The Age Of Arrogance

Inside the room, all members of the Golden Bough Brotherhood were gathered in prayer.

 

Of course, he was not a naive man who believed that prayer alone would improve the situation. He simply needed an excuse to gather the members of the Golden Bough in one place.

 

‘Forty priests in total, three of whom have divine power… Well, that’s not bad.’

 

As he watched the priests engrossed in prayer, he gauged the time when the side door of the prayer room quietly opened and Owen, the vice-priest, entered.

 

He whispered close to Gabriel.

 

“Your Eminence! The situation outside is definitely not good!”

 

The rough breath of Owen, the vice-priest, felt unpleasant on his ear. He hated the smell of the old man, but he hated it even more because it meant the situation was not good enough for him to run up so hurriedly.

 

“Three out of five Imperial Knights have been killed, and the Holy Knights are unable to exert any strength in the confrontation with the First Prince.”

 

“I don’t understand. The Holy Knights shouldn’t have been affected by Carlyle’s ability, should they?”

 

“The ability wasn’t the problem. The difference in skill was too great… …”

 

“Tsk.”

 

Gabriel, who had been wondering about the news that the Holy Knights were being pushed back, was filled with anger at Owen’s explanation.

 

It seemed like all the circumstances were making Carlyle out to be a great person.

 

‘No! That bastard Carlyle is nothing more than a villain who appears in the story of the founding of the Holy Empire. In the end, he will kneel before the power of God, it is just a small test.’

 

And he was the one who would overcome that test.

 

No matter how much he thought about it, it seemed impossible to make Matthias the emperor of the Holy Empire, and it seemed that he, who had planned and executed everything about the Holy Empire, should be the emperor.

 

The protagonist is supposed to appear at the end, so he was going to take it slow…

 

‘It seems that God wants me to come out soon.’

 

The moment he hastily revised the law, his goal of slowly building the Holy Empire was as good as scrapped, but now he had to build the Holy Empire as quickly as possible.

 

‘The pain that follows will somehow subside if we cut off the head of the rebel, Carlyle.’

 

Gabriel walked to the front of the prayer room with a hardened face. The eyes of the members of the Golden Bough Brotherhood, who had come to blindly believe Gabriel and not God, turned to him.

 

“My brothers of the Golden Bough, who are like my blood, flesh, and soul.”

 

“Yes, Your Eminence.”

 

Everyone felt that a moment of decision had come and answered with a determined expression.

 

“Are you ready to give your life for God?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Are you sincere? Can you answer without shame in front of Lord Libato?”

 

“Yes!”

 

The answering voices were loud.

 

Gabriel finally smiled gently, just like he always did.

 

“I have been believing in you all. Everyone, please stand up and form a circle, holding hands with the person next to you.”

 

TL/N: 😯😮😦😧😨😰

 

Everyone felt their hearts swell with emotion as they stood up and took their comrades’ hands. They probably thought they were going to hold hands and pray together.

 

Gabriel checked to make sure there were no gaps, then joined the circle himself, holding on tightly.

 

The faces of the Brotherhood members looking at him were truly pure, passionate, and foolish.

 

“Your sacrifices will be the foundation for the Kingdom of God. Be proud of yourselves.”

 

At Gabriel’s words, everyone tilted their heads with a ‘huh?’ expression. However, it was already too late to ponder its meaning deeply.

 

{Lil kada pabiero!}

 

As the strange spell flowed from Gabriel’s lips, the members realized they couldn’t let go of the hands they were holding, and at the same time, they felt something slipping away from their bodies.

 

“What?”

 

“Wh, what is this! High Priest!”

 

“Ugh! Let go! Let go of me!”

 

Only belatedly did they realize that something was wrong and tried to let go of the person next to them, but their life force flowed steadily through their connected hands to Gabriel, or more precisely, to his black magic circle.

 

“Let’s face the end with a bit more dignity and grace, everyone. Libato will welcome you warmly.”

 

As their life force drained away, the brainwashing they had been under was lifted, and they realized that they had accepted the incarnation of Karakash.

 

The problem was that this realization came too late.

 

“Hmm……. The power that’s filling up is definitely different with those who have divine power mixed in.”

 

Gabriel, after confirming that no one else was breathing, muttered as he inhaled as if savoring the taste.

 

“Now, then, shall we unleash the hounds?”

 

He shone his blue eyes and unlocked the magical circle locks drawn all over the palace.

 

He was a little curious how Asha, who had already experienced this once, would react.

