Chapter 383
Chapter 383: I Can’t Believe You’re Here. (5)
Dark, connected to Ghislaine’s consciousness, groaned.
― Damn it! The energy inside this guy keeps trying to push me out! It’s hard to hold on!
‘Try to hang in there. Right now, you can’t focus on your wounds because you’re trying to escape.’
― Got it, I’ll break down my magic and try to stay unnoticed as much as possible.
Ghislaine cut off Raviere’s arm and stuffed a portion of Dark into the wound.
The injury was significant, so Raviere would have a hard time distinguishing between the rampaging energy remnants and the wound itself.
‘I need to confirm just a little.’
The Salvation Society was an organization that had completely hidden its identity at this time. Ghislaine’s knowledge of the situation was understandably limited.
Although she had foreseen the future and prepared for it, she needed to acquire more information. That’s why she intentionally let Dark attach to her.
‘Could it be that they are the masterminds? Not just simple accomplices?’
In her past life, Duke Delphine had officially recognized the Salvation Society as a religion. That’s why she thought they had received support.
However, considering that they seemed to have been collaborating since before, it couldn’t be wholly ruled out that they were the ones pulling the strings.
‘What does the Duke need from them?’
The power of the Duke’s house is too strong to rely on just a mere religion. Why on earth would they conspire with a cult when they still have the capability to overturn the kingdom?
‘It seems they’re aiming for something beyond just the kingdom.’
What that was, Ghislaine didn’t know yet. But knowing that the Age of Turmoil, the Salvation Society, and the Duke’s treason were all connected was a significant gain.
In fact, it was rather convenient. From now on, they could be treated as the same faction and move accordingly.
“Ha… Well, it won’t be easy.”
Although she wasn’t using all her power, neither was Raviere. The strength she witnessed in her past life was far greater than now.
Even though he wasn’t a combat priest, he was strong enough to face a master directly. Yet, there were dozens of such individuals in the Order.
Later, other strong ones would emerge to fight the Salvation Society, but she couldn’t just wait around believing in them. Ghislaine, who was now an enemy of the Salvation Society, needed better preparations.
“Count! Are you alright?”
Toleo rushed over and asked, while Ghislaine pushed her thoughts aside and nodded.
“Um, I’m fine.”
“What the heck were those sudden monsters and what was that guy flying around…?”
Toleo, as a seasoned knight, fought valiantly despite being startled by the sudden appearance of the monsters. Yet, once the situation calmed down, he couldn’t hold back his curiosity.
“They are monsters created by those preparing for a rebellion in the capital.”
“E-eh?”
“They’re from an organization called the Salvation Society. I need to explain this a bit. First, I have to go see Marquis Branford.”
Ghislaine met with Marquis Branford immediately, and Bishop Porisco was half-forced to come along.
Marquis Branford was flabbergasted by the sudden calamity. He had simply intended to cut off the hidden tails of the Duke’s house when these unheard-of monsters appeared.
After listening to Toleo and the knights’ reports for a while, the Marquis turned to Ghislaine.
“What is this Salvation Society?”
“You can think of it as a cult organization that has teamed up with the Duke’s faction.”
“The kingdom recognizes nothing except the Four Great Goddesses’ Orders. Where exactly have such beings been building power?”
“That much, I don’t know either. It seems that when the Duke initiated a civil war, they intended to incite people together.”
Even though Ghislaine spoke with a speculative tone, it was something she had seen with her own eyes.
The subordinate organizations of the Duke, which had been secretly operating everywhere during her past life, incited people to revolt in the capital and within the Crown Prince Faction’s territory as soon as the civil war began.
People’s lives were already in shambles due to the drought. The lords were busy prioritizing their armies, making life even more difficult for everyone.
They used this gap to distribute food to the people, winning public favor and igniting rebellion.
Especially in instances like the one she encountered with Raviere, where they wore the guise of a charitable organization; it was even easier to sway public opinion. Thus, the Crown Prince Faction had to deal not only with the Duke’s attacks but also with internal rebellions simultaneously.
‘But even then, the Salvation Society hadn’t revealed itself.’
In hindsight, that was somewhat strange. It seemed like they were doing everything they could to keep their identity and power hidden until the Age of Turmoil arrived.
Ghislaine vaguely explained, “They have strong power, but they don’t seem to intend to reveal their identity yet. I only found out while attacking that location this time.”
“That… was that flying guy a mage?”
“Appears to be a priest of the Order. In battle, he seemed to possess the power of at least a 7-circle mage.”
“…”
When Marquis Branford looked at Toleo, he nodded in agreement.
“Count Penris is right. Even with all of us knights attacking, we couldn’t even leave a scratch on him.”
