The Shadowed Legacy of the Soulless Messenger [EN]: Chapter 398

Karnago IV, having formalized his adoption of Azadin, departed to address the monster incursions plaguing his own lands.

With this, virtually no one remained to challenge Azadin’s complete authority over the Banlung Kingdom.

Azadin officially declared the capital of the Banlung Kingdom, the Heart of the Mountain, as his territory. He also designated the route connecting Naisandokar in the Chadra Highlands, Sandokar, Coxhall, and the Heart of the Mountain as the national highway.

Now, all who traversed this route were required to pay protection fees to Azadin, the King of Banlung. In return, he was obligated to ensure the area’s safety by deploying the national highway patrol.

This also served as an implicit challenge: if anyone believed they could contest his rule now that he was a recognized king, they were welcome to try.

In response, the lords of various vassal states within the Banlung Kingdom reaffirmed their allegiance to Azadin.

Notably, the oath of fealty from the Count of Bissen, a vassal state to the east of Banlung, was particularly significant.

Securing Bissen meant that the road previously established by the Emperor would now extend to Butuma.

Witnessing Azadin’s growing power, some began to call him the Southern Emperor, drawing comparisons to Cohen Lionheart of the Northern Empire.

*********

The news of Azadin being hailed as the Southern Emperor naturally reached Cohen Lionheart of the Northern Empire.

Cohen Lionheart was genuinely unsettled by this unfamiliar feeling of unease.

Until now, he had never experienced being surpassed by anyone.

Yet, Azadin had rapidly achieved what had taken him a century of painstaking effort.

While Cohen Lionheart’s foundations were undoubtedly more solid, the Northern Empire’s alliances were not necessarily stronger than Azadin’s forces.

Chitai, Tarasar, Karasar…

These three kingdoms, allied with Cohen Lionheart’s Asander, were merely in loose alliances and could easily betray him.

Despite holding the grand title of conqueror, his position was maintained by only a slight advantage, a situation that could be overturned at any moment.

“This is a first for me. A very novel sensation. I see. Is this what people call inferiority?”

Cohen posed the question to his own child.

It was an arrogant statement, yet Sriyadhana, Cohen’s child, could discern his sincerity.

Cohen was genuinely marveling at this unfamiliar feeling of inferiority.

“Father, the clergy of the King’s Church are holding a meeting to discuss countermeasures.”

Sriyadhana held the position of bishop of the Asander diocese within the King’s Church.

Being Cohen Lionheart’s child and holding such a position was an immense privilege. However, Cohen had long ago strategically placed his children within the King’s Church, the Order of the Rescue Knights, and various clergy and holy knight groups.

“I see. What’s the atmosphere like? Will the King’s Church denounce that herald clan [a clan that proclaims messages or news] and resolve to subjugate them? Or will they entrust everything to me, the King of Kings, and request his subjugation?”

“I’m not certain, but they are certainly very subdued. Lord Astadeer and Lord Zekt, both top inquisitors, have defected. The church won’t consider resolving this issue on their own. They will likely ask you to subjugate him, or…”

“Or?”

“They might recognize him out of respect for the King of Arangi.”

“You speak well. Out of respect for Karnago IV? Isn’t that just an excuse? Have you even read that New Testament Declaration? It attacks the corruption of the clergy, and yet they would recognize him? Are they all out of their minds?”

The scriptures of the King’s Church were broadly divided into two parts: the Great Law, created by the Yaegas gods [the gods of this world] to pacify the Hybris continent, mediate disputes between people, and govern; and the Minor Acts, which were filled in with details by the clergy as they taught the people.

Azadin was attacking these Minor Acts.

It was a divide-and-conquer tactic, aimed at undermining the current church system without directly challenging the authority of the Yaegas gods.

“Well, if he wants to divide, then let him divide. All the clergy are currently hoarding grain in the market. They are abusing their positions as clergy to forcibly buy food from merchants who don’t want to sell, building warehouses in monasteries, and waiting for price increases. They haven’t realized their profits yet, but they are feeling the money in their wallets grow. Why would they want to fight? If Count Azadin, or rather, King Azadin, wants, they might revise or newly compile the Minor Acts and compromise.”

In a situation where they could make huge profits by hoarding grain and safely passing Pimbulbert [a location or event], they wouldn’t want to risk fighting Azadin for no reason.

As Sriyadhana spoke, his aides came to find him.

“Bishop, the Mirror of Conversation is ready.”

“Oh, it’s time.”

“I will go with you.”

“Yes? But….”

The King’s Church and the Order of the Rescue Knights maintained their dioceses throughout the continent by quickly sharing information remotely through a magical mirror called the Mirror of Conversation.

This was a core facility of the church, and no one except bishops was allowed to approach it. But the Northern Emperor had intervened.

“It seems we can’t just let the Southern Conqueror be recognized.”

*********

A soulless blasphemer was openly mocking the King’s Church and leading a cult, and two inquisitors sent to stop him had defected.

What’s more? Karnago IV, the King of the Arangi Kingdom, one of the Eight Thrones [powerful kingdoms], whom they held in high esteem, had declared that he would recognize him and adopt him as his son.

This was a terrible disgrace for the King’s Church.

