Armed Enlightenment Book 1 (Practice Story [My other stories are better])

State Visit

"You know the tommy guns? Prepare for the Commie guns"
-Poisonshadow when Poser_Dragon and Panzer of the lake posted them getting Chinese guns in Girls Frontline

Ilian Orthodoxy Capital

It was a dark and stormy night. A night one would expect in campfire stories told by the guy who made you join camping from the start just to get laid from one of the two girls he invited but forget about that. In the capital of the theocratic Ilian Orthodoxy, simply called the "Holy Capital" or "Iliastadt" which was shortened to Homer's "Iliad" as a running joke for Terrans, a man in a white robe as white as snow walked down the spiral steps underneath the main church, St. Degurechaff's Basilica. If there was one thing she would destroy immediately, it was that but with the nonintervention rule, she can only grumble.

Why is it named like that, you ask? Because of Tanya's devotion when she prays just to use her special weapon to fight off a demon lord hundreds of years ago made the first teachers of the faith name the church in honor of her after jumping to the conclusion that she was Ilia's apostle.

Nearing the final steps, a long corridor dimly lit by torches leading towards the far end where a grand door with Ilia's person carved in front of it, holding a sword on her right and a balance similar to Lady Justice on her left. A shield with the symbol of her hair clip at the center.

Guarding it, were two winged guards with armor colored in pristine white and gold. The pope's personal guards that showed absolute devotion and loyalty to their faith and lord.

Seeing the man in white robe approaching them, they knelt with total respect.

""Your speaker.""

"Rise." The speaker said. "How is his holiness?"

The two guards showed grim faces as they stood which was all he needed to know. The Speaker let out a sigh of worry after seeing their frown and imbued his mana at the center of the shield. A bright white light glowed and the door opened inwards.

Entering the room, he saw a frail old man muttering in his sleep with an assistant tending to him who was Just finishing what he was doing, not noticing his presence.

"Speaker?!" He yelped surprised and immediately bowed.

"Good evening, brother Luke. Thank you for watching his holiness at a time like this."

Luke then stood.

"Not at all, brother. I didn't realize you've returned from Weissenheer. What brings you here?"

"I thought I'll take over for the time being. You should take a well-deserved rest after all." He then looked at the sleeping pope. "So... how is he?"

With a frown, he replied.

"Your speaker, his holiness' health and sanity are deteriorating each following day... even if we use purifying spells when he says there are demons in the chamber, it still has no effect. More kingdoms who offered their best healers have no idea what kind of curse it is. It's only a matter of time when..."

Luke choked before he could finish what he says. The pope has been like this for almost two years now and it slowly became worse each day. With the pope unable to do his duties, a power vacuum was made. Although there was a cardinal appointed as the acting sovereign, his power is extremely limited, being merely enough to allow Church institutions to continue to operate and perform some basic functions without making any definitive decisions or appointments that are normally reserved to other powers delegated by the pope.