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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Do Inha-nim.”
“My lady.”
“I’m so glad you returned safely. I was worried…”
“The situation in the Barren Lands has been resolved. I found the hidden gate and sealed it completely, so there won’t be any more sudden monster summonings.”
Prina looked surprised.
It was understandable, considering her family had been forced to flee, while he had confidently resolved the issue.
“So, an Archmage was needed to resolve the situation.”
That was both true and false.
Even if House Lineta had an Archmage at the time, they wouldn’t have achieved the same result.
An Archmage was just one of the necessary conditions.
Without the dragon, even if he had reached 7th circle earlier, he wouldn’t have been able to address the root cause.
‘I would have been able to contain them, though.’
So, he simply attributed his success to luck.
“Congratulations on reaching the exalted level, though it’s a little late.”
“Thank you.”
Perhaps due to his conversations with the dragon, he felt a little embarrassed by the term “exalted,” but he wasn’t displeased.
“His Highness will be pleased to hear this.”
“…His Highness?”
“Yes. He visited recently with the Councilor from the Demihuman Alliance. He’s currently staying at Desert Shield. He entrusted the Councilor to me while he spoke with Kriang.”
Come to think of it, even if they had formed an alliance, or rather, precisely because they had formed an alliance, they wouldn’t have left the Councilor unattended.
It would have been a breach of etiquette.
He had assumed they would assign someone to accompany the Councilor, but he hadn’t expected it to be the prince himself.
“The Councilor wanted to come here because of Untinia’s isolation, so His Highness accompanied him. The Councilor wanted to enter the Barren Lands to rescue Untinia, but I refused. You’ve returned at the perfect time.”
While the prince should have accompanied the Councilor, he had apparently wanted to speak with Prina alone to persuade her.
“If he’s a prince, is he the heir…?”
“Yes. The first prince.”
He hadn’t expected the heir to the throne to be involved personally. It showed how seriously they viewed the Demihuman Alliance and the value they placed on the alliance.
“That must have been a difficult situation.”
“Indeed. If things had gone wrong, a large number of monsters could have emerged from the Barren Lands. And if His Highness or the Councilor had been injured, my house, which is just starting to recover, would have been in a precarious position. Especially with the war in the neighboring territories…”
And the Councilor, as he had seen, was a Master-level warrior.
Forbidding him from entering the Barren Lands would have been an insult.
“So, Doriem and Jutus are still at war?”
“Yes. Many mercenaries have flocked to their territories. We’ve managed to hire some who are avoiding the war, but we’re still short-handed, so we’re training more regular soldiers.”
It was a better long-term strategy.
Once the reclaimed territories began generating income, maintaining a standing army wouldn’t be difficult.
“It’s not all bad, though. A significant number of refugees are fleeing the war and coming here.”
It was similar to what had happened when House Lineta fell and many of its people fled.
The difference was that this time, it was caused by war, not monsters.
“Thanks to them, our population is recovering quickly. The royal family is also providing us with a large number of slaves.”
Freeing slaves to increase the population wasn’t unheard of.
However, it was usually done by refusing to enslave people acquired through territorial wars or raids, not by receiving slaves from the royal family and freeing them.
It was incredibly inefficient, cost-wise.
And the royal family, which was usually strapped for cash, was doing this…
Seeing his bewildered expression, Prina chuckled and shook her head, as if she had anticipated his reaction.
“It’s not what you think. There are battles happening all over the kingdom. The number of refugees and slaves is so high that the value of slaves has plummeted.”
“What…?”
“Do you remember the Goddess Religion’s disrespect towards you?”
How could he forget?
If it weren’t for that incident, Untinia wouldn’t have been isolated.
“Of course I remember.”
“They didn’t act so recklessly without reason. They knew they could get away with it. It seems the Goddess Religion had already made their decision by then.”
“Decision?”
