Chapter 316: ๐๐จ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ง (4)
Chapter 316: ๐๐จ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ง (4)
Some might think the centaurs were badgering Johan like malevolent spirits, but they had a point to make.
The fierce and violent nature had not muddled Johanโs thoughts after running into them.
If they had gotten confused, they would have killed each other without trust and caused horrific damage.
Things were better as they were. Biorarn and the paladins of the Order had the fakes, while Johanโs original group didnโt.
They could figure out who was who if they were willing to sacrifice a few lives. Of course, it would be unfair to the ones sacrificed, but that didnโt matter to the centaurs.
โ๐๐ฐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ?โ
Johan was troubled after listening to the centaursโ whispers. Like the centaurs, killing both sides was too drastic, and losing seemed like a more moderate approach.
It would hurt a lot, but wouldnโt they understand if he persuaded them?
โHey, you were so good with words earlier, why are you not saying anything anymore?โ
A centaur who knew some Eastern language asked the fallen pagan warrior. The pagan warrior answered disconcertedly.โIโve never been in a situation like this. . .โ
โDonโt lie. You were babbling away earlier, werenโt you?โ
โTo begin with, few people who experience this in the forest return alive.โ
The centaurs looked at the warrior with eyes as if he would spill his deepest secrets once they ripped his entrails out. It was impossible for the warrior not to notice their menacing eyes. The centaursโ notoriety was the same even in the Eastern Empire.
โYour Highness?โ
The standoff ended with Johanโs movement. Johan slowly approached the two conflicting groups.
โYour Highness. Itโs dangerous.โ
โItโs not dangerous, actually.โ
โYouโre right.โ
The two groups wondered what they were talking about as they conversed in Eastern language. However, Johan stood before them before they had a chance to wonder about it.
โYour Highness?โ
โIโm sorry to bring this up, but I have a way to find out whoโs real.โ
โ. . .!โ
Both groups looked delighted at Johanโs words. A paladin of the Order immediately responded.
โNo, Your Highness. Weโll follow whatever method Your Highness has if you have one.โ
โThatโs right. Anyone who doesnโt follow Your Highnessโs method is even more suspicious! We can do anything as long as we can find the real one!โ
Johan felt more sorry at the enthusiastic response.
โIt might be a bit painful.โ
โWe have sworn obedience before God. Pain and suffering are our virtues.โ
โThen. . .โ
Johan stood to lift the knightโs cheek. He took off his metal gauntlets so he wouldnโt hurt him too badly. The two groups looked at him curiously.
What is he trying to show?
โ๐๐ด ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ณ๐บ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ถ๐ด ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ช๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ญ๐ฆ?โ
โ๐๐ถ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ฆโ๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ช๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฑ. . .?โ
โ๐๐ช๐ด ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ถ๐ด ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ช๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ. ๐๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ข ๐ฅ๐ช๐ด๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ด๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ข๐ค๐ณ๐ฐ๐ด๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ช๐ค๐ฌ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ด.โ
โ. . .!โ
The knights from the northern part of the empire must have been unaware of the rumors about Johan.
Such rumors were common tales favored by bards. A tale of a devout, anointed noble healing the sick with his hands was always popular anytime, anywhere.
But few people really believed it. If that were the case, the feudal lords would have been much less likely to be criticized by priests for being greedy and lacking in piety.
But Duke Yeats actually did show them something like that.
The knights gathered there looked at Johan with eyes filled with surprise and anticipation. The duke slowly raised one hand. . .
A light flashed at that moment. It was from the luggage strapped to the saddle on Cardirian. It was a bright light that made it hard to see, but it felt warm and soothing for some reason.
โ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐บ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ช๐ค!โ
It was the light emanating from the relic he received from Castellan Pelheim. Johan quickly drew his sword. Even though he couldnโt see anything due to the light, he could feel Seal Retriever firmly in his hand.
Soon, the light disappeared. When his vision returned, the fake knights were gone. The paladins of the Order looked at Johan with amazed expressions. It was even more amazing than they had thought.
However, they had to prepare for a fight without asking about what happened.
Then knights appeared from the darkness of the forest with creaking sounds.
They were no ordinary knights. They wore different attires and had different degrees of weaponry. Some knights were inexplicably wearing tattered, old armor, while others had Eastern-style weaponry.
Johan knew instinctively. These knights were those who had died within.
From recently to a long time ago.
Ordinary undead emitted a sinister, chilling aura that was easy to recognize, but these knights looked and moved like they were alive. Their fatal wounds remained on their faces and bodies, which made them even creepier.
