Sylvester activated a few emergency elder runes tattooed on his lower body to give himself a physical buff. Unfortunately, using it was dangerous as it was strong enough to shatter his bones. But, to even get away from the man in front of him was nearly an impossible task, so everything he could do was on the table.

"What do you want?" Sylvester asked the man.

"I'm only here to talk, young man. You certainly have the whole world fooled about your death. While you may have deceived the Holy Land, you could not fool me." Jax said and went to take a seat on the wooden chair. "So I thought, why not give a visit to the famed bard."

Sylvester silently assessed the man, wondering what he actually wanted from him. But, in the end, Sylvester could only smell the scent of doubt from him. There didn't seem to be any hostility in him.

"You traveled quite a distance to meet a small man like me." Sylvester sat facing the man. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"A few questions, that's all," Jax said. "Just some small talk to quench my curiosity. Tell me, why are you doing all that you do? All the scheming, plotting, and more? What do you truly desire in the end? Power?"

"No, I desire peace," Sylvester answered, for there was no point in lying to a Supreme Wizard. "Since I was born, I've been running and fighting for my life to get stronger. Why is that? It's not a fault that lies with me but a fault with the world that continues to come after me. The mighty are revered as gods, and the feeble are regarded as pests. That's the law that we're taught.

"But I see no such thing. We are born with flesh and die, leaving our ashes. Whether rich, poor, noble, or holy, our fates are the same. Therefore, to me, everything is equal, and my quest is to create a world where these ideas flourish. A world where peace and prosperity of all species is the only focus, and for that, the world must unite as one."

Jax stroked his beard for a while, humming in agreement with Sylvester's statements. "Hmm…You are quite different from others in the Holy Land. They tend to have a near-sighted view of the world, and end up committing great atrocities."

"I answered you. Now it's your turn. Why do all of this? What do you want?" Sylvester turned the question around.

Jax rested back in his seat with a sigh. "I'm over three hundred years old, young one. I've lived a long life and seen many things in the name of justice and injustice. When a thief commits a crime, there are soldiers of the kingdom to apprehend them. When a noble commits a crime, there is the King to bring them to justice. When a King commits a heinous crime, there is the Church to hold them accountable. But—who holds the Church responsible for the sins they commit? I'm sure you must have seen your fair share of injustice, some inflicted directly upon you as well. Isn't that why the Shadow Knight pursued you?"

The smile, or perhaps, the smirk, made all the hair on Sylvester's body stand. 'H-He…How does he even know this? Has he infiltrated the Holy Land to such a degree? Good God, he's playing the game on a different level altogether!'

"Which side do you stand on?" Sylvester asked.

"Justice."

"Hmph!" Sylvester scoffed. "How does that make you any better? Who holds you responsible then?"

Jax smiled widely at that. "Haha. Perhaps, I'm merely doing this for personal vengeance. The downfall of the faith that has inflicted deep wounds upon me."

"It has also brought order," Sylvester argued.

"With a monopoly on chaos in their hands," Jax countered.Sylvester quickly responded. "That's the description of all ruling governments in the world."

"Then destroy them all."

"So you monopolize the chaos then?" Sylvester turned Jax's words around on him. "You say the Holy Land has a problem, and I agree with it. That is why I wish to bring change by sitting at the top. That is why I'm here in Masan, to prepare the world for the next step."

"The songs of bards were true," Jax muttered, and his shoulders plummeted. "You are wise and powerful beyond your peers or age. I hold great influence in regions across the East, and my men reported to me about your status in the hearts of commoners. Their love for you, their worship of you—your name is taken by people as a lucky charm, 'May the bard bless us', they say.

"In my long life, I have never seen such worship, and unlike other clergymen, you have accomplished things to back that worship. Your discoveries continue to help people; the bards continue to sing legendary songs about you. Young one, I'm almost inclined to put my faith in you—but my vengeance cannot be left unfinished, for I have devoted my entire life to it."

Jax stood up abruptly and began to walk towards the exit. "I may be a monster in the eyes of all, but I have no animosity with the common people. And if their heart is with you, then I am inclined to give them a chance. Young one, one year—I give you this time to take the Holy throne. Fail, and I will unleash my ultimate wrath on the Holy Land itself. I will raze it to the ground, from the mountain peaks to those castles."

Sylvester followed him, ignoring the words for the time being. "What is your story? Why do you want vengeance?"

At last, Jax turned around near the door. His entire body began to change, and in contrast to his current appearance with blonde hair and golden eyes, he began to turn gloomy with dark robes, black hair, a beard with white highlights, and a face telling the story of a man who had been through hell.

