Chapter: 63
64. Black Fangs VS Holy Church (2)
“Hey, hang on a sec!”
As I was brainstorming ideas while walking, a frantic voice grabbed my attention.
Turning around, I saw Rubia, looking pale as a ghost.
“D-Did you really just say you’re declaring full-scale war on the Holy Church in the name of the Black Fangs?!”
I tried my best to keep my tone calm, despite the exhaustion weighing on me.
“Yep. I told you before, right? If push comes to shove, we’ll have to wipe the Holy Church off the face of the earth with the power of the Black Fangs.”
Of course, back then I didn’t say it with complete seriousness.
Whether I could even count on the Black Fangs’ cooperation was uncertain, and at that time, I was focused on avoiding any conflicts.
That’s why I aimed to divert the Empire’s and Holy Church’s attention with some humanitarian work.
“But now that I hear you, it looks like clashing with the Holy Church is pretty much unavoidable.”
Looking at the data, it seemed we’d successfully diverted the Empire’s gaze, but dealing with the Holy Church would be a different beast altogether.
So… why not just bury them?
Let’s completely revise the previous plan and declare war on the Holy Church in the name of the Black Fangs.
‘Of course, I didn’t bother asking for the Black Fangs’ opinion on it.’
But that wasn’t really the important part.
If I exposed the Holy Church’s wrongdoings in the name of the Black Fangs, then the already soaring Black Fangs would be met with everyone’s expectations.
In such a scenario, would the leader of the Black Fangs deny it?
“Ah, that’s just some random impersonator’s words. We have no intention of facing such a massive power like the Holy Church,” right?
What a ridiculous statement.
‘That’s just not possible.’
Public support is indispensable in a revolution.
The Black Fangs would have no choice but to confront the Holy Church, even if they didn’t like it.
‘Not that they’d openly admit it.’
If they were smart, they should at least buy a meal for a passionate sponsor like me.
Honestly, it wouldn’t be exaggerating to say I made the Black Fangs’ fandom significant. Yet they just took advantage and swiped their hands clean of all the benefits.
“I get what you’re saying, but still, it’s the Holy Church… is this really okay?”
Rubia asked me in genuine concern.
I smiled gently and replied, “Don’t worry. The Black Fangs aren’t that easy to handle.”
Even if we end up not getting the Black Fangs’ cooperation, with Lien and Siel around, we can avoid the worst-case scenario.
Moreover, even if I had doubts about trusting my instincts now…
I had a gut feeling that things were going to work out well.
I reassured Rubia with that thought.
And then…
“…?”
As soon as she heard that, Rubia malfunctioned.
She started rambling things like, it wasn’t about insulting the Black Fangs, or that of course I understood their greatness.
And just like that, she fainted with a “plop.”
Having experienced this a few times before, I expertly caught Rubia.
The soft feel of her two fluffy lumps.
When I held her in a princess carry style, I couldn’t help but notice the sensation of her thighs.
I mean, she was the one who collapsed after overworking herself for me, so it was only natural not to focus too much on that.
With all my might, I wrestled with my instincts and safely laid Rubia on her bed.
What should I say?
She was indeed quite the handful, in many respects.
‘Speaking of which… I haven’t even had a chance to share what I’ve been through yet.’
Like how I ended up temporarily protecting something that resembled the Black Fangs.
Or how I unintentionally spread the Black Fangs’ fandom.
Not to mention I ended up placing three spies in the Imperial Army by accident.
There was so much to report, but with her in this state, I couldn’t say a word.
‘Well, it’s not urgent.’
I decided to let her rest and focus on my tasks.
With that thought, I closed Rubia’s door and headed to Siel’s room.
Remembering my skills when I left that video at the Black Market.
If anyone could distribute the video perfectly with zero traces, it would be Siel.
With illusions, we could create a fake Black Fangs leader too.
So all I needed to do was come up with the content for the video.
‘That’s easy.’
Sure, I didn’t know much about the Holy Church. It was just vague hints in the previous work, with no solid info provided.
