1 Comment / Reincarnation into a barrier master / By IX
Five years after Vielle and Kassel each embarked on their separate paths, an emergency conclave was held in Aphrodite, the capital of the Crimeana Theocracy. The assembly unanimously decided on the next Pope.
The individual chosen as Pope was a mere 14-year-old boy named Kassel. Despite losing his left arm, he rigorously enforced the disciplines of the Crimeana faith and strengthened the ties between nations that declared Crimeana as their state religion. His appointment was a recognition of these achievements.
After the conclave, a celebratory banquet was held in one of the chambers of the Papal Temple. Current Pope Juvenile Cane and various cardinals gathered to celebrate Kassel’s impending papacy. The world was soon to be notified about the decision, and a grand inauguration ceremony was planned for the following year, inviting leaders and dignitaries from around the globe. Concurrently, it was officially decided that the current Pope would retire.
Kassel, standing beside the Pope, received a stream of congratulatory messages from the cardinals. Over these five years, the faithful had transformed their attitude towards their belief. The Pope’s words were seen as the words of the Lord God. Those who faithfully obeyed were generously protected, while the disobedient faced ruthless exclusion. Thanks to this, nearly ten thousand people were purged, and two nations fell. However, Kassel was not yet satisfied with these outcomes.
His first desire was to eliminate Vielle. Yet, he failed to grasp any evidence of her treason. Instead, she managed to transform nations opposed to the Theocracy back into fervent believers. However, she skillfully evaded the Theocracy’s commands, showing no outright loyalty, leading to Kassel’s appointment as the pope’s successor.
Moreover, Kassel had earned the nickname “The Immortal Man.” His radical policies naturally created many enemies, but he survived all attacks and assassination attempts, proclaiming it as the Lord God’s protection. His miraculous survivals were attributed to the barriers set up by Linos, but, of course, the Crimeanians were unaware of this fact. (T/N: WTF?!)
Now, there was no one in the Theocracy who could oppose Kassel. He had forged an ironclad union between the Theocracy and its allied nations. His next targets were Vielle and his arch-enemy, the kingdom of Agartha, especially King Linos of Agartha, to whom he owed a great deal and intended to repay manifold.
Since his return to Aphrodite, Kassel had repeatedly attempted to strategize against Agartha, ranging from invasion plans to economic blockades. However, none of these efforts bore fruit. These were the only blemishes in his five-year campaign.
Each attempt was thwarted in the planning stages. Rebellions and natural disasters occurred within the Theocracy, causing chaos and demanding significant time to quell. These were the results of the cooperation between Linos, Vielle, and other Agarthan allied nations. Kassel suspected their relationship but never found conclusive evidence.
However, his time of frustration was over. After a long power struggle, he had seized the Papal throne. He no longer needed to resort to roundabout methods; he could now act on his own will.
Kassel thought first of Vielle. He planned to capture her alive and crucify her in Aphrodite. Then he would destroy Niza, Lamaron, Heideta, and sequentially isolate Agartha, letting its inhabitants starve to death. He envisioned slaughtering those begging for their lives, demonstrating the consequences of opposing the divine path. (T/N: Changing Hideita to Heideta)
As he entertained these thoughts, a mixed chorus of shouts and cheers erupted from the gathering. Turning towards the noise, Kassel saw a small dragon, the size of a human arm, floating in the air. The dragon dropped a fist-sized stone onto the floor and vanished.
In the stunned silence, the adorned figure of Vielle appeared from where the stone had landed. The gathering erupted into chaos.
“Long time no see, Your Holiness. And Kassel, or should I say, the Pope-Elect?”
Vielle, smiling broadly and bowing gracefully, had lost her girlish appearance and now exuded the charm and dignity of a mature woman. The cardinals were captivated by her beauty.
“V… Vielle, how did you get here…?” the Pope managed to utter, shocked.
Vielle maintained her smile, clearly despising Kassel.
“Brother, it’s been a while.”
Kassel approached her slowly and confronted her directly.
“You must be a pawn of the King of Agartha, the demon god. What trick did you use to get in here? You must have used his vile magic. How many times did you offer yourself to him? How thoroughly were you violated by him? I’m sorry to inform you, but there’s no place for the sex slave of the Agartha King in this city.”
Kassel, with a twisted smile, hurled the vilest insults at Vielle. However, she remained unflustered, her smile unwavering.
“Wow, Kassel, you’ve learned a lot over these years. I’m impressed,” she said, her eyes filled with disdain.
Amidst this, a cardinal spoke up, “Lady Vielle, there are rumors that you have given yourself to the King of Agartha. Is this true?”
Vielle faced the cardinal, still smiling, and replied, “I’ll leave that to your imagination.”
