The Elder Council’s Conspiracy

The weather, ever-fickle, shifted abruptly. Bright sunlight was swiftly swallowed by ominous clouds, and a cold drizzle began to fall.

Around the massive round table, Great Elder Bruce Rheinhebo surveyed the other elders, his voice slow and deliberate as he spoke. “Have the bodies of the Third and Eighth Elders been laid to rest?”

The Second Elder nodded, his voice a low murmur. “They have been interred with all due ceremony.”

The Great Elder remained silently pensive, a long moment passing before a soft sigh escaped him. “An extraordinary individual has emerged within the Rheinhebo family, it seems.”

Bang!

The Fifth Elder slammed his fist heavily on the tabletop, his gaze sinister as he glared at the Great Elder. “Great Elder, do you still intend to merely observe? That low-born bastard has already begun to act against us!”

The Great Elder’s eyes remained indifferent as he looked at the Fifth Elder, his voice deep. “Then, Fifth Elder, what brilliant suggestion do you have?”

Cold killing intent erupted in the Fifth Elder’s eyes. “Kill him! No matter what lies behind him, since he has already made a move against us, then we must kill him! Perhaps, the curse of the heretics can also end with this!”

The Great Elder smiled silently and shook his head. “Is that so? Then, how do you intend to kill him?”

The Fifth Elder frowned, displeased with the Great Elder’s attitude, and his words grew sharper. “We will use the power cultivated by our Elder Council throughout the generations! That power was originally meant to restrain the family head; now is the time for them to emerge!”

The Great Elder smiled silently and shook his head. “That power no longer belongs to you.”

The Fifth Elder’s pupils abruptly constricted. He stared intently at the Great Elder, his voice chilling. “You are not the Great Elder! Who exactly are you!”

The Great Elder looked at the Fifth Elder with pity. “The Third Elder is dead, and the Eighth Elder is also dead. Now, only you, the Fifth Elder, remain as an outsider.”

The Fifth Elder’s body trembled. His gaze rapidly swept around, and only now did he realize that the other elders were all looking at him as if he were a stranger.

He gritted his teeth, quickly raised his arm, and lightning flickered at his fingertips, instantly unleashing a bolt of lightning towards the Great Elder.

The Great Elder’s chest was instantly pierced, yet his face showed no hint of pain. The flesh at the wound seemed to possess a will of its own, wriggling and regenerating.

The Fifth Elder’s expression drastically changed, and he shrieked, “Bruce! You’ve colluded with heretics!”

The Great Elder looked at the Fifth Elder with a sneer. “Are you referring to Bruce Rheinhebo? He died long ago. I am merely a heretic who possesses all his memories.”

The other elders silently rose and began to close in on the Fifth Elder. Surrounded, the Fifth Elder’s body began to tremble uncontrollably. He stared fiercely at the Great Elder, who remained seated, letting out a venomous scream. “The Holy Church will surely punish you all!”

The Great Elder shook his head and sighed softly. “The Voice of the Deceased killed you, so why would the Holy Church punish us?”

The Fifth Elder’s mind reeled, and a chill deepened within him.

The Holy Church’s enforcers had already witnessed the Voice of the Deceased kill the Eighth Elder, so his own subsequent death would not be suspicious.

‘Reyn Rheinhebo, was this also part of your plan?’

The Fifth Elder suddenly began to laugh maniacally, his head thrown back. He swept his most venomous gaze over everyone present, his voice chilling.

“You will die too! You will die too! As long as the Holy Church doesn’t deal with the Voice of the Deceased, none of you will escape!”

The Great Elder slowly forced out a bizarre smile, and said softly, “Our lives depend solely on the Mother’s will. And the Mother’s will only obeys the commands of that one.”

The Fifth Elder stared blankly at the Great Elder. He was now completely surrounded by the other elders, squeezed tightly in their midst.

They gradually shed their human forms, revealing their true appearances, transforming into irregular masses of pure black, self-aware, constantly writhing flesh.

The Fifth Elder’s mind suffered a massive blow, and he let out the most agonizing scream of his life. “Lust Witch! You are her creations! Black Goat Spawn!”

Immediately, his voice was completely swallowed by the pure black flesh.

A shadowy figure slowly emerged from a dark corner. Her hair was as black as Reyn’s, and her distinctly black and white eyes gazed indifferently at the giant, writhing mass of flesh.

She was closer to the young master than anyone else, and thus understood his thoughts more clearly.

She understood that everything the young master had done recently was to completely seize control of the entire Rheinhebo family. Many would die, and many had to die, with everything simply being blamed on the Voice of the Deceased.

And all those who died would be buried. With just another awakening, they could become the young master’s sharp swords.

‘Just watch, the gradually weakening state of the Rheinhebo family will surely attract greedy jackals. In the end, every single one of them will become the young master’s prey.’

She took light, quick steps, her dark hair beginning to be dyed auburn from the roots, and her distinctly black and white eyes transformed into a vibrant blue.

A black and white maid’s uniform appeared in the light, as she carried a steaming tray of coffee into the study.

Reyn, working at his desk, casually picked up the coffee, took a small sip, and frowned in distress.

The existence of the Voice of the Deceased had severely threatened the Elder Council. The elders would certainly not sit idly by; they were probably already contemplating how to kill him, the family head, attempting to quell this disaster in such a manner.

The Holy Church… the elders wouldn’t be foolish enough to oppose the Holy Church, but why would the Holy Church’s enforcers protect him?

He couldn’t think of any counter-measure; there was only a dead end before him now!

Reyn suddenly looked up at Ark, who was guarding the door. “Ark, is there any way for me to immediately become an enforcer of the Holy Church?”

Ark’s expression drastically changed, and he said in a deep voice, “Family Head, no one from the Empire’s nobility has ever attempted to become an enforcer of the Holy Church.”

Even though the Holy Church was the main force against heretics, the Empire’s nobles were among the masters of this nation, and it seemed they considered becoming a Holy Church enforcer to be a loss of prestige.

Reyn nodded and sighed. “I understand, but I must become an enforcer of the Holy Church.”

Ark’s eyes flickered. First seeking refuge with the Holy Church, then wanting to become an enforcer of the Holy Church—Reyn Rheinhebo’s actions all seemed to be aimed at approaching the Holy Church?

She listened quietly to Reyn and Ark’s conversation, her head bowed, her gaze fixed on her toes.

‘So, the young master’s true target is the Holy Church. No, perhaps it’s that strange light within the Holy Church that he’s set his sights on?’