[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing":3,"chapter-the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-chapter-130":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Holy Church Begins with Bestowal of Blessings",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1688803,2156,"Chapter 130 : Their Hands Were Steady","the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-chapter-130",130,"\u003Cp>Chapter 130: Their Hands Were Steady\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At night, under the White Star, a blazing fire ignited in a nearby village, turning the night sky crimson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knight Borien was dispatched to lead these conscripted militia and church personnel into the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And when he arrived, he saw Priest Nyx standing beneath the Lord’s Throne, reciting the Holy Scriptures in a hoarse voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Temple Warriors stood at the four corners of the Lord’s Throne, guarding it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three Monks stood nearby, softly following in chant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside of these church members, concentric circles of conscripted militia sat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their expressions were calm, seated on the ground, their eyes focused intently on the chanting Priest Nyx.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knight Borien found it odd. He had originally thought he would need to kill a few deranged individuals to calm the militia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Borien had contact with the lord, although the details were not something to be spoken aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And later, in dealings with Corleon, he had faintly sensed the closeness between the church and the lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when the local gentry rejected or even opposed the church, he firmly insisted that his family remain neutral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Borien had once become a knight. Though not the head of the family, he still held influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially now, as he had a somewhat ambiguous relationship with the matron of the family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, the matron even became pregnant again, seven years after her husband’s death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So his family took his advice and remained neutral. Amid later turmoil, they behaved obediently and thus were fortunate to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, after the massacres and shifts, his family’s status among the gentry families of the territory had instead risen to mid-tier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they were even admitted into the loose alliance of Southern Gentry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, when Wolf needed to bolster his forces, he conscripted Borien as a knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it was merely an Honorary Knight without a fief, an Honorary Knight was still a knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Borien readily accepted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And because Borien had once claimed to have a good relationship with the church’s bishop, Wolf conveniently assigned all church dealings to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chanting of Priest Nyx ceased as he looked at Knight Borien on horseback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, hundreds of eyes from the conscripted militia turned his way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That eerie calm in their gaze sent a chill down Borien’s spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Knight Borien.\" Nyx greeted Borien with some fatigue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ahem, Priest Nyx, the village ahead has been taken. Knight Wolf sent me to bring you there.\" Borien coughed to cover his unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It has been taken already? Such brave warriors.\" Nyx offered a word of praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then, let us go to the village. There are still matters to handle there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I imagine the wounded warriors also need bandages and potions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Nyx finished speaking, the conscripted militia rustled to their feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not in orderly fashion—quite chaotic—but it unsettled Borien, leaving him uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nudged his warhorse closer to Nyx.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Priest, did something happen?\" Borien asked in a low voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nyx’s tired eyes looked at Borien and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, nothing happened. Everyone simply came to understand the meaning of battle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Borien was at a loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meaning of battle?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t the meaning of battle Honor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At most, some reward added on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he didn’t probe further. After all, it was the church—such talk was understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group entered the village still ablaze with flames. Hundreds of children, women, and the elderly were gathered in the village center, screaming and howling in fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cavalry surrounded them, towering overhead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swords in hand, spears on the horses—still dripping blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the firelight, it was like a hellish painting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nyx, you look exhausted.\" Wolf said as Nyx approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I performed a Blessing for them.\" Nyx said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You can use Blessings of such scale now?\" Wolf was surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nyx shook his head, saying no more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait, your neck—is that an injury?\" Wolf sat upright, one hand on the Erebos at his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did they do it?\" he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t worry, it’s just a minor wound.\" Nyx was unwilling to elaborate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have done what the church ought to do. In the next battle, let them fight first. If they meet your needs, I hope we can stop this village-slaughtering.\" Nyx said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knight Wolf squinted at Nyx, then turned to the conscripted militia, already ordered to form ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were to line up in rows of five, each pulling two people from the crowd to kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the militia’s expressions barely changed. They quietly approached, dragged out a person, and killed them with their weapons despite pleas for mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their actions were still a bit clumsy, but lacked previous hesitation or madness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their hands were steady. If they didn’t kill or sever the neck in one strike, they quickly drew their weapons again for a second blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they struck, they quietly recited a line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knight Wolf’s physique allowed him to faintly hear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pitiful brother, bound by sin, I will help you swiftly be freed from this sin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knight Wolf withdrew his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine.\" he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If in the next battle they gain my approval, I’ll leave all prisoners to the priests afterward.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I hope those prisoners will not resist us—better yet, help me deal with Sir Youn.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But my strategy is blitz warfare. I will not permit prisoners. So you only have one night after the battle ends.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nyx looked at Wolf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How long do you intend to ravage here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s already been three days. No matter how slow their response, they should be moving now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knight Wolf spoke indifferently, \"I’ve set up defenses at the edge of the territory. Piero is constantly conscripting troops to fill the front lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if they react now and attack the York Territory, they won’t breach it anytime soon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They won’t allow Sir Youn to pull troops from the Allied Forces at this time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That would cause the already loosely held alliance to fall apart.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So all we’ll face are the half of the warriors left in the territory.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If that’s the case, and your actions are effective enough, maybe I’ll attempt to attack Sir Youn’s fortress.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nyx shook his head, saying, \"Sir Youn possesses the Holy Relic Hunting Fang. Such a Precious Material he wouldn’t take to the Allied Forces.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knight Wolf patted the short sword at his waist. \"Then let’s have a go and see if his Hunting Fang can withstand my Erebos.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are confident, but what about the warriors? The clash of Holy Relics isn’t something they can withstand.\" Nyx said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is war, Nyx. Lives are merely numbers to achieve final victory.\" Knight Wolf said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As long as we win the final victory, then everything will have been worth it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1113,"2026-06-06T13:52:13.932Z",1,"novelbin.me","4e93e3eac2ecbd47f5218600a5c98d7348c79fb84778d1539dd28f53671fee40","the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-chapter-131","the-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-chapter-129",373,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-holy-church-begins-with-bestowal-of-blessing-cover.jpg"]