"I was a weak commoner in the cruel world, who dared to create a small happy family. This is my true face, young one—remember it."

Shhh…!

Like a gust of wind, the man disappeared in black smoke, leaving through the tiny gaps in the doorframe. It was too magical to see but understandable, as it was a feat performed by a Supreme Wizard.

"Oh…I can feel my heart inching towards my mouth." Sylvester abruptly sat down on the floor, gasping for air. He had no escape plan in mind if the man had decided to fight him. "He turned out to be more reasonable than most other men I've met…But will one year be enough?"

"Who was he, respected apostle?" Hozin asked as he brought over a glass of water.

"He's the Chief of Anti-Light, a faction that wishes to destroy the Church. He's a Supreme Wizard."

Hozin remained confused. Of course, he was from the Divine Desert. He had no idea what happened in the East or the West. Only recently did he see the world beyond the mighty desert.

"Get strong; you will soon." Kimino came closer to Sylvester and patted his bald head.

The expressionless girl had grown up just like Xylena. Her height reached almost five feet, and her age was around sixteen. Kimino still acted as the usual self with an icy face, but through scents, Sylvester knew she was now happy and content with everything, enjoying the new life. Even the neighborhood had labeled her Ice-beauty.

"Father, are you alright?!" Just then, Xylena also came from another room and hugged Sylvester. At fifteen years old, she was the same height as Kimino. But she had grown to be even more beautiful than Sylvester had ever imagined, and her ashen-black hair, paired with teal eyes, was a sight to behold.

Adding to it the physical and mental training she was receiving, she was growing to be a fine Queen of the Blackhart Kingdom(Sorrow Kingdom) one day."Zye, I told you not to call me that. People might take it the wrong way. I'm supposed to be a forever-pure Pope." Sylvester caressed her head, alleviating her concerns.

She scoffed and hugged Sylvester tighter. "Who is a father? One who protects you, guides you, feeds you, and scolds you—that makes you my father. Not by blood but through actions, undoubtedly. Don't you agree, Kimino?"

Kimino looked at Sylvester's face. "Bald man makes good father."

"..."

"Kimino, if you can see my future, tell me if I will become the Pope in a year." He directly asked her.

Kimino stared at his face and soon bobbed her head. "You will. There is no other choice."

'I know that, dear. But I should look more into this man now. With his age confirmed, and a fragment of information about his family revealed. I know his vengeance is related to something the Church did to his family. If I can find the finer details, perhaps I can form some sort of an alliance with him.'

There was much to plan and much to do. But, unfortunately, the night was nearly over, and he had to return. However, one thing was clear to him for now, that he was not as securely hidden as he believed.

"Hozin, we are relocating. Our location has been compromised." He ordered.

"Understood, Apostle."

With that, Sylvester quickly made his way back into the Royal Castle and donned his regular armor to return to duty. It was a special morning that day since an official event was scheduled to take place in the Emperor's giant court.

The moment the sun's rays fell upon the castle, the nobles from across the Empire entered the Grand Court of the Emperor. Lady Aurora also arrived there as the highest religious authority there, but the man Sylvester believed to be Shadow of Masan was nowhere to be seen.

"Today, we are gathered here for the official ceremony!" Lady Aurora soon began to proclaim from the elevated platform near the deranged Emperor's throne. "Now, we commence the ceremony to officiate Prince Jinn Hu'ul Mirmasan as the Crown Prince of the Empire."

Not far from the spot, Sylvester stood with Fernis before him. She was now the second princess, officially entering the Grand Court to take the third smaller throne that once belonged to Jinn.

Behind the wicked metal mask, Sylvester satisfyingly smiled. 'Despite what occurred last night, this soothes my heart. Everything is going according to my plan—Jinn, you better not disappoint me, kid.'

"All hail the Crown Prince, the rightful heir to the throne—Jinn Hu'ul Mirmasan!"

Drums and trumpets echoed that instant and petals of flowers rained from the high ceiling. The small crown was placed on Jinn's head, followed by him accepting blessings from the Emperor.

The event was grand and majestic. The claps and shouts of the crowd were loud. But the faces of all the statesmen held the look of greed. In their eyes, Jinn was dumber than the first Prince, hence, easy to manipulate.

'Haha, go on, make mistakes.' Sylvester chuckled after seeing them. 'Make my job easier by donating your throats.'

It had finally begun, the last stage of an Empire's downfall. But none had the eyes that could notice what was to come.

With songs, trumpets, and thunderous applause, the Empire inched closer to death's jaws.

Thank you for reading. GT votes are much appreciated.