โ. . .The forest must be furious!โ
A collapsed warrior shouted in an awed voice. It was clear that the forest was furious at the persistent and presumptuous intruders who dared to trespass.
Johan spoke firmly without being shaken.
โI have no intention of backing down in fear of a forest that doesnโt know its place and only knows how to be furious. Come!โ
The centaurs cheered upon hearing the dukeโs spirited words. They drew their weapons and aimed at the approaching knights.
The warrior was shocked at the overwhelming response.
No matter how brave a warrior, those who lived nearby would never go against the wrath of nature. Confronting natureโs wrath was as foolish as getting angry at a typhoon or a thunderbolt.
But this pagan duke was challenging it without a hint of fear.
What the. . .?
Cardirian whined excitedly. Johan glared at the approaching knights with Seal Retriever. He could feel the spirits residing in his body surge through his veins. The forestโs mysterious aura must have excited the spirits.
At some point, Johan realized there was a crown floating above his head that he wasnโt wearing. The crown was shining brilliantly even though the light emitted by the holy relic had disappeared.
โ. . .!โ
The forest quickly disappeared as the morning fog lifted with the dawning day. The forest knights disappeared along with it. Johan slowly lowered Seal Retriever.
He was relieved that he didnโt have to fight the ghosts, but he felt like he had been possessed by a spirit.
However, those behind Johan were the most shocked. The warrior couldnโt breathe properly, overwhelmed by the miracle that the pagan duke had shown him. A pagan duke performing a miracle like a saint.
โIt was truly strange. . . Wait a second. Are you pretending to be dead?โ
โNo. . .โ
โDonโt bother trying to fool me. Iโm not going to let you go no matter what you say. Donโt worry. Weโll treat you as a prisoner and give you proper treatment until your ransom is paid.โ
โThatโs not it. . .โ
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
The warrior was released surprisingly easily. His family paid the ransom as soon as they heard the news, and there were quite a few captives from the Holy Land as well.
Warrior passed through the gate of the Holy Land with his men. Fortunately, the Holy Land didnโt look too chaotic despite the defeat.
โYou must have suffered a lot! I heard you willingly risked your life for the honor of Suhekhar. It was courageous of you to bring honor to your family name.โ
โYouโre too kind.โ
The Bukari family was renowned even without Harag achieving any new feats. It was because of their unique lineage, not their power or fiefdom.
A family that had produced many famous priests and prophets could not help but have great prestige. So much so that even commanders like Yeheyman and Suhekhar couldnโt treat them carelessly.
โHow is Suhekhar-nim doing?โ
โI heard he gave up his command, taking responsibility for the defeat. Itโs the right thing to do.โ
โBut. . . but it wasnโt Suhekhar-nimโs fault!โ
โThat doesnโt matter. As a commander, he has to take responsibility for his mistakes. Donโt worry. Yeheyman-gong showed him appropriate leniency. He pardoned him without holding him accountable. Iโve heard many rumors that the two of them donโt get along, but this was quite unexpected.โ
Harag didnโt care much that Yeheyman, who was known to be fierce, had shown unexpected clemency.
What mattered to him was the situation after the battle, the pagan duke, and what happened in the forest.
โI wanted to hear about the battle directly from you when you returned. Incidentally, the others arenโt far away, so Iโd like to invite you if youโre feeling well.โ
โYes, I will. But, Grandfather. . . Thereโs something Iโd like to ask.โ
โWhat is it?โ
โIf I receive a revelation and experience a miracle one day. . . Should I follow it even if the revelation is hard to believe?โ
The old priest pondered deeply at Haragโs question before carefully answering.
โYou should follow it if you truly believe that the revelation and miracle are real.โ
โEven if it sounds ridiculous and unbelievable?โ
โYes. Revelations and miracles often contain meanings that you canโt understand right away. You have no choice but to follow them if you donโt want to regret it later, even if you understand the meaning later on. Have you had an experience or something?โ
โNo, itโs nothing. I just thought of it all of a sudden. . .โ
โIsnโt it a bit late to become a priest serving two gods? They say thereโs no such thing as being too late, though. . . Hahahaha!โ
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
The battle and its aftermath were successful, but there were still some problems.
One of them was Duke Bronquia, who had suffered humiliation and disgrace, refusing to come out of his tent.
Ulrike wanted to send assassins and burn down the tent, but Johan couldnโt allow that. He was about to declare a retreat soon, so it would be better to have a duke, a great feudal lord, helping him.
