episode_0129

The speech in front of the citizens of Kubeul went on for quite a while.

Standing next to the goddess Stellania, I explained to the public the reason why the goddess appeared in the present world and the situation that had unfolded in the current kingdom.

“…Originally, the goddess was not one of the seven goddesses, but a single goddess named Stellania.”

The kingdom’s church was divided into seven factions.

And each faction worshipped a different goddess.

However, those seven goddesses were all just different names or aliases of Stellania.

In the ancient days of the kingdom’s inception, there was only one goddess who was served, and that was Stellania.

I was honestly worried whether the people of the current kingdom would be able to accept this fact, but their reactions were unexpected.

“Oh… So, does that mean she’s the only goddess…”

“To think we would actually see the goddess in the flesh…”

“But why is the goddess here?”

The people of this world could not deny that Stellania was a goddess.

This one fixed truth was greatly helping to persuade the people.

Following the prepared speech, I talked about the reason why the goddess appeared in Kubeul, and the calamities that had befallen the kingdom and the world.

In reality, it was a quirky magician who accidentally summoned the goddess’s divine artifact, the goddess’s crystal, distracting the goddess from the world’s problems, and half-forcedly calling her back, and the problems occurring in the kingdom and the world were caused by this incompetent goddess…

Naturally, such facts were not mentioned in the speech.

The meeting with the goddess was described as a coincidence of a quirky magician appearing near Kubeul’s forest.

The problems in the kingdom and the world were blamed on the corruption of the existing church and the central church.

All crises were attributed to the loss of faith in the real goddess Stellania and the corruption of the kingdom.

“Well… They did say an earthquake happened when they were looking for a new saint in the central church.”

“Maybe that fake hero showing up was also part of it…”

If anyone related to the church heard this speech, they might feel unfairly accused.

But Kubeul was originally a merchant city without a church.

With all the details fitting together in the speech I and Algot had prepared, the people were gradually starting to accept it.

“…But even so, the goddess did not abandon us! She has come to the present world to correct what is wrong! The goddess intends to make Kubeul the new center of the kingdom under the protection of the goddess!”

At my proclamation, the goddess Stellania standing beside me smiled.

And with her characteristic goddess-like appearance, she emitted a faint light from her body.

Of course, there was no special power in it.

It was just a light that was no different from a large humanoid firefly, with no effect, but people seemed to be gaining even more faith in Stellania’s appearance.

As the lengthy speech was coming to an end, I handed over the floor to the goddess Stellania.

Stellania smiled with a sacred look and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again and speaking.

“Everyone, as the goddess who governs this world, I must observe you all from the standpoint of an observer.”

As Stellania spoke, the crowd that had been murmuring until now quieted down as if they had made a promise.

Everyone seemed to be listening intently to the goddess’s voice.

She looks powerless and somewhat absent-minded, but seeing her like this, she looks like a goddess again.

“But I can no longer ignore the problems of this world. I should not excessively intervene in the world, but I will use the goddess’s power to help you overcome the crisis.”

Stellania raised one hand and pointed at me.

“I hereby appoint the man named Yunoa here as the new hero. And I will bring down divine punishment on the rebels who have captured the capital in the name of the goddess tomorrow.”

At the mention of divine punishment, the people started murmuring again.

Punishment… that’s what they call it, but in reality, it’s the punishment handed down by Milaia.

The day when that ‘punishment’ will be delivered is tomorrow.

Thinking about the distance between Kubeul and the capital of the kingdom, the rebel forces in the capital probably have no idea what’s coming their way with this ‘punishment.’

As Albert’s inauguration speech was coming to an end, along with the announcement of the presence of the goddess in Kubeul, I managed to stand in front of the crowd, even though it’s not something I’m used to.

Now, all that’s left is to see how things unfold after the incident at the royal palace Alhyun Hall tomorrow, once it’s known to the people.

***

The royal palace Alhyun Hall in the capital of the kingdom, Piphnel.

Underground, King Lotus called together the key officials of the rebel forces as usual.

He wasn’t in a particularly good mood today.

Except for a few cities close to the capital that had already surrendered, the rest of the kingdom’s cities had not yet submitted to Lotus’s ‘new kingdom.’

The rebel forces, now under the name of the ‘New Kingdom Army,’ were growing in size.

Constant propaganda was attracting more people to join the rebel forces under the same banner.

Lotus had devised a plan to systematically conquer the cities that had not yet responded to his official letters, starting with organizing the New Kingdom Army like a regular army and placing rebel leaders in key positions in the kingdom.

“Hmm…”

Lotus, sitting on the throne, scanned the room where all the key rebel leaders had gathered, looking for someone.

To embark on a full-scale city conquest using force, it was best to make a strong impression.

He believed that if one city was completely crushed by overwhelming force, the other cities would surrender out of fear.

Although the rebel forces stationed in the capital were not weak enough to be overwhelmed by the kingdom’s army, Lotus wanted something that could make a stronger impression.

And what came to mind was Milaia, the strongest female swordsman who had recently joined the rebel forces.

Placing her at the forefront of the city conquest would minimize the power consumption in the capital while making a strong impression.

“Where is Milaia now?”

“It seems she did not attend the meeting today.”

“Hmm… Has she become too complacent?”

Lotus said with a stern expression.

She had suddenly joined the rebel forces one day, and she had attended this meeting twice before. However, each time, Lotus had not given her any tasks and only observed the meeting.

Milaia was undoubtedly a valuable asset, but Lotus did not yet trust her to handle tasks in the capital.

However, if it was something outside the capital, he could safely test her loyalty and use her power.

But of all times, why did she not come now?

“Does anyone know where she is?”

None of the gathered officials could answer.

Lotus thought it was no big deal. After all, she had already joined the rebel forces, so she would come when called.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. Let’s focus on the city conquest plan for now.”

Lotus said as he sat on the throne, looking at the huge kingdom map on the wall of Alhyun Hall.

The map showed the cities that had submitted to the new kingdom and those that had not.

“Then where should we start… Huh?!”

As Lotus was about to say something, he suddenly stopped and looked down at his body with a strange feeling.

It was a very unfamiliar sensation that passed through his body.

“This… blood?”

Surprised, Lotus looked at the blood spreading on his chest and stomach.

Had something flown at him? But he didn’t feel any pain right away.

Yet, there were clear bloodstains spreading on Lotus’s body.

As the momentary bewildering moment passed, Lotus began to feel the pain etched into his body.

Plop!

Suddenly, Lotus’s head was severed as blood gushed out.

Following that, his arms, legs, torso, everything seemed to be torn apart by something sharp.

“What, what is this! An assassin!”

“Who are you!”

The officials in the Alhyun chamber looked startled at the sight.

The assassins hidden behind the pillars to protect Lotus were no different.

No matter how much they looked around, they couldn’t find the figure of the assailant lurking in the Alhyun chamber.

No, where and with what did the attack come from in the first place?

Crack!

“Ahh!”

When Lotus turned into a bloody lump on the throne, only a part of what used to be Lotus remained.

This time, one of the officials in the Alhyun chamber, like Lotus, was torn apart and covered in blood before collapsing.

And thus, hell began.

Crack! Plop! Thud!

The rebels gathered in the Alhyun chamber fell one by one, drenched in blood from an unknown assailant.

Some who realized the situation was dire tried to escape the chamber, but it was already too late.

The invisible assailant that had been triggered once swiftly massacred everyone inside the Alhyun chamber.

In an instant, the chamber was a chaotic mess of unrecognizable rebel corpses and blood.

As foretold by Mireia, there was no one who could leave the Alhyun chamber alive.