361 – Command of the Sky – 6
It is unknown what the Barandiga tribe wants, but one thing is certain. No matter what Barandiga’s chieftain is, he cannot give up his name as a priest.
Despite not fulfilling the role of a priest properly, other tribes regard the chief of the Barandi tribe as a priest. Then he said, ‘My father is dead, but I am also a priest.’ It must be that they are actively promoting it. Of course, I don’t know why, but it means that I still maintain my identity as a priest.
That’s enough. If the chief of the Barandiga tribe wears the name Priest, he just needs to act accordingly if he can’t give up that name.
“The one who has received the stigma of the eternal blue sky and possesses a sacred object has arrived, so the priest welcomes you as a guest!”
So, as soon as he arrived at the base of the Barandiga tribe, he proudly exclaimed.
I received the stigma of the god you worship, and even possessed the sacred object of that god. Even if you have ill feelings towards the Empire, if you are a priest, you cannot bear to turn the door.
– I don’t think you’re normal either.
I felt a little embarrassed by the muttering in my head. I didn’t mean to say it proudly as a person who destroyed the faith of serving the eternal blue sky.
Still, I was able to act confidently. If I were to sell the eternal blue sky for my own self-interest, I would be an asshole, but both of these are beneficial.
‘Please look at it because it’s something we want each other to like.’
– Yeah, well, it’s good for me too.
After those words, the eternal blue sky became quiet again, and soon after, several nomads came running in a hurry.
Seeing as they don’t have weapons, it seems that they were thinking of welcoming them as guests.
When we arrived at the ger in the center of the garrison, a middle-aged man was waiting for us. With his hair neatly swept back and his beard neat, he seems to be paying attention to his appearance, but seeing him drinking with a mixed expression of irritation and fatigue, he looked like an unemployed man frustrated by a series of failures.
“Stigmata and Sacrifice.”
The man who confirmed that I had entered muttered as he removed his leather bottle from his mouth.
“It’s interesting that the imperials have something that even the priests haven’t seen.”
Contrary to his words, however, the man with a disinterested expression pointed to the chair opposite him as he stretched out his hand. Like let’s sit down and talk.
As expected, there were no unilateral orders or attempts to attack. Although it’s a risky situation because we haven’t been entertained yet – just being able to have a conversation is a good start.
“Barandi, the only priest in the grassland, is Gurt Bartal. This Barandi is also the chief of the tribe.”
“I am Carl Krasius of Wiridia, who was granted the countship by the grace of His Majesty the Emperor.”
The priest, who was sitting in a chair, flinched when he heard my name, and then slowly straightened his posture.
“Karl Krasius?”
And a sharpness that could not be found in the previous boredom dwelled in the priest’s eyes.
“The high priest who served the sky and the heretic who destroyed his house.”
A statement mixed with a feeling of intimidation before you know it, or within the expected range. As long as I approached the priest religiously, mentioning stigmata and sick objects, the priest can gain an advantage over me, an imperialist and a pagan, by advocating northern faith. The reason this meeting took place was not because the imperial envoy requested a meeting with the Barandiga tribal chief, but because the owner of the stigmata and sacred object requested a meeting with the priest.
But it doesn’t matter. Negotiations are ongoing from the moment the irresistible meeting was concluded.
“To say that the enemy of the faith has stigmata and a stigma is a terrible joke.”
“Even the adversary is part of the myth.”
The priest’s eyes widened at the unexpected words, but he did not stop.
“And because it is an adversary that is part of the myth, it is also intertwined with the gods.”
With those words, I waved my hand to Section 4, and Section 4 put my sword in his arms down on the table. Unlike the Kaitana tribe, escort and armament were limited, so it was an unavoidable measure.
…No, actually, this was normal and Kaitana was weird.
“The first pope of the Church of Dawn died at the hands of a pagan. However, the dagger that stabbed the pope became a sacred object with holy blood, and the enemy of the faith who harmed the pope repented and became a martyr who spread the faith.”
It’s a floating word, but the priest looked at the sword on the table as if he noticed something.
I’m glad. You’re a nobleman with quick eyesight.
“That’s why it’s no wonder that the sword that killed the high priest became a sacred object, and that the pagan who destroyed the temple received stigma.”
In short, ‘I killed your high priest and destroyed your temple, but the sacred objects and stigmata are real anyway.’ Saying.
I wondered if I should take off my clothes and show my stigma for a moment, but the priest stared at the sword with a smile on his face and turned his gaze to me.
“It is impossible for humans to know God’s will. He must have brought something precious.”
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After saying that, the priest spoke to the guard standing behind him.
“A special guest has arrived, so prepare a table.”
“Yes, Chief.”
I was a little relieved when he said that he would completely treat me as a guest. If things went wrong, they should have escaped after performing a sword dance in the tribe, the center of their faith.
By the way, to understand the sword just by looking at it, are you a priest in your own right? It seems to feel the power of God.
The priest’s reaction was quite mild. As the priest, it was natural to deal with the person who brought the crumbling religious object, and as the chief of the tribe, an envoy who could save the tribe came.
The only thing that bothers me is that a person who can come out so mildly has never expressed a willingness to surrender—
“It was just embarrassing to claim to be a priest in a situation where we didn’t even have a temple to serve our lord, let alone a sacred object.”
“It must have been a lot of hard work.”
“Even empty words could not be said to be okay. Our Barandiga tribe is a tribe united by faith, and even I, the priest, feel like wandering in darkness, so the other compatriots must have been shocked. Thank you for showing us and guiding us to a new path, so thank you is not enough.”