โHe wonโt come out even after sending people.โ
โIf it were me, Iโd pack up and retreat immediately.โ
โI donโt think a duke would do such a foolish thing because of his pride.โ
Ulrikeโs expression softened slightly at Johanโs words that jokingly responded to her joke.
โDonโt worry. Even if we donโt try to coax him personally, his aides will do it if we keep inviting him. Thatโs what they should do.โ
There were many nobles around the duke, and they were smart enough to understand the situation.
They must have realized that they couldnโt just sit still after escaping a near annihilation thanks to Johanโs help.
โBut those rumors. . . are they true?โ
Ulrike asked hesitantly. Even Ulrike seemed half-convinced.
โWhat rumors?โ
โRumors that you showed a miracle. The people of the Order are chattering about it.โ
โItโs magic. Are you asking me that even though you know that there are many wizards under my command?โ
Johan said as if he found it funny that Ulrike was asking him such a thing. Didnโt they both share the commonality of being cynical about faith?
However, there was a difference between the two.
Johan had the experience of another world, while Ulrike was clearly a person of this world. Their values couldnโt help but differ. No matter how cynical Ulrike was about faith, she couldnโt completely deny it.
Ulrike hurriedly made excuses, perhaps because she felt embarrassed.
โThe rumors were so detailed and plausible. And everyoneโs stories are similar.โ
โWell, the real thing looks similar. And most people wonโt be able to tell the difference between magic and miracles.โ
โ๐๐ต ๐ด๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ญ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ช๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ช๐ค.โ
Ulrike couldnโt help but think that the testimonies about the old crown suddenly appearing above Johanโs head seemed far from magic, no matter how she thought about it.
However, Ulrike didnโt ask any more questions. It just made her feel foolish.
โHis Highness the Duke has recovered from his injury. Heโd like to see the two of you and express his gratitude.โ
โWhatโs wrong with him. . .โ
Ulrike mumbled quietly. Johan gestured as if to tell her not to.
โI understand. Itโs good that heโs finally feeling better.โ
โ. . .Yes.โ
The noble who came to deliver the message quickly left, looking troubled. It seemed like they knew that they were being a nuisance.
โ๐๐ตโ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ข๐ธ๐ฌ๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐บ.โ
Johan thought that he should invite as many feudal lords from this area as possible so he could avoid such a situation.,
Some might think the centaurs were badgering Johan like malevolent spirits, but they had a point to make.
The fierce and violent nature had not muddled Johanโs thoughts after running into them.
If they had gotten confused, they would have killed each other without trust and caused horrific damage.
Things were better as they were. Biorarn and the paladins of the Order had the fakes, while Johanโs original group didnโt.
They could figure out who was who if they were willing to sacrifice a few lives. Of course, it would be unfair to the ones sacrificed, but that didnโt matter to the centaurs.
โ๐๐ฐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ฆ?โ
Johan was troubled after listening to the centaursโ whispers. Like the centaurs, killing both sides was too drastic, and losing seemed like a more moderate approach.
It would hurt a lot, but wouldnโt they understand if he persuaded them?
โHey, you were so good with words earlier, why are you not saying anything anymore?โ
A centaur who knew some Eastern language asked the fallen pagan warrior. The pagan warrior answered disconcertedly.
โIโve never been in a situation like this. . .โ
โDonโt lie. You were babbling away earlier, werenโt you?โ
โTo begin with, few people who experience this in the forest return alive.โ
The centaurs looked at the warrior with eyes as if he would spill his deepest secrets once they ripped his entrails out. It was impossible for the warrior not to notice their menacing eyes. The centaursโ notoriety was the same even in the Eastern Empire.
โYour Highness?โ
The standoff ended with Johanโs movement. Johan slowly approached the two conflicting groups.
โYour Highness. Itโs dangerous.โ
โItโs not dangerous, actually.โ
โYouโre right.โ
The two groups wondered what they were talking about as they conversed in Eastern language. However, Johan stood before them before they had a chance to wonder about it.
โYour Highness?โ
โIโm sorry to bring this up, but I have a way to find out whoโs real.โ
โ. . .!โ
Both groups looked delighted at Johanโs words. A paladin of the Order immediately responded.
โNo, Your Highness. Weโll follow whatever method Your Highness has if you have one.โ
โThatโs right. Anyone who doesnโt follow Your Highnessโs method is even more suspicious! We can do anything as long as we can find the real one!โ
Johan felt more sorry at the enthusiastic response.
