Chapter 44
The Proclamation Ceremony of Heavenly Mandate achieved such tremendous results that calling it a huge success would be an understatement.
“How can there be such a warm and familiar light?”
“It is the Saintess’s grace… She of Heavenly Mandate achieved such tremendous results that calling it a huge success would be an understatement.”
“How can there be such a warm and familiar light?”
“It is the Saintess’s grace… her grace…”
“Saintess! Saintess!”
Starting from the commoners.
“She is someone who lacks nothing to be appointed by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”
“That is right. She truly seems exactly like a Saintess.”
“I really like the sound of the Saintess of the Empire rather than just a Saintess.”
All the way to the nobles.
The atmosphere was incredibly good all around, and the venue itself was orderly without any confusion.
It was an atmosphere where everyone was enthusiastic, yet calm without a single hint of excessive excitement.
The reason this was possible was, naturally, due to Rowena’s Divine Power.
Her desire for the people’s well-being lowered the possibility of bad things happening.
“Saintess! Saintess!”
“Wow… she is truly beautiful.”
“Romper? Should I try believing in it too, since the Saintess and the Little Sun believe in it…”
And that well-being naturally led to admiration.
A desire to have a religion and pray sprouted within the people.
Not a prayer to the Original Romper Church.
A prayer to the newly born Romper Church in the Empire.
The people’s wishes gathered in the faith under the sun.
Fwoosh.
Rowena realized that the people’s wishes were coming to her.
The speed at which her Divine Power filled up was on a different level from when she was in the Holy Kingdom.
This was an elation she hadn’t felt even in the place called the Holy Land.
“…”
The Saintess quietly looked down at the people from the top of the stairs.
She slowly knelt down and completed a praying posture.
A prayer toward the sun.
For the Saint and the Prospective Saintess who had suddenly intruded.
And for the Crown Prince who had disappeared taking those two with him.
“May no adversity dare to harm him.”
He must surely be doing the dirty work in an unseen place.
Seeing as the figures from the Holy Kingdom had disappeared simultaneously, she could roughly guess.
The Saintess’s prayer was toward the Crown Prince.
Rowena hoped this prayer would reach him.
“Thank you, Rowena.”
It was actually delivered perfectly to the Crown Prince.
+++++
“Since it”s a novel I only read up to about chapter 50, I thought a god would just be unconditionally strong.'
The god one would generally think of and the god in 'Jupeobae' seemed to have very different natures.
But originally, gods appearing in fantasy novels existed in very diverse forms depending on the setting.
“While there are gods that are truly like a Deus Ex Machina, there are also gods that give off the feeling of a transcendent being.”
If I had to specify, the god of 'Jupeobae' seemed to be the latter case.
Of course, I didn’t know if a god like the former existed, but what was certain was that Romper was the latter.
Fwoosh.
Sol Bellos.
The power of the Great Prophet is said to have swallowed one of the Two Suns in the past.
As Divine Power imbued that power, I was finally able to deal meaningful damage to the Saint.
Slash!
One of the Saint’s arms flew off so lightly it felt vain.
“Ugh!”
Even though I blatantly aimed for the Saint without needing to target Mirne anymore.
Balleryan, who couldn’t even react properly, grabbed his missing arm.
He was not even thinking of hiding behind the large shield he had pulled out at some unknown point.
It was remarkable to think he was reacting immediately to a pain he was feeling for the first time in his life.
“Did you grow up as a greenhouse plant?”
The sun outside the greenhouse would be very different from what he imagined.
'I’ll end this in one strike.'
Because he lacked his previous regenerative abilities, Balleryan couldn’t move actively.
He unconsciously kept trying to pull his body back, and because of this, he suffered an even greater wound instead.
'He’s opening up the distance entirely to make it easier for me to swing.'
Expressing my gratitude to Balleryan for voluntarily adjusting to the greatsword’s range.
I immediately wrapped the power of Sol Bellos around my sword.
“Y-you’re going to kill me! A war will break out! A war, I say!”
“Did you think you would live after baring your fangs at the Crown Prince in the Empire?”
“I am a Saint! The Saint of the Holy Kingdom! But how can you do this to me?”
I didn’t bother answering further.
'It’s a Summary Execution.'
The justification is sufficient.
The messages also weren’t reacting in any particular way.
No, actually, it wouldn’t have mattered even if they had reacted.
