Chapter 151: Chapter 151
After the trial of the first ‘Chorus’ ended, all the priests who had participated in it were ordered by the Archbishop not to dare utter a word about what had happened.
Afterward, Vent, who brought Shan to his office, spoke with a troubled look on his face.
“Dear me, I have no idea why such a result came out…”
“It wasn’t like this for other knights, right?”
“Of course not. I have never heard of any paladin who received the Chorus manifesting a halo until now.”
Since ancient times, a halo had been regarded as an important religious symbol in the Goddess Order.
To the extent that depicting it was allowed only when painting Baren Armando, the Goddess’s first groom.
Why such a phenomenon had occurred, and how this would be politically interpreted.
There were many headache-inducing aspects to ponder from various angles, which was why he had ordered everyone to remain silent for the time being.
“First, let us consult with Her Majesty the Queen on how to handle this.”
Had it been in the past, a truly cumbersome process would have been required just to discuss how to deal with this matter.
Even if a messenger on the fastest horse rode until foaming at the mouth, it would have taken about a week for the news to be delivered and for a response to return.
Fortunately, however, they now possessed communication magic devices.
Contacting the capital from the far-off Eastern Holy See took barely ten-odd minutes.
[I heard you have important business, Archbishop. Is it peradventure related to the Lord Protector?]
“Yes. As it is such a grave matter, I contacted you to seek Your Majesty’s wise counsel on how to handle it.”
Unlike the Pope, who as head of the Western Holy See was equal in rank to the King of Libert, he, as Archbishop, was the head of a religious group while simultaneously being Cheryn’s subject.
This was only natural, considering his very authority stemmed from Cheryn.
A moment later, after listening to the explanation, she remained silent for a long while before asking.
[How many people witnessed this in total?]
“Twenty-one people, Your Majesty.”
[In that case, there seems to be no need to hide it. Inform everyone that it is a phenomenon that occurs only when powerful warriors like the Great Emperor Baren receive a blessing. Just say that the Goddess loves such powerful warriors to that extent.]
“Mmm, Your Majesty. That is…”
[Ah, I misspoke. I apologize. One cannot dare judge the Goddess’s will. I merely wondered if that might be the case.]
No matter how much the New Faith obeyed the Queen, a mere human determining the Goddess’s will at their own whim was a somewhat different story.
Afterward, they discussed a bit more on topics such as how the Old Faith would respond to this phenomenon before ending the call.
Vent, stepping away from the communication device, let out a dry laugh as he looked at Shan.
“Dear me, it is quite embarrassing feeling as though I was startled all by myself for nothing. I did not expect her to accept it so nonchalantly.”
“She is a person of great boldness, after all.”
“Still, I do not know if it will truly be fine. Perhaps this might become the trigger for the next war…”
Vent muttered with an expression full of worry.
Afterward, Shan returned to his room and conversed separately with Cheryn using the spider communication magic device he had brought.
“Mr. Vent seemed quite serious. Is it really fine not to hide it?”
[If anything, hiding it would actually have been more useful. Since it could be brought out at the most shocking moment. But I told you not to hide it because it was obvious it couldn’t be hidden anyway.]
Unlike the high priests of the Old Faith who elevated their status through all kinds of schemes, Vent was someone who had earned the position of Archbishop through popularity and Cheryn’s backing.
Cheryn’s explanation was that since he was neither ruthless nor cunning enough to eliminate priests likely to leak secrets, she had chosen not to block it in the first place.
“Ah…”
[Was the halo you created completely identical to the halo of the Great Emperor Baren that we saw back then?]
“At least in color and shape. If I had to pick a difference, the light was a bit weaker, but…”
Although quite some time had already passed since he saw it, Shan was still unable to forget the sight he had witnessed back then.
The overwhelming majesty of him slaying monsters while scattering a brightly shining halo behind his back.
This was also the ideal standard he wished to reach someday.
[The difference in brightness is natural depending on one’s power. Given that much, it’s best to think that the essence itself is the same.]
“Why did such an effect occur only when I received the Chorus?”
[First of all, two hypotheses come to mind. The first is that it is a phenomenon that occurs when a knight with exceptionally powerful Fighting Spirit receives the Chorus.]
However, the problem in this case was whether there had really been not a single knight among those who received the Chorus over the past thousand years who matched Shan’s level.
