Ch.7575. The Will of God

The bishops who participated in the debate were all well-known faces.

Starting with Saintess Lucia Saint, who served the goddess Justia of justice.

Then there were bishops serving various famous deities: the goddess Hertia of hearth and fire, Bellas the god of festivals and joy, Demeter the goddess of abundance and earth, Raizer the god of lightning and clouds, and many others.

All these prominent bishops were seated, glaring at me with disapproval.

To them, I was nothing but a criminal who deserved to be hanged immediately.

The sharp gazes weren’t coming only from the bishops.

The citizens were so agitated that if given the slightest freedom, they would have rushed in with torches, screaming that I should be burned.

Amidst all this, the Saintess calmly approached me and offered a handshake.

It reminded me of our final greeting at the restaurant a few days ago.

“It’s been a while.”

When I whispered in the same tone as back then, Lucia asked me expressionlessly.

“Did you know?”

“……”

I silently withdrew my hand as voices of outrage echoed from all directions, claiming the Saintess’s hands were being defiled.

One of the Grand Mage’s disciples, acting as the moderator, cleared his throat and took the microphone.

It was a tool that amplified one’s voice using the user’s mana.

“Now then. Before we begin the debate, I’ll explain the topic.”

The topic of the debate was whether I, a spiritmaster, could be accepted.

Naturally, there were already thunderous jeers and calls for execution.

“For the sake of a smooth debate, the Grand Mage will now cast a silence spell over the hall.”

The Grand Mage rose from the VIP seat and cast a brilliant spell.

The audience was trying to shout something, but they were forced into silence and eventually had to close their mouths out of exhaustion.

The debate hall was finally quiet.

The first to speak was a wrinkled bishop who served the goddess Hertia.

He tapped the microphone with his finger and began.

“I am Mekdoren Pirenze, serving the goddess Hertia. Everyone, I believe this debate is unnecessary to begin with.”

His intense and resolute statement was met with applause from some quarters. Of course, only the actions were visible as no sound could be heard.

“How do you think the Griffin Kingdom, with its long history and tradition, has persevered until now?”

Mekdoren’s eyes, which I had thought were just those of an old man, were still burning with passion.

He wasn’t serving the goddess of hearth, Hertia, for nothing.

“It’s because there were no Black Mages that we could come this far. We blocked these monsters at their source—those who raise corpses, drink human blood, and exploit souls that should be heading to the gods.”

“……”

“To Black Mages, the Griffin Kingdom is known as a barren land. They fear even setting foot on our territory.”

Bang.

Mekdoren slammed his fist on the table, clearly intending to crush my spirit from the start.

“That’s why Griffin has been safe and has continued without incident until now. If we accept that man, the spiritmaster, other Black Mages will surely begin to lurk around the sacred land of Griffin!”

It wouldn’t end with accepting just me; other Black Mages would gradually start entering Griffin.

He wasn’t entirely wrong.

‘Tsk, this has turned into a hearing rather than a debate.’

Starting with such emotional intensity naturally created a platform for criticizing me.

It seemed like a prepared scheme from their side, and the audience continuously cheered, agreeing with Mekdoren’s words.

When his turn ended, I got the chance to speak and picked up the microphone.

“I partially agree that it’s because there were no Black Mages that we could come this far.”

Indeed, most Black Mages were so bizarre they could rightfully be called monsters.

But even poisonous herbs can sometimes be medicine.

Griffin, having grown in size, was now ready to use Black Mages, these poisonous herbs, as medicinal herbs.

“But there’s no guarantee it will continue to be so in the future. Are you aware of the strange phenomena occurring within the kingdom right now?”

Some bishops turned their heads abruptly, as if struck. However, Saintess Lucia paid close attention to my words.

After all, she was fighting at the forefront of these strange phenomena.

“In East Solara, ten villagers died simultaneously on the same day at the same time.”

A large screen made of mana appeared, showing photos of the gruesome incident.

I wished I had a PowerPoint like in my previous life, but in this world, displaying images was the best we could do.

“This is a corpse found in western Pernan with only the torso remaining. The limbs were discovered in the four cardinal directions of the kingdom.”

