied Garoland, the embodiment of the [Radiance]!"

"Pope Laurent, on his deathbed, entrusted you with the Seven Luminaries of Revelation, surely because he had seen these things in you!"

At this point, Hardy paused, and the light in his eyes seemed to calm down, but the piety on his face never faded.

Under Luo Xiu's gaze, he solemnly and earnestly began to speak:
"As for your acceptance of the title bestowed by that [Supreme] Emperor, I believe you have no ulterior motives and must have your own reasons. I will not doubt it, nor will I ask too many questions."

"And I...please allow me, Your Majesty, to stay here, to remain in the territory of Saint Carlos."

Hardy's voice trembled, and every word revealed the burning passion of his soul at that moment—

"I want to witness—to witness how you will lead us out of the shadows, how you will bring the long-displaced faith of 'Glory' back on track; I want to witness you once again proclaim the true gospel, to witness how you will lead the Holy See to glory once more!"

"I want to witness, to witness more miracles in your life, to witness what great and magnificent achievements you will accomplish on this new land, on the holy land that will soon be called 'Saint Carlos Territory'!"

"I want to witness—to witness through you, the prophecy of 'Garolan' that will ultimately be fulfilled!"

"..."

……

(End of this chapter)