โIt might be a bit painful.โ
โWe have sworn obedience before God. Pain and suffering are our virtues.โ
โThen. . .โ
Johan stood to lift the knightโs cheek. He took off his metal gauntlets so he wouldnโt hurt him too badly. The two groups looked at him curiously.
What is he trying to show?
โ๐๐ด ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ณ๐บ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ถ๐ด ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ช๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ญ๐ฆ?โ
โ๐๐ถ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ฆโ๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ช๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ฑ. . .?โ
โ๐๐ช๐ด ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ถ๐ด ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ช๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ. ๐๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ข ๐ฅ๐ช๐ด๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ด๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ข๐ค๐ณ๐ฐ๐ด๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐จ๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ช๐ค๐ฌ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ด.โ
โ. . .!โ
The knights from the northern part of the empire must have been unaware of the rumors about Johan.
Such rumors were common tales favored by bards. A tale of a devout, anointed noble healing the sick with his hands was always popular anytime, anywhere.
But few people really believed it. If that were the case, the feudal lords would have been much less likely to be criticized by priests for being greedy and lacking in piety.
But Duke Yeats actually did show them something like that.
The knights gathered there looked at Johan with eyes filled with surprise and anticipation. The duke slowly raised one hand. . .
A light flashed at that moment. It was from the luggage strapped to the saddle on Cardirian. It was a bright light that made it hard to see, but it felt warm and soothing for some reason.
โ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐บ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ช๐ค!โ
It was the light emanating from the relic he received from Castellan Pelheim. Johan quickly drew his sword. Even though he couldnโt see anything due to the light, he could feel Seal Retriever firmly in his hand.
Soon, the light disappeared. When his vision returned, the fake knights were gone. The paladins of the Order looked at Johan with amazed expressions. It was even more amazing than they had thought.
However, they had to prepare for a fight without asking about what happened.
Then knights appeared from the darkness of the forest with creaking sounds.
They were no ordinary knights. They wore different attires and had different degrees of weaponry. Some knights were inexplicably wearing tattered, old armor, while others had Eastern-style weaponry.
Johan knew instinctively. These knights were those who had died within.
From recently to a long time ago.
Ordinary undead emitted a sinister, chilling aura that was easy to recognize, but these knights looked and moved like they were alive. Their fatal wounds remained on their faces and bodies, which made them even creepier.
โ. . .The forest must be furious!โ
A collapsed warrior shouted in an awed voice. It was clear that the forest was furious at the persistent and presumptuous intruders who dared to trespass.
Johan spoke firmly without being shaken.
โI have no intention of backing down in fear of a forest that doesnโt know its place and only knows how to be furious. Come!โ
The centaurs cheered upon hearing the dukeโs spirited words. They drew their weapons and aimed at the approaching knights.
The warrior was shocked at the overwhelming response.
No matter how brave a warrior, those who lived nearby would never go against the wrath of nature. Confronting natureโs wrath was as foolish as getting angry at a typhoon or a thunderbolt.
But this pagan duke was challenging it without a hint of fear.
What the. . .?
Cardirian whined excitedly. Johan glared at the approaching knights with Seal Retriever. He could feel the spirits residing in his body surge through his veins. The forestโs mysterious aura must have excited the spirits.
At some point, Johan realized there was a crown floating above his head that he wasnโt wearing. The crown was shining brilliantly even though the light emitted by the holy relic had disappeared.
โ. . .!โ
The forest quickly disappeared as the morning fog lifted with the dawning day. The forest knights disappeared along with it. Johan slowly lowered Seal Retriever.
He was relieved that he didnโt have to fight the ghosts, but he felt like he had been possessed by a spirit.
However, those behind Johan were the most shocked. The warrior couldnโt breathe properly, overwhelmed by the miracle that the pagan duke had shown him. A pagan duke performing a miracle like a saint.
โIt was truly strange. . . Wait a second. Are you pretending to be dead?โ
โNo. . .โ
โDonโt bother trying to fool me. Iโm not going to let you go no matter what you say. Donโt worry. Weโll treat you as a prisoner and give you proper treatment until your ransom is paid.โ
โThatโs not it. . .โ
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
The warrior was released surprisingly easily. His family paid the ransom as soon as they heard the news, and there were quite a few captives from the Holy Land as well.
Warrior passed through the gate of the Holy Land with his men. Fortunately, the Holy Land didnโt look too chaotic despite the defeat.
โYou must have suffered a lot! I heard you willingly risked your life for the honor of Suhekhar. It was courageous of you to bring honor to your family name.โ
โYouโre too kind.โ
The Bukari family was renowned even without Harag achieving any new feats. It was because of their unique lineage, not their power or fiefdom.
