Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: I am a God (1)
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[I am a god who has descended upon this land to save the continent from its suffering. All of you who believe in me shall be saved.]
“That crazy son of a bitch. He’s finally lost it. Has he gone senile? Calling himself a god? Ha… Has he lived too long?”
In the Pope’s office, Provino, who had been listening to the broadcast, cursed, his face twisting with every word that came from the communication sphere.
It was a perfect provocation. This broadcast was undoubtedly being transmitted across the entire continent, seeing as the madman had even managed to control the communication spheres within the Holy Kingdom.
Just as Kratos had said, it was all for a single, powerful impact. The monster wave, the Raelian Church, and the appearance of a god.
Moreover, whatever the Empire had done, this broadcast could not be stopped. Not without smashing the communication spheres.
But smashing the one before him wouldn't solve the problem. There were communication spheres everywhere.
Even if they jammed the radio broadcast, it was still being transmitted loud and clear through the speakers.
He didn't know what tricks they had used, but it was meticulously planned. In a situation like this, it was possible that even the people within the Holy Kingdom's lands would be swayed.
*Knock, knock—*
With a series of urgent, off-beat knocks, the door burst open and Gleb entered the office.
“Your Holiness!”
“Yes, I’m listening. Shiv Grewele. That bastard has finally gone mad. He’s completely lost it. A madman calling himself a god?!”
“Your Holiness, your dignity…!”
“Dignity?! Don’t talk to me about dignity! From this moment on, the Holy Kingdom officially declares the Raelian Church a heresy. No, that religion isn't even a heresy. It’s a cult. A damn cult.”
Though he said he was declaring the Raelian Church a heresy, it was no different from declaring the entire Empire heretical. According to that broadcast, the Empire was now the Raelian Church.
The Holy Kingdom and the Empire were crossing a river of no return. And not just that. This could spark a war that would only end when one side was annihilated.
“…And we will withdraw all our temples and priests from the Empire.”
“Your Holiness!”
Gleb cried out in shock. The withdrawal of all temples from the Empire's territories was not something to be decided so lightly.
Just establishing or withdrawing a single temple in a village required countless meetings and administrative procedures.
“That lunatic has declared himself a god. In that case, what do you think will happen to the lives of our priests in the Empire?”
“Ah…”
Provino’s voice became low and chilling.
The deep furrow in his brow clearly showed his mood, and the veins on his visible hand bulged with rage.
“Proceed at once. We cannot afford to lose a single life in vain. Dispatch paladins and inquisitors to any region where withdrawal proves difficult. If any of the faithful wish to evacuate with them, bring them to the Holy Kingdom as well.”
“…I will see to it.”
“Summon a full council. Tell those old fools from the Council of Elders that every single one of them is to attend, without exception. Not a single one missing! Tell them to see with their own eyes what they have wrought.”
The sound of Provino grinding his teeth was audible, a testament to the fury he was barely containing.
He knew this would happen from the moment those old fools started fawning over that damnable Raelian Church.
If not for them, he could have dealt with the Demonic Realm and other matters more swiftly, and perhaps kept the Empire in check more effectively.
Though he had never imagined the final destination would be that madman declaring himself a ‘god’.
It didn't matter. The important thing was that the lunatic Emperor had well and truly crossed the line, and in doing so, had provoked the Holy Kingdom.
The justification was now on his side.
“From this moment, the Holy Kingdom will transition to a war footing. Disseminate this to all temples and priests. And prepare to offer support immediately.”
A rough picture was already forming in his mind. Kratos’s information was key. He knew how the board needed to be set.
Getting stunned after taking a hit would only make things worse. If you get hit once, you hit back twice. You don’t offer the other cheek after being struck.
“I will relay the message to all priests and faithful.”
Gleb closed his eyes tightly. What was bound to happen had finally come to pass.
***
The entire continent was descending into a brutal game of survival. Monsters were pouring out in a frenzy, and the manpower to stop them was scarce.
After all, the Empire was the one that had caused the monster wave. As if by an unspoken agreement, the lords withdrew their soldiers and awaited the arrival of the Raelian Church.
In the midst of it all, small, unprotected villages were annihilated, and their people died, but no one cared.
They just hoped their own towns would be safe.
They just hoped the priests of the Raelian Church would visit their towns and defeat the monsters.
And currently, aside from Rzhev, the place struggling the most to fend off the monster wave was the Ashar Desert.
[Priests have been dispatched to the territories that have converted to the Raelian Church in connection with the horrific events currently unfolding across the continent. Those of you in places where our priests have been sent can rest assured.]
As Shiv Grewele’s voice faded, a new voice took over the broadcast.
[Believe in the new savior and god of this continent, Lord Shiv Grewele. Convert to the Raelian Church. The gates of the Raelians are wide open. Those who seek salvation shall be saved.]
[There is no place on this continent for the unsaved. Those who believe in the Raelian Church will be saved. Find peace in the embrace of the Raelians.]
The mercenaries groaned in annoyance, fed up with the broadcast that had been repeating the same message like a broken record.
“What the hell are those bastards spewing?”
“Can’t we break that thing? Ugh! Seriously! They say they’ll save us! Fuck! What is this, selective salvation?!”
“You idiot, kill one more instead of wasting time!”
In Ashar, where sandstorms raged, the mercenary corps had designated Kanta Village as their last line of defense, and all the mercenaries were desperately holding it.
They had a headquarters, but it was located deep in the Ashar region. If the monsters reached it, it meant the entire region would become a monster-infested wasteland.