Of course, such a possibility was not entirely out of the question, but there was a somewhat more terrifying and reasonable hypothesis.
[And second, that the blessing through the Chorus triggers this phenomenon in an Altoan. Certainly, there wouldn’t have been any Altoan who received the Chorus until now.]
At Cheryn’s words, Shan remained silent for a moment, not knowing what to answer.
At the time when the Arman Empire was founded, there were five strongest tribes among the westerners.
The five children born after they sent their daughters to the Great Emperor Baren became the Emperor and the four founding Grand Dukes, who later became the kings of the five kingdoms, which served as proof that they had inherited noble bloodlines.
However, if the Great Emperor Baren was an Altoan as she suggested, then naturally all of his descendants ought to be Altoans as well.
If not, it would mean that the royal families of the current five kingdoms were all cuckoos’ offspring.
“Should we have Vico experiment with it?”
[For now, let’s hold off. If it turns out to be true, it will become immensely troublesome.]
The Hasra royal family had governed as the Grand Dukes of Pendia for five hundred years, and as the royal house of Pendia for the next five hundred years.
And despite her short reign, Cheryn was considered one of the most wise rulers among all Pendian monarchs.
Yet even she could suffer a major blow the moment doubt was cast on the legitimacy of her bloodline.
By nature, a monarchy (a power built not through one’s own capability but through bloodline) was such a fragile thing.
[We need to find a way to test it secretly somehow, but priests start foaming at the mouth whenever anyone tries to verify even a fraction of a miracle.]
What priests had loathed most since ancient times was trying to magically verify or experiment with miracles based on the theory that ‘miracles are also a type of magic.’
This was true not only for the Old Faith, which was hostile to magic, but for the New Faith as well, leaving even Cheryn with no choice but to let out a sigh.
*
Once the gag order on the priests who had participated in the Chorus was lifted, rumors began to spread in an instant.
Their mouths must have been itching to talk.
“A halo like the Great Emperor Baren’s appeared because the Lord Protector received a powerful blessing? Is that really true?”
“It’s true, I tell you! It was exactly like the ones drawn on murals. He looked so holy.”
“When you got close, vitality just surged through your body.”
“It is clear that warriors as powerful as the Great Emperor Baren are truly blessed by the Goddess.”
“Indeed, how else could an ordinary human be so strong if not for that?”
“An Altoan receiving the Goddess’s blessing is proof that those Old Faith bastards were wrong after all.”
Regarding the phenomenon Shan had caused, the priests chattered away, proposing all sorts of hypotheses.
Because the Goddess Faith lacked the concept of reincarnation, talk of him being the reincarnation of the Great Emperor Baren did not emerge; nevertheless, everyone unanimously said it clearly signified that he was a divine figure just like him.
Before long, this was bound to spread throughout all of Pendia, and perhaps even to foreign countries.
The next day, Shan said goodbye to Vent and the other high priests before leaving the Holy See.
Not only Vico and Tavera following behind him, but also the other attendants showed particularly proud expressions on their faces.
This was because rumors had spread far and wide that the lord they served was a true paladin chosen by the Goddess, an existence akin to the Great Emperor Baren.
After leaving the Holy See, Shan continued heading east instead of returning to the capital.
Inspecting the eastern region, including the Velakar Territory (namely the former Shedil region) was also part of his plan.
Otherwise, instead of coming out in person, he could have simply summoned a group of priests capable of performing the Chorus.
The first person he met in the east was the lord of the Haspelt region, situated furthest to the west.
She had originally been a direct vassal of the King before Cheryn transferred her to become Shan’s vassal.
“It has been a long time, Countess.”
“I greet Your Grace the Duke.”
Countess Haspelt was a middle-aged woman slightly over forty with broad shoulders and a sturdy build, an appearance somewhat distant from the typical noblewoman.
To begin with, though all of Pendia was like that, easterners in particular tended to despise weak masters who relied solely on bloodline.
The essence of a warrior was ultimately that of a beast, so the leader always had to show that they possessed the power to lead them.
Perhaps Cheryn as well would not have received such thorough obedience from the military faction as she did now had she not wielded the powerful sword named Shan.
“I have heard the news of your engagement to Her Majesty the Queen. My congratulations.”
“Thank you. At any rate, it seems I did not break my promise to you, Countess.”
