Aurelia finished hugging her resurrected guardian, and after a brief reunion, she let go and made her way to her other guardians.
Cedric would not allow this to happen ever again, his mercy caused a soldier of God to die by the hands of an Infidel.
'Mercy will not be granted to infidels; they will convert, or they will die.' He would not allow them to resist the glory of God anymore.
They had tested his patience for long enough.
Some proved to be receptive, and they deserved a chance, however, those who resisted, like Avaros, will be dealt with before they could become a threat.
He had granted them mercy, more mercy than any Infidel in his previous life, and yet they spat at Cedric's face.
Avaros, in his infinite stupidity, went beneath Cedric's bedrock level expectations and attacked the First Star, not only wounding her but also killing an Archangel.
Cedric clenched his fist; his sheer fury made him feel like he was burning.
He collected himself before turning to the quartet that looked at him with gratitude and fear, "Aurelia, Ladios, Rayn, Lucious. It was my fault you were put in danger, while spreading the word of God is as dangerous as it is important it did not have to risk the lives of Archangels and The First Star especially before actual conversion efforts even commenced."
His words made Archangel tense up, but for Aurelia, hearing Cedric speak filled her with immense joy.
He truly cared about her; it was not the false care that many showed before, but genuine concern for her well being.
"I will not allow this to happen again, no I will ensure no incident like this will ever repeat!" His words were heavy and showed a hint of sadness.
Sadness because of the inability of infidels to accept the Lord.
Avaros dared attack the messengers of God, he was an infidel on the same level of demons, possibly worse than Paragon of Sin.
'Valar keeps exceeding my expectations... In wrong direction.' Why were there so many humans at the level of demons?
There was only one factor, and that was Chrunus, that despicable so-called god that caused the death of an angel.
If there was an entity at the level of evil of Iguva, then it would be Chrunus.
"If we are to spread word of God, Chrunus must be dismantled," Cedric spoke softly, as if his words did not propose the destruction of the largest religious group in Valar.
Cedric would not tolerate the pagan faith anymore; Chrunus proved to be a danger, and so he was to be removed like any demon would be.
'That pagan so-called god will regret this; to interfere with God's work is a great sin.' Cedric once again suppressed his wish to reduce the entire kingdom to nothing; after all, some Christians existed now, and so it was not an option anymore.
"My beloved... Please do not blame yourself..." Aurelia was the first one to rush to Cedric. Her hands clasped around Cedric's gauntlet. As she looked up at him, she felt his rage growing; she felt that he was furious.
Despite him hiding his face, she knew that this situation touched him deeply.
She did appreciate him caring about her, but she hated to see him hurt because of her.
Cedric's gaze fell on Aurelia, his hand reaching to gently pat Aurelia's head."I am merely contemplating our next moves, and that is how to dismantle pagan religion of Chrunus."
Aurelia sighed; she knew he was hurt, and yet he did not allow it to show. "What do I need to do?"
"The death of the king will cause major issues, I want you to assume the role of regent. For public, King and First Prince have caught a disease and must rest, and due to other royal heirs being absent, you will be a regent." Cedric explained, clearly intending to install Aurelia as a queen.
Words that terrified Aurelia; she had no training, no education, she was supposed to be married off or die commanding an army.
"But..."
"You are worried, but I know you will succeed. I will support you." Cedric encouraged her, she needed to accept her role; she needed to guide her people.
"I... am Princess of Fools... Nobody will accept me..." Aurelia slumped.
"Prove otherwise, you will find that changing opinions of people is easy. Show them through your faith, lead by example!"
Aurelia couldn't help but sigh. if her beloved said so she had to accept; perhaps she will even be able to shed her old nickname.
"Only if you help me..." She smiled warmly at Cedric.
"Of course," Cedric spoke gently.
"But now we must ensure Chrunus cannot interfere. Ladios, Rayn and Lucious! Step forward." Cedric ordered, his gentle voice replaced by a commanding presence that Aurelia was used to.
The trio approached; there was no place for disobedience, no place for misunderstanding. Archangels knelt, awaiting Cedric's orders.
'If a pagan god could grant such power to Avaros, then God will grant even greater blessing to his faithful.'
[Ascension], Cedric activated his skill, and the archangels would ascend to something greater; they would become as powerful as Ariel.
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"Yes." With an immense Burst of light, enough to make the sun look dark, the power of God reshaped Ladios; it granted him power to never be in danger against forces of Chrunus.
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Cedric was satisfied with this result, and Ladios gained the power on par with Dominion.
His attention turned towards his former enemies, those who had turned to light, once fallen, now walked the right path. To overcome a treacherous nature was truly the work of God.
They, too, deserved the honor of ascension.
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"Yes." Once again, the light that was bright enough to block the sun erupted.
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The results were phenomenal, they outclased Ascended Avaros by orders of magnitude.
His gaze then turned to Aurelia, who was frankly terrified at the scene. While her guardians were powerful, that did not mean he could let The First Star be defenseless.
"Aurelia, relax." Cedric approached the scared princess, his words comforting her.
"I trust you... but... fine, do it." Aurelia sighed. She was afraid; so much power was displayed, and yet she truly trusted him. She knelt like Angels did, waiting for Cedric to use his skill.
[Ascension]. Cedric activated the skill, this time targeting the princess.