After traveling with Archbishop Paul for a while, Ansu's gaze occasionally fell upon the former archbishop, a trace of doubt lingering in his mind.
"Mr. Paul, I am a bit curious."
He opened his mouth to ask, "Of all the parishes in the Empire, why did you specifically choose the North?"
This Holy Light geezer was far too good at picking spots.
After all, from Ansu's perspective of the future, the North was indeed a place suited for early development.
"In truth, there weren't as many choices as you might imagine," Archbishop Paul explained to Ansu.
"Most places where I could fulfill my ambitions and spread the faith are located on the Empire's fringes, and the North has enough diverse tribes, numerous followers of heretical faiths, and a situation that is sufficiently... chaotic."
He paused, looking at Ansu meaningfully. "Within chaos lies the hope for change."
Ansu and Freya exchanged a look, both seeing a hint of surprise in the other's eyes.
Paul truly didn't hide his ambitions or intentions at all; he just spoke them plainly.
"Archbishop Paul... you must be dissatisfied with the current Church of Holy Light, right?" Freya asked softly.
Paul nodded, his expression candid. "This isn't the Royal Capital, nor is it the cathedral, so there's no harm in telling you."
He seemed to think of his former colleagues in the Church, a faint, mocking smile touching his face. "I certainly believe they have taken the wrong path. Because of that, I believe only change can bring a true future to the Church."
Ansu thought to himself: Good heavens, this Holy Light geezer wants to create a second papacy...
However, that suited him perfectly.
"So..." Ansu pressed further, "is your goal to return to the core of power, perhaps even to ascend to the position of pope?"
"Not at all." Paul shook his head. "What you describe are means, not my purpose. If I can realize my ideals, I would be perfectly fine with never becoming the pope."
"Then what is your ideal?" Freya asked the question that had been buried deep in her heart since their time in the Royal Capital.
Years ago, it was this very archbishop who had faced down all opposition to bring her to the Royal Capital and place her in the role of Holy Maiden.
Anyone with eyes could see through his actions over the years that he truly wanted to do something for the Church and for the holy light.
Archbishop Paul smiled but did not answer.
Ansu and Freya looked at each other again, both frowning slightly.
...
As the sky began to darken, Ansu's group finally arrived at Freya's hometown, a village nestled in a mountain hollow called Elvin Village.
"I'm finally... back."
Freya gazed at the silhouette of the village before her and sighed softly. Since leaving at the age of ten, the image of her hometown had become blurred in her memory.
Ansu observed the village. Although Freya always said this place was a backwater, Elvin Village was actually one of the more prosperous settlements of the tribe, comparable in size to a small human town. Many Staya people would regularly come here for the market, making it a trade center.
However, at this moment, Elvin Village, which should have been bustling with activity in the evening, was shrouded in an eerie silence.
The streets were empty, and the doors and windows of every house were tightly shut.
"Stop! Who are you!"
A patrol squad carrying torches, clearly composed of villagers, walked over warily and surrounded Ansu's group.
But when the firelight illuminated the simple black robe on Paul, the hostility in the eyes of these Staya people visibly lessened. Although most demihumans did not believe in the holy light, they were generally quite reverent toward these clergymen of the Church of Holy Light who possessed divine power.
"We are here to visit family," Ansu explained to the leading patrol captain, then looked toward Freya, whose demihuman features were more pronounced.
Freya nodded. "My name is Freya. My mother is Isera. She lives at..."
Seeing Freya's tribal features and hearing her mention her mother's name, the patrol members were somewhat surprised.
Isera was the daughter of the tribal chief. Although the relationship between father and daughter was not harmonious, she was still the chief's daughter after all.
"But... since when did Isera have such a grown daughter?"
"I think... she did have one," an older villager nearby said thoughtfully. "She left the village many years ago. I heard she went to the humans' side... Right! I think her name was Freya?"
The members exchanged uncertain glances and discussed in low voices.
"Then I'll escort you and take you to see Isera!" The captain waved his hand, signaling the squad to continue their patrol.
He turned to lead the way, but his gaze couldn't help but sweep over Freya again as he warned in an extremely serious tone:
"This girl is so beautiful, she must be kept hidden these next few days! She absolutely cannot show her face in the village!"
"If those wolf cubs from the Wolfgar tribe spot her, they won't care whose daughter she is; they'll just snatch her away!"
