Chapter 78: 1 in 14,000,605 and the Weight of the Cross Part 1

Arthur was a man without ambition.

While he might be remembered as a wise king, his personality was ill-suited to leaving a legacy as a conquering monarch.

He had no desire to disturb the peace unnecessarily.

‘After all, isn’t there a distinct difference between the values of children who know peace and those who only know war?’

Arthur wished to create a world where children could simply remain as children.

To him, the everyday life gained through peace held far more value than the benefits achieved through conflict.

Yet even such an emperor had his own convictions.

Maintaining a balance between grace and authority was a law that had to be upheld.

‘The Holy Kingdom has truly crossed the line this time.’

Arthur was a rational individual.

No matter the circumstances, his allegiance was to his benefactor.

That fact was certain.

However, even for him, declaring war solely because his benefactor had been threatened was not something he would do lightly.

But this time, the Holy Kingdom had clearly overstepped.

‘It’s not just that they threatened my benefactor; they’ve devised a scheme to completely consume our empire.’

This was not a leap in logic.

The evidence supporting this conclusion was indisputable.

[Anyone who does not believe in Professor Riyan is a heretic! As he is soon to become a celestial god, heretics will be dealt with immediately!]

That newspaper article said it all.

Thinking logically, spreading such a ridiculous article would yield no benefits.

‘If anything, it would tarnish their reputation as fanatics and worsen their position.’

‘And yet… wasn’t she the Holy Saint?’

While Arthur had little personal acquaintance with her, he understood her reputation.

A being infinitely compassionate, who loved peace, upheld divine will, and achieved virtue.

For someone like her to spout words befitting a deranged mob made no sense.

There was no way such a thing could be reasonable.

‘Therefore, those words did not come from the Saint herself.’

It was the Pope of the Holy Kingdom.

That man had orchestrated a vile ploy, subtly manipulating the Saint’s mind so that she would utter such madness in public.

This gave them the pretext to execute Riyan for blasphemy.

Collaborating with a demon, the Pope sought to destroy Riyan, the nightmare of demons, in exchange for seizing the Empire and turning it into their colony!

‘And there exists even more compelling evidence beyond this.’

When it came to matters of national importance, decisions were not made on mere conjecture.

The turning point came during a direct confrontation with the Saint.

***

“Are you referring to that article? I made those statements publicly to spread the will of the Celestial God.”

The golden-haired Saint, Christiana, had initially responded in that manner.

“Do you truly mean what you said? Because of your statement, Professor Riyan has been placed in a difficult situation and surrounded by all kinds of suspicion. Does that not concern you?”

Upon hearing those words, the Saint began to ponder seriously.

Her expression changed, as if she had come to a realization.

“…Indeed, that person would never desire such a violent course as the extermination of all heretics. I deeply regret acting on my own and placing him in such trouble. Until now, I truly thought otherwise, but… In hindsight, something about this feels out of place.”

Her crimson eyes filled with solemnity.

Christiana declared with newfound insight:

“I am his foremost servant and follower! There’s no way I would do something to trouble him! …It must be that the problem lies not with me but with this world. The Pope has surely used wicked schemes to manipulate me into committing such a terrible blasphemy!”

Her eyes burned with conviction.

To realize she had been under mental control and failed to notice it herself filled the Saint with shame.

That shame was soon replaced by fury.

“How could they commit such atrocities while wearing human faces?

I will ensure that those responsible receive the punishment they deserve!”

Her anger was genuine, without a trace of pretense.

This could never have been an act.

The entire incident was clearly a sophisticated ploy by the Holy See.

Their plan was to strip the Empire of its guiding light, Professor Riyan, while conspiring with demons to seize control of the Empire.

‘Though I desired peace, the world will not allow it.’

The Holy See had already decided to pursue war.

Their ignorance of their own place was pitiful.

To love peace and to act foolishly are not the same.

They had come at him with the intent to kill and had even dared to threaten his benefactor’s life.

