Ch.319319. Taking the Bones, Cutting the Flesh

For days, the harassment of Wellington Trading Company continued, but naturally, they weren’t the only ones under pressure.

Since we were talking about drugs, the religious circles who wanted them couldn’t escape my sight either.

By interrogating the two bishops arrested in Posville, I confirmed that the religious community was also connected to the Golden Flower.

Tearing them apart was actually incredibly simple.

“Hey, this is a ledger of stolen goods, isn’t it? You hid it well.”

“H-how did you find that!”

Deia was ransacking the temple that worshipped Demeter, goddess of abundance and earth.

She was finding ledgers, donation usage statements, and sponsor lists that the bishops had hidden, as if they were plainly visible to her.

“It’s obvious.”

Deia put down the stolen goods ledger and skimmed through the donation usage statement.

I wondered if she could speed-read in such a short time, but then…

“I see you used donation funds for the Posville land contract? That’s the place our Spiritmaster turned into a wasteland because it was a Golden Flower cultivation site.”

“T-that’s…”

“Who was it? One of Demeter’s bishops was arrested there, right?”

Deia asked, glancing in my direction.

“Bishop Hareis.”

“Right, Bishop Hareis. He said he was buying land there to retire and farm, but if this is true, it would be a serious problem, wouldn’t it? Should I cross-check it?”

As Deia spoke with a sly smile, the Demeter bishops who had been silent finally drew their swords.

“How dare you! How dare you set foot in this place watched over by the gods! The gods will not overlook this!”

“Oh, is that so.”

In truth, followers of the gods have enjoyed certain benefits and privileges throughout history.

Especially in an era like now where divine light shines brightly, treating temples where gods dwell or bishops who convey their words disrespectfully could be seen as an insult to the gods.

“So what?”

But Deia thoroughly ignored their outcries.

Instead, she pulled out her magic gun and pointed it at them.

“Does this look like something that can be overlooked? Are you crazy enough to distribute drugs from a temple? Want me to put holes in you before you meet Judge Tairn at the execution grounds?”

“…”

“You sick bastards with your filthy hearts. I don’t even want to imagine what you were planning to do with those drugs.”

Under Deia’s aggressive pressure, the bishops finally sealed their lips. Their complicated feelings were clearly visible on their faces.

“We’re confiscating all the evidence. There’s no point in trying to escape—you’ll be caught immediately, so just wait quietly to be arrested.”

With the investigation mostly complete, Deia gathered the evidence, and I was about to follow her outside when…

“Spiritmaster…!”

An elderly bishop called out from behind me. His voice, trembling with indignation, conveyed his feelings.

“I don’t understand what kind of nerve you have, ransacking like this without permission from the royal family.”

“I’ve personally descended into this mud pit to catch filth like you. You should be grateful.”

“Damn you. Do you still think the citizens of Greyford support you? Rumors are already spreading through the streets about the necromancer who devours and manipulates all the souls of the continent!”

“…”

“May the goddess Demeter turn every bit of soil you step on into mud. May you die as food for worms on rotten, decaying ground!”

I walked outside, receiving his meaningless curse.

Demeter’s followers had already gathered at the entrance, glaring at us.

Their eyes trembled with anger, believing their god had been insulted.

“Spiritmaster! How could you do this!”

“Even if the bishops did something wrong, you shouldn’t treat them like common street thugs! This isn’t right!”

“If they’ve done wrong, shouldn’t they go to court and receive judgment from King Orpheus? What qualification do you have to do this, Spiritmaster?”

They spoke eloquently, as if they’d been handed scripts beforehand.

“Make way.”

I spoke bluntly to the followers blocking Deia and me, but they didn’t move and continued shouting at us.

However, I wasn’t speaking to them.

“HYAAAH!”

Findenai’s passionate battle cry came from behind. The people parted like Moses’ Red Sea, with Findenai at the center.

Findenai’s intimidating fighting spirit turned toward the followers after clearing the path.

They couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by his presence, so they ended up watching us leave without saying anything more.

Outside the temple, an unexpected woman was waiting for us with a group of knights.

The red-armored knight, Gloria Grace.

