From God of Lies to Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 191: Glorious Mission

"Holy Father above!" Upon hearing those words, Andrea was utterly dumbfounded. He looked at his grandfather, then at the Pope standing before him, feeling as though the Worldview he had held for over two decades had completely collapsed.

He was a resident of Rome. Relying on the legacy left by his father, he ran a small shop selling toys and trinkets—a humble trade that defined everyone in the Julius family. They had lived exactly like this for generations.

From birth to school, taking over the business, marrying, having children, passing down the store, and finally death. This mundane cycle was the daily reality of the Julius family. Aside from their devout faith in The Lord, they were just one of the thousands of ordinary Roman families, entirely indistinguishable from the rest.

Yet now, his reclusive grandfather was actually telling him that their family was a lineage of exorcists, and that he had even undergone special training in Exorcism?

If the Pope himself hadn't been standing right in front of him, Andrea absolutely would never have believed such a bizarre, supernatural revelation!

"Rumble..." With the heavy grinding of stone, an ancient-looking underground passage opened up right in the middle of their living room.

"Please, follow me," the old man requested, slowly descending into the passage. The three people behind him followed in succession. Andrea brought up the rear, his mind still in a daze, feeling as if he were wandering through a dream.

The cellar was not large; it only took a few steps to reach the bottom. A strong scent of decay wafted from within, a testament to its sheer age.

Inside the room, there was actually very little to see. There was only a Cross, a miniature throne of thorns, and a scroll resting upon that throne.

The old man took down the scroll, unrolled it, and handed it to Mario. "Crown, according to the vow, your blood is required to awaken this ancient covenant. The mystical Trinity array of Cologne, the Vatican, and Avignon will also be reactivated the moment you choose to initiate it!"Mario nodded. A sliver of light from his hand pierced his skin, allowing a drop of crimson blood to fall onto the Parchment Scroll before him.

The blood instantly radiated a brilliant white glow. It was blood infused with arcane power, carrying the absolute weight of a solemn oath.

On the previously blank Parchment, lines of mysterious text suddenly began to manifest:

"The hidden blade forged in the name of Saint Anastasius,"

"The night watchman who casts the moon's shadow upon the brimstone fires of the council,"

"—The blood oath of the entire Julius family, in the year of our Lord 1367."

"We shall guard the final glory of The Church. Until called upon, we shall never emerge, never alter, and never depart!"

Mario asked softly, "Is this your family's oath? For over six hundred years, you have never once revealed yourselves?"

"That is not entirely true, Crown!" Grimmd shook his head. "We pass down all the ancient maxims from generation to generation, and we inherit our power through the bloodline, waiting for the day we are called upon by a Pope!"

"His Holiness Pope Urban V believed that the devastation of the Black Death was far too tragic. Concentrated forces of The Church would inevitably be infiltrated and decapitated. Only a hidden power like ours could truly serve its purpose in The Church's darkest hour of peril!"

Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, while Andrea continued to stand off to the side, completely dumbfounded.

'Our family had actually guarded this Secret for over six centuries? Good heavens... why do I feel like my useless grandfather is actually a legendary hidden master?'

Mario still felt something was amiss. "Wait, you must know the history of the Holy See Council, right?"

"Yes, that history has been passed down as well. The dissolution of the Holy See Council, the splintering of the seven great exorcist groups... all of this was explained to us."

The old man Grimmd's words breathed vivid life into stories that had previously only existed in piles of dusty, forgotten records, and even more Secret events were revealed through his account.

"Crown, will this be a special summons, or a permanent one?"

"A special summons? A permanent summons?" The two from The Church were bewildered. They watched as Grimmd continued to unroll the Parchment Scroll, gradually revealing additional text written beneath:

[1577, Venice

Assassinated the Purple-Robed Singer during a masquerade ball. Strangled with a silver cord, sealed in a lead coffin filled with mercury, and buried under St. Mark's Square.]

"This was the sudden emergence of a descendant of a purple-robed council member. We suspected the involvement of a Demon, but because our forces were too weak, we could not uncover any clearer information..."

Grimmd spoke softly, recounting the history as if listing his family's most precious treasures.

[1793, Paris

Remnants of the council incited guillotine fanaticism. The 19th generation patriarch offered himself as a Ritual Sacrifice at the Place de la Concorde:

Detonated his own heart using the Bone Ring of Thorns. His mercury-laced blood vaporized into a toxic mist, executing 32 council remnants.

Final blood-written message: "Libertas non est daemonum!" (Freedom does not belong to demons!)]

