Chapter 533: Traces of the Past Life (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 533: Traces of the Past Life (3)
Over the past twenty years, how had the Maron Cult grown into the world's greatest religion?
Its beginnings were humble.
Based on the Scripture, Sebastian claimed that the advent of Maron Dmitry would save the world. Back then, however, most people dismissed it as utter nonsense. It was only natural. At a time when the Great Disaster had not yet been clearly defined, worshiping a figure whose very existence remained unproven defied all common sense.
Everyone turned their backs on him.
People denounced Sebastian as a madman, while others called him an atrocious swindler trying to exploit humanity's chaos.
It was frustrating.
Why won't they recognize the truth?
Faced with constant rejection, Sebastian changed his approach.
"The Scripture contains these records: Chris, the Flash of Dmitry; Kevin, the Evil Ghost of Dmitry; Felix, the Master of the Phoenix Magic Tower; Edwin Hector, Hector's Star, and so on. Every single figure who built the Dmitry Empire was able to attain such strength only because they received the grace of Lord Maron Dmitry. Do you truly believe this is possible for an ordinary human? Kevin, in particular, was nothing but a slum boy, yet he grew into a swordsman powerful enough to threaten Chris."
He recited the contents of the book.
Of course, he didn't get much of a reaction at the time.
Although a few of Dmitry's Inheritors—including Chris—already existed, people assumed Sebastian was simply spinning a tale based on information that was already public. But to him, it was a form of farming. Sebastian was certain that Dmitry's Inheritors would connect to the Current Life. Like sowing seeds, he spoke of the figures who would appear in the future.
Not long after, the world was turned upside down.
As the Inheritors appeared one after another, Sebastian's words were proven true.
The tables turned.
People began to praise him.
In the memories of the Inheritors, the existence of the 'Emperor' had always been a mystery. But according to Sebastian, the being known as Maron Dmitry was the core of Dmitry—the source of the most highly sought-after inheritance abilities. In a chaotic era, people needed hope. Sebastian's words were like sweet rain during a drought, and people flocked to the Maron Cult, bowing their heads.
This was the moment of the Maron Cult's true, explosive growth.
The religion expanded rapidly, earning the public's trust by establishing organizations to research the Great Disaster. It became a global phenomenon. People of all social statuses followed the Maron Cult. Had Sebastian been able to pinpoint the exact date of Maron Dmitry's advent, he would have amassed even greater power.
Then, about ten years ago, doubts began to surface.
While the Great Disaster repeated itself several times, Maron Dmitry—the one supposed to save humanity—never showed his face. The public's frenzy began to cool. They needed salvation. If Sebastian's words were true, when would he descend, and where on earth was he? Sebastian needed to offer them tangible hope, but he strictly adhered to the Scripture, refusing to add even a single lie or exaggeration.
Nothing was decided.
Nothing was set in stone.
From then on, the Maron Cult polarized the world—an entity that believers devoutly followed, while non-believers rejected it entirely.
It was said that one in five Americans belonged to the Maron Cult.
That alone made them a formidable force, but compared to their early glory, they were in decline.
His existence.
The date of his advent.
These were Sebastian's unresolved dilemmas.
Although he had uncovered the name, everything else remained a mystery. Whenever someone using the surname Dmitry appeared, Sebastian would immediately travel anywhere in the world to find them. Maron Dmitry, Jonathan Dmitry, Bellamy Dmitry, Roman Dmitry, Joseph Dmitry, and so on. All kinds of Dmitrys emerged. As the significance of the name became known, people flaunting the Dmitry surname cropped up in countries all over the globe.
But every single one of them was a fraud.
They were mere impostors, and as the years passed, Sebastian grew increasingly accustomed to these cheap lies.
To filter out the real Dmitry, he fostered an atmosphere that pressured people who previously used the name to change it. Thanks to this, the number of impostors decreased significantly. Since using the name Dmitry drew excessive public attention, no one would flaunt the surname unless they were planning a truly elaborate scam.
Then, one day, Sebastian reached a conclusion.
Since not a single trace of Maron Dmitry could be found, he needed to pay close attention to one particular passage in the Scripture.
[If He exists in that world, fall to your knees and bow your head.]
His very existence was uncertain.
Which meant...
He arrived at the conclusion that Maron Dmitry did not exist in this world.
* * *
He felt utterly lost.
