Immortal's Ascending Path-28
28. The Witch's Sacrament
The incident concluded in the early afternoon. The Lord's concubine, the sorceress Oksana Narses, had passed away in the middle of the night, but she left a lasting impact.
Oksana had intended to transform the Lord's daughter, Marika, into a young horse for slaughter, and there were several individuals who knew the truth and colluded in this scheme. They chose the concubine, who appeared younger and had a deep affection for the Lord, over the sickly Marika.
Of course, there was resistance. The servants who disappeared with Marika were among them. Lord Matthias considered his daughter's disappearance as a runaway incident, so he didn't pay much attention even when her servants vanished. He assumed they had followed her to take care of the unpromising daughter. In reality, they were all killed by Oksana.
When the whole story came to light, Matthias was speechless. The incident occurred while he was away for only a few days. Yet, he didn't notice. If Oksana had immediately disposed of Marika like the other servants, the truth would never have been revealed.
Why did she bother to change Marika's appearance? If she hadn't thought of offering her as a tribute in a ritual, she wouldn't have been caught.
"Perhaps... it was because Marika's mother was a nun."
Matthias revealed that Oksana had a romantic relationship with his late wife. Because of this, Oksana couldn't meet Matthias while his former wife was alive, and they only got together after her death.
Roberta scolded the Lord, saying he was too naive. He might have expected that affection would strengthen their relationship, but look at the result.
#
As they left Kir Castle, Fritz saw Marika, who had come out with the Lord to see them off. The sixteen-year-old boy seemed to be drawn to the girl of his age. The girl, too, didn't seem to dislike the attention, as she wore a slight smile on her pale face.
Ulrich watched the young boy and girl, then nodded to the Lord. Matthias, who hadn't slept all night, looked visibly tired but forced a smile and bowed deeply.
The three of them turned their horses and left, leaving the send-off behind.
The next destination was Witten, the central city of the Meyer County.
"······."
After riding for a while, when Kir Castle was no longer visible, Fritz looked at Roberta. Fritz was riding alongside Ulrich, but she lagged slightly behind.
It wasn't that she was deliberately keeping her distance. Her head was slightly lowered. Her gaze was also unfocused. She seemed lost in thought.
"You seem to have a lot on your mind, Roberta."
Ulrich spoke while looking straight ahead.
"Yes? Ah, yes... I can't help but have thoughts. Even if I try not to think."
"Is it because of the Council?"
"Yes," she replied, trailing off.
The Council, simply put, is a religious assembly.
It is where people who have risen in the clergy gather to discuss a certain topic. However, the Council carries a unique weight because it officially applies the results to the doctrine.
As far as Roberta knew, there had been few Councils held since the establishment of the Pantheon, but each one caused enormous repercussions.
Elevating Hestio to a divine being, organizing the scriptures, and defining the first heresy were all topics discussed at the Council.
Therefore, the fact that a Council was being held was a significant event in itself. It was absurd that she hadn't heard the news. Moreover, this Council was being convened by the Emperor, and the topic was the change in the Pope's right to be elected.
"There was once an absolute being called God, and the role of connecting their legacy with humans is the Priest. And the head of the Priest is the Pope, so it means they will change the criteria for electing him."
"It's hard to believe," she muttered to herself.
There had been frequent conflicts between secular lords and the Pope since before. This was because the Pantheon had undermined its own authority by committing blunders. The lords, as if they had been waiting for this, interfered with the appointment of clergy and committed all sorts of atrocities, such as stealing assets from the temples.
Still, this could be regarded as a deviation. It was excessive for a deviation, but at least the Emperor stood on the side of the Pantheon, saying that he would not tolerate acts that infringe on divine authority.
But the situation had changed, without her knowledge.
"It was only a matter of time."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Think about it. What is the starting point of all the problems?"
It is because one family monopolizes the right to elect the Pope.
"Including the nomination of candidates."
"Yes... Only those from the Cormilius family can become Pope candidates, and after discussing within the family, they elect one of the candidates as Pope."
"In other words, the Public Church itself is a private organization of one family."
Roberta closed her mouth.
"The most exalted authority in the world is held solely by one family, and who wouldn't be jealous? They have enjoyed power for over a thousand years already. Rather, we should admire the fact that complaints are only now erupting."
"······."
"Also, look back at what they have done. They have replaced more than ten emperors because they didn't like them, raised the tithe from one-tenth to one-fifth, and sold indulgences. Yet, no one dared to rebuke the Cormilius. At best, they criticized the Pantheon."
How could that be?
Even though there is clearly a creator and Priests who serve them, in the end, a Priest is just a Priest. They are tasked with connecting God and humans, not replacing God.
People are not fools. Not many people accept everything just because it has the name of God attached to it.
However, as Ulrich said, the Cormilius had been tolerated even though they committed intolerable acts. Until just recently.
"Tell me, Roberta. Why is that?"
"...Because the founder of the Cormilius was an emperor."
She hesitated before answering.
