How the Reincarnation Seat Destroys the Original - Chapter 102



Only Noblemtl

Episode 102. Three-way confrontation.

“I think this conversation will suffice for today. You probably aren’t feeling well yet. I’m sorry for calling you all the way here, Mabel.”

In the end, Matthias decided that the conversation with Mabel would not go well. He ended the conversation with some words and took the child to the door where Azepine was waiting.

“Your Majesty, so when can I go home?”

“That’s probably hard to say. I hope you adapt to the temple quickly.”

He’s really good at saying that he won’t let her go. Mabel thought about lying on the floor and throwing a tantrum, saying, “Let me go home!!!” for a moment, but then gave up.

Even though I was 8 years old, I felt ashamed just thinking about doing the same thing to Geum-jok.

Let’s leave the Golden Project until the very end. Mabel, who had made that promise, was able to follow Azepin back to the villa.

After Mabel left, the Grand Master, left alone, looked down at Mabel’s cold teacup without taking a single sip.

“The more I look at it, the more I want it….”

He didn’t sense even a single bit of divine power from the child he encountered. The possibility that the child might not have awakened divine power no longer existed to him.

If I hadn’t met you in person, I wouldn’t have known.

The child clearly possessed divine power. At that time, the divine power that he could feel was greater than anyone else’s… even more abundant and concentrated than his own.

Then, there was only one remaining case.

The child’s divine power is superior to his own, and from the moment the child awakens the divine power, he can naturally control that power.

“It was true that he had divine powers.”

While Mabel was unconscious, Matthias learned about the child and that the place where the child was was the Temple of Janus, where I had heard years ago that there was a child with divine powers.

A child with divine powers is precious.

If used well, it could raise the name of the temple and make one more loved by the god.

That’s why I personally went to the shrine to take care of it, but the child did not have divine powers.

Now that I look back, I see that he was just naturally able to control his power. To the point where he didn’t even realize it…

“It’s unlikely that Viscount Damie would know.”

It is natural that those with magical power cannot have divine power. That is why, in the past when the power of the gods was strong, so many magicians were killed for being heretics abandoned by the gods.

I thought about attacking the child, but… the child was too young to understand what I was saying. It seemed that Viscount Damie cared for the child more than I expected.

The child is innocent. That is why it is easy for them to be influenced by those around them. This is especially true for wounded children who were not treated well in the temple of Janus.

Matthias opened his eyes, his bright golden eyes focused on the statue of the primordial god on one side of his room.

“First… I guess I should try to persuade him. But if he still neglects his duties and ignores the principles, then I will punish him on your behalf.”

As if speaking to a living person, Matthias spoke with his eyes gently widened.

“Ah, I am so happy to be loved by you.”

He summoned another high priest and told him to present a second ordeal to the chosen one and to respond positively to the Emperor’s letter.

* * *

The day the Archon replied that he would visit the palace, the Emperor Bastian immediately sent a messenger to the Viscount Damier to inform him of the matter.

Two days later, two carriages stopped in front of the palace. One carriage was a simple, pure white carriage, while the other was a contrasting, deep purple carriage, almost black.

Those who got off there also showed a contrasting appearance, just like the carriage.

Today, the commander of the Imperial Knights who was in charge of guiding them, ‘Eden’, got off the carriage and saw the two of them, and thought that they looked like an angel and a devil.

Both of them were dressed in pure white and black, like the carriage. The grand vizier Matthias, in white from head to toe. The Countess of Damier Kael, in black from head to toe.

Eden, standing in front of them, bowed his head.

“His Majesty the Emperor is waiting. I will serve you.”

The place prepared for today’s three-way meeting was the nobles’ conference hall where the emperor and high-ranking nobles usually met.

As Eden opened the door to the noble council hall, a large round table made of smooth marble that could easily seat ten people was seen, and Bastian was sitting facing the door, waiting for them.

“Come in, everyone. Take a seat.”

After the introduction, Eden, who had finished her work, closed the conference room door. Bastian sat at the 12 o’clock position around the round table, and Matthias and Kael sat at the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions, respectively.

“I think you will know better why we have arranged this meeting today. Each of you, state your opinion and show us the data that proves or supports it. Let’s begin.”

On the surface, the Emperor appeared to be just an impartial man who would just go back and forth between opinions, but in reality, it was a two-on-one confrontation.

Matthias, who must have known that it was a disadvantageous position for him, spoke first with an extremely relaxed attitude.

