Chapter Thirty-Four: The Creed of the Assassin

The three major religions paid little heed to the Church of the Father, yet their actions undeniably shocked the other faiths. For a time, within the Red Moon Province’s religious circles, the Church of the Father’s reputation soared; almost everyone in the clergy knew that within Red Moon Province, there existed a church that the three major religions would jointly defend. Curiosity about the Church of the Father abounded, and many flocked to Qinke Town drawn by its fame.

But that is a matter for later. Let us turn our gaze back to Link.

After burying the three sacrificed congregants, Link entrusted the remaining affairs to Jack and made his way to the monastery’s dungeon. The dungeon had existed previously; Link had not demolished it, instead refurbishing it for his own use.

He signaled to the guard to unlock the cell, striding inside. There, bound hand and foot in chains, was Altair.

Altair had already received rudimentary treatment, but was extremely weak. Link, fearing the assassin might escape, had him fed a drug that would further debilitate his body. For Jack, who had spent years as a street tough, such drugs were always easy to procure; Link simply made use of what was available.

Seeing Link’s arrival, Altair raised his head, glanced at him, then closed his eyes again. “Archbishop Neil, congratulations. You’ve won. I hadn’t anticipated your recovery would be so swift—my mistake. If I had another chance, even with that white bird aiding you, you wouldn’t defeat me.”

Link knew Altair was unwilling to accept defeat, but he was unperturbed, replying with a smile, “Unfortunately, you won’t have another chance.”

Altair furrowed his brow slightly, his voice cold. “So you don’t intend to use me to bargain benefits from the Church of the God of War?”

“No, I do intend to obtain benefits. However, you will never again be my enemy.” A mysterious smile deepened on Link’s face.

Altair narrowed his eyes, pondering in silence before asking, “Do you have some arrangement with Archbishop Chuck?”

Archbishop Chuck was the supreme leader of the Church of the God of War. Altair assumed Link had allied with Chuck; otherwise, upon Altair’s return, the Church of the Father would surely remain embroiled in conflict.

Link’s smile remained unchanged as he shook his head. “No, I have no dealings with him. And you needn’t ask why—you’ll soon understand.”

With that, Link signaled to the guard behind him. The guard stepped forward, carrying a bowl of medicine. Altair frowned, thinking it was the same drug to sap his strength, and instinctively resisted.

Yet Altair was so weak he lacked even the strength to bite his tongue and end his life; soon, his mouth was forced open and the medicine poured down.

The drug took effect quickly. Altair felt lightheaded, his consciousness growing blurry; but as a seasoned assassin, his will remained tough, struggling to resist the drug’s control. He angrily demanded, “Neil—Night, what did you make me drink?”

Link replied with a cheerful grin, “Just a sedative favored by street ruffians. As an assassin, Mr. Altair, you should be familiar with it?”

Altair’s brow knitted tighter, confusion in his gaze. He knew such sedatives—typically used in trafficking women and children, with little practical use beyond inducing disorientation. He was already subdued; why bother drugging him? Was it to relocate him while unconscious? That couldn’t be, as his current state made any resistance impossible.

With these doubts swirling, Altair’s resistance to the drug waned, and he soon drifted into a foggy stupor.

“It’s done,” Link murmured, smiling. He ordered Altair brought to the Grand Cathedral of Holy Light and, without hesitation, performed the Confession Rite on the half-conscious assassin.

It turned out Link’s previous actions had all been preparation for the Confession Rite. Altair’s will was formidable; the success rate of the rite was low unless he was first drugged. The cathedral provided a second layer of assurance—its inherent spiritual oppression further raised the rite’s effectiveness.

With his mind clouded and under the cathedral’s spiritual suppression, Altair succumbed quickly. Though he instinctively resisted, it was to no avail; soon, he fell entirely under the rite’s influence, plunging into a confession marked by sorrow and self-reproach.

Altair’s full name was Altair Lagarde, an orphan. At age six, he was adopted and trained as an assassin by an elderly master. At sixteen, his mentor betrayed him, nearly costing Altair his life. Later, with Archbishop Chuck’s help, Altair exacted revenge and joined the Church of the God of War, rising to become its king of assassins.

Though Altair now appeared a man in his thirties, he was actually only twenty-one. Not only was he highly skilled in assassination, he was also fiercely just, despising evil. Outside the Church’s foes, all those he had killed were monstrous villains.

