The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 167

A pristine room, the walls and ceiling a canvas of pure white.

The Pope’s chamber was not adorned with extravagant decorations or opulent items, but rather imbued with an atmosphere of simple austerity.

“The Holy Ground has been destroyed…”

And in the center of this room.

Pope Chun Ma stood before a statue, his expression etched with bitterness.

The founding ceremony of the Thousand-Year Empire, Kamen, was fast approaching.

The Kamen Empire seemed more prosperous than ever, and the Gaia Order was also flourishing.

However, the Empire and the Order shared an ominous commonality.

Both were like sandcastles teetering on the brink of collapse.

“The Gaia Order cannot entirely evade responsibility. The Arconia branch will have to be significantly reduced or withdrawn… and the truth about the Holy Ground will soon be exposed.”

The scale of the Order’s Holy Ground was immense.

It was a place where the divine power of priest candidates had been extracted for over a decade.

It was impossible to attribute this incident to the transgression of a single archbishop.

‘Moreover, Arconia has launched a thorough investigation… it’s like a ticking time bomb.’

The emergence of the Demon King Calliope was a significant factor.

The Demon King, a terrifying entity who transformed battlefields into desolate wastelands whenever they participated in the Great War.

With their reappearance, it was only natural that the continent’s attention would be focused.

Furthermore, the Arconian council members who had been receiving pills from the Order were beginning to be exposed by the Rein Knights’ investigation.

In other words, there was nowhere left to shield the Gaia Order.

It was a true predicament.

Could there ever have been a Pope burdened with so many incidents and mishaps?

Chun Ma pondered this as he addressed the man beside him.

“Amadeus, why did the Hero and the Saintess refuse the divine power of the Holy Ground? Do you comprehend their motives?”

The divine power dormant within the Order’s Holy Ground was not a negligible quantity.

At least, that’s what Chun Ma believed.

“I do not know.”

Chun Ma turned to regard the man.

The Inquisitor’s emblem, intricately embroidered with silver thread on his chest, clearly denoted his position.

Inquisitor General Amadeus.

An Inquisitor serving the Pope, yet remaining concealed within the Order.

An upright clergyman who had been recognized for his sacred power talent in the orphanage and had ascended to the position of Inquisitor General solely through his talent and unwavering faith.

“Great power was essential for the Gaia Order. Was that a flawed concept?”

“…”

“I consistently prioritized Gaia’s teachings. Saving one noble can safeguard a hundred uneducated commoners. Was my judgment misguided?”

“…”

“I believed that acquiring divine power meant drawing closer to Gaia. That is how the Holy Ground was conceived, and that is how the Demonic King was created. Is this truly my fault, Amadeus?”

Amadeus quietly lowered his head.

Seeing this, Chun Ma sighed.

The foolishly honest man would never provide him with the answer he sought.

“Amadeus, what are your thoughts on this matter?”

“Your Holiness.”

Amadeus’s hand moved to his chest.

“I have no answer. I only follow Gaia.”

The Order’s unseen blade.

Inquisitor General Amadeus.

He does not act upon his own volition.

He moves in accordance with Gaia and her teachings.

“…Summon the Cardinals. We must deliberate on the future of the Hero and the Gaia Order.”

“Understood.”

“I will proceed to the waiting room in one hour.”

Amadeus bowed his head and departed from the Pope’s chamber.

And, he recalled the Hero of the Gaia Order, who had instantly sensed his energy the last time they met.

‘The Hero of the Gaia Order. One chosen by Gaia…’

Amadeus.

His life was dedicated to the Gaia Order, which had rescued him.

‘Therefore, I must ascertain it myself.’

Hero Rael.

He must speak with him directly.

The Pope and the Hero.

Depending on who is closer to Gaia, his course of action shall be determined.

*

“…What is the meaning of this?”

En route to the waiting room at the Pope’s summons.

Rael observed the two men obstructing his path.

One was the familiar Commander Marco, and the other was an unfamiliar face.

‘Hmm…?’

Rael scrutinized the man he had never encountered before.

He was exuding his energy without any attempt at concealment.

Had he encountered him in the back alleys during his tenure as a guard captain, he would have delivered a swift blow to the head, but now Rael was also a formally recognized Hero of the Gaia Order.

‘He’s quite powerful. I’ve never encountered anyone this strong within the Order before… there’s only one possibility.’

Inquisitor General.

Amadeus.

The Order’s unseen blade, whose name occupied the last position among the Empire’s Seven Strongest after Gideon Garcia was incarcerated in the Order’s prison.

Indeed, his energy was as sharp as the rumors suggested.

He wondered why he had suddenly approached him.

Buzz-

[Rael. Aren’t you finally exposed as a fake Hero?]

‘What nonsense are you spouting?’

