The Necromancer Who Was Despised - The Necromancer Who Was Despised chapter 178
“What’s…?”
“Do you remember the example of the Goddess Church doing something to Lord Do-in?”
I couldn’t forget it.
If not for that, Untinia wouldn’t have been isolated.
“Of course, I remember.”
“They didn’t do it for no reason. They already knew they could do whatever they wanted, and it seemed like the Goddess Church had made a decision back then.”
“A decision…?”
“They had been absorbing many nobles over a long period. But they’ve abandoned that attitude now. They’re making the nobles on their side unite and raise their voices. In short, a civil war is about to break out within the kingdom.”
It’s not just Juterus; small and large battles are happening almost daily throughout the kingdom.
“They’re demanding that the Empire expel the Land Church and apologize.”
“…What madness.”
They’re part of the kingdom, not the Empire. What kind of nonsense are they talking about?
“It seems they’ve also made contact with the Alliance of Species and are demanding an explanation about that as well.”
“Isn’t the Holy Empire a potential enemy state? Don’t they know that the kingdom doesn’t take kindly to the Empire?”
“That’s right. But they think the kingdom is making a mistake, and the Empire is getting uncomfortable because of it.”
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“If they know that we’ve formed an alliance with the demon tribe, it’s practically a declaration of war.”
“The royal family has been preparing for this.”
“How many nobles are affiliated with the Holy Empire?”
“There are many. About one-fifth of the entire kingdom.”
It’s unbelievable. Honestly, I didn’t think it would be this severe.
“The Holy Empire’s priests have all defected to the other side, and the remaining ones are saying they won’t help the royal family. It’s like they’re all fanatics who think dying is martyrdom.”
I’m speechless.
They’ve deliberately sent only fanatics… It’s as if they’ve been planning this for a very long time.
Moreover, other kingdoms are facing similar situations.
There are exceptions, but more than half of them are in a state similar to Speltan’s.
Although our military power is on par with the Holy Empire’s, if they receive priestly support and we don’t, the gap will widen significantly.
Even if we have the Great Temple, the difference in priestly numbers is substantial, making it a natural disadvantage compared to the Holy Empire.
Despite the royal family’s dominant position, the reality of increasing casualties is unbearable.
“In this situation, if we’re hit with a large-scale invasion, it’ll be chaos.”
There’s a pretext.
If the empire sends troops under the guise of protecting the kingdom’s priests, it could trigger an all-out war with the 6 Kingdom Alliance before the demon tribe alliance.
“Is that so? So, the alliance with the demon tribe was formed easily?”
If the empire takes that stance, the demon tribe won’t just sit back.
Since we’ve formed an alliance…
It’s a suffocating reality.
I wonder if the king will entrust the regency to the prime minister.
“It’s definitely something the royal family would be happy about.”
In this complicated situation, even a black magician like me has joined the war effort.
It’s a reassuring thought.
Of course, it’s difficult for me to participate in the war.
The image of a black magician is the worst, and if I’m openly used, I might create another pretext.
It’s natural to be cautious about asking for my cooperation.
I followed Prina to the capital with my companions.
I had to greet the 1st Prince and see Tia’s face.
“Entin said she’s been working hard.”
It’s impossible for monsters not to appear outside the barren land.
The fact that it hasn’t become a huge problem is because Prina is my fiancée, and Entin has been using her subordinates to take care of the monsters coming from the desert’s shield.
It’s relatively small in number, and Entin’s level is high, so it hasn’t been a significant issue.
On the way to the capital, I could see the construction work being done here and there at the desert’s shield.
The value of this place must be high, judging by the large-scale construction.
There are many people, and the atmosphere is bustling.
Some workers who recognized Prina bowed their heads, and Prina waved her hand as if to say it’s okay.
Unlike some lords who would make a big fuss whenever they pass by, Prina isn’t like that.
If she were to make a scene every time she passes by, the construction would come to a halt.
It could be seen as a relatively peaceful atmosphere.
The situation in the kingdom was complicated, but this scene was quite detached from it.
“Hmm? Are you not the Lord?”
At that moment, a group of people wearing priestly robes discovered us and approached us.
◈ Madosa
Although they wore priestly robes, they were slightly different from those of the Goddess Church, and their patterns were also different.
It was natural. Prina wouldn’t just let a priest from the Goddess Church stay within her territory.
“I didn’t expect to meet you here.”
“Ah, Archbishop Cornerbin.”
“No, I’m just a humble priest.”
“The Grand Temple side has referred to you as an archbishop, so we’ll address you accordingly.”
“That’s just an empty title. I was hastily appointed due to the temple’s rapid growth and lack of talent, and once the temple stabilizes, I’ll return to being a priest.”
“Then we’ll call you a priest when that time comes.”
Prina, who had been vocal in her anger and criticism towards the Goddess Church, was speaking very politely and softly to the priests in front of her.
“And who is the person next to you…?”
“Ah, the one you’ve been searching for.”
“Is that Do In-ha?”
“Yes. Officially, he’s a public black magician cooperating with the territory, and personally, he’s my fiancé.”
“I’ve heard that story. It’s an honor to meet the benefactor of our church.”
The old man, referred to as an archbishop, bowed deeply towards me.
“It’s an honor to meet you.”
The priests behind him also bowed, leaving me slightly flustered.
I had heard that they held me in high regard, but I never imagined that an archbishop would bow to a black magician like me.
Moreover, I was the one who had corrupted two sacred artifacts.
I felt a pang of guilt, but I couldn’t remain silent.
“I’m Do In-ha.”
I bowed back, and the archbishop raised his head.
“I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time, but I heard that something unfortunate happened. It’s wonderful to see you again, looking so well.”
“…I was also disappointed that our previous meeting didn’t work out. I was curious about who you were.”
