Chapter 107 : Chapter 107

Chapter 107: The Road Ahead Will Be Long (7)

* * *

Having entered the Solari Order, Callence swiftly began to seize control of the interior.

His direct subordinates, already familiar with the order’s internal structure in preparation for the magic formation’s collapse, moved efficiently.

“Minimize internal search teams and reinforce the guards at every entrance. Don’t let a single rat slip through.”

“Yes, my lord!”

The soldiers moved briskly.

These were men who had fought alongside Callence in countless battles, large and small.

A mere glance was enough for them to understand their commander’s intent.

“The Litania Solari Order.”

Callence surveyed the surroundings. Despite achieving his long-awaited goal of infiltrating the order, his face showed no particular emotion.

‘It’s not over yet.’

He narrowed his eyes, suppressed emotions flickering like ash in his pupils.

“My lord!”

A soldier ran from the direction of the main hall and knelt on one knee before Callence.

“All the Solari priests are gathered in the main hall’s courtyard!”

“Just the Solari scum?”

“We’re still identifying them, but they’ve all expressed intent to surrender…”

One of Callence’s eyebrows arched.

Surrender?

An officer trailing a few steps behind sneered.

“Despite Lady Adeline’s lavish support, they flip over and show their bellies so quickly. Typical of these academic types.”

Callence rubbed his chin without turning around.

He had assumed the order’s defenses were mere rabble.

The Solari martial priests had been an unexpected thorn.

Without their tenacious resistance, he might have dismantled the magic formation on his own.

“Did we confirm the retreat of the martial priests who raided our camp this morning?”

“No. They were likely surrounded by our forces elsewhere after the formation collapsed.”

Callence didn’t believe Adeline and Roland were the type to surrender so easily.

They were surely hiding something.

‘If there are no martial priests inside, there’s little to worry about.’

Callence set his musings aside.

“Lead the way.”

Callence and his officers followed the soldier.

Soon, the Solari priests kneeling in the main hall’s courtyard came into view.

“This is Abbot Moras.”

The soldier grabbed Moras by the scruff of his neck and flung him before Callence.

Tripping over a stone and falling, Moras immediately glared back at the priests behind him.

“Damn it! How many times did I tell you to clear these stones! Who’s responsible for this mess of a courtyard?!”

Seeing the solemn priests, Moras belatedly regained his composure. Right, not the time.

“Moras. Quite relaxed, aren’t you?”

“N-Not exactly…”

Callence crouched down to meet Moras’s eye level.

He grabbed Moras’s lush white beard and slowly pulled it toward himself.

“Hnngh…”

“Whether you scum surrender or not, I don’t care. Just tell me where the lady and Roland are.”

“Urk… It hurts…”

Callence smirked, glancing around the order as if sightseeing.

“Don’t try anything clever. Your cooperation could determine whether this order continues to exist.”

“…”

“What, thought I’d bargain for your miserable lives?”

Moras’s eyes darted anxiously.

His intentions were exposed.

Roland’s goal had been to buy time for Lady Adeline to escape.

Moras had rallied the priests, willing to sacrifice their lives to repay Adeline for sheltering them.

He didn’t care about his life.

They had already braced for purge and ruin if the Archduke took power.

But Callence was now discussing the survival of the Litania Solari Order—implying he might tolerate the Conwell branch’s existence.

The Conwell branch was Solari’s only pioneer outpost, the cornerstone for spreading Elzerus’s name across the kingdom.

‘…’

Coincidentally, few knew that Adeline was absent due to dealings with the Gunbel Trading Company. Moras was one of them.

His loyalty to Adeline began to waver, tipping slightly toward the order’s prosperity.

“My lord!”

A soldier rushed from the eastern annex.

“We’ve found Roland!”

A strange smile spread across Callence and his guards’ faces.

Quickly suppressing it, Callence looked down at Moras.

“Not bad. Your resolve and integrity are somewhat impressive.”

“…”

“There’s no better tool than religion for quelling rebellion.”

Moras, head bowed, widened his eyes.

Callence turned toward the eastern annex, tapping his temple with his index finger.

“Think hard about why I’m keeping you alive until I return.”

* * *

The underground prayer chamber of the eastern annex.

Its ceiling was so high even several Balroks couldn’t reach it, and the space was vast enough to hold all of Callence’s soldiers with room to spare.

Even his guards couldn’t hide their awe as they entered.

The reddish marble covering the front evoked the atmosphere of an underground temple.

“Finally, we meet, Former Governor.”

Callence’s voice echoed.

His guards, momentarily distracted, straightened their gazes.

“Archduke.”

Roland answered as if he’d been waiting, standing at the center of the chamber.

