Mage? Magic Engineer!

The Holy Alliance Army gradually learned that the National Guard was splitting its forces to march south again.

"If we retreat now, we still have a chance to recover. We can use the mountains to hold off the northern Valois people," the military attaché from the Vinea Republic said, already entertaining the idea of withdrawal. "Vinea will not wait until the brink of bankruptcy to be liquidated by the enemy."

"Bankruptcy? This isn’t a business!" The general from the Sardinia Kingdom slammed his hand on the table. "From the moment we set foot on Valois soil, there has been no turning back for us!"

"That applies to you, you country bumpkin." The Vinaia attaché’s merchant-like demeanor returned. "We hold a massive number of Valois bonds. We have lent them money in the past, we lend to them now, and we can continue to do so in the future. The Valois people are desperate for everything right now..."

"As long as we’re willing, we can make peace with the northern Republic anytime. We’d only lose some profit, but compared to provoking them and paying death benefits to the fallen, it’s the smarter business move."

Opinions within the Holy Alliance Army were extremely divided. This was to be expected; the alliance included religious militias that had been driven out by the Republic, as well as the armies of the various Southern Countries.

The Southern Countries each had their own agendas. One faction, represented by Vinaia, consisted of wealthy and powerful merchant city-states. The other, represented by the Sardinia Kingdom, was comprised of states fanatically loyal to the Holy See of the Order and Light Church.

Just how loyal they truly were was debatable. After all, the Order Sect’s previously most devoted child—Valois, a Kingdom whose very name evoked holiness—had already turned its back on God. The Pope figured the Church still had some wealth in its coffers, so he used it to scrape together a dozen or so divisions, and in doing so, achieved the greatest point of unity within the alliance: the soldiers all wore the same uniform.

Everything else was a point of contention.

Several members of the Clergy entered the joint command post. They nodded to the commanding generals, then announced the Cardinal Court’s resolution: "All units of the Holy Alliance Army are to prepare for war and make ready to attack Anion."

This was the one resolution no one objected to.

Anion, a religious Holy Land in Southern Valois. A pity it was now occupied by heretics.

When the Republic, with the support of Mages, began liquidating Church assets, confiscating its lands, and using them to replenish the pitifully empty national treasury, these so-called "enlightened new policies" sparked widespread discontent among the populace in the south. Unlike their more open-minded and progressive northern counterparts, they had not lost their way and abandoned the Divine Spirits.

As the Holy Alliance Army crossed into Valois, they were delighted to find that believers within the Republic itself had risen up, launching a rebellion against Valuva centered around the Holy Land of Anion.

Soon, however, the Holy Alliance Army and the Order Church headquarters in the Eternal City realized something was wrong. This "Earthly Divine Kingdom," established by the pious believers, refused to grant the allied army passage and had even thrown out a Bishop sent to persuade them. Furthermore, before turning to face the Empire Army, the National Guard had also adopted a policy of turning a blind eye to the "Anion separatist faction."

The final proof that this group was heretical came when the local believers began to preach about the Church’s corruption. They claimed the Pope was at death’s door and had become a mere puppet of the College of Cardinals. Most damningly of all, they revealed the secret of why the farts of monastery boys are silent...

They began to sever ties with the Church, proclaiming a Living Saint in Anion as the "one true Pope, who acts in accordance with the divine will."

The nature of the heretics’ accusations against the Church made it clear that one of its own was pulling the strings. Ultimately, the College of Cardinals identified the suspected mastermind behind the "Anion Pseudo-Holy See": Dipresy, the former Red Archbishop of Valuva and Kingdom Prime Minister.

This powerful contender for the papacy, the strongest Divine Benefactor of his era, had vanished from the public eye following the Church’s persecution. But the other Bishops knew that a being on par with a Great Mage would not have simply let his life end so quietly. The miracle performed in Anion and the recognition of a Living Saint there were also likely Dipresy’s handiwork.

The "Pseudo-Holy See" thus stood as a barrier between the Holy Alliance Army and the rest of Valois. Now, the College of Cardinals had finally made its decision, declaring all who obeyed the "Pseudo-Pope" of Anion to be heretical enemies whom the allied army was to annihilate with all its might.

...

In Anion, the newly established Holy See received a guest.

"I didn’t expect you to arrive so quickly without an Airship, General Garisha."

"I have long heard of your reputation, Lord Dipresy. When you presided over the Kingdom, I was just a nameless soldier. We now have vehicles called Air Cars. If it hadn’t been for the time spent repairing the roads, we would have been here even faster."

The former Cardinal’s expression shifted slightly. "Let’s not dwell on the past. I... forget it. Now that the National Guard has arrived, my mission, and the mission of Anion, is at an end."

"No. We have a limited number of the new vehicles, and with the continued pressure from the Empire, we cannot spare more troops to deal with reinforcements. Therefore, we hope you can have... that Sitting Sect... issue an order for your armed forces to participate in the decisive battle."

After stating his request, the general immediately presented a sealed letter from the National Salvation Committee and briefly explained its contents:

"The Committee and the National Assembly have come to recognize that we made many mistakes in our handling of religious matters. The implementation was too crude, and some of our own commissioners even colluded with Casters to plunder the property of believers..."

"In the future, we will reflect on these mistakes and respect the people’s freedom to believe in Order and the Lightbringer. We hope the Anion Holy See will cooperate with the Committee’s work..."

Dipresy shook his head. "I have no need to read that. As for the letter... any person who trusts the New Holy See, even the most devout of believers, is keenly aware that they are first and foremost one of the Valois people. They will not hand over their ancestral homeland to invaders."

He actually wanted to ask, ’Beyond reflection, are you prepared to actually correct and atone for your mistakes?’ But the former Cardinal thought better of it. Asking that question now would do nothing but embarrass the general before him.

Garisha gave Dipresy a formal military salute. "Your words have put my mind at ease."

In mid-December, the Saints’ Day Festival was approaching. But even in the area around Anion, the most religious region in Valois, there was little festive cheer. Everyone could feel that a war was about to descend on the land like a violent storm.

The Eternal City would never allow the Pseudo-Pope of Anion and his followers to peacefully celebrate the most sacred festival of the Divine Teachings of Order and Light. Regardless of whether the Holy Alliance Army advanced or retreated, it was expected to help the Church eradicate this lump of heresy.

Both the New Holy See’s Defender Army and the Holy Alliance Army of the Southern Countries began to dispatch reconnaissance cavalry and assemble their Holy Knights.

On a highland in Southern Valois, Rorschach, having spotted several scouts, pulled out a map and murmured, "This is the most likely battlefield... I wonder what the scale of this battle will be. There’s a huge gap between both of these forces and a regular army, in terms of both tactics and equipment... The only interesting part might be the Holy Knight civil war?"

’Both orthodox and heretical Holy Knights can receive divine Protection...’ This made Rorschach suspect the Lord of Order enjoyed watching the drama unfold.

He took out a dull, lusterless pearl, the words from his transaction in the Star Realm a few days ago still ringing in his ears:

"A large-scale battle is about to erupt in southern Valois. You are to use this as an opportunity to resurrect ’Balan Thoth.’"

"And, just as you used Transmuting Dust to shape a body for yourself, you are to provide a near-perfect vessel for them upon their resurrection."