A Powerful Martial Artist Reincarnates as a Nun Knight

From the next day onward, the nun knight party frequented the cathedral’s archives to prepare their arguments for the upcoming Council.

The Church headquarters’ observations, reports from priests across local churches and Paladin knights, official and unofficial stances issued by guilds indirectly or directly involved with mystical knowledge like mages, druids, alchemists, runesmiths, the secular rulers’ responses to the situation, and more – the materials they needed to review, organize and supplement formed veritable mountains.

But that was not all. They also had to outline a broad blueprint detailing how to implement the positions they would establish.

Once the Council reached its conclusions, the entire Church would enter a frenetic operational phase – not just to counter the Archfiend’s unleashed miasma, but to prepare for the greater war he had foreshadowed.

In this process, any secular powers posing obstructions could no longer be afforded leniency, regrettably. From this point onward, those powers would realize the Church had not indulged them out of incapacity, but rather disinterest and pragmatism – a façade about to change.

Many things would no longer proceed as before. The secular rulers would likely grow increasingly wary of the Church, perhaps harboring deep resentment.

Thus until then, they must ensure those rulers remained utterly oblivious to the Church’s undertakings – stealthily consolidating justifications and momentum like boiling a frog, before unleashing a lightning operational blitz once all preparations culminated.

To smoothly execute this, they first needed to clearly comprehend what they faced, why they must act, what actions were needed and possible, and the proper sequence of procedures.

The world termed such assessments as ‘blueprints’ and ‘directives.’

“If I had properly defeated that Archfiend back then, we could have avoided this paperwork hell.”

Sophia lamented. Everything stemmed from her weakness. Today’s tribulations were entirely yesterday’s her own fault. Had she striven harder to grow stronger instead of recklessly letting her guard down repeatedly, she would not be mired in this bureaucratic quagmire.

If she could rewind time, Sophia would have dragged her past self in for a sound thrashing without hesitation. But since she could not, she could only grit her teeth over her previous incarnation’s original sins and misdeeds while reading through the materials, organizing her thoughts and jotting down potential scenarios alongside countermeasures and rebuttals in her notebook.

Yet even during this protracted fortnight of preparations, their cultivation and training could not cease.

Sophia, Hildegard, Ezio and Conra each undertook daily physical, spiritual and mystical conditioning while periodically exchanging insights into their respective disciplines, honing their abilities and skills.

The apex of their training regimen was none other than sparring bouts. For martial techniques flourished far more through actual combat experience than solitary practice alone. So opportunities to cross blades with accomplished masters proved invaluable – prompting the party to devote immense efforts into maximizing these exchanges.

Unsurprisingly, even Cardinal Andrea would occasionally join them to cross swords. Sophia, Hildegard, Ezio and the cardinal himself represented peerless experts across the continent. Even Conra, despite his tender years, exhibited prodigious growth rates testifying to his inborn genius.

Cardinal Andrea displayed keen interest in Conra’s rapid development. For one so young to already keep pace with the upper echelons while excelling as a druid, alchemist and runesmith alongside martial prowess – such talents were exceptionally rare.

“Trut!”

When Conra’s solid fundamentals and dynamic salmon leap clashed, his basics transcended into a ferocious onslaught akin to a maddened beast baring its fangs.

Yet even while parrying those formidable techniques with seeming ease, Cardinal Andrea did not hesitate to interject increasingly aggressive moves. This stemmed from their sparring methodology.

“While the supreme strategies of martial arts and warfare involve subduing the enemy without suffering losses under optimal conditions, the goals and environments people operate within inevitably differ case by case.”

Stemming from Sophia’s observation, their sparring sessions incorporated various assumed variables and conditions.

What objectives motivated their actions in a given situation? The terrain, climate, and respective force dispositions – establishing such contexts before clearly defining handicaps, victory conditions and failure states rendered their bouts uniquely compelling.

Cardinal Andrea lavished immense praise upon this sparring approach Sophia had adapted from her previous incarnation’s CQC training regimens. For nurturing talents capable of optimally applying their full capabilities across virtually any scenario required such processes – not mere brute strength alone.

“Why did our predecessors never conceive of such methods?”

The cardinal bluntly voiced his admiration, deeply impressed by Sophia’s party’s sparring methodology.

Currently facing Conra under a self-imposed condition of subduing him within a time limit, Cardinal Andrea should have easily overwhelmed the youth’s current abilities. However, Conra possessed various self-enhancement options: the bronze giant’s girdle, alchemical elixirs, druidic mysteries and runes.

With victory determined by enduring past the time limit without being subdued, Conra employed every means to hamper the cardinal while probing for openings amidst his audacious techniques.