“Mabel’s divine power is stronger than anyone else’s. More so than me.”

He continued speaking, his luck lifted by Mabel’s divine power.

“If he had only a little divine power, I wouldn’t know, but the child has awakened a strong divine power. To the point where he could succeed me and become the High Priest.”

A soft curve formed at the corner of Matthias’ mouth. It was a smile as perfect as a painting.

“Of course, in the past, when the children of nobles awakened their divine powers, they were given special privileges that excluded them from the principle of belonging to the temple. However, unlike in the past, there are very few people with divine powers now. Mabel has divine powers that are more outstanding than anyone else. That’s why I think Mabel should be protected under the temple.”

As if he knew what he had prepared.

Matthias said that the temple side, which had considered the past rulings, said that the situation had changed and that the temple side would not grant any more special privileges.

This was tantamount to saying that the past rulings were merely the favor of the temple. Since they do not apply in the present, the temple will follow the principle.

Although he had Hugo investigate past judgments and cases, Kael had been aware from the beginning that even if he used this as evidence to claim custody or parental rights for Mabel, Mathias would not accept it.

“But Mabel is a child who was excommunicated from the temple. Excommunicating from the temple means that the child has been abandoned by the gods. Wouldn’t it be an act against the gods’ will to bring the child back to the temple? Isn’t that right, Archpriest Matthias?”

When Kael asked, Matthias answered.

“Of course, excommunication from the temple means being abandoned by God. However, this is also interpreted as God’s mercy in allowing the child to return to His embrace.”

“It seems that the past cases were interpreted differently by the current Archimandrite Matthias.”

With those words, Kael got up, took out the documents from the bag he was carrying, and placed them in front of Bastian and Matthias.

Even though he knew that Matthias would not accept it, he researched past judgments and cases to see if there were any children who had been excommunicated like Mabel.

Compared to the cases of children from noble families awakening divine powers, this was a case that was woefully inadequate. Looking back over the past several hundred years, there were only a handful of such cases, but fortunately, such cases existed, and the material he was pulling out now was the verdict of that case.

“As you can see from the relevant data, about 400 years ago, there was a case where a child who had been entrusted to a temple since childhood was excommunicated without awakening his divine powers and was adopted into a noble family.”

Kael continued speaking as he confirmed that the two people were reading the documents.

“However, the adopted child belatedly awakened to divine power. The temple that excommunicated the child claimed custody of the child. However, the high priest at the time sided with the noble family that adopted the child, saying that the child would carry out the will of the god outside the temple, not under the protection of the temple.”

Kael paused for a moment and looked at Matthias.

It had been about 300 years since he became the archbishop.

The case I just showed him was from 400 years ago, before he became the High Priest. In order to find a case that he didn’t know about, where special treatment was given to a child of a noble family who had awakened divine powers, I asked Jack, including Hugo, to look into the data.

“I think God wants Mabel to carry out His will in the wider world, not under the protection of the temple. The Damier family can protect and raise the child in a larger and better environment than the temple.”

Matthias was a man so devoted to God that he bordered on fanaticism.

He was a man who believed that the amount of divine power was equal to the total amount of love given by God, and that he was the one most loved by God. He was a man who did not hesitate to steal the divine power of others and even kill them in order to make more divine power his own.

He even thought that the fact that God had abandoned this world was a trial that God had given him.

“So now that the world is headed toward destruction, I think that God has brought the child to me so that Mabel can do something outside the temple, not inside. Therefore, I think it is right for me to have custody and upbringing of the child.”

As Kael finished speaking, Bastian frowned and seemed lost in thought for a moment. Seeing him like that, Kael added.

“I believe that High Priest Matthias visited the temple where the child was before I met Mabel. If the god had intended to lead Mabel to you, wouldn’t you have been able to sense Mabel’s divine powers at that time?”

As if he had finished thinking about what Kael had said, Bastian took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

“I have more faith in the interpretation of the Viscount Damier. And… I don’t think God will change His mind when the world is on the verge of destruction.”

Before adopting Mabel, the corners of Mathias’ lips, which had been perfectly curved without a twist, trembled slightly in a smile at Kael’s addition that he knew he had visited the temple where the child was. Kael was certain that the odds of victory in this game were tilted in his favor.

“I admit it. But….”

Matthias, who seemed to be admitting it outright, trailed off and finished his speech after pointing to a part of the data that Kael had given him.

“There are conditions.”