The Emperor Who Was Chapter 22 : Chapter 22

Chapter . 22

"The wind is blowing so hard, the dust is flying everywhere."

"Indeed. The wind mage should calm the wind down a bit."

"As the piled up dirt increases, the dust storm gets worse."

Complaints arose naturally, but the Archbishop glared.

"We are excavating a sacred relic, so we should use as little magic as possible. One mage is enough."

It wasn't that the Temple didn't use magic. However, they made sure it was never conspicuous, especially during official events held in front of people.

Moreover, if it was the excavation of a saint's relic, they believed it was sacred only if magic was not used.

But this is the Imperial Palace, and since the Emperor, who deigned to co all the way here, would absolutely never allow waiting until it was dug up by hand one by one, the Temple had no choice but to comply.

Defining the amazing power like magic as evil while only the upper class monopolizes it, even that upper class cannot utilize it properly. Truly the height of foolishness.

While the Emperor's mage was concentrating and sweating, I finished my magic. Not only swapping the saint's relic with the boulder, but also swapping the surrounding soil entirely.

Rumble!

"Aaaack!"

"Aaargh!"

The ground shook and a trendous dust cloud rose. As if that part of the soil had been overturned by a giant plow.

"Ack!"

"Ugh!"

The Emperor and Empress, watching from a distance sitting on chairs brought by attendants, were fine. So were most of the people who retreated hurriedly.

Of course, the clergy, including the Archbishop who was closest to the excavation site, took the brunt of the dust.

"T-This! What are you doing!"

The Archbishop shouted at the Emperor's mage.

"How dare you cause such an incident at the excavation site of the Saint's relic; do you think you will be safe after this!"

The mage trembled.

"It is proof that God is angry."

When I intervened, the Archbishop, cut off mid-shout, was flustered.

"...T-That is right, it is clear that the God Traneha is angry! Punish this man imdiately―"

"My brothers might doubt the divine revelation because they are jealous of , but if the clergy, especially you, the Archbishop, doubt it, how could the God Traneha not be angry?"

Then, the clergy looked at the Archbishop with eyes more disapproving than even the nobles. Usually, they were faithful servants of the Archbishop, but the saint's relic was a huge benefit to all of them. Everyone was eagerly praying for the relic to appear, but the Archbishop kept raining on their parade.

"Archbishop, do you still not believe in the revelation of the God Traneha?"

"N-No... I ca out here because I believe, Prince Leontes......."

"But suspicion still lurks in a corner of your heart. Not only thinking it might not be there, do you not rather wish for it not to be there?"

Then the Archbishop's face turned red and blue, then pale.

Because it was true.

He was soone who worried that soone other than himself would discover the relic of the saint from his hotown first.

Before the regression, he used to go around saying this about how he discovered the holy relic.

-I received a revelation from the God Traneha in Langseng at such and such ti. The revelation said the relic of Saint Marcella might disappear again if not excavated imdiately, so I had to excavate it myself without even ti to inform the Temple. It was the will of the God Traneha, so I had no choice.......

It was a lie.

Revelation indeed; I was the one who found out that fact.

Back then, I t an acquaintance of my Master who was from Langseng.

The dying wish of that acquaintance, who died after suffering from a long illness, was the clue to finding Saint Marcella's relic. Based on that clue, I found the location, but I was pursued by enemies right before excavation.

After shaking off the enemies for the mont, I asked the Archbishop for religious protection.

'But that toad had already been bribed by the enemies and refused. A sanctuary refusing protection to soone who wasn't even a criminal.'

Desperate, I barely received protection on the condition that I tell him the location of the holy relic.

However, having discovered the holy relic, the Archbishop handed

over to the enemies, fearing I would later claim the honor of being the discoverer.

Now it was the Archbishop's turn to taste punishnt instead of divine revelation.

"The Archbishop is truly... what disgraceful behavior in the presence of His Majesty the Emperor."

"It is fortunate that Prince Leontes spoke refreshingly; such a situation must not happen again."

Although they avoided the dust, they couldn't avoid it completely, so the nobles who ruined their makeup, hair, and luxurious clothes raised their voices in anger. If it weren't in front of the Emperor, they would have rushed out to change clothes imdiately, but suppressing it made their anger grow.

However, their anger, which would have usually made them tremble, was nothing compared to the glares of the clergy fixed on the Archbishop without moving an inch while covered in dust. It was a look as if they were collectively excommunicating the Archbishop. Especially the Cardinal.

"N-No, no, Prince Leontes!"

The Archbishop shouted in fear.

"If really not, why do you not kneel and pray to the God Traneha. Before you pray with tears for the sin of doubting the divine revelation, the relic of Saint Marcella will not appear."

I didn't claim it was a revelation this ti. I just conveyed my thoughts.

But the Archbishop must have taken my words as a revelation, or a prophecy.

"God Traneha, please forgive . I will not commit the sin of doubting your words again, please forgive your wretched sinner."

The Archbishop knelt on the muddy ground and began to pray while crying. Now truly praying for the holy relic to appear.

'Still finding his own way to live.'

If the saint's relic didn't appear even after such a strange dust storm arose and covered them in dirt, people wouldn't stay still.

