Endless Debt-Chapter 861 - 12: Schism and Preparations for War (Part 2)

"At that time, the Second Seat was cooperating with Austin outside the Pillar of Royal Authority, imprisoning everyone inside the Pillar of Royal Authority."

Church recalled what he saw and heard in the Kagader Empire.

After the Blood Night, the King's Secret Sword carried out a massive purge of related personnel, almost completely erasing that past, yet no matter how much effort they put in, what had happened had happened; there would always be some remnants left behind.

"The King's Secret Sword began to split from that time."

Church's words shocked Ivan; he did not expect the split could be traced back so far.

"The Second Seat, following Austin's orders, initiated the Blood Night. He activated the Void Realm of the Pillar of Royal Authority, isolating outsiders. While Austin was frantically slaughtering, the First Seat was launching a fierce attack on the Void Realm, trying to stop it all."

Ivan said, "Did the King's Secret Sword split into two factions from that time?"

"Yes, the opposition between the Second Seat and the First Seat, one supporting the Blood Night, the other trying to stop it."

Mentioning these caused Church a headache, "I have been continuously investigating the truth behind the Blood Night. Many things outside the Pillar of Royal Authority can be dug up, but what's inside the Pillar of Royal Authority, I've found nothing, and as for the truth of the Blood Night, no one knows."

"No matter how you look at it, it's hard to understand the actions of the King of Slaughter, and even harder to comprehend how he convinced the Second Seat..."

"It's quite normal; on that night within the Pillar of Royal Authority, only two people survived. One still sits on the throne, the other... He remains in the Order Bureau, but unfortunately, he is already dead."

Ivan thought of other participants of the Blood Night, "What about the others? At least the Second Seat and his accomplices should know the detailed plan of the Blood Night, did they all die?"

"That's what I'm about to explain."

Bad memories floated in Church's mind, "After the Blood Night, Xilin was the sole survivor of the massacre. Before the First Seat broke the Void Realm, the Second Seat, along with supporting Secret Swords, escorted Xilin out of the Pillar of Royal Authority."

"As we know, after the Blood Night, Xilin left the Pillar of Royal Authority and never returned. Years later, under the tutelage of the Second Seat, he became the Overlord Xilin we are familiar with."

Church remembered a face covered in bloodstains, quietly pleading for mercy, while he mercilessly inflicted pain on it until it divulged the needed information.

"The Blood Night was a turning point. From that time onwards, the King's Secret Sword was nominally united but had substantively split into two factions. One faction, led by the First Seat, entrenched near the Pillar of Royal Authority, guarding the King of Slaughter. The other faction, led by the Second Seat, took Xilin to the border, far from the Pillar of Royal Authority, confronting the First Seat."

Ivan asked, "What caused their split?"

Church thought long and hard and concluded, "Royal power."

"The First Seat is loyal to the King of Slaughter, while the Second Seat supports Xilin, with both factions confronting and gaming against each other."

Listening to Church, Ivan noticed an inconsistency; he was baffled.

"The Blood Night was initiated by the King of Slaughter; he was clearly cooperating with the Second Seat, yet after it ended, he aligned himself with the First Seat..."

Ivan could hardly fathom the entanglements; he knew that after the Blood Night, the King of Slaughter had repeatedly tried to summon back Xilin, like a loving father, yet they all knew, during the Blood Night, Xilin nearly died by his sword, further considering the responses from the First Seat and the Second Seat.

The King of Slaughter's actions seemed almost like a split personality, acting entirely by different personas.

"I don't know; it should be related to the inner circumstances of the Blood Night..."

Church's breath halted; he stared intently into Ivan's eyes, a peculiar atmosphere rising between them.

"Did you have a thought?"

Momentarily, Ivan didn't comprehend Church's words, but soon he grasped the deeper meaning beneath Church's speech.

"I just thought of it," Ivan said. "If they were involved, then no matter how bizarre this matter is, it's not surprising."

The Devil.

No need for guesses; Ivan was certain the Devil was involved in this sinister and bloody incident. Those mad beings would never miss such a revelry.

Behind every significant historical event, there are shadows of the Devil, traversing historical junctures like phantoms, disrupting the world's progression.

If the Devil instigated behind the Blood Night, then everything becomes rational.

"After the Blood Night, the King's Secret Sword couldn't be considered genuinely divided, just different factions.

The King of Slaughter resides in the palace, with all powers delegated to the First Seat, who assumes complete responsibility for operating the King's Secret Sword, while the Second Seat amasses his forces, antagonizing the First Seat. With external pressures, they won't entirely fall out."

Church continued, "Although both the Second Seat and the First Seat are Seekers of Glory, the overall strength between the factions differs significantly, not to mention the direct support the First Seat receives from the King of Slaughter.

From the intelligence I gathered, in the years following the Blood Night, the First Seat conducted multiple secret offensives targeting the Second Seat."

"Trying to kill the Second Seat?" Ivan said, "From the First Seat's perspective, the Second Seat is nothing less than a traitor."

"An internal war among Seekers of Glory? That's too crazy," Church shook his head, "If a Seeker of Glory level inner war occurs within the King's Secret Sword, they are well aware that the Order Bureau would not miss this opportunity."

```