383

Episode 383 I knew you'd be here. (5)

Dark, whose consciousness was connected to Giselle, joked.

― Damn it! The energy inside this guy keeps trying to chase me away! I can't stand it!

'Just try to hold on somehow. Right now, you won't be able to focus on your wounds because you're running away.'

- Okay, I'll break down the magic power into small pieces and try to make it as invisible as possible.

Giselle cut off Raviere's arm and put some of Dark into the wound.

The wound was quite large, so it would have been difficult for Raviere to distinguish it from the remnants of the energy running wild.

'I need to check it at least a little.'

The Salvation Church was an organization whose identity had not been revealed at all during this period. Even Jisel had limited knowledge of the information.

I knew the future and was preparing for it, but I needed to get at least a little more information. That's why I put it in Dark on purpose.

'Could it be that they are the ones behind this? Or are they just helpers?'

In my previous life, the Duke of Delphine had recognized the Salvation Church as an official religion. That was why I thought he supported it.

But, since they had been holding hands before, it couldn't be ruled out that they were behind it.

'What's wrong with the Duke of Delphine?'

The power of the Duke is not so weak that it can rely on mere religion. Why would they join hands with a cult when they have the power to overthrow the kingdom even now?

'There's something else you're after besides the kingdom.'

Even Jiselle doesn't know what it is yet. But just knowing that the time of tribulation, the Church of Salvation, and the Duke's rebellion are all connected is a great harvest.

It's better now. From now on, you can act as if you're all on the same page.

"Whew… … It won't be easy though."

It wasn't like he used all his strength, but it was the same for Ravière. The strength he saw in his previous life was stronger than it is now.

He was strong enough to fight the Master even though he wasn't a combat priest. But there are dozens of such people in the sect.

Although other strong men who fought against the Salvation Church would appear later, he could not just trust them and wait. As Jiselle, who had already become an enemy of the Salvation Church, he needed to prepare more thoroughly.

"Count! Are you okay?"

When Toleo came running up to her and asked, Giselle pushed the thought to a corner of her mind and nodded.

"Well, that's okay."

"What on earth are those monsters that suddenly appeared? What was that thing? It was flying in the sky… … ."

Toleo, like a skilled knight, fought without panicking when he suddenly saw the monsters. However, once the situation was resolved, he couldn't help but feel curious.

"It's a monster created by those who were preparing for a rebellion in the capital."

"Yes, yes?"

"They are created by a group called the Salvation Church. This is… … I think I need to explain it to some extent. I should go to the Marquis first."

Giselle met the Marquis of Branford right away. Forisko was also brought there semi-forcibly.

The Marquis of Branford was in a state of confusion as he was suddenly struck by lightning. He had simply set out to cut off the Duke's hidden tail, but now monsters he had never seen or heard of appeared.

After listening to the reports of Toleo and the knights for a while, the Marquis asked Giselle.

"Salvation Church? What is that?"

"You can think of it as a social group that joins hands with the author."

"The kingdom does not recognize any religion other than the four great goddesses. Where on earth did such people gain power?"

"I don't know about that. I think the Duke was probably planning to join in the civil war and incite the people."

Although Giselle spoke in a tone that seemed to be guessing, it was something she had seen with her own eyes.

As soon as the civil war began, the groups under the command of the Duke, who had been active in various places in the past life, incited people to revolt in the capital and the princely territories.

These are people whose lives were already in ruins due to the drought. The lords are also busy prioritizing the military, so it has become even harder for everyone to live.

They took advantage of the gap to gain the people's support by providing them with food, and then started a rebellion.

Especially when they were disguised as a volunteer group, like the one they met with Raviere at this time, it was easier to sway public sentiment. So the royalist faction had to deal with not only the attacks from the dukedom but also internal rebellions at the same time.

'But even then, the Salvation Church did not show itself.'

Thinking back now, it was a bit strange. It was almost as if they were trying to hide their identity and power until the time of tribulation came.

Jiselle spoke in a roundabout way.

"They have great power, but I don't think they have any intention of revealing their identity yet. I just happened to find out about it when I was there this time."

"That… that guy who flew into the sky and escaped was a wizard?"

"He seems to be a priest of the sect. From what I've seen of him fighting, he seems to have at least the power of a 7th circle magician."

"… … ."

The Marquis of Branford looked at Toleo, who nodded.

"Earl Fenris is right. My knights and I both rushed at him, but we couldn't even properly wound him."

"this...."