Only I knew the fact that the holy relic was in Langseng, and even he wasn't sure yet. Just guessing it might be so because it's the saint's hotown and where the relic last disappeared. But if it doesn't co out here now, it was certain that it would beco his sin.

"Sob, God Traneha, please forgive !"

The Archbishop's tears fell onto the soil.

In front of the arrogant high-ranking cleric's tears, people pushed each other and craned their necks to watch. So were giggling, and so were pointing fingers.

'Everyone watch closely. The end of those who doubt the divine revelation I speak of.'

Even so, if there is anyone who doubts again next ti, it will be digging their own grave.

Of course, there were so tactless and fearless people who stared piercingly only at my face instead of watching the Archbishop's tears. To think such guys share the sa blood as , that itself must be a miracle.

'Now.'

I withdrew the interference I had subtly placed on the Emperor's mage's search magic. Then he imdiately discovered the object underground.

The mage looked back at the Emperor for a mont, and when the Emperor nodded, he soon aid his staff and chanted a spell. Following his spell, the soil cleared away and sothing revealed itself.

Lifted by magic and placed on the soil, it looked like a black lump of stone. The mage shook off the dirt again with wind magic.

Then the face of the saint, who had been sleeping under the earth for a long ti, slowly revealed itself.

"Ohhhhh!"

"God Traneha!"

"Saint Marcella!"

The holy relic was a small statue carved in the likeness of the saint, made with the saint's heart inside.

The statue was erected on the saint's tomb and received homage from many pilgrims until it disappeared due to enemy invasion. There were also claims that it was lted in fire to make cannons after being looted, so it was considered impossible to recover.

"It is the grace of the God Traneha!"

The overwheld priests shouted frantically. The Archbishop just shed tears endlessly.

"Waaaaah!"

"Long live Armatia!"

"The God Traneha looks down upon Armatia!"

Secular people also cheered.

"Prince Leontes's words ca true!"

"Indeed, the God Traneha bestowed grace upon Your Highness!"

"If not for Your Highness, how would the relic of Saint Marcella have been found!"

"Long live Prince Leontes!"

"Prince Leontes found the relic of Saint Marcella!"

No matter how much they bite each other, all courtiers were the Emperor's people. They were not those treated as non-humans in the Empire like the lowest class or the poor.

So they reacted sensitively to the structure of Imperial power and religious power. Although there was no open conflict during the Father Emperor's reign, there was always a subtle power struggle.

If one praises the God Traneha, one must also praise the Emperor. The reverse is also true.

Even without being ordered, they read the room on their own, becoming more fervent the more indifferent the Father Emperor was.

"For Prince Leontes to receive a revelation from the God Traneha, how happy His Majesty the Emperor must be!"

"Indeed, like father like son!"

"Such outstanding qualities must have been inherited from His Majesty the Emperor!"

In an instant, I beca a son resembling his father, receiving flattery and praise ant for the Father Emperor together.

However, even amidst the flattery, there were so who genuinely had tears in their eyes. Because the seeds of Word Soul Magic had taken root and sprouted.

Until I harvest, those sprouts will grow and drop other seeds, spreading further and further. Just like a single grain of barley fallen in a field grows into a vast barley field.

I closed my eyes for a mont imagining that scene, then opened them imdiately. Because I felt a sharp gaze.

Precisely my brother's gaze.

Whether glaring as if to kill , or looking soaked in contempt, I had experienced all sorts of his gazes. But a gaze like this was the first.

Distinct jealousy and envy filling those deep blue eyes.

'An enemy's jealousy... is ecstatic.......'

I was drawn in as if possessed, and barely looked away only when I felt another gaze.

This ti, envy filling green eyes. It was also beautiful.

Desmond was even biting his lip in anger. Those eyes were soon covered with hatred, but I could still vividly feel the envy underlying it.

Like that, the youngest, who intervened in the older brothers' bet risking his mother's wrath and lost, paid a big price, but unintentionally saved Maximilian.

Redness brushed past Maximilian's cheeks, and he slowly began to wear a smile, albeit distorted.

'Desmond served as a mirror.'

Only after seeing Desmond's face full of envy did he realize the fact that he too ended up being jealous of the brother he hated and ignored so much.

Also the point that he was caught by .

To redeem that humiliation, Maximilian did sothing transcending his ability.

"The God Traneha has blessed my brother!"

The First Prince shouted. Enough to silence people's cheers at once.

For a mont, I ended up looking at him as if he were a madman. As if my unhidden surprise boosted his mood, he grabbed my wrist abruptly and raised it high.

"Since the God Traneha has blessed my brother, how is it not the glory of Armatia!"

People were also startled. Except for Duke Grimiati, who watched as if gauging the crazy act of the heir to the throne he picked himself.

"Oh, indeed, Prince Maximilian!"

"Forgetting the bad past with his brother and making a fresh start now, it is truly good to see!"

Accomplices praised the perpetrator. They would want to forget their past too.

"I was very disappointed in your conduct, but now in front of the God Traneha's grace, I believe in you. How sorrowful you must have been anwhile. I will gladly give you Mother's keepsake. I am proud of you."

Then, without giving

a chance to retort, he hugged . This traitor dares!

"Ohhh!"

"What a beautiful sight!"