Chapter 131 : Chapter 131

Chapter 131

In the past, long before the continent's map took its current form.

Those who served the Gods appeared.

"The Gods will watch over us."

They designed altars to make offerings to the Gods.

They built roofs to protect the altars and erected pillars to support the roofs.

The structures thus formed were later called temples.

"The Priest is the representative of the Gods."

While humans were becoming the rulers of the land using Mana, and monsters were being driven into the mountain ranges.

Numerous temples were built all over the land.

It was around that time that each temple began to establish its own doctrines and class system.

"The Holy Knight is His will."

The sacred heart that only the chosen can forge, the Hollyheart.

Those who possessed it and called themselves representatives of the Gods could not only heal the injured but also use individual Authorities.

Therefore, the kings who constantly waged war began to think alike.

That they could gain an advantage in war by using them.

That they could end the era of warring states and give birth to a single empire.

The kings put those thoughts into action and began to report victories from all over.

Who had relations with more temples.

A time when only that was becoming the indicator of victory in war.

One Priest raised a banner of revolt.

"The representatives of the Gods must not be involved in the wars of humans."

He did not stop at his assertion.

He traveled from temple to temple, urging the Priests and Chief Priests to awaken.

Naturally, the kings showed their displeasure, and the Priests who colluded with them also showed a cold reaction.

"It is merely the sophistry of one whose Authority has not even been identified."

"To think a mere Priest, not even a Chief Priest, would dare to speak of the Gods' will."

"What an impertinent fellow."

Some even made extreme claims.

"The Gods wish for sinful humans to shed blood."

But the Priest did not deny the voices of those who criticized him.

Merely.

"I know that the Gods do not treat us only with love."

"But is it not we humans who uphold that will?"

The Priest spoke of human agency and dignity.

"It is sophistry."

The Priest's words bought the resentment of the temples.

Because his words deluded and swayed many people, the kings who ruled them also expressed their dissatisfaction and disparaged him.

A sophist.

A fomenter of chaos.

A demon who undermined faith in the Gods.

A fiend in the guise of a Priest.

On his way back from visiting a temple in another country, enduring the same insults as always.

He was eventually attacked by assailants, seriously injured, and hung on a cross in a village with his body mutilated.

He lived for nine days without a sip of water, lost consciousness on the nineteenth day, and is said to have passed away on the ninety-ninth day.

The man who would later be revered as the first Chief Priest of the Temple of Resurrection and the first Pope of the Holy Nation Luminescia.

This was a record of Tamuz de Ashtar, now passed down like a legend.

***

‘The first Pope couldn't have been human.’

During the time I was sealed in the sword, meeting a few partners and falling asleep repeatedly, I had heard rumors about him.

It was a time when I held animosity towards the Priests who had begun to appear on the continent and scoffed at their hypocrisy, so I remember being quite amused that there was at least one human with a sane mind.

I had wanted to meet him at least once, but the timing was not right.

‘Back then, that Harun fellow was focused on breaking through the wall.’

When my partner at the time broke through the wall and came out into the world, the Authority of resurrection had not yet been activated, and by the time I woke up again beside the next partner, the resurrected first Pope had already finished his term and stepped down.

‘At that time, the country of Luminescia did not exist.’

The story of Heinrich, who subjugated the surrounding countries and established the Empire, and the temple, which put forth a Pope and established the Holy Nation, came after that.

Now, 600 years later, these are things considered legends.

‘Even if he's a scarecrow, he's the king of a nation.’

As the number of believers grew, a country was naturally formed, but the king's authority still did not reach the Pope's.

‘If he's deposed without a just cause, a vacuum will form in the administration.’

Knowing that the Empire would exploit that gap, the Pope and Lan must have decided to use Eurasia.

They would lure me in with the medium-sized Warp Gate as bait, then use the Superhuman named Killian Eurasia.

In the process, they could also confirm the truth behind the circulating rumors and the letter sent by Pierre.

‘The background for setting up a stage like this.’

Lan had said.

If I wanted to become the main character of the stage, I needed to know the background of how the stage was set.

‘Whether it's the Emperor who wants to become a God or the Pope who opposes him. Neither of them is in their right mind.’

Killian shook his head as he recalled Lan's words.

“Are you feeling a belated sense of guilt for treating your brother as bait?”

A voice from the side broke me out of my thoughts.

