The Slane Theocracy—called a nation, yet in truth a peculiar religious organization.
It was founded six hundred years ago by six Players who descended upon this world and saved humanity. Those six are revered across the land as the Six Great Gods.
The Theocracy upholds a human-centric doctrine and has never ceased fighting for humanity's survival. Its foremost duty is to resist the demihuman and heteromorphic races that threaten mankind and to safeguard the lands where humans live.
Even the territories of the Empire and the Kingdom were originally divided and granted by the Slane Theocracy, forming the current balance of three great nations.
Within the Theocracy, in the conference chamber.
In the dim light, over a dozen figures could be seen seated upon a raised platform.
Every person present was a high-ranking authority of the Slane Theocracy.
At the highest tier sat six individuals dressed in identical styles of vestments, differing only in color—the Six Cardinals.
The Cardinal of Fire, the Cardinal of Water, the Cardinal of Wind, the Cardinal of Earth, the Cardinal of Light, and the Cardinal of Darkness.
These six Cardinals held the supreme authority within the Slane Theocracy and were its most exalted figures. No matter their personal intentions or methods, once they took office, every decision they made was weighed against one thing alone: the life and death of humanity.
The meeting was called the Cardinal Council, the highest assembly of the Slane Theocracy. Throughout its history, it had been convened only a handful of times.
And yet, recently, it had been called twice in succession. The previous session was due to the near-total destruction of the Sunlight Scripture. This time, it concerned the Black Scripture.
"Has Zesshi Zetsumei not arrived yet?"
The Cardinal of Fire spoke in a gentle voice. She was the only woman among the Head Priests.
"That girl? It's only natural she wouldn't show up," the Cardinal of Earth said with a helpless sigh.
"Though her appearance differs greatly from ours, referring to her as 'that girl' is still rather inappropriate," the Cardinal of Darkness corrected in a measured tone.
"Enough. That isn't today's topic."
The Cardinal of Wind brought the exchange to an end. He was an elderly man with a kindly face, but appearances were deceiving. Having risen from the Sunlight Scripture, he was known for swift and ruthless judgment and had personally eradicated countless nonhuman foes.
His gaze shifted to the young man standing below.
"Black Scripture, how are your injuries?"
"I am nearly fully recovered. I deeply regret the failure of the mission."
The Captain of the Black Scripture lowered his head. A carefully measured trace of shame crossed his face, just enough to make his remorse appear sincere.
"This wasn't your fault. None of us anticipated such an outcome. The fact that you returned alive is already a blessing."
Seeing his subdued expression, the Cardinal of Darkness shook his head and spoke reassuringly.
A few days earlier, the Captain of the Black Scripture had returned to the Theocracy grievously wounded, bringing news that the entire Black Scripture had been annihilated.
The shock this caused was immeasurable. The Black Scripture was the Theocracy's strongest unit, each member possessing strength at the Hero level—humanity's finest of the finest.
And yet such a squad had been wiped out without explanation. Worse still, one of the Theocracy's true divine artifacts, [Downfall of Castle and Country], had been lost along with them. The losses were devastating.
The only consolation was that the Captain of the Black Scripture had survived. At least this awakened God-kin had not perished. Though he had been at death's door, the Theocracy's accumulated resources had managed to pull him back from the brink.
"Have the bodies of the other members of the Black Scripture still not been found?" the Cardinal of Water asked.
"Regrettably, no. The bodies have vanished. The Windflower Scripture has spared no effort in tracking them down, but not a single clue has turned up."
The Cardinal of Fire shook his head. It was as if the corpses of the Black Scripture had simply disappeared into thin air.
"Then there's no helping it. Select new members from the candidates as soon as possible. The Black Scripture cannot remain understaffed for long."
"And add Clem to the list of candidates."
After a brief moment of thought, the Cardinal of Wind spoke, his gaze shifting toward the Captain of the Black Scripture.
"She brought you back to the Theocracy when you were barely clinging to life. That should be proof enough of her reliability."
Once he finished, the Cardinal of Wind looked around at the others present.
Though he was the highest-ranking Head Priest, he could not make the decision alone. The stance of the other Cardinals still mattered.
Cardinal of Fire: "I have no objection."
"Her strength is beyond doubt, but her origins are unclear. What if she's a spy?" the Cardinal of Light said after a short pause.
"But she saved the Captain of the Black Scripture. Without her, he would never have made it back."
The Cardinal of Water shook his head in rebuttal. While her background was indeed suspicious, the fact remained that she had rescued the Captain of the Black Scripture. For that reason alone, he chose to trust her.
"She's human, and she's strong."
As the discussion began to grow heated, the Cardinal of Darkness spoke calmly. With that single sentence, the room fell silent.
"Since opinions differ, let's meet her in person later," the Cardinal of Wind concluded.
After settling that matter, his expression turned serious.
"What are your thoughts on the battle between the True Dragon Lords?"
At those words, the expressions of the assembled Cardinals grew heavy, each of them falling into thought.
To the side, the Captain of the Black Scripture's eyes flickered.
His mind, altered by a World-Class Item, immediately connected the phrase "battle between the True Dragon Lords" to the Three Supreme Beings. He focused intently on the discussion.
"One of them was the Platinum Dragon Lord. The other remains unidentified."
"Based on the traces left at the scene, it's highly likely the Platinum Dragon Lord used Wild Magic."
The others exchanged glances. Wild Magic was something they were all familiar with.
If Wild Magic had been used, then the fight had been no minor clash. It had been a genuine life-and-death struggle.
"The battle didn't last long. It seems to have ended quickly. We don't know the exact details, but for us, that's not necessarily a bad thing."
"If the True Dragon Lords are fighting among themselves, it can only benefit us."
The Cardinal of Darkness spoke plainly. If it were up to him, every last True Dragon Lord would perish.
After all, if the Six Great Gods had not appeared centuries ago, humanity would likely still be living under the shadow of the Dragon Race, with no hope of ever rising.
"Exactly. And this time, the Windflower Scripture managed to collect quite a bit of Dragon Blood and Dragon Scales."
"We can use them to cultivate the next generation of the Black Scripture."
The Cardinal of Light smiled faintly. A dragon's body was valuable from head to toe, and that was even more true for a True Dragon Lord.
People despised the dragon's soul, but coveted its flesh.
"Then it's settled. Still, we must prepare for the possibility of a True Dragon Lord attacking the Theocracy."
The Cardinal of Wind nodded. Though they had signed an agreement with the Platinum Dragon Lord, they could not lower their guard. The threat posed by a True Dragon Lord was simply too great.
Because the Blue Sky Dragon Lord and other dragons had sealed off information, the Cardinals were still unaware that the Platinum Dragon Lord had already gone missing.
"Seconded."
"Seconded."
"Seconded."
"…"
The discussion continued, shifting to matters such as the wars between the Kingdom and the Empire, as well as the Dragon Kingdom and the Beastman Country.
Throughout it all, the Captain of the Black Scripture watched silently. As a God-kin, his presence as an observer had been tacitly approved by the Cardinals.