NOVEL NEXT Chapter 249
After the fall of the Empire, people began to inhabit the massive structures left behind by the Hero, and gradually, they started laying the groundwork for survival.
“Hey, Jack. Let’s go chop some wood.”
“Ugh, what wood…?”
“If we don’t chop firewood, we won’t eat today.”
“Fine. Ugh. Here I am, running an inn and chopping wood…”
With the barriers of the Empire disappearing overnight, the way people lived changed completely.
They plowed the land, sowed seeds, farmed, foraged for wild vegetables, and cut down trees.
It was hardly different from a primitive society, but for the time being, there was no choice but to survive.
Gods weren’t going to come down and hand out grains.
“Let’s go… huh?”
Step, step.
In the distance, priests of the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess, dressed in blue uniforms, began to approach.
The priests, sporting something like wings on their backs, scanned the Empire’s citizens with stern faces.
“Ah, this must be the place where the Demon King clawed at.”
“Who are you? You look like someone from the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess.”
“I am Priest Daniel of the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess.”
“And?”
“I come to spread the word of the Moon Goddess and to those who believe in her…”
Spit!
The man spat on the ground.
“What’s believing in gods gonna do? When the Demon King’s army destroyed the system, how many times did I pray for our son’s life? What returned was a monster that chewed on my son’s corpse!”
“Ah, brother. You are undergoing the trial of the gods…”
“Trial?! Don’t speak such ridiculousness! Don’t you ever—”
Slash.
The man’s head fell back.
Not even a drop of blood splattered; he was completely severed in two.
“Ah, oh god. Today I have sent another unbeliever into the abyss. Please forgive this sin of taking life.”
“Ugh, aaah!!”
People screamed and collapsed.
On the cut surface of the man’s neck, a blue Divine Power shimmered, and the one who killed him with that Divine Power was none other than Priest Daniel of the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess.
“Death to the unbelievers.”
“Death to the unbelievers.”
The priests brought their hands together as if in prayer and slowly approached the people.
“Do you believe in the Moon Goddess?”
“I-I believe…!”
“I see. May that faith continue to be maintained.”
With benevolent smiles, the priests extended their hands over the heads of those who testified their faith in the Moon Goddess.
As the blue Divine Power scattered over them, soon people began to recover from their ailments one by one.
“This… this is…!”
To the reviled, life restored.
To the aged, youth returned.
To those unable to walk, strength to walk again.
All of these miracles stemmed from ‘Divine Power,’ which the priests were now distributing to the people.
“Shut your mouth! I do not believe in gods—”
Slash.
“O Moon Goddess! Another one goes down.”
“In the name of the Moon Goddess.”
“May this land be filled with blue light.”
Step, step.
As the priests walked, behind them were only the living believers they coerced, and the corpses of those who denied the gods.
“Death to the unbelievers.”
The land of the system turned red, and the people began to be stained blue.
No longer would there exist anyone in Abelfia who did not believe in the Moon Goddess.
And that red earth and blue traces began to spread across the continent.
“In the name of the Moon Goddess,” they said, as they spread their faith along with angels.
*
“I never imagined Bride Ship’s clairvoyance magic would be this horrific.”
The Abelfia created by Lucius was soon covered in the light of the Moon Goddess.
“The Demon King’s army didn’t even pressure humans like this; it’s shocking.”
Those who believe will live, and those who do not will die.
Even my Demon King’s army 500 years ago did not demand those who surrendered to forsake their beliefs.
Whether that belief was a religion or humanity’s dignity, I never said, “It’s death if you don’t follow the Demon King’s army.”
They simply captured their prisoners and let them see for a long time what life within the Demon King’s army was like.
Those who saw and experienced what the Demon King’s army truly was later assimilated into it, were reformed by it, or even if they left, were influenced by its ideals.
I thought it was fine if it took a little time and was inconvenient, and they could change their minds or not.
However, what about those over there?
“When you’re forced to hold a sword and asked if you believe or not, you’ve got to say you believe…”
What happens to those who do not believe?
Naturally, they die.
“Moreover, since they’ve finally shown the miracle of the gods, people will follow. Especially the Empire’s people will become even more so.”
The people of the Empire inherently align with the strong.
They don’t find it strange when the strong dominate and force them to submit.
Why?
Because it’s only natural.
