Song of Church and Rome

Merem Solomon's POV

A black-haired boy with blue eyes found himself seated on a bench in the cathedral, watching Emperor Lucius Tiberius of the Roman Empire kneel before Pope Leo I. 

As the pope placed the coronation crown on the emperor's head, the believers of Christianity erupted in applause, celebrating the ascension of the Roman Emperor.

It was an event that signified the alliance between the rule of Lucius Tiberius and the influence of Pope Leo I, a union that many believed would bring prosperity to both Rome and Christianity. 

However, Merem Solomon stood apart from the jubilant crowd, unable to share their enthusiasm.

He possessed no faith in God, nor did he believe in the competence of Lucius Tiberius to maintain his throne. 

The only entity in which he placed his trust was his monarch, Crimson Moon.

He sat there impassively as he saw how boring human can be as shepherd guide their lambs with sweet promise and showered them with dream of heaven.

If his monarch were there, how would her reaction be when she saw them worshiping an imaginary God like Alaya? 

Alaya and Gaia were the manifestations of the will and defensive mechanics of the world, collectively known as the Counter Force. 

Alaya represented the collective human thought, while Gaia embodied the will of planet Earth.

Gaia did not require humans for her survival and considered them to be parasites that destroyed the ecosystems she sought to build. 

On the other hand, Alaya needed humans to exist, as their collective thoughts formed its foundation. Although Gaia and Alaya appeared to be adversaries at first glance, their relationship was complex.

Gaia saw humans as a threat, while Alaya depended on their existence for survival. 

While their reputation might not be widely known in the surface world, they had become known through their intervention in the Crimson Moon War and the knowledge shared by the magus community.

Their tale was often retold through Solomon, the Magecraft King and ruler of Jerusalem and the 72 Demon Gods. 

If Alaya was not that well-known, however, Gaia's existence was already rooted in Greek Mythology as Earth Goddess and Zeus's grandmother. After all, who doesn't know Zeus? 

His deeds, a thing that was already widely known to humans and animals alike, Merem Solomon mused.

Returning his attention to the present, Merem Solomon observed Pope Leo I, dressed in papal attire, delivering his grand speech among Christianity believers and promising that he would assist Lucius Tiberius in bringing stability to Rome until his last breath. 

They clapped their hands and prayed to the gods that Rome would last forever. 

"Amen."

They were happy with Emperor Lucius for willingly lowering his head and admitting the authority of the church as he knelt before Pope Leo I the Great. 

Pope Leo I the Great was known by many names, including savior of Christ, holy sword wielder, and bane of all demons, among many others yet to come. He was very certain that this title wouldn't be the last he received.

There were rumors that the resurrection of Sefar was near; she was said to have appeared in the grassland and was known as the scourge of God. 

In this context, Pope Leo I's role would be greatly appreciated. Her new name was Attila the Hun, despite having forgotten her true identity and name. 

However, she never forgot her purpose of bringing destruction upon the world. This was precisely the reason why he was here, curious about how Attila the Hun had been resurrected.

Perhaps by aligning himself with Pope Leo I, he would find the answer to that question. After all, Pope Leo desired her death, and he himself desired her corpse for experimentation. 

However, he was uncertain whether she would leave behind a corpse after being burned by the holy sword. Nevertheless, the corpse was not his sole purpose. 

He wished to study Attila's existence, considering that Earth had rejected his monarch's presence and desired her demise.

Why not explore other planets out there, where they could thrive in outer space and interact with alien species? It wouldn't be impossible for them to claim Earth from the outside. Furthermore, the resurrection of his monarch had never been an impossible feat. She simply required the perfect method of resurrection that would evade the rejection of this planet's Counter Force. 

She yearned for a flawless resurrection, not one that relied on chance or compromise.

However, Merem Solomon had a different plan in mind. He couldn't afford to wait, as the more time passed, the more variables would arise. He intended to take a different path—a path of technology. 

The church had kept numerous technological advancements to themselves, disguising their actions with witch hunts and heretical persecutions.

Any invention that contributed to the progress of mankind would be accused of heresy, and women who invented medicines were labeled as witches and abominations. 

Nonetheless, this didn't mean that the church entirely rejected such advancements. They hoarded them for themselves while eliminating any opposition that threatened their authority.

After all, where did holy water and purification methods originate if not from the witches themselves? The irony was certainly striking. 

Merem Solomon inwardly scolded the church for its shamelessness. He had attended the emperor's ascension ceremony upon a personal invitation from Pope Leo, who had recently founded an organization called the "Burial Agency."

While his peers busied themselves with petty conflicts and struggles for the throne, Merem chose not to involve himself and instead focused on his goal of advancing technology—a goal that would prove vital for the resurrection of his monarch in the future.

As night fell, the once-crowded cathedral was left with only a few remaining individuals. Instead of being approached by Pope Leo I, he found himself approached by a familiar stranger from the Mage Association. 

