Bear School Astartes

Chapter 915 - 897: Garden and Cathedral

Lann felt that the flaky ashes falling from the sky were highly suspicious.

After all, here, he seemed to be the most knowledgeable person in disease prevention.

So the Demon Hunter simply discussed with Lorenzo and Priestess Emma, and then ordered their subordinates not to take off their helmets and armor to prevent those ashes from contacting their bodies.

Although the protection was not very tight, at least it was different from those unprotected people standing in the air.

The ’bleeding eclipse’ in the sky now seemed even more severe.

The light intertwined the clouds below and surrounding Losric with yellow and blood-red hues, ominous and gloomy.

On the streets, the residents were completely immersed in their own world.

Even if slaughter and battle erupted beside them, as long as it did not concern them directly, these people wouldn’t even dodge.

They just prayed and knelt toward the sky, oblivious.

In the process, their plant-like transformation seemed to be swift.

Soon, some of those kneeling found their legs fused together with a woody texture.

"Ignore them, as long as they’re not blocking the way, just ignore them. Find a stable stronghold first. It’s too dangerous outside now."

Lann, holding his sword, called to the Losric Knights forming a formation as he walked.

Fighting the forces of the Abyss seemed ingrained in the righteous knights of this Fire Age.

Even at this time, Lann could feel many Losric Knights having the urge to purge these residents undergoing petrifying transformation.

But now was not the time to pursue such battles. With so many affected by the Abyss, how long could purging go on?

Lorenzo also understood this logic, so he was using words to suppress the impulse of his subordinates, striving for restraint.

Thanks to these Abyss-polluted people not reacting to sound, otherwise, this group would’ve been surrounded long ago.

On the way to the High Wall Church, it was exactly as Lann estimated; many bodies had already exploded with the Black Mud Snake Group.

They were scattered sparsely across the high walls.

And according to the previously identified weaknesses, the knights had indeed relied on their formidable strengths to complete the combat plan.

The knights in the rear would shoot a fire arrow or throw a fire pot up there.

Then, several knights around would take advantage of the few seconds the Black Mud Snake Group struggled in the flames and unleash their combat techniques without reserve.

Even against enemies they’ve never faced or trained for, Losric was worthy of being a mighty nation atop the world.

As the martial backbone, the Knight Order was remarkably strong.

Fights often ended in mere seconds.

Logical combat strategies reduced these previously formidable monsters to living only a few more seconds.

With their formidable martial power, the group advanced toward the High Wall Church, and soon reached nearby.

The church sat on the long stairway’s summit, with a garden plaza built to the side.

The plaza’s center had a small fountain, and its core statue depicted a handsome young man sitting with a golden Greatsword.

Priestess Emma introduced to Lann that it was the memorial statue of Eldest Prince Lorrian.

But now this garden plaza, seemingly of memorial significance, was littered with traces of battle and slaughter.

Countless Losric Knights of indiscernible factions were beheaded following rituals, their bodies piled by the walls.

Longsword, spear, war hammer... various weapons were either stuck in bodies or scattered on the ground.

Lann first noticed, among the corpses of Losric Knights, the giant and corpulent armored body of a warrior.

It was the corpse of a Winged Knight he once saw in the Profound Church.

However, this Winged Knight wore ordinary armor, not the Goddess Guard’s golden armor.

This Winged Knight, until the moment before his death, knelt on the ground, his hand struggling to reach for his fallen weapon.

He must have died unwillingly.

And the Losric Knights around were breathing heavily under their helmets. Not from exhaustion, but from seeing so many comrades’ corpses.

Among them could be those loyal to the Fire, or the Prince School. But now, they were just corpses in Losric Knight Armor.

"The flame must be rekindled!"

Vaguely, Lann heard this murmured phrase filled with hatred and resolve, from a Losric Knight’s helmet as he passed by.

In the garden plaza, heavy footsteps sounded ’thud, thud, thud.’

It was the only survivor on this battlefield, another Winged Knight.

At first, seeing the group of Losric Knights, he almost instinctively gripped his massive poleaxe and charged at them.

But immediately after, seeing Priestess Emma waving at him from the crowd, he flapped his comical little wings and slowed down before finally stopping in front of the group.

"In the name of Rosalie, it’s fortunate that you’re unharmed, Your Excellency Priestess."