Be it status or capital, they live in a world governed by the law of the jungle, so they don’t think it’s a problem.
They survive by attaching themselves to the strong.
It’s basic human nature.
“Those who do not adhere to the Order of the Crescent Moon Goddess will all die. This is the current situation of the continent.”
“…….”
Everyone on the bridge fell silent.
“We need to move at once. We need to go to them…”
“Belselphia?”
“Ugh…”
Yan immediately closed his mouth.
Bride Ship had now reached the northern edge of the continent, and all that remained was to enter Belselphia.
“Lucifer’s movements are faster than expected. Trying to prevent the opening of the Celestial Realm, he ends up arriving late only to find ‘Haha, the door to the Celestial Realm is already open!’ It’s just a story from a fairy tale. Reality is far too harsh.”
Lucifer simply acted according to plan.
If someone were to interrupt that movement, it would absolutely be swift and quick enough that the interruption could not even be attempted.
“Before Saintess Yan and Holy Knight Commander Liriez could return to the Order, he did it first. I thought the Pope would go into hiding, but he swiftly gathered people and took over the Order for himself. And…”
Currently.
“I excommunicated you two.”
He excommunicated the saintess and the holy knight commander.
“I cleverly excommunicated you two. The saintess and the holy knight commander must live only using the Divine Power granted to them. What is bestowed through the Holy Grail, or by the angels, is not what the gods desire.”
“That… would make it seem like a wicked person trying to monopolize born powers.”
“Exactly. He was someone who possessed the most Divine Power. So from the perspective of those without Divine Power, it’s a deception.”
Even if they went to the Order, there probably wouldn’t be anyone to support them.
“Lucifer, terrifying speed.”
“I apologize. We were caught up in our personal time…”
“If I had known this would happen, I would have gone straight to the Order instead of staying on Bride Ship….”
While Liriez and Yan dealt with Belerze and Lucius, the hiding Pope swiftly made the Order completely his own.
“There’s no helping it. The Hero Party is human too. After finishing one incident, how can they move immediately without any personal maintenance time?”
To be honest, nothing would change even if they were in the Order.
Lucifer would chase off Yan and Liriez in some way and swallow the Order.
“Right now, it’s more important to go to Belselphia. We have already arrived.”
At present, we were in the skies over the northern snowfield.
The hole we made when we first headed to Belselphia was not visible, but many graves of the undead that had burrowed into that hole were in sight.
“If we dig down that hole, we’ll reach Belselphia. Who wants to do it? Should I do it?”
“I’ll do it.”
Lucius stepped forward, gripping the holy sword.
I found it insecure to leave it to Liriez, who seemed to be lost in thought, and pointed outside to Lucius.
“Go ahead. Lucius.”
“I’ll be back soon.”
Boom—.
After bursting out of the bridge, it wasn’t long before a launch request signal came from the hangar.
“Golden Mount, launching.”
Brrrmm.
As Bride Ship shook for a moment, the golden spirit device revealed itself, spraying golden magical power outside.
Flap.
With wings spreading like a Celestial Horse, Lucius gracefully glided into the proper position and reached down below.
[I will open the way.]
“Yeah… wait a moment. Lucius. There’s a signal coming from below.”
[What?]
“It looks like we don’t need to force open the doors.”
Swoosh.
In the distance, something began to rise not from land but from the sea.
“Could it be….”
[Isn’t that the Kraken?]
Boom.
The giant Kraken, floating like a jellyfish, had a head wide enough to easily accommodate the Bride Ship upon landing.
I think I know what it is.
That’s the weapon of Belselphia, the assault transport ship that was prepared in Bride Ship’s internal documents.
‘Mech Kraken.’
To think it would actually be completed by the time we returned.
‘I never expected that the “big guy” would be reborn like this.’
Swoosh.
The seawater that had drenched the top of the Kraken began to flow downwards.
Soon, the Kraken’s head started opening like a dome lid, and inside was a giant circular symbol marked ‘H.’
Flap, flap.
Beside the ‘H’ symbol.
“That’s….”
“Francis F. Bacon!!”
The imp dressed in black attire, Francis, was saluting us.
“An elf in the sea…!”
“Not an elf. It’s an imp.”
“…….”
Liriez’s eyes began to shake violently.
“An imp who likes slingshot swimwear.”
“…Huh?”
“That guy gave me a slingshot.”