The Phoenix Project

The ‘custodial’ service provided by the royal family was formally known as the ‘Feudal Wardship System’. The ‘Royal Patronage System’ and the ‘Feudal Wardship System’ were, without a doubt, overt strategies employed by the Crown to weaken local powers and consolidate central authority. These two systems had been in place for a century, and naturally, many ‘clever’ nobles had risen in defiance during that time. Yet, as time flowed on, the royal family successfully tamed the unruly aristocracy. Today, the nobles of the Royal Capital had long grown accustomed to their sheltered existence. They proudly believed that, compared to the Capital, all other cities were mere villages, and any noble residing outside its walls was an unsophisticated bumpkin.

Their pride, it must be said, was not entirely unfounded. The Royal Capital, Lucien, was the largest, most populous, most economically prosperous, and culturally advanced metropolis in the entire world. Should the ‘barbarians’ of the neighboring empire, still enthralled by knightly tournaments, ever set foot in this colossal city, they would likely exclaim in awe—

“This must be the work of a god!”

The Royal Capital could cater to a person’s every need from birth to death; its nobles could reside there until the seas ran dry and the rocks crumbled, never once growing bored. Nobles from outlying regions yearned for the Capital’s splendor, striving desperately to gain entry into its aristocratic circles. Even though they knew full well the Capital was a gilded cage for nobles, they longed to enter that paradisiacal prison!

The Border Earl’s family served as a prime example. As the sole Border Earl of the Kingdom of Lorraine, Friedrich von Stern’s position was one of exceptional favor and influence. Yet, despite enjoying such high honors, the Stern family was still regarded by the Capital’s nobles as country bumpkins and parvenus. As outsiders, the Sterns had no foundation in the Capital and were utterly isolated. Serving a monarch was akin to taming a tiger. Who could say when the capricious, senile old king might suddenly turn hostile? The Border Earl’s power was meager; if the royal family decided to make an example of the Sterns, he would have no means of resistance.

This was precisely why he sought a marriage alliance. Only by entering the inner circle of the Capital’s nobility could the Border Earl gain the privilege of an audience with the king at any time. This would ensure he wouldn’t fear petty individuals sowing discord and inciting the king’s suspicion against him.

Bernard de Laval, though merely a viscount, was an integral part of the Royal Capital’s noble circles. His political standing far surpassed that of ordinary earls who remained confined to their own fiefdoms. Such a distinguished noble, however, was not blinded by his aristocratic status. He had discerned the true nature of the courtly nobles and, anticipating the Laval family’s decline, had made arrangements in advance, attempting to facilitate his son’s escape from the Capital. Bernard was a rare intellect among the aristocracy.

At this moment, Archbishop Lucien suddenly recalled the letter Bernard had sent him—

In the letter, Bernard had most humbly detailed the origins and circumstances of his son’s divine revelation. As a devout believer, he had implored Archbishop Lucien to spare a moment to meet his son, to ascertain whether the boy had indeed received a divine revelation. The letter was penned with earnest sincerity, yet Archbishop Lucien, reading between the lines, had perceived Bernard’s fervent conviction and underlying pride. Evidently, Bernard held an unwavering belief in his son’s divine revelation. More accurately, the letter seemed an olive branch extended by Allen de Laval to the Church, albeit through his father’s hand.

This was truly intriguing.

‘What could Allen de Laval’s true motive be for seeking contact with the Church?’ ‘Could Allen de Laval possess vital information he wished to convey?’

Archbishop Lucien closed his eyes, lost in contemplation. He had a faint inkling of the truth, yet he could not yet confirm its veracity.

“What has Allen de Laval been doing today?” Lucien asked, turning to Victor.

Victor hastily produced an unopened sealed letter. “This is a report from Sister Anna, The Observer… I haven’t had a chance to open it yet.”

He unfolded the parchment and read aloud, with an almost exaggerated earnestness: “The food at the Laval household is so delicious!”

A profound silence descended upon the council hall. Then, a few suppressed snickers broke the stillness. Several bishops quickly covered their mouths, and even Archbishop Leon couldn’t help but shake his head, stifling a smile. The solemn atmosphere of the meeting was instantly shattered by this ‘foodie report’.

Victor’s face flushed with embarrassment. “Your Grace, this—”

Archbishop Lucien, upon hearing the ludicrous report, merely fixed his piercing gaze upon everyone present.

