Chapter 79: 1 in 14,000,605 and the Weight of the Cross Part 2

The imperial palace was a pinnacle of opulence.

Among its grandeur, a guestroom stood out—designed with an extraordinary splendor befitting heads of state or renowned warriors capable of toppling nations single-handedly.

In such a room, draped in silk garments, I sat with a vacant expression.

Looking around, all I could see were people—every one of them highly skilled and perfectly disciplined.

Their sole responsibility was clear: to protect the newly appointed Professor Riyan—that is, me.

‘What in the world is all this for?’

Surrounded by layers of protective magic and elite knights, the measures taken for my safety were borderline excessive.

They even fanned me with care and served sweet fruits, their devotion so intense it left me overwhelmed.

My head naturally grew hazy.

To not feel dazed in such circumstances would have been even stranger.

‘How did things escalate to this point?’

All I wanted was something simple.

The Holy See might attack me, so I thought it wise to recruit a reliable bodyguard as a precaution.

I never intended to blow things out of proportion.

I even explicitly told Professor Scott to keep this a complete secret.

No one else was supposed to know.

Yet somehow, this is where I ended up.

[I only told one person I truly trusted.]

[I shared it with just two people who would never betray me.]

[Oh… I might have spread it around everywhere? Maybe handing it out as flyers to students wasn’t the best idea?]

Scott, Merlin, and Karin—each had their excuses.

This is how rumors work: once they start spreading, there’s no stopping them.

The phrases ‘just between us’ or ‘you’re the only one I’m telling’ are the surest signs it’ll become public knowledge.

[The target is secured!]

That was how I ended up abruptly abducted by a special forces unit and confined to this bizarre VIP suite.

They told me, “If you die, the empire falls. Your safety is paramount above all else.”

For that reason, I was placed under strict protection.

Apparently, my previous accommodations had been occupied, with traps supposedly laid for me.

But right now, that wasn’t the pressing issue.

“War? Did I hear that correctly?”

One of the guards mentioned an impending war, and the situation was spiraling out of control beyond comprehension.

How hiring a bodyguard could snowball into a full-blown war was utterly baffling, yet here I was, staring at that absurd reality.

A war was imminent.

Somehow, I had managed to start a war.

‘There will definitely be innocent casualties.’

Eliminating only the guilty parties in the Holy See and ending things neatly—that would have been fine with me.

But war is never that simple.

Hoping to punish only the wicked without causing any harm to the innocent is a naïve, unattainable dream.

And… I wasn’t a sociopath.

I couldn’t live with the mindset of sacrificing others for my safety or remain indifferent while lives were lost because of me.

The thought of eating grapes nonchalantly as the Holy See citizens’ heads were crushed—that was beyond me.

At the very least, I had to take responsibility for the mess I caused.

That was the bare minimum of human decency.

***

“Stay here! It’s too dangerous for you to leave until the situation is resolved!”

The knight blocked me as I attempted to rise.

But that didn’t matter.

I had enough experience by now.

My resolve was firm, and hesitation no longer had a place.

I fixed my gaze on the knight, unwavering.

“Did you just tell me to stay put?”

I exuded an air of menace, creating palpable pressure.

“Everyone is out there fighting. For me. They’re risking their lives for my sake and you’re telling me to stand back and watch from a distance?”

My voice was calm, yet deep anger simmered beneath the surface.

Even so, the knight remained steadfast.

His duty was absolute, and my emotional plea didn’t give him the freedom to act against his orders.

“I understand how you feel, but please trust us. We’re not so weak that we can’t win without your help.”

Of course, that’s what the knight said, adhering strictly to his orders.

But that wasn’t an obstacle to me anymore.

As I mentioned, I have quite a bit of experience too.

“This isn’t a request, Sir Knight,” I said, resting my hand on the sword at my hip.

I met his gaze with a commanding look, exuding an air of intimidation.

“There are beliefs I must uphold. There are people I must protect. If you insist on stopping me… I won’t hesitate to cut you down, even if it’s you.”

‘Of course, if we fought, I would lose.’

‘Not just lose—I’d be utterly overwhelmed, probably split in half like a ripe fruit.’