Judging by her cold expression instead of her usual friendly greeting, and the way she seemed ready to draw her sword at any moment, she clearly came on official business.

“Spiritmaster, Deus Verdi.”

“…”

“His Majesty summons you. You are to appear before him.”

So the time had come.

I nodded as if I’d been waiting for this and looked toward Findenai and Deia who were accompanying me.

“Deia, hand over all the materials we’ve gathered to the knights.”

“Got it.”

“Findenai, stay with Deia.”

“Hmph, call if there’s danger.”

After briefly telling them what to do, I followed Knight Commander Gloria toward the royal palace.

She didn’t say a word during the journey.

* * *

“Your Majesty, do you truly believe this is right?”

“Spiritmaster Deus Verdi has crossed the line! You already know this!”

“He’s even bringing troops from Zerman! The Valestar Duchy, which just ended its civil war, and the Han Empire are also seeing this as an opportunity! This isn’t a problem that will end easily!”

Seated on his throne, Orpheus Luden Griffin was listening to his subjects’ complaints as always.

They were raising their voices with what they considered loyal advice, but Orpheus didn’t find it particularly welcome.

They say good medicine tastes bitter, but was that really the reason?

Even Orpheus himself couldn’t quite gauge it.

“I’ve summoned the Spiritmaster. Knight Commander Gloria has gone to fetch him, so you all should withdraw now.”

“Your Majesty!”

The courtiers responded with excessive reactions and sighs to Orpheus’s answer that he wanted to speak with him alone.

Everyone in the royal court knew how much Orpheus cherished the Spiritmaster, so naturally they couldn’t allow them to speak privately.

“Go now.”

Orpheus rested his chin on his hand and closed his eyes, indicating he had no desire to continue the conversation.

The courtiers had no choice but to withdraw.

About 30 minutes later.

Knight Commander Gloria brought Spiritmaster Deus Verdi before Orpheus.

“Knight Commander, wait outside.”

“…As you wish.”

Gloria hesitated momentarily since Deus had been brought in as a criminal, but she followed Orpheus’s order and withdrew.

It was a show of respect for the Spiritmaster.

“Well, Deus.”

King Orpheus maintained a serious expression as he looked at Deus standing there, but it soon softened.

“Do you know why you’ve been brought here?”

“Because I’ve overstepped Your Majesty’s authority, I presume.”

When Deus answered matter-of-factly, Orpheus scratched his chin.

“That’s not a crime to be taken lightly. It could be construed as treason.”

As Orpheus said, what Deus had been doing wasn’t something that could be easily overlooked.

He had trampled on the king’s authority, doing as he pleased.

No matter how righteous his actions were, Deus had no right to do so.

“I overlooked your burning of Posville village based on your personal judgment without a trial.”

“…”

“Interfering with Wellington Trading Company, which had contracts with the royal family? Thanks to you, the royal reputation has been tarnished, but since you brought evidence they were trying to distribute drugs… well, I’m trying to let that pass.”

“…”

“But beyond that, you even went after the religious circles. You completely demolished them? Entering god’s dwelling with dirty feet and pulling out all the filth I couldn’t extract.”

“…”

“Without saying a single word to me.”

A coldness appeared in the previously playful King Orpheus’s eyes.

“Did you think I would have stopped you if you had told me?”

He was quite genuinely angry.

“I was truly happy just to have you back. That was enough for me. But do you hear what the citizens are shouting outside?”

“Yes, I saw it on my way here.”

Outside the palace, protests were taking place claiming that Spiritmaster Deus Verdi was using dead souls as tools for his own selfish gain.

It was because of what he had done at Wellington Trading Company.

“There are even opinions that the real reason you saved the continent was to make souls your own.”

After all, he was a necromancer.

They must be saying he absorbed souls under the pretext of saving the continent so he could control them.

“Some are even calling you the… reincarnation of Heralazad. Please stop carrying that ominous staff around.”

King Orpheus gestured toward the staff I was holding and let out a bitter sigh.

“You know, I’m on your side. People say you’ve been corrupted by millions of souls, that you’re drunk on power, but they say that because they don’t know you.”

