I Pioneered Scientific Magic

Chapter 278: Blasphemy against the Gods!

In just a few days, the news of Duke Rickman's humiliating defeat while leading nearly half of the kingdom's elite forces to quell the uprising of the mine slaves had spread throughout the capital.

Then, another piece of information emerged from within the Church — this uprising of the mine slaves was somehow related to those infamous wizards. It was alleged that these disciples of the devil had manipulated the miners into offering their souls to the devil, thereby causing such a horrifying disaster!

Panic swiftly engulfed the populace...

Even more surprisingly, King Bazeel seemed in no hurry to mobilize forces to quell this impending disaster that threatened to engulf the entire kingdom. The upper echelons of the nobility also remained silent, choosing instead to abstain from action.

In such a scenario, the Church became the spiritual refuge for the impoverished. Their only recourse was to visit the church and beseech the protection of the great deity...

Nord bid farewell to the last group of penitent and praying poor folk. His gaze, bewildered, turned towards the holy and dignified statue of the goddess within the grand hall. However, even with closed eyes, all that filled his mind was the terrifying scene of fire and bombardment that had ravaged the land.

Nord was deeply perplexed. Why were the forces of evil so powerful? Why, in their resistance against this evil, had the great deity not responded to them in any way?

"This is the punishment brought forth by the gods!" a familiar voice suddenly resounded in his ears.

Opening his eyes, Nord beheld a figure clad in a golden-red robe, standing beside him. It was Archbishop Anluke, the pillar of the kingdom, the high authority of the Church.

"Archbishop Anluke!" Nord respectfully bowed, then inquired with evident confusion, "Did you just say that this disaster is the will of the gods?"

"No, it should be said that this disaster is the result of the ignorance of the kingdom's nobility and royalty!" Anluke slowly articulated. "They are no longer content to rule this land under the glory of the gods. Instead, they've consorted with those cultists of the dark deities, attempting to shake the dominion of the gods in this mortal realm..."

At this point, Anluke's gaze turned particularly sharp. Over the recent years, he had observed every move made by His Majesty the King against the Church. The subtle intentions of Bazeel regarding the kingdom were crystal clear to him.

This kingdom, whether its dull-witted commoners, cunning nobility, or incompetent royalty, required a thorough purification!

After the calamity, the glory of the gods would once again enshroud the entire land!

"But, Archbishop, why would the great deity unleash punishment upon the most devout believers?" Nord spoke, lost in confusion.

Apart from the catastrophic defeat that saw the annihilation of over ten thousand troops, the entire contingent of over sixty faithful followers of the clergy had mostly perished on the battlefield. Only a few had managed to escape with him.

Nord felt immense bewilderment and anguish. For days, he had stayed within the temple, repenting for his shameful act of abandoning comrades in fear and fleeing alone.

"This is a baptism, Bishop Nord!" Anluke's voice echoed forth. "The souls of the devout shall prematurely enter the kingdom of the gods, enjoying endless pleasures and feasts, while the sinners shall be cast into hell, eternally burning in the unquenchable fires of purgatory..."

Finally, Nord understood. Life and death were inconsequential; they were merely different states. The judgment of all things lay in the hands of the gods!

At that moment, a priest walked in through the door.

"Archbishop Anluke, Viscount William has sent word, claiming an extremely important matter requires your attention. It's related to those wizards!" the priest conveyed.

"Let him in!" Anluke responded, and Nord contained his emotions, moving aside.

About two minutes later, Cody, led by several priests, entered the grandiose cathedral. The solemn and dignified setting intensified his already jittery state. Upon spotting Anluke and the others, he inclined his head slightly, offering a reserved gesture of respect.

"Where is William? Why didn't he come himself?" Anluke suddenly inquired.

"Milord is currently afflicted with the plague and confined to bed, unable to receive the teachings of the divine in person..." Cody stuttered slightly.

"Given that, what message did he send through you?" Anluke spoke leisurely.

"Milord, our scouts have discovered a group of suspicious individuals who entered the residence of the Second Prince Hatar. We suspect they are all wizards," Cody replied in a hushed tone.

"Is that all?" Anluke continued to question.

Cody hesitated before gritting his teeth. "We also... we've uncovered that Prince Hatar seems to be plotting to seize the throne, and many nobles of the kingdom are involved. It's likely they'll act soon!" "How did you come to know of this secret?" Anluke's expression changed slightly, his tone growing more intense.

Under Anluke's gaze, Cody, with difficulty, finally spoke up. "One of the barons involved in the conspiracy is a close friend of Viscount William. He was unwilling to betray the kingdom and thus revealed this information to Viscount William."

"I seek the truth..." Anluke's demeanor suddenly turned cold.

"In the presence of the Lord, liars shall fall into hell!" As these words were spoken, a dazzling white light emanated from the sacred and dignified statue of the goddess, enveloping everyone present.

The steadfast believers like Nord and a few priests remained unaffected, but Cody seemed possessed, collapsing to the ground, tears streaming down his face, repenting and confessing.

"It's William! Viscount William has been secretly aiding those wizards in transporting ores and goods. All the new glass and parchment that appeared in the market in recent months were all crafted by those devil's disciples..."

At these words, Nord and the others were both shocked and incensed. They had purchased many of these novel glass items, some of which had even been used to adorn the entire church. Yet now, Cody was revealing that these were all creations of the wizards?

This was nothing short of blasphemy against the gods!

They were chilled to the bone. William, the lackey of these wizards, had been hiding right under their noses, shamelessly becoming part of the kingdom's nobility.

Nord could hardly fathom; this was no longer a matter that could be simply attributed to neglect!

Anluke, however, was not surprised by this revelation, merely nodding in acknowledgment. "Continue. Tell me everything you know!"

Like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, Cody tearfully recounted all he knew about how William had colluded with the wizards over the past decade, enlarging their influence through maritime trade...

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