Episode 197
Sacred Principality of Frelia.
It is the home of believers who worship ‘Frelia’, the only god (＜—神）, which is also the name of the continent.
This place, which was both a country and an independent self-governing organization called the ‘Vatican’, was far from war as its name ‘Holy Principality’ suggested.
There are believers and paladins who practice swordsmanship as part of missionary work, and there are sacred magicians.
Although some wizards were raised through law schools.
This was all just a move for defense and self-sufficiency.
The only targets of attacks for punishment were the demons invading the continent.
The tip of their sword was never pointed at a person.
It has never once intervened in a fight for interests between countries.
With pride in serving the one God closest to us.
With one name, ‘religion’.
Always called for peace and neutrality.
Is that why?
This cruel reality that believers are currently experiencing has created a sense of disconnection so great that it is not enough to say that it is unrealistic.
“Why why… …
The shrine was destroyed and the temple collapsed.
The stone statue of the god he had worshiped his whole life was covered in blood, and the believers who had prayed together every day turned into grim corpses.
Not a monster, not a demon.
Right in human hands.
“Emperor! Why are you doing this to us?
“What is this!”
“••••••reason?”
Everyone wanted to know why.
Why do they deny Frelia, the one god who is also the name of the continent?
Why are they burning down a decent temple?
Why are they attacking those who are still?
All of these reasons boiled down to one thing.
“There is no God in the world. “There are only humans who are closest to God.”
Emperor, conqueror, dictator.
Among many names, this is the one I want the most.
The human closest to God.
Schomertan Reinak.
This is because he wanted to become the ‘only god’ of this land.
“iced coffee••••••
‘There is no God.’
One hundred believers froze in place at this heartbreaking yet indifferent answer.
Because I was afraid.
Rather than the God I had believed in all my life, I saw the human in front of me with a knife pointed at my neck right now.
I am afraid of a more frightening reality.
I am afraid that the world I knew has collapsed.
I am afraid that I will never be able to worship God again.
“Choose your Pope. “It is surrender or death.”
A crossroads where there are only two choices.
In reality, the reality of a single road blocked by a wall was so grim that I was even more afraid.
“Let me tell you in advance, with all the honor in the world,
There is no such thing as a lucky death. There are only gruesome dog deaths. So it would be better to think carefully before answering. By the time you regret it, the heads of all your believers will have already been taken away.”
“Shomertan! The previous emperor was a faithful follower of the Frelian religion! He won’t be unaware of that fact when he becomes a son! “How can you commit such an unholy act!”
“I know, why don’t I know.”
The emperor sneered coldly.
“Every New Year, I came here with my father. My father
He prayed to a god he didn’t even know existed and donated hundreds of millions of dollars. For what it’s worth, you, the Pope, gave my father the blessing of a god he doesn’t even know exists. Do you know what I thought when I saw that?”
“You are staging a truly abominable play under the guise of God. “When I become emperor, the first thing I will do is get rid of these things.”
“Aaaah!”
As soon as the emperor finished speaking, the knights danced their swords again.
Dozens of believers fell to the ground, vomiting blood.
The Pope, who saw the scene, took a step back, and the Emperor burst into laughter.
“Give in. All denominations should kneel and participate in the great cause of the empire. Deny the Frelian religion and build a new temple that only honors me and the prosperity of the empire. If you do that, I will spare your miserable life. The answer is carefully. “Rejection is rejection.”
The price of rejection is death.
Hundreds of thousands of believers here
Breathing is not enough.
It is certain that it will take the lives of tens of thousands of church members spread across the continent.
The responsibility for every word is very heavy.
When the Pope failed to respond, a courageous believer suddenly stepped forward and shouted.
“No matter how hard a madman like you struggled, he couldn’t even see the shadow of God! God exists! The small belief that there is a God who looks after us all is enough to help ordinary people.
You never understand how much more comfort it brings to others… … !”
Shindo could not continue speaking.
This is because the head was taken off with a single sword.
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Looking at the believer’s neck rolling on the floor, the emperor covered his mouth and sneered.
“Know. That little faith is your weapon. “It is an evil tactic to lure weak people who cannot even trust themselves.”
The ridicule gradually faded, and eventually the emperor stood up.
This is because it was difficult to wait any longer.
“My patience is starting to reach its limits. “What is the answer?”
At the emperor’s words, the knights danced their swords once again.
This massacre was longer.
Countless people vomited blood and died.
However, the Pope could not easily open his mouth.
“Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu… …
Blood and tears poured from my eyes, and I couldn’t tell whether it was tears or snot from my nose.
