The Glorious Evolution

Dominic accepted the call while someone beside him requested permission to redirect a squad.

”Have they finished the evacuation?”

The answer was too faint for Levi to make out, but Dominic’s refusal reached him clearly... he heard that the squad would remain until the citizens were safe.

Only then did Dominic turn his attention to Levi, showing none of his usual carefree attitude.

”Sir, I’ve seen the recordings from Heliodor... have you heard anything about it?”

”We’ve received Valemont’s report. But Heliodor isn’t the only Region asking for help. Dozens came under attack within the last few hours,” Dominic disclosed.

’Huh?!’

Levi forgot the request he intended to make.

”Dozens?”

Dominic sent him the confirmed locations. The reports covered several continents, and new updates arrived as the fighting continued.

Levi examined the times, then the requests attached to them. Reinforcements, evacuation escorts, emergency supplies... the same needs appeared repeatedly, with several weaker Regions reporting that multiple settlements fell!

The people behind one request sent it again after receiving no answer. Its latest update asked for fewer fighters, enough to hold a defensive line until the Holy Pillar descended... the people submitting it no longer held any hope of winning against the invasion.

Reading this, Levi wondered whether his earlier conclusion was wrong.

Fang’s presence tied Na’thir to Heliodor’s invasion, but it didn’t mean Levi was the reason for it... Maybe something happened between the Bishops and the Saviors, and his home ended up in the crossfire?

”Has there been a conflict between the Bishops and the Saviors?” Levi asked with a firm tone.

”No one informed us of any conflict... but this many attacks at once... the silent agreement between them clearly isn’t reassuring anyone right now.” Dominic sighed.

He spent years trying to preserve that fragile peace.

He knew the Bishops could hire unaffiliated mercenaries to terrorize the Holy Regions, then deny responsibility... and the Saviors would accept the excuse rather than risk their arrangement.

A false peace was better than watching their homes disappear... even if the corruption kept advancing in the meantime.

”Still... you should contact the Saviors, Sir.”

”Of course. I’m already preparing a proposal.”

Dominic assured him, although he doubted it would receive much consideration. When he asked for more help over the Sun Amulet’s matter, even the Supervising Radian refused to authorize the Saviors’ mobilization.

Earth received a slight increase in priority and a twenty-percent expansion of its Holy Pillars’ range. He accepted both gratefully... but neither would send a single fighter to the people requesting help now.

The higher powers preferred to invest their resources in planets with greater Lifeforce Potential.

Today’s casualties were unlikely to change Earth’s place among them.

”But don’t keep your hopes up,” Dominic continued. ”Unless dozens of our Regions face total collapse at once, I doubt they’ll consider this worth intervening over.”

”Hundreds of people have already died in my Region...”

”I know, Levi.” Dominic’s voice grew weary. ”But to them, these are still minor attacks our local forces should handle. As long as the Regions remain standing, the losses are acceptable.”

’Acceptable...’

Levi recalled the recordings of the fallen settlement... bodies scattered across the streets, broken carts abandoned beside bundles of clothes, families who didn’t make it far enough to escape.

One woman lay with her little boy beneath her. Her arms still encircled his head, shielding him with her own body... His small fingers remained knotted in her sleeve.

He knew they were dead... yet he kept waiting for the boy to move. For a hand to loosen, for a small face to turn toward the person recording.

Alas...

The recording moved on before he was ready.

Apparently, none of this was enough... He heard the same excuses after Seraphis’ death, and they sounded no better now.

The Saviors’ yearly stability rewards required a full year without losing territory... not without losing people. Even when a settlement fell, they could continue farming Crystallized Seeds from the survivors elsewhere.

’How rotten...’

Levi’s mouth twisted with disgust... calling them Saviors felt like an insult to everyone lying dead in those streets.

Another request appeared among the reports Dominic shared, drawing Levi’s attention back to the call.

The people sending it couldn’t wait for a proposal to reach the Saviors... and Dominic continued assigning the forces he had.

”Your Region still has capable defenders,” he told Levi. ”Some of the settlements asking for help no longer have anyone who can hold the attackers back... their evacuations have to take priority.”

”I understand, Sir.”

He hated knowing that Heliodor might face another assault before help arrived... but he couldn’t ask Dominic to abandon those people.

After seeing what happened to his own home, he understood exactly what leaving them without an escort would mean.

”I’ll still send a few Solarbound Daywalkers to reinforce Heliodor,” Dominic added. ”I’ll arrange their deployment with Valemont.”

Levi didn’t ask him to... after reading those reports, he didn’t intend to either.

”Thank you, Sir.”

”Your Region needs help too, Levi.”

The promise eased some of his worry... with one governor dead and several settlements damaged, the High Chancellor needed people who could defend more than the capital.

Soon, Levi received messages from Shia, Nurah, Jojo, and Jasmine confirming that their families were unharmed.

Levi sent them Dominic’s promise of reinforcements and a brief warning about the other attacks... they needed to know that Heliodor wasn’t alone in this.

Just as he was about to end the call, his attention returned to the distribution of the global attacks.

He checked the locations again, this time ignoring the casualty reports.

”Have you received anything from Europe?”

”No similar attacks... the same applies to the Regions in western Asia. Still, we’ve warned them to remain alert.”

Levi went quiet.

Those Regions lay within Bishop Va’ren’s sphere of influence... of all the places to remain untouched, it had to be where Na’thir’s rival held sway?

Levi’s heart turned icy cold... if his earlier suspicion was right, he still underestimated just how far Na’thir would go.

’He could be calling in favors to keep Dominic occupied,’ Ash’Kral said. ’His dogs can keep striking your settlements and withdrawing before the defenders gather... as long as Dominic stays away.’

The possibility made too much sense to dismiss.

If Na’thir persuaded the other Bishops to allow his mercenaries in, he could keep everyone occupied while Fang and the others continued attacking Heliodor.

Levi remained silent.

He didn’t mention his suspicion that he was the bait. That would invite questions about Na’thir’s interest in him that he wasn’t ready to answer... especially when he still needed confirmation of the Bishop’s involvement in the wider attacks.

But even if he told Dominic everything, those weaker Regions wouldn’t suddenly stop needing help.

His attention returned to the unanswered requests.

If Na’thir arranged this... he didn’t need to fool Dominic... just threaten enough people that Dominic couldn’t leave them.

The squad he refused to redirect at the beginning of their call was proof enough.

”I won’t keep you any longer, Sir. Thank you for the reinforcements.”

Dominic acknowledged him before returning to his work.

After the call ended, Levi’s spiritual aura grew so charged that most of the workers felt the atmosphere turn colder all of a sudden.

Below him, the workers gradually fell silent. One stopped halfway through calling out a measurement, while the designer glanced up at Levi... whatever news their employer received, none of them wanted to interrupt him now.

Noticing the sudden quiet, Levi restrained his aura.

”Continue... It has nothing to do with you.”

Levi returned to the locations Dominic sent him... then he contacted the one person who could confirm his doubts once and for all.

Bishop Va’ren.

”Has Na’thir been calling in favors?”

Levi asked coldly as soon as Bishop Va’ren appeared on the dimensional screen, giving him no opportunity for a greeting.

The rabbit-like Bishop’s chipped incisors showed as he smiled.

”Quite a few. I take it you’ve heard about more than your own Region.”