"This was a definitive operation by Demon cultists. However, because of this mission, our family lost the Bone Ring of Thorns. That special holy relic lost its power forever..."

The old man's voice carried a distinct tone of regret. [1944, Rome

Used the chaos of the German retreat to shatter the council's 'Egg of Resurrection' in the cellars of Castel Sant'Angelo using the umbilical silver cord.]

"That was the sin committed by the Germans. They pinned their hopes of turning the tide of the war on such a demonic creation. Thus, the Bishop at the time made a prompt decision and summoned my grandfather to deal with it..."

Grimmd continued, "The information you see here is the Price of a special summons. In every generation of The Church, a Bishop or a Cardinal possesses the special authority to guide our family into action during certain periods!"

"These operations are extremely Secret and generally never alert official authorities, but our family always keeps a record."

"If it is a covert operation, I shall be the one to go. The person carrying out the mission will end their own life to sever any records or suspicions, all to preserve the strength of The Church!"

"I am old enough, so I can be sacrificed. My son will hold my post, and my grandson will become the next generation's watchman..."

Hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Andrea was astounded by the glorious mission laid upon his family, while the two representatives of The Church were stunned by their sheer Divine Faith and absolute loyalty!

"It is The Church that has failed you..." Mario murmured. "Despite undertaking tasks for the sake of all humanity, your family was forced to exist entirely in the shadows..."

These records were brief, strikingly clear, and entirely devoid of sentimentality. Yet, everyone could easily imagine just how many lives the Julius family had sacrificed beneath those cold, clinical words...

They were a family that truly laid down their lives for their Divine Faith. They received no benefits, and outwardly, they had absolutely no connection to The Church. Yet, generation after generation, they stepped forward to fill the breach, never faltering.

"This is our family's glorious mission, Crown!" Grimmd declared solemnly. "You need not feel guilty. When the Holy See Council fell into Depravity, we became vagrants without a home. It was His Holiness Pope Urban V who kept us and granted us a new Duty and legacy!"

He dragged his finger across the blade of a nearby knife. A cut opened, spilling fresh blood, yet the sacrifice only made his voice echo with an even greater holy resonance:

"I swear in the name of the Son, the Holy Father, and the Holy Spirit, the Julius family has guarded this Secret for six hundred and seventy-four years without ever leaking a single word!" The old man's voice rang out from the darkness, laced with an undeniable surge of pride. "Now that The Church has sought us out, has a new mission arrived?"

"Yes, Mr. Julius!" Mario proclaimed gravely. "The Church needs your power. If you are willing to return, I can re-establish the Holy See Council!"

"We acknowledge both your radiant history and your dark past. This journey, interwoven with light and shadow, will become the invaluable treasure of the new council!"

"The Holy See Council... is finally going to be re-established?" The old man's voice trembled slightly.

His trembling was entirely understandable. After all, based on the information gathered so far, it was easy to deduce a single, stark truth:

The betrayal of the Holy See Council led to the near total collapse of the Roman Catholic Church's ruling class in Avignon. Pope Clement VI died, and it wasn't until the reign of Pope Urban V that The Church barely managed to return to Rome.

Under such circumstances, the Exorcism teams subordinate to the Holy See Council were forced to reorganize into family lineages. They burrowed deep underground, becoming covert Thugs who waited silently for The Church's summons!

Because they were sinners, the very Masterminds who caused The Church's decline. If this had been the Middle Ages, not a single one of them would have survived!

Yet now, he was hearing from the current Pope's own lips the news that the Holy See Council would be re-established. It was no different from Mario directly declaring that they were pardoned!

It was an equivalent revelation, and the very first piece of good news their family had received in six hundred years of steadfast guardianship!

Overwhelmed with emotion, the old man fell to his knees before Mario. "Respected Pope, Crown, please allow me to offer my utmost loyalty to you! The Julius family will forever stand by your side, serving as your sharpest blade!"

"There is no need for this. I can feel your devout Divine Faith. The radiant light of The Lord has now descended upon you; all of this is merely what you deserve!" Mario stated gently, the power of Precept shining brilliantly around him.

"For six hundred years, through countless sacrifices, you have strictly adhered to your Duty and fulfilled your solemn promise!"

"I will proclaim your story and tell the world that this is the true standard that every Catholic must observe and believe in—a glorious mission!"

"And now, your glorious mission will continue to be passed down alongside the future of The Church, from now until eternity!"

At this moment, it wasn't just Grimmd—even Andrea, standing to the side, widened his eyes in utter astonishment!

This was practically bestowing unparalleled glory upon their family, elevating them to legendary status!

At this very moment, history had finally come full circle!