Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 329

329―――――

“Indeed, you are the most pathetic.”

“Cowards who abandoned the greater cause and retreated.”

At those words, Marquis Volko finally lost his temper and slammed the table.

Whether the opponent was a Celestial or a descendant of light, none of that mattered anymore.

What mattered to Marquis Volko now was venting his anger at that detestable race that was insulting him, his soldiers, and even Vanessa, who was present.

“This is not the Holy Prussen, Celestial.”

“···.”

“Having entered the royal palace of Hispania, you must abide by the laws of Hispania. If you do not intend to do so, you cannot be treated as a guest.”

“If you cannot treat me as a guest,

what will you do?

One of the things you humans do best, are you planning to kill me?”

Then, another nobleman stood up this time.

He was a close friend of the nobleman who had been rebuked by Marquis Volko earlier, and he opened his mouth with a voice as if it were unthinkable.

“Of course not!

Even though the teachings of light have not spread as widely in Hispania as in the Holy Prussen, everyone knows that you are the descendants of light!

Why would we harm you?”

“Judging by the atmosphere, it seems like you’re going to kill an uninvited guest.”

Just as Marquis Volko was about to speak again, Vanessa raised her hand to stop him.

She realized that further arguing would only lead to being dragged into the picture that the Celestial wanted.

The meeting, which had been proceeding in a fairly good atmosphere until just a moment ago, had become a mess.

Those who welcomed the Celestial, those who didn’t know why he came, and those who were wary of the Celestial.

Vanessa knew that just by appearing, he had divided people like this, and provoking that man could cause even more serious divisions.

‘I mustn’t fall for it.

No one in Hispania should look favorably upon that Celestial.’

Even if Hispania is branded as evil, internal division must not occur.

Rather, provoke the Celestial to make him curse the entirety of Hispania, and use that to unite the enraged nobles, making them shout for Hispania rather than the Celestial or the will of light.

“Celestial Richel.”

“Speak, human queen.”

“You said earlier that there were many who had committed sins.”

“That is correct.”

“I am curious as to what those sins are, and who committed them.”

At Vanessa’s question, Richel quietly stared at her before opening his mouth.

“Are you curious, queen of the human kingdom?”

“I am curious.

In this Hispania, who has committed sins, and how great are those sins that I must know.”

“If you are so curious, I will tell you in great detail.”

As Richel smiled, Vanessa inwardly clicked her tongue.

She was worried that he might have been waiting for her to say these words, and as soon as the opportunity arose, he would immediately seize it and throw a dagger at her.

“I have heard from the people of the Holy Prussen [a powerful, theocratic kingdom].

That the race called fairies are acting hostile towards Hispania and causing harm.

So, they have increased the level of pressure on the fairies and launched an attack on Nudia, which they deemed to be related.”

“It is a conclusion based on solid evidence.

We have already received their confession.”

“Have you not considered that it might be the picture that other beings wanted?”

“What do you mean?”

“To make them confess like that, to make them think like that, to make them conflict like that, and in the end, to make them fight like that.

Has it not actually happened like that?

Hispania, Nudia, and the fairies, all of them.”

Vanessa shook her head at Richel’s words.

If you say it like that, everyone ends up being both a victim and a perpetrator.

From Hispania’s point of view, it was unfair. They were just standing still when they were attacked by the fairies, and then attacked by Nudia, claiming they were followers of the Demon race. It was wrong to say it like that.

“Those fairies clearly···.”

“Those fairies were clearly brainwashed by the Demon race.

That is why they openly attacked Hispania and fabricated stories to make Nudia and Hispania shed blood and fight.

No one doubted that, no one thought that someone might have intervened, and they just focused on growling and fighting.

Isn’t that so, humans?”

He throws a question to the nobles who were intentionally showing a favorable attitude towards him.

As they reflexively nodded, Richel smiled even more deeply and continued to speak.

“If you here were truly good and righteous people, if you were walking the path of light, you should have doubted before taking up swords and spears.

Who is the one who benefits from this fight?

How many people will suffer and grieve, shedding tears and blood because of this fight?”

“There is no time to worry about such things.

If running a country could be done with so much deliberation, I would be happy too, Celestial.”

At Vanessa’s sharp criticism, Richel smiled and shrugged.

It was a reaction of ‘So what?’ Marquis Volko gritted his teeth, but if he came on too strong here, it could backfire and alienate the nobles who were favorable to the teachings of light, which could lead to the worst-case scenario of national division in the middle of the royal palace.

“Of course, it is not just Hispania’s fault.

Nudia, which recklessly invoked the will of light and caused confusion, is a kingdom of even greater sinners.

