When A Mage Revolts

Tensions were high in Fereldan over the next few days.

The High Priests in nearly 30 cities had all met their demise within a short period of time. Their cause of death was identical – a lethal strike with a slit on their throats. In addition to this, a peculiar triangular symbol was left in every single one of the crime scenes, just like the name cards Kaito [1] left every time he finished an act.

Who did this?

Huge numbers of evangelistic priests were panicking after losing the direction of their High Priests. The remaining High Priests were busy trying to stay alive, terrified of the nightmarish triangular symbol that could arrive at their doorsteps. Missionary work had come to a complete standstill.

Just like that, the high-profile priests that would loiter about the streets of Ferelden disappeared in the blink of an eye. Of course, the citizens noticed the difference; some of the bodies of High Priest were found by the civilians! The news spread like wildfire before the church could even attempt a cover-up.

Everybody was discussing it.

"Child, do not run amok these days, it’s quite chaotic outside. Remember to stay as far away as possible from those priests and mages, they are very dangerous people."

"Imagine the guts of the person who did this! Isn’t he afraid of the church’s retaliation?"

"I have a feeling that this isn’t the work of one person. It should be a group of them behind this. The distances between the crime scenes were too wide for a person to cross in just one night"

The serial killings across more than 20 cities would already normally already be massive news, but excitement boiled over since it was related to the hot topic of the time: the church. The news gained momentum, and in a few short days, half of Ferelden was talking about it, weighing in their opinions about the murders.

The church saw that a cover-up was impossible, and thus completely gave up on the idea. Instead, they used the Queen as a medium to announce a warrant for this ‘unknown crime gang’.

One problem though – not one person came forward to declare the identity of the killer, no matter from the citizens or the upper society. This colored the serial killing with a hue of mystery, which resulted in even more exaggerated stories being spread amongst the people. No one knew exactly what happened, and thus simply named the entity, ‘The Triangular Spirit’.

According to the rumors, The Triangular Spirit would wander the country, seeking to avenge his own death. Everyone who saw it would end up with their throats slit. Blood would pour to the ground, forming a strange triangular mark that traps the soul of the victim in the abyss forever.

The minds of the people were certainly very creative. In just a few days, a few versions of the story of The Triangular Spirit had spread within the community. The people hid in the safety of their own homes, fearful for their lives. This caused a suffocating atmosphere within the country.

The people who were actually responsible for the murders soon returned to Rayleigh. They were extraordinarily exhausted after working for so many days with hardly any sleep.

They returned to their homes for a short break. However, they were dumbfounded as the news of the Triangular spirit slowly reached their ears. They didn’t know whether to cry or laugh at the rumors. One thing was for sure though, they felt an inexplicable pride in their hearts.

They had gone from being nobodies in the Kingdom of Helius to a power that was feared by everybody in Fereldan.

They were not very content, though.

"It’s a shame that all of them were killed by the teacher," whined Joanna, "‘The Triangular Spirit’ is such an ugly name! If I was the one performed the kill, I would’ve definitely gotten a greater, much grander title!"

"You should wait until the day you actually fight a priest, then you’ll understand how troublesome the matter actually is," Benjamin spoke as he shook his head, "You need not be worried though, the day when all of you would have a direct battle with the priests is coming up very soon."

The tension between the church and the mages intensified after this series of murders; the day for direct conflict was fast approaching. Benjamin raised his head and looked at the sky. He was not smiling.

At the same time.

"The Triangular Spirit? What a load of horse shit."

In the castle in the City of Snow, Bishop Victor had just finished listening to the reports from his subordinates. He shook his head, his voice laced with killing intent.

"Since Sir Bishop already knows who the mastermind behind the incident is, why don’t you just issue a warrant for his arrest?" The Holy Knight asked, his chin raised.

As the most loyal believer, he was quite confused - why did they not react to the murders? Where was their dignity as the church?

Staying silent like this was so aggravating.

"What use would our spy be if we could capture him with a mere warrant?" The bishop snorted, "The warrant has no use. On the contrary, it will paint him as a formidable and fearsome person."

"Then what should we do?"

The bishop was silent. "We should prevent any further losses. Recall the priests, and temporarily suspend the missionary work. I have a new mission for them."

The Holy Knight paused, "A new mission?"

Wait… Shouldn’t Havenwright be the one in charge right now? Would it be appropriate for Bishop Victor to personally alter their decisions?

He was reluctant.

"Don’t worry. The kingdom will understand my actions," the bishop explained, "They wanted to build a church to spread the word. However, they do not have enough understanding of the situation over here. You’ve seen how complicated it is; we will never be able to move on to the next step if we do not solve this problem with the mages first."

The Holy Knight’s face was lit up. He immediately cast his doubt aside.

They could finally attack the mages!

From the sufferings they faced when they first arrived at Ferelden, to the first ambush, to now when they could finally around freely, he had been dissatisfied with the mages. If he was in the Kingdom of Helius, he would have long drawn his sword and cut the mages to pieces. However, over here he could only bite his tongue, turn around, and act as if nothing was happening.

He had held it in for too long.

The Holy Knight suddenly kneeled and declared loudly, "You’re right. Sir bishop, I am ready to execute God’s will and wash away the sins in this country!"

Surprisingly, the bishop shook his head.

"There is no need to rush." The words excited his lips slowly, and he spoke with his eyes narrowed, "There’s news from General Stuart that in two months’ time, the most active group of mages will come to the City of Rayleigh and attempt to start a riot."

He paused, then said forcefully, "Then, we can finally capture them, once and for all."

The Holy Knight took a double take.

General Stuart….

"Oh, how naive the mages are to even dream of working together with the military forces of Ferelden," sneered the bishop, "They would never have imagined that General Stuart was the first person to have sworn his loyalty to God, now would they?"

The Holy Knight only nodded. He was speechless.

Although he would need to tolerate the mages for another 2 months, it would all be worth it if it was for the glory of God.

[1]. Character in Detective Conan