"Now you believe that I am one chosen by the Lord."
Kael observed the expressions on the cardinals' faces with a kind smile. His trick had worked perfectly. Their faces showed a mixture of admiration and devotion; none of them suspected what had really happened.
What he did was, in essence, a simple magic trick.
What exactly was that magic trick?
There was nothing extraordinary or divine about it. He simply used several Tomorrow Sunflowers, water blessed with the first light of day, and other symbols representing the sun, combining them with a subtle manipulation of light magic.
With that simple mixture, he had managed to replicate, for a brief mont, the essence of the Ancient Sun God's mana. In the eyes of the cardinals, that energy was sacred, unmistakable; for them, a sign of divine blessing. But Kael knew it was nothing more than a perfectly crafted illusion.
The three priests, although they had awakened their mana cores, lacked the level necessary to discern falsehood. To them, what they had witnessed was an authentic manifestation of heavenly power.
They have completely believed that Kael is an envoy of the Ancient Sun God.
Therefore, the first step of the plan had been executed perfectly, in the ideal scenario.
Kael kept his friendly smile, but his thoughts were as cold as steel.
That nun saved a lot of trouble.
He knew perfectly well: if it hadn't been for Sister Mily ntioning it in front of his slave, soone else would have been put in charge of the house. In that case, his initial plan would have needed a complete overhaul. But now, circumstances had aligned precisely.
It seems that even after her death, Sister Mily had changed destiny.
Kael looked up at the ceiling. For a mont, the radiance of the place seed to be reflected in his eyes, as if a sacred glow enveloped him. Then, with a kind and serene smile, he turned his gaze to the cardinals, who were beginning to recover from what they had just witnessed.
Silence hung heavy in the room. So trembled, others breathed heavily, trying to process what they had seen.
Even Schwein was surprised. His mind was clouded with confusion and remorse. Little by little, regret began to creep into his heart like a cold snake.
Did I try to abuse the Lord's envoy?
His face paled. Now he understood why young Rasen had reacted so harshly toward him.
How dare he touch, even intentionally, an envoy of the Lord? By what right did he ntion the nun's death in front of him?
Questions piled up in his mind like an avalanche. And with each thought, the weight of reality beca clearer: if he were dead right now, it would co as no surprise.
He had done atrocious things, actions that even the most forgiving could not forgive. But then, the real question erged within him, like a cold voice that stripped him bare before himself:
Do you regret everything you did?
The answer was imdiate, as firm as his own pride.
Of course not!
He didn't regret anything. Not his actions, not his cruelty, not his mistakes. Because if he ever regretted anything, if he ever doubted his own steps, then he would no longer be Schwein.
And he would not allow himself to stop being who he was, even in front of a divine being.
The Cardinals finished recovering. Slowly, their expressions turned serious; all traces of the negative emotion they felt toward Kael disappeared completely in the face of this act, which was as disarming as it was unexpected.
"What exactly do you want to do?" they asked at the sa ti.
Kael's eyes lit up like a child entering a candy store for the first ti. There was such a convincing purity in his gaze that it was impossible not to let your guard down. With a warm smile, he replied enthusiastically:
"I want you to help improve the lives of the people in Zone 1!"
For a mont, silence filled the room. The cardinals exchanged glances, unable to decide if they had heard correctly.
"Why do you want to improve the lives of these people?" asked Harold, with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.
Kael kept smiling. His voice, soft and firm, resonated with "sincerity":
"To turn them into followers of our lord. Zone 1 is the largest of the four; therefore, it also has the most people. Besides... it pains my soul to see so many dead."
His words seed simple, but the weight behind them was undeniable. Everyone understood what Kael ant. It wasn't just compassion; it was pure strategy.
An area with more believers ant more influence, more control, more power.
The idea didn't seem bad to them. Indeed, the more influence they gained in zone 1, the more power they could exert over it. However, sothing in Kael's behavior made them pause. His way of speaking, his humble and luminous attitude... everything seed too perfect.
It was then that they realized that the envoy of the Ancient Sun God was not simply kind and easy to manipulate. Behind that radiant smile was a mind that shone with equal intensity.
For the mont, they decided not to make any rash moves. First, they would win his friendship. Then, his trust. Only then could they try to mold him to their advantage... if that was still possible.
At that mont, an idea began to take root in their minds: Rasen's rise. If Kael continued at this pace, his influence would not only cover the city but would spread throughout the Holy Empire and, eventually, to the Northern Frontier.
After a few years, a new saint could erge. And they, the cardinals present, would be the witnesses and beneficiaries of that rebirth. They would remain by his side... not out of faith, but out of convenience.
"Well? What do you think? Do you like my idea?"
Kael watched them calmly, his smile never fading for a mont. His tone was friendly, almost relaxed, but there was a gleam in his eyes that the three cardinals could not ignore.
For a mont, silence filled the room. The three n exchanged glances, each weighing the others' words, trying to decipher what was really behind Kael's proposal.
The idea, on the surface, was a good one. Bold, even. But they also knew one thing for sure: he would be the one to gain fa from this, not them. That calm smile had already revealed enough to them.
The young Rasen was seeking their support, that much was clear. He wanted to gain influence in Zone 1, and to do so, he needed the backing of those who operated from the shadows. At first, it seed like a fair deal: they would offer resources, and he would deliver visible results.
A win-win situation.
However, none of the three knew Rasen's true motive. They knew there was more behind it, a hidden layer they couldn't yet see.
For now, they decided to keep their composure. They would watch him in action before judging him. First, they would see the work in zone 1, evaluate its execution, its precision, and its power of influence.
Depending on how everything unfolded... that would be the level of support they would give him.
And while the cardinals analyzed in silence, Kael continued to smile. For them, it was just beginning. For him, the pieces had already been in motion for a long ti.
"Well, we accept your idea," said one of the cardinals, "but we need you to explain it in more detail."
Kael nodded slightly, his smile remaining unchanged. "Of course," he replied calmly. "So listen carefully."
The air in the room beca thick. The three cardinals straightened their posture.
Kael then began to explain his plan with thodical precision. He spoke of the developnt he proposed for Zone 1, the thods he would use to gain more followers, and how he would lead them toward the doctrine of the Ancient Sun God.
As he spoke, he showed neither anxiety nor enthusiasm. His tone was asured, as if he were simply revealing the outco of sothing that had already happened.
He explained how they, the cardinals, would also benefit from the growth of his movent, without exposing themselves, without risking their nas or positions. The losses would be minimal, almost nonexistent; the gains, on the other hand, could be considerable.
As his explanation progressed, the cardinals began to exchange glances. What at first seed like a simple idea was revealing itself to be a complex web of strategy and expediency.
Kael was not just looking for followers; he was seeking to cent stable power, under the cloak of faith, but guided by his own will.
When he finished speaking, silence reigned once more.
The three cardinals had already understood: what Kael was offering was not just a plan... it was an opportunity. A trap wrapped in gold.
...
After Kael and Cardinal Schwein left, they remained silent for a mont, reviewing everything that had just happened that night.
"It was very unexpected that the man sent by the lord was such a planner," Hasin said, breaking the silence and letting out a long sigh.
"He's too much of a planner for soone who's not even 20 years old yet. It's as if he were born with a prodigious mind." Harold nodded in agreent. The plan Kael had told him about was too detailed, as if it had taken months or years of planning.
And the most striking thing was that the plan had a good chance of succeeding without them lifting a finger. All they had to do was give their support.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves; let's see the results first." Ernest crossed his legs and let out a long sigh.
The others remained silent as the night went on.
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