“Catch her! Arrest this woman!” shouted Kassel.
Soldiers rushed into the room, attempting to seize Vielle. Yet, as they approached her, they fell silently, one after another. Confused and wary, they surrounded her, forming multiple layers.
“Please, calm down,” Vielle’s clear voice echoed. She continued to speak, alternating her gaze between the Pope and Kassel.
“I’ve come today merely to congratulate Kassel on his appointment as the next Pope. However, while I’m here, let me share some joyful news.”
“What are you talking about?” Kassel asked, his eyes filled with hatred, which Vielle ignored.
“First, congratulations, Kassel. Do your best. As my gift, I offer you this,” Vielle said, pulling out a letter and tossing it casually. The room fell into a stunned silence.
“Furthermore, I announce that as of now, I am establishing a new Crimeana faith. With the goal of spreading the true teachings of the Lord God, I established the True Crimeana Church. Thankfully, many nations and people have empathized with my vision and promised their support. Pope, I’d like to maintain good relations with you and Kassel, but anyone who harms us will be eliminated. With that in mind, I shall take my leave.”
With that, Vielle vanished. It was later revealed that her persuasive skills and thorough support had won over almost half of the Theocracy’s camp to the True Crimeana Church. The Theocracy naturally opposed this, and Kassel later launched an attack on Vielle’s faction, leading to a split in the Church’s power, significantly reducing the Theocracy’s influence. (T/N: This pretty much is repeated throughout history in Christianity with protestants and catholics and between Sunnis and Shias for Muslims)
The letter Vielle had brought contained this message, but Kassel left the room without even looking at it.
“Dear Kassel, congratulations on your appointment as the next Pope. I offer you a modest celebration gift. You are blessed to be healed from fatal wounds forcibly, right? I will remove that blessing. Now, you can join the Lord God whenever you wish. Isn’t that great? From now on, whether you fall ill or are killed, we will not interfere. Also, your protective barrier will disappear automatically. I wish you good luck.”
Later, Kassel, leading a large army, challenged the True Crimeana Church’s army. He was pierced by a rain of arrows and perished on the battlefield. Pope Juvenile Cane, a few months after Kassel’s death, was crucified in Aphrodite. Despite his desperate pleas, Vielle pierced his heart with her spear, ending his life. But that is a story for another time.
1 Comment / Reincarnation into a barrier master / By IX
Five years after Vielle and Kassel each embarked on their separate paths, an emergency conclave was held in Aphrodite, the capital of the Crimeana Theocracy. The assembly unanimously decided on the next Pope.
The individual chosen as Pope was a mere 14-year-old boy named Kassel. Despite losing his left arm, he rigorously enforced the disciplines of the Crimeana faith and strengthened the ties between nations that declared Crimeana as their state religion. His appointment was a recognition of these achievements.
After the conclave, a celebratory banquet was held in one of the chambers of the Papal Temple. Current Pope Juvenile Cane and various cardinals gathered to celebrate Kassel’s impending papacy. The world was soon to be notified about the decision, and a grand inauguration ceremony was planned for the following year, inviting leaders and dignitaries from around the globe. Concurrently, it was officially decided that the current Pope would retire.
Kassel, standing beside the Pope, received a stream of congratulatory messages from the cardinals. Over these five years, the faithful had transformed their attitude towards their belief. The Pope’s words were seen as the words of the Lord God. Those who faithfully obeyed were generously protected, while the disobedient faced ruthless exclusion. Thanks to this, nearly ten thousand people were purged, and two nations fell. However, Kassel was not yet satisfied with these outcomes.
His first desire was to eliminate Vielle. Yet, he failed to grasp any evidence of her treason. Instead, she managed to transform nations opposed to the Theocracy back into fervent believers. However, she skillfully evaded the Theocracy’s commands, showing no outright loyalty, leading to Kassel’s appointment as the pope’s successor.
Moreover, Kassel had earned the nickname “The Immortal Man.” His radical policies naturally created many enemies, but he survived all attacks and assassination attempts, proclaiming it as the Lord God’s protection. His miraculous survivals were attributed to the barriers set up by Linos, but, of course, the Crimeanians were unaware of this fact. (T/N: WTF?!)
Now, there was no one in the Theocracy who could oppose Kassel. He had forged an ironclad union between the Theocracy and its allied nations. His next targets were Vielle and his arch-enemy, the kingdom of Agartha, especially King Linos of Agartha, to whom he owed a great deal and intended to repay manifold.
Since his return to Aphrodite, Kassel had repeatedly attempted to strategize against Agartha, ranging from invasion plans to economic blockades. However, none of these efforts bore fruit. These were the only blemishes in his five-year campaign.