But that didn’t matter.

They believed I was not just a master of swordsmanship but a genius swordsman who had surpassed even that level… somehow.

And because of this misunderstanding, my threat worked.

In this mad empire, these deranged people genuinely thought of me as some unstoppable powerhouse who could obliterate enemies with a single strike.

The knight, realizing that fighting would be futile, eventually yielded.

It wasn’t my strength that defeated him—it was my conviction.

Even though he knew I wouldn’t harm him, he decided it was impossible to shake my resolve.

That was his loss.

I ignored his muttering, filled with admiration, and dashed out of the room.

As for the next step… I had no plan.

To be honest, there was nothing I could do.

‘What could someone like me possibly do to stop a war?’ The answer was obvious: nothing.

And no matter how much I thought about it, a miraculous solution wasn’t about to pop into my head.

Still, I had to try.

I ran toward the battlefield, racking my brain furiously.

***

In the sky high above, the heavenly throne of the empire’s god overlooked the world below.

Yet the divine figure’s face betrayed none of its usual calm benevolence.

Instead, it was filled with dismay.

Everything had gone completely off track.

Most concerning was the saintess, who had suddenly started worshiping some bizarre man as a deity.

And somehow, that had triggered the war.

The original plan was for a peaceful resolution.

It might have taken 200 years, but humans would solve their problems through their own efforts.

That was the only way to make it meaningful.

The god had intended for things to play out in this way, but everything had been ruined.

Now, war was imminent.

The citizens of the Holy See would lose their lives.

Not just those who deserved punishment, but innocent souls unaware of the circumstances—they, too, would be swept into the chaos.

The god’s ability to intervene in mortal affairs was severely limited.

Directly descending to resolve the issue was, of course, impossible.

Even conveying messages was no simple task.

To prevent the war seemed unfeasible.

But it had to be done.

War could not be allowed to happen.

The odds were impossibly slim, yet the god desperately searched for a solution.

Through the silence and over an agonizingly long time, the god finally made a decision.

***

No miracle occurred.

I barely reached my destination in time.

Despite exhausting my brain trying to devise a solution along the way, nothing came to mind.

I had no plan.

But there was no time left to dwell on that.

The situation was a powder keg, ready to explode.

The imperial army and the Holy See’s forces were moments away from clashing.

That battle would officially ignite the war.

If I stood idly by, it would all be over.

‘This is driving me insane.’

It was a dire situation.

Yet giving up wasn’t an option.

In the end, I charged headlong between the two armies.

Standing between them, I shouted, “Stop this, all of you!”

I wasn’t a great orator.

I wasn’t some lunatic who could flawlessly recite a famous speech from a past life.

But I had to say something—anything.

I raised my voice as loud as I could, addressing both sides.

“This entire conflict is my fault! This was all caused by my inexperience and mistakes.

I cannot allow innocent people to suffer because of it!”

This wasn’t my fault.

‘Who could have predicted things would turn out like this?’

But I set aside my true thoughts and spoke as sincerely as I could.

“Every sin and mistake, all the anger and hatred—let it all fall on me.

Today, if you must harm someone, that person must be me!”

I was basically saying, ‘This is all my fault.’

It was my failure to control the saintess, my inability to stop the rumors, that had led to this war.

So blame me. Punish me. Fire me.

It was a hastily improvised speech, and it showed.

The reasoning was so disjointed it was almost laughable.

No one in their right mind would believe that everything was my fault based on such flimsy words.

The war wouldn’t stop because of this nonsense.

If it did, that would be even more absurd.

It was a complete disaster.

I had foolishly stepped forward, only to fail miserably.

At least, that’s what I thought as I scanned the crowd for their reactions…

But for some inexplicable reason, the people looked… different.

Despite my clumsy speech, some were crying.

Everyone had clasped their hands together, gazing up at me.

In their expressions, I saw unmistakable reverence.

Their reaction was baffling.

And then, out of nowhere, a dazzling light shone in my eyes.

I turned toward the source of the light and…

My face instantly froze in bewilderment.

A golden ring hovered above my head.