I released a handful of mid-level Divine Power.
That alone was enough to elicit horror from the wizards.
A suppressed sound escaped their lips as they witnessed the Divine Power.
Only Alisa and Pyran maintained calm expressions. The other wizards were forcing their heads to stay upright, resisting the natural urge to bow.
It was the pride of nobles who refused to show a posture of submission to an outsider.
Of course, I had no intention of forcibly suppressing them. ‘I don’t intend to force them down. That would just be temporary submission.
Such things are nothing more than a moment of violence.’
As I silently withdrew the Divine Power, the wizards finally caught their breath. Their wide-eyed gazes were all focused on me.
“I am the Saint of the North who serves the one and only God, Hor. The energy you felt is the power of Hor.”
I calmly scanned the room. Those who met my eyes flinched. It was as if they were either terrified or filled with awe. It was worth the risk of bringing out that level of power.
Since wizards are inherently Truth Seekers, my power, which was closer to the Truth than anything else, must have come as a great shock to them.
“Just as Alan… the Saint of the South said, if it’s the Magic Alliance that participated in the Plague War, there is a possibility of persuasion.”
I began explaining step-by-step to those whose ears were now wide open. From this point, I added a bit of past history: the spark of Hor that spread from Riot Castle, and the Baren Kingdom that finally became a Church State.
“The Magic Alliance defeated the darkness alongside the Baren Kingdom. In that process, Hor assisted them.”
Even if they hadn’t become believers, the members of the Magic Alliance wouldn’t be able to deny the existence of God himself. The seeds of heresy would have already been burned away by the Judges of Heresy.
“Young Master Alan. Is everything the Young Lord said true?”
At Pyran’s question, Alan nodded.
“Haa…”
Gasps of surprise erupted from various places. However, not everything was easily resolved.
There are truths in the world that are difficult to accept, and to those who had lived their lives without knowing God, I was exactly that kind of existence.
Their faces were filled more with shock than disbelief.
How much time would it take for them to fully believe me? And how desperate would they have to become?
‘There is no time to wait until then. The trigger has already been pulled.’
Somewhere, a nauseating energy sent a chill down my spine. It was likely Bafel starting to move after sensing me releasing my Divine Power. I turned my gaze toward Alisa.
“To stop those who serve the wrong thing, you, their adversaries, must serve the right God. However, I understand it would be difficult to believe in Him immediately.”
Alisa said nothing. She simply sat there with deeply sunken eyes.
“Hor has warned of the seriousness of this situation. Therefore, I wish to first pass on the blessing of Hor to you all.”
It was a distinctly different situation from Baren. Back then, I had gained Faith through the belief given by the parties involved, but now, I intended to step forward and grant power first.
“A blessing…?”
At Pyran’s cautious question, I clasped my hands together. With a murmur of “O Hor—,” light erupted from my body. The light that filled the Council Chamber soon attached itself to the staves of each wizard.
“I will share this light with everything necessary for war preparations, including Magic Armor and barriers.”
It was a truly unconventional proposal. Since they were each outstanding wizards, they would have at least vaguely noticed the utility of my light.
It was then.
“It is difficult to trust Richard!”
A young wizard stood up from his chair and shouted. His eyes were filled with wariness as he looked at me.
“Are you not of the Battenberg bloodline, the ruling family of the Northern Continent? Your current actions seem like nothing more than an attempt to fuel the discord between the rival Marx family and the Southern Continent.”
I knew his name. John Domitian. He was a young genius with a promising future. The other wizards looked uncomfortable at John’s bold statement.
However, no one stepped forward to stop him. Everyone was secretly sympathizing with him, even if they pretended not to.
‘I guess it turns out like this.’
My birth as a Battenberg was holding me back. No matter how much I was Alan’s friend, it seemed difficult for them to truly trust me as long as I was a Battenberg.
“Even knowing what our sister went through at the main family…!” Alan growled with anger in his voice.
I raised my hand to restrain him. Then, I spoke to the wizards, including John.
“This is a problem you must resolve as a priority.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“If even you see this situation as a confrontation between Marx and its hostile forces, how do you think third parties will view Laplace? Surely, they will see it as nothing more than a rebellion against Marx, like David challenging Goliath.”
But that couldn’t happen. The premise was entirely wrong. It was problematic if the external perception of this country was associated with a mere rebellion.
“You must clearly define who is justice and who is evil before you rise up. A full-scale war between Laplace and Marx cannot be established on its own. Garnering support from other forces is essential. To do that, a clear justification is absolutely necessary. Horism intends to stop the seed of disaster. This is the cry that Laplace must announce to the continent.”