 

* * *

 

 

The fierce battle momentarily entered a lull state. The knights on the imperial side felt a sense of urgency to regroup, while those who followed Carlyle into the palace were only just catching their breaths.

 

Asha surveyed the situation, checking for casualties among their allies.

 

Then she overheard the banter of two knights.

 

“Huh? What’s that?”

 

“Looks like some kind of pattern… is glowing?”

 

It wasn’t a serious tone, but hearing it from a distance sent a shiver of unease down Asha’s spine.

 

“Why did the imperial knights retreat, could it be…?”

 

Asha urgently rushed towards where she heard the chatter.

 

“Where is it?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“The pattern that’s glowing! Where is it?”

 

Though startled by her sudden appearance, the knights didn’t hesitate to point in a direction.

 

And the moment they looked at where they pointed, Asha began shouting.

 

“Get into battle formation! Now!”

 

Navigating through bewildered knights, Asha ran towards where Carlyle was.

 

“Your Highness! Gabriel is moving!”

 

“Gabriel? That bastard?”

 

“That same magic circle that released the savages at Pervaz Castle is here in the palace! They’ll soon emerge!”

 

Carlyle, initially speechless, grew grim.

 

“No wonder the gates opened so quietly; they were preparing for this.”

 

“We need to sprinkle holy water to stop the magic circles! We must retrieve the holy water!”

 

Retrieving holy water amidst battle was no easy task, especially when the temples were siding with the empress.

 

“There are noble families who keep holy water in their manor chapels. Lionel! Gather our noble allies!”

 

While Carlyle questioned other nobles about holy water, Asha informed allied knights about the impending danger.

 

“It’s a magic passage connected to the abandoned lands! Completely extraordinary savages and monsters will emerge! Be on high alert!”

 

Knights and soldiers who hadn’t experienced the abandoned lands’ savages or monsters seemed bewildered. But there was no time to thoroughly explain; she could only summarize briefly.

 

“Don’t hesitate, kill them! There won’t be a second chance!”

 

But before they could fully grasp Asha’s words, the ground began to tremble.

 

Asha vividly remembered the vibrations from Perbaz Castle.

 

“They are coming…!”

 

She gritted her teeth and tightened the grip on her sword hilt.

 

“Kyaaaah!”

 

“Kahak!”

 

It sounded like the roar of monsters erupted from the magic circle, and then a monster with its eyes rolled back in white popped out.

 

Behind it came the savages, mixed in the same state as when they attacked the Pervaz Castle.

 

“Ewwaaah!”

 

“W-what is this!”

 

Cries of horror rang out here and there.

 

Asha kicked off the ground and ran forward.

 

“Out of the way!”

 

With a whoosh, Asha’s sword sliced through the air. The tip of the sword was at the nape of the neck of a monster with large fangs bared.

 

Smack!

 

There was a sound like an axe hitting a large piece of meat, and the bear-shaped monster fell to the side.

 

Asha immediately pulled out her sword and stabbed the charging Igram warrior in the chest mercilessly.

 

It was a massacre without hesitation.

 

“Don’t stop… Never…!”

 

The anger and revenge that had been suppressed in Asha’s eyes began to burn.

 

Even with her eyes closed, she could still clearly see Hector’s figure disappearing over the railing, shouting for her to protect Pervaz this time.

 

She also clearly remembered the sight of Luka, who was relatively small, being slammed to the floor of the first floor by the forelimbs of a huge monster.

 

The images of the servants who had eaten and slept together in the castle and lived like family being mercilessly cut down by the savages’ blades, their screams and despair, came to mind all too vividly.

 

‘You did this, High Priest, with such a kind smile?’

 

Asha glared and swung her sword without rest. Her sword never missed and claimed lives with certainty.

 

She was so merciless that even the other knights, who had secretly looked down on her for wielding a sword, were horrified.

 

“Come to your senses!”

 

As the knights who joined the battle shouted, all the knights gritted their teeth. This was not an illusion. This was a terrible reality where they could lose their lives if they lost focus for a moment.

 

“They are not even cockroaches, I’m getting sick of it!”

 

Carlyle, who swung his greatsword and killed two savage warriors at once, stood behind Asha.

 

“You must be really angry.”

 

“I should be sick of it by now, but I still don’t like it no matter how many times I see it.”

 

“I understand a hundred percent. Hoooh.”

 

The two of them stood back to back, looking at the other side and gripping their swords.