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Chapter 327: The God of Magic (2)

Henry cast Sword Drawing at Janus after the god charged at him ferociously like a beast. His Colt Sword extended forward with Aura, which he mixed with divine power to create a powerful golden wave of energy.

However, Henry hadn’t foreseen what happened next. The almighty-looking Chimera instantly disappeared after Henry swung his sword at him.

Feeling disappointed with such an outcome, Henry searched far and wide for Janus, but he ultimately gave up when he realized that only he and Saint Irenae were left in Lizark Hill.

“That’s… it?”

Henry couldn’t believe it, but that was indeed the end of the fight. Janus had sought to fully descend into this world by using the evolved Chimera as a vessel, but Henry had destroyed his body before he could fully infuse his divine power into it.

The moment Henry realized that everything was finally over, he burst into a maniacal laughter, as though he had lost his mind. He was terribly disappointed at how hollow and meaningless his victory felt.

After lying down in silence and processing the unsatisfactory victory for a few minutes, Henry finally gathered himself and returned to Monsieur with Saint Irenae, who was still unconscious.

He knew he couldn’t afford to waste time as there were many things to take care of now that both Arthus and Janus were gone.

‘...’

Having collected his thoughts, Henry turned to Lore and resumed the discussion about the state of affairs, bewilderment still visible on his expression.

“Well, it’s not like I have zero plans going forward. I actually thought for a second that everything would magically return to how it once was, like in a fairy tale. But as we all know, that’s now how things work. Indeed, Arthus is dead and Janus has disappeared, but what they left behind still haunts us, the living. You know as well as I do that part of them has remained in this world…”

Even though Henry had spoken lightly, his words reminded everyone at the table of the grim reality they were in. Everyone nodded in agreement, as they all felt the same as Henry.

Throughout the war, all the commanders and wizards had been holding out hope that when it was all over, they would be able to drink and laugh together, and ultimately lead normal lives and pursue happiness.

It was that hope that had kept everyone going.

But as Henry had just pointed out, the reality they were in was in stark contrast to what they had hoped for. Even though Arthus was dead, his blind believers still walked the earth like zombies, and those who had been killed by them weren’t coming back just because the war was over.

Because of that, the world after Arthus’ death was going to be a new challenge for those who had survived, perhaps a never-ending nightmare.

As everyone kept on nodding in silence, the Saint, who hadn’t said anything thus far, finally mustered the courage to speak up.

“Sir… Henry…?”

“Yes?”

“Did the goddess happen to mention anything else?"

“Hmm… Anything else…. I don’t recall her saying anything about you specifically or giving any guidance.”

“I see…”

Irenae had asked that question with a glimpse of hope, but she seemed slightly disappointed at Henry’s dull response.

Of course, Henry understood why Irenae reacted that way. She had lost many of Irene’s followers during this terrible war, including Logger and Ananda, the Holy Knights she had been closest to. She had hoped that the goddess had said something to Henry about them.

But unfortunately, and to the Saint’s surprise, the goddess hadn’t mentioned anything about them. As Henry saw the Saint with her head sagged, he thought to himself, ‘I understand where she’s coming from. She probably wants to meet Irene herself and ask about them. But…’

Even though La and Irene had told Henry that he was a god, he didn’t feel different at all. The only difference caused by his obtaining divine power was the fact that he had managed to defeat Arthus, but besides that…

‘Do I not know how to handle divine power?’

Irene and La could create form out of nothing and manipulate time itself. However, no matter how hard Henry concentrated on his faith and tried to use it for magic, he could do no such things, and he didn’t understand why.

Shifting his focus, Henry addressed everyone at the table.

“Well… Now that Arthus is gone, we ought to give a hand to those who have remained, not point a sword at them. The only way for us to create a new world is to come together.”

“A new world…?”

“There’s a lot to do. First, we have to discuss what we’ll do with Arthus’ followers. If we can’t come up with something, we might have to resort to the worst case scenario, which means executing them…”

“You’re not saying…!”

“So we’ll have to find a way to keep them alive somehow. Right now, the blind believers make up for around sixty percent of the population of the Eurasian continent, and failure to find a solution could lead to the bloodiest chapter in the history of the continent.”

Henry’s words were chilling. They absolutely had to find a way to help those blind believers. If not…

“And before we find a way to do so… I’m thinking of freezing or imprisoning the blind believers that approach Monsieur so we don’t have any more casualties.”

A few hours earlier, Henry had been forced to incinerate millions of blind believers, knowing he had no other option. Now, he thought that his plan was the best way to keep the rest of them alive while he and everyone else looked for a solution.

Everyone else at the table knew the situation Henry was in, so they nodded at his suggestion.

“Then, let’s conclude the meeting here for today. We’ll reconvene tomorrow with a detailed plan.”

With that, Henry gestured for everyone to get up, and just as he was about to leave, Vulcanus approached him as though he had been waiting for this moment.

