Episode 246
64. Overture to Anxiety (1)
“It happened.”
“Uh… … .”
As I quietly listened to Elijah’s story, I groaned deeply.
“At the end of the day, two students made a suggestion.”
“To be precise, the timing was good.”
Elijah’s beautiful white hair fluttered softly.
“Anyway, even inside the temple of Canaan, there was a lot of talk about how to express opinions about the official alliance between Artel and humans.”
“but… … The temple of Canaan has long insisted on an alliance with Artel.”
So, even at the end of chapter 5, a large delegation arrives from the temple of Canaan.
Originally, I was planning to naturally proceed with the Apostle of Light faction through that place.
The problem is that this time it’s not just an ‘Emissary’.
Bassanio, the high priest, and Judas, the commander of the Temple Knights.
A huge arena of unity called a festival was opened, and huge giants were gathering.
“Do you feel that Apostle Baek Sanwoo looks a little dissatisfied?”
In the meantime, Yelia, who read my slightly twisted expression, said:
“… … Somehow, I have a bad feeling.”
“Um?”
“It’s hard to explain, but it’s bad anyway.”
If only High Priest Bassanio or the Temple Knights Commander Judas were visiting alone, I would not have reacted so sensitively.
However… … .
For me, who has cleared the Apostle of Light faction over and over again.
Both Bassanio and Judas know what happens when they enter Paradise Island.
‘The High Priest’s Assassination’.
The Holy Empire was currently politically quite isolated.
The Union of Nations, led by the Federal Republic of Eurakia.
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Most of the countries existing on the continent joined the situation.Acryon’s Holy Empire has been unilaterally refusing to join for more than hundreds of years by the tradition that politics and religion should be completely separated.
Of course, it wasn’t something I couldn’t understand, so it seemed like all other countries were going well.
The problem was that as the years passed, the Holy Empire that did not belong to the Union naturally began to be excluded from the international stage.
It was natural.
If you do not participate, how can you not be excluded?
Therefore, what the Holy Empire of Acrion chose was a radical expansion of the religion.
In the end, it is religion, not politics, that governs the people.
With that logic, let the Holy Empire begin to expand in earnest, starting with the Temple of Canaan.
In less than a hundred years, more than half of the people of the continent became followers of the Canaanite temple.
That was enough action to pose a threat to Union.
Think about it.
What if you are trying to implement a national policy, but it goes against the doctrine of the Temple of Canaan and even the Holy Empire?
It was not known how the people, let alone the people, would react to the believers scattered throughout the political and administrative organizations of each country.
from then.
The Holy Empire and the Union became a delicate relationship that kept each other in check.
The nuances grew deeper and deeper, at one point even reaching the brink of dissolution of the Union by the Holy Empire.
That’s a story from the past anyway.
As the peace prolonged, people left religion.
At the same time, the power of the Temple of Canaan and the Holy Empire rapidly weakened.
The temple, too, has even taken a post-authoritarian move since Bassanio, the high priest, came to power.
The position of the Holy Empire was bound to continue to narrow.
therefore.
The Holy Empire does something it shouldn’t do.
They assassinate the high priest on Paradise Island, where they have a difficult relationship with Union.
It was to place the blame on Paradise Island and Union.
‘The starting point is… … The high priest and the commander of the Holy Knights visit Paradise Island at the same time.’
Knight Commander Judah is on the side of the Empire, not the Temple.
If Elijah the Redeemer was a temple, no- purely a fanatic who was inspired by the God of Light.
Judas was a man who was madly obsessed with the keyword ‘Holy Empire’.
A nation ruled by light must stand on top of the world.
The ‘Arc Bishop Slayer’ who assassinates the high priest by swallowing up his twisted faith and his own greed.
But at this point, the two of them are visiting Nakwon Island?
Even if it was ominous, it was too ominous.
“What part do you think so… … ?”
“I am concerned about the safety of High Priest Bassanio.”
However, it is not possible to tell Elijah directly.
In any case, Judas, the commander of the Holy Knights, was an object of respect and superiority to Elijah.
The Holy Knight Commander kills the High Priest?
I can’t easily accept such a shocking fact.
As I said for nothing, if such an incident did not happen, it was clear that Elijah’s trust in me would decrease.
I’m afraid I’m going to die of anxiety lately, eating with demons in the back alleys.
As these trivial misunderstandings pile up, it might explode at some point.
“If that’s the case, you don’t have to worry. Not only our Heretical Judgment Bureau, but also the elite members of the Holy Knights will come in.”
As if to reassure him, it was Yelia who answered in a soft voice.
I wasn’t reassured at all.
Because the Holy Knights are the main culprit in assassination of the high priest?
‘Why are Yura and Theodore doing this again? … !’
I wanted to call the two of them together and pour out swear words excitedly.
There was no good reason or justification for that, and he couldn’t even temper the affection he had built up.
Besides, what are you going to do about things that have already been decided?
Preparations are also in full swing at the Canaanite temple, but I can’t pour cold water on it.
‘And if you really try to kill me, I can stop you.’
It’s a faction quest anyway.
The High Priest of the Holy Empire lives, and the issue of Malchu will not affect the main story much.
