335 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

**Chapter 335 - The Excommunication of the False Saintess Illia Gavon** "What is this nonsense?" "How does that even make sense...?" "There's no way. If that were true, it would have been exposed back then..." Not everyone believed the temple's announcement. In fact, even the residents at the heart of the Holy City looked upon the temple with skeptical eyes. And it was no wonder, as it hadn't been even a year since the incident with the false saint had occurred. It was Saintess Illia who had uncovered the truth about the false saint, the Pope. And now they're saying she's the fake? – The false saintess fled the temple, fearing her lies would be discovered. The follow-up announcement from the temple only added fuel to the fire. "Still, can't we trust Pope Austin?" "No, even so..." "What's really going on in the temple?" As unease began to spread among the residents of the Holy City, an order was issued for Illia's arrest, throwing those involved into a difficult situation. "We can't go to McLine like this. It would be a burden." "Saintess..." "If I can't clear my name, they'll surely use this as a pretext to denounce McLine for heresy, connecting it to the previous plague incident. We can't let that happen." Hearing her words, Viktor bit his lip. The Saintess was speaking up, voicing what he himself wanted to say, but the situation was regrettably dire. Having already been briefed on the state of affairs in the Holy State, it wasn't hard to decipher their opponents' intentions. "This is as bad as it gets..." If her position as a saintess was upheld, they could expose and combat the abnormal situation in the temple, starting from the McLine diocese. But with a single proclamation, their situation had become precarious. An excommunicated priest appearing suddenly at the McLine diocese? It would lead everyone to suspect that McLine Kingdom was implicated in her escape. The repercussions would undoubtedly shake the kingdom to its core. "...As terrible as this situation is, it's also a blunder on Tracy's part." "What do you mean?" "If I can officially prove that I'm not a fake, the new Pope will become someone who has blasphemed against the divine." "Then it would become even more dangerous." "What do you mean?" "Wouldn't they try every means to prevent you from proving it officially?" "Ah..." "Is there any place where we might get support? A faction or group that stands with you?" A faction... For Illia, who was a priest through and through, the word left a bitter taste, casting a shadow over her expression. "...Cardinal Austin and I were comrades who joined forces to oust the previous Pope. Since I hail from the McLine diocese, there's no faction within the central temple that specifically supports me." Victor's expression darkened at her somber words. However. "There is one person who would never have succumbed to them." Illia’s following words pierced through the gloomy atmosphere like a beacon of hope. A divine power known to resist magic more fiercely than even force itself had managed to brainwash even a devout cardinal. Yet there was someone who hadn't succumbed? One couldn't help but be curious. "Who is that person?" "Herman Killebrew, the commander of the Knights Templar. He's known externally as the Divine Sword." "Ah..." Viktor had heard of him. The sword said to protect the Holy State. But all he knew were vague rumors of his strength, comparable to the legendary swordsman Tris Hornsby of the empire. Naturally, this led to further questions. "Why are you so sure he hasn't been brainwashed?" "He's an aura user with cardinal-level divine power. A paladin born in the Holy State after 300 years... But that might not mean much to you, right? Simply put, it's certain, as Tracy keeps him occupied outside after capturing the Pope." "…I see." "In the current situation, persuading him may be the only path forward." "But can you do that? Wouldn’t he try to apprehend you since there’s a warrant against you?" "He might... But we don't have any other choice. Sir Viktor, can you assist me a little longer?" Her small hand reached out to grasp his rugged one, her warm touch and earnest gaze weighing heavily on Viktor's heart. "...I need to report this to His Majesty first." Though he said this, he couldn't help but feel himself gradually leaning toward her side. * * * [...It has come to this.] Logan could only maintain a hardened expression as he listened to Philip's report. An utterly unexpected situation. The fact that he had some inkling was a more significant problem. 