“Hehe. I’m sure you were surprised. However, regardless of being a black magician, you’re someone who has received great praise and favor from the royal family, and you’ve made a significant contribution to our church’s revival. That’s why I wanted to represent the church and meet you, despite expecting you to be surprised. However…”
The archbishop, who had been observing me for a moment, smiled slightly.
“You’re even more impressive than I heard.”
Indeed, he wasn’t just an archbishop in name only.
My counterpart had instantly grasped that I possessed abilities beyond what he had heard.
‘How did they figure it out so quickly…?’
I didn’t think there was anyone who could see through me.
However, I didn’t expect them to advertise it so openly, here and there.
“Not only do you possess remarkable abilities, but your character is also unlike that of a black magician.”
Chugigyeong smiled, chuckling to himself.
In a situation where we had only exchanged a few words, evaluating my character seemed a bit absurd, but it wasn’t entirely impossible.
‘Did I pass the test by lowering my head?’
The 7-class mages, accurately referred to as madosa, were individuals who had paved their own paths and possessed confidence befitting their achievements.
It was rare to find mages with good personalities, and they often became arrogant. Especially for dark mages who were selfish and self-centered, the possibility of becoming arrogant was even higher.
Moreover, as dark mages who had been oppressed for a long time, it was difficult for them to have good feelings towards the religious sector.
If someone like Chugigyeong, who had become a high-ranking priest, and the many priests behind him had approached me first, a dark mage with an arrogant personality would have surely shown their true colors from the start.
But I didn’t.
I was taken aback, and I returned the greeting.
I didn’t want to have a bad relationship with the Daechimogyo, and I also considered my relationships with the royal family and Prina. At the same time, I didn’t want to show any unnecessary superiority towards someone who didn’t harbor ill intentions towards me.
It seemed that my behavior had pleased Chugigyeong’s heart.
I also didn’t dislike Chugigyeong.
There were many people who didn’t act like that, especially in this world where social status and position often led to arrogance.
Compared to that, the Chugigyeong in front of me, who had fallen from a high position in the religious sector, seemed to have a slightly more humble sense of authority.
He didn’t look at me with bias, so there was no reason to dislike him.
As a result, our conversation was quite pleasant.
Chugigyeong discussed the current construction status of the new temple with Prina, and with me, he talked about how much the Daechimogyo was favoring me, how new temples were being built in each country, and how the priests were being dispatched, slowly expanding the main temple.
“So, overall, the priests are in short supply. However, Her Holiness has graciously bestowed her blessings upon the children we’ve taken care of, including the existing believers.”
Thanks to that, the current priests in the temple were mostly young or at a young age.
However, the divine power itself was not lacking.
“The future looks promising.”
Indeed, the priests standing behind Chugigyeong were all young.
Chugigyeong’s age was noticeable, which was understandable.
“I’d like to invite you to the main temple once.”
“I’d be honored.”
An invitation to the main temple.
Considering the history of the Daechimogyo, it was difficult to like dark mages.
The temple had been destroyed by the Demon King, and they had been accused of being associated with demons by the Goddess’s Church.
It was ironic that they were praising me, a dark mage, so highly.
“I’ve taken up too much of your time. When the temple is completed, I’ll officially invite you again.”
Indeed, I had taken up a lot of time. If I thought about it, Chugigyeong, the lord, and the 7-class mages had discussed building the Daechimogyo’s temple, reviving it, and inviting a dark mage like me to the main temple.
There was no formality, but the atmosphere was so good that I didn’t feel bad.
Chugigyeong also seemed to realize that he had talked too much and trailed off, but in reality, we had already discussed everything.
“I’ll be waiting.”
As I parted ways with Chugigyeong and the priests, Prina said to me as we walked back to the castle,
“He’s a kind and pure person. He’s faithful to his teachings and is kind to those who aren’t believers. He also regularly performs volunteer work here.”
By volunteer work, it mostly meant visiting construction sites and giving blessings.
But even that was a huge help. If a common person could receive the blessing of a high-ranking priest like Chugigyeong…
“It’s like that. It doesn’t seem like they’re bad people.”
I suddenly had the thought that the workers might be tired from being overworked, but I quickly erased it.
“As if that’s what they’re going for.”
When we arrived at the destination, we saw familiar faces from the entrance.
“Tia!”
Artina ran towards her, and they exchanged a light hug.
“Unnie, even if the lord is in front of us…”
“What’s the big deal?”
In reality, Prina was smiling as she watched the two of them hugging.
“It seems like Tia really wanted to see Artina.”
“Really, Lord?”
Tia looked at Prina with a betrayed expression.
Their relationship seemed unusually close, and Artina also looked surprised as she glanced back and forth between Tia and Prina.
“…It’s complicated.”
Kayla muttered beside me, and I pretended not to hear it, but in reality, I agreed.
“If you want to catch a big fish, you have to cast your line first…”
Indeed, if Tia became close with Artina, it would be difficult for Artina to openly quarrel with Prina.
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It would be hard to see Tia in a difficult situation, and Artina’s personality might even make her feel jealous if they got too close…
“It doesn’t seem like that yet.”
Prina seemed to be trying to form a good relationship with my group in her own way.
Artina seemed to sense Prina’s wariness and decided to spend time alone, and Prina playfully saw Tia off, saying “Unnie, have a good time.”
Then, Prina sent a message to the prince, saying she would visit soon, and took a rest in the waiting room until she received a response.
“What kind of person is the 1st Prince?”
“There’s no need to be nervous because he’s the prince. He’s not as intimidating as the archbishop, but he’s still a person who has goodwill towards us.”
As the 1st Prince, he had a strong sense of self-confidence, but it wasn’t excessive, and like his predecessor, he loved and cherished his country.