After listening to the words of the priest who suddenly changed into a respectable man, I could understand it. The priest wanted to surrender but couldn’t. He wants to surrender in order to save his tribe, but because of his title as a priest, it seems that the tribe he wants to save will collapse if he gives up as a priest.
Since I opened a way out of that maddening dilemma, the priest probably had nothing to hesitate about. It’s clear when you say that the empire, not me, has led you to a new path.
The priest’s surrender is no longer just a choice to live. It is to express gratitude to the empire that gave light to the faith that was in decline, and gave grace in a religious way. As a priest, this is the right thing to do.
“Your Majesty is aware that there is a culture unique to the north. That is why you respect the faith of the north and want to embrace it. So, as a servant who has received His Majesty’s grace, in accordance with that beautiful will, I will give you the things you deserve in the north. It’s just giving back.”
At that, the priest gave a deep smile. Now, the display of sacred objects was mixed with the emperor’s political intention to embrace the north beyond religious grace. I can’t help but be glad that the Barandi tribe is generously giving me a reason to surrender.
“However, it will only be after the priest has been formally entrusted with the priestly title.”
Of course, the awarding of titles is also one of the reasons to surrender. Now, I have to push through Kim in a good atmosphere.
Even the bestowal of a title is a gift with the magical power of making enemies laugh. The number of conversions that can go beyond a supportive relationship to a one-hearted relationship if given in a good atmosphere. The priest, who was actually smiling, froze as if shocked at the word title.
“As I just said, Your Majesty respects the culture of the North. This means that you will treat Chief Barandiga, the only priest in the North, seriously.”
Yes, he will treat you seriously. The priest would symbolize the vast tolerance of the Empire, and the least shared faith among the scattered nomadic peoples of the north. In order for the empire to smoothly control the north, the priests had to become the rulers of the empire.
Suddenly, I took out the seal that was sleeping in my bosom. When he suddenly put his hand into his bosom, he could see the escort behind the priest getting nervous, but relaxed when he saw a seal instead of a blade.
“Your Majesty’s trust in the Marquis of Barandi.”
“…Marquis?”
At the blank answer, he smiled softly.
It’s a pity for Count Kaitana, who is a professional minion, but Barandiga is perfect for Marquis. There is a symbolism to make as a marquis, and there is also a history. However, the scale is so small that it is impossible to overwhelm other tribes by force.
‘It’s perfect.’
If the strongest one becomes a marquis, he can defeat the other counts by force and become the real power in the north. It was unacceptable because the possibility of a third Kagan had to be reduced even a little.
So it’s Barandiga. He should make a marquis with honor, not a marquis with real power.
“Congratulations on becoming the thirteenth Marquess of the Empire. Wow, you’ve become someone higher than me.”
Priest— No, the Marquis of Barandiga still looked at the seal with a blank face.
***
The stormy negotiations are over.
“If you’re on the frontlines, you never know when you’ll be drawn into battle. Get to safety first, and when the war is over, go to the Islands. His Majesty will officially confer your title on you.”
Before the negotiations were over, the words of the envoy still lingered in his mind.
‘It was a dog’s life.’
I felt like I was about to laugh. Since Nomad’s defeat in the last war, since his father’s death, life has been a f*cking mess. However, light came to such a life.
‘A thousand people.’
The envoy said that the emperor of the empire wants to embrace the nomads with mercy and tolerance because he has obeyed the mandate of Heaven.
The Mandate of Heaven, the Mandate of Heaven.
‘…The sky.’
When I remembered that word, I couldn’t hold back my laughter any longer. The priest who served the eternal blue sky survived by the command of the sky. In addition, a life of wealth and honor, not humiliating submission, was guaranteed.
It’s amazing. He thought it was a faith without hope or future, but that god was looking at the only remaining priest.
“Chief.”
As he kept giggling, Shati, who was at the negotiating room as an escort, cautiously opened his mouth.
“Are you really sick of that thing?”
It’s a short question, but the confusion Shati must have felt was conveyed as it was. It’s a natural reaction since the imperials brought a divine object that doesn’t even exist in this grassland.
I smiled at Shati and replied.
“I don’t know.”
“…Yes?”
“I don’t know either.”
Shati’s body stiffened at her confident answer.
But what can I do? I really don’t know.
‘How do I know that?’
I’ve never seen a god in person, and I haven’t felt the power of a god since my father passed away.
Isn’t it more strange for a priest who didn’t even receive a response from God in the first place to recognize a divine object? The priest is not omnipotent.
“Ah, father! Surrender without knowing that you are a god—”
She shook her head at Shati, who was screaming. Then she shut her mouth right away, but her eyes were still full of suspicion and displeasure.
“Shatiya.”
“…Why?”
“The important thing is not whether it’s new or not.”
Seeing that Shati was about to shout again, she added quickly.
“It’s important to think of it as something new.”
I don’t know if that sword is sacred or not. However, the envoy of the empire said that the sword was a sacred object, and mentioned the emperor and said that he would embrace the pagans. It was as if the emperor was guaranteeing that the sword was sacred.
Then it doesn’t matter if you’re not really a god. The emperor of the empire, the only priest, would say it was a sacred thing.
‘What does the truth matter?’
It is said that the continent’s strongest country and the party of faith are correct, but is the truth important?
Even if it’s important, is it more important than the peace of the steppe and the safety of the tribe?
‘It tastes good.’
She drank the mayuju she was holding in her right hand without hesitation.
Today I will die by drinking.