Therefore, we Celestials have decided to hold them accountable with tears in our eyes.”

“Accountable?”

“They invoked the light and caused confusion, but if we, as descendants of light, do not illuminate the right path, wouldn’t many people in Nudia lose their way?

So, to give them a chance to repent, my friend went to Nudia.

To admit their sins, bow their heads, apologize, and repent.

And to accept the forces of light that will enter to judge the sinners.”

In an instant, Vanessa’s eyes flashed with a gruesome light.

The moment she heard the words ‘judgment’ and ‘forces of light,’ her demeanor changed immediately.

“Many people in Nudia have admitted their sins and said they would follow the will of light.

However, unfortunately, those who actually committed the sins are shamelessly trying to resist without admitting their sins.”

“Who exactly are the sinners, and why are they sinners,

Celestial?”

Vanessa’s words had, at some point, abandoned honorifics.

Reading the displeasure within that voice, Richel thought that things were going according to his plan and said as if it were obvious.

“They foolishly fell for the shallow tricks of evil groups, causing chaos and making the weakened evil ones strong again, so of course, they must be held accountable for that.

This is the path for all that is good and shining in the continent.”

“···.”

“The previous king of Nudia was still a follower of light.

But the one who drove out that king and foolishly brought only chaos to this land has become the king, and those who established that king are also foolish and will be used by evil again, so we can no longer stand idly by.”

“So, the Celestials, who have no connection to Nudia, the Holy Prussen, will step in?”

“Many people in Nudia believe in the teachings of light, so they will understand.”

It was a preposterous and absurd sophistry.

Vanessa was dying to curse at that ridiculous nonsense.

If you’re going to be descendants of light or whatever, shut your mouths and help those who are struggling and exhausted.

Don’t come here and confuse people with strange words.

“Celestial.

I have a question I want to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Then who is the sinner in our Hispania?”

A nobleman who had been showing a friendly attitude towards Richel from before slyly throws a question.

Even if it’s not as much as Nudia, there are quite a few people in Hispania who believe in the teachings of light.

Right now, more than half of the nobles who came from the west were favorable to the teachings of light, and even excluding the west, there were always people throughout the kingdom who positively evaluated the teachings of light.

“Well.

I can give you an answer if you want, but I am truly worried whether you here are ready to hear it.”

“The people of the Kingdom of Hispania also value the will of light to some extent.

Many of the nobles gathered here will think so too.”

Thanks to the teachings of light, it became easier to manage the people in the territory, it was possible to gather their will in one place, and using the mouths of influential people among the believers made it much more effective to manage public sentiment than before.

Some are showing favor because of the teachings of light themselves, and others because of the advantages of believing in the teachings of light.

“Then I must answer.

In fact, Hispania has fewer sinners than Nudia.

Most of them were swayed and manipulated by the machinations of the sinner.

The sinner I am thinking of is one person.

The one who acted recklessly, intoxicated with his own brilliance, without even knowing that everything was an evil scheme, shed blood, and ultimately caused all sorts of chaos.”

In an instant, a light flashed in Vanessa’s eyes.

From that Celestial’s mouth, surely that man’s name won’t come out.

The moment that really happens, she will surely make that detestable race···.

“We are thinking of meeting a man named Zion Claussen and having a conversation once.

What were you thinking when you faced so many things until now, and solved them so naturally.

As if you knew everything and acted as if you had planned and fitted everything in advance.”

“···.”

“Furthermore, how such a great person responded to the evil ones’ wishes with blood for blood, causing even greater chaos···.”

Kwaaang!

The sound was so loud that even Marquis Volko, who was sitting next to her, was surprised.

As expected, Marquis Joaquin, who was sitting next to her, let out a sigh and sensed that if she got this excited, she would be dragged into the Celestial’s plan, and tried to stop her monarch.

But the string of reason that had been in Vanessa’s head had already been cut off the moment the Celestial, that insignificant being, crossed a line that should never have been crossed.

“···That’s enough.

Shut that mouth.”

“Hoo?”

“Are you telling me to shut up now,

human queen?”

“I’m saying this after holding back as much as I can.

I want to tear your mouth apart, but I’m holding back because you’re a Celestial who is valued by the followers of light who have worked for the continent until now.

That’s what I’m saying.”

“Your Majesty!

He is a Celestial.

Those are excessive words to say to someone who came to Hispania as a descendant of light!”

“You shut up too.

Fools who can’t even distinguish who is the enemy and who is the ally.”

“Enemy?

That’s strange.

human queen?

Why are you defining me, our Celestials, as the enemy?”