I just needed to kill him before he could properly reveal his power, as with the Northern Grand Duke.
“Sol Bellos has become easier to handle than before.”
Like a sword right before forging.
Rather than the sword catching fire, the color of the sword itself changed.
It had an appearance as if lava had become a sword directly.
A power that seemed like it would erase everything imbued the sword.
-Only this sword… can fully withstand my power.
The moment the sword was colored, the Crown Prince’s Memory surfaced once again.
-But even so, what meaning is there? Isn’t it a meaningless power?
A somewhat self-deprecating tone.
This time, he wasn’t conversing with anyone.
He was lamenting about the situation alone.
“Is it the past, seeing as it”s different from my current appearance?'
He dressed differently when he was younger than this.
Muttering that inwardly, I focused on the current situation.
Amidst the suddenly pouring memories.
“One-Strike.”
The name of the skill the Crown Prince used came out of my mouth unconsciously.
Accordingly, the red-stained sword flared white, and at the same time, I immediately realized what I had to do.
From top to bottom.
The sword that had soared high toward the sun fell straight toward the Ground.
The target was the god that had descended into a Human’s body.
And simultaneously, the Saint who had bared his fangs.
There wasn’t even the sound of cutting.
My sword swallowed all the surrounding sounds.
A terrible silence.
In a space where not a single sound could be heard, the uncontrolled flames devoured the surroundings wildly.
Fwoosh!
It had been a long time since my vision was dyed pure white.
The Saint hurriedly hid his body behind the large shield to prepare for the terrible tragedy that would unfold, but.
Even if he was hiding behind the large shield and blocking the front, the Saint was already in a state of being inside the flames.
Sizzle.
Half of the shield turned into smoke and disappeared.
And just as much as that half of the shield disappeared, the Saint’s body also disappeared.
There was no more regeneration.
The Divine Power wrapped around Sol Bellos was a Divine Power that denied gods.
It was Divine Power, yet it denied Divine Power.
The Saintess’s Divine Power, which acknowledged that even gods were beneath the sun, was no different from a deadly poison to a god.
This was a Divine Power that came solely from humans, for humans, and was built up by humans.
“Kuaaaagh!”
Even though half of his body had disappeared, the Saint was still moving his body.
Normally, it wouldn’t have been strange if his breath had been cut off immediately.
No, to be precise, it had been a long time since the Saint’s breath had already been cut off.
[ You have left a fatal wound on the descended Romper. ]
[ Romper no longer has the power left to prevent the division. ]
[ A New Romper God is born. ]
[ The Original Romper cannot maintain its Divine Power. ]
The one vomiting out screams right now isn’t Balleryan, but Romper.
However, that Romper is also meeting its end right now.
The Divine Power was imbued in Sol Bellos.
[ The Saint has completely died. ]
[ The Fragmented Romper has been extinguished. ]
[ You have perfectly completed the narrative of the “Saint who died miserably due to a difference in martial prowess while protecting the Protagonist”. ]
[ The Saint’s narrative will not pass on to another place. ]
It was the moment a Human killed a god.
“Is it over?”
The Saint was dead.
Romper was extinguished.
Since the messages mentioned it, there were no variables.
Sizzle.
As soon as the situation ended, the sword regained its original color.
To think it returned to normal even though I didn’t particularly retract Sol Bellos.
Does the sword store power on its own or something?
'I’ll have to look into this later too.'
Someone was muttering that inwardly.
“You were definitely within the Area of Effect of the One-Strike… It’s surprising that you, who couldn’t even run away, are perfectly alive.”
I stared at Mirne, who was just standing still, unable to do anything.
I didn’t aim for her, but the Area of Effect of the One-Strike itself was enough to completely erase the surroundings.
It should be a power that just extinguishes everything without even leaving ashes behind.
Even though she was within that range, Mirne was perfectly fine.
As if she had used an Invincibility Cheat all by herself.
“Since the Saint committed a crime within the Empire, the Pope who came with him will also not be able to avoid disaster.”
Mirne still didn’t say anything.
She was just staring at me blankly as if she had received a shock.
“Given that she hasn”t taken any action since telling me to stop, was there no such case in the original work?'
Come to think of it, I couldn’t understand why Mirne was in this place.
I brought her along because she came with the Saint, but…
“It’s a relief that this happened before you were acknowledged as a Saintess. If you had been officially acknowledged, you would have had to be held responsible too.”
