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Chapter 507: Gathering of the Alliance (3)

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As Pontifex Romano spoke, there was a clear fire of opposition burning in his eyes as he looked at Gaia’s direction.

Thinking about it now, the origin of Elvira’s Magic Legacy and the [Prayer Magic] was fundamentally different but both effective, even almost at the level of being contradictory to each other.

Elvira’s Magic Arts dealt with the Universal Laws and Elemental Manipulation —or as the Humans had said, World Alteration Phenomena.

But the “Prayer Magic” wasn’t actually a “magic” in the sense that it altered the fabrics of reality in a much simpler scale: creating new phenomena into the fabrics of reality.

It was a [Miracle] created by the blessings of the divinities that the Gods left that the Divine Crown Theocracy the spread in Terroa as the religion to both preserve and use as a foundation of their so called country.

In a similar analogy, if “Elvira’s Magic Art” is like Photoshop editing the world to establish Magic as a phenomenon, then “Prayer Magic” is the adding of details directly into the fragments of reality.

—since, after all, in the game universe of Terroa, the Gods represent the different many diverging aspects of all “traits” found in the universe.

——like how Erebus was a God of Darkness, he was but an “aspect” of its “traits”; as Lucifer is also a God of Darkness, as was Mefisto, as was Vanir, as was Batman.

Their Magic were their Authority —their Divinity.

While the [Magic Arts] and the [Prayer Magic] are the same in terms of being able to create World Altering Phenomena, Magic Arts are more diverse, especially in offensive magic, whereas “Prayer Magics” was simply divided into four major effects: Attack, Defend, Protect, Help.

Two paths to accomplish the same results… it was no wonder that the Divine Crown Theocracy was a little biased against the Elven Priestess, the one responsible for reestablishing Elvira’s Legacy and sharing it to the world.

For the Theocracy, the Gods are absolute! Gods that’re not part of their religions are all heretics.

Receiving their “blessings” gives one the right to cast a “Prayer Magic” and thus edit the fabrics of reality in the same effect as casting a Spell.

Mana —as it was the source code of everything in the Terran Universe— was also consumed but the difference is that people who “receive” a blessing doesn’t use “Talismans” to use the “magic” but is instead given a “token” by the Churches that then becomes their overall “source” of Magic to pray for the Gods.

This is how “Prayer Magic” establishes the same effects of [Magic] and because of its practicality and lack of need for resources unlike Talismans, it was a lot more powerful in effect.

But the Divine Crown Theocracy was strict about its implementation and dissemination of Tokens.

One must first become a part of their country and forever serve their Gods before they were given the right to use a Token of just one of their Divine Beings.

This is also the reason why in the game, Players chooses the more freedom-oriented [Magic] that is offered by the Enchantment Temples, than the strict one-sidedness of the Terran Churches that demanded absolute allegiance to their Churches.

Still, the fact remains that unlike the Elves and the Circle of Magi who universalized Elvira’s Legacy, the Divine Crown Theocracy established their own country that worships the Gods’ [Divinities], thus becoming an open-secret competition and an unmentioned rivalry between their two factions.

Even more, because of the unique strictness of the Divine Crown Theocracy’s “legacies”, Elvira’s [Magic Art] Legacy was more popular than theirs.

With its popularity to the Terran Civilization, if the Circle of Magi who founded the Mansions since a few cycles ago decided to establish their own nation, it wasn’t hard for them to attract even more supporters than they have now. In time, because of its popularity, there was a chance that Elvira’s Divinity will be restored, thus the resurrection of her forgotten Church.

For a country founded using the doctrine that all other churches not part of theirs are heretic, this (possible) “church” that doesn’t belong to their fold is a blasphemy to their dogma.

—thus more reason for Pontifex Romano to feel an adulterated hostility towards the Elves, towards their High Priestess who was nearing her limit and preparing for her Ascension Ceremony.

It was only because The Oracle wasn’t fond of the crowd, and even more, always preferred silence more than anything, the Divine Crown Theocracy would have long made their move to bring down the Mansions…. and eventually, the Elves.

Alas, with the threat of the Demons and more so, of the Dragons, the past Pontiffs of Divine Crown Theocracy knew that they alone cannot fight them back and so chose the bigger picture, leading to the current political state of the Terran Alliance.

In fact, of the entire big picture of the Terran Alliance, the Divine Crown Theocracy can be said to be the Head of the entire organization.

—all because the Divine Crown Theocracy is the strongest country within the entire Alliance.

As the natures of this argument centered with the usually silent Gaia, Pontifex Romano took this as a chance to denounce her status: “What will you do then if Siva, given his tendencies and his violent disposition so far, tried to kill us just because we did not agree to his demands, hm? Even if we can fight against him with our Guardians and all of our Protectors, even if we can successfully escape the aftermath, there will still be lives lost —so what will you then? Compensate them with your [Magic]? Bah! Do not forget that this council can still survive without your tricks! Hmp! It was only because you have been given too much leeway and too much face that you’ve had your eyes on your head that you can look down on all of these small countries… even using your authority and your given fame as The Oracle to make them shut their mouths when they try to argue a sound and just reason to question the legitimacy of trust for Siva’s claims and demands!”