The Marquis of Branford touched his forehead. It's a headache that the duke and his family are joined by people whose identities are unknown, but they say that there are also superhumans involved.

I don't even know how many of those guys there are. If they were to enter a battlefield without superhumans, they would cause enormous damage.

Giselle said to the troubled Marquis of Branford.

"You don't have to worry too much. We can just supplement our other forces on our own."

"Other power? Where are you talking about? Everyone who can take sides has already split up."

Thanks to Jiselle's efforts, the number of nobles defecting from the royalist faction has decreased. Except for the nobles who declared neutrality, all have chosen which side they will take.

At the Marquis of Branford's question, Giselle looked at Porisco.

"The entire Church of the Goddess must participate in this war, correct? Bishop Porisco."

"Huh? Huh? Us? Why are we in a civil war… … ."

The religious order cannot get involved in politics. It is even forbidden to participate in a territorial dispute, let alone a civil war.

But Jiselle said with a look on her face as if to ask what the problem was.

"This is not a simple civil war. It is a fight to punish the duke who joined hands with the heretics. Isn't it the duty of the sect to fight evil?"

"Oh, right?"

As Jiselle said, fighting pagans was the job of the sect. The sect's doctrine was that anyone who got involved with pagans must be captured and killed regardless of their status, no matter how noble or otherwise.

That is why, even in the previous life, all the goddess sects were desperate to capture and kill the Salvation Church.

"So, what I'm saying is that this is not a civil war, but a 'holy war.'"

"sanctuary...."

Porisco's nose flared. Temple! What a heart-pounding word!

Participating in the temple is an honor that can be boasted about for generations, but honestly, it is normal to never experience it in one's entire life.

Suddenly, Porisco started beating his chest and shouted at the Marquis of Branford.

"The bishop and the knights of the temple have seen the appearance of the demon with their own eyes! Our Order of Juana will participate in this 'holy war' and will immediately inform the other Orders of this fact!"

"… … Ahem, you said devil?"

"That's right! The form of that demon is exactly the same as the demon that announces the end of the world in the scriptures! So of course we have to join the fight and stop it!"

"… … Ahem, ahem."

The Marquis of Branford coughed several times. He didn't really believe in the devil or the apocalypse.

But now was a very good opportunity. They could brand the Duke as a heretic and create a justification for the religious groups to officially participate in the war.

'I guess we can sway public opinion a little more before the war starts.'

If that happens, there will be some nobles who defect from the Duke's command.

Being branded a heretic was a considerable burden even for powerful nobles. And that was if they were treated as a heretic by all four major religious orders.

The Marquis of Branford looked at Giselle and asked.

"Are you sure those monsters are monsters created by the Salvation Church?"

"Yes. But it doesn't matter whether it's true or not. We have to make the most of the situation."

Jiselle, who had been steadily weakening the Duke's power, had no intention of missing this good opportunity.

When Giselle answered with a sly smile, the Marquis of Branford also smiled.

It didn't really matter whether it was made by the Salvation Church or the Craftsmen. What mattered was that many people had already seen those monsters.

All it took was a rumor to spread that the Duke had created the test subjects using the power of the heretics. There was ample evidence and plenty of witnesses.

The Marquis of Branford spoke with a solemn expression.

"Call together the archbishops and nobles of all denominations in the capital. This will be considered a grave threat to the kingdom and all involved will be punished."

His eyes began to take on a bleak, murderous look.

"Also, designate the Salvation Church as a cult and track down all those involved. Those who use the Black Sun as their symbol will be arrested immediately upon discovery, and those who resist will be killed. Make sure this fact is announced to all the nobles of the kingdom and to other countries."

Once the Marquis of Branford had his plan set, he moved without hesitation.

"Finally, I designate the Duke of Delphine as the public enemy of the kingdom who colluded with the cult. The same goes for the nobles who are with the Duke. I will punish them together with all the religious orders, so let those who are innocent prove themselves."

I was honestly a bit anxious as I was swaying the Duke's tail without any justification, but the situation actually went better. Thanks to Jiselle, the situation had come to where the Duke's side could be completely shaken up.

If it were a simple civil war, it would be advantageous to side with the powerful duke. However, if the religious orders side with the pro-prince faction, it would be a different story.

The Duke's nobles really need to make up their minds now.

The Marquis's vassals were all busy moving around. They would follow the Duke's tails not only in the capital but also in each territory.

If that happens, more evidence will likely emerge that the monsters and the Duke are in collusion with the cult.

The Marquis of Branford spoke to Giselle with a pleased smile.

