Overgeared

The Rebecca Church was conscious of their debt to Grid. He was the agent of the goddess who punished the corrupted pope and the warrior who unlocked the seal of the Holy Sword. He saved the lives of the Rebecca's Daughters and saved the Vatican that was in a crisis. Most of the members recognized that without Grid, their church would've declined.

However, they didn't openly worship Grid as a benefactor. It was because he committed a sin that was contrary to their doctrines. A human being who had become a god. A new religion was set up. He even took away Pope Damian, a number of elders, and the Rebecca's Daughters...

The Rebecca Church went through great confusion. There was a heated debate. Some of the doctrine-driven members of the church argued that Grid should be punished immediately. Meanwhile, the others who valued grace and reason as much as doctrine argued, "How can you forget his grace and harm Grid?"

Still, most of the followers had realistic thinking and asked, 'What right do we have to discuss Grid's punishment?'

It was a question that silenced both those who said they should punish Grid and those who said they shouldn't punish Grid. It was because the essence was contained in the question. The Rebecca Church had no power to harm Grid. The same was true even if they worked with the Dominion Church and Judar Church.

The lack of power was a good thing.

The Rebecca Church sat on the fence. They didn't respond outright to Grid. They used the pretext of being powerless to just express regret. Many members of the church cheered for Grid in their hearts. In the wake of the Archangel Sariel incident, there were believers who had doubts about Rebecca. Would the core members of the church betray the goddess for no reason?

Some senior priests condemned Damian and said he was punished by the angel for his evil heart, causing him to be expelled. The elders and Rebecca's Daughters who left with Damian were blinded by wealth and corrupted. It was nothing more than cheap incitement.

There weren't many church members who believed their words. The believers remembered the truth, faith, and good deeds Damian showed during his time as pope. It happened one day as the doubts and confusion among the church members deepened...

On this day, the believers gathered together to elect an interim pope.

-He will guide you.

Someone's voice was heard high in the sky. It was a divine voice that was separate from the doubts in their hearts. They naturally bowed their heads. The voice was warm and they wanted to rely on it. Ahh, why did they doubt her for a moment? The believers regretted being so hasty.

A light fell in front of them as they prayed with their hands together. A figure with blond hair shone in the light. It was hard to tell if they were a beautiful woman or a handsome man. He introduced himself as the new Goddess' Agent and he naturally became the pope. He was as warm as the goddess' voice. He was also very competent and was described as the 'second coming' of 2nd Pope Chreshler.

The believers gradually trusted and relied on him. They recovered a bit of their lost faith. However, this time they doubted the pope's actions.

"What do you mean by the demonic humans appeared due to the Overgeared Kingdom and Overgeared God Church?"

The demonic humans also occurred in villages and cities where the symbols were fine. Additionally, most of the symbols destroyed by the Overgeared Kingdom and Overgeared God Church were related to Martial God Zeratul. Of course, the symbols of the other gods were damaged, but at the very least, they didn't touch the symbols of Goddess Rebecca. They kept this line. In other words, Goddess Rebecca's symbols were intact in places with the demonic humans. The pope's claim that the demonic humans occurred in villages and cities where the symbol of Goddess Rebecca was destroyed was clearly wrong.

"The Overgeared God Church won't sit by and leave alone the pope's distorted claim."

"We need to correct it right away..."

The situation that flowed became serious. The believers who were incited by the pope's claims were misleading the public. The aftermath was felt in real time. There were reports that people who had been cut off for a while were heading to the temples of the three gods.

The Overgeared Kingdom worshipped the Overgeared God and founded the Overgeared God Church. The Rebecca Church and Overgeared God Church were barely in a neutral state, but that tightrope seemed to be coming to an end. The aftermath would be big. They were afraid.

The pope looked at the elders who were pouring out their concerns and opened his mouth, "Are you members of the Overgeared God Church? Why are you, the elders of our church, representing their position?"

"This isn't an emotional problem. The moment the Overgeared Kingdom becomes hostile to our church, it will be inconvenient in many ways."

At present, the Vatican itself was within the territory of the Overgeared Kingdom. The Vatican had existed even before the creation of the Overgeared Kingdom and was legally recognized as an independent territory. However, the laws mentioned here were laid down during the Eternal Kingdom's rule. The Overgeared Kingdom could abolish the existing laws and eject the Vatican at any time if they wanted. Of course, the Vatican could be rebuilt in other kingdoms. However, it would be humiliating if they were kicked out.

They honestly questioned how many kingdoms would accept the Vatican. Now the influence of the Overgeared Kingdom reached all over the continent.

"Moreover, isn't this the time when the demons are moving? Why is there a need to increase the number of enemies when we are facing a common enemy?"

The pope was an example for everyone. Despite being so powerful and divine that he was called the second coming of Chreshler, he didn't go on a rampage. Even though he received the Blessing of Light from the goddess, he didn't have the sense and arrogance of a chosen person. He always had a learning attitude.

Thus, the elders could point out the pope's faults. They believed he would repent on his mistakes and solve the problem. However, the pope's attitude didn't change.

"Demons. A common enemy." The pope repeated and approached the window. He opened the high window and stood on the terrace.

"Wahhhhhhh!"

"Hooray, His Holiness! Hooray, Goddess Rebecca!"

Tens of thousands of people filled the square. There were a variety of races. They came from all over the continent. How long had it been since so many people gathered at the Vatican?

The people waved to them with a kind smile before whispering to the elders.

"They are far from the reason for our church's existence."

"What does that..."