'The Pope's brainwashing. Is this the work of the Kassel Tower of Magic again?' The empire's collaborator and potential adversary. Naturally, the image of Luisa, who was stuck in the Granfia pavilion, came to mind. 'If left unchecked, the Holy State might truly collaborate with the empire and launch an attack.' How should one address this situation? A headache seemed to loom, but Logan pushed aside his tangled thoughts with a sigh and asked Philip. "...What about the merchant guild?" [The soldiers from the Holy State have already ransacked it once. Everyone knows Saintess Illia is from our kingdom.] "What measures do you propose?" [It seems we have no choice but to leave only the bare minimum and cease trading. The losses will be substantial...] "No, no. Not the trade, I mean. What about Illia?" [...Why are you asking me that? It's a decision for Your Majesty to make.] Sigh. This guy hasn’t changed. "...And Viktor?" [He says he'll wait for Your Majesty's decision.] "And he didn’t directly express his intention to help the Saintess meet the Divine Sword?" [He seemed inclined to help, but as you know, Your Majesty, he's not one to show his hand easily.] "...Indeed. Very well, then. We can't wash our hands of the Holy State's problem, so assist in any way possible." [Understood.] "By the way, what's the Empire's reaction? It's oddly quiet even after a legion commander died in the Holy State." [I can't speak for the royal family's affairs, but they've postponed any official announcement. It might be related to Prince Varos being in the Holy State.] "Hmph, complications keep piling up." It was barely believable that the Empire's legion commander had abandoned his position to accompany Prince Varos to the Holy State. After all, Max Ilea's Western Seventh Legion was tasked with overseeing the Empire's territories near the Holy State. But why was he monitoring the Saintess? Why wasn't the Empire responding? No matter how hard he tried to wrap his head around it, Logan couldn't figure it out. Once again feeling a headache emerge, Logan chose to think simply, as he always did. Deliberating over unsolvable issues wouldn't bring solutions. So. "Before war even begins, we've already eliminated one of the Empire's major forces. It wouldn't be inappropriate to reward Viktor for this—allow him to act as he sees fit." [What do you mean?] "I'm saying it's fine if he assists Illia in finding the Divine Sword. If the situation arises where the Divine Sword tries to capture her, tell him not to worry about it." [You know he won't just let things be. It's not in his nature.] "Oh? Philip, are you concerned about Viktor?" [Worry about a superhuman who killed an aura user? That's an exaggeration. I'm just concerned he might mess things up.] "Hmm. You understand, though, that..." [Yes, I have a sense. Of course, it's confidential. If he's a superhuman at his age, he's the youngest aura user, even surpassing Your Majesty. It's a shame it's not something we can boast about.] Although he claimed otherwise, his concern for Viktor was evident. However, Logan found it heartening to see his people caring for one another, so he spoke in a softer tone. "The Divine Sword is not someone whom the current Viktor can handle. Convey that if a fight breaks out, it might inadvertently give the Empire a pretext." The fact that he had slain the Celestial Sword without much commotion suggested that Viktor's skill had significantly improved. Yet even so, he couldn't be compared to the Divine Sword. [Even after killing a legion commander of the Empire?] "Yes." Logan asserted firmly. Even if the Holy State was only comparable to one of the Empire's major cities, the influence of the temple across the world was akin to another empire. Yet the Divine Sword guarding the Holy City was often underestimated by outsiders. But having memories of a past life, Logan knew better. In his previous life, when the Empire's conquering wars began, coinciding with the Pope's corruption scandal and the false saint incident, the Emperor tried to bring the Holy State under control in the name of not trusting the corrupt priests. The resistance from the Holy State was fiercer than expected. The fanatic devotion shown by the temple knights and soldiers, even ordinary citizens who would self-immolate to stop the Empire, was overwhelming. During that time, the Divine Sword claimed the heads of three empire legion commanders. Even with the combined assault of three commanders, including the recently killed Celestial Sword, they fell by the Divine Sword's hand. The Emperor, satisfied with claiming the Divine Sword's head at the cost of three legions, abandoned his ambitions