In the Empire, what kind of standing does Riyan have?
To truly understand that firsthand, the most accurate method would be to approach an elder passing through the capital and ask.
For instance, imagine stopping an elderly woman.
If you were to ask her about the Emperor, her answer would likely be:
“The Emperor? Too old now, I can’t even remember who that is.”
If you were to then ask about the Founder Dragon, she’d probably say:
“Someone really important, no? I don’t know much about things like that.”
However, the moment you ask this elderly woman, “Then, do you happen to know who Professor Riyan is?”
“Riyan (born an orphan with an uncertain birthplace and an estimated birth year of Imperial Year 1201) is a professor at the three-year institution, the Royal Academy, located in the autonomous district of Bolivar in the Empire’s capital, Rytanien. Despite a troubled childhood, he became a self-made man, establishing an influential problem-solving agency. His talents were recognized, leading to his recruitment as a professor at the Academy. Since then, he has distinguished himself, vanquishing numerous demons. He is renowned not only for surpassing the rank of Archmage but also for attaining the mythical realm of life-and-death dominion, where he can determine a person’s fate with sheer willpower. Alongside his unparalleled skills, his consistently humble demeanor and dedication to public welfare have made him an admirable figure who commands universal respect.”
At this point, the elderly woman would roll her eyes back and deliver this speech like a rap.
Well, perhaps a little exaggerated, but that’s the kind of standing Riyan currently holds within the Empire.
It’s unlikely that anyone in the capital could say they didn’t know who Professor Riyan was.
‘But does this level of recognition extend overseas? Does he enjoy the same level of fame in the Holy Kingdom? If asked, the answer would be “no.”‘
The reason is simple: time.
Riyan certainly accomplished incredible feats.
However, it has been less than a semester since these feats began.
The midterm exams are barely over, and the end-of-semester exams haven’t even started yet.
In essence, within half a semester, he achieved legendary accomplishments and became famous almost overnight.
But there is no such thing as the internet here.
Information takes time to spread.
Moreover, there’s an even bigger problem.
***
“The Empire must have been truly desperate.”
That was why Pope Judah, of the Holy Kingdom, was gazing at an Imperial newspaper with a look of disdain.
A building as extravagant as it could get—designed to reflect the majesty of the Heavenly Lord.
The Pope’s chambers in the lavish golden cathedral, funded by extracting every possible resource from the citizens of the Holy Kingdom, gleamed with opulence.
From there, Judah murmured that it seemed the Empire was truly falling apart.
His reasoning was simple.
The Empire had done something laughable.
“Even so, they should have some dignity. Fabricating a fictional character for national propaganda? The Empire’s pride has truly sunk to rock bottom.”
The Pope considered himself a rational man.
And as a rational man, he reached a rational conclusion.
‘If one thought about it logically, how could this so-called Riyan possibly be a real person?’
“An orphan from the slums who didn’t even receive proper support has surpassed Archmages? He can even casually unleash ‘Meteor,’ a grand spell, as if it’s nothing?”
Up to that point, he could understand.
In times of chaos, people crave heroes.
The tale of an underdog protagonist from humble origins rising to the pinnacle of success, becoming a symbol of triumph, was something the masses adored.
Such a narrative could certainly be used to stabilize turbulent times.
The demons specifically targeting the Empire.
It was no secret that the Empire’s situation was dire enough to fabricate a national hero if one didn’t already exist.
‘But they should’ve used some common sense. Greed has its limits. This is crossing the line.’
‘Not only is Riyan a magical genius, but he’s also a prodigy with the sword?’
‘He has somehow attained the mythical realm where he can determine life and death by sheer willpower?’
Even Swordmasters have not reached the fabled “Heart of the Sword.”
‘Yet they’re claiming that some nobody, who would probably lose an arm-wrestling match to a moderately fit 60-year-old, has achieved this mythical life-and-death state?’
It’s utterly absurd.
Even an 8-year-old scribbling a fictional character in a notebook wouldn’t go this far.
At most, they’d write something like, “He’s a Swordmaster and a magical prodigy.”
Instead, we’re left with this nonsense:
‘An ageless being of unparalleled power. He’s in the realm of life and death. He can use instant-kill abilities because he’s the strongest, period.’
‘Is this what they’re resorting to?’