“Good grief…”
Marquis Branford rubbed his forehead. Not only was it troublesome that unknown entities were teaming up with the Duke, but there was also a superhuman involved.
What was worse was that he didn’t even know how many of them there were. If they intervened in a battlefield without superhumans, they would suffer immense damage.
To the troubled Marquis, Ghislaine said, “You don’t need to worry too much. We can bolster our other powers.”
“Other powers? Where from? Anyone who could join one side has already split.”
Thanks to Ghislaine’s efforts, fewer nobles were defecting from the Crown Prince Faction. Excluding nobles who claimed to be neutral, they had all chosen a side.
In response to Marquis Branford’s question, Ghislaine glanced at Porisco.
“The Church of the Goddess should all get involved in this war, right? Isn’t that so, Bishop Porisco?”
“W-What? Why would we…?”
The Order could not engage in politics. Moreover, participating in territorial conflicts was forbidden, let alone a civil war.
Yet, Ghislaine spoke with a look that questioned what the problem was.
“This isn’t just a civil war. It’s a fight to punish the Duke for teaming up with heathens. Isn’t it the Order’s duty to combat evildoers?”
“Th-That’s true?”
As Ghislaine said, fighting against heathens was the Order’s mandate. If they got entangled with heretics, they were supposed to capture and kill them without regard for status.
That’s why, even in her past life, all the Orders of the goddesses were desperate to eradicate the Salvation Society.
“So this isn’t a civil war; it’s a ‘holy war.’”
“Holy war…”
Porisco’s nose flared. A holy war! What a heart-pounding notion!
Being able to announce that one participated in a holy war was an honor to boast about for generations. However, it was usually something that wouldn’t occur in one’s lifetime.
Suddenly, Porisco hit his chest and shouted at Marquis Branford, “I, the Bishop, and the Temple Knights have clearly seen the visage of that demon! Our Juana Sect will participate in this ‘holy war,’ and I will immediately inform other Orders of this fact!”
“…Ahem, you called it a demon?”
“Yes! The form of that demon was identical to the one described in the scriptures that heralds doom! Therefore, it’s only natural for us to join in and stop it!”
“…Ahem, hmm.”
After clearing his throat several times, Marquis Branford wasn’t really a believer in demons and such.
However, it was an excellent opportunity. By painting the Duke’s house with the image of heretics, he could create a justification for the Orders to formally participate.
‘I could sway public opinion a bit before the war formally starts.’
If that happens, there would be defectors even among the nobles under the Duke’s house.
The stigma of being labeled as heretics was a considerable burden, even for formidable nobles. Especially if all four Great Orders considered them to be heretics.
Marquis Branford turned to Ghislaine and asked, “Are those monsters definitely creations of the Salvation Society?”
“Yes. But whether that’s true or not isn’t essential. We need to leverage the situation as best we can.”
Ghislaine had steadily weakened the Duke’s forces. She wasn’t about to let this good opportunity slip by.
Smiling broadly, Ghislaine received a smirk from Marquis Branford in response.
Whether those monsters were made by the Salvation Society or the Duke’s house didn’t actually matter. What was important was that many people had already seen those monsters.
It was enough to spread rumors that these were experimental creations made by the Duke with the help of heretics. There was plenty of evidence and witnesses.
With a serious expression, Marquis Branford declared, “Summon all the Archbishops and nobles of the Orders in the capital! This will be considered a serious threat to the kingdom, and we will punish all related parties.”
His gaze began to take on a chilling violence.
“Also, designate the Salvation Society as a cult and root out all related individuals. Anyone associated with the Black Sun symbol should be arrested immediately, and if they resist, they can be killed. Spread this information to all the nobles of the kingdom, and to foreign lands as well.”
As soon as the policy was set, Marquis Branford moved without hesitation.
“Lastly, declare Duke Delphine as a public enemy of the kingdom for colluding with the cult. Nobles who associate with the Duke will face the same consequences. All Orders will join forces to punish them, so the innocent must prove their innocence.”
Although he felt a bit uneasy about striking at the Duke’s tails without justification, the situation somehow grew even more favorable. Thanks to Ghislaine, a situation had arisen where he could completely shake the Duke’s house.
If it were a simple civil war, aligning with the powerful forces of the Duke would be beneficial. However, if the Orders sided with the Crown Prince Faction, the story would change.
The Duke’s noble supporters would truly need to make a decisive choice now.
The retainers of the Marquis were busy moving around. Not only in the capital but also in various territories, they would strike against the Duke’s tails.
This would likely create more evidence of the monsters and the Duke’s collusion with the cult.
Marquis Branford smiled contentedly and spoke to Ghislaine.