Pontifex Romano’s words were correct, if one looks at it from the sidelines.

Even Gaia could only glare at him but not speak a word in retort. Her intelligence as Janus’s once-upon-a-time “Sentient Tool” were working in this scenario for she really did used her name to make them forcefully accept Siva’s words in this meeting.

What became the fault here, in fact, was that ‘code’ deep within her personality algorithms that submitted without question and doubt, to the ones dubbed as the Trinity Gods.

As such, as Pontifex Romano had pointed out, she had indeed been choosing Siva’s side with no questions asked, regardless of any sound or just argument regarding Siva’s identity.

Alas, as much as she wanted to argue against it, it was also true that he was right.

Even Siva found Romano’s point invincible.

After all, within the contemporary times, the ones who knew his identity were only counted into two hands —including Scion. Who would listen to him, a mere Terran without a shed of his past Divinity?

What more, unless Siva actually chose to speak of the true reason why he wanted these people to go and gather here personally for his sake, which is finding the spies of the Bloody Church within their ranks, no one would actually take his words seriously in here.

He eyed Gaia who looked at his direction and he gave her a slight nod and she made a sigh as she firmly sat down on her seat and declared, “I can’t refute that you are indeed right.”

“Hah! And so I was!”

She continued, “But I can assure you all that none of us are traitors of our civilization. I am using my own name and status as guarantee that the cause and reason for this gathering is indeed as large as initially been foretold. The organization addressed as the traitors, the Blue Card Legion, is indeed an organization that already sided with the Demons.”

“Proof!” demanded the Pontiff. “We need proof!”

“I will show you the proof.”

This point was Siva’s part and so he voiced.

He throw a holo-panel in the midst of the Alliance Table and the recording of Gats’ Interrogation, the part where he admitted his deed, was then showed, throwing the Seats silent as they watched with bathed breaths.

The clip highlighted Gats’ capture and his then imprisonment, then with Cortana’s magic, edited out the boring parts of torture, only leaving a little bit, until the part where Gats cursed at them, until the part where he admitted his deed.

It was only a few minutes, but everyone in the seats didn’t doubt the authenticity of the video clip and sincerely believed them.

Then, Pontifex Romano declared, “I always knew we can’t trust the Humans!”

Siva growled, “Fuck you! Not every Human was at fault here! Gats is just one of them! Did you not see that it was the Humans themselves who was so angry at him that they tortured him to spilling the beans?! Do not put your racism in this table!”

Siva’s explosion of foul words at the start of his statement drew the disbelieving eyes of the entire table —especially the Pontiff he just cursed.

“How dare you! An impudent like you talking to me in that manner!? I am the Pontiff of the Theocracy and a High Seat of this Alliance. I am a keeper of safety. I am a keeper of the sanctity of this entire planet’s religious sect! How dare you curse at me in front of my face! Racism?! Do not forget that it was the Humans first who visited this planet and brought war upon us! It was also them who those Demons 56 years ago had been chasing for! And yet, at the end of it all, it was us who had to pay the price of nigh-extermination in that war! How dare you question my authority to declare that as a fact, then? Can you prove that not all Humans are part of the traitorous group? In fact, let me then refresh that earlier question… how can you prove that you are not a traitor and was just selling one of your ilk for a deeper gain? In fact, that was also a questionable video in its entirety! I’ve seen Humans create illusory videos back then of myself in one of my Video-linked Masses and I’ve seen its effects as the people of the surface believed with no doubt that they were seeing me in person, on that podium, conducting the Mass! There was an entire room to doubt your claims!”

Siva was also lost in words.

His specialty lay in fighting and politics was never one of his strongest suits. Yes, he once had his time and experienced politics as he visited planets to conduct a teaching.

But that was back then; the time where his fame preceded himself and his name alone demanded huge amounts of respect and trust.

Siva had never experienced directly talking and defending his point from the standpoint of a weak and unknown individual; and although he had the same name as before, it didn’t have an ounce and shred of his popularity and influence in the past.

He stared at the Pontiff for quite some time so a period of silence engulfed the room.

Prince Duren of the Dwarf Kingdom noticed the detached look on the Werewolf King of the Cynthiana Republic and thought that while all of the people in the seats seemed to become part of this discussion between two sides, King Hugo just kept on looking at Siva with a deep gaze as if he was the culmination of mystery and intrigue.

—or was that a look of uncertainty?

Duren thought.

—does he know something that the others were not aware of?

The prince wasn’t there the last time, but he had heard that Siva had a verbal showdown with the Werewolf King during the War Council Meeting in Castle City Jeremiah. Perhaps this is the reason why the Werewolf King was quiet?

