The Returned Sword King Decided to Become a Tyrant Chapter 41
Where does God’s will go (4)
The high priest’s stern expression distorted.
“Are you saying that you will ignore the Holy Empire’s advice on both situations?”
“well?”
A voice that seems to be trying to avoid something, but also seems forced.
I deliberately answered in a vague manner to elicit a reaction from him.
Then, as expected, Archpriest Garden glared and issued a warning.
“Know that depending on the degree, apostasy may be imposed. Prince Esteban, are you not taking this matter seriously?”
It was a voice so murderous that it made the chairman cry.
The sudden, chilling force made even the saint sitting next to her flinch.
Be that as it may, I pretended not to know and leisurely asked back.
“Apostasy, what a convenient name. But does acting against the doctrine really mean that we have received their land?”
“Don’t change your mind.”
“The Galder Plains we received were once Esteban’s territory. Can it be said that returning them also goes against the doctrine?”
“… … In the Bible, it is written that idolatrous things are blasphemous just by their appearance. Accepting them without any compensation would be the same as walking the path of apostasy.”
“Wow. Well said.”
okay.
If they had accepted it without any price, it could have been considered an act of apostasy, which they suspected.
It meant that there was no room to refute that suspicion.
But that was only a story about something that was accepted without any compensation.
“Do you know anything about the attempted rebellion in Esteban?”
“……that.”
Start with a light question.
And the conversation that followed was in a dull and hushed tone, as if discussing someone else’s life.
“It was a tragic incident. The fact that the King’s loyal and long-time friend was plotting civil war and assassination at the instigation of another country.”
“… … .”
“If no one had noticed anything strange, Esteban would have certainly been playing into the hands of a foreign power.”
In that moment, the eyes that were waiting for the prey’s opening glowed red.
“Judging by your reaction, it seems you knew.”
“……hmm!”
A series of disturbances in Esteban, and the beginning of which is the attempted civil war by Count Asus.
Only then did the high priest realize that the conversation was going strangely, and he hardened his expression and tried to open his mouth.
But my sharp affirmations flowed out even faster.
“Our acceptance of the land was merely a support to uncover the truth about the attempted civil war. This was directly discussed by the King of Esteban, who is present here.”
My eyes landed on my father, who was watching the meeting.
“Is what I said correct?”
“… … Yes. It is true. I testify in the name of the King that it is not a lie in favor of Esteban.”
Superficial reasons.
No, on the surface and in fact, the external justification for accepting the land was Esteban.
Nothing would change even if we played with words like agreement or support.
Rather, it was said that it would not be strange for Esteban, who accepted the land, to volunteer as a victim.
thud!
Archpriest Garden stood up, his hands firmly planted on the desk, and jumped up as if it was ridiculous.
“That’s nonsense! How can you receive land as a means to uncover the truth?”
“It is Esteban’s judgment to take advantage of the opportunity and reclaim the old lands that were lost. Calling this a fallacy would be the standard of the Holy Empire. Is this also the will of God as stated in the doctrine?”
“that…….”
Archpriest Garden bit his lip at the cold question that brought up doctrine.
In this situation, it was clear that saying no would immediately become a diplomatic faux pas.
However, the predator never stopped hunting its prey.
“Rather, the Federal Empire suspects you of being the mastermind behind the situation. The true mastermind behind the conspiracy to commit civil war.”
“What are you talking about… … .”
“What do you think?”
I said so and smiled coldly.
Then, this time, even the high priest who had been pretending to be calm couldn’t help but widen his eyes.
“Wow, who the hell said that?”
“It is the official position of the Federation Empire. Their position is that they intentionally sought to gain advantage by sowing discord between the two countries.”
In fact, the positions of those who received letters from Father or came as part of the delegation were all the same.
That is, the speculation that the Holy Empire is the mastermind behind all these incidents.
The smile on his lips gradually deepened, and the beads of sweat running down the high priest’s forehead increased.
“Do you believe such nonsense?!”
“I don’t know. But I do have my doubts.”
The Holy Empire, as if they had been waiting for the land to be received from the Federal Empire, sent a high priest.
And the threats and talk of apostasy could be seen as pressure intended to ruin the relationship between the two countries.
‘As if I had been waiting for this moment from the beginning.’
When High Priest Garden realized that fact, he closed his mouth, and I continued speaking, savoring the afterglow of the silence.
“The Holy Empire has not said a word about this. Rather, I would like to ask. Is the Holy Empire really not involved in this matter?”
“… … .”
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Originally, it should have been the role of the Holy Empire to investigate.
However, the flow of events changed in an instant, and it seemed as if Esteban was hearing the explanation from the Holy Empire, which was acting as a rare device to break the composure of Archpriest Garden.
Soon the silence was broken and leisurely voices filled the hall.
“The story about the dwarves is also questionable in its intent.”
“… … Please speak.”
“The dwarves are also creatures of the gods you speak of. But to call them apostates just because they gave us land is beyond common sense.”
It seems to me that there is another reason.
I said that and stroked the tip of my chin.
This was no different from saying that he was once again doubting the will of the Holy Empire, but the high priest, whose mind was in disarray, had no time to worry about such things.
