Man in the Ark: Revitalizing Kazdel

Aurus, Archbishop of the Deep Sea Church, one of the masterminds behind the Imaginary Garden.

Ambrosio Abbey, Stefano

Hundreds of kilometers from the holy city of Lateran, in the wilderness, a dilapidated monastery built on shifting land sits in a valley.

More than a decade ago, this monastery, named Ambrosio, refused the court's demands. Having left the Great Tranquility of Iberia and entered Lateran, they fled into the valleys to escape natural disasters.

Due to energy depletion, the mobile site was completely trapped in the valley. Over the long period of time, man-made structures were gradually integrating into the natural environment. The tracks, embedded in the mud, had rusted, and seeds brought by the winged beasts had taken root and sprouted in the dusty cracks of the structures.

Vines grew wildly along the white walls of the monastery, blooming with pale purple trumpet-shaped flowers. Warm sunlight streamed through the skylight, illuminating the statue of a deity with outstretched arms.

The shadow cast upon the aged Sakota, its halo dimmed, as the monastery bishop prayed to the Lord of Lateran. He had fervently prayed this way for decades, but the holy city had never answered.

The harsh and impoverished life in the wilderness gradually eroded the once sacred image of the Lord in his heart, and the faith he had held throughout his life began to waver. Bishop Stefano sometimes had absurd yet realistic thoughts—"If I accept living with the Sarkaz and Sarkaz, am I still a Lateran?"

Bishop Stefano had thought the secret of the monastery would remain buried until he reached his grave. Until a week ago, several messengers from the holy city of Lateran discovered the monastery while tracking down a wanted criminal.

"Why are there Sarkaz in the Lateran Monastery, Bishop Stefano? Have you betrayed your faith?" The Sarkaz woman in the wheelchair had calm eyes that always gave people a strange sense of oppression, like being aimed at a vital spot by a gun's scope.

"They were not enemies. My faith taught me compassion, so I took in these Sarkaz refugees who also had nowhere else to go. We lived together for many years, until you discovered us..."

"Why not explain the monastery's plight to the holy city?"

“I do not want them to lose this hard-won homeland. The Holy City will not accept the Sarkaz, and neither will any of you emissaries.”

“The Sarkaz have established their own homes, and the Sarkaz of the monastery should also return to their own homes. I will report the situation of the monastery to the Holy City, and as for those Sarkaz, we can distribute some supplies to them.”

"If possible, I wouldn't want to disrupt the peaceful life of this monastery. But there are many more people here who need food and energy. So, I'm sorry."

"Please persuade those Sarkaz to leave as soon as possible before the Holy City's reinforcements arrive," the Sarkaz woman in the wheelchair said before turning her wheelchair and leaving.

“I understand…” Bishop Stefano lowered his head, his aged body trembling slightly, his halo and wings flickering.

......

The roar of the Originium Engine reached the ears of every resident in the monastery, closer than ever before. Some cheered with joy, for if they could get help, their lives might improve.

"How come the Holy City's support arrived so quickly this time?" Spriya, who was in charge of communications in the team, got up and went to the window after hearing the commotion, looking towards the entrance of the valley.

A large landship was slowly approaching; the markings on the ship were too far away to be seen. However, judging from its shape, it did not appear to be a Lateran landship.

“Our communicator isn’t receiving a signal. Could it be a landship from another country passing by?” Remian took out her communicator, switched to several commonly used frequencies, and found that she couldn’t establish communication. So she voiced her guess.

“That’s possible. I’ll go check it out. Remian, you stay here and wait for my news.” Spriya took the Guardian Gun and the drone and went downstairs, passing by the Sarkaz girl who came to deliver food on the way.

"Latland guest, are you also going outside to see that landship?" The Sarkaz girl called out to Spriya and asked softly.

"Hmm, Fortuna, do you know anything?"

"I don't know much. I heard those Sarkaz uncles on the way saying that it was their land-based ship... I think it was a Kaz... Kaz something..." The Sarkaz girl couldn't quite recall the unfamiliar and awkward word for a moment.

"Kazdel!" Spriya exclaimed, not having time to explain the meaning of the term to the Sakota girl, and quickly ran towards the abandoned elevator platform of the monastery.

The Sarkaz girl watched Spria's rapidly disappearing figure, her thin face filled with confusion. She didn't understand why this Lateran guest was reacting so strongly to Kazdel.

"Why are Kazdel's landships here? Are they here to attend the World Conference?" Spriya thought as she ran at full speed, trying to figure out how to handle this unexpected event.

If it really is the landship carrying the Kazdel delegation, there is a high probability that it is filled with high-ranking officials from Kazdel, and possibly even one of the two Demon Lords.

Therefore, the Sarkaz issue at the monastery must be handled properly, otherwise it will damage Lateran's image. With the Universal Conference imminent, a diplomatic incident cannot be allowed to occur at this crucial moment.

When Spriya rushed to the abandoned elevator platform, the area was already packed with Sarkaz who had rushed over after hearing the news. Even on tiptoe, she couldn't see what was happening at the front.

"Your Highness, Your Highness..." A commotion suddenly broke out in the crowded throng, followed by a deafening roar that echoed throughout the entire area. The Sarkaz present, from front to back, all knelt on one knee to show their respect.

With her view no longer obstructed, Spriya was finally able to see what was happening ahead. The two Demon Lords walked hand in hand through the passage cleared by the Sarkaz, as if they were surveying their territory.

“In this situation, I should notify Remian…” Spriya swallowed hard and quickly took out her communicator to send a message.