“…As a Prospective Saintess, it will be difficult for me to escape responsibility as well.”
“Do you finally feel like talking now?”
“I apologize. Your Highness, the situation was so urgent… I dared not keep up properly.”
“For someone like that, you deliberately tried to pressure me when you told me to stop.”
“That is… because it is the Divine Power of the Romper Church. It seems it tried to stop you according to the Romper god’s will, contrary to my own will.”
Just what was the reason she came here?
“Is it because there was content like this in the original work? Or did her transmigrator Exclusive Privilege tell her something?”
At the same time, various thoughts occurred to me.
“Do not think you can move past this with just that level of an excuse.”
I grabbed Mirne by the hair and slammed her straight into the Ground.
Crash!
“Kyaak!”
If there is no intention to kill, damage can be inflicted.
Because not being able to even inflict damage made no sense.
“I only thought about it, but it actually works.”
Mirne writhed in pain with her head slammed into the Ground.
Rumble.
As if they had been waiting, the spirits beside Mirne tried to show movement immediately, but.
“No! Don’t do it! Nobody do anything! Absolutely not, because it’s true that I did wrong!”
Mirne desperately stopped them.
This was a shame.
“I was planning to farm some more spirits.”
Because the Spirits around Mirne were not in a contracted state.
If they had just revealed themselves, I could have immediately caught and stolen them.
But to think that it was blocked!
I smacked my lips inwardly.
“How did the Crown Princess of the Maselin Kingdom come to an Empire’s event? It would be one thing if you came in the guise of a Saintess or Prospective Saintess, but is there a reason to come hiding your identity like this?”
I immediately pressured Mirne.
“If you do not speak straight, I will use this as an excuse to destroy the Maselin Kingdom.”
The current Chance of Annihilation is 60%.
[ The Saint of the Holy Kingdom has been extinguished. ]
[ The Empire’s Probability of Destruction decreases. ]
[ Current Empire’s Probability of Destruction: 50% ]
[ Status Summary: The Empire may be destroyed within 5 years. ]
Now it’s 50%.
“May be destroyed? It speaks like some weather forecast.”
It might rain, or it might not.
While having miscellaneous thoughts, I waited for Mirne’s answer.
“Th-that is.”
Mirne.
“I-it was because I heard a rumor that… Black Mages were active in the Empire, so I came to investigate secretly…!”
An unexpected story was brought up.
“Black Mages?”
There’s such a thing in the Empire?
I had never heard of such a thing even in the recently improved public security reports.
“But if Mirne says there are, then there are.”
She’s a transmigrator Protagonist with the concept of having read the original work and transmigrated into the novel.
So in other words, Mirne’s words meant something.
“…Does it mean black mages are scheduled to appear in the Empire later on?”
It meant that in the not-too-distant future, the Empire would fall into chaos.
But it is fine now, since I knew in advance.
I just needed to aim for when those bastards were active, find them immediately, and kill them.
'I’ll have to bring her to the Imperial Palace and ask about where she heard the rumor, why she tried to secretly investigate, etc…'
I wanted to interrogate her more, but I had emptied my seat in the middle of the Proclamation Ceremony of Heavenly Mandate.
And it was also inefficient to keep asking in a place like this.
I decided to move locations first.
“I will hear the detailed story at the Imperial Palace.”
“Y-yes…!”
Mirne also said she would follow.
That was the moment I was about to first move to the Imperial Palace.
“…Balleryan!”
Only a long time after the whole situation had ended did the Pope reveal himself.
I had moved our location quite far away. How did he find us right away?
“Did he guess the place where the Divine Power disappeared?”
While I was guessing.
“Balleryan! Balleryaaaaaaan!!!”
The Pope passed by me and embraced Balleryan, only half of whose body remained.
“…Kheuheueueuk.”
It was as if the Pope immediately understood the situation.
He slowly bowed his head while tightly embracing the Saint’s body.
Only half the shield was left.
And the surroundings were where the traces of battle could be felt just by looking.
“…Are you going to erase the Holy Kingdom.”
The Pope skipped all introductions and spoke the main point to me.
“What sin would the innocent people who know nothing have?”
I easily summarized what will happen to the Pope from now on.
“The Holy Kingdom will now be under the Empire’s management.”
Since the Holy Kingdom tried to swallow the Southern Empire.
In return, the Empire swallows the Holy Kingdom.
It was a very simple principle.