“Thanks to you, things have worked out well again. The involvement of the Orders will be a tremendous force.”
If the priests of the four Great Orders openly participated in the war, the soldiers would be able to recover their injuries and stamina while fighting. Knights would benefit as well.
Especially the priests who served the goddess of war would have combat abilities rivaling those of knights.
The army would become exceptionally stronger, far surpassing the joining of an average force.
Moreover, if a powerful cult began to rise, foreign nations might even send support.
This was truly an unparalleled advantage.
Marquis Branford acknowledged it. This time, Ghislaine was undeniably a lucky charm. So, this time, he decided to ask.
“Now we’ll be heading back. Is there anything else you need before we go?”
“I originally had nothing, but something came up that I need after this fight.”
“What is it? I’ll grant you anything I can.”
“Please give me a little more Dragon Heart. No, just give me all that’s left.”
The Marquis momentarily regretted his earlier braggadocio and questioned her.
“…You’re asking for all the royal treasures?”
“It’s not the time to be stingy. We need to bolster our power as much as possible. You don’t have much left anyway, right?”
“Then why just you…”
“We need to use every treasure and resource now. We have no idea how many superhumans they might have on their side. And… you’ve already had the talented individuals from the Crown Prince Faction test their skills, haven’t you? They’ve failed.”
“Hmm…”
That wasn’t an unreasonable point.
It was true that with the Orders participating, their power on this side had increased. However, the unknown superhumans on the enemy’s side were a problem. They needed to strengthen their side as much as possible.
But, as Ghislaine pointed out, the Crown Prince Faction had no capacity left to create new superhumans. They had distributed the Dragon Hearts to promising knights and mages, but everyone had failed to break through their limits.
Because of that, there had been much lamenting among the nobles about having wasted valuable Dragon Hearts.
After contemplating for a while, Marquis Branford let out a sigh and asked.
“Are there really more people in the territory who could rise in rank if they used those?”
These were the highest treasures granted only to those with verified loyalty. If someone used a piece of Dragon Heart and still couldn’t advance, it would be a great loss.
It was simply too much of a waste to use them just for increasing mana or magical power.
Of course, it would be nice to boost magical capacity, but it couldn’t compare to actually breaking through a limit. That’s why the royal mages were still bitterly criticized even now.
Ghislaine spoke in a way that seemed to dismiss his worries.
“I can utilize them effectively.”
Ultimately, Marquis Branford had no choice but to nod. Although he felt that it was excessive to hand out such treasures, Ghislaine had also provided an equally significant gift.
Especially linking the Duke with a cult was an even greater gift than the support supplies Ghislaine had given. It had the potential to completely reverse the narrative.
‘If I don’t do anything and we lose the war after being stingy, it would all be meaningless.’
On this side, they had already exhausted all useful personnel.
In the end, Marquis Branford decided to support Ghislaine just a bit more.
“Understood. I’ll give you everything that’s left, so use it to strengthen our forces.”
“Thank you.”
Ghislaine beamed with joy. This would elevate the territory’s fighting power by several levels in one go.
By getting involved with the Salvation Society, she had obtained more of the hardest-to-come-by treasures than she initially planned.
‘After all, they will eventually reveal themselves, and opponents will emerge.’
Perhaps that was why they had been hiding all along. However, Ghislaine never mentioned that fact until the end.
Not knowing how the situation might change, they needed to raise their fighting power as much as possible while they could.
‘Alright, I suppose I won’t be able to acquire anything else for a while.’
Being meticulous about gathering what could be obtained was Ghislaine’s principle.
*
A forest surrounded by thick trees.
Light coming through the branches scattered across the flowers blooming everywhere, painting the forest in beauty and mystery.
At the center of that forest stood a giant tree that soared high into the sky.
The tree was so large that its base could be the size of a small village.
In front of that tree sat an elf woman, eyes closed, on a vine woven like a chair.
The elf appeared completely bound by vines, unable to move her arms and legs. Nevertheless, she merely sat there with a tranquil expression.
Chirp, chirp, chirp.
Birds gathered around the elf, chirping and singing as they perched upon her body. The elf smiled and listened to their songs.
Soon, a gentle breeze rustled around her, wrapping her in its embrace. The flowing energy from the ground reached her feet, causing them to sway.
The sound of a small stream nearby lingered in her ears. The twinkling light from the shaking leaves brushed against her face like a gentle tickle.
It was as if all the delightful stories of the world were being conveyed to her.
After a while of silently smiling, she suddenly opened her eyes.
Flash!
A brilliant greenish light flashed in her eyes.
The elf dropped her smile and spoke with a blank expression.
“I see you’re there.”