—but I never heard him losing thou…

Thinking up to here, Duren dismissed all other notions and only looked on passively, waiting for Siva, the guest and reason he was personally here in this meeting, to speak for his side.

And Siva didn’t betray his expectations.

“So you think that I am a traitor?” Siva’s eyes was looking at the Pontiff sharply like daggers.

“I think you are a traitor.” The Pontiff corrected as he rose from his seat and glared at Siva while he enunciated every word. Although he was just a [email protected] image, when thinking about the power of the Divine Crown Theocracy, many still felt that had invited doom upon his unknown Asgard.

“It’s finished.”

“Siva’s done for.”

“He shouldn’t have clashed with the Pontiff.”

“The Pontiff was famous for being biased and is also a very strict person. He’ll sure find trouble with Siva’s Asgard after this…”

Many secretly sighed while many felt intimidated by Romano’s stance. But many more, those who found Siva an eyesore and an irksome fellow, felt schadenfreude at his misfortune of taking Divine Crown’s Pontiff as an enemy.

This was a nation’s leader they were talking about and the Theocracy wasn’t just a nation. It was the spiritual axis of the churches of the Terrans. If the Pontiff says you are evil, no matter how good you were, you will still be dubbed evil when facing the might and power of their words.

Siva’s antagonizing of the Theocracy was nothing short of a declaration of suicide. And given how he’s been an annoying name on their reports as of late, majority found this disaster a blessing in a form of divine punishment.

Many even thought of waiting for the news of Siva’s or the Asgard’s demise later on this month.

After a few moments of silence from him, staring at Pontifex Romano who challenged his dignity and identity as a sovereign of this so called secret Kingdom of Asgard, Siva made a long sigh.

“You know, if the war with the demons could be won with just me and my Asgard, I wouldn’t have to come in front of you all to speak of these. My personality aside, my pride wouldn’t allow it since I’ve always known that you Terrans are nothing but hypocrites deep within your bones. When you are on the top, you think you are king but when you are at the bottom, you beg like a worm, squirming into the dirt to find a living——”

“Watch your words, Siva! You are talking to His Excellency, The Pontiff!”

“You deserve to be punished!”

“Infidel!”

“To the gallows!”

“Hang him!”

“BURN HIM!”

“Heretic!”

“King Joffrey, we beseech you to bring the bogus King of Lies to the gallows!”

Violent verbal explosions rung in the conference room in the midst of Siva’s statement, but Siva did not mind them one bit and just continued on:

“—I am finding this entire meeting pointless now that I look at your reactions. But then again… you all are but one person. You do not speak for the majority of the people in your nations. And so, I will still give you all a chance. Before I eradicate the traitors, the Blue Card Legion, I will once again ask you all to lend your hand in fighting the bastards… and after we erase them, we directly go and attack their demonic counterparts, the Bloody Church, who are planning to land a strike at the only Immortal who can help us fight against the Demon Armada in the planet.”

While he was talking, the verbal storm didn’t stop and when Siva mentioned these leaders being not the voice of the majority of their people, all the more their voices of complaint exploded a few octaves louder.

After Siva finished speaking, he sat down on his chair with a straight pose, not minding one bit of the people in the room who pointed their fingers at him while berating him.

Siva only looked at them —the room wasn’t really that small nor was it large but it was dark and with the [email protected] lasers rendering the council to make an amphitheater visual effect, Siva, who was right in their midst, the hot seat and focal point of their gazes, only looked at them calmly while staring straight at their small visual sizes.

Tens of voices spoke at the same time, throwing condemning words and accusations.

And then, at the height of their tempers, a voice of resolve rang sharply and soundly into the ears of every individual present in the meeting.

“I will join the effort.”

The voice rung and there came a silence.

That’s because the owner of the voice came not from Gaia —Siva’s known supporter— but from a High Seat at the very front of their council. It was the Werewolf King who spoke.

“Hugo!” the Pontiff roared. “What are you doing?”

“I am giving my support in the eradication of the Demon Armada in the planet.” King Hugo Fenrir, the King of the Werewolves, Sovereign of ‘War Horde’ Cynthiana Republic, had just announced his support of Siva’s claim. “Of the words you all have spoken, I concur that it was indeed true that Siva’s identity and origin, his purpose and even his country, Asgard, was suspicious even to the point that it’s allegiance is questionable.”

King Joffrey murmured on his seat, “Even his skin color is subject to doubts.”

“That’s what I am trying to say.” Romano said and pointed at Siva. “Everything he’d said about these traitors applies to himself as well.”

“—but have you forgotten? Lady Gaia is also the esteemed Oracle, she, just like us, had made her Unbreakable Vow to serve the Terran Alliance in the same importance she gives the Elven Forest as the High Priestess of the Elves. She is bound by the covenant of the Vow. Do you think she will betray us when she’s still standing there right now and engaging in this meeting proactively?”

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A surprisingly valid argument…!!

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