Back when she had opposed Shan becoming the Count of Shedil along with the eastern lords, the woman before his eyes had demanded that he not marry an eastern noble.
Since Cheryn was certainly not a noble of eastern origin, the oath had been kept.
“You make me feel ashamed.”
As it was a tale that had become embarrassing by now, when Countess Haspelt showed an embarrassed expression, Shan smiled and brought up the main topic.
Put simply, whether she was satisfied with the current situation.
Most of the eastern lords, including her, were still ruling their own fiefs even after Cheryn’s reforms.
Unlike other nobles who took the wrong side in the civil war and had their fiefs confiscated, they were victors and meritorious subjects.
However, there was the difference that instead of selecting the officials who managed administrative tasks themselves, they used those dispatched by the kingdom, and several rights, such as judicial authority, were restricted in their capacity as representatives of the region.
Decisively, it was also different in that the position of representative could not be inherited but had to receive royal appointment.
Asking whether there was any major inconvenience in such a method or if there were any matters they wished to suggest was one of the reasons Shan had come to the east this time.
For although many things had changed due to the reform, according to traditional values, all nobles of the east were his vassals.
“If you ask whether I have no complaints at all, that is not the case, but the changing times are unavoidable. At any rate, there are many parts that have improved, and these are such turbulent times after all.”
To Shan’s question, Countess Haspelt answered in such a manner.
After Cheryn’s reform, the eastern lords were no longer able to arbitrarily change the laws of their fiefs or recklessly exploit their residents, but that did not mean their financial situations had worsened.
It was because the money spent on food and drink by the large Eastern Army stationed to cope with the increasing monsters, along with the taxes generated from processing monster byproducts, became sources of revenue.
Had they tried to cope by forming their own individual armies, more than a few fiefs would have been devastated by now.
On top of that, as magic devices were deployed in earnest, convenience in daily life also increased overwhelmingly while the fief prospered, making it natural to think that this was not bad.
Of course, there were those who could not be satisfied unless they could wield everything at their whim, but at least Countess Haspelt was not such a person.
Afterward, Shan continued to travel around each fief in the east, consulting with the lords or checking the condition of the order of knights and patrol units stationed in the respective areas.
There were places where the situation was better than what had been reported in documents, and conversely, places that needed a bit more support.
Even though communication magic devices were continuously being produced and distributed, there were always aspects that could only be known by seeing them in person.
The reactions of other lords meeting him were varied.
Some held inner discontent but were unable to bring it up, while others clung to him, openly asking if the position of administrator could not continue to be inherited.
Among them, the most dramatic reaction came from Viscount Elos, the lord of the fief located furthest to the east; shedding tears, he brought up the story of Shan manifesting a halo at the Holy See this time.
“Since the Great Emperor Baren unified this western region and founded the Arman Empire, it might be an omen that the Lord Protector, who was born with a similar token, will establish a second Arman Empire!”
At a remark that practically threatened the existence of the current Queen, Cheryn, Shan had to soothe him with a troubled expression.
Unexpectedly, quite a few people, including him, interpreted Shan revealing the halo through the ‘Chorus’ in such a manner.
At any rate, he had shown an overwhelming strength capable of unifying the world with a single sword, just as the Great Emperor Baren had done in the past.
Afterward, arriving at the center of the east, Shedil City, as his final destination, Shan received a scolding from his stepfather, whom he met after a long time.
“Was it fun wandering all around without even seeking out your father, after coming all this way?”
Though the old bear who spoke grumpily had aged more than before, unexpectedly, his physical condition did not look bad.
Had laying down all kinds of worries and anxieties to live peacefully in his hometown been of help?
“I had to do what needed to be done. More importantly, how is your body feeling?”
“I am healthy. At this rate, I might end up living past seventy years old.”
“That would be troublesome.”
At Shan’s joke, Count of Shedil coughed and laughed.
Originally, a lord who lived excessively long and his successor rarely had a good relationship, but fortunately, the two had no need to care about such constraints.
Since the title he already possessed was higher than the title he was meant to inherit.
After teasing each other playfully for a brief moment, the Count spoke with a serious face.
“At any rate, you did well to visit this time. It must have served as encouragement to those who inwardly wondered if the east was being alienated within the kingdom.”
Although he could not precisely catch corruption or irregularities occurring in the eastern region due to being weak with numbers and calculations, communicating with the lords or officials as he did now was surprisingly of great help.