“Sharle, just by participating in this plan, Eurasia and Cornelia have declared war on the Empire.”

Their role was to assassinate the Imperial delegation.

Afterward, the Holy Nation would announce the current situation as Eurasia's sole crime, but Cornelia, being an allied nation, would also be mentioned.

In that gap, the Pope's faction would drive out the king's faction, and just by taking the blame for a crime that was not a crime, Eurasia would obtain at least a medium-sized Warp Gate.

For Eurasia, it was a profitable business.

“We’re already at war anyway. If the blood on my hands can reduce future sacrifices, it's a gamble worth taking.”

“A gamble. I thought it was a rather rational plan.”

“Have you never thought that all your actions are close to a gamble?”

“……”

“That’s how it is.”

Smirk.

Sharle smiled and pointed forward.

“It's time for us to split up now.”

We had already reached the front of the target building.

Nine members of the Imperial delegation were staying in the building before us.

The Holy Knights who were on guard duty were currently chasing Julian and Hector, with only a minimum number of personnel left, so the only thing to be wary of was the Imperial troops that came with the delegation.

Even that was not an obstacle now.

Killian recalled the information he had heard from Lan.

‘Originally, two Superhumans would have been guarding the delegation, but.’

An individual who had agreed to Lan's plan was supposed to take care of them.

Also, the Divine Object protecting this place had stopped functioning.

“Be careful of traps. Even if there are no Superhuman-level individuals left, there will still be a minimum level of security.”

With those words, Killian cloaked himself in Mana and infiltrated the building using a concealment technique that Walkers would use.

‘It’s practically an empty house.’

I saw a few low-ranking Holy Knights, but they were quickly subdued and fell to a hand-sword imbued with Mana.

Creeak.

I reached the first room and opened the door.

Sssk.

The moment I stepped into the room, my concealment was released.

The gaze of the man who had been enjoying his rest focused on Killian.

“Wh-who are you!!”

“An envoy, for what it's worth. I guess they gave each of you a high-grade Magic Tool.”

“You are……”

A familiar reaction.

“Yes. It's me.”

The man's eyes widened as he identified Killian.

“You bastard! Do you know where you are!!”

Sssk.

A sword made of Mana was gripped in his hand.

“Aren't Eurasia and the Empire at war?”

Killian's form closed the distance in the blink of an eye.

“War is fought with swords.”

The sword that touched his neck, just like that.

Slice.

Bifurcated the body that had been one.

“One down for now.”

Excluding the one who had to be captured alive, there were seven left.

“You should have told me about the Magic Tools, you delinquent Saintess.”

Sssk.

Killian, having concealed his body, moved towards the next target.

About twenty minutes.

That was the time it took for Killian to cut down eight envoys and exit the building.

Upon entering the grand cathedral behind the building, the designated meeting place, I saw Sharle quietly offering a prayer.

Beside her, a man with a goatee was unconscious.

The head of the Imperial delegation.

“Is that man Count Arion Velmor?”

He was also the final piece of their plan.

“Yes. I've disrupted his nervous system with Mana. He won't wake up for two hours.”

“I cut down eight. I knocked out the Holy Knights who were on guard duty.”

The only ones who shed blood were the Imperials.

“Well then, shall we go?”

Sharle used magic to conceal their presence.

Along with that, the Count's form was also completely hidden.

After leaving the grand cathedral and running for about ten minutes, they soon reached the final destination of their plan.

Lumina Archive.

A place where over fifty Divine Objects, unassigned to owners for various reasons, were stored.

By the time Count Arion regained his senses, he would have become the culprit who tried to steal the Divine Objects.

After all, the ones who could have testified to his alibi had all died just a moment ago.

“The Divine Object of Cronis is in the deepest part of the archive.”

“Right.”

Lan had said that the Pope had been poisoned, and it was true that he was unconscious.

The Lumina Archive also housed the Divine Object that Claudio de Cronis used.

She had said.

"The Authority of God Cronis is 'time'. His Holiness the Pope can turn back a certain amount of time just by synchronizing with the Divine Object."

She had not told me how much time would be turned back.

‘What’s certain is.’

The Divine Object would react to Killian, and the Divine Object would forcibly awaken its current master, the Pope.

Afterward, they would frame Count Arion for the crime of trying to steal the Divine Object.

‘This is the stage that Lan designed.’

The deaths of the Imperial delegation would be treated as the sole act of the hostile Eurasia.