The Winged Knight’s helmet had an exaggeratedly smiling face; the reason for the wide mouth, presumably, was to allow the mouth of the helmet to act as a breathing vent, making it easier for the knight beneath.

However, such an exaggerated smile on a large and fearsome slayer only creates a sense of absurd terror.

Fortunately, all present are top-notch slayers, and no one is easily intimidated.

Priestess Emma stepped out from the crowd and lightly patted the shoulder of the Winged Knight, who was kneeling on one knee, resting on his halberd.

She turned slightly and spoke to Lann.

"They are the Winged Knights left behind when the Queen was expelled from Losric. I sheltered them with the power of the priestess, and this is also why Klimte trusts me."

Lann understood this was Priestess Emma proving her trustworthiness to him, increasing mutual trust between them.

"Lower your guard." Then Priestess Emma helped the half-kneeling Winged Knight to stand. "The Losric Knight Order has split, and the Prince was the first to lead followers in a coup."

She first explained the situation to the Winged Knight.

The situation in Losric City plummeted like a roller coaster with a sharp turn; those not at the vortex’s center might not have realized what happened until they found their living environment collapsing.

"I see." The Winged Knight’s muffled voice confirmed this situation.

"We only heard the shouting and killing outside, thinking someone was trying to attack the church. So, we disobeyed your orders, armed ourselves, and rushed out to fight. We didn’t expect the enemy was the Losric Knight Order."

"We thought our identity implicated you."

"Ha, if it were just because of this little matter, would they dare target the three pillars?"

Priestess Emma said with a cold smile.

"Continue your patrol. You don’t need to hide anymore; everyone’s resorting to blades and swords now."

"Until the flame rekindles and order is restored, laws and decrees are just waste paper. It’s a savage world."

"Before this, to appease Prince Losric, we denied the legitimacy of angelic faith. But it seems this was just a pretext for the Prince to drive you out of the Royal City. He intended to weaken other forces within the Royal City, preparing for today from the start."

"And we naïvely thought he just had a little tantrum to vent before sacrificing himself to the First Flame."

After that, Priestess Emma shook her head and walked off.

With the Winged Knights patrolling, this area was no longer dangerous.

So Priestess Emma, leading a group of knights physically and mentally exhausted from battling colleagues, walked a few steps and entered the High Wall Church.

This was the domain of the Priestess.

"Welcome, gentlemen." Priestess Emma’s aged voice carried a slight relief.

"Although this church is no longer magnificent, it at least shelters from the wind and rain. Captain Lorenzo, please arrange for Knight Order members to patrol nearby. I suspect there aren’t many living people left in this city, yet danger lurks everywhere."

"Of course, we will defend this place."

Lorenzo agreed readily, pointing out a few knights to form a defensive patrol with the Winged Knights outside the church.

Lann quietly watched from the sideline.

This wasn’t just a safety request from Priestess Emma; it signified the convergence and cooperation of the two pillars, the priestess and the knights.

Lorenzo’s quick reaction suggested his political thinking wasn’t as blunt as his sword.

Subsequently, Priestess Emma assigned places for everyone to rest; perhaps just a space against a wall, but at this trying time, no one made more demands.

The clergy under the Priestess generally appeared fearful.

Serving as clergy in Losric rarely involved direct combat and slaughter due to Losric’s strength. Members of the Losric Knight Order were each proficient in Miracles, all considered low-rank clergy elsewhere.

The main duty here was to preside over daily prayers and sermons for the populace.

Hence, after the coup, many clergy in this church had already died.

If not for the Winged Knights coming out to fight, they might have all perished.

But fortunately, these frightened clergy still managed basic tasks like organizing food, water, and moving supplies.

Seeing everyone settling down, Lorenzo and Priestess Emma began discussing plans for the future.

"We need to retake the Inner City."

Lorenzo said in a low voice, but his resolve was undeniable.

"The knight order’s elite power is mostly in the Inner City - our dragons, our strong knights, our armory... without these forces, restoring the rightful path of the First Flame is a joke!"

"Moreover, in this critical moment..."

Lorenzo, with his helmet tucked under his arm, looked seriously at Priestess Emma.

"King Ausloes can no longer remain uninvolved! Locking himself in the courtyard - is this how a king should act in times of crisis?!"