"My lord, it's a letter from the Second Magician, Zelretch," an envoy from the Mage Association respectfully handed him the letter.

Merem opened it, and his eyes widened in disbelief as he read its contents. "The Crimson Moon's heir has been born." 

Merem Solomon personally knew her, and while many of his peers were skeptical due to her prolonged slumber after centuries of their monarch's death, her awakening would undoubtedly prompt many of his fellow Death Apostle Ancestors to flock to her side, each with their own twisted agenda.

He refused to let that happen. The plan had changed. He could not abandon his monarch's bloodline to fend for itself. He needed to take action to aid her, even if it meant going against numerous Death Apostle Ancestors who sought to exploit her. 

This decision would shatter the peaceful facade they currently enjoyed.

However, he didn't regret this decision. 

The die had been cast, there was no turning back.

...

Pope Leo I's POV

"Is there any trouble, my friend?" Pope Leo noticed the troubled expression on Merem Solomon's face and gently asked about his well-being as he sat down on the bench beside him.

Despite being the Pope, he had another secret identity known only to him and to God. Even his close friends and believers did not know who he truly was. 

In the past, he was just a nameless Dead Apostle who served under Crimson Moon's whim. However, after her death, he was freed and given a new body with the help of the Great Fairies under the instruction of the God known as Alaya, the collective human thought on the planet. 

He was grateful to God for making him important and giving him a boost of power and a Holy Sword that could even make the Scourge of God like Sefar tremble in fear.

After Crimson Moon's demise, he showed no hesitation in leading the church to purge their remains under the command of God. 

This was the reason why the Church was valued by Emperor Justinian in Eastern Rome, despite the Mage Association being the one who killed Crimson Moon. The Church was the one who led the hunt for Dead Apostles.

After all, the Mage Association, which was supposed to be in full vigor at that time, had become a third-rate organization because they had already exhausted their efforts, and they proposed a ceasefire to the Dead Apostles' faction. 

Even the First Magician User was on the brink of death, while the Second Magician User's lifespan was overdrawn by the impact of war. 

The Church didn't forget to take advantage of their battered state to pursue victory and fame as he led them to purge all of Crimson Moon's remaining followers, resulting in the near extinction of the True Ancestors. Yes, everything was thanks to him.

They were only left with two True Ancestors in the ground: Altrouge Brunestud and the one still sleeping on the Moon. Probably because of this reason too, the Church and the Mage Association became deadly enemies in the future. 

It was because the Church stole their credit and fame, which made the Mage Association hate them. They were the ones who killed Crimson Moon, but the Church enjoyed the benefits and fame.

Honestly, Pope Leo didn't care about what they were thinking. As long as it was God's will, it was all that mattered. Leo understood that his role would likely conclude with the invasion of Attila the Hun. He would wield the Holy Sword at its full power, knowingly overextending his own lifespan, and ultimately meet his demise. 

But he harbored no regrets. If it was God's will, why should he? He firmly believed that his life had been granted to him by God, and if she chose to take it back, so be it. 

His unwavering devotion to his divine mission and the understanding that his own life was but a vessel for God's will defined Pope Leo I, the man behind the papal authority.

"Speaking of friends, have we met before? I don't know why I feel we have met in the past." Merem Solomon waved his hand, signaling an envoy to leave them for a private conversation, as the envoy from the Mage Association bowed his head and left respectfully.

"We have met on the battlefield," Pope Leo spoke with conviction in his voice. Speaking of Merem Solomon, honestly, he had complicated feelings for his former colleague. 

Before, they were friends, but now they had turned into enemies. What would come next? However, for now, they were more neutral than deadly enemies like in the past. 

After all, the Church was not the one who killed Crimson Moon; it was the Mage Association. Merem Solomon had no hard feelings about their killing of the remains of the True Ancestors. After all, their performance had disappointed him too much.

"Probably," Merem Solomon nodded solemnly. 

Although he didn't remember if he had ever met this guy on the battlefield, he didn't refute his answer to give this guy some face. 

He was not here to look for a fight but for an ally. His monarch's heir probably would need them in the future, though he wasn't sure yet. But he preferred to look for friends rather than enemies.

"Speaking of the Burial Agency, we apologize, but we need to refuse. There is something that needs our attention elsewhere."

"We understand," Pope Leo nodded in understanding. 

After all, what else could it be except for Crimson Moon's affairs that needed the full attention of his former friend? 

"But our invitation still stands if you change your mind."

Merem Solomon nodded at Pope Leo's hospitality and left, as he had no other business here, and his monarch's heir would need his full attention.

Looking at Merem Solomon disappearing into the distance, Pope Leo stood and left too. 

He knew his time had come. 

Attila the Hun, the enemies of his God, would show her fangs in the future. 

There was something that needed to be done and prepared, and it was only him, and him alone, who could do it. 

God had already shown him the way.