That was why this was their only choice. A last resort. A desperate attempt to stop even a fraction of the monsters pouring into the interior.
“Any reinforcements?! Reinforcements! Ugh! I need a break!”
“Reinforcements? You’re still a rookie, don't talk nonsense!”
“They say it’s even worse in Rzhev. Apparently, things are pouring out of the Demonic Realm, leaking demonic energy all over the place.”
“Heh heh. Aren't Luther and Kratos over there?”
One of the mercenaries shot an arrow, shattering a speaker that was broadcasting the message.
“Ugh, it’s driving me crazy! A god, my ass, you damn Emperor! Go eat shit!”
“Yeah, eat shit!”
They might die here today. No, they probably would.
“That’s the life of a mercenary.”
They had prepared after hearing Kratos’s warning, but the sheer number of monsters was overwhelming, and cracks were beginning to form in their defenses.
“Prepare to retreat.”
Peri Batoni gave the heavy command.
“Retreat, sir?”
“We’ll face them at headquarters.”
As important as it was to stop the monster wave, what was the point if all the mercenaries died?
They had already evacuated all the people living here to the headquarters.
All they had to do was get out safely.
And to do that, they had to turn this place into a giant tomb.
“Bombs are set!”
They had planted bombs throughout the village. For when the monsters passed through here on their way inland. Enough to blow them all to smithereens at once.
A few mercenaries raised their middle fingers at a speaker that was still repeating the broadcast like a parrot.
“We will never forget this humiliation.”
This disgrace, the violation of their home today, they would repay it one day.
If not in life, then in death. They would.
“Retreat to headquarters! Everyone, fall back slowly!”
Peri Batoni fired a blast of sword energy at the monsters pouring into the village and shouted.
Without reinforcements, headquarters wasn't a definitive answer either, but if they were to die, shouldn't they be buried at the mercenary headquarters?
At their home.
***
“Wow. What, is this the age of self-PR for gods? A so-called god goes on a broadcast to declare he’s a god.”
Kratos muttered in disbelief, wiping the blood from his face. How novel. A declaration via broadcast.
“The soldiers are quite agitated. The people in Rzhev, too.”
“It’s understandable. There’s nothing we can do. For now, the only option is to stop the broadcast. To prevent them from being deceived.”
“I’ve already relayed that.”
The monster wave was still ongoing, but they had overcome the immediate crisis.
Who could have predicted that damned suicide bomber monster would suddenly appear? It wasn't like they were Wall Breakers from Clash of Clans.
But the news he heard upon his return was utterly shocking. Honestly, even he hadn't seen this coming. He had thought the Emperor would aim to become something like a Pope and squabble with the Holy Kingdom.
Who would have guessed he’d declare himself a god?
And to promote himself as a god through a broadcast. If you’re a god, act like one and send down a revelation or something. What was this nonsense?
“The people will be greatly swayed. Once things here are settled, we need to start damage control. The priests will have to take action.”
However, the problem was that few people could think rationally in a situation like this.
Faced with the terror of a monster wave, wasn't it natural for people's reason to become paralyzed?
And in that situation, the Raelian Church appears like a savior to rescue them?
It was a perfectly crafted scenario. A real movie. Of course, he couldn't say that out loud. The atmosphere was far too grim.
“The situation is not good. I heard the Lagaris front was breached long ago. The monster wave has already advanced inland. We received a message from Ashar that they’re falling back to their headquarters. It seems the Kanta Village defense line has fallen.”
Rzhev muttered with a grave expression. This was not a situation he had wanted. It was utterly bleak.
“Hah. Not a single piece of good news.”
The sight of the Emperor he once served broadcasting that he was a god. The sight of him causing a monster wave and then claiming to be a savior by stopping it.
*CRASH—!*
Unable to contain his rage, Rzhev suddenly slammed his fist on the table.
“I just… I just can't understand. What in the world is all this…”
He couldn't comprehend a single thing that was happening.
“You should never try to understand a cult. You have to see it for what it is. They’re just crazy. Their brains are full of holes. There’s nothing to contemplate. We just have to crush them all.”
So, his ultimate goal was to become a ‘god’. Hilarious. It was so absurd that a laugh kept trying to escape his lips.
Whatever that madman found in the Demonic Realm, he might be following the same steps.
In the end, it was a conclusion that led to ruin for everyone.
“Right, if the final goal is becoming a god. That makes it a fight worth having.”
“What are your thoughts? What do you think we should do?”
“We must form alliances. The weak banding together to oppose the strong.”
In his mind, he was already drawing a map connecting the Holy Kingdom, the White Mercenary Corps’ base in Ashar, and the unprotected territories.
“We’re going to counterattack.”
“Counterattack in this situation?”
It was a dilemma. The north was blocked by the Demonic Realm and the monster wave, while to the south, Libria was ready to stick a knife in their backs at the first sign of weakness.
In such a situation, where could they possibly counterattack? Libria? They didn't have the luxury.
“The Demonic Realm. We’re going to wipe out the Demonic Realm. Every last bit of it.”
Damn right. After taking a nasty hit to the back of the head, you'd have to be less than human to just sit back and take it. At the very least, you have to rip off one of their arms.
No, just one arm wouldn't be enough. He felt like this anger wouldn't subside until he had broken all four of their limbs.
Besides, the Empire would never expect them to strike the Demonic Realm. And that's precisely why it would be all the more effective.