"Thanks to you, things have gone well again. If the religious orders join in, it will be a great help."

If the priests of the four major religions openly participate in the war, soldiers will be able to recover their wounds and stamina while fighting. Not to mention the knights.

In particular, the priests who worship the goddess of war have fighting prowess that is no less than that of knights.

The military becomes stronger than it would be if a small number of troops were to participate in the war.

If a strong social movement is launched there, support may also be sent from other countries.

It really couldn't get any better than this.

The Marquis of Branford admitted it. This time, Giselle was truly the lucky one. So this time, he volunteered to ask.

"I'm going back now. Is there anything else you need before you go?"

"I didn't have it originally, but I needed it while fighting this time."

"What is that? If there is anything I can do, I will do it."

"Please give me a little more Dragon Heart. No, just give me everything I have left."

The Marquis asked back, cursing himself for having boasted a moment ago while momentarily intoxicated by emotion.

"… … Are you asking for all the royal treasures?"

"Now is not the time to be saving. We need to strengthen our power even a little. There isn't much left anyway."

"So why are you the only one… … ."

"Right now, we really have to use up all the treasures and such. We don't know how many superhumans there are on the other side. And… … Haven't you already tried all the talented ones in the royal faction? I know you failed."

"Umm… … ."

That wasn't a wrong statement.

It is true that the religious groups have participated and our power has increased, but the problem is that there are unidentified superhumans on the other side. It is true that we need to somehow strengthen our power even a little bit.

However, as Jiselle said, the royal faction did not have the capacity to create new superhumans. They gave dragon hearts to talented knights and magicians, but none of them were able to surpass their realm.

Because of this, there was a time when lamentations circulated among the nobles that they had wasted only the Dragon Heart.

After thinking for a while, the Marquis of Branford sighed and asked.

"If you really use that, are there more people in the realm who can raise their level?"

It is the ultimate treasure, granted only to a select few whose loyalty has been proven. However, if you use a piece of the Dragon Heart and still cannot raise your level, it is not a loss.

It would be a waste to simply use it to increase magic power or mana.

Of course, it would be good if the amount of mana increased, but it was incomparable to the increase in realm. That's why the royal wizard was still being criticized for a long time.

"Don't worry," said Giselle.

"I can make full use of it."

In the end, the Marquis of Branford had no choice but to nod. It's not that he didn't feel like he was giving too much, but he also felt that he had received too many gifts.

In particular, linking the Duke with the social group was a greater gift than the support Giselle gave, because it could completely turn the atmosphere around.

'If you really cherish everything and then lose the war, it all becomes meaningless.'

Everyone who is worth using has already tried it on this side.

Eventually, the Marquis of Branford decided to push Giselle a little further.

"Understood. I'll give you everything I have left, so use it to strengthen your power."

"thank you."

Jiselle smiled happily. If you use Dragon Heart, the power of your territory will increase by several levels at once.

Luckily, I got involved with the Salvation Church and got more of the most difficult to obtain treasure than I had planned.

'If those guys show up out in the open, there will be people to deal with.'

Maybe that's why they were hiding. But Giselle never told the truth.

Since we don't know how the situation will change, we need to increase our power as much as possible when we can.

'Okay, I guess there's nothing more to gain for the time being.'

Jiselle's motto was to always take everything she could.

* * *

A forest surrounded by dense trees on all sides.

The light coming through the branches of the trees scattered across the flowers blooming everywhere, coloring the forest in a very beautiful and mysterious way.

In the middle of the forest, a huge tree stood tall, reaching into the sky.

The tree was so large that its base could have been the size of a village.

In front of the tree, an elven woman sat with her eyes closed on a vine that had been woven into a chair.

The elf's arms and legs were wrapped in vines, and she seemed unable to move at all. Nevertheless, she just sat there with a very peaceful expression on her face.

Chirp chirp chirp.

Birds sang and sang from all sides, flying around the elf. They sat on the elf's body and chirped as if they were singing. The elf smiled and listened to the sound.

Soon, a gentle breeze blew from all directions, enveloping her body. The energy flowing from the ground also touched her feet and swayed.

The sound of a small stream flowing nearby lingered in her ears. The leaves swayed and the twinkling light tickled her face.

It was as if they were telling her all the funny stories in the world.

She had been smiling quietly for a long time, but then suddenly opened her eyes.

Flash!

A brilliant green light flashed across her eyes.

The elf opened his mouth with a blank expression, his smile fading away.

"There you are."