Freya looked surprised, while Ansu followed up with a question:
"Has the situation gotten that bad? Have the Wolfgar people already taken control of the entire Talin region?"
The patrol captain sighed, his face looking heavy.
Through their conversation, Ansu learned about the current state of tension.
The main roads leading outside were all firmly controlled by the Wolfgar people. Facing those fierce wolf-born warriors, the Staya people found it difficult to resist head-on.
Furthermore, the other side was no longer satisfied with mere plundering; they had begun organized attacks on core settlements to capture young adults to serve as soldiers. It was said their leader had allied with the demon army and needed a large amount of cannon fodder for the war.
The opposing leader had even issued a harsh ultimatum: if the village did not hand over a sufficient number of young people within three days, he would personally lead a great army here.
When that time came, it would be indiscriminate burning, killing, and looting. Since Staya women were famous for their beauty, all eligible and even underage girls would be prioritized for capture and taken back to the wolf-born tribe.
It was for this reason that the patrol captain specifically warned Ansu's group.
Hearing that her hometown had fallen into such a state, the worry in Freya's eyes deepened.
Subconsciously seeking support, she gently took Ansu's hand, her fingertips icy cold.
Ansu gripped her hand back, his palm warm, and then gave her a steady look.
"Don't worry. I'm here."
The Wolfgar tribe's actions had undoubtedly narrowed their own path.
They had already found their way to death.
However, this precisely confirmed the reality of the North. This was indeed a power vacuum where the Imperial Army was far away and the Church's influence was weak, to the point that when the tiger is away, the monkey crowns himself king.
...
Under the patrol captain's guidance, the group arrived at Freya's home.
Ansu stood in the courtyard, smiling as he watched this reunion that had been years in the making.
Freya threw herself into her mother's arms, crying, as the two women embraced and wept together. Her father stood to the side, and in his eyes, which had been weathered by the frost and wind of the North, there were also uncontrollable tears.
"Freya, my child, you've finally come home..."
"When that terrible thing happened with the Church last time! I thought I would never..." Her mother's voice choked as she held her daughter tighter.
"Don't keep saying such gloomy things..." Her father's voice was slightly raspy. "Hasn't our daughter returned to our side safe and sound?"
Ansu observed quietly. Freya's mother looked seventy percent like her, but her build was more curvaceous. Demihumans aged slowly, so when the mother and daughter embraced, they looked like sisters with a small age gap.
As for Freya's father, who was human, although time had carved deep marks into his face and his temples were gray, one could still imagine his handsome appearance from his youth.
"Archbishop Paul..." Once their emotions calmed slightly, Isera looked up, wiped away her tears, and offered her sincere thanks to Archbishop Paul. "Thank you so much for looking after Freya all these years..."
"It was only my duty." A trace of self-reproach touched Archbishop Paul's smile. "It was I who insisted on taking her to the Royal Capital back then, making her leave home at such a young age and depriving her of the peaceful life an ordinary child should have. In the end, I failed to protect her fully and could barely even save myself..."
"You are being too hard on yourself," Freya's father spoke in a deep voice, also expressing his gratitude to Archbishop Paul. "If not for your protection and guidance, it would have been difficult for Freya to grow into who she is today. Our whole family is grateful for your kindness."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries and sentiments, the couple's gaze turned simultaneously toward Ansu.
This young man who had been brought home by their daughter was handsome and stood tall, looking exceptionally striking as he stood quietly to the side.
Isera's gaze shifted between Ansu and her daughter, her tone gentle and curious. "Freya, this young man... won't you give us a proper introduction?"
"Ah!" Freya finally reacted, hurriedly lifting her head from her mother's embrace.
The tear tracks on her face were not yet dry, yet the moment she looked at Ansu, a bright smile naturally bloomed on her face.
"Father, Mother, this is Ansu—!"
Freya almost let 'Lord Ansu' slip out of habit. She paused and quickly corrected herself: "This is... Ansu Morris!"
"It's thanks to Ansu that I've been looked after and accompanied all this time. When I encountered that crisis in Benalu City, it was he who saved me!"
Her tone became unconsciously light, and the look she gave Ansu was bright and filled with unabashed pride.
"Ansu is amazing! Not only is he an excellent student, but he's also a very powerful transcendent with great achievements in magic!"