“Be careful of the reflux.”

“Seeing as the explosions have died down, it seems Julian has been caught too.”

Twenty minutes at most.

We had to take care of it and get out within that time.

It was when they reached Celester Hall, the entrance to the Lumina Archive.

Sssk.

“……!!”

“……”

The formula that had been concealing them was dispelled.

“Is there a Divine Object that hasn't been deactivated yet?”

“No, this is……”

It was not the effect of a Divine Object.

The moment I was about to say that.

“Killian Eurasia.”

A neat voice.

“And Sharle Cornelia.”

A gray-haired man revealed himself from behind a pillar.

The Commander of the Bellium Holy Knight Order.

“Gasli de Bellium.”

“Thanks to you, the job was easy.”

The man who had helped Lan's plan and dealt with the Imperial Superhumans.

Killian and Sharle bowed their heads in respect.

“You've arrived earlier than I thought.”

Right after he spoke in a dry voice.

Whooosh.

He drew the sword from his waist and swung it rapidly.

“……!!”

Killian twisted his body to dodge.

“Sir Gasli!!”

Sharle shouted.

“What are you doing?”

Killian made his Mana surge so that he could use Carpe at any moment.

“I'm in the middle of apprehending the suspects in the attempted assassination of His Holiness.”

A dry voice followed by a dry expression.

However, it was not difficult to read the killing intent underlying it.

‘That sword energy just now, he tried to cut both me and the Count in two at once.’

If the shield Sharle had created had not slowed it down, the Count's neck would not be attached right now.

“Did you betray the Saintess?”

“Are these outsiders trying to insult my loyalty?”

Once again, an indifferent sword was swung.

“……!!”

Killian, who had moved in front of Sharle, deflected the sword energy.

The impact felt on his arm was heavy.

‘It’s a Haki that only a 7-star can counter.’

“You will not escape from here.”

“……”

The one who reacted first to the unexpected variable was Sharle.

Ssssssss.

Violet Mana spread out around her.

“I'll buy some time.”

“You're no match for him.”

“If we delay, we'll be framed for everything.”

It meant for me to move first.

‘This is dangerous.’

I could feel a Haki from Gasli de Bellium similar to Simon Eurasia's.

‘Even if I go all out, I can't guarantee victory.’

And a mage who had not even reached the 7-star level said she would face such an opponent.

“Even if you use Secret Magic, he's not an opponent you can win against.”

“That may be so.”

A violet staff was gripped in her hand, having already completed her Mana release.

Sssk.

Killian also took out the Aether he had stored in his pendant.

Thud.

He plunged the Aether, imbued with Mana, into the ground.

“Having a medium will make it easier to handle the formula.”

“But then, Sir, you won't be able to withstand the Divine Object……”

Without listening to her, I released my Mana.

Carpe Illusion.

“Total Solar Eclipse.”

Fwooooosh.

The entire space was recalibrated.

Ruuuuuumble.

A massive Haki pressed down.

Eurasia Style.

“Wave.”

Mana that rose like a tidal wave swept over the Commander of the Holy Knights.

However.

Slice.

Gasli cut through the Haki and Mana with a single swing of his sword.

“……”

The middle-aged Commander of the Holy Knights followed the traces of Killian, who had disappeared leaving the domain behind, with his eyes.

“Did he run away?”

“You're not chasing him.”

“It will be fine to chase him after I kill you.”

“Ahat.”

A faint smile appeared on her face as violet Mana shimmered over her body.

“Gasli de Bellium. Unlike what I've heard, you are arrogant.”

“Sharle Cornelia. Unlike what I've heard, you are foolish. Will you be able to maintain your formula even after losing an arm?”

The Commander of the Holy Knights warned that this would not be the first time he had maimed a royal.

“The magic of Cornelia is not to be taken lightly.”

Smirk.

Even in a battle where defeat was predetermined, she did not lose her smile.

That was her way of living life.

[Name Search Magic is activated.]

[Confirming marital relationship between Sharle Cornelia and Killian Eurasia.]

[Bloodline authentication complete. Synchronizing with the Magic Tower's Mana.]

Behind her, an incomplete Violet Magic Tower was manifested.

The four spheres maintained by Aether reacted to the violet Mana.

“Creatio.”

Sharle, who held two domains in her hands.

Began the anti-Superhuman battle.

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