Yet, since the Church of the God of War’s enemies included many good people, Altair felt deep guilt for those deaths. Though he never showed it outwardly, his conscience tormented him. Thus, his strong sense of justice made him susceptible to the Confession Rite; otherwise, Link’s elaborate preparations would have been wasted.

Such a conflicted soul was far easier to convert than those steeped in evil. Altair’s innate sense of justice meant that, with the right words to awaken his conscience, the effect would be doubled. Then, with gentle guidance to instill the belief that following the Church of the God of War was wrong and that faith in the Father was right, he would resolutely embrace the Father’s glory.

As Link had anticipated, the outcome unfolded perfectly. After a brief persuasion, Altair—deeply affected by the Confession Rite—became fervently devoted to the Father, his body trembling with excitement. Link felt a surge of pride, as though possessed by a legendary hero; with just a shake of his body, the world’s elite would come running, begging to be his followers.

Of course, that was mere fantasy. The success of this conversion had required considerable effort, and Altair’s own disposition accounted for much of it. By Link’s original estimate, even under the Confession Rite, Altair’s conversion odds were only about fifty percent.

Now a fanatic follower of Link, Altair benefited from the cathedral’s effects; his injuries and drug-induced malaise vanished instantly. He stood before Link, spirited and vibrant, appearing ten years younger—hardly recognizable as the weary man he had been.

Satisfied, Link nodded and summoned Altair to the study for intelligence gathering, focusing on the Church of the God of War’s leadership. As its king of assassins, Altair knew much.

As a fanatic, Altair withheld nothing, revealing all he knew.

The Church of the God of War was only a moderately powerful congregation in Red Moon Province, with chapels in fourteen towns, all modest in size. Outside its stronghold, its influence was limited, comparable to the former situation in Qinke Town.

With such scale, the church had few experts. Its strongest was Archbishop Martin, a third-tier peak mage, followed by Altair himself, a mid-third-tier assassin.

Beyond these two, there were no other third-tier or higher members. The next strongest were two cardinal bishops, both only late second-tier, not even at the peak. The rest were insignificant.

This recent conflict had cost the Church dearly; many of its skilled members were lost, and even its chief assassin was captured. Knowing Chuck, Altair believed the Church would not dare seek revenge, and might even pull back its defenses to guard against retaliation from the Church of the Father.

Altair advised that the Church of the Father should seize the opportunity to coerce compensation from the Church of the God of War. Defeated parties paid reparations not only between nations but also between religions.

Link found this reasoning sound. From Altair’s account, he gained a clear understanding of the Church’s current strength. Though its missionary reach was confined to Qinke Town, its overall power now rivaled mid-tier churches in Red Moon Province.

In terms of high-level strength, Link exceeded the early third-tier; Altair, while less formidable in direct combat, possessed deadly assassination skills. If used well, his mid-third-tier abilities could threaten even fourth-tier adversaries. Had he not revealed himself, Link might have already fallen to him.

Assessing his church’s power, Link determined that expansion was necessary. With the Church of the God of War weakened, it could serve as a stepping stone.

With this in mind, Link shared his plan with Altair, who agreed and offered further suggestions. Link noted them all, intent on gathering his elite to refine the strategy.

Afterward, Link summoned Alonzo and Morning, indicating them to Altair: “You know these two, don’t you? From now on, they are your subordinates.”

“Understood. They were trained by me as professional scouts. I know what to do.” Altair paused, then asked, “Archbishop, what do you require of me?”

Link smiled. “I intend to establish a special division for intelligence gathering and assassination, to nurture loyal assassins and spies for our church. You will lead it.”

Altair nodded. “I understand. I oversaw this work previously in the Church of the God of War. So, Archbishop, what will this division be called?”

“What name…” Link pondered, then a strange smile crept onto his face. “Let it be called the Creed of Assassins.”

“The Creed of Assassins?” Altair repeated, asking, “Archbishop, what does that mean?”

Link assumed a prophetic air. “First, never harm the innocent. Second, never let yourself be exposed before the enemy. Third, never betray the faith.” He paused, then added, “And there are two more phrases—noble words bestowed by the Father. Only through your own understanding can their meaning be grasped.”

Altair’s eyes shone at the first three tenets; they spoke directly to his heart. Eager for the rest, he pressed, “What are they? Please explain.”

“When people blindly seek the truth, remember: nothing is true. When people cling to convention, remember: everything is permitted.” With these enigmatic words, Link turned and departed, leaving Altair stunned and lost in thought.