Is this really the royal audience chamber? With a bottle of alcohol, it would feel like we were at a street food stall.

Therefore,

Deus changed the subject.

“How has the Zerman Kingdom reacted?”

“…Why suddenly mention Zerman?”

The king’s body flinched. It felt like having a hidden skirt hem exposed.

Of course, Deus didn’t react to such a response or back down.

“What about the Han Empire and Valestar Duchy? Even though the Republic of Clark is a friendly nation, they won’t be able to overlook this easily.”

“…”

Orpheus pressed his lips together, his expression showing he didn’t want to answer.

“You’re siblings.”

Deus smiled faintly as he saw traces of Elenoa in that expression, but it quickly disappeared.

“Your Majesty, if someone with the power to destroy the continent existed in another country, could you remain idle?”

Always.

Deus always struck at the core.

Without any decoration or beating around the bush. His words always flew like sharp awls.

“…I couldn’t.”

Logically.

If there was a man holding the switch to a bomb that could blow up the entire continent, which country could possibly leave him alone?

“Your Majesty, I hold enough souls to destroy the continent.”

“…”

“And you keep such a dangerous element as your closest confidant. Other countries will either bow to Your Majesty or resist—one of the two.”

And Deus predicted.

If fate intervened, there was a high probability that other countries would move against him, claiming they couldn’t leave Deus Verdi alone as he might destroy the continent at any moment.

They couldn’t just leave someone who might destroy the continent at any time unchecked.

“It’s amusing. The Griffin Kingdom has become the enemy of the continent just by harboring me.”

“Deus.”

Orpheus rose from his throne and rushed urgently to Deus.

If he didn’t catch him now, it felt like he would fly far away.

It felt like he would only be able to remember him as a beautiful memory, like flower petals scattered in the wind.

“Your Majesty, it’s a bit early, but it has ripened just right.”

“Deus. Stay calm. I… I won’t let you go.”

“I have always been calm.”

“Damn it!”

Orpheus cried out passionately, thin tears welling in his eyes.

It was a face a ruler should never show.

“Yes! You’ve always been calm! You’ve always found the best solution! Do you think I don’t know that this is it? If I cast you out, the Griffin Kingdom would immediately be free from the arrowheads of many nations, but…!”

Orpheus’s words suddenly stopped. He finally realized the true nature of Deus Verdi’s aggressive actions.

With trembling hands, he barely managed to grasp his shoulders.

“So that’s why?”

Deus didn’t answer.

“So? To make it easier for me to cast you out?”

But that was the answer.

“So that’s why you tarnished the royal family’s honor, burned the village, brought down Wellington Trading Company, and uprooted the untouchable foundations of the religious circles…”

And.

“Even using the souls of the dead for personal purposes?”

“Your Majesty.”

Deus’s expression remained unchanged.

Just as when he had entered this place.

“Do my actions appear malicious to you?”

Orpheus couldn’t answer.

He felt like he would burst into tears like a child if he didn’t bite his lip hard.

“Do they seem like self-sacrifice for the kingdom?”

He slowly shook his head.

“Such a noble position doesn’t suit me.”

“Hah, I…”

“Orpheus.”

Deus’s previously stoic expression had softened.

He wasn’t standing there as the Spiritmaster.

He was simply looking at Orpheus as the man named Deus Verdi.

“This is my struggle to survive. And a gift of gratitude to you, who called me friend.”

“Ah, aah…”

He placed his hands on Deus’s shoulders. His grip tightened because he didn’t want to lose him, but his head was bowed low, shedding tears.

However, this moment couldn’t last forever.

“I believe you know the tactic of giving flesh to take bone.”

Deus carefully removed his hands while speaking.

“I’ve cut away those who defiled the Griffin Kingdom. I’ve shattered the dwelling of gods that royal authority couldn’t reach, and overturned the carts of foolish people trying to distribute drugs.”

Slowly.

“Now that I’ve taken the enemy’s bones.”

Very slowly, Deus Verdi placed his hand on his chest.

Since this would likely be his final greeting,

He bowed his head as respectfully as possible.

“Now cut away the flesh.”

It was time to step down from being the Spiritmaster.