People were delighted simply by the fact that a great figure like Shan showed interest in them.
Afterward, they held a serious conversation.
Regarding the current situation of the east, the atmosphere among the nobility, and the trends among the commoners.
Befitting someone who had ruled the east all his life, the Count had sharp insights into such matters despite his old age.
“Lately, even here in Shedil, there are hardly any fellows who could be called explorers left.”
“Is that so?”
Shan recalled the Explorers’ Guild he used to visit frequently in the past.
Although the sight of those who dug into the Demonic Realm dreaming of a bright future was still vivid, the story that the explorer industry was falling into decline felt strangely sad.
“Because monsters are pouring in even without us seeking them out. Rather than entering places made dangerous by all sorts of environmental changes to attempt ruin explorations with no prospect, it is better to just hunt within the kingdom. Of course, the price of monster byproducts isn’t what it used to be either.”
Normally, when supply surged, prices would plummet, but fortunately, the demand for monster byproducts had also surged.
This was thanks to the increase in immigrants and the industrialization of magic device manufacturing.
Massive quantities of mana stones and monster byproducts were converted into magic devices and distributed to the army and society, creating a cycle that returned a vast amount of profit to the east.
It was, in essence, the current core industry of the east.
“So while things are good now, we must also think about what to do if even more monsters cross over in the future.”
The proportion of the Eastern Patrol in the Pendia Kingdom Army was already by no means small.
Of course, the profits obtained from hunting monsters could cover the costs of training and maintaining them, but the fact that healthy adult male population capable of becoming excellent soldiers was tied up in that direction was a problem in itself.
On top of that, should a major war break out someday with western nations like Libert or Ajun, wouldn’t even those men have to be mobilized?
In the long term, there was a need to identify the cause of the rapid increase in monsters and find a way to control it.
*
With the schedule in the Shedil region as his final task, Shan rode west with his party and returned to the capital.
As expected, while he had been out in the east, rumors had been blown out of proportion beyond end.
Stories claimed that when he demonstrated the secret arts of the Western Holy See, the Goddess herself descended, kissed his forehead, and blessed him, or that wings sprouted from his back.
He was sick of replying ‘no’ to all sorts of rumors.
When he shared that story with Cheryn upon meeting her at the royal palace, she burst into laughter and spoke.
“If I hadn’t trusted you, I probably wouldn’t have been able to sleep out of fear.”
Truly, could there be another rival so threatening to a queen?
An individual who was respected by all warriors of the kingdom for his overwhelming martial prowess, and who showed divinity on top of conquering a nation.
Cheryn sat shoulder to shoulder with Shan, her threatening subject, fidgeting with his hand as she poured out stories of what had happened in the meantime.
How she was intensively monitoring Hakan, who was newly appointed as a Royal Knight, secretly giving him various test tasks, or how an official was caught embezzling spoils obtained from Ruman this time and thrown into the dungeon.
And she also mentioned that she was making separate preparations to experiment regarding Shan’s halo, which had become an issue this time.
“Is there a method?”
“There is. I’m currently trying to craft a new potion using the nightmare’s body we obtained before.”
She said that what she was creating this time was a potion that induced short-term amnesia.
As could be seen from the truth serum created before, potions made with nightmares as ingredients tended to have particularly powerful mind-interfering effects.
“So, feeding that to the priests and having them perform the Chorus…?”
“Right. We can just have them try it on Ravana, a fellow Altoan.”
The priests who took the potion would not remember the results of the Chorus they cast.
This way, even if the same result occurred with Ravana, the royal family’s prestige could be preserved.
Shan was not particularly devout either, but it was an idea so sacrilegious that he felt like asking if she was truly not afraid of the Goddess’s divine punishment.
“Well, for now, this is still in the research phase, so… we should first think about the immediate issue at hand.”
“The immediate issue?”
“The wedding.”
The wedding Cheryn spoke of was that of Roden and Venoa, sister of Count of Meln, which had been promised during the past Ruman expedition.
But was that something to be called an immediate issue?
At Shan’s question, Cheryn nodded and answered.
“It’s news delivered from Solod Castle just yesterday; it seems the Libert royal family plans to send people under the pretext of congratulating a wedding involving one of their nation’s nobles.”
Probably no one would think they were visiting with the genuine purpose of congratulating the wedding.