Chapter 443: Heavenly Mandate (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 443: Heavenly Mandate (2)
Alexander.
He was a variable.
Swept away by an unintended flow of power, a man who had been nothing but an ignorant fool had obtained the name Alexander. That was where the problem began. The rift originating from Alexander plunged the continent of Arcadia into extreme cold, triggering a cascade of issues across various dimensions, including the Demon Realm. A dimensional collapse. Everything done by an existence that should never have existed in this world tore down the dimensional walls and weakened the power of God.
God pondered how to solve this problem.
Since He could not directly exert His influence upon the world, He needed an agent to resolve this dilemma.
And so,
Baek Joong-hyuk became Roman Dmitry.
God summoned his soul—one that had rejected Ascension to Immortality—to the Salamander Continent. Thanks to the rift caused by Alexander, Baek Joong-hyuk's soul settled into its new vessel without issue. Baek Joong-hyuk, who had reached the realm of the gods, was different from Alexander. Even existing as Roman Dmitry, he did not cause major disruptions to the world's balance. Having observed Baek Joong-hyuk's past life, God believed it was inevitable that he would clash with Alexander.
It went exactly as expected.
Baek Joong-hyuk—Roman Dmitry—brought Alexander down.
By disposing of Alexander, God's greatest headache, he resolved the fundamental problem destroying this world.
It was over.
God withdrew His gaze.
Roman Dmitry would surely block the attacks of the Demon Realm. Living a life of wealth and glory as the Emperor of the Dmitry Empire was the reward God had granted him. But then, a new variable arose. Roman Dmitry crossing over into the Demon Realm was bound to cause immense problems, even for a soul that had reached the realm of the gods.
"Countless dimensions exist in this world. Since you are an existence that has already crossed the dimensional wall, if you violate the dimensional laws once more, you will suffer the exact same curse as Alexander. A disaster that collapses a dimension simply by existing within it. A catastrophic curse that drives every existence except you to death, all because you are someone who should not be there. Roman Dmitry. Is that truly the end you desire? If you remain content with the reality you reside in, you can live a life free of variables as the Emperor of the Dmitry Empire."
The Demon Realm.
Attacking their domain was a massive problem.
Perhaps the Earthly World would be destroyed by Roman Dmitry's defeat, or even if he won, he would become an existence that caused dimensional rifts, giving birth to yet another catastrophe. That was the reason God had descended in person. Knowing the life Roman Dmitry had lived so far, God knew a half-hearted message would not stop his march.
The presence of God delivered a powerful message.
To prevent Roman Dmitry from recklessly advancing any further, He slammed on the brakes, urging him to be content with his current life.
"If you reject My will and force your way into the Demon Realm, I will have no choice but to make a decision to preserve the dimensional balance. When that time comes, after a grace period, I will return you to your original world. Once you return to your original place, your soul will no longer cause problems. However, do not mistake this for a hopeful homecoming. The flow of time is warped across different dimensions; even if you return to your original world, it will not be the world you once knew. Therefore, choose."
Rumble!
The pure white space vibrated.
God's presence swelled immensely, exerting a heavy, suffocating pressure on Roman Dmitry.
"Will you accept the Heavenly Mandate, or will you defy it once again, just as you did when you rejected Ascension to Immortality?"
* * *
It was the same back then.
Ascension to Immortality.
That process, which was not born of his own will, had been a Heavenly Mandate, but Baek Joong-hyuk had declared his intention to finish his life as a human. Thus, he had been granted a new life. The being known as God claimed that even this life was a Heavenly Mandate, but to him, living as Roman Dmitry, such facts did not matter.
The standard by which I live is clear. Is it what I want, or what I do not want? That is enough.
He cast aside all external intentions.
The life of Roman Dmitry.
He had accepted it gladly.
Though bewildered at first, as he formed new relationships in this new life, Roman Dmitry did what he believed was right at every single moment. Even if God's intention for him to clash with Alexander lay behind it all, the life he had lived so far stemmed entirely from his own decisions. Roman Dmitry had absolutely no regrets.
It was the same now.
Rather than the words God spouted, Roman Dmitry remained true to his own feelings.
If I become an existence like Alexander, I will not be able to live as Roman Dmitry—whether for the sake of the Dmitry Empire I founded, or due to God's coercive pressure. The grace period will likely not be very long. Is there a reason to force this journey to the Demon Realm, even at the cost of giving up my life?
If.
If he remained in the Earthly World and countered the attacks of the Demon Realm, not only would his chances of victory increase, but he would also be able to maintain his current life. As long as he was alive, the probability of the Demon Realm invading again was low. Though he did not know what would happen to future generations, Roman Dmitry had faith in himself.
However.
Was that truly what he wanted?
No.
The true reign Roman Dmitry desired was a perfect system that left behind absolutely no elements of instability.
In the repeating cycles of history, the heroes must have had their own reasons. Even though they knew where the fundamental problem originated, they did not dare to think of destroying the Demon Realm. But I find the existence of the Demon Realm offensive. Their pathetic notion of invading this world I rule, and their complacent thought that even if they lose the war, they can simply flee back to the Demon Realm... The perfect peace I desire is one where, at the very least, no visible threats exist. The Demon Realm is clearly an evil that harms humanity.
God had spoken.
He called it a Heavenly Mandate.
Wishing to force him to choose a peaceful path, He dressed it up as the right thing to do under the guise of a "Heavenly Mandate."
Thinking about it, it was laughable.
