Chapter 268

Words : 1931 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

“All the troops of the kingdom will be reorganized into five legions, and each territory will maintain public order in collaboration with the local legion and the self-defense force stationed there in a dispatch format.” – The 1st Legion, including the Royal Guard of the center. – The 2nd Legion centered around the Esperanza Grand Duchy in the northwest. – The 3rd Legion centered around the MacLaine territory in the southwest. – The 4th Legion in the northeast. – The 5th Legion in the southeast. Each legion was composed of about 1,500 knights and 40,000-50,000 regular soldiers, and the ultimate command lay with the king. Aside from the 1st Legion, which was directly commanded by the king, the 2nd to the 5th Legions were led by Swordmaster, Duke Padric MacLaine, Luther Kyle, and Wicken Kallia, respectively. Clayton’s magical battalion, now nearly 1,000 strong, was directly under the royalty and could support any legion as a separate detachment. This reform, which effectively concentrated all military authority within the kingdom in the hands of the king, faced no backlash. After the purge of Duke Juan’s faction, the realm was essentially in a state of absolute monarchy, also thanks in part to Logan’s skillful mollification of the lords. Of course, this meant that the knights sent to serve the royal household for three years were fully claimed in the process... – I apologize, Lord. The knights were now packed under the direct command of the royal house, something that could have been anticipated to some extent. Moreover, since the situation was the same in all territories, there was no reason to feel a relative sense of deprivation. – The lords save on the cost of maintaining forces, and the nation secures a powerful army. Yet, there was something that struck many as peculiar... “Isn’t the power too concentrated in the west?” “Exactly.” “It’s like we’re preparing for war with the Empire...” “Watch your words. You wouldn’t want to jinx it.” “Ah, it must be because of Esperanza and MacLaine’s location. It’s a coincidence, just a coincidence.” They tried to shrug off the overwhelming concentration of forces in the 1st and 2nd Legions as mere happenstance. “The Empire has 15 such legions, you know.” “And that’s without including the Imperial Central Army.” “There’s no way His Majesty would be so reckless...” After all, there was no apparent reason for the kingdom to wage war against the Empire. However, the thoughts of the one who had finally consolidated all military power in his hands were entirely different. “The bare minimum preparations are nearly complete.” Hope seems within grasp. Feeling a thrilling sensation, Logan clenched his fists. The five legions would now begin joint training, and in two years, they would be transformed into elite soldiers, second to none in the Empire. ‘A knightly order armed with artifacts would be qualitatively superior to those of the Empire.’ The rapid-fire crossbows, which were being produced madly, would compensate for the lack of soldiers with hundreds of thousands from the self-defense force, boosting their combat effectiveness. ‘If we continue to provide each legion with Liberatio, then, yes, the bare minimum preparations will be complete.’ But it was still too early to relax. A deep breath helped Logan suppress his excitement. “Your Majesty. An official message from the temple has arrived.” As if to prevent him from feeling at ease, an unexpected obstacle arose. * * * [The temple expresses concern over the strange occurrences within the MacLaine Kingdom and the troubling behavior of the royal house. Accordingly, we intend to dispatch inquisitors to conduct a kingdom-wide investigation and request your permission.] The straightforward phrasing of the message heightened the anxiety of the reader. Though it was phrased as a request for permission, it was likely that the inquisitors were already on their way to the kingdom. To deny permission at this juncture would brand the entire kingdom as heretical. And then, not only the inquisitors but also the continent’s infamous Holy Knights of the Temple would descend upon the kingdom. Even if Logan were confident that he could withstand the temple’s onslaught, he knew it was an action that should not be taken. To oppose the temple would be to shake the faith of the populace who devoutly worshipped the nine deities. Above all... ‘Such an event never occurred in my previous life. Could this also be a derivative of my own actions?’ With eyes tightly shut and a mind churning with complex thoughts, Logan could guess no clear answers. Rather than entertaining vague suspicions about the repercussions of his return, he felt it was better to deduce the situation based on the facts before him. Taking a deep breath, he calmly organized his thoughts. ‘Children are being born who are not affected by sacred power. Yes, I heard about that. Could that be the reason for the dispatch of the inquisitors, or is it because of the plague?’ Inquisitors. Priests with the authority to detect and summarily execute those who deviate from the doctrines of the nine deities, also known as exorcist priests. Typically senior priests equipped with both high level sacred power and the combat ability to banish demons, they were feared across the continent despite their holy role. Accused heretics, not only the individuals but also their families, neighbors, and relatives, were all executed. Entire villages of a thousand or more were burned along with their inhabitants for supposedly harboring heresy. Furthermore, these inquisitors were not swayed by lords or royalty. They enforced their own justice, indifferent to the lives sacrificed in the process, and to the common folk, they seemed worse than demons themselves. About a hundred years ago, an event occurred that firmly cemented the negative image of the inquisitors. An inquisitor named Vallama, infamously known as ‘The Devil of Blood,’ was not driven by religious reasons but rather his own desires when he crucified and burned more than ten thousand people. By the time the central temple felt unease at the excessive numbers and began to take action, the empire’s inspectors had already uncovered his heinous crimes, exposing them to the world. With the temple’s authority in rapid decline as a result, they had no choice but to adopt drastic policies. All inquisitors were summoned back to the central temple and individual inquisitors were strictly forbidden from conducting trials of heresy. Therefore, until now, inquisitors would only intervene upon request from a lord or kingdom, or in the undeniable presence of suspicious heretical activities. “But why...?” No matter how much thought he gave, Logan could not fathom the temple’s standpoint without further information. “I should meet with Bishop Ilia.” “Yes, I shall send word.” Logan hoped to hear the context behind the temple’s dispatch to decide on an appropriate course of action. But his intentions were immediately thwarted. “Bishop Ilia has been summoned to the central temple.” “What?” “For interrogation concerning a violation of the sacred prohibition...” “What nonsense!” Bang! The armrest of the throne shattered under Logan’s strength. “Could it be because of what happened during the plague?” “We cannot be certain, but it is possible... I apologize, we have difficulty planting informants in the temple.” Damian’s response only twisted Logan’s face further in frustration. “I’ll go to the temple. I must meet with the Archbishop.” Logan’s meeting with the archbishop itself, his plan B, turned out incredibly futile. “I have no means to act against an order directly from His Holiness.” Pamiel Gernheim. The archbishop of the god of water and agriculture and head of the MacLaine diocese declined with reluctance. “Please at least explain to me why this has happened. We’ll need to be prepared, don’t we?” “I apologize. I am under the Pope’s command... “ Regardless of how Logan questioned, Pamiel repeated the same answers. His face, lined and unattractive, bore a sincerely apologetic expression which really seemed genuine, but to Logan, the underlying greed was glaringly obvious. He was incensed by the greed he sensed, but Logan couldn’t afford to express his feelings in the current situation. “I will donate ten million gold to the Aion Temple. Lend me your wisdom.” “Oh, such gracious words. But I’m afraid there is nothing more I can tell you.” ...This shouldn’t be how it’s going? Suspicion etched across his face, Logan quickly realized his mistake and corrected his words. “Ah, I seek ‘your’ wisdom, Archbishop, so the donation should go ‘directly’ to you. Would that suffice?” “Heh, hehe. Since you beseech me so earnestly, this old body cannot refuse His Majesty’s wishes. Hehehe.” Logan barely restrained the urge to tear the man’s mouth open with his bare hands, but fortunately, he didn’t show it. “I’d like to know the cause of our current predicament first. And what about Bishop Ilia?” “Ah, it’s a regrettable situation. Before we discuss Bishop Ilia’s case, allow me to explain the anomaly that occurred in this kingdom.” “An anomaly?” “For years now, children who are immune to sacred power have been born on this land. Are you aware of this? Even the daughter of Swordmaster, your Highness named, was one of them.” How could he forget? Little Stella. Now babbling the words ‘Uncle His Majesty’ with her clear voice, laughing sweetly—her smiling face flashed through Logan’s mind. A delightful child whom he thought would be perfect if his own child grew up to be just like her. “Originally, it was an extremely rare case, and the church planned to formally invite those with the condition for various studies...” Crick. “I’ve heard such stories before, Archbishop. I’m more interested in the present.” An involuntary grinding sound escaped Logan’s lips. Given the gravity of their current situation, the word “studies” sounded more chilling now than when he had first heard it from the Empire. Sensing the killing intent in Logan’s eyes, Pamiel began to clarify with a clearing of his throat. “Ordinarily, such a constitution, found only once every few centuries, has started to be discovered here in Grandia—no, MacLaine, with increasing frequency. Just in our diocese, we have directly confirmed over a thousand of these ‘children’ recently.” “A thousand...? No, more importantly, only children? Is it only affecting children?” “Yes. In fact, we suspect the actual number may be many times higher. Most of these are children born in the last 6-7 years.” Emphasis on the 6-7 years pricked at Logan’s conscience, but his immediate concern was the unclear issue at hand. “And what does that immunity to sacred power have to do with the inquisition?” “...There are many interpretations of immune constitutions. First and foremost is...” “Archbishop. I didn’t come here for a lecture on theology.” Logan’s voice, deep and resonant, carried the command of an Aura user despite his attempt to remain calm. “Uhm... This is embarrassing...” “Please, keep it ‘simple.’ I’m asking about the connection between that constitution and the current inquisition.” “Heheh...” “If I may put it more bluntly, I’m curious about the central temple’s intentions. I kindly ask for your consideration.” Confronted with that direct question, Pamiel chuckled before continuing. “Heh, hehe. Yes, indeed. To put it as you wish, it is simple: the temple, or rather the Pope, suspects that this kingdom’s land might be ‘abandoned by God’.” That revelation far surpassed any scenario Logan had imagined.

Chapter 268

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