For example, the vast, frozen northern tundras and deep mountain ranges of the Rosenia Kingdom, or even more remote and desolate overseas islands.

Back then, Wizard Organizations were truly secret societies. Their members relied on obscure codes and blood oaths to stay connected. Every gathering risked being uprooted by the Church Court, living precariously, making it difficult to pass on their traditions.

However, as the faith of Oriane became the mainstream on the Continent, the Church Court’s power swelled. Internally, irreconcilable divisions and struggles arose over the right to interpret doctrine, control over various dioceses, and the distribution of growing secular wealth and power.

To gain an advantage in these internal conflicts, influential figures in certain factions began to look toward the forces they had once denounced as "Heresy."

Whether to eliminate rivals, acquire resources from ancient ruins, or simply to obtain the unsavory methods that only "Heresy" could provide, they began to secretly contact, use, and even covertly support the surviving Wizard groups.

They offered a degree of protection in exchange for knowledge, services, or for Wizards to act as sharp blades against their political enemies.

Ultimately, they were nursing a tiger that would come back to bite them. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

The Wizards used this to gain a moment of respite and an opportunity to once again access the Continent’s resources.

About four hundred years ago, the conflict erupted completely.

Centered on major issues such as the core interpretation of doctrine, the status of the Holy City, and policies regarding the conversion of the Northern Barbarians, an unprecedentedly fierce conflict broke out within the Church Court, ultimately leading to the "Great Schism" that shook the Continent.

The once-unified Church Court was torn into two major factions: the "Truth Church Court," centered on the traditional Holy City and emphasizing the supremacy of ecclesiastic authority and ancient law.

And the "Northern Shepherd Chief District," backed by powerful northern kingdoms like Rosenia and advocating for greater secular royal power and flexible missionary strategies.

Because the schism consumed most of the Church Court’s energy and resources, the intensity of their joint suppression and purges of "Heresy" dropped sharply.

And this gave the Wizard Organizations the developmental space they had dreamed of.

Like creeping vines, they took the opportunity to spread out from the shadows and Desolate Lands once more.

Some organizations chose to continue their secret cooperative relationships with one of the post-schism Church Court factions.

Others took advantage of the conflict between the two factions, playing both sides.

The Tower of Secret Silver was the most successful and daring example among them.

They astutely seized upon the unique environment in the Castile Kingdom—where the royal authority and local noble houses were strong, but the Church Court’s influence was relatively weak. In a semi-public manner, they deeply integrated with the local nobility, even having High-Tier Wizards directly acquire noble titles and fiefdoms, like Marquis Alonso.

This method granted them an unprecedented degree of freedom in Castile, to the point that they could openly train and dispatch Official Wizards for diplomatic missions.

It’s not that the Church Court hadn’t thought of reining them in.

After all, moving from the shadows into the open represented a completely different situation.

But as mentioned before, due to the internal attrition from the schism, the checks and balances from various kingdoms, and a host of other complex reasons—coupled with the fact that the Tower of Secret Silver had already become an established power in Castile—the Church Court was forced to tacitly accept the status quo.

By contrast, the Eye of the Profound represents another model.

They are more focused on knowledge and observation, keeping their distance from secular power.

They chose to put down roots deep within the vast, boundless territory of the Rosenia Kingdom.

This region has permafrost, scarce habitable land, and a scattered population, making the cost of governance high and, as a result, the Church Court’s power weak.

They might also possess the power of Official Wizards, but they are more inclined toward clandestine observation rather than direct intervention in the Continent’s political games.

This is exemplified by the fact they usually only dispatch Observers like Selas to exchange intelligence, and have absolutely no intention of doing anything more.

PHEW!

Murphy slowly let out a breath.

The power vacuum and continuous internal strife brought about by the Church Court’s schism were the reasons the Wizard Organizations were able to recover and grow stronger.

And now, organizations like the Tower of Secret Silver were clearly no longer content with being confined to a corner of the world or operating in secret.

They were no longer Heresy that needed to hide, but players attempting to step onto the main stage and participate in setting the rules.

’Players?’

Murphy scoffed inwardly.

’They’re just a pack of hyenas chasing power and profit, trying to tear apart and shatter the fragile balance that has been maintained for hundreds of years, all for the sake of their own ambitions.’

’But even hyenas have power, and they can certainly hurt you.’

’To avoid being hurt by them, I must possess even greater power...’

At this thought, Murphy stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, it was pitch black, with only a few scattered points of light. It was impossible to tell if they were the lamps of a distant village or cold stars in the sky.

The night on the border was silent and deep.

He didn’t linger. He turned, and with steady steps, walked out the door and melted into the night.