Arthur had no intention of showing mercy to such foes.

***

“…Prepare for war.”

Today, the name of a nation would be erased from the map.

The Holy Kingdom’s Pope.

Judah felt like he was about to lose his mind.

‘What kind of place was this Empire, really?’

The orphanage sponsored by Riyan, built next to the Fluffy Club—a sanctuary for beastkin children who had lost their parents.

If things went south, Judah had planned to target that place, using the children’s lives as leverage for an attack.

But that plan had just been exposed.

A strategy he had never spoken of to anyone, a plan that existed solely in his mind, had been fully uncovered and publicly denounced within a mere 30 minutes!

And as if that weren’t enough, even his secret dealings with demons had come to light.

This was something he had kept hidden from everyone.

Though the Holy See was corrupt, even they hadn’t stoped to consorting with demons—until Judah.

To gain power, Judah had secretly struck a deal with them.

It was a secret known to no one, not even among his moderate allies.

Yet the Empire had uncovered it with ease, leaving him with a situation almost impossible to manage.

But things didn’t stop there.

Soon, a messenger arrived, out of breath and panicked.

“Urgent news! The Empire has declared war…!”

At the sound of those words, Judah’s composure shattered.

It felt as though the entire world despised him.

No matter what he did, it ended in failure.

Every piece of news that reached him was devastating.

He was on the verge of collapsing, his resolve almost completely broken.

But… he could not give up now.

He couldn’t let himself break—not here, not now.

‘How far I’ve come to get to this point…!’

He had recruited and brainwashed whoever he could, weakening those immune to such tactics through political maneuvering.

Through relentless scheming, he had built his own kingdom, rising to wield unchallenged power.

‘And now, to throw all of that away?’

There was no way he could accept such a proposal.

Not yet.

There were still options left.

“Gather as many troops as possible! Immediately!”

The Holy Kingdom wasn’t weak.

If they met the Empire head-on with their full strength, there was still a chance of victory.

Yet his subordinates hesitated, shuffling nervously.

One of them finally spoke up cautiously.

“The soldiers’ morale is at an all-time low. Word is spreading that Riyan has deciphered the ‘Language of the Gods,’ and even the Saint has sided with him…”

“Were they afraid of becoming heretics?”

Judah’s face twisted with fury.

‘Empty-headed fools!’

“Did they seriously believe such a ridiculous claim?”

‘How could a mere human possibly understand the Language of the Gods?’

Every soldier seemed to be nothing more than a simpleton.

But it was fine.

There were still plenty of countermeasures left.

“Bring in mercenaries for now. They act purely for payment, so they’ll bolster our forces.”

“About that… the respected mercenary leader Karin has joined Riyan.

She has an excellent reputation, and many owe her their lives.

Even if we try to gather more mercenaries, it’s nearly impossible…”

‘What on earth was happening?’

Judah was momentarily taken aback, but he steadied himself.

It was still fine.

There were more options available.

“Contact the Magic Tower. Even though they’re part of the Empire, their loyalty lies with their research, not the Emperor. If we offer them sacred relics…”

“That’s also impossible. We already tried, but they all agreed that Riyan’s talent is far more valuable for achieving the ultimate mysteries. Every tower master was unanimous in their decision.”

‘What kind of nonsense was this now?’

Judah’s mind went blank for a moment, but he quickly collected himself.

The most effective strategy still remained.

He would rely on the Empire’s founder dragon.

She abhorred war more than anything else.

If he appealed to her with a plea for diplomacy instead of conflict, he could buy some time.

With that time, he would figure out a plan.

Judah clung to this final option and sent word…

But then, news came back.

“The founder dragon has fallen for Riyan. She’s completely enchanted by him and won’t listen to anything we say.”

Judah’s spirit crumbled.

There was no one left to rely on.

No reinforcements.

No strategy that could turn the tides.

Cold sweat trickled down his neck.

‘So…’

‘Was an entire nation about to collapse?’

‘All because of one man—Riyan?’