novelraw Chapter 188: Overlapping Shadows of History
Chapter 188: Overlapping Shadows of History
"No wonder, no wonder we knew nothing! No wonder the Hundred Years' War and the Italian Wars followed that fateful battle!"
Rasinger stared at the text, feeling a profound mix of astonishment and desolation, a tight weave of terror and faith.
The glaring gaps in The Church's records suddenly made sense. The lineage of information had been severed by the Black Death. It was no wonder they had absolutely no historical data from that period!
Mario, however, was filled with deep regret. "So many factions... This was the Papal State of the Middle Ages..."
Just listening to the names and looking at the records—the three major Knightly Orders, the Inquisition, the Religious Tribunal, and the Holy See Council. What tremendous power! And this was during the late Middle Ages, even after facing various suppressions and weakenings!
Of all the clergymen and Bishops across Europe, how many could possibly have survived that catastrophic war?
Furthermore, he was astonished to discover that this event perfectly aligned with the family history of Lyon Lankechi!
Back in America, Mario had met Lyon and naturally had a long conversation with him.
Compared to the other rogue Transcendents who stumbled into their powers, this young man actually possessed an authentic historical lineage.
Through Lyon's stories, Mario learned the origins of the Brotherhood. Along with others in The Church, he had deduced that the great calamity which befell the Brotherhood likely occurred between the 13th and 15th centuries. Looking at the records now, that assumption was entirely correct!The 14th century, the era of the Black Death. An epidemic so devastating that even the Pope succumbed to it. How could it have been just a simple disease?
Because of the Black Death, the forces of The Church were completely scattered. They had even turned on each other, exhausting the vast majority of their strength in bitter internal conflicts.
To preserve what little remained, Clement VI chose to order the members of the Shadow Department to retreat first, while he stayed behind, leading numerous clergymen to hold the line for one more agonizing year.
Yet in the end, he could not hold out. He fell on the very eve of dawn!
"Is this the inevitable fate of those who stand their ground?" Mario sighed emotionally. The most tragic part was that even those who managed to escape did not have an easy time afterward.
Lyon's family was established by one of those who fled. The near-total annihilation of the Knights Templar served as the most authentic portrayal of what happened to the survivors.
Everyone had been forced to hide deep in the mountains just to survive that terrifying crisis and wait for the light of a new day...
This was the original Church. Did the destruction of those grand idealists not begin in that exact era?
Mario suddenly understood why Clement VI's successor was the way he was. The lineage had been wiped out, the immediate crisis had only temporarily receded, and the truly Devout Believers had already perished in the dark war!
For The Church, that truly was an age of absolute darkness!
"Crown, look here!" Just as Mario was pondering these grim historical truths, Rasinger noticed something new and called out suddenly.
"What is it?" Mario looked up, following the other's pointing finger to a specific line.
"A peasant girl shall inevitably be born, bringing forth an infant gripping a sword of fire!" Mario read it aloud, a realization dawning on him. "Are you talking about Joan of Arc?"
"Yes!" Rasinger nodded emphatically. "It has to be her! It can only be her!"
"Even on his deathbed, this Pope managed to leave a final warning for future generations!" Mario said with deep emotion. He picked up the Parchment and continued reading further down.
After Clement VI's section, the next passage was naturally written by the famous reformist Pope, a Devout Believer—Urban V!
The letter read:
"The brave soldier of Christ bearing twin swords, Urban V, Declares to the departed soul of my predecessor Clement and the millennial Antichrist:
I wash this letter with holy water steeped in the bone ash of the martyrs of Marseille port—the white smoke rising from the sulfurous stains is undeniable proof of Hell fearing the light!
Now that the maggot eggs of the Council's seven serpents have been exposed to the sun, they can forget about ever slithering back into the folds of the holy robes!"
Reading this declaration brought a look of pure joy to Mario's face. He seemed incredibly elated. Truly worthy of being a renowned man of faith, the great reformer of The Church, and the Puritan determined to move The Church back to Rome.
"I have sought out the remnants of the Knightly Order and formed the Silver Thorn Knights; I have gathered the texts of the Inquisition, established them as law, and carved them into stone tablets; I have searched for holy relics and, using the secret arts of Jewish wise men, locked them within crystal arks to completely sever their bewitching power..."
"However, the burned books are impossible to recover, the fallen clergymen can never be brought back, and though the Angel answered my call, no divine miracles were bestowed..."
"We must rely on ourselves now!"
