[Released 9 chapters today. Only about 25 of you guys signed up for the giveaway. There’s a high chance of winning something!]
Chapter 378: Fact Always Wins. (4)
“Are there any other soldiers agitated?”
“There… are not, Karina-nim.”
‘That’s a lie.’
“How about on the other side? Check it.”
“There aren’t any, too. Of course, it is difficult to say that the atmosphere is the same as usual, but the spread of useless rumors is being prevented as much as possible… Since we are thorough not only in related education, but also in the speed of admission, there will be no morale affected.”
‘That’s impossible.’
I thought that this was definitely a lie. The Honorary Cardinal shouted, all whilst being surrounded by brilliant light. And it was just after I watched the incident in Laios.
There was no way that soldiers who could not shake off the fear of war would not be anxious to see that.
‘It wasn’t invented.’
It was a great light that I had seen through the Goddess’ Mirror, a divine light that was incomparable even to that time. I hadn’t even been on the continent for a long time, but this was the first time I had ever seen that level of divine power. I thought it might be a simple trick, but…
I even thought that he might have really been chosen by God. There was no need to mention that I couldn’t sleep properly after witnessing that scene.
If Lee Kiyoung or someone related to him really had one hand in the demon’s summoning, as the Republic was promoting, no matter how I were to think about it, I could not understand this divine power.
Of course, not all clergies were good.
However, most clergymen who had reached the stage where he had had a strong faith.
They served God, prayed for those in need, and lived only for God. The divine power possessed by the Honorary Cardinal exceeded the saints of each denomination. It was safe to say that it was equivalent to the transcendental beings who had left their names in history.
In other words, if he really had anything to do with the demon…
‘It is impossible to obtain the same divine power as now.’
This was only a conviction, not speculation. I didn’t know in detail exactly with what mechanism the divine power worked, but I was aware that the demon summoner or those involved in black magic could not possibly get that kind of divine power.
‘You must never trust him, Yev Karina. Absolutely.’
The words of military commander Jin Qing suddenly came to mind. However…
‘If he’d rather be honest…’
If Jin Qing had any purpose, I would have endured and accepted it. I would have nodded if he had summoned a fearful being for the benefit of the Republic. If he were honest…
‘What can I do with questioning? He wouldn’t do that.’
Anxiety in the command and control room led to anxiety for the entire army. I began to anxiously bite my lips. It was then that the voice came from outside.
“Yev Karina-nim. Senior Bishop Priest wants to see…”
‘Damn.’
If I were to think about it, it was the expected procedure.
“Tell him to come in.”
“Yes. I will tell him as it is.”
Shortly after some time had passed, I could see an old man with gray hair. He may appear to be a tacky old man at first glance, but no one would consider the one in front of me to be an old man with nothing to do.
Even in the Republic, a religious body exists. Of course, I couldn’t say that it was the foundation of a nation like the State, but their position in this society where priests were essential was not entirely small.
The same was true of priests who were serving in the military. Turning away from their voices was no different than turning away from the religious body itself.
That was why I did not feel happy with this situation now. I could roughly predict what that old man would say.
“What is it? Bishop Priest.”
“Ahem… It’s about what happened yesterday, Yev Karina.”
“I have already announced our position regarding what happened yesterday… There is nothing to say about it. The Republic’s position is already…”
“Of course, but… there’s something that’s not quite right about it. Could you dispense the others for a second?”
“No need to do that, Bishop Priest.”
“This is a request.”
“…”
“…”
‘That’s why I didn’t want it.’
I had to exhale because I myself knew the meaning of those words.
“Please go back to each location and check the unit again.”
“Yes. Okay.”
“…”
“…”
“So… May I hear what you want? Senior Bishop Priest.”
“I have to talk to him…”
“I’m sorry? What are you…”
“I will talk to the Honorary Cardinal of the State. If you can arrange a seat separately…”
“That’s ridiculous. Even if it’s you, I can’t let what you just said slip. To say you are going to meet him in this situation? We’re in a war. Our job is to defend this place, and we shouldn’t think about anything else. My job was to cut off the reinforcements and supplies going to Castle Rock. It was not my job to have the priest and him meet.”
“Our job is not to win this war, but to defend the Republic.”
“To win this war is to protect the Republic, Priest.”
“Do you really think so?!”