Rael flicked the sword hilt with his finger, expressing his annoyance.

With the advancement of Hoicheon [a martial art technique], he could even communicate telepathically with the Holy Sword.

It wasn’t a particularly useful ability.

‘They say he’s the Order’s unseen blade… he certainly embodies that description.’

Rael scanned Amadeus from head to toe.

Unkempt hair and cold blue eyes.

Eyes as dull as those of a worker exhausted from an all-night shift, a man who evoked a sense of unease.

‘Besides, he doesn’t even wield a sword. It might be effective for catching someone off guard, but it’s absurd for someone who’s supposed to be an unseen blade.’

Amadeus was even a monk, a combat priest.

Judging by his physical development, he bore a striking resemblance to Pope Chun Ma.

He must be Chun Ma’s disciple.

‘I don’t believe I’d be defeated if we fought.’

If you were to ask if I’m scared, not at all.

It was true that Amadeus was as strong as Commander Marco, but he was a step below Rael, who had advanced Hoicheon.

Apologies to both of them, but he was confident he could subdue Marco and Amadeus simultaneously.

‘Of course, if I’m unlucky, I might lose an arm… I hope I can avoid a fight if possible.’

The Saintess would be able to heal him quickly, but it would still be painful.

As Rael’s hostility intensified, Marco, with a reluctant expression, spoke first.

“Don’t look at me like that, Rael. I was on my way to the waiting room at the summons of His Holiness.”

“Ah, is that so? I was also on my way to see His Holiness… so I wasn’t the only one summoned.”

“Not only us, but all the Cardinals have been summoned. It seems he has important matters to discuss.”

Rael nodded.

Whether it was the Holy Ground in Arconia or the encounter with the Demon King.

It was undoubtedly a matter of great significance for the Order.

“Well, I’m quite familiar with the Commander, so that’s fine, but I don’t believe that’s the case with this individual, correct?”

Rael gestured towards Amadeus beside Marco.

He was still staring at Rael with his lifeless eyes.

“I am examining the Hero.”

“Hmm. No matter how high the position of Inquisitor General is, it shouldn’t surpass that of the Order’s Hero. If you persist in acting in this manner… I won’t be considerate either.”

Rael sighed and placed his hand on the Holy Sword.

A knight placing his hand on his sword signified that he was deeply angered.

That was one of the advantages of medieval fantasy, where everyone carried a sword.

It was incredibly convenient because he didn’t have to engage in unnecessary communication.

“…I apologize, Hero. I belatedly offer my greetings. My name is Amadeus. I congratulate you on your safe return from Arconia.”

“Commander Marco, is this person always like this? A bit stuffy and rigid?”

“…I’m sorry, Rael.”

Marco sighed.

He had anticipated this outcome from the moment Amadeus insisted on meeting Rael.

When the two most eccentric individuals in the Gaia Order interacted, an incident was inevitable.

“Hero, I live for the Gaia Order.”

“I see. Congratulations. Please continue to live that way in the future.”

Rael nodded.

He was taken aback by the sudden self-introduction, but he offered his encouragement as a Hero.

“Yes. Therefore, I wished to speak with the Hero. I was genuinely curious as to who had received Gaia’s choice, the Hero or His Holiness the Pope.”

“…What are you talking about?”

Rael narrowed his eyes.

His eyes remained dull, but it felt as though he had suddenly broached a significant topic.

“Sir Rael, you destroyed the Order’s Holy Ground in Arconia, did you not? And you fought against the Demon King Calliope and repelled him from Arconia. In the process, you must have wielded the Order’s Holy Sword.”

“So?”

“That is where my doubts begin. Why are the opinions of the Pope and the Hero, who should be closest to Gaia, so diametrically opposed? Why does Gaia bestow the same power upon two lambs who harbor such divergent thoughts?”

“…”

“Since Sir Rael became the Hero, the Gaia Order has been turned upside down. The Saintess and the Hero emerged, a sacred trial that had been absent for a century took place, the Empire’s strongest knight was imprisoned in the Order’s dungeon, the Holy Ground, which was the Gaia Order’s source of power, was destroyed, and veteran warriors who survived the battle with the Demon King appeared.”

There was no exaggeration in Amadeus’s words.

Since Rael’s arrival, the power dynamics of the Gaia Order had been completely transformed.

Even that incompetent Cardinal Bernardo was being considered as the next Pope.

“The Hero has already become too influential within the Gaia Order. Therefore, I must know. You and the Pope, which of you is correct?”

After Amadeus concluded his statement.

Rael slowly opened his mouth.

“…Sir Amadeus, do you know how the Order’s Holy Ground was created?”

“Yes, I am one of the individuals who established that Holy Ground.”

Amadeus was responsible for the Order’s clandestine operations.

