It took Aurelia a while to peel off his arm; however, Cedric wouldn't complain. A promise was a promise after all.
He put on his armor once again before finally sliding the helmet back on.
His gaze turned to Aurelia, who wore a satisfied look.
"Thank you so much! I really needed to cuddle up to you like that! I feel so good now!" Aurelia shouted proudly.
Cedric chuckled, "I really started to find you adorable, you know?"
With those words, he made his way out, leaving stunned Aurelia behind.
While she had a duty to denounce the church, his mission was much simpler.
Purge the Cardinals.
'Aurelia already dealt with one.' He nodded, from what he understood, that should leave 11 cardinals to purge.
He slowly made his way towards The Golden Cup, a place named very worldly and yet only second to the palace in the number of Christians that gathered.
The Innkeeper Anna was a very interesting person, and he wished to learn more about her, more specifically about her way of fighting.
According to Aurelia, when they were in the Cathedral, Anna was able to eliminate many of the Paladins, which was rather impressive for someone who looked so old and frail.
Not only did she look unimpressive, but she was also rather low-level, even if she was higher than the people surrounding her.
The city was gripped in panic; however, that was good news for Christianity.
The chaotic aftermath of an attack was the perfect time to undermine the Church and finally remove it from the play.
He easily slid past the masses of people rushing as he approached the Golden Cup entrance.
He pushed against the doors, gently opening them.
The bell above his head rang as the attention of the inkeeper was focused on the entrance, on Cedric.
"Isn't it our hero, welcome, welcome!" Anna spoke chipperly as she made her way towards Cedric.
"Good to see you are in good health, Anna." Cedric nodded as he was dragged by Anna towards an empty table.
"What do I owe the honor of having the King visit my little inn?" Anna smirked as she made a slight bow.
"I had questions for you," Cedric stated, his seriousness forcing Anna to straighten up.
She raised a brow, "Oh?"
She slowly pulled out a chair and sat down at the opposite side of the table.
"My employees can handle the inn, please ask away." She smiled as she leaned forward.
"Tell me, who are you? Aurelia told me you were able to handle many of the Paladins, and yet your level is merely in the 20s. Decently powerful for normal human standards, but nothing that would allow you to fight with force." He leaned forward, leaning against his hands.
"Which means you either have a special weapon or you are knowledgeable in the martial arts. The weapon we can cross out, as you did not have it on you."
Anna chuckled in amusement.
"You are incredibly perceptive. I can see why Aurelia is so smitten by you." Anna sighed for a moment as she leaned back. "You are correct, I am the last grandmaster of the Death Fist Martial Art."
Cedric tilted his head.
The name 'Death Fist' was rather ominous.
Cedric raised his brow in curiosity, "Death Fist? Sounds dangerous. Tell me more."
Anna was hesitant, but after a minute of deliberation, she spoke, "In short, it's the art of channeling vibration through a weak point. It is incredibly powerful, allowing me to beat almost all Paladins except most elite ones."
Cedric brought his hand up to his chin before scratching the bottom of his helmet. "Where did you learn it?"
Anna's face saddened, "It was Natura's Druid Grove near Valar."
"I guess the Church had destroyed it? Considering your reaction." Cedric spoke bluntly, his gaze analyzing Anna.
Despite believing she wouldn't lie, it would be foolish not to consider the possibility of deceit, despite Anna being a Christian.
She nodded, "While I was away on a mission, everyone was slaughtered... The Elite Paladins made their way inside and killed everyone, burning the grove to the ground." A tear welled up in her eye.
Cedric leaned back, "So you were a follower of Natura? However, you quickly changed to the true faith. Why?"
"Natura is a sweet girl, but she isn't capable of protecting us anymore... Chrunus is too powerful. Last time I communed with her, she wasn't the innocent girl like I knew her as; she seemed to be on the verge of breaking." She stopped for a moment, "However, God promises safety beyond anything Chrunus or any other gods could do."
Cedric nodded. This confirmed that the gods truly weren't unified, but were actually antagonistic to each other.
If he played his hand right, the gods would purge each other without him doing much.
His [Divine Zeal] flared for a moment; the excitement at the prospect of slaughtering all the false gods was truly wonderful.
Anna quickly picked up on this, she leaned forward and grabbed his hand, "I know you are powerful... But do not blame Natura or other gods for the actions of Chrunus. Natura is a truly wonderful girl." She pleaded; she could sense the unfathomable power of this man; at the moment, the air was filled with the holy energy.
He felt many times more powerful than Natura, despite Anna not being able to sense the extent it went.
She was a mortal pleading for a goddess; it was funny in a way.
"Anna, they are all the same. Demons pretending to be gods." He spoke sternly.
Anna shook her head dismissively, "Please, give them a chance, only Chrunus is an unforgivable existence... I am sure you will come to understand it if you ever meet the goddess of Nature."
Cedric crossed his arms as he plunged into thought, "You are proposing to let the false gods prove themselves useful?"
"Yes." Anna nodded.
Cedric placed his arms on the table and leaned against his fists, the way Anna thought reminded him of Sophia.
However, there was a crucial difference: Sophia was an Angel and so knew better than even him. Anna, on the other hand, was a human, but a new Christian at the same time.
He wished to extend courtesy to the second-ever Christian in this world.
"As much as I dislike that, I will allow it. However, if that beloved goddess of yours stands in the way of one true God, then she, too, will die. Do you understand?" He spoke sternly, his tone commanding respect.
"I understand. Thank you." She smiled.
"Good, later on I will ask more about your martial art." He smiled as he closed his eyes.
The silence reigned for a moment before Anna decided to break the silence, "Can I get you anyt-"
"HEAR YE! HEAR YE!" The Cryer shouted, "The Queen is making a proclamation, everyone gather at the palace!" The bell rang.
Anna stared with a dumbfounded look.
"I guess it's time. I will head to the Palace, you should hear what she will say too." Cedric smiled as he rose from his seat before quickly making his way out.
Anna nodded as she walked to the back.
This proclamation would change the very structure of Valar.