A family that had produced many famous priests and prophets could not help but have great prestige. So much so that even commanders like Yeheyman and Suhekhar couldnโt treat them carelessly.
โHow is Suhekhar-nim doing?โ
โI heard he gave up his command, taking responsibility for the defeat. Itโs the right thing to do.โ
โBut. . . but it wasnโt Suhekhar-nimโs fault!โ
โThat doesnโt matter. As a commander, he has to take responsibility for his mistakes. Donโt worry. Yeheyman-gong showed him appropriate leniency. He pardoned him without holding him accountable. Iโve heard many rumors that the two of them donโt get along, but this was quite unexpected.โ
Harag didnโt care much that Yeheyman, who was known to be fierce, had shown unexpected clemency.
What mattered to him was the situation after the battle, the pagan duke, and what happened in the forest.
โI wanted to hear about the battle directly from you when you returned. Incidentally, the others arenโt far away, so Iโd like to invite you if youโre feeling well.โ
โYes, I will. But, Grandfather. . . Thereโs something Iโd like to ask.โ
โWhat is it?โ
โIf I receive a revelation and experience a miracle one day. . . Should I follow it even if the revelation is hard to believe?โ
The old priest pondered deeply at Haragโs question before carefully answering.
โYou should follow it if you truly believe that the revelation and miracle are real.โ
โEven if it sounds ridiculous and unbelievable?โ
โYes. Revelations and miracles often contain meanings that you canโt understand right away. You have no choice but to follow them if you donโt want to regret it later, even if you understand the meaning later on. Have you had an experience or something?โ
โNo, itโs nothing. I just thought of it all of a sudden. . .โ
โIsnโt it a bit late to become a priest serving two gods? They say thereโs no such thing as being too late, though. . . Hahahaha!โ
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
The battle and its aftermath were successful, but there were still some problems.
One of them was Duke Bronquia, who had suffered humiliation and disgrace, refusing to come out of his tent.
Ulrike wanted to send assassins and burn down the tent, but Johan couldnโt allow that. He was about to declare a retreat soon, so it would be better to have a duke, a great feudal lord, helping him.
โHe wonโt come out even after sending people.โ
โIf it were me, Iโd pack up and retreat immediately.โ
โI donโt think a duke would do such a foolish thing because of his pride.โ
Ulrikeโs expression softened slightly at Johanโs words that jokingly responded to her joke.
โDonโt worry. Even if we donโt try to coax him personally, his aides will do it if we keep inviting him. Thatโs what they should do.โ
There were many nobles around the duke, and they were smart enough to understand the situation.
They must have realized that they couldnโt just sit still after escaping a near annihilation thanks to Johanโs help.
โBut those rumors. . . are they true?โ
Ulrike asked hesitantly. Even Ulrike seemed half-convinced.
โWhat rumors?โ
โRumors that you showed a miracle. The people of the Order are chattering about it.โ
โItโs magic. Are you asking me that even though you know that there are many wizards under my command?โ
Johan said as if he found it funny that Ulrike was asking him such a thing. Didnโt they both share the commonality of being cynical about faith?
However, there was a difference between the two.
Johan had the experience of another world, while Ulrike was clearly a person of this world. Their values couldnโt help but differ. No matter how cynical Ulrike was about faith, she couldnโt completely deny it.
Ulrike hurriedly made excuses, perhaps because she felt embarrassed.
โThe rumors were so detailed and plausible. And everyoneโs stories are similar.โ
โWell, the real thing looks similar. And most people wonโt be able to tell the difference between magic and miracles.โ
โ๐๐ต ๐ด๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ญ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ช๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ญ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ข๐จ๐ช๐ค.โ
Ulrike couldnโt help but think that the testimonies about the old crown suddenly appearing above Johanโs head seemed far from magic, no matter how she thought about it.
However, Ulrike didnโt ask any more questions. It just made her feel foolish.
โHis Highness the Duke has recovered from his injury. Heโd like to see the two of you and express his gratitude.โ
โWhatโs wrong with him. . .โ
Ulrike mumbled quietly. Johan gestured as if to tell her not to.
โI understand. Itโs good that heโs finally feeling better.โ
โ. . .Yes.โ
The noble who came to deliver the message quickly left, looking troubled. It seemed like they knew that they were being a nuisance.
โ๐๐ตโ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ข๐ธ๐ฌ๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐บ.โ
Johan thought that he should invite as many feudal lords from this area as possible so he could avoid such a situation.