To think that He did not exist in this world.
Since that would mean humanity's problems could never be solved, Sebastian opened the Scripture and agonized over it for days on end.
The existence of the Scripture was the will of God.
He took it as a sign to act as God's agent and rescue humanity. The heavy burden of mankind's fate had been thrust upon the shoulders of Sebastian, who was once a mere linguist. He could not give up like this. He could not foolishly squander the key to salvation just because of his own incompetence.
It was then that a mage who followed the Maron Cult spoke up.
"Leader, among the spells I have mastered, there is one that summons a target to my location. If we can secure 'His personal belonging,' we can summon Him to this world we live in."
A flash of inspiration struck him.
It felt as if a beam of light had descended from the heavens.
Of course, it wasn't a perfect solution.
Since He did not exist in this world, the very idea of securing His personal belonging to summon Him was a contradiction. However, Sebastian had the Scripture. The author of the Scripture, Henry Albert, was undoubtedly someone who had lived in the same era as Maron Dmitry.
'The world described in the Scripture... If we summon the people of the Salamander Continent to this world, we can secure Lord Maron Dmitry's personal belongings through them. This is it. The very existence of the Scripture was the key all along.'
From that moment ten years ago, the Maron Cult began researching Dimensional Travel Magic.
Since simply possessing an item was not enough to summon a being from beyond dimensions, magical advancement was necessary just to pass the first stage: summoning Henry Albert. Sebastian did not harbor a single doubt about this sequence of events. From the moment he discovered the Scripture to the establishment of the Maron Cult, he accepted every thought that crossed his mind as the divine will of God.
On that day, Sebastian spoke to his followers.
"Believe in the will of God. Every coincidence in this world originates from Him, and from the moment the Scripture fell into our hands, the wheels of salvation for humanity have been turning. The time will soon come. The moment we face the world He lived in before our very eyes, we will bring about His advent."
He swore to himself that he would make the advent succeed, no matter what.
To save this world.
And all of humanity.
* * *
And now, in the present.
Sebastian carefully turned the pages of the Scripture.
Though he had read it tens of thousands of times, he would read it once more whenever his mind was troubled.
Roman Dmitry.
Maron Dmitry.
In truth, the names shared a clear similarity, almost like an anagram.
Had it not been for the countless fraudsters claiming to be Dmitrys, Sebastian would have certainly suspected Roman Dmitry's identity. But for him now, that was impossible. Because he was already convinced that the figure in the Scripture existed in another dimension, he did not view Roman Dmitry as the same person.
Even after witnessing his radical actions.
Even though his personality closely matched the descriptions in the Scripture.
Sebastian failed to see the truth staring him in the face.
Because he had first encountered the Scripture thirty years ago, the massive gap in time blinded him to the truth.
It was a tragedy for humanity.
If only the mage who had restored the Scripture possessed slightly better skills, the restored letters would have clearly spelled out ROMAN.
Sebastian spoke as he gazed at the ancient text.
"I have lived for twenty years believing in you. No, to be precise, it has been thirty years. The version of you that exists in my mind is a truly flawless, perfect being who rules the world with flowing black hair. The moment you descend upon this world, humanity will cast all its burdens onto you, and we will enjoy absolute peace—just like the world lived in by Henry Albert, who recorded the Scripture."
He had envisioned that day countless times.
On some days, His presence felt vividly clear, while on others, His very existence seemed to fade into a blur.
Living through the past thirty years while governing countless believers, Sebastian had swallowed his solitary suffering in silence.
"This humble servant can accept no one but you. Even the being in China who calls himself Emperor—I plan to soon bring him down from his throne by destroying him from within. When you descend upon this world, it will belong entirely to you. So, you must never disappoint my expectations. You, Lord Maron, must be strong enough to defeat even the Absolute."
It was sheer madness.
On Sebastian's face, weathered by the passage of time, a fierce, obsessive devotion to Him was etched.
"That is my one and only wish."
Just like that day ten years ago, Sebastian swore.
He would make the advent succeed, no matter what.
And if anyone stood in His way, whoever they might be, he would sweep them all aside.
Whether it was the Chinese Emperor.
Or Roman Dmitry, who had torn an SS-Rank monster to shreds in a single blow.
He would never tolerate any obstacle in His path.
* * *
A few days later, an International Conference was held in the United States.