"Our church is only for Goddess Rebecca. The reason why our church has fought against evil beings and served weak humans is to build Goddess Rebecca's virtues and have Goddess Rebecca's name spread widely throughout the world. Putting the blame on the Overgeared God and distorting the truth? Yes, that's right. I used this as an opportunity to raise the power of our church and correct Goddess Rebecca's lost reputation. I completed the mission of the pope. The elders have the responsibility to help me. How can you blame me instead?"

"The order is wrong. Goddess Rebecca exists for humanity and we serve her with gratitude."

The old elder who spoke on behalf of the elders felt madness from the pope and shut up. He was a parish priest active in Titan, the capital of the empire. He served the goddess more honestly and faithfully than anyone else. He was so popular that he was once mentioned as a candidate for the pope. However, he just wanted to be a priest who prayed to the goddess. He stayed away from power. Of his own volition, he didn't run for the pope position and he refused to hold a senior post. He recently accepted a senior position to lead the Rebecca Church on the right path. He was worried to see the believers doubt the goddess so easily. Therefore, he took the lead so he wouldn't let them get lost.

"I believe Your Holiness made the wrong judgment because you are crushed by heavy responsibilities. I believe you made a slip of the tongue because you were excited by the cheers and support of the people. It is better for you to take a few days off and take care of yourself."

It was dangerous. There was a temperament of fanaticism. The elder was seeing into the essence of the pope. He knew how to think and judge politically. He decided to detain the pope momentarily. However, this pope was called the second coming of Chreshler. This was in terms of force.

"The old man has spoken ludicrous words. You need to be corrected." A light flashed. It was a light that stretched out in a straight line. This was the last sight that the elder from Titan saw.

"T-This is unbelievable!"

"W-What are you doing?!"

The faces of the elders turned white.

The people in the square were still cheering without knowing what happened above. The pope waved to them with a smile while an old man turned into a corpse and rolled around the pope's feet. The scene that occurred was so unrealistic that the elders couldn't properly accept the situation. Nevertheless, fear entered their hearts. They felt like they had seen the demon. A twisted fanatic who was close to evil.

On the other hand—

"What was that light just now?"

The people of the broadcasting station, who were filming the pope and people in the square from the opposite building, felt a strange difference. There was a white light that destroyed the view around the pope. Once they opened their eyes again, the scenery wasn't different from a while ago, but somehow, the faces of the elders standing behind the pope were frightened.

"Turn the camera back."

"The light was so strong that it completely covered the screen. I can't capture anything."

"This damn thing..."

Something must've happened. The viewers watching the show in real time as well as the station's filming crew felt a strange atmosphere. Only the people in the square didn't detect the change. It was because they couldn't clearly see the terrace from their position.

"Where are you looking?"

It happened when the filming team and viewers were feeling extremely frustrated...

The pope, who was looking down at the people in the square in a pleased manner, abruptly shifted his gaze to the sky. Dozens of cameras chased his gaze. An orange glow was spreading in the blue sky without any clouds. It was like a sunset. It was mysterious and beautiful.

"Grid...?"

The shooting team was flustered. The video conveyed to the viewers shook. Grid was gazing down at the pope in a cold manner. There was a clear sense of anger. The black eyes were red like a sun spreading the sunset.

"......"

The people in the square belatedly realized Grid's emergence and became silent. The unapproachable dignity forced them to remain silent.

"I want to ask the pope."

It was Grid who brought the silence and he was the one who broke it.

"You claimed that the cause of the demonic humans is my kingdom. You are guilty of defaming my kingdom with groundless claims and demoralizing the soldiers ahead of the war. Apologize."

Every one of Grid's words were angry. His cold voice contained anger. The dignity that forced silence changed to a power that made heads bow. The people in the square reflexively flinched. It was both players and NPCs. No one dared to lift their heads. The shooting team's circumstances were similar. They were quite a distance away from Grid, but they were still weighed down by the pressure. The camera lens was lowered and viewers had to suffer from the inconvenience.

The elders were contemplative. Their expressions seemed to be saying, 'You came.'

The pope was the only one who was nonchalant. He blurred the essence. He focused on and criticized Grid's actions, not his words. "Did you come to our church to receive an apology? Still, it is embarrassing that a man who claims to be a god can't control his anger and moves around so lightly. I didn't expect much since your level of heresy is too high, but you are much lower than I expected."

The pope's words quickened. He was trying not to show it, but he was very excited. He seemed to be enjoying this situation.

"Your intention of coming to our church on the day of the rally and expressing your anger in front of the many members of the church, showing off your power and force... it is to intimidate the church members and crush the spirit of the members. Is a god such an impure and violent being to you? Do you want to prove yourself? It isn't appropriate. You don't know God because you aren't a god. My church and I deny you."

"I am showing off my power and force?" Grid had been expressionless and now his lips curled up. It was so ridiculous that a laugh leaked out. He pulled a sword out of his inventory. It wasn't a famous divine sword. It was one of the low-grade weapons made in the smithy a while ago.

Grid threw it. He didn't mix in any techniques or skills. The sword flew like a flash, cutting the pope's earlobe and slammed into the wall. At the same time, the ground shook. Cracks occurred in the building that couldn't withstand the impact. The building was shaken.

"If I really showed off my strength, would the Rebecca Church still exist?"

"......!"

"......!"

At this moment, the Rebecca Church that had reigned as the largest and best religion for a long time, became an insignificant organization.

One sentence from Grid made it so. People sensed it. Today, the balance of power would change.