A murder case that seemed nearly impossible given the distances. What was striking was that despite being parts of one person’s body, the time of death for each part was different according to investigations.

“Right here in Griffin, there was a woman tormented by a dead beggar boy who kept following her. The bishops must know about this?”

At my words, the bishops cleared their throats and pretended not to hear.

“I solved this case that the bishops, lacking holy power, closed their eyes and ears to.”

This was a case I had resolved a few days ago. The woman had originally visited the church, but when they couldn’t solve it, she risked her life to visit the royal palace.

“As you can see, the Griffin Kingdom is currently filled with unsolved cases of unknown origin. What I’ve mentioned is just the tip of the iceberg.”

As the gruesome photos continued to change, the citizens gradually closed their mouths, and those with children covered their eyes.

“We can’t guarantee that just because things have gone well so far, they will continue to do so. Already, neighboring countries like the Republic of Clark and the Zerman Kingdom are beginning to use Black Mages for military purposes.”

One thing that needed to be clearly pointed out was that only the Griffin Kingdom excessively oppressed Black Mages.

“If we continue to remain ignorant, we will eventually become obsolete.”

As soon as I finished speaking, a bishop serving the god Bellas took the microphone.

“How ridiculous!”

The debate, now resembling a hearing, continued.

We exchanged blows back and forth, continuously taking the microphone to engage in verbal combat.

“Do you see this? This is the devastation caused by a Black Mage who used corpses and extracted blood. And this is not all! The barbaric acts of Black Mages are too numerous to show you all today!”

If the bishops were going to cling to what Black Mages had shown them in the past…

“Let’s not generalize hastily. Not all Black Mages are like that. For example, a Black Mage named Coltman in the Zerman Kingdom is a man who sets an example for everyone with his good deeds.”

I countered that not all Black Mages were the same.

“Have you already forgotten the devastation caused by Heralazad 200 years ago! We must not forget that history! The moment we forget the past of the land we stand on, our identity is damaged!”

If they were going to bring up the incident from 200 years ago, which was the decisive factor in the kingdom’s more aggressive suppression of Black Mages…

“Even then, the Griffin Kingdom was filled with discrimination against Black Mages. If there had been more knowledge about Black Mages at that time, the royal army wouldn’t have provided corpses through misguided operations.”

I countered with the historical context of that era.

“We must not forget history. That’s indeed a correct statement. However, merely remembering makes one only regretful. We must learn, realize, and move forward so as not to repeat the bloodshed of our ancestors. Because we fear Black Magic, we need to understand it more thoroughly.”

My throat was starting to sting.

I glanced at the water bottle, but it wasn’t yet time to drink.

“The deity with the most followers in the Griffin Kingdom is the goddess of justice, Justia. All the deceased are embraced by the goddess. You Black Mages are ultimately denying the goddess directly.”

If they were going to bring up religious doctrine…

“Let’s be reasonable. We’re discussing whether the Griffin Kingdom needs Black Mages. While the will of the goddess is indeed significant, let’s not forget that the highest authority in this country is not the goddess Justia, but His Majesty Orpheus Luden Griffin.”

I countered using the authority of the royal family.

We continued to exchange punches. While the flow seemed favorable to me at the moment, what mattered was the citizens’ perspective.

No matter how much I continued the conversation and logically refuted, the citizens’ hostile gazes didn’t disappear.

Knowing this, the bishops, even if it seemed forced, were criticizing me more intensely, spitting as they spoke.

If we considered this debate a small-scale battle, I was winning consecutively.

But it was obvious that the church would be the winner of this debate-turned-hearing.

Not everyone believes in gods.

Naturally, among the audience, there would be people who didn’t believe in gods.

But there was no one who liked Black Mages.

That was a significant difference, creating a gap in positions that couldn’t be bridged no matter how hard I tried.

The more I spoke, the more I deeply felt the resentment towards Black Mages embedded in the Griffin Kingdom.

In this situation, Saintess Lucia, who had been silent until now, slowly stood up and took the microphone.

The bishops, thinking this was their chance, folded their arms and proudly looked at her.

Lucia’s eyes met mine.