Henry and Ayan flanked him, while behind them, a smaller group of Kingdom refugees compared to the Imperial exiles in the western annex huddled together.

“Adeline’s nowhere to be seen.”

Callence’s group approached, their footsteps resounding heavily through the chamber.

“She left long ago. Sorry for making you come all this way.”

“…Roland. Let’s end this.”

“End what?”

“It’s over.”

Callence slapped his thigh nonchalantly, feigning boredom.

“It’s been decided who Conwell’s true master is. Any more is a pointless fight.”

He paused, glaring at the refugees behind Roland, his brow furrowing theatrically.

“Pathetic, just pathetic. Roland, what are you doing? You, who once managed Conwell’s affairs, intend to cling to stubbornness even with the land in this state? Or is it that you can’t control your late-life lust for power? How ugly.”

“Hah! That’s rich, coming from you. Lust for power? Haha! I didn’t know the Archduke had a sense of humor until today.”

“We’re not here to exchange pleasantries, so let’s cut it short. Where’s Adeline?”

Henry and Ayan flinched involuntarily.

Callence’s words felt like a final warning.

“No idea where she went.”

Roland replied glibly.

A tense silence gripped the room.

Swish!

Roland unfurled a scroll from his chest—the Previous Lord’s will.

“Recognize this?”

“Hm. I’ve seen it a few times.”

“After today, more lords will receive this will. Your leisure won’t last long. Every time something happens to me or the lady, its reach expands. So far, it’s gone to lords friendly with Conwell, but from now on, it’ll reach those eyeing Conwell with hostility.”

Callence’s lips twisted, his head tilting.

“Feeding a pack of jackals with a cause, huh? How unfortunate. Why stoop so low?”

“Says the man I’d rather die than see rule Conwell.”

“Even so, how will you face our father in the heavens?”

“Shut up, you filthy traitor!”

Roland’s shout coincided with a metallic clang.

Callence’s guards drew their swords in unison.

Harsh breaths followed the clamor as the refugees behind Roland staggered back.

The echoes of the noise seeped into the chamber’s corners, fading into silence.

“Didn’t you kill him?”

A calm voice rang out.

Callence raised one corner of his mouth.

“You bastard! Callence! If you’re human…!”

“Age gracefully. Your tongue’s getting fouler. I’ve listened patiently, so I’ve shown the Former Governor due respect.”

Callence gestured toward Roland with his chin.

Thud—

Balrok took a step forward, the sound filling the chamber.

Thud—

“Kyaaa!”

Panic spread like wildfire.

Even Roland wasn’t spared.

“Master!”

Henry and Ayan stepped forward to shield him.

Behind his disciples, Roland closed his eyes, quietly reflecting on his life, hoping in this moment to be a true sage.

Then—

Balrok stopped abruptly.

“…”

Facing Roland, he slowly turned his head.

“Coming.”

“Hm?”

Callence raised an eyebrow, turning instinctively.

A chill surged through his body.

Splatter—!

Sticky blood hit Callence’s face.

It was surely from one of his men, but he couldn’t tell who.

It happened too fast.

Splatter—!

Faster than comprehension.

When he opened his eyes, two officers behind him were collapsing limply.

“Bihen Benkou.”

Callence muttered softly, almost unconsciously.

Only a seasoned warrior like him could remain standing.

An ordinary man would’ve collapsed.

“Finally showing your face, Callence.”

Bihen had taken down two of the five men grouped behind and was charging through the gap.

The black blade of Zahara Toxeed darkened Callence’s vision.

BOOM!

A deafening roar snapped Callence’s dazed mind awake.

Balrok had charged like a bull, intercepting Bihen.

“What the…!”

Bihen’s body flew back from the massive shockwave.

Barely maintaining balance, he scratched his temple with the hilt of his dagger.

“Callence, your taste is vile. Why do you like these hulks so much? Birds of a feather?”

He was including Draven in that jab.

Astonishingly, Callence understood.

“You even took down Draven?”

“…Almost.”

Bihen pressed his thumb to clear the blood pooling in his nose.

“Thanks to my friends.”

He charged again.

‘The target’s that hulk.’

Ignoring Callence and the other three, Bihen focused on Balrok.

The thought that this giant was the final enemy reignited his dwindling stamina and resolve.

Clang! Clang! KA-BOOM!

After a flurry of strikes, Bihen stepped back, a dry laugh escaping him.

“Hah.”

Balrok lowered his arms, raised like shields.

His yellow eyes gleamed through the haze of smoke.

“No effect.”

Bihen’s face contorted.

‘Now what…?’

Impervious to blades?

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