“They’ve been recruiting nobles for a long time. But they’ve abandoned subtlety. They’ve rallied their supporters, and they’re becoming increasingly vocal. To put it simply, the kingdom is on the verge of civil war.”
Apparently, battles, both large and small, were occurring almost daily throughout the kingdom, not just in Jutus’ territory.
“They’re demanding the expulsion of the Earth Mother Religion and an apology to the Empire.”
“…That’s insane.”
They were part of the kingdom, not the Empire. How could they make such a demand?
“And it seems they’ve learned about your contact with the Demihuman Alliance. They’re demanding an explanation for that as well.”
“Isn’t the Holy Empire a potential enemy? They wouldn’t be pleased with the kingdom’s alliance with the Demihuman Alliance.”
“Indeed. But they believe it’s the kingdom’s fault for inconveniencing the Empire.”
“If they learn about the alliance with the Demihuman Alliance, civil war is inevitable.”
“The royal family is prepared for it.”
“Are there many nobles supporting the Holy Empire?”
“Quite a few. About a fifth of the kingdom.”
That was a significant number. He hadn’t expected it to be that high.
“And all the priests of the Goddess Religion have defected to their side. Those who remain have openly declared their refusal to support the royal family… it seems all the priests sent to the kingdom were fanatics. They view death as martyrdom.”
He was speechless.
They had intentionally sent only fanatics… it seemed they had been planning this for a long time.
And the situation was similar in other kingdoms.
While there were exceptions, most were in the same predicament as Septran.
While they only constituted a fifth of the kingdom’s forces, they had the support of the Goddess Religion’s priests, while the royal forces didn’t.
While the Earth Mother Religion was present, their influence was limited, and their numbers were far fewer than the Goddess Religion’s.
While the royal forces were still stronger overall, increasing their losses wasn’t ideal.
‘If there’s a large-scale invasion in this situation, it will be a disaster.’
And there was a valid pretext for such an invasion.
If the Empire sent troops under the guise of protecting the Goddess Religion’s followers within the kingdom, it could trigger a war between the Six Kingdoms and the Holy Empire, even before a conflict with the Demihuman Alliance.
‘I see. That’s why the alliance with the Demihuman Alliance was formed so easily.’
The Demihuman Alliance wouldn’t stand idly by if the Empire intervened.
Especially since they had formed an alliance…
He sighed. It was a complicated situation.
It made sense for the king to assign his heir to the Councilor.
‘It’s understandable why the royal family would be pleased.’
They had gained a valuable asset, an Archmage, albeit a warlock, in this turbulent time.
It was reassuring.
However, he wouldn’t be participating in the war directly.
The image of a warlock was abhorrent, and openly using him could give the enemy another excuse to attack.
They would be cautious about requesting his assistance.
He followed Prina to her main castle, accompanied by his companions.
He needed to meet and greet the first prince and see Thea.
‘Entin has also been working hard.’
It was impossible to completely prevent monsters from leaving the Barren Lands.
The reason it hadn’t become a major issue was partly due to his engagement with Prina, but also because Entin and his subordinates had eliminated all the monsters heading towards Desert Shield.
It had been a relatively small number, and Entin was powerful, so it hadn’t been a major problem, he had heard.
On their way to the main castle, they saw signs of construction all over Desert Shield.
Recognizing the value of this location, they had launched a large-scale reconstruction effort.
There were many people, all busily working.
Some of the workers, recognizing Prina, bowed their heads, and she waved them off dismissively.
Some lords demanded elaborate displays of respect whenever they passed by, but Prina wasn’t like that.
If she did, construction would grind to a halt every time she made an appearance.
It was a relatively peaceful scene.
A stark contrast to the turbulent situation in the kingdom.
“Well, if it isn’t my lady.”
A group dressed in priestly robes approached them.
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While they were wearing priestly robes, their style and insignia were different from the Goddess Religion’s.
That was to be expected. Prina wouldn’t allow priests of the Goddess Religion to remain in her territory.