But… who cares about that, right?
‘I could just make something up to slander them, after all!’
A smile naturally crept onto my lips.
…It was time to spread some malicious rumors.
*
Stained glass catching the sunlight in beautiful hues.
Grand statues and an ancient organ.
Contrarily, the atmosphere within the cathedral was chaotic and uproarious.
This was almost to be expected.
A realm none dared to challenge—the domain of the Holy Church.
In the middle of that stood a bizarre, rippling sensation.
There were those who tried to eliminate it, but they all failed. No, they failed so hard that they lost their sanity and wrung their own necks.
And on the corpses lay… proudly displayed, the marks left behind.
Black fang marks, as though bitten by a wolf.
Amid the murmurs surrounding the corpse, a man emerged.
At his mere presence, the previously raucous cathedral fell silent in an instant. This was only natural.
The man who had just appeared was a cardinal of the Holy Church.
With the Pope mysteriously missing for some reason, he was the most likely candidate to be the next Pope.
Karon had arrived.
None dared to create a ruckus in front of him. In that suffocating silence, Karon… reached towards that ripple.
The signal to activate the video magic.
As his hand touched it, the video began to play.
And the first sight to behold was:
[Allow me to ask, what does the Holy Church exist for if it does not fulfill the will of God?]
A mysterious man shrouded in a black hood.
Even Karon could guess who that man was. This was only to be expected.
An organization capable of such bizarre acts existed only in this Empire.
[The scriptures say: God loves all. He cherishes and embraces every being equally.]
The leader of the Black Fangs casually quoted the scripture and continued.
[But if so, why is there a monetary cost for salvation? Does God favor only the rich?]
Pay a vast sum to the Holy Church, and one can absolve their sins in the name of God.
The story of a dying mother being turned away from the cathedral just because she lacked funds.
Such material appeared on the screen.
In this very situation.
The intention of the Black Fangs was crystal clear.
They planned to attack the Holy Church.
No doubt similar videos had already been spreading indiscriminately throughout the Empire.
[That can’t be right. God is just to all. He loves us all and cherishes us.]
Astoundingly skilled.
His methods of incitement were exceptionally proficient.
The fact that he didn’t deny God was telling.
If he had denied God, it would have been easy to dismiss him as a heretic’s nonsense.
Even the devout followers would have felt a resistance to the Black Fangs’ words.
Yet that cunning individual allowed no gaps for that.
[But if God is just, then why is salvation not just? Why does the Holy Church require private costs for salvation?]
As he spoke that, gruesome images flashed on the screen.
Starving children.
Patients dying from lack of treatment.
The sight of clerics ignoring the pleas for help.
[The simple reason is: the Holy Church is a group of traitors that prioritize their selfish desires over God’s will.]
That was just the beginning.
Scenes of all the corruption.
The evil deeds committed by the Holy Church appeared vividly in that video.
For a moment, I wondered if this was merely a fabrication created by illusion magic.
But that possibility seemed low.
The clarity of those images was unmistakable.
Patients deteriorating rapidly, deciding to donate their entire wealth to the holy church at the last moment—it was something that happened anywhere, anytime.
The same held true for other corruption and evil acts.
After unveiling the Holy Church’s behaviors, the leader of the Black Fangs spoke once again.
[Once again, I ask: what does the Holy Church exist for if it does not follow the will of God?]
Karon’s face contorted in a natural reaction.
He had a rough idea of what would happen.
What thoughts other people watching this video would have. What answers might they conjure up in their minds.
Everything they had built up.
Their supporters and their reputation.
All of it could be crumbling down because of this one video.
However, disregarding Karon’s grimacing face and the terror radiating from him that caused the people around to tremble…
The man on the screen continued speaking.
[I cannot understand that either. Therefore, I shall destroy it.]
Karon, right before his very eyes, the leader of the Black Fangs declared:
[The Holy Church’s name will be erased from history by our hands.]
…They were declaring their intention to topple the Holy Church.
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