Mario could clearly sense the urgency and profound regret in this Pope's heart. He had accomplished so much, yet he also left behind countless regrets. Without being able to mend the broken pieces or completely sever the lingering corruption, there was naturally no way to thoroughly resolve The Church's systemic issues.
When Urban V gathered these forces, they were still infinitely fragmented, which he considered a great pity. But to Mario, this did not look like regret at all. It looked like outright bragging!
After all, the man still had survivors to rally and historical texts to pass down. Then Mario looked at his own situation. What did he have?
Absolutely nothing. He had to be informed of The Lord's descent by the people of America. What could he even say to that?
"At this moment, the sanctuary bells strike like an anvil forging the dark night, and we are trudging alone in the darkness!
Listen! Predecessor Clement! The Silver Thorns are piercing through the pulsing sulfur embryos—
This heartbeat will eventually be praised as the rhyme scheme on the title page of the New Gospel!"
Finally, there was his signature:
Seal of Urban (Crest: A thorned cross intertwined with a severed scorpion's tail)
"The Feast of Corpus Christi in the year 1367, as the morning light of Rome cleaved through the gloom of Avignon."
The text on the Parchment ended there. The two old men, having finished reading the information, felt a sense of infinite melancholy. Then, Mario suddenly spoke up. "Rasinger, do you think we can still find the traces of the former Church at the original Papal site in Avignon?"
"I believe so, Crown!" Rasinger replied. "After all, the divine revelation handed down by The Lord specifically highlighted this location!"
But after some thought, Mario decided against going immediately. "Forget it, let us leave it be for now! Even if we must go, I will wait until the Saint and the Holy Maiden are available to travel together!"
The Pope clearly understood that there might truly be something valuable hidden there, but there was an equal chance that terrible sins lingered within!
If they rushed over right now, they likely would not be reclaiming ancient power and heritage, but rather opening Pandora's box!
He absolutely could not take such a reckless risk.
"You are right!" Rasinger nodded in agreement. "Then, shall I lead a team to Milan first?"
Mario shook his head. Looking at something specific on the Parchment, a slow smile formed on his lips. "No, you will have assistance on this journey!"
Rasinger looked over in curiosity, watching as Mario fixed his gaze on the Parchment. His finger tapped precisely on a specific spot—a completely blank section of the page.
"In my name as the Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the Vatican City State, and Servant of the Servants of God—reveal yourself!"
As his majestic declaration echoed out, lines of peculiar text suddenly materialized on the previously blank Parchment.
"These are words meant only for the eyes of the Pope, a gift I leave behind for my successor!" It was still Urban V's handwriting. "The Holy See Council has indeed fallen, but the seven special exorcism task forces belonging to the Council still have hope of surviving."
"I have recorded their names and scattered them across Rome, France, and the states of Germany. Should the need arise, they will serve as The Church's most trustworthy and formidable force!"
"I hope these forces will never have to be called upon. But if they are awakened, convey to them my deepest regrets and my final blessings!"
Reading these words, Mario's face truly lit up with profound hope!
In the end, those venerable predecessors really had left behind crucial legacies for them, rather than passing away before securing any future for their faith.
"Notify the city of Rome, we are preparing to travel!" Mario declared firmly. "Rasinger, come with me. We are going to find these hidden Devout Believers. We are going to awaken our very own team of exorcists!"
Rasinger's eyes were slightly glazed in deep thought, but he carried an undeniable surge of excitement. "Of course, Crown!"
...
"I truly am a genius!" Bai Yang watched as this fabricated history seamlessly merged into the world's actual timeline. Staring at the newly spawned, mystical traces slowly materializing within the otherwise mundane underground ruins of the city called Avignon, he stood with his hands on his hips, swelling with absolute pride.
The fact that he managed to draft an entire epoch of history and weave it flawlessly into reality certainly gave him every right to gloat for a moment.
Beside him, Alvin's figure slowly materialized into view. "Crown, the candidates have been selected. They are all families who have practiced devout devotion to the Catholic Church for dozens of generations, families who have rarely moved from their ancestral homes! In the city of Rome alone, there are over thirty such households!"
Bai Yang nodded slightly in approval. "Excellent. We do not need to reveal all of them; three or five households will suffice. They need to possess adequate Combat Power, but it cannot be too overwhelming. I will leave it to you to determine their strength levels!"
Alvin nodded slowly in acknowledgment.
"A good fight requires give and take to be truly exciting! The grand war between the Vampire Race and the exorcist squads has been waging for over a millennium. What is happening now is merely a rehearsal of ancient history!" Bai Yang declared with a sly grin, allowing the grand narrative to continue unfolding!