“I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Ah, Cardinal Connerbine-nim.”
“Please, call me a priest. The title of Cardinal is undeserved.”
“I address you as the Earth Mother Religion instructed.”
“It’s just an empty title. I was appointed due to the sudden expansion of our faith and the lack of qualified personnel. Once the faith stabilizes, I intend to return to my duties as a priest.”
“Then I’ll address you as such when the time comes.”
Prina, who had been so furious and disrespectful towards the Goddess Religion, was surprisingly polite and amiable towards these priests.
“And who is this beside you…?”
“The person you’ve been looking for.”
“Could it be… Do Inha-nim?”
“Yes. Officially, he’s the recognized warlock cooperating with our territory. And personally, he’s my fiancé.”
“I’ve heard. It’s an honor to meet the benefactor of our faith.”
The elderly priest, referred to as Cardinal, bowed deeply.
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
The other priests behind him also bowed, and he couldn’t help but feel slightly awkward.
He had heard they were favorably disposed towards him, but he hadn’t expected a Cardinal to bow to him, a warlock.
And he was the one who had corrupted two of their sacred artifacts.
He felt a pang of guilt, but he couldn’t remain silent.
“I am Do Inha.”
He returned the bow, and the Cardinal straightened up.
“I’ve been eager to meet you, but I heard you had some… unforeseen circumstances. I’m delighted to finally meet you, especially after you’ve achieved such an exalted level.”
“…I was also disappointed that our previous meeting was cancelled. I was curious about you as well.”
“Haha, I understand your surprise. But even if you are a warlock, you’re highly praised and valued by the royal family. And I’ve heard you’ve been instrumental in the revival of our faith. Therefore, despite anticipating your surprise, I requested a meeting on behalf of the faith. However…”
The Cardinal studied him for a moment, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“You’re even more impressive than I had heard.”
He wasn’t just a Cardinal in name.
He had immediately recognized his true power.
‘Everyone seems to recognize me after I reached 7th circle…’
He hadn’t expected to remain anonymous.
But he hadn’t anticipated being recognized so easily, almost as if he was advertising his new level.
“And it seems your character is also… unusual for a warlock.”
The Cardinal chuckled.
It was a bit strange for him to assess his character after such a brief exchange, but he had a hunch.
‘Was the bow a test?’
Mages who reached 7th circle, or rather, those called Archmages, had all forged their own paths and possessed a corresponding level of confidence.
It was rare to find a mage, especially a warlock, known for their selfishness and egocentricity, with a pleasant personality. That confidence easily turned into arrogance.
And warlocks, due to past persecution, rarely had positive feelings towards religious figures, even if it was partially their own fault.
If he had been arrogant, it would have shown in his reaction to the Cardinal and the other priests bowing to him.
But he hadn’t.
He had been surprised, and he had returned the gesture.
He didn’t want to antagonize the Earth Mother Religion, and he had also considered his relationship with the royal family and Prina, but he wasn’t foolish enough to flaunt his power in front of someone who wasn’t hostile and even seemed favorably disposed towards him.
His actions seemed to have pleased the Cardinal.
He, in turn, found the Cardinal agreeable.
Many in positions of power, especially in this hierarchical society, wouldn’t have bothered with such a gesture, regardless of whether it was a test.
However, the Cardinal, perhaps due to his affiliation with a previously declining faith, seemed less concerned with such displays of authority.
And since he hadn’t judged him with prejudice, there was no reason to dislike him.
Their conversation flowed smoothly.
The Cardinal discussed the construction of the new temple with Prina, while he and the Cardinal talked about the Earth Mother Religion’s favorable view of him, the construction of new temples and the deployment of priests throughout the kingdom, the expansion of their headquarters, and how he had been instrumental in all of this.
“We’re currently facing a shortage of priests. However, recognizing this situation, the Goddess has bestowed her grace upon our existing followers and the children we’ve been caring for.”
As a result, many of the current priests were quite young.
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