The one who disrupted the dimensional laws was the Demon King of the Demon Realm.
If God had controlled him, this problem would not have occurred in the first place. But because God's influence did not reach the Demon Realm, He chose to control Roman instead. Roman did not like it. A Heavenly Mandate was not an innate destiny that must be followed, but merely one of the countless choices one could make.
Just as when he rejected Ascension to Immortality.
And just as he did now.
Roman Dmitry believed in himself.
Even if I live for only a few days, I will live the life I want.
It had always been that way.
Achieving the goals he desired.
Just as he had brought down the Kronos and Valhalla Empires, feats everyone deemed impossible, he had set a new goal this time.
He was prepared to bear all the consequences associated with it.
Because in the life he had lived so far, no achievement existed without sacrifice.
Roman Dmitry spoke.
"I reject the Heavenly Mandate. To eradicate the beings of the Demon Realm who dare to covet the world I rule, and to reclaim complete peace—I will live the life I desire, no matter the cost."
At that moment,
God revealed a complex expression.
He did not try to persuade him any further.
He only said,
"O one who has reached the realm of the gods. Your will shall be the Heavenly Mandate. As the God who rules this world, I shall watch over your resolve."
Flash!
Rumble!
A powerful explosion!
The world was dyed white, and Roman Dmitry's consciousness was swept away by the blast.
* * *
In reality, it had only been a split second.
As the violently surging light subsided, Neumann stumbled and collapsed onto the table.
Thud.
"……W-What on earth was that?"
"For God to descend in person..."
No one could hide their bewilderment.
The descent of God was unprecedented.
Looking back at history, there were occasional instances of an oracle being delivered, but never once had a deity directly descended into a priest's body to deliver a message. The shock showed no signs of subsiding. The people, who had been staring blankly at Neumann, belatedly recalled the warning God had given them.
The King of Umberto spoke.
"……The God who just descended into the priest's body clearly stated that if we force this plan through, humanity will surely pay a corresponding price. This is not something we can simply brush aside. If that price is a disaster that will destroy humanity, we must not trespass into forbidden territory."
"I agree. It was a direct warning from God Himself, after all," the King of Frank chimed in.
Public opinion suddenly shifted.
The people who had been clamoring for the conquest of the Demon Realm could no longer bring themselves to force the plan after hearing God's message with their own ears.
They had not heard the conversation between Roman Dmitry and God.
That had occurred within the realm of the mind. The only truth they knew was that humanity would pay a price if they violated the dimensional laws. They were ignorant of the fact that Roman Dmitry himself was that price. Looking at the people who were ignorant of this truth, Roman Dmitry spoke with a calm expression.
"Do not be shaken."
He was composed.
Even after facing the will of God, he remained completely unfazed.
"We decided on the conquest of the Demon Realm because we judged that we cannot coexist with it. No matter what disaster God may inflict upon us, the immediate problem facing us is that the Demon King of the Demon Realm is constantly coveting this world. What on earth are you afraid of? If this world might one day be dyed in dark mana, then no matter what disaster God foretold, there is no worse situation than that. Do not waver. If your resolve shakes at the slightest wind, we will crumble like a castle of sand, no matter what choice we make."
"But... it is God."
"The lives we live all stem from our own choices. Even if you follow God's will, do you think that will guarantee you peace?"
Everyone was shaken.
At Roman Dmitry's words, they showed complex expressions.
He understood.
Because they did not know the price of this choice, he was well aware that the weight imposed by the existence of God could crush even the strongest of men.
But...
"Trust me. If you trust and follow me, I will give you a new future."
Roman Dmitry desired a blind trust that excluded the truth.
* * *
In this world,
God's will took precedence.
History had proven that God actually existed, and therefore, the words of those who spoke for God's will were bound to be absolute. But this time, God had descended in person. It was a flow of fate that mortals would not dare to reject. Yet, at Roman Dmitry's words, no one spoke of refusal.
Why?
Was it because they did not believe in God?
It was not simply a matter of faith.
Setting aside the question of whether they believed in God or not, the existence of Roman Dmitry was deeply engraved in their hearts.
Just as my Liege said, God does not guarantee peace for humans. But the Lord standing before our eyes has always turned what we thought was impossible into reality. Barco, Marquis Benedict, the Kronos Empire, the Valhalla Empire... They all seemed like insurmountable obstacles, yet they all knelt before my Liege.
It was Chris.
His blood boiled.
At those words asking for blind trust, Chris felt his chest grow hot for some inexplicable reason.
Is there any reason we shouldn't trust our Liege?
None.
To Chris, Roman Dmitry was God.
The things he had accomplished, the figure he had shown... Rather than following the will of a God who was only thought to exist, Chris wanted to believe in what he had seen and heard with his own eyes.
Someone might call this heresy.
But that did not matter.
Just by repaying the trust he had received with trust of his own, Chris felt his life was worth dedicating.
"Your subject, Chris, shall follow Your Imperial Majesty."
He was the beginning.
As he bowed his head and cried out his oath of loyalty, several others immediately raised their voices, determined not to be left behind.
"Your subject, Kevin, shall follow Your Imperial Majesty."
"Your subject, Felix, shall follow Your Imperial Majesty."
"Your subject, Edwin Hector, shall follow Your Imperial Majesty."
They, too, feared defying God's will.
But to them, Roman Dmitry was already a god-like existence.
The Heavenly Mandate.
From the moment Baek Joong-hyuk opened his eyes as Roman Dmitry, destiny had already begun to change.