“Just how much of the Church’s food budget… has been embezzled?”

At his words, everyone in the room froze. A single glance revealed a world of insight. Through that brief sentence alone, Lucien had seen clearly the myriad irregularities plaguing the Church’s internal affairs. He slowly rose, pacing with his hands clasped behind his back, each step seeming to press upon the hearts of those assembled.

“We are servants of the Lord, and we are also humanity’s vanguard! We bear the mission of perpetuating human civilization; a single misstep could lead to utter defeat! Yet, in such desperate circumstances, some among us have forgotten our initial ideals! Illegitimate children, corruption, illicit activities, indulgence in personal desires… Do you truly believe I am unaware of your actions? Many transgressions, I might have overlooked, but the end of days is upon us…”

Archbishop Lucien’s gaze swept over the assembly, finally settling on the Grand Master of the Inquisition, his voice abruptly rising in volume.

“Guillaume Saint-Clair!”

“Present, Your Grace!”

“Issue a proclamation to the entire Church! Effective today, we shall undertake a thorough rectification of discipline! Those guilty of corruption or dereliction of duty who surrender themselves before the day after tomorrow may receive leniency. After that… they shall be dealt with as appropriate, dismissed as necessary! There will be no upper limit to who is affected!”

Archbishop Lucien’s wrath caused the very air to tremble.

“By your command!” the Grand Master replied, accepting his orders with solemnity.

“Does anyone have further questions regarding this? If so, voice them now.”

Archbishop Lucien adopted a milder tone, yet his sharp gaze rendered everyone silent and fearful, prompting them to declare their unanimous support.

“No problems! We all support you, Your Grace!”

Archbishop Leon, having conferred with the southern representatives, solemnly promised Archbishop Lucien that the southern ecclesiastical province would undertake a synchronous rectification. Archbishop Lucien was satisfied with the outcome of his display of authority. He nodded and returned to his seat at the head of the table.

“What is Livia von Stern’s current situation?”

Victor replied, “With the sea raiders invading the kingdom, she has already departed with the Border Earl for the campaign.”

“Send someone to follow her. I want her battlefield reports.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

As the meeting progressed, the contours of the Laval case grew clearer, and the figure of Allen, at the heart of the storm, became increasingly enigmatic.

Just as Victor was preparing to move to the second agenda item, an intelligence officer burst into the hall, ignoring all attempts to stop them!

“Your Grace! Urgent dispatch from the Holy Land! It’s critically important!”

The intelligence officer, braving the Archbishop’s murderous glare, nervously handed over the document. Archbishop Lucien unfolded it and read; his pupils constricted sharply, and his former air of authority vanished completely. He gasped in disbelief. “This… how can this be possible!”

For the usually composed Archbishop Lucien to be so profoundly shaken, everyone exchanged bewildered glances. ‘What could possibly have happened at the Holy Land?’

Archbishop Lucien abruptly looked up at the intelligence officer. “Has this information been confirmed?!”

“Absolutely true! The Holy Land has plunged into chaos! Mobile units tasked with defending against the ‘Star Listener’ are rushing to provide emergency aid!” The intelligence officer’s voice trembled.

“Immediately sound the Level One alert! All mobile units are to enter active duty to prevent a counterattack by heretics!”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

“Level One alert…” Archbishop Leon realized the situation was far graver than he had imagined. He urgently questioned, “Albert, what has happened at the Holy Land?”

Archbishop Lucien waved the intelligence officer away, then took several deep breaths, as if struggling to process the horrifying information. After a moment, he finally announced, his voice heavy with extreme gravity:

“Our secret… has been discovered by ‘It’.”

“What?!”

A wave of horror swept through the room! Archbishop Leon seemed to realize something; his usually benevolent face now contorted in a stark change of expression. “Albert, the Ark Project… has something gone wrong?!”

Lucien did not answer immediately. He rubbed his temples, trying to alleviate the throbbing agony in his head. Everyone watched him with grave concern, their expressions varied. After a long pause, he finally reverted to his usual composed tone. “Confidentiality protocols,” he stated.

Archbishop Leon stared intensely at him. “Albert, even now, are you still clinging to your rules?”

“Without rules, nothing can be accomplished.”

“Do you believe you can shoulder the burden of the Church, and humanity, alone? Albert, what makes you so arrogant?”

