<h4>Chapter 7:- Betrayal</h4>
Inside therge hall, the vige Chief and Bishop Adalhard were a few feet next to each other while looking out a window.
"Bishop Adalhard, despite my request to end our two-year rtionship, I hope we never forget what we''ve done for each other and leave on amicable terms."
The vige Chief turned to Adalhard as he said that.
Adalhard remain eerily quiet for a while before saying with a cheerful smile everyone in the vige knew him for.
"Of course vige Chief, I understand why you would want to end our rtionship now. I just recently heard about the news of the destroyed caravan with the vige kids. Some of my subordinates were worried and thought it was best to keep silent, but I admonish them and they''ve been punished appropriately."
The tight grip the vige Chief had on his cane loosened a bit before he said with a smile as well.
"Oh, so that was the case. Even though there are people like Bishop Adalhard in the Church, they are also some with ill intentions."
Sigh.
"Unfortunately, this can not be avoided. To serve the Lord is easy, but to maintain it and not stray from the path of advocating for peace and inclusion of everyone is where some struggle."
Vige Chief nodded.
"However… vige Chief should know we only advocate for peace and inclusion for those who ept our Lord and our Church''s teachings."
"...???"
A gloomy atmosphere was suddenly created due to Adalhard''s words.
"Bishop Adalhard, what is the meaning of your words?"
The vige Chief''s grip tightened around his cane.
Outside the window, theughter of children could be heard while the adults of the vige continue their work on the sunny midday. But inside this hall was apletely contrasting atmosphere.
It was tense and suffocating, itck all the warmth seen outside.
Adalhard suddenly lifted his hand and waved back to several children that were waving at him with smiles. It was soon to be midday prayer so all the vige children between the ages of six to twelve were heading for the temple.
"Vige Chief, I believe my words are clear."
Adalhard turned to the vige Chief, and the warm smile he disyed to the children fell. What reced it was a look ofplete detachment.
Then with a tone that didn''t have an ounce of emotion, Adalhard said once again.
"Anyone who isn''t a part of our Church does not deserve our kindness. They should be punished for abandoning the Lord, and that punishment is rightfully… death!"
The word death echoed in the empty hall for a brief moment as the vige Chief and Adalhard stared at each other in silence. One held a solemn expression while the other an indifferent one.
As this stand-off persisted the tension in the hall be palpable. At the peak of this suffocating tension, the vige Chief suddenly raised his cane and mmed it onto the ground.
His Will was released and the void began to tremble in reflection of his anger.
"Do you believe I would allow you to harm my vige?"
The vige Chief''s terrifying power wrapped around Adalhard''s body and it seemed the vige Chief could kill him with a mere thought. However, despite being in this situation, the indifferent expression hadn''t left Adalhard''s face.
"I must admit, you unsophisticated vermins possess powers that could be troublesome if you allbined your strength. But this individual level of power is nothing whenpared to our Church. You don''t even have a clue how weak you are, this might as well be you throwing an egg at a boulder."
As Adalhard spoke, a golden aura began to emanate from his body to effortlessly push back against the vige Chief''s Will.
This was Holy Energy, a terrifying amount of Holy Energy.
"You-How is this possible?!"
The vige Chief took several steps back in shock.
Adalhard being able to resist his Will while being in the vige was something he had not expected. The whole reason why the vige Chief had even said yes to them entering their vige was because he was confident if their intentions turn malicious he could fight them off.
But even as the power of the entire vige gathered in this trembling hall, Adalhard resisted it with ease.
Adalhard chuckled.
"You do not understand that our powers aren''t much different. They follow the rule of collectivism, therger our influence the greater our power. Just like how your power would increase if you were to expand your vige by taking over another tribe, our power also increases with the more people who joined our Church. Building temples and Churches, teaching the children here about our Ga-On Church, I have already built up enough Holy Power here to overpower your Will in the vige."
The vige Chief''s heart was in turmoil upon hearing this, he now realized his decision might have doomed his vige.
But after gripping his cane tighter, the vige Chief firmly said.
"I won''t allow you to do as you please, at the very least I will take you along with me to the afterlife!"
BANG!
The vige Chief retreated swiftly before he began spreading his Will to every corner of the hall. Then like a hammer, it mmed into Adalhard''s Holy Power.
Adalhard, however, raised his hand and easily resisted the attack. This situation truly looked like an egg being thrown against a rock.
After this attack, the vige Chief''s Will slowly began seeping out of the hall.
Adalhard eyes narrowed at this.
"Trying to call for help?"
His figure then slid across the distance between him and the vige Chief before he dug his hand into the vige Chief''s chest.
The vige Chief could not resist. He coughed out a mouth full of blood and hang limply over Adalhard''s hand.
As the light faded away from his eyes, the vige Chief thought back to when the Church first came. If only he had listened to Guardian Han. But he could only feel immense regret for his naivety now as death slowly began to engulf him.
But Adalhard didn''t even wait for him to have a peaceful death, instead his hand glowed with blinding Holy Energy. Immediately after, the vige Chief''s body burst into a gory mess of blood and internal organs that cover the chairs and table in the hall.
Adalhard kept the blood from sshing onto him using his Holy Power, but his hand and a portion of his sleeve were dyed red with blood.
Bang!
The door to the hall burst open and in came running Vice Chief Fogon and Ro-Dune, as well as everyone who was in the meeting earlier.
"Vige Chief!"
Fogon yelled as he came running in, but the sight he was greeted with caused him and the others to freeze.
However, anger quickly took over and Fogon roared out enrage.
"HOW DARE YOU?!! DIE, YOU BASTARD!!"
Fogon''s green tattoos on his chest began to turn red and an intense bloodlust erupted from his burly body. The Spirit Essence Energy in the hall instantly became chaotic.
In the vige, Fogon was second in power only to the vige Chief, even Adalhard would have to take him somewhat seriously in a fight. But Adalhard barely nced at him.
Fogon and the others went to charge towards him, but Fogon''s body suddenly jerk to a stop.
Slowly looking down, Fogon saw a hand that prated his chest from his back. He wasn''t even able to turn to see who it was as his body went limp and exhaled itsst breath.
"Vice-Vice Chief Fogon!!"
The tribesmen who were a part of Fogon''s group were all stunned but they soon turned to re at Ro-Dune.
"Ro-Dune! What is the meaning of this?! Did you really betray our vige?! The vige Chief trusted you!!"
Ro-Dune with his hands dripping with blood said to his group.
"Kill them."
Immediately screams of pain as well as anger echoed out in the hall. None of which reached the outside world thanks to Adalhard''s strong Holy Power enveloping the building.
In the midst of this bloodbath, Adalhard came up to the window to watch the peaceful scenery outside with hands behind his back. The warm amicable smile had returned to his face some time ago.