Rather, in the current situation, the Holy Empire would rather fall into chaos.
I thought it would be better to remain with strong power.
To be honest, I don’t know how the Baeksanwoo scenario will unfold.
What if the Liberation Front suddenly attacks Bassanio saying that he is dead and that he is excited?
The chaos that would arise from Bassanio’s assassination on Paradise Island had to be put on hold as much as possible.
“All right. then… … We will also prepare some preparations for this festival.”
“Please, Apostle Baek Sanwoo.”
Elijah’s red eyes looked straight at me and gently wrapped my hand and said.
“Do not worry too much. I will always be by your side.”
“… … are you talking about me Or are you talking about the high priest?”
In response to my question, Yeliya just rolled her eyebrows in hopelessness.
* * *
Contrary to my growing worries, the preparations for the festival were being made steadily.
The commercial district, which had been dead due to a series of incidents, was once again revitalized.
The Canaanite temple, the main subject of the festival, had a busy day from the last priest to the chief of the shrine.
Of course, as the schedule of the visits of the Holy Empire’s giants, including High Priest Bassanio, was revealed.
The minds of the security leaders in charge of public security on Nakwon Island and those in charge of general administrative affairs were also half out.
The only ones who were free from the festivities and pressures were the students and faculty who were virtually third parties and who were purely festivities.
In a way, it’s a perfect opportunity to take a leisurely break.
The festival hosted by the Temple of Canaan was combined with my will to do nothing, creating a wonderful void.
I was just having surplus days.
The daily life of going to school and then meeting club members or wandering aimlessly around Nakwon Island.
Having lunch with Iliana, having dinner with Camila… … .
Somehow, it felt a little twisted, but anyway, we were having a good time.
“You definitely feel much more comfortable than before.”
“Is that so?”
Aidan said, wiping away the sweat that had formed from his bones.
“Yeah, I felt like I was being chased before. It looks like you have regained some time now.”
“… … It’s thanks to accepting that there are realities that cannot be twisted on our own.”
“Yes?”
“It’s just a joke. Don’t worry about it.”
I waved my hand lightly.
“By the way, how is Aidan-sama’s training going?”
“It feels good. It seems to be getting stronger day by day.”
Aidan said, sticking out my strong forearm.
Originally, he had a body that had been trained to some extent, but now he is no longer a wizard, but a full-fledged warrior.
‘After all, even if you ride the wizard route, the ones you use a lot in the second half are melee weapons, including swords.’
In this way, it could be seen that choosing the Ortana Faculty was a wise choice.
You can learn weapon skills gradually, but magic is a completely different mechanism.
If I had tried to learn it late, it would have been quite inefficient.
“I have been able to handle the Holy Spear all the time. Other weapons are slowly being acquired.”
“You are getting more and more qualified as a Weapon Master.”
“It’s all thanks to Mr. Baek Sanwoo.”
Aidan was currently undergoing infinite training against the Hive Mind on the 1st floor of the Dream Garden that I had built.
In any game, it’s best to stick to one place where you can master your skills.
The first floor of the Dream Garden was the best place to do that.
Of course, it is the home of the monstrosities under the control of the Incubus King Nabe.
He doesn’t know that the monster he’s dealing with is the Hive Mind, a former demon king army commander that he stole from the abyss of Hisperif last time.
“How are you and Karin these days?”
“Well, it’s always the same. Recently, I and Karin have also been able to relax a bit and spend a lot of time.”
“Oh, I’m sure there will be less outside views now.”
“The freshmen must have adapted to the atmosphere of Paradise Island.”
Triston’s unprecedented successor and the ultimate weapon master.
Aidan Christopher’s presence, as always, was buried naturally over time.
It’s not like things happen all of a sudden.
Eventually, when they returned to their daily lives, everyone was so busy with their work that they often lost interest in the hero’s actions.
“Is it like I said?”
“That’s it. I’d rather have a daily routine like this. Even for a hero, this kind of excessive attention is a little burdensome.”
“That’s why I’m not a hero.”
“If you’re the hero’s guide, shouldn’t you have told me in advance?”
“Heh heh, my eyes are open, so it’s like my nose is vegan.”
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Me and Aidan joked around without meaning.Since the relationship with Aidan has already passed over a year, a certain amount of bond has been built up, allowing them to play pranks in this way.
However, apart from the joke, I had to convey what I had to say.
“Ah, Aidan-sama.”
“Yes.”
“A festival to be posted soon.”
“Ah, you’re talking about the event held at the temple of Canaan, right?”
I nodded and continued speaking.
“Perhaps Aidan-sama will be granted the qualification of one of the distinguished guests to attend… … . Please keep an eye on High Priest Bassanio.”
“You mean the high priest?”
“Yeah, if anything happens, you can respond right away.”
“Didn’t you say that the Holy Knights will also arrive separately? There is no need for me to go out on security… … .”
It’s a natural reaction.
However, you should always be prepared for the worst case scenario.
Not only Aidan Christopher, but also Illuminati’s friends, this is the information that he had been talking about.
“I don’t know the truth. I heard there is a movement to assassinate High Priest Bassanio.”
“… … yes?”
As if in disbelief, Aidan’s eyes widened.