"That's right. Because they believe they are the rightful descendants of Hestio."
The Emperor refers to the first emperor. He was the human who built the first human empire after Hestio left, ushering in the era of humans.
According to the scriptures, he possessed Hestio's divinity. There has been much debate over the phrase 'possessed divinity,' but it is generally interpreted as being Hestio's own child.
Because he achieved over a thousand years of rule despite being human. If his blood wasn't mixed with other races, if he was a pure human, then wouldn't the only other reason be that Hestio's blood flowed through him?
If you have such a being as your founder?
It meant that they inherited the blood of God in a world created by God.
That was the source of the power that the Cormilius family enjoyed.
Who would dare to criticize the descendants who inherited the blood of God?
"There was a being called God who looked down on the earth from the heavens. Also, his fellow humans regard a human who lived in those heavens as a god."
"······."
"Now, someone among his descendants is said to be inheriting the blood of his ancestor in its purest form. If that is true, who would dare to oppose them? If someone were to object, only Hestio could do so."
However, Ulrich added, continuing his words.
"How much time has passed, anyway?"
Roberta knew without hearing the rest.
The first empire was a history more than half a millennium in the past. The gods of the heavens left in an era that was impossible to fathom, and they have not returned to this day. The same was true of Hestio. Only the minions of the evil gods repeatedly brought crises.
"Do you think the blood of a distant ancestor would remain until today? Would even a single drop be flowing? Tell me what you think. Am I wrong?"
"I······."
She couldn't dare to say that it wasn't left. Nor could she answer that it remained. She was a Priest. The role of a Priest is to serve the beings of the heavens, not to blindly follow even their descendants, she thought.
That was why she had a poor reputation when she was a regular Priest at the Nua Grand Temple, and why she was criticized for not being able to become a Priest without the protection of Diocesan Alonso.
Among the Priests she had met, Alonso was the only one who denied the divine blood flowing in the body of the Cormilius.
After a long silence, she opened her mouth again.
"...Many people believe that it remains."
"That's not what you think. Yes, everyone thinks so."
Ulrich smiled lightly and continued.
"Because they tried not to mix blood with anyone other than relatives."
He was ahead of her, and he didn't even look back at her, but she felt his gaze, so she lowered her head. It was a truth she was reluctant to face.
Only because there is the sacred name of Hestio is it condoned. The fact that a certain clan is continuing its lineage through marriage between relatives could not be seen in a good light.
"Some admire the stubbornness of the Cormilius. They say it was a sacrifice to protect the divinity of the father who brought fire to mankind. Do you really think so too? Are their actions really right?"
Again, Roberta avoided answering.
"I don't think so. Hestio's blood is nothing. There is no power that is exerted because of that blood. We shouldn't be obsessed with that. The heavenly father and mother have left, and in a world where only fragments of the order they established remain, we must muster the will to stand up on our own."
She swallowed her breath. There could be no greater blasphemy in front of a Priest than insulting God. But after swallowing her breath, she had no reaction. As if even being surprised was an act, her heart was quiet.
"Have you ever seen a real Cormilius?"
"I have met Pope Your Holiness."
"Marcello, that child is not pure by Cormilius standards. They are just clowns to hide the sins they can bring out with that name. You shouldn't think of the Cormilius when you see him."
She had heard that story before.
Diocesan Alonso told her.
"Even in the Cormilius family, those who have truly inherited Hestio's blood cannot be received carelessly. They hide them away as if they were treasures."
That was the day Alonso returned after receiving a call from the Pantheon. He was appointed as Bishop and said that he had received the rightful heir of the Cormilius.
At that time, Roberta asked. What kind of person was the one who inherited the divine blood? Then, Alonso smiled instead of answering.
The memory is not clear. But for some reason, the smile in her recollection was bitter.
"Have you seen them, Lord?"
She woke up from her reverie and asked Ulrich.
"Yes, I've seen them too many times."
The question of how did not arise. It was Pope Marcello who sent the regular Priest Roberta to Lord Ulrich of Ditmarsken, and he was a Cormilius.
The question was about the relationship with the Cormilius. Who was this person called Ulrich that he had seen them, whom even Diocesan Alonso had only seen once? And why would he express it as having seen them many times?
There was no suspicion of lies or exaggeration. Reason still tempts her that there is not enough proof, but when has reason ever been right?
Roberta silently waited for Ulrich's words.
And she felt the fatigue contained in his words.
"Richard would have seen them too. That child is my adopted son. The Cormilius wouldn't have left him alone."
"The Emperor doesn't know," he muttered to himself.
"And you will see them someday too."
She knew the reason without asking. The relationship between the Cormilius and Ulrich was deep at first glance. Just as he did with Alonso, he would call her in someday.
As a human being before being a Priest, meeting the rightful heir of the great father is like a long-cherished desire. But this time too, she was calm. Her heart, which would have been excited in the past, was now still.
She moved her horse next to Ulrich, moving her dry lips.