Zhen Liu continued to celebrate with the residents of Soot Snail Town, relishing the food and engaging in the dances that he and his friends had to learn spontaneously.

However, despite having fun at this impromptu party, Zhen Liu’s paranoid side urged him not to neglect his spying duties. Especially since he had sensed some errant desires coming from places that weren’t exactly visible with the naked eye.

Desires that seemed to suggest that the townsfolk’s Dragon Prawn situation wasn’t a complete accident.

Either way, once he had noticed this particular inconsistency, he made sure to send out a handful of zako marbles and several of the kaijin as well.

...

’Corpse Doll, Porcelain Doll, Screamira, Blazejudicator. You guys are going to go and take a look as to who or what is causing the hairs on my neck to raise. The rest of you, stay on standby.’

[As you wish, Caretaker]*2.

[Are you sure we need to go out there? Wouldn’t it be easier for us to just wait and fight them in town?] Screamira asked.

[You know how the Executor rolls by now, ] Blazejudicator chided his skeletal companion. [He would rather take out any enemies before they make their presence known. Ease of mind, and stuff like that.]

[Fair enough,] Screamira capitulated. [So...any idea as to why these assholes are rearing their heads?]

’I think I have an idea, but I’m going to need some confirmation from Logos and Pathos about it...’

...Meanwhile, at the Library of Nowhere...

<Huh...well, that’s intriguing. >

=What’s up? =

<Check it out; the stone that Hurricroak was just gifted has a similar power reading to our Lord’s new fire poker.>

=Seriously?=

<Yeah, check it.>

With a wave of their hands, Pathos summoned a pair of displays that showed two objects.

The first was that weird fire poker that Zhen Liu picked up from that buried temple they visited earlier in the week.

Despite their extensive knowledge and vast understanding of the universe as a whole, they were unable to comprehend the bloody poker in the slightest.

Their aether-based analysis turned up squat, while their [Chaos]-based analysis came back fuzzy. They even tried using anima but got absolutely nothing of value in return...other than mental static, that is.

As for the second display, which had very similar readings to the poker, it showed a smooth black stone that Hurricroak had received as a gift from the people of Soot Snail.

The mayor of Soot Snail, the old man who insisted on giving the stone to Hurricroak, said that this stone was something akin to a town heirloom.

The story went that the mayor’s ancestor was originally a nomad trying to find someplace permanent to settle. Unfortunately, every location up to that point had been less than satisfactory.

Extreme weather, bandits, wild aether beasts with a thirst for blood, and all sorts of things prevented the ancestor from being able to settle.

Until one evening, one random day, this ancestor began to pray to the heavens for a sign that he was going to find someplace to permanently call home...and that answer came in the form of a meteor falling out of the sky and landing precisely one mile away from his location.

Intrigued by the sight, the ancestor traveled to the impact site, found the strangely smooth black orb, and proceeded to find Soot Snail Village, which would later become Soot Snail Town. Evidently, the name of the village had to do with the fact that the founding ancestor thought the strange smooth stone resembled a Soot Snail’s shell.

Regardless, once the stone ended up in Hurricroak’s hands, its true value remained uncertain.

Its reaction was like the fire poker’s, so both objects were clearly related in some unknown capacity. Not only that, but it was probably the reason why Soot Snail Town got attacked in the first place.

At least, that’s the impression Logos and Pathos got once they were given a chance to properly examine the stone.

<Okay, so assuming the worst this would mean->

Before Pathos could finish making their observation, he and Logos both received an alert that the kaijin that Zhen Liu had sent out to scout had found targets of interest.

=Worry about it later; let’s see who and what we’re dealing with...=

...Who, oh who are these guys going to be?...

^Bishop, I bring news from the scouts.^

^Oh? What do they report?^

^The pagans of Soot Snail have been rescued from their plight. They now return to their ruined homes.^

^I see...^

The war between the Erupting Dawn Empire and Sacred Flame Theocracy had been...brutal, to say the least.