“Aren’t you, you bastards, antagonizing Hispania first!”

“That’s strange.

I just said that I wanted to talk to someone named Zion Claussen.

I haven’t shown any hostility to anyone else in Hispania.”

Richel tilts his head as if he finds it strange.

Vanessa bit her lip and realized her mistake at how relaxed that gesture looked.

The opponent is aiming for exactly this situation.

To provoke and provoke, and in the end, make the Hispania side explode first.

In any case, Celestials have been known as beings of good and light to the beings of the continent until now.

Pouring out harsh words to such beings and not hiding a sharp demeanor was a fatal mistake and a situation that left the opponent with a delicious justification.

“If the man named Zion Claussen was just one of the very ordinary people who had fallen for the tricks of evil ones, I would have just understood.

But seeing how excited the queen is, I can’t help but think it’s strange?

It is said that humans lose their sight, hearing, and their minds become rigid when they get caught up in emotions.”

“Insolent!

How dare you to!”

“You should be ashamed, human nobles.

If you are vassals, you should have checked whether the one you call master is going down the wrong path, or believing in the wrong person.”

Richel is not aiming for Vanessa, Marquis Volko, or Marquis Joaquin.

Those who have been burdened by the existence of Zion Claussen without knowing it.

Those who were wary of him, wondering if he was excessively increasing his power, and those who envied his talent and achievements.

He was subtly asking those nobles in an indirect tone.

That the one they call the messenger of God, the ones who call themselves the descendants of light, are suspicious of that existence.

That he should take a look and whether they can cooperate without blocking him.

“···To be sure, it was a little suspicious from the moment Duke Zion Claussen suddenly changed.”

“What should I say, it’s like he became a completely different person.”

Yes, that’s how it should be.

That’s how humans are.

Richel nodded with a satisfied smile inside.

It’s always like this.

Humans, even if they have such strong bonds, are ultimately beings who crack and eventually split apart when a few drops of water are dropped.

His colleague who went to Nudia also stimulated them in this way.

If you latch onto sensitive parts, humans will eventually cling to them to the death.

Then, weaknesses will naturally be revealed, and once a weakness is revealed, they will never regain the upper hand.

Beings who bite the weak and bow and kneel to the strong.

That was what humans were, and that was how the Celestials had been using them until now.

“I have heard a lot about a man named Zion Claussen.

He is a hero of Hispania and has accomplished many things.

I hope that he is not really a great sinner.

I mean, I hope he is a human who can repent at any time.

It would be great if he was deceived by the whispers of evil and all the things that have happened so far were actually things he did and solved himself, and if there were no betrayers of light involved.”

“···.”

“But if he is not such a good human as the queen thinks.

The queen’s position, who defends him so much, will be very difficult.

Other nobles are giving various opinions thinking about the queen, but she is just a monarch who is caught up in emotions and has closed her eyes and ears.”

Even at Richel’s excessive words, Vanessa had to bite her lip and hold back her anger.

If she gets excited and falls for it again here, another attack aimed at the next thing will come out, and in the end, she will end up being used all the time.

Above all, some of the nobles gathered in the room had already fallen for the Celestial’s tricks and chose the path of checking the easy-to-deal-with Zion Claussen rather than taking the risk of questioning the descendants of light, so it was no longer difficult to unanimously show clear opposition to the Celestial’s words.

‘···I made a mistake.

I, I was shaken too easily.’

Vanessa felt her mistake and thought that perhaps Richel, the Celestial, was accurate in at least one thing among the things he said, even if nothing else was.

That when you get caught up in emotions, you lose your sight, hearing, and your mind becomes rigid.

No matter how she thought about it, the moment the Celestial set Zion Claussen as the target of attack, she might have already been defeated at that time.

“That’s all I have to say.

I hope you in Hispania make a wise decision.

It is said that the Nudia side has already been 넘어갔는지 넘어갔는지 [taken over] by the machinations of evil and has decided to stand against the entire force of light instead of admitting their sins.

Thanks to that, those who believe in good and justice have risen up in the place that received the most light, and soon the forces of light from the Holy Prussen side will head to Nudia with them.

Then the truth will be revealed, and the sin will also be revealed to the world.

Hispania, in order to avoid such an unfortunate event···.”

“The truth is revealed, and the sin is revealed, then what, what’s next?

Why do you keep leaving out the important parts?”

A young man’s voice was heard from beyond the door.

And immediately after that, the chamberlain, who was waiting outside the door, shouted in a louder voice than usual.

“Your Majesty.

Duke Zion Claussen has arrived and has been waiting since earlier.”

―――――――Afterword―――――――

Who was talking about me?