To gather comrades to help David, it was right to proclaim justice. If such an ideology was firmly established on the battlefield, then the support of the Holy Kingdom of Baren could also be considered. Because, in the end, it would be a fight between Horism and heresy.
“Mmm…”
The wizards seemed to have very complicated thoughts.
“It seems we need time to organize our thoughts,” Alisa, who had remained silent, declared the end of the meeting.
Her gaze, which never left me, made it difficult to guess her inner thoughts.
***
“If your feelings were hurt, I apologize on their behalf. Everyone is in a situation where their nerves are bound to be on edge, so please understand.”
The next day, Alisa spoke to me as I arrived at the lakeside. She said she would apologize for them misinterpreting my sincere intention to prevent war.
“Ah, it’s fine. It was a reasonable point, actually,” I waved it off. Of course, it would be a lie to say my feelings weren’t hurt. ‘I even offered to share my precious Faith so readily.’
But wasn’t it even worse in Baren? The scene where the Trantis Marquis was badmouthing me with all his heart and soul was still vivid in my mind.
“Pioneers usually get cursed at first.”
When I made a joke as if it were nothing, Alisa chuckled. “I know you weren’t lying.”
“Is there anyone who can deceive you, Master?”
“…While the news of Horism or my youngest brother being a Saint is surprising, would it be more shocking than my father’s condition?” Muttering in a troubled tone, she soon stiffened her expression and continued. “The reason I didn’t defend you and the youngest is that I am the King of Laplace. The request to accept a religion is something even I find difficult to simply nod my head to.”
It was the same reason as in Baren. As a leader of a nation, one could not make any decision easily. I nodded.
“Well, shall we start training for now?”
Shaking her head to refresh the atmosphere, she opened her palm.
*Whir, whir—*
The sound of the Rings of the heart rotating could be heard, and the surrounding mana surged. In an instant, dozens of spells appeared and occupied the surface of the lake. It was a sight that made me marvel every time I saw it.
‘Even if they are 1st Circle spells, isn’t she doing it too easily?’
The casting was one thing, but those smooth magical trajectories were no ordinary feat. Looking at the artistry of a distant realm, my fighting spirit flared up.
It was while I was repeatedly struggling as I fired off magic for quite a while.
Throb.
Pain flared up from the stigmata on the back of my hand.
“Eh?”
Has he arrived in this vicinity already? I tilted my head back and expanded my senses. I could feel something flying from the edge of the sky at an alarming speed.
“Is it someone you know?” Alisa also sensed someone’s approach and raised her staff.
“Yes, well…”
“Hmm, he seems troublesome. If you don’t want him here, I can block him by deploying a barrier over the Capital.”
“No, it’s fine.”
Vallach is not the type to meekly turn back upon seeing a barrier blocking his path. There was no need to think about how a tense Laplace would react. As expected, bustling miracles followed from the Royal Castle as they noticed his approach.
“Master. First, please calm the wizards.”
The timing didn’t seem very good, but regardless, Vallach was an excellent addition to our allies. I composed my breathing as I disrupted my violently rotating Rings.
***
“Richard, you brat! Your master is here!”
After flying through the air for several days and nights, Vallach could finally lay his eyes on his one and only disciple. However, some wizards tried to interfere with the reunion he had longed for. Bubbling magic power looked ready to pour down on Vallach at any moment.
“How dare they!”
Just as he was about to let out a roar while pulling out the Six Swords of the Star, Richard, riding on a star shining white, came to greet Vallach. However, the look in his eyes was unusual.
“You’ve arrived earlier than expected. I thought you would come much later, around the time you obtained the sixth star.”
The voice mocking his master was as cold as a sheet of ice. Vallach’s lips twitched. He could make as many excuses as he wanted.
“What do you expect your master to do when you grow at such an abnormal speed!”
Originally, they had promised to meet again once he could handle the Four Stars. Vallach had expected it to take about a year. However, this terrifying disciple of his had managed to obtain the Four Stars all at once one day.
‘He must have faced a powerful enemy.’
The stigmata, which had been throbbing as if it would fall off, had caused such a fuss. Vallach felt proud of Richard, who had grown significantly through adversity. He had laughed maniacally, thinking his eye for talent hadn’t been wrong.
However, having urgent business to handle, he had postponed the meeting with his disciple, and eventually, the current situation had come to pass.
“My disciple, what kind of master are you looking for in a kingdom on the Southern Continent? Where else could you find a master like me?”
Richard let out a sigh and lowered his gaze. At the end of that gaze stood a woman wearing a crown.
“The King of Laplace?”
Vallach’s heart began to race. ‘I can’t let the jewel I finally found in my later years be taken away while I’m wide awake.’
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.