The agenda was to discuss South Korea's name change and Roman Dmitry's violation of International Law.
The Russian President, Markov, spoke first.
"I do not understand this situation. To think we are debating whether or not to hold Roman Dmitry accountable. Roman Dmitry violated International Law, and that is an undeniable fact. Furthermore, he usurped a nation through unjust means and ascended to the throne as Emperor. I believe this meeting should not be about judging right from wrong, but deciding how severely we must punish Roman Dmitry for his transgressions."
Russia was one of the world's leading superpowers.
Markov was deeply displeased by Roman Dmitry's actions, and he voiced his thoughts without hesitation during the conference.
The President of the United States, John Harrison, replied.
"I fully understand your point, President Markov. However, this is not a matter that can be viewed so simply. Due to the dictatorial rule of President Kim Jeong-tae, the citizens of South Korea suffered immensely. As proof of this, when Roman Dmitry staged his rebellion, most of the local governments supported the rebel forces. After the Central Government was overthrown, the people of South Korea accepted Roman Dmitry as their leader. Of course, violating International Law is wrong. But in a situation where they were rotting from the inside out, they had to do whatever it took to survive."
"So are you saying that violating International Law is justified?"
"I am saying that an exception is necessary."
A few days ago, the US government had held an intense internal meeting.
It was a battle over what stance to take at the International Conference. Naturally, those who followed the Maron Cult demanded Roman Dmitry's punishment. However, John Harrison could not go along with their judgment. If the global consensus leaned that way and the World Government made a decision, that would be one thing, but the United States absolutely could not take the lead on this.
It was due to an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
No matter how much the entire world united, he felt they wouldn't be able to handle even a fraction of what Roman Dmitry was capable of.
"South Korea made its own decision in order to survive. I believe we must take that into consideration, and I do not see South Korea's name change as a major issue."
He took a step back. He was playing it safe.
At John Harrison's words, criticism poured in from all sides, as if they had been waiting for this exact moment.
The presidents of France and Brazil spoke up.
"That is an incredibly irresponsible statement. What do you mean it is not a major issue? International Law has no exceptions under any circumstances, which is why every country in the world has strictly adhered to it. If we allow an exception for Roman Dmitry, the world will undoubtedly fall into chaos."
"Could it be that you made some sort of deal with Roman Dmitry? Didn't he help LA by taking care of the Boss Monster? Let me make this clear: even if Roman Dmitry is strong enough to defeat an SS-Rank monster, rules still exist in this world. Just because someone is strong does not mean they can stand above the law."
These two figures were prominent devotees of the Maron Cult.
They had quietly agreed when the bellicose Markov spoke, but they fiercely attacked John Harrison the moment he voiced a dissenting opinion. Not just these two, but all leaders associated with the Maron Cult had received a special order: secure Roman Dmitry's punishment by any means necessary. Since this very meeting had been orchestrated by Sebastian, John Harrison immediately read the room.
The Maron Cult.
They were a truly ambiguous entity.
While they performed deeds for the sake of the world, they also exhibited this kind of extreme behavior.
'In truth, adhering to International Law would be the easiest solution that everyone could agree on. But my concern is Roman Dmitry's temperament. He is highly unlikely to accept any form of punishment.'
Silence fell over the conference hall.
With everyone opposing him, there was little John Harrison could do. Since the United States had historically led the enforcement of International Law, he could not defend Roman Dmitry any further than this. From the beginning, all John Harrison wanted was a position that would allow him to avoid responsibility. At the very least, this matter had now become a stage dominated by Russia and the devotees of the Maron Cult.
It was then that the President of Brazil brought up a certain figure, as if seeking to bolster their stance.
"What are your thoughts, Chairman Wang Wiryong?"
All eyes turned to him.
China, too, was a global superpower.
Although people did not yet recognize Chairman Wang Wiryong as an Emperor, if even China threw its weight behind punishing Roman Dmitry, the tide would be impossible to turn. This was the predetermined sequence of events from the moment the Maron Cult intervened. The Maron Cult had taken root all over the world, and whatever they set their minds to, they always achieved.
Furthermore, China had been greedily eyeing South Korea for a long time.
There was no reason for them not to align with this agenda.
However...
"I understand South Korea's choice. I believe punishing them would be a harsh measure."
It was an unexpected response.
People stared at Chairman Wang Wiryong with expressions of utter shock.