"Ansu even has a top-tier research team under him!" Freya grew more excited as she spoke, as if eager to show her parents all of Ansu's wonderful qualities. "Do you know about the recent trends in the magic world? The problem of magic pollution has been solved! This great achievement was a breakthrough made under Ansu's leadership and promotion!"
"Oh, really?" Isera was stunned for a moment, then shook her head blankly. "I don't think I've heard of that, but if it's true, then Ansu really is a remarkable young man..."
"Oh, right! Father, Mother!" Freya's voice was cheerful as she turned to run toward the carriage. "Ansu even specifically brought many gifts for you! I'll go find them for you!"
"There's no rush, no rush," her father said quickly.
Seeing their daughter introduce Ansu with such intimacy and even a hint of hidden reliance, the couple silently exchanged a look.
From the sound of it, this was more than just a simple savior or friend.
Furthermore.
The look their daughter was giving this young man right now...
That kind of fervent emotion was simply beyond words.
Thinking of this, Freya's father, Callen, immediately fixed his eyes on Ansu, the politeness he had shown toward a guest quickly vanishing.
In its place was a sharp scrutiny unique to a father.
It was as if he wanted to see through all the depths of this kid before him.
"Ansu Morris, is it?" Callen suddenly spoke, asking a question that could be considered a traditional topic among northern men. "Can you drink?"
Ansu was startled for a moment, then nodded. "Beer is alright, but..."
"Beer? What kind of alcohol is that!" Callen laughed heartily and clapped Ansu hard on the shoulder. "I have some good stuff hidden here that you can only find on the northern fringes—true spirits, that's what a man should drink! No matter how much money you spend in the Royal Capital or Benalu City, you won't get to enjoy this!"
Ansu felt a wave of helplessness in his heart.
He had heard much about northern spirits; many people in the Mutual Aid Tavern loved them, but he never dared to touch them.
He heard the alcohol content was extremely high and drinking it was like fire; in his eyes, there was no difference between that and drinking pure alcohol.
The courtyard was filled with the warm atmosphere of a family reunion.
Unfortunately, such an atmosphere did not last long, as the hurried sound of an alarm bell suddenly rang out from the direction of the village entrance.
"This is bad!" The patrol captain's expression changed. "Eighty percent chance those Wolfgar people are attacking again!"
With that, he gripped his torch and pitchfork and rushed over there in a hurry.
"Come on, let's go take a look too!" Ansu said immediately.
"Freya..." Isera subconsciously grabbed her daughter's arm.
"It's alright, Mother!" Freya turned back and gave her mother a reassuring smile, even giving a playful squeeze of her small fist. "Your daughter is... very powerful now! They won't be able to beat me!"
"We'll act together," Callen decided immediately, grabbing a heavy short axe used for logging from his side. "The family must stay together!"
"Mm!"
The group followed closely behind the patrol captain as they ran toward the village entrance. In that short time, several houses had already caught fire, the soaring flames lighting up nearly half the village.
Ansu noticed those figures committing arson and looting: the Wolfgar people.
They were exceptionally burly and covered in thick hair. In the firelight, he could clearly see the protruding canine teeth in their bared mouths, and their most prominent feature was the pair of wolf ears that stood high in their hair, twitching sensitively from time to time.
"Those untrustworthy beasts!" Isera's voice trembled with anger, her face dark. "In the last negotiation, they clearly promised a three-day deadline!"
Callen's eyes darkened. "Could it be... they've already seen through our purpose?"
Seeing the doubt on the faces of Ansu and Freya as if they wanted to ask, Callen explained in a low voice:
"We and the Wolfgar aren't the only two demihuman tribes living in the Talin region. The Wolfgar's expansion in recent years has been too reckless and has long since provoked public outrage. Our chief has been secretly contacting other tribes to stall for time, all to form a resistance alliance..."
Ansu nodded in realization.
At this moment, on the open ground at the village entrance, the patrol squad and the hurriedly assembled villager militia were already fighting with the intruding Wolfgar warriors.
"Watch out, they brought giant wolves!" The patrol captain immediately pointed in one direction, his tone tense.
"Over there! On the roof!"
The crowd stirred in a wave of panic as fear began to spread.
In the flickering firelight, an exceptionally massive dark shadow was leaping nimbly across the rooftops, each jump causing the roof beams to tremble and dust to billow.
"Roar—!"
Accompanied by a short, violent roar, that massive creature lunged down from on high, heading straight for the densest part of the militia.
Rate on N.U.