“No, what is the Order of the Rescue Knights doing? Those bastards! They should be excommunicated immediately….”

“Do you think those opportunists would excommunicate him now?”

The other clergy members were taken aback by the word ‘opportunists’.

It was a word spoken to criticize the Order of the Rescue Knights, but it applied to them as well.

“But if things have come this far, it’s beyond the point where even the entire Inquisition can stop him.”

“How about entrusting it to Cohen Lionheart, the King of Kings?”

“More importantly, what have you been doing, Archbishop of Arangi? You should have stopped the king from doing such a thing!”

All the sharp criticisms now turned to the Archbishop of Arangi.

Then, the Archbishop of Arangi retorted indifferently.

“In the first place, is Karnago IV the kind of person who would listen to me? He would just ignore it. That’s for sure.”

“But….”

“And everyone, isn’t there something more important than that soulless blasphemer? Ogres are forming warbands and starting to invade from various places, the Bri [a type of monster] and Goblins are rampant, and the southern coast is suffering from the Nagas [a type of serpent monster]. I know that real cults are spreading everywhere in the cities. The Mezerina of Kurt [a type of cult] and even worse Nether faiths are rampant. But is our only concern that soulless blasphemer?”

“Huh….”

“What are you saying?”

“Of course, we are always aware of the movements of such monsters as goblins and ogres. We are talking about a newly arisen threat….”

“A newly arisen threat. Isn’t the real threat the food shortage? Of course, we were able to farm this year, so numerically there shouldn’t be a shortage, but I’ve heard rumors that the bishops have built many warehouses in the monasteries and hoarded a lot of grain there?”

“Ahem.”

“What are you saying? It’s slander, slander!”

“Yes, I hope it’s slander too. Otherwise, we might have to stop rioters from storming the monasteries later.”

The Archbishop of Arangi, with an indifferent attitude, pointed out the hypocrisy of the other clergy. Thanks to this, he no longer had to hear that he should have controlled the King of Arangi or that he had allowed Azadin to grow within his diocese.

“Still, shouldn’t we take measures against that heretic? We can’t just let him mock our teachings like this. Do you know what that guy calls the scriptures he made? He calls it the New Testament.”

“Then what do you suggest? Even if we send the entire Inquisition, can we stop him? Even if we entrust him to the Northern Empire, it would take at least several months to move troops from Asander to Banlung.”

“Then how about recognizing him?”

The Archbishop of Arangi asked.

“What?”

“This man has lost his mind.”

“Are you serious?”

The other clergy were surprised, but the Archbishop of Arangi scoffed and said,

“Anyway, if you look at the New Testament Declaration he put out, what he’s attacking is the content of the Acts. If we accept it as a slight revision of the Acts, we can fully accept that New Testament.”

“But those items are for us clergy. If we revise them, it will be harder to move the people as we wish.”

“What if they think freely, ignore our authority, and challenge us?”

Most of the clergy knew well what the passages of the Acts they had created meant.

The Archbishop of Arangi couldn’t be unaware of this either. But he spoke as if a devil was tempting them.

“But we already have wealth, don’t we?”

“What….”

“Anyway, even if we revise the Acts, our authority won’t be immediately damaged. If we recognize and accept the New Testament, the day will come when the people will look down on the clergy, but that will be a long time from now. Surely none of you clergy have created illegitimate children somewhere against the rules.”

“…….”

“Hmm. Well, now that I think about it, it’s not entirely wrong.”

If they refused the New Testament and fought with King Azadin, they would be exhausted right now. But if they accepted the New Testament and the church’s authority weakened, that would be the hardship of future generations.

Would I suffer now? Or would future generations suffer?

Without asking, the latter was better, wasn’t it?

Of course, the conservative clergy still opposed it.

“Are you saying we should change the laws that our predecessors have consistently upheld? It’s the end of days!”

“It is indeed the end of days. Then, either release the wealth you have accumulated and fight the war, or do you think you can handle the price of Selsord [a type of commodity], which has skyrocketed these days?”

“Hmm….”

Even the conservative clergy who were crying out for the end of days were startled at the mention of opening their wallets.

No matter how much they had embezzled, they didn’t have enough funds to fight a war, and they didn’t want to be the only ones to bear the burden.

In the end, the opinion that it might be okay to accept the New Testament as it was became widespread among the clergy.

‘It’s truly terrifying. I predicted this would happen, but the saying ‘the Holy King’s defeat’ is truly fitting. Just by winning a few times, everyone doesn’t even dare to think of opposing him.’

Archbishop Sriyadhana of Asander was bewildered by the clergy’s opinions, which were increasingly leaning towards recognizing the New Testament. But then Cohen Lionheart stepped forward.

“May I say a word?”

“Hmm?”

“Good heavens. The Northern Emperor?!”

“No, how did this happen?! Why are you at the Council of Bishops….”

The bishops were embarrassed and furious that the Northern Emperor had overheard their conversation, where they had taken off their masks and were speaking freely.

“I know it’s rude, but there is an important fact that you all need to know. After knowing that, it will be okay to decide whether to accept his New Testament or not.”

And the Northern Emperor’s revelation shocked them.

*********

And a little later. The King’s Church decided to declare Azadin a terrible blasphemer, a heretic to be overthrown, and resolved to declare a holy war.