The several-day journey home was uneventful.
Riding their Pegasi, Raylo and his party returned to Black Stone Town.
Even before they entered the town, a solemn atmosphere, entirely different from usual, washed over them.
At some point, a simple camp had been established outside the town. A dozen or so uniform white tents were arranged in neat rows, dotting the early spring meadow like white mushrooms.
Soldiers in Silver Chain Armor, armed with Long Spears or Crossbows, patrolled between the tents. Their steps were steady, their gazes fixed straight ahead.
Most striking was a clearing in a corner of the camp where nearly a hundred magnificent Pegasi were leisurely preening their feathers or lowering their heads to eat specially prepared feed.
Their snow-white wings were folded at their sides, occasionally stirring up a gentle breeze with a flick.
Beside each Pegasus stood a Knight, also clad in Silver Armor. The armor gleamed brightly in the sun, complementing the Pegasi’s wings and exuding a sacred and powerful pressure.
Raylo’s brow furrowed slightly.
Seeing a Pegasus Knight Order of this scale, he had a good idea of who the visitors were.
As far as he knew, the only power that equipped its forces with Pegasi on such a large scale was the Light Holy See.
"My lord, you’ve returned."
Bolin, who had been left to guard the territory, hurried over to greet him, his expression grave and uneasy.
"There’s a very important person... waiting for you in your castle."
Raylo nodded, dismounted, and handed the reins to a nearby attendant.
"An important person?"
"It’s Bishop Augustus of the Light Holy See. He arrived in Black Stone Territory yesterday and said he would be staying for a few days to rest and regroup."
Inside the castle’s great hall, the atmosphere was oppressive.
An old man dressed in a simple yet dignified white linen robe was seated in the guest’s chair beside the main seat.
A massive, solid gold holy insignia hung from his chest. In its center was a pigeon-egg-sized Ruby that glowed with a gentle luster.
The old man had a gaunt face with high cheekbones, and his pair of gray-blue eyes were as sharp as a falcon’s, seemingly capable of peering into a person’s very soul.
His salt-and-pepper hair was impeccably combed, and a neatly trimmed silver goatee hung down to his chest.
He held a heavy, leather-bound scripture in his hands, his fingers thin but strong.
This was none other than one of the Bishops of the Light Holy See, Saint Augustus.
This Bishop was renowned within the Light Holy See for his extreme devotion to doctrine and his Iron Fist methods.
It was said that he once single-handedly brought all the residents of a small border town—a town that had been deluded by heresy—back to their knees before the holy insignia of the Light Deity within three days. His methods were unfathomable, yet no one dared question his piety or Power.
Rumor had it that he had also personally purified a Count who was possessed by a Demon. The purification ritual lasted for seven days and seven nights. In the end, the Count’s soul was saved, but his body was reduced to a handful of sacred ash.
For this, Bishop Augustus was reverently called "the Unyielding Holy Hammer" and "the Purifier of Heretics" by the faithful.
One of his sayings was widely known.
"Only ashes can guarantee sanctity."
When Raylo walked into the hall, Bishop Augustus’s gaze fell upon him, sharp and scrutinizing.
"Baron Raylo, good day."
Augustus’s voice was calm and placid, yet it carried a power that could make one’s heart tremble.
It was said this Bishop possessed the Power of a Peak Tier Five Domain Knight and had defeated many other Tier Five opponents.
"Lord Bishop, you’ve come from so far. Please forgive me for not giving you a proper welcome."
Raylo bowed slightly, his etiquette impeccable, his face showing no hint of anything unusual.
He knew that a religious leader of this caliber would never bring a hundred-man Pegasus Knight Order to his remote, fledgling territory without a reason.
"There is no need for such formalities, Baron."
Bishop Augustus closed the scripture in his hands and placed it on his lap.
"The will of the Light Deity guided me to this place."
"Black Stone Territory, as a newly pioneered land, should be bathed in the radiance of my Lord, ensuring that every inch of it is pure and without flaw."
A chill ran down Raylo’s spine.
’Those words sound grand and righteous,’ Raylo thought, ’but given Augustus’s reputation, he’s not here for a friendly visit.’
He certainly didn’t think his territory needed any "purification."
Nor did he want to prove his sanctity to this Iron Fist Bishop.
’After all, the only way to prove your "sanctity" to him is to become a pile of ash.’
"And what is it you mean, Lord Bishop?" Raylo asked, his expression unreadable.
Bishop Augustus’s gaze sharpened again, like two unsheathed swords.
"The radiance of my Lord shines upon all things, but it will not tolerate the growth of any shadow. I have come to ensure the purity of faith in Black Stone Territory, to ensure that everything here conforms to the guidance of the Light Scripture."
The air in the hall seemed to freeze.
Beads of cold sweat formed on the temples of the Knights standing nearby.
They could feel the formless pressure emanating from the Bishop—an absolute confidence born from faith and Power.
Raylo’s expression turned cold as well.
He didn’t like this feeling of being scrutinized and questioned, especially on his own turf.
Recently, intense conflicts and wars had broken out in several territories bordering the Thunder Dragon Duchy and the Fiery Sun Kingdom. This was likely a result of the Light Holy See’s attempt to exert its influence over the Thunder Dragon Duchy.
"Lord Bishop, every citizen of Black Stone Territory is hardworking and law-abiding. We respect the Light Deity, but we also believe in hard work and sweat."
Raylo’s tone was flat, betraying no emotion.
"I wonder, how does the Lord Bishop intend to ’ensure the purity of faith’ in my territory?"
Bishop Augustus smiled faintly, but his smile held no warmth.
"Lord Baron, as I traveled here, I saw that Black Stone Territory is thriving and its people are living in peace and contentment. It brought me great comfort."
He picked up the glass of clear water offered by an attendant and took a small sip.
"It’s just that..."
His tone shifted. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly to everyone’s ears in the great hall.
"In such a vast land, there is not a single Divine Hall for my Lord. Where are the people to pray? Where are they to seek solace for their souls? If this continues, without the guidance of faith’s light, the seeds of evil will quietly sprout in the shadows. Lord Baron, don’t you find this to be an oversight?"
Raylo’s heart sank. ’So that’s what this old fox is after.’
On the surface, however, he remained impassive, even showing a perfectly measured hint of guilt and helplessness.
"Lord Bishop, you see things clearly. Black Stone Territory was only recently established, and we are still rebuilding from scratch. I have only been in charge of this land for a short time, and many affairs are not yet in order. In recent days, the Demon Serpent’s Fangs have invaded several times, and bandits have attacked the town on multiple occasions. In my barren territory, we can barely scrape by and survive. How could we dare to dream of solace for the soul?"
He turned slightly and gestured toward the main structure of the castle, which had just been topped out and had yet to be plastered or decorated.
"As you can see, the frame of this castle itself was just completed. Many of the rooms inside are still unfinished shells, and we haven’t even been able to fully furnish it with proper furniture."
Raylo sighed, his tone tinged with embarrassment.
"To be honest with you, Lord Bishop, Black Stone Territory is currently in a tight financial spot. We have to split every Copper Sparrow in two. Building a Divine Hall is certainly a great undertaking to honor the Light Divine Lord, but it is enormously expensive. In Black Stone Territory’s current state, we truly... have the will, but not the means. If building a Divine Hall were to interfere with the livelihood of the people, I fear that is not something the Divine Lord would wish to see."