‘At this point, I almost feel sorry for them.’
According to the Empire’s bold claims, the demon forces are supposedly weakening, and the future is bright.
So far, however, the Empire has managed to eliminate only one demon.
Fifty years ago, the 71st-ranked demon, Dantalion, was dealt with by the Wild Hunt.
Since then, no demon had been captured or defeated.
And now, out of nowhere, a professor appears, casually capturing demons as if it’s an everyday task.
The Empire proclaims, “The Empire is safe! Everyone, please stay in the Empire, and do not leave!”
Even in their desperation, there should be a limit to how low they stoop.
It’s enough to make one question if the Emperor has completely lost his mind.
Judah, enjoying a sense of superiority, let out a long, heavy sigh.
***
“Haaa…”
He sighed so deeply it felt like the ground itself might collapse beneath him.
As ridiculous and laughable as the Empire’s antics were, the situation he was now facing was far from pleasant.
The reason for his sigh was simple:
Christiana.
That madwoman.
She was a Saintess who should never have been elected.
Despite all the manipulations to pre-select the next Saintess, she became the chosen one through nothing but her sheer, unyielding faith in God.
Among the candidates for Saintess, they had secretly coerced them into committing heinous sins—such as consuming the blood and flesh of innocent children during meals to engage in the forbidden sin of soul-devouring.
Those with mind-control abilities were forced to commit murders themselves.
Yet, despite all this, Christiana was chosen.
‘The reason?’
It was equally simple: she was a fanatic with nothing in her head but devotion to the Heavenly Lord.
Her overwhelming piety overshadowed and neutralized the weight of her sins.
Judah had known from the beginning that she would cause problems.
‘But for her, as the Saintess, to openly violate one of the Ten Commandments?’
“You shall not worship false idols.”
This was a commandment clearly written in the scriptures.
And yet, as if to mock it, this so-called Saintess blatantly defied it.
She claimed, with absolute sincerity, that Riyan, the fabricated hero concocted by the Empire, was the Heavenly Lord himself.
***
This was a crisis that could not be overlooked.
It was widely known that the Saintess was an incomprehensible lunatic.
Yet, she was still the Saintess—essentially the symbol of the Holy Kingdom.
‘For someone like that to foolishly fall for the Empire’s propaganda?’
‘To publicly declare that an ordinary man, overhyped and filled with baseless accolades, was the very God they worshiped?’
The nation’s dignity would be dragged through the mud.
This was an utterly troubling situation.
After a moment of deliberation, Judah made his decision.
‘I’m not one to solve problems with brute force, but in this situation, an extreme measure is necessary.’
Kill Riyan and the Saintess.
Of course, this would provoke backlash from the Empire and undoubtedly raise issues within the Holy Kingdom as well.
Assassinating the Saintess was a risky move that would draw criticism.
But the justification was on their side.
Punishing two blasphemers guilty of heresy was a valid reason.
‘Besides, this kind of thing only becomes a problem if it’s discovered.’
The Holy See would claim no involvement.
The incident would instead be blamed on the radical extremists.
‘Infuriated by the betrayal of the heretical Saintess, the extremists, who care nothing for political consequences, acted on their own and killed both Riyan and the Saintess.’
The plan was to assassinate them and then pin the blame on the radical faction.
If the plan succeeded, the benefits would be immense.
Not only would they rid themselves of the nuisance that was the radicals, but they would also have the justification and public support to suppress the extremists while simultaneously eliminating the deranged Saintess and selecting a new one.
Of course, there were risks.
If the assassination failed or if the assassins’ identities were exposed, it would become public knowledge that they had attempted to kill key figures of another nation.
This wouldn’t be resolved with a mere apology.
But despite the risks, Judah was resolute.
***
“Summon the Fingers. Relay the mission.”
Judah gave the order without hesitation.
Hesitating would have been more absurd at this point.
The risks only mattered in the event of failure.
As long as they succeeded, there would be no problems at all.
The deranged Saintess was undoubtedly strong.
However, the so-called Riyan was nothing more than an empty figurehead, lacking any real substance.
Judah’s lips curled into a smile.
He had no doubts.
No doubts about victory.
“Farewell, Riyan. I’ll make sure to pray for you on your way to the afterlife.”