"Is this the reinforcements sent by that old guy?"
On the top of the mountain, Captain Sibes of the Bear Knights looked at the endless army of Lashers and couldn't help but complain about the new ally of the Church of Sigmar.
"They have almost no heavy weapons, and they don't wear a single piece of armor. Most of them look very thin. What's going on? Are they malnourished? Even the beggars in Kislev are stronger than them..."
"Don't just look at appearances, my dear Bear Knight Captain."
Rhodes grinned lightly and pointed at the "Vatican reinforcements" meandering down the mountain.
"Did you see that? The firm look on those people's faces is something our soldiers don't have."
"Do you believe it? These skinny people will be more brave and determined than our soldiers in the upcoming bloody battle. Even if they fight to the last person, they will not retreat or run away."
"Steel is as important as faith. In some cases, faith is even more important than weapons and equipment. Even though these people look like beggars, vagrants, and refugees, the faith in their hearts is better than those of us who have received formal training.
Legionnaire."
"This is the power of the church."
Rhodes retracted his distant gaze, looked at the Bear Knight Captain beside him, patted his shoulder gently and said——
"Although they cannot send a large number of regular troops to directly support us like the emperor, the priests in the Church of Sigmar and these devout and fanatical believers will be a sharp sword against vampires and undead."
…
Scarlet Monastery.
Endless darkness enveloped the earth, blood-colored clouds flowed in the sky, and distant mountains flickered under heavy fog.
And on this rotten, muddy black land, stands a bloody church.
Even though it has been in disrepair and the outer walls have long since fallen off and been destroyed, the emblem of Sigmar symbolizing faith on the church is still not damaged or corroded.
Just like the seven church priests and knights who stayed here, they became the last faith barrier of this church.
Under the gray and gloomy sky, a raven flapped its wings and flew into the church window. It stopped in the bachelor's room.
"Let me see, what is written in this letter?"
The old bachelor took off the paper from the raven's foot, uncovered the wax seal on the rolled paper, and squinted his eyes to read the words on it.
It has been a long time since he received a letter from the Imperial Church of Sigmar. This is the first time... It should be said that since he was sent here, this is the first time he has received a letter from the General Church.
"Damn it... look, look what's written on it? We've been waiting here for ten years, and what have we waited for? Is this asking us to commit suicide?"
"Don't the Imperial General Church know about the situation here?"
"Are there still soldiers here? Are there any troops?"
"In the past ten years, how many letters have I written to them? Have they all been thrown into the trash can as waste paper?"
In the dim room, the old bachelor cursed angrily, chattering like an old witch about to be buried. Even the crows nearby also started to scream.
"What exactly was written in the letter?"
asked the young priest.
"See for yourself."
After that, the bachelor thrust the crumpled letter into the priest's hands.
The pastor unfolded the scroll and read it carefully.
Like the old bachelor, he was also one of the first church personnel to be stationed here. In ten years, the church seemed to have forgotten this place. Many people left, but out of loyalty to their faith and trust in the Holy See, the young
The priest did not leave.
Instead, he chose to stay and face the endless terror and darkness with his six remaining companions.
"The Archbishop wants us to send people to support the vampire war in the north?"
"Yes, yes, it's clearly written on the letterhead. Doesn't this mean we are going to die?"
"Where are the soldiers here? The only ones who can take up arms are you seven battle priests and the mercenary knight. Plus these refugees who came to seek refuge two years ago, I guess there are no more than three people who can come together.
Ten.”
"For these people, once they leave the church, they are going to die."
The old bachelor was still complaining endlessly, but the priest beside him didn't complain at all and kept listening silently.
"I am already old. There is no difference between dying here and dying on the road. Besides, I don't have any family anymore. I will live longer than them. If I die, I will die and no one will care about me. But you are different, Walkerma
!You still have a family, don’t you? You still have a home in Altdorf, don’t you?”
The pastor nodded, his eyes becoming melancholy.
"So, you can't die here, you can't die meaninglessly like this. The church has long regarded us as abandoned children. Now, as the war ahead becomes tense, it only thinks of us."
The old bachelor grabbed the priest's shirt and said viciously.
It was almost cursing, the pastor could hear it. But he still didn't say a word. Instead, he grabbed the letter and put it in his arms.
"Bachelor Walder, thank you for your reminder and concern. However, as a member of the church, I must still fulfill the church's orders and fulfill my oath."
"I can't betray it, I have no choice."
The pastor picked up the heavy weight on his shoulders and was about to leave.
But the old bachelor once again grabbed him by the collar.
"Have you ever thought that this is a trap! Those undead spirits, those cunning vampires, want to lure you out so that they can catch you all outside the church. Without the protection of high walls and barriers, you and your companions will
Fragile. They don't even need to do it themselves. The ghouls will overwhelm you."
"Think about your wife and daughter. Is it really worth it to die like this?"
The maester's hoarse roar sounded behind him.
However, this cannot stop the pastor's determination to fulfill his promise.
He picked up the war hammer, walked to the small lawn outside the monastery, faced the gathered companions and comrades, and read in a low voice——
"Brothers and comrades, the church has sent an order. Bishop Yuri asked us to attack, go north, join the Kislev coalition, and fight against the vampires together."
There was a commotion among the crowd, especially the unarmed refugees. There was helplessness and fear in their eyes.
However, the pastor selectively ignored their gazes.
He must make a choice, even if he knows what such a choice means...
He knows, he knows that once the decision is made to leave the monastery, these refugees will soon be killed by the undead and ghouls entrenched here.
However, as a Sigma believer, he had no choice.
The pastor cleared his throat and continued -
"I know that this will be a journey full of danger and suffering. I don't force you to come with me. If you don't want to leave, I won't take any coercive measures."
"It's your choice."
After saying that, Walkerma turned to look at the mercenary knight sitting in the corner - Marcus.
He is the only fighting force here that can rival him.
Although he didn't know why this imperial knight appeared here, out of respect, Walkerma still let him make the choice first.
The knight sharpened his rough sword, stood up from the corner, walked to the priest, and whispered——