Archbishop Leon’s benevolent face was replaced by an expression of stern interrogation. Archbishop Lucien remained silent for a moment, ultimately conceding. He sighed. “All information stored in the Holy Land’s database has turned into corrupted code. Those crucial technologies, the blueprints for building the Ark… they can no longer be accessed.”

No one expressed further surprise; they had become completely numb. Archbishop Leon, unwilling to believe this dreadful news, sought a sliver of reassurance.

“Could our system be faulty? Can the data be recovered?”

Archbishop Lucien shook his head, his voice grave. “The technicians have confirmed it’s not a system issue. All the data is irrecoverable. They attempted to decipher a portion of the corrupted code. After conversion, these garbled characters formed a single sentence. This sentence originated from the oldest database. Can you guess what it said?”

“What did it say?” everyone asked, holding their breath.

“‘Big bro is watching you.'”

At these words, everyone felt an immediate chill of horror.

“Could it truly be ‘It’?”

Archbishop Leon clutched desperately at this last straw of hope, asking in a panicked voice:

“What about the physical archives? Surely they’re still intact?”

Archbishop Lucien shook his head, his voice filled with sorrow. “All the physical archives have turned into blank pages.”

Physical archives all turned to blank paper!? Those countless records, they weighed tens of thousands of tons! Such an eerie occurrence simply defied all scientific explanation! At this juncture, no one could deny that ‘It’ had taken notice of humanity. Despair washed over them like a deluge of ice water! A millennium of secret preparations, humanity’s final spark of hope—the Ark Project—had vanished into thin air in an instant! Humanity had endured endless suffering through countless cycles, sacrificing generations to preserve this spark. Had all of it merely led to this outcome?

Everyone felt an immense sense of injustice and unwillingness to accept this fate. Some slumped in their chairs, while others began to pray softly.

“Lord, have mercy on us!”

“Why… after a millennium of silence, ‘It’ suddenly…” someone asked, their voice trembling.

“I don’t know…” Archbishop Lucien shook his head, utterly deflated.

His premonition had been correct. At this moment, the hands of the doomsday clock were mercilessly advanced to 23:58:30, marking humanity’s closest brush with extinction in its long cycles of suffering. ‘It’s’ gaze had turned towards humanity; the ‘trial’ was likely imminent, and this time, there was no possibility of survival for mankind. The Church’s Holy Land was already incapable of setting sail again. And the new Ark, before it could even be built, had its plans declared bankrupt.

Just as despair threatened to consume all, a flash of inspiration ignited in Archbishop Lucien’s mind! A name appeared clearly in his thoughts.

‘Allen de Laval.’

‘Ever since his awakening from drowning, various suspicious and strange events had occurred in the Royal Capital. Furthermore, ‘It’—who had only ever appeared in true historical records—had resurfaced after a millennium. Could these events be connected? Had he drawn ‘It’s’ attention? Why him? Could it be… his conjecture about Allen was true!’

Archbishop Lucien suddenly looked up, his eyes blazing with the light of renewed hope in the face of utter despair. “Gentlemen! Though the Ark is destroyed, hope for survival is not extinguished!”

His voice was resolute and firm. “Effective immediately, we initiate the ‘Phoenix Project’!”

Humanity had reached its most perilous moment. If someone had to bear the immense burden of saving humanity, then Albert Morel was the finest candidate to accept this critical mandate and turn the tide from the brink of collapse. This singular honor did not belong to the Imperial Church, nor to their so-called ‘Pope’. The Kingdom Church had never acknowledged the ‘Pope’ elected by the Imperial Church; they had no need to dispute with them over who represented the legitimate Church. It was important to remember that the first Archbishop Lucien had been Saint Leon—the last saint recorded in the Sacred Texts, and the founder of the contemporary Church! The Kingdom Church’s decision to preserve this ancient title to the present day spoke volumes of their pride! Saint Leon had saved humanity once; therefore, as his successor, Albert Morel, too, must shoulder the mission of saving mankind! Even if he was destined to shatter into a thousand pieces!

“But Albert… ‘It’ has not yet awakened…” Archbishop Leon reminded him.

Archbishop Lucien’s eyes blazed as he swept his gaze across the room, speaking each word with resounding clarity:

“It will not awaken.”

“Because, he is already among us.”