in Noviens. The declaration the Emperor left behind at the time stirred the world for a while. – In honor of the rare superhuman in the mortal realm, the Divine Sword Harmon Killebrew, this holy war shall end. Of course, the true reason for declaring the end of the war was the temple regrouping and public opinion across the continent turning against the Empire. The war with no justified cause meant they could no longer sustain the loss. That declaration granted the deceased Divine Sword eternal legendary status. "If only the Divine Sword realized the temple's wrongdoing and chose to aid Illia..." It would be most advantageous if that were the case, as they wouldn’t need to intervene further. In extreme terms, internal turmoil within the temple was welcome. Logan sought to avoid them interfering in a war. A decision was necessary. "If the Divine Sword intends to capture the Saintess, tell her to let herself be caught. There's no advantage if a confrontation breaks out; it would only expose Viktor's abilities. If they won't agree to let her go peacefully, call him back immediately." Even if the situation deteriorated to where they couldn't stop the Empire's maneuvers, it was still preferable. [Understood.] With Philip's response concluded, Logan held his throbbing head and left the communication room. To clear his complicated thoughts, nothing beat physical activity, so after handling required state affairs, he headed for the training grounds to wield his sword. For nearly an hour, Logan went over the basics of swordsmanship, proceeding to unravel the unique techniques he knew. The blood-and-iron intensity of his swordplay enveloped the training area in a golden aura blade's radiance. The thunderous sword strikes stirred up fierce winds within the grounds, while the serpentine aura blade filled in the slightest openings in his aggressive sword style. – To execute both such ferocious swordsmanship and the ever-changing aura blade simultaneously. – It's like having two knights of equal rank but completely different styles coordinating perfectly as one. Logan's unique swordsmanship, praised by his mentor, was now finding its true form. Amidst the swirling gold amid the fierce winds of his blood-and-iron swords strikes... A low vibration emanated from the golden serpent in the air. Its tip split into two, then four tendrils. Flash! Four sword beams darted in every direction. The quad-bladed aura burned white, bringing tumultuous gales to the training grounds. Rumble. However, the wielder of such terrifying prowess wasn't pleased. 'The Galaxy Blade technique just doesn't suit me.' In truth, it was quite unnecessary. Multiplying the power of a sword strike by several times consumed an exorbitant amount of force. In terms of enhancing a strike's power through force consumption, the Divine Sword technique was far superior. For someone like Ronian, who had aligned his attributes to fit the Galaxy Blade, enduring its immense force consumption allowed him to blend both techniques and unleash several times the force. Logan, however, was different. Thus. 'Focus on what I can do.' A resonant hum reverberated from his beloved sword, Lux, vibrating as if to affirm his thoughts. Instinctively, his mind sharpened, and the force core in his heart unleashed a torrent of energy. Passing through successive rotating cores, the force amplified twofold, fourfold, eightfold, and finally beyond a hundredfold, concentrating an unprecedented power at the sword's tip. 'This feels right.' An attack he'd never successfully executed without utilizing his attributes, the Divine Sword's seventh move, Sky Cleaver (天空斬, Cheongongcham). Only upon mastering this did Logan feel he might truly reach the pinnacle of an aura user. As he slashed downward, his sword cleaved through the air, the strike advancing forth. Crack! The golden sword strike lingered in the space it cut through, expanding outward. It was an incredibly magnificent spectacle, yet the golden light that cleaved through space itself held a terrifying power capable of splitting all within its reach. A strike he'd seen his mentor perform once—a cleave through space, achievable only at the apex of aura mastery. What would typically be accessible at the highest level was executed by Logan, still at the advanced level, with refined elegance and amplified force. ‘I've done it!’ The barrier that had blocked him from that supreme level seemed now to reveal what lay beyond. As a smile of exultation spread across Logan's face... Bzzz. “Ugh!?” A familiar, intense headache assaulted him, accompanied by unexpected visions fluttering before his eyes.