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Chapter 147:

Joshua idly mused that Lugia’s electric tones did not fit the tranquil ambience at all.

[Are you crazy? I brought you back and you repay me by poisoning me? Did I just waste all my power on you? I’m in your head, covered in filth!]

Joshua ignored Lugia’s panicked voice and proceeded to explore the changes to his body. It was his first attempt at using divine power on its own, as opposed to all four energies—his own mana, Bronto’s power, divine power, and magic—at once. If he’d done it wrong, it could have done serious harm to him. Magic and divine power were polar opposites, and absolutely could not be mixed lest they ruin his body.

It was thanks to the efforts of Duke Altsma that Joshua could manipulate the magic independently. It was a gamble that had paid off, and one he silently congratulated himself on.

Interestingly, he found that drawing out one energy did not diminish the potency of the remaining energy. If something unexpected happened, he should be able to use it to respond without exhausting his reserves.

Still, I obviously have no idea how effective it would be in battle.

While he was thinking, the crowd remained dumbfounded.

The blessed crystal sphere was now strewn across the floor. As Joshua took a step, the scattered shards crackled under his boot. That seemed to serve a signal to bring Modrian back to his senses.

“W-What have you done?!”

Joshua laughed. “Pick one: either speak gibberish, or speak respectfully.”

Modrian realized his mistake and flinched.

“A God-given vessel couldn’t contain the divine power of a mere knight from another country. Is this the might of the Hubalt Empire?”

“I—” Modrian choked on his words. He could not possibly bring himself to say “Yes.” The minute he did, the saint’s treasure, something he called the “Tears of God”, would be reduced to a joke.

“Don’t make me laugh!” He clenched his teeth and lifted his sword. “There’s no way that was divine power! You people have no appreciation for religion to begin with! You, with the energy of a demon—there’s no way you can use the power of God!”

The other knights concurred.

“Tha-That’s right! There’s no way that power is sacred!”

“It doesn’t make any sense for him to have divine power when he’s neither a priest nor a paladin!”

“That’s just mana! Don’t make us laugh!”

The paladins bristled. They may have seen it with their own two eyes, but they refused to believe it. They didn’t want to believe it. It was unacceptable.

They wanted to deny the blood and sweat Joshua invested before he was known as a “genius”. They felt envious, inadequate. It was an emotional reaction.

“I dunno… I might disagree on a point or two,” Joshua mused dully.

“What are y-you saying?” Modrian looked around nervously. Soon, he noticed the High Priest’s wide eyes and Saint Seiren’s trembling body. It was perplexing—those two had more divine power than everyone else combined. “High Priest… Seiren… how—”

“Stop treating him with disrespect, Sir Modrian.”

“What?”

“I promise you, that energy is… it really was divine power.”

What? That can’t be…

The paladins boggled.

Herald pushed his way through the throng and bowed respectfully. “Please accept our apologies, Baron Sanders of Avalon. I speak for all of us in asking that you quell your anger.”

Joshua gave the High Priest an odd look, oblivious to the surprise of the others. Regardless of all else, Joshua was an aristocrat of a foreign nature and young enough to be Herald’s grandchild.

Joshua shook his head. “I understand.”

“Thank you.” The High Priest lifted his head.

“This man—” Joshua stepped back and gestured to Christian. “—does not seem to be in danger, but seeing as he’s still unconscious, there must be something else.”

Herald suddenly approached.

“High Priest Herald!”

“It’s fine.” Herald waved off Modrian and walked up to Christian. He nodded once more to Joshua and examined Christian.

“Well.” He sighed. “I apologize for wasting Sir Modrian’s hard work, but we need to move Sir Christian.”

“What?” the knight asked. “Is he in a bad condition?”

Herald nodded. “His power is feeble, but I can feel it.”

“Then…” Modrian’s eyes widened.

“For someone with as much divine power as Lord Christian, magic is poisonous. Infiltrating his body is very difficult, but once it has…”

“So the magic I felt before was…”

“We have no time for this. Sir Christian needs to be treated now

“Right, I understand!”

Modrian and the knights complied. They remained vigilant, but the light of the magic had dimmed and the High Priest’s assurance was sufficient to mollify them.

Modrian, carrying Christian, paused.

“My apology,” he mumbled to Joshua, “later… I’ll formally apologize in Reinhardt.”

Joshua, surprised, grinned sadly.

“Let’s go!”

The knights hurried back through the main door. The High Priest, hustling to keep up with the rest of the group, also paused.

“I don’t know why I saw Michael’s wings,” he whispered, quiet enough that Joshua had to lean in to hear, “but if this is God’s will, I look forward to the day we meet again.” The High Priest glanced at him and bowed his head ever so slightly.

“We’ll see.”

“My… bet!”

Joshua jerked and saw the Saint hot on Herald’s heels.

“It’s not over yet! Watch out!” She slammed the door behind her.

[Nutjob.]

Reinhardt, the one and only neutral city in Igrant, had a long and storied history. Every generation came to Reinhardt to parly over the most important treaties and accords. To this day, it was the location of choice for meetings between world leaders. Because of this, Reinhardt was also considered a symbol of peace.

Given all that, Reinhardt became the biggest tourist destination on the continent.

[See, isn’t this the first formal competition where my master will compete with people from all over the continent?]

As usual, Joshua, covered from head to toe by his robe, ignored the voice in his head.

An enormous fortress wall appeared in the distance. It was the first time he’d seen it in this life, but Joshua clearly remembered the vast metropolis from his past life.

“Reinhardt…” This was the first step in a comprehensive strategy. If he achieved the level of Master, not only could he return to his homeland, but his authority would be significantly expanded. Other rewards were forthcoming, if Emperor Marcus’s personality and the world’s apparent arrogance allowed it.

“The Master Battle…” Joshua approached the wall.

A week had passed since the chaos at Rev Castle. Now, finally, it was time for a celebration of individual power from every continent.

The gates of Reinhardt were wide open.