I couldn’t even control my trembling body properly.
What choices do you have here?
Surrender kills the spirit.
Rejection kills everyone.
One word weighs more than a thousand pounds.
This one word denies all of the tens of thousands of Frelia Christians.
The thought lasted a long time, and the Pope closed his eyes tightly.
“Lord… … . “Please forgive this ugly son.”
I decided.
He silently endured the numerous gazes directed at him and opened his mouth.
The decision was firm.
There was no shaking.
“… … The Lord exists. No matter how much you try to deny it, you can never deny it.”
“Tsk.”
The emperor’s eyebrows furrowed at those words.
I’m sure he would have said no to refusal.
“This guy or that guy.”
Why is everyone rejecting their own truth like this?
The Emperor shook his head and turned his back.
There was nothing more to see.
Because all that remains is destruction.
“Extinction.”
The knights who had been waiting for Hwang’s command threw themselves forward.
Soon, a long massacre followed.
The screams continued for a long time.
“Kaaaaak!”
The believer who was hiding in the prayer room and crouching died while crying out the name of the main god, and the believer who had been standing in front of the stone statue of the main god until the end collapsed along with the statue.
There were some who bit their tongues and chose to commit suicide rather than be killed.
As the temple burned brightly, some people chose to burn to death along with the temple.
“You may be able to kill our bodies, but you will never be able to kill our beliefs.”
The Pope chose to save his spirit.
Still not sure if this is the right choice
Although I wasn’t sure about it, it seemed clear that it was a choice I wouldn’t regret.
Even if I died, I could be proud of my mother, Frelia.
Those proud eyes offended the emperor.
The determined gaze of the Pope, who was kneeling while bound, sharpened the Emperor’s nerves.
“Oh, that’s right.”
The emperor stretched out his hand.
An iron sword with a fair amount of blood wiped off with a white handkerchief, placed on a beautiful palm that has never held a sword in its life.
I heard this.
The emperor swung the sword with an expressionless face.
Pow!
Only those who have used a sword can handle it.
Because the emperor was not wielding a sword or anything, he was unable to cut off his head with a single sword and ended up on the Pope’s shoulder.
The Pope screamed in pain, and the Emperor pulled out his sword with difficulty and swung it again.
Although humans are animals that die very easily.
They live tougher lives than any other animal.
The emperor’s blind sword could not kill the Pope with a single blow.
No, I didn’t kill him.
“… … What do you think, can you really see God now?”
Until the Pope’s eyes lost their vitality.
Until you regret your choice.
I continued to hit him repeatedly until I witnessed that regret firsthand.
There was not a single trace of madness in the eyes of this emperor.
He was so expressionless and detached.
This actually made the Pope afraid.
‘ devil.’
A look of exhaustion, as if you had seen a real devil.
The Pope’s body had already been torn apart by the covered blades and he was dying.
“Yes, those eyes.”
Sigh.
Only then did the emperor, seeing the face he wanted to see, throw away his sword.
Then, the driver nearby handed it over.
I wiped my palms thoroughly with the white handkerchief provided.
Self _
=『=『 •
But no matter how hard I tried to remove the blood, it remained as an indelible stain.
No matter how hard I tried to rub it, the blood stains only spread more and more.
In the end, the emperor gave up trying to erase the blood stains.
It will probably be difficult to erase the smell of blood from these hands for the rest of your life.
If so, you should get used to it.
The emperor took a step.
The Papal Palace spread out behind him was burning brightly and turning into a heap of black ashes.
The first step toward the great cause of unifying the continent.
The first sacrifice, the main building of the Holy See, was collapsing, but the emperor did not smile at all.
I couldn’t help but feel bored.
Because there was someone else who could make him have fun.
“When will the Vatican end?”
“Destroy all religious denominations across the continent at once.
“It takes a little more time to let it go.”
“Where next?”
“It’s the closest Paltheon.”
“… … “What about the Wizard’s Tower?”
“The head tower is in Redian, so you have to hit it at the same time as Redian. To do that, greater preparation is needed… …
“I’m so bored I can’t wait any longer. Let’s go to Le Dian first.”
“My name.”
That’s why I’m going to meet you now.
The emperor was curious.
What decision will the incompetent king of a small country make?
What could those fool-like twin princes say to themselves who are forcing them to submit?
Will Ruin Ardel actually appear?
“… … “He will show up.”
When I thought of that guy’s face, for the first time, instead of a sneer, a bright smile appeared.
This is because of expectations for a three-way meeting.