War showed people’s best and worst, but it also tended to reward the more violent.

Take, for example, the 55th Punishing Hounds Platoon, which was led by Bishop Olmen of the Punishing Ember Orthodoxy.

Like any large religion, the Sacred Flame Theocracy was home to various sects that argued over what methods and religions were the best way to praise their object of worship.

For years, the most powerful and popular sect was known as the Hearthfire Doctrine, which believed that the best way to honor the Sacred Flame was to defend one’s home, care for one’s family, and be a beacon of hope for the destitute and fallen. In other words, a perfect peacetime religion.

However, once the war broke out, the more militant and dogmatic factions began to see an uptick in popularity through their ability to deliver victory after victory. Unfortunately, that also meant that their incredibly shitty ideas were allowed to take root in the greater populace.

The Punishing Ember Orthodoxy believed that all pagans, heretics, and non-believers had to be punished before they were given a chance to be converted into outstanding members of the Church of the Sacred Flame. As such, the military groups that they funded were very much the type to believe that any and all collateral damage was justified in the name of the greater good.

Especially if that greater good led to favorable rewards and benefits.

Bishop Olmen was in the middle of religious self-flagellation with a burning flail before the subordinate came to deliver the "wonderful" news to him. Needless to say, the news was the equivalent of a bucket of iced water being dumped upon his already healing burns and scars.

^Do we know who dared to deliver these pagans from their deserved punishment? Who dared to impede on our holy retrieval mission? ^Bishop Olmen asked as he began to stand up and don his robes.

^To an extent, yes,^ the subordinate reported. ^We are unsure of the identities of the women who slayed the Violence Dragon Prawn, but we did recognize a member of their party.^

^Who?^ Bishop Olmen asked as he adjusted his robes.

Instead of providing a clear answer, the subordinate simply handed a rolled scroll of paper to the bishop.

^I thought you said it was only one person,^ the bishop said, annoyance rumbling in his throat.

^It is, but it is also someone who is of interest to the Cardinal.^ 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

^Oh?^

Curiosity replacing anger, Bishop Olmen unfurled the scroll to see who it was that garnered such attention. He was greeted by the sight of a wanted poster.

A wanted poster that had the portrait of a raging Ignarii and the name "Olstenna" written at the bottom alongside a bounty of two-hundred thousand gold pieces.

At this revelation, Bishop Olmen smiled.

^So you mean to say, that the poor pagans of Soot Snail are currently harboring a fugitive of the law, and are now essentially accomplices in this poor sinner’s crimes?^

^ That is indeed the case, ^ the subordinate agreed with a strange smile.

After memorizing the details on how to submit the bounty on Olstenna’s head, Bishop Olmen circulated aether into his fingers and burned the wanted poster into ashes.

^Send out word that we will be marching on to Soot Snail Town in two hours. Make sure everyone is properly fed and armed. Inquistors dole out their best punishments on full fuel tanks, after all.^

^As you wish, bishop.^

After receiving orders, the subordinate exited the tent and left Bishop Olsen to his devices.

Now that he was alone, Bishop Olsen walked over to the dresser in his tent and pulled a stone tablet from it.

The tablet radiated a gentle warmth that soothed Bishop Olsen’s wounds, but the content written upon it stirred the evils of greed in his heart.

Then again, this tablet would stir the greed in any member of the Sacred Flame church. After all, it detailed the three relics of the Mother Tender of the Sacred Flame.

^The Firestone of the Beginning, the Bellows of Eternity, and the Poker of Resurgence,^ Bishop Olmen repeated like a prayer. ^They’re so close that I can almost taste it, like ashes on my tongue. And once I have them in my hands, I shall begin the crusades anew and cleanse this world in holy fire.^

As he made this declaration, Olmen activated his [Regalia] and prepared to march.

[Till the world burns.]