So what came out of his mouth was a sentence close to an explanation.
“The scriptures say that Loena gave birth to a child on this earth and created him in her own likeness.”
“Does that mean… … that openly giving the land for your children to a foreign race is no different from rejecting the will of God?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
But the corners of my mouth showed no intention of lowering.
“Then he said to the moon, ‘Prepare for the birth of life. All life on this earth will be my children.’”
“… … !”
“This land will soon become the home of my children. Isn’t that the doctrine you speak of?”
Doctrine is refuted with doctrine.
The high priest opened his mouth as he looked at me with eyes that seemed to show disbelief as I recited the contents of the scriptures.
“How about that content… … .”
“Esteban does not have a separate state religion, but the majority of the people follow the doctrine of Roena. Is it strange that I, the first prince, know about it?”
“… … .”
“In conclusion, no matter what you think, the fact that the Holy Empire despises the alien races as not being the children of God is nothing more than a human interpretation of the doctrine.”
For those who grew up in the Holy Empire, there was no other way than to believe the distortions they had learned since childhood.
I guess you just think it’s disgusting, you never even thought it was wrong.
However, they were not the high priests or the Pope who led the Holy Empire.
We already know that that doctrine is wrong.
Ironically, only those who were supposed to be devout priests of Roena knew.
Still, there must have been a reason why the Pope sent the high priest and the saint.
The reason why this ridiculous stage had to be produced.
Why it is necessary to drive out the dwarves from this land in the name of apostasy and ideological verification.
Yeah. For example… … .
“They are the only ones who know the secrets of the Holy Empire, which was finally lost during the Age of Chaos and the campaign to exterminate the Warlocks.”
“… … !”
The ambiguous conversation ended there.
Now they will not be able to justify justice by citing doctrines.
… … No, there won’t be any time for that anymore.
I leaned back in my chair, my conversation with George replaying in my head.
-There are six elements that govern the world.
Fire, water, wind, earth.
And darkness and light.
Ancient scholars discovered the elements of the world scattered throughout the atmosphere and studied ways to utilize them.
This developed into the discipline that forms the basis of magic today.
-But here a question arises.
The fourth element used by wizards, and the dark mana used by slain warlocks.
What about the mana of light then?
Why were there only five elemental wizards in the world?
George folded his arms and pondered the question given.
-Light mana is more difficult to handle than other elements… … . Isn’t that something like that?
Since it was probably something he had never even thought about in the first place, that guess was also based on common sense and simple wordplay.
Of course, the answer wasn’t that simple.
-The Mana of Light clearly existed and still exists. Its legacy continues to this day.
-… … No way! That light mana is… … .
In an instant, the smile that had been spread across his face disappeared.
And that blasphemous speculation soon became reality.
-Yes. That is what they call divine power.
The saint is born with a vessel of divine power that is far superior.
In other words, it means that you are born with a constitution that makes it easy to receive the mana of light.
As is usually the case with genius magicians who are born with the blessings of the elements.
-The divine power they claim to have is a false power. It is nothing more than magic that has been passed down from ancient times. This is their secret that is only passed down to the commanding officers of the Holy Empire.
-… … .
There is only one saint, born with the blessing of God?
This was also a funny story.
They were intentionally controlling the number of ‘saints’ by traveling between their own country and other countries.
It is precisely to create this kind of belief.
-If the quality is not outstanding, you will become a priest of Roena, and if the quality is outstanding, you will kill the young girl before she realizes the blessing of the elements.
Because there is only one saint on the continent.
Just for that reason.
Then, when the previous saint dies or retires, only then will one of the seeds that was not killed be chosen.
The target is a daughter of the Holy Empire who has not yet blossomed.
In other words, she was a girl who had barely made it through childhood.
George shuddered in shock and said,
-If a new saint is born… …. If that happens, what will happen to the other girls?
-There is only misfortune in the end. There is no exception. You should be thankful that you were not killed immediately upon discovery like the girls in other countries.
-… … .
This is where the term ‘witch hunt’ comes from.
When the girls who had been lucky enough to avoid the eyes of the Holy Empire learned the element of light themselves.
When I discovered a talent I didn’t even know I had.
The best way to kill them was to label them as heretics and execute them… … .
-The reason the Pope of the Holy Empire ordered the extermination of black magicians in the past also stems from here.
-… …Is it a religious reason that they only use the power of light mana and its opposite?
-Yes. Only by calling them servants of the devil could they fully explain their power to use that opposing element called divine power.
I nodded and looked out the window of my office.
Truths lost during the Age of Chaos and the Warlock’s extermination campaign.
The truth was revealed to the world when the Federation Empire captured the dwarves who had fled from the barbarian lands.
It was before the regression.
-They are afraid of the dwarves because they know that fact.
I said so.
So this meeting could be a good opportunity.
Because I already knew all the guys’ intentions.
If he could use this opportunity to break their dark intentions, it was clear that Esteban’s path would open.
‘That’s how we use them to stop the Federation Empire.’
The meeting place was filled with silence.
My cold smile lingered on the saint and the High Priestess of Garden.