She, who had never expected to meet in such a place, had now found her composure and calmly began to speak.

“I understand your point. Black Mages have been overly prejudiced against, and the entire kingdom has hated them without even listening.”

“……”

“And we need change. I truly agree. I believe that I alone am not enough to solve the strange phenomena occurring throughout the kingdom.”

But, Lucia added.

“Even so, can the citizens truly trust you? Even if His Majesty has officially recognized you, we cannot break the deep-seated prejudice within us.”

It was a statement that could be considered disrespectful, but it was possible because she was the Saintess, said to have been chosen by the gods.

“Spiritmaster. I’ve heard you’re one who soothes dead souls. Even if necessary, more people will not welcome your touch. Because of the anxiety that you might do something to their dead family, lovers, or friends.”

“……”

“No matter what you say, in the Griffin Kingdom, you are not a trustworthy entity.”

Some of the bishops glanced at the VIP seat, where King Orpheus was seated.

If he were to rebuke them for making hasty judgments, they would have nothing to say.

But the king was still calmly looking down at the hall.

“You all cannot trust me.”

I nodded in agreement. In truth, I hadn’t expected people to trust me through this debate.

I just needed a stage.

I moistened my throat with the water bottle on the table. The grape wine slowly seeping in gave me a strange feeling of my insides twisting.

I took the microphone and stepped forward.

Facing the Saintess who was staring directly at me, I carefully asked.

“How did you become a Saintess?”

“……The goddess Justia designated me, and I became able to use holy power, which is the evidence.”

The Saintess looked at me with a strange gaze, as if my question was out of the blue.

I nodded with satisfaction at her answer.

“That’s right. Lucia, who was merely working at a convent, suddenly received the god’s choice one day, gained holy power, and became a Saintess.”

The audience stirred like waves.

If the sound hadn’t been blocked, there would have been quite a commotion before I could utter my next words.

“You didn’t show any special abilities. You didn’t achieve any remarkable feats. The citizens of Griffin didn’t even know you.”

“……”

“Simply because you were chosen by a god, people acclaim you as a Saintess, praise you, and offer you endless admiration and trust.”

“Are you daring to insult the god’s choice!”

“How dare you run your mouth, devil!”

“Finally showing your true nature!”

The bishops behind the Saintess, thinking this was their opportunity, all reddened their faces and shouted, spitting.

They were clearly intent on seizing any opportunity to accuse me of insulting the gods.

“What do you mean?”

Only Lucia, the Saintess, was still looking directly into my eyes.

This was the limit.

My insides were boiling, and my body was showing a rejection response.

I slowly raised my hand.

A brilliant white light emanated from my hand.

It was the purest white.

The mercy of god, considered as comfort, love, and evidence of the divine to humans.

Only one person in the entire continent could use it.

“Holy… power…?”

Lucia’s trembling voice, who could be called its owner, spread vividly throughout the hall through the microphone.

The bishops with stunned expressions, the Saintess looking at me with disbelief, the citizens frozen in shock without any reaction.

And the corners of my mouth curling up.

Religion is unwavering faith.

In modern times, science and religion often clash, but in reality, they follow different paths.

Science explores and changes.

Religion is steadfast and unwavering.

When science faces a new reality, it discards the old.

When religion encounters a new situation, it tries to fit it into the existing framework of faith.

Because the gospel is the truth.

They cannot deny the holy power bestowed by the god.

That’s why I never felt burdened for a single moment coming to this place.

The citizens can’t accept me?

Of course.

But what am I supposed to do about it?

Interpreting my existence, giving faith, and explaining it wasn’t my job.

It was the job of those who sit with full bellies, claiming to follow the word of god.

“I am Deus Verdi. The younger brother of the Margrave of Norsweden, and among Black Mages, a spiritmaster who walks with souls.”

I introduce myself without grandeur. It’s an introduction that would make anyone in the Griffin Kingdom shudder.

“And.”

After that, I add a statement that none of you can turn away from.

“I am chosen by the god.”

It was truly amusing, so laughter escaped me.

I’ve given you a problem.

I don’t know the answer either, but fitting it together is your responsibility.

What is the will of the god?