“Sir Henry, I’ve prepared a bed for your comfort and rest. If I may, let me escort you there.”

“No, I don’t need a place to sleep at the moment. I was planning on going somewhere while everyone got some rest. And Sir Vulcanus…”

“Y-yes?”

“Even though I’ve apparently become a god, I honestly don’t feel any different from before. So, just treat me as you always have, Sir Vulcanus.”

“B-but…”

“I’m not ordering you to do so. It’s just a small request.”

At Henry’s sincere, lighthearted request, Vulcanus hesitated, his eyes moving rapidly from side to side. After a bit, he finally spoke up with a trembling voice.

“I-I under… Yeah, okay…”

With that, Henry nodded slightly to everyone and left the room. He took a couple of steps outside and the scenery suddenly changed.

He had teleported without chanting a word.

‘Well, casting magic feels a bit easier ever since I became a god.’

Henry wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but that was how he felt in the moment. He looked around and laid eyes on a large cave.

He was looking at the Khan’s Eye, a cave in Shahatra that hid the tomb where the souls of the deceased Khans were being kept.

Henry remembered where Herarion had taken him and managed to find the large wall that hid the tomb itself.

No matter how hard he tried, Henry couldn’t meet the other gods by himself, and he had come here after remembering Herabola saying that he was serving La in the afterlife, hoping to find some clues.

Henry stood in front of the wall and closed his eyes, trying to recall the spell Herarion had used. It was naturally challenging to remember a spell in an ancient language, even for Henry. However, he was known for having the most brilliant mind on the continent.

Indeed, Henry possessed an exceptional memory, so he eventually managed to search for the incantation in his mind and recite it word for word.

“I think the spell was… dufjqns wmfrjdns gksrkdnl ehltlrlf qkfkqslek?”

His divine power activated the wall as soon as he uttered the incantation, causing it to split apart in the middle. The path was revealed by a shining light from beyond.

Rumble, rumble-

Henry stared at the passage, contemplating what to do next. He then said out loud, “How about you give me a more courteous invitation this time?”

Although he was met with silence, Henry was confident that his message had been heard. Ever since he had entered the Shahatra Desert, he had a strong feeling that the spirits in this tomb were watching him closely.

After voicing his request, Henry waited patiently for a response. Soon, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.

- Understood.

Henry couldn’t help but smile as he recognized Herabola’s voice. He was also surprised and glad that Herabola accepted his request.

Following Herabola’s brief response, a turquoise light, reminiscent of the sky just before dawn, enveloped the path ahead.

Henry walked forward, but then…

Thud!

He suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed on the floor, just like last time.

***

“Shit…”

Henry couldn’t help but groan and swear as he woke up. He had requested a more polite invitation, but he couldn’t see what was polite or pleasant about falling on the floor.

As he got himself up, he saw Herabola standing before him.

“Is this your idea of a nice invitation?”

“It’s your fault for thinking I’d do something like that in the first place. ”

“Damn it…”

Just like last time, Herabola welcomed Henry with his usual sarcasm. Unimpressed, Henry settled into a nearby chair and said, “You know why I\'m here, don\'t you?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Cut it out. I’m not in the mood for jokes.”

“You think I’m joking? But you should take a look in the mirror before you continue talking.”

“Mirror?”

“Look over there.”

Seeing Herabola point behind him with his chin, Henry turned around and saw Herabola’s reflection in the large mirror.

“This is the same mirror as before, isn’t it? Why are you suddenly…? Wait, what…?”

Henry suddenly paused, unable to finish his sentence. He hadn’t thought much of the mirror he had seen last time, but he noticed something odd in his reflection.

“Where… Where am I?”

“Yes, Henry. This is the grave for my soul. In other words, only pure souls can come inside. No bodies are allowed to enter this place.”

“So what? What does that have to do with the fact that I don’t have a reflection?”

“It has everything to do with it. Only souls are allowed to enter. My divine power controls everything here. But you’re no longer an ordinary human with a soul. You’re a god."

“So you’re saying that I’m not under your control anymore because I\'m a god?”

“Exactly.”

“What in the…?”

This was only his second visit to the Khan’s Eye, so Henry couldn’t believe that he was being treated so differently. He certainly hadn’t thought that this place would make him finally feel like a god.

As Henry took in the information Herabola offered him, he sat back down and chuckled.

“Well then, in other words, we’re equals now. You know, it certainly doesn’t feel good knowing that you could read my thoughts before. But wait… Since I have more divine power, does that make me superior to you? Anyway, the reason for my visit is simple. I’m here to meet the god you serve, La.”

“Okay… But there’s something I want to ask you first.”

“Go ahead.”

“I haven’t been able to feel Herarion’s presence for some time,” said Herabola with a somber expression. “Has something happened to my son?”

Deborah\'s Thoughts

The magic cast by Henry translates to “Have a Happy Lunar New Year.”