Hate me, Miss Witch!

Shiayar's answer once again left the Divinity within the Sacred Relic frozen.

"That so-called omnipotence the deities speak of—" he began, "whether destruction, storms and thunder, or the changing of sun and moon... even destruction and rebirth itself—it's all merely a cycle within this one small world.

"It takes three thousand of these small worlds to form a mid-sized world, and three thousand mid-sized worlds to form a great world."

In the ocean of his mind, Shiayar imagined a handful of sand, letting it flow down like a waterfall.

"As for the great worlds, they are as numerous as the sands in the Grant Sea. And the Immeasurable Land, which contains all these great worlds—that was created by my Lord, the God of Dawn."

...

The Divinity within the Sacred Relic went numb.

Does my true form even know how awesome It is? If It's really that awesome, why bother collecting faith so methodically? Wouldn't it be far better to just flatten all dimensions across the myriad worlds?

Meanwhile, inside the church, the white-robed bishop was equally stunned.

It was the first time he had ever seen the Sacred Relic, used for testing Knights of the Sacred Hall, shine for so long without dimming. For a moment, he even wondered if the Dawn Sacred Relic was malfunctioning.

But he immediately suppressed such a blasphemous thought. How could a Sacred Relic bestowed by the Lord possibly malfunction?

Regardless, this also confirmed that Shiayar had passed the test.

"So, from today onward, Cain, you are a member of the Knights of the Sacred Hall." He looked at Shiayar and couldn't help but say, "With your talent, and considering the special circumstances of your test, remaining in Escarnia's grand cathedral is somewhat beneath you.

"The Sacred Court over there would be a more suitable place for your development. Have you considered going to Florence?"

Shiayar's eyes lit up. At last, a familiar place name! Florence... that's the future capital of the Holy Creed Kingdom and the seat of the Sacred Court. If I remember correctly, the Sacred Court was established in Florence a few decades before the Holy Creed Kingdom itself was founded. That means this Echo of History is set sometime within the decades leading up to the Holy Calendar.

"I grew up in Escarnia," Shiayar said. "Florence is too far from my homeland, and I have no desire to leave my roots.

"However, I've been so preoccupied with knightly training that I've rarely had the chance to learn about current events within Escarnia.

"So, I would like to ask you some questions, Bishop."

...

「Half an hour later.」

The white-robed bishop departed, well-satisfied.

As one of the Holy See's primary military arms, the Knights of the Sacred Hall held a considerably high status.

The Knight Commander of the Sacred Hall possessed a rank surpassing even that of regular Cardinals.

The talent of this young Knight of the Sacred Hall named Cain was so remarkably conspicuous that the bishop was naturally willing to spend some time forging a connection with him.

And Shiayar, through their pleasant conversation, had managed to probe for the information he sought.

It was indeed the final decade or so of the Ancient Era, just before the establishment of the Holy Calendar.

And Escarnia was the name of the future Empire's territory during the Ancient Era.

The current situation in Escarnia was exceedingly complex.

It had once been a prosperous kingdom. However, a decade or so ago, a prince named Vortigern launched a rebellion against his own younger brother.

To usurp the throne, he did not hesitate to borrow the power of the Abyss, allowing countless abyssal creatures to rampage across the lands of Escarnia.

However, although Vortigern overthrew the old king with the power of the Abyss, his reliance on abyssal creatures to torment the populace provoked widespread resistance. The citizens of Escarnia dubbed him the "Despicable King."

So, even though he and the abyssal creatures now occupied the Royal City, rebellions were constantly erupting throughout Escarnia. Various lords had carved out their own territories, and along with the roaming abyssal creatures, they contributed to a cataclysmic era of chaos.

Besides Vortigern and the local resistant nobility, two other factions held power within Escarnia.

One was the Dawn Church.

Their motives might have been to suppress the abyssal creatures, reestablish order, or gather faith. Regardless, the Dawn Church, along with the nobility loyal to it, had indeed established a sanctuary here—a haven where people could live and work in peace.

The other faction was the "Millennium Castle."

And within Millennium Castle resided the Blood Tribe. Though originating from the Abyss, they seemed to hold a different stance compared to other abyssal creatures.

...

So this is what a formal mission is like, huh? Definitely different from a beginner's task...

Shiayar mentally sorted through the intelligence he had gathered from their conversation.

The previous Echo of History in the Azure Garden Dukedom had essentially confined all its events to the Azure Garden Royal Capital. And the only truly noteworthy villain was Norton, that traitor.

Moreover, the events within the Azure Garden Dukedom—aside from the later emergence of Silvia as the White Tower Master—were merely a minor episode for the entire Western Continent. There wasn't even the involvement of a Legendary figure.

This "Escarnia" Echo of History, however, had abruptly escalated in complexity and difficulty.

Despicable King Vortigern and the abyssal creatures, the Dawn Church, and the Blood Tribe of Millennium Castle. And then there's the Knight King—the one destined to shine in history, who will eventually unify this chaotic world in its darkest era and establish the Fresta Empire.