The Holy Ground was one of the most representative of these tasks.

“…Amadeus, is that true?”

Marco’s eyes widened.

He had encountered Amadeus on several occasions while residing within the Order, but he had never detected any such indications.

“Then do you require further explanation? Who would have stood idly by and witnessed such events? This is not a matter of Gaia’s choice. I believe that the Pope and the Cardinals who created the Holy Ground are all insane bastards. Of course, that includes you, who stood by and watched it happen.”

“Rael, Rael!”

Marco exclaimed in surprise, but Rael remained unyielding.

Being able to call a bastard a bastard was one of the few advantages of this era.

“Yes, I believe so as well.”

However, Amadeus’s response was entirely unexpected.

“You believe so? But why did you stand by and watch it happen?”

“Because I believed it was Gaia’s will. The Gaia Order, which took me in as an orphan, and His Holiness Chun Ma, Cardinal Angelo, they were the clergymen closest to Gaia, so I naturally assumed that my thoughts were misguided.”

To Amadeus, the Order represented light and justice.

They could not be wrong, so he assumed that he was the one who was mistaken.

However, an individual who directly opposed them had emerged.

It was none other than the Hero of the Gaia Order, Rael.

“Hero, no, Sir Rael, please tell me, who is in the right? If you are truly close to Gaia and acting justly, why is Gaia’s blessing, divine power, bestowed upon the lamb who stands in opposition?”

“…”

Marco also nodded.

He was also sympathetic to Amadeus’s words.

Initially, he had believed that only Cardinal Bernardo was aberrant, but after uncovering the truth about the Order, he had become disgusted with everything.

However, there was a significant issue.

Why did those individuals also possess Gaia’s divine power?

Did that not imply that Gaia was condoning their tyranny?

That was what troubled Amadeus and Marco.

“You’re preoccupied with such futile concerns.”

Rael shook his head.

This is why compulsory education is essential for people.

“Does Gaia even instruct you to do this or that? Just as Gaia desires nothing from you, you should desire nothing from Gaia either. And, isn’t the most compelling evidence right here?”

If you don’t believe in Gaia in the first place, such a thing wouldn’t occur.

However, Rael cannot express such sentiments as the Hero of the Gaia Order.

That’s why he uttered something cool he had heard somewhere and naturally diverted the subject.

He drew the Holy Sword from his waist.

Simultaneously, tremendous divine power enveloped the corridor.

“The Holy Sword chose me. The Order’s most prized relic bypassed so many candidates and descended upon me. Wouldn’t Gaia’s choice be the same?”

“…Is that Holy Sword truly a relic? There is nothing I can trust. Even if that Holy Sword is a fake, there is no way for me to know.”

Amadeus was feeling perplexed.

He had believed that he would find an answer if he met Rael in person, but that was not the case at all.

At that moment.

“…?”

Buzz buzz buzz-

The Holy Sword, which had been quietly listening to the conversation, began to tremble.

[F, fake? The Pope I watched directly knows the name of the destroyer and says such nonsense! Hero of the Gaia Order! Give me divine power!]

‘…He only refers to me as the Hero of the Gaia Order when he requires my assistance.’

Rael quietly channeled divine power into the Holy Sword.

Then, magic power emanated from his body, and even stronger and denser divine power cascaded down upon Amadeus.

Whoaaaa-

At that moment.

Life began to return to Amadeus’s lifeless eyes.

He opened his eyes wide and savored the energy that was permeating his body.

It was a divine power that was distinct from anything he had experienced before, warmly and sacredly embracing his being.

“Ah…”

Amadeus extended his hand and grasped the divine power.

Simultaneously, all the distracting thoughts that had plagued him vanished.

Thud-.

Amadeus knelt down without conscious intent.

The divine power pouring down upon him penetrated Amadeus’s body.

This was the blessing of Gaia that he had been pursuing.

“…I should have simply demonstrated the divine power from the outset.”

Rael smiled wryly as he observed the scene.

“Yes, if you had, I would have knelt down immediately. There is no way someone who emits such divine power could be wrong. Even if the Hero is not right, I will not regret this choice.”

Amadeus had undertaken numerous tasks thus far.

He had assumed the Gaia Order’s clandestine operations and followed orders that he did not comprehend.

The sole reason he had accepted even the tasks he could not fathom was one.

The overwhelming divine power that the Pope emitted.

But today, he realized that there was another divine power that surpassed that divine power.

He had come to recognize Gaia’s true choice.

“Good, Hero, let us proceed together.”

The Hero and the Saintess are correct, and Pope Chun Ma is mistaken.

Then he must face the consequences.

“Yes, yes, I’ll proceed on my own, so please rise from your knees first….”

“Let’s go kill the Pope.”

“…Yes?”