478 [478] The crystal palace.
A knock was heard on the door. James opened his eyes and stared at it. Without knocking another time, the individual outside stepped in. It was a man clad in pure white armor. It was the standard plate armor of the medieval era, just adorned with numerous intricate runes.
“The cardinal is calling for you.”
The man said, with a respectful tone. Unlike the rest of the people in the church, who would treat James, with his look, as a barbarian with contempt. The man in front of him was much more mature. Which did come off as a pleasant surprise.
He was also strong. But not as strong as James expected a knight of the church to be.
‘So Stefan is the only one of noteworthy power here.’
He thought, as he assessed the man. The only thing special about him would be his manners, and his armor. His strength was only subpar.
‘The world is really weak.’
“The cardinal is calling for you.”
The man said again, this time with a deeper tone of voice. It was as if he was getting annoyed with James lazy attitude. James, purposefully yawning, stood up and walked towards him.
“Sure, will you lead the way, oh white knight?” 𝘪𝘳.𝒸𝑜𝑚
The knight was taken aback by his fluency in the language, but kept to his duties and lead the way. James followed close behind, he had already infiltrated the mind of the knight with a frost snake, and was currently viewing his memories.
The knight was actually in a high position in the church, in charge of the battalion under Stefan. From the knight, James was able to get the prized information the idiot guards at the front lacked.
‘I see…so all of them oppose Stefan. The cardinals as well.’
Stefan’s situation was downright terrible, All the bishops were against him, and even the cardinals as well. The people of high prestige within the church and the Empire were against him. It truly showed how rotten the empire was.
Not a single one wanted the apostle, the ‘literal’ chosen of their deity, to become the next pope. James didn’t know whether the deity despised Stefan as well, to put him under such impossible odds.
Well, Stefan had him, so all would be easy.
The knight leading him, all under his control. He knew the entire church like it was the back of his hand now. Well, at least the areas that were accessible by the knight. He needed to control a person with higher access to know everything.
As they were making their way towards Stefan’s quarters, many people in the church looked at him with disdain.
“A tribal worshiper sullies our land…”
“What is that scum doing here?”
But, because of the knight, they could only bark like dogs. Soon enough, they reached a simple white door in the outskirts of the building. A desolate corner. The knight knocked on the door, and when he got the answer, ‘Come in’ he went inside.
‘Minimalistic.’ James thought, as he gazed in the room. There was not even a carpet here, just a simple bed and a desk. And even they were made with plain wood. No fancy decorations at all. Stefan seemed to praying at the desk, He turned around and smiled, looking at the duo.
The Knight lowered his head, as it to pay respects, and James did the same.
‘What a noble character.’
He wasn’t referring to the knight, but Stefan. After seeing what had transpired in the knight’s memories, he found that most in higher positions wanted him to prostrate before them, But Stefan only wanted him to lower his head. In fact, he didn’t even want this! He didn’t need any sort of greeting, but the knight was doing it out of respect for the man.
“Ah, you are here.”
Before he could answer, Stefan hurriedly said.
“The day is ending, we must go to the city to help the people.”
From the knight’s memories, James knew this was a daily routine of Stefan, which was when he went out to the city, and helped the people. By either giving them alms or blessing them. This was why his reputation among the common folk was so good.
But there was a hidden motive behind Stefan’s actions, which he had told only the knight. They were taking James so that the common folk would be more welcoming of the barbarians, and think of him as a great savior.
He was using James, who seemed like a barbarian, to garner a more positive reputation.
And honestly speaking, James found this scheme cute.
They went towards the city, going around the slums more often and blessing anyone they could find. Stefan also tasked him with distributing food and water to the people as well. In order to let them lower their guard towards James. James used his powers to forcefully lower the people guards, and distributed his mana to the supplies they were distributing. The knight, who was in his control, was doing the same, spreading small little parasitic snakes.
When the knight went to the well to get water, James made sure he would use an abundance of his mana to fill that well up. He did this to most of the wells they encountered during their journey. The people, while at first were reluctant, opened up to James. Although there was still the scornful look of some, most didn’t have it now.
Some children even played with James, His broad shoulders and back provided comfortable rides to some.
They went all around the capital city, and James just followed Stefan around, and his orders. The only thing he was doing by himself (with the Knight as well) was spreading small parasitic snakes, nigh invisible to the common eye, all around.
Their number had reached ten’s of thousands.
Slowly, but surely, they penetrated the entire city and consumed them, but left the church out, and Stefan.
James, had planned a very different and fun ending for them there.
Unfortunately, if Alan had a bigger mana reserve, he would have been done infecting the entire city in a single hour, instead of three days.
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