“…”
“You really haven’t thought about any other possibilities after looking at that just now? His divine power is not a lie. Do you really think he summoned the demon and trapped Jin Qing, just as he said? Could the demon summoner, or the one who does what he’s involved in, have that kind of divine power? Goddess Benignore will laugh. The gods are not involved in the present world, but they are not just watching, either. Those who have bad personalities are not given such divine power! He is a saint, and he is the one chosen by the light. Heavenly saint…”
“He is a scammer! Senior Bishop Priest!”
“How can a scammer show that kind of thing? What we witnessed yesterday wasn’t what we saw in the Goddess’s Mirror… it was actually happening, and it was real. There are some talks already coming out among the priests. In order to appease them, you must arrange a meeting with Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung.”
“But…!”
“How long have you lived in the Republic? Yev Karina, I grew up in the Republic, and I am still standing here to protect the Republic. I have no intention to do anything that harms the Republic. I just want to know something. Whether what we know is the truth… I know that you are loyal to Jin Qing. I, too, don’t think he is that kind of person. But at least I want to check it with my own eyes, if he really is the one who has been chosen by God.”
“Jin Qing is not such a person.”
“It could be a third party’s job.”
“Jin Qing also spoke of the possibility of a third party’s actions. But in the end, everything was the trap of Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung…”
“There is a possibility that this is also a third party’s work. I can tell just by looking at his eyes. He’s not a great man who would do that. He is a human chosen by the light. To say that he summoned the demons and trapped Jin Qing… I would rather believe that the demon has done some volunteer work.”
“…”
“More than anything else, do you think it makes sense that he was able to set a trap for Jin Qing, which have never seen the Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung before? The demon and everything that was there, the magic that fell to summon the demon… really… you think it was all just for Jin Qing alone?”
“As a tactic to pressure the Republic…”
“Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung didn’t even know that Jin Qing was in Laios.”
“How can you affirm that, Bishop Priest?”
“Did you not look directly through the Goddess’ Mirror? All the people from the neutral country were watching what happened at that time in Laios. If Jin Qing’s words are true, doesn’t it mean that Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung was dealing with the fearful creature as a servant? Do you think that the one who has such power fooled Jin Qing in line with Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung? Do you think that makes sense? Do you think that the demon, who could threaten the continent, listened to a man and played a play only to entrap Jin Qing? Does this mean that he even had planned and executed it all in a month? It’s not easy, even if the coincidences were to overlap. I’m just talking within the line of common sense right now. Yev Karina. If really… if Cardinal Lee Kiyoung really wanted to confuse the continent, he would have summoned the demon once again. He wouldn’t have done this annoying thing. He wouldn’t do that.”
‘Shit…’
I wanted to deny it, but it was pretty hard to deny. This was because the Priest Bishop hadn’t said anything wrong.
The reality of the tremendous incident that took place in Laios…
To have played a play to deceive Jin Qing just by listening to a mere human, even a child wouldn’t believe that. It was more realistic to think that there was indeed a third party, and that it was trying to separate the State and the Republic. I know I couldn’t do this, but my expression had been growing darker and darker by the moment. As I muttered, I immediately heard an answer.
“How… can you affirm that, Priest Bishop?”
“That’s why I want to talk to him.”
“…”
“That’s why I want to have a conversation. To see what kind of person he is with my own eyes… and if he is really an envoy chosen by God? What he’s thinking. And…”
“…”
“If there is a real threat to the continent.”
“…”
“There are many things I want to hear. As he said, we may be thinking wrong. It is not at each other that we need to aim our swords.”
“The conversation…”
“It’s a request.”
“I can’t give you permission.”
“Yev Karina!”
“I mean, officially.”
“Ah…”
“I can’t officially give you permission. If it’s discovered that Senior Bishop Priest will meet Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung… it will have a huge impact on morale. There is no guarantee that it will not be used as a propaganda tactic by enemies. But… I will take action so that you can meet him unofficially. Of course, that would require their agreement. First, I will convey our intention. As soon as…”
“As soon as possible.”
“I know. Senior Bishop Priest. Because the war is coming soon.”
I had no idea whether this was right or not. My head had become very complicated, thinking about many things at once. However, I knew the reason why I nodded at the proposal of the Senior Bishop Priest.
‘Because I want to know the truth.’
Shortly after, about an hour after sending the letter.
An identical letter had arrived from the Kingdom of Eberia. It was true that I didn’t expect much. However, the letter of Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung had implied a perfect affirmation.
[I also want to solve this problem through conversation. We salute the High Bishop Priest’s determination who is loved by the light and the concession of the beautiful and noble Yev Karina. -Honorary Cardinal Lee Kiyoung.]
“So… Yev Karina will be coming, too?”
I couldn’t easily nod to that question.