Yet ultimately, Conra’s struggles proved woefully insufficient against the battle-hardened cardinal’s fencing. Effortlessly shattering all obstructions with sheer skill and force, Cardinal Andrea successfully pinned his blade against Conra’s throat.

“Ughh, I yield…”

Subdued well before the time limit expired, a completely demoralized Conra raised both hands in surrender.

“You endured admirably. But consider the vast gulf of our journeys – were you to defeat me, what face could this old man possibly retain?”

Hildegard consoled the despondent Conra, for Sophia was hardly one to coddle her disciple tenderly – that duty inevitably fell upon Hildegard.

“Sister Wolfstein speaks truly. I must admit, I am impressed – when Sister Chazelle took you as a disciple, I harbored expectations, but your innate talents clearly surpass them. Have you never considered becoming a monk knight yourself?”

Cardinal Andrea’s praise escalated into an outright recruitment pitch. Observing this, Sophia immediately intervened with a sharp rebuke to shut down the cardinal’s overtures.

“That’s enough, Your Eminence. Conra will not be entering the clergy.”
“Are you certain? To acquire such a gifted disciple yet refuse to induct real talent – do you harbor no love for the knighthood?”
“I am entrusted with this child’s wellbeing by his parents. Inducting him into the clergy was not part of that charge.”

Sophia cleanly parried the cardinal’s protests with sound reasoning. As one who did not insist against rationale, Cardinal Andrea could only click his tongue in resignation before withdrawing. Conra, tense throughout the verbal fencing between his master and the cardinal, finally exhaled in relief once the latter backed down.

And as if struck by a thought while observing their exchange, Hildegard suddenly remarked:
“Speaking of which, only two days remain until the Council convenes.”
“Indeed, an unusually large influx of clergy have arrived at this bishopric in recent days compared to previous Councils held until recently.”

Ezio the ascetic priest casually commented as he slowly rolled an immense iron ball while practicing astral combat stances. Casting a withering glance at Ezio stubbornly clinging to his loincloth attire with just a white cloak as meager compromise, Hildegard nonetheless earnestly responded:

“It likely reflects how seriously they view this Council’s agenda.”

While some Council matters arose extemporaneously, most agenda items were circulated beforehand to the Church’s subordinate bodies across regions. Based on their contents, clergy would decide whether to attend, and if so, what preparations were required.

As the Church operated rather loosely overall, clerics tended to skip Councils handling matters unrelated to their jurisdictions – underscoring why, apart from Cardinal Andrea, Paladin representatives seldom attended previously.

From that perspective, the uncommonly large clerical presence in Toriento revealed how gravely they viewed the current Council’s agenda.

“I wonder how it will unfold…”
Hildegard sighed wistfully, tinged with concern.

The hawks’ and doves’ conflict ran deep, with both sides upholding justifiable stances reflecting sincere contemplations over humanity’s future – compounding the intractability.

To silence their disputes while steering the Church’s subsequent trajectory from an impartial, overarching standpoint would require more than half-hearted rationales.

“No need to worry overmuch. We likely won’t need to reconcile those two factions ourselves.”

At Ezio’s words, Sophia inwardly nodded – this disheveled man had a knack for piercing insights. Their task was not to unite hawks and doves, but rather intimidation – confronting them with the urgency of the present crisis to compel temporary cooperation transcending factional divides.

Like Sophia, Cardinal Andrea also nodded in agreement with Ezio’s assessment:
“He grasps the crux – we mustn’t conflate our purpose. Frankly, the conflict between hawks and doves cannot be resolved from the outset, nor should it be. Their friction allows the Church to maintain equilibrium.”

Yet the cardinal’s gaze suddenly settled upon Ezio, his pupils dilating as he beheld the ascetic priest’s attire before cautiously inquiring:
“And you are…?”

Only later learning of Ezio Emmanuele’s ascetic origins in the Alb Mountains did the cardinal sigh in realization, well-acquainted with the eccentricities of those mountain ascetics from personal ordeals.

Having grown too accustomed to headquarters’ tranquility, the cardinal could not conceal his initial bewilderment – an admission met with Hildegard’s empathic glance.

More time elapsed as the party continued their Council preparations alongside spiritual cultivation. Clergy from afar steadily trickled into Toriento, their distinctive sacerdotal and monastic garbs lending a colorful atmosphere.

Finally, after two days passed, the long-awaited morning dawned. The clerics assembled in Toriento began converging piecemeal towards the conference chambers the cathedral had prepared.

At last, the Toriento Council’s opening ceremony drew imminent.