Each attempt was thwarted in the planning stages. Rebellions and natural disasters occurred within the Theocracy, causing chaos and demanding significant time to quell. These were the results of the cooperation between Linos, Vielle, and other Agarthan allied nations. Kassel suspected their relationship but never found conclusive evidence.
However, his time of frustration was over. After a long power struggle, he had seized the Papal throne. He no longer needed to resort to roundabout methods; he could now act on his own will.
Kassel thought first of Vielle. He planned to capture her alive and crucify her in Aphrodite. Then he would destroy Niza, Lamaron, Heideta, and sequentially isolate Agartha, letting its inhabitants starve to death. He envisioned slaughtering those begging for their lives, demonstrating the consequences of opposing the divine path. (T/N: Changing Hideita to Heideta)
As he entertained these thoughts, a mixed chorus of shouts and cheers erupted from the gathering. Turning towards the noise, Kassel saw a small dragon, the size of a human arm, floating in the air. The dragon dropped a fist-sized stone onto the floor and vanished.
In the stunned silence, the adorned figure of Vielle appeared from where the stone had landed. The gathering erupted into chaos.
“Long time no see, Your Holiness. And Kassel, or should I say, the Pope-Elect?”
Vielle, smiling broadly and bowing gracefully, had lost her girlish appearance and now exuded the charm and dignity of a mature woman. The cardinals were captivated by her beauty.
“V… Vielle, how did you get here…?” the Pope managed to utter, shocked.
Vielle maintained her smile, clearly despising Kassel.
“Brother, it’s been a while.”
Kassel approached her slowly and confronted her directly.
“You must be a pawn of the King of Agartha, the demon god. What trick did you use to get in here? You must have used his vile magic. How many times did you offer yourself to him? How thoroughly were you violated by him? I’m sorry to inform you, but there’s no place for the sex slave of the Agartha King in this city.”
Kassel, with a twisted smile, hurled the vilest insults at Vielle. However, she remained unflustered, her smile unwavering.
“Wow, Kassel, you’ve learned a lot over these years. I’m impressed,” she said, her eyes filled with disdain.
Amidst this, a cardinal spoke up, “Lady Vielle, there are rumors that you have given yourself to the King of Agartha. Is this true?”
Vielle faced the cardinal, still smiling, and replied, “I’ll leave that to your imagination.”
“Catch her! Arrest this woman!” shouted Kassel.
Soldiers rushed into the room, attempting to seize Vielle. Yet, as they approached her, they fell silently, one after another. Confused and wary, they surrounded her, forming multiple layers.
“Please, calm down,” Vielle’s clear voice echoed. She continued to speak, alternating her gaze between the Pope and Kassel.
“I’ve come today merely to congratulate Kassel on his appointment as the next Pope. However, while I’m here, let me share some joyful news.”
“What are you talking about?” Kassel asked, his eyes filled with hatred, which Vielle ignored.
“First, congratulations, Kassel. Do your best. As my gift, I offer you this,” Vielle said, pulling out a letter and tossing it casually. The room fell into a stunned silence.
“Furthermore, I announce that as of now, I am establishing a new Crimeana faith. With the goal of spreading the true teachings of the Lord God, I established the True Crimeana Church. Thankfully, many nations and people have empathized with my vision and promised their support. Pope, I’d like to maintain good relations with you and Kassel, but anyone who harms us will be eliminated. With that in mind, I shall take my leave.”
With that, Vielle vanished. It was later revealed that her persuasive skills and thorough support had won over almost half of the Theocracy’s camp to the True Crimeana Church. The Theocracy naturally opposed this, and Kassel later launched an attack on Vielle’s faction, leading to a split in the Church’s power, significantly reducing the Theocracy’s influence. (T/N: This pretty much is repeated throughout history in Christianity with protestants and catholics and between Sunnis and Shias for Muslims)
The letter Vielle had brought contained this message, but Kassel left the room without even looking at it.
“Dear Kassel, congratulations on your appointment as the next Pope. I offer you a modest celebration gift. You are blessed to be healed from fatal wounds forcibly, right? I will remove that blessing. Now, you can join the Lord God whenever you wish. Isn’t that great? From now on, whether you fall ill or are killed, we will not interfere. Also, your protective barrier will disappear automatically. I wish you good luck.”
Later, Kassel, leading a large army, challenged the True Crimeana Church’s army. He was pierced by a rain of arrows and perished on the battlefield. Pope Juvenile Cane, a few months after Kassel’s death, was crucified in Aphrodite. Despite his desperate pleas, Vielle pierced his heart with her spear, ending his life. But that is a story for another time.
