Chapter 26

The priests, having received a sweet proposal, were sent back to their respective homes.

Suddenly facing a major turning point in their lives, they each fell into deep contemplation.

“To overthrow the entire upper echelon? Is that even possible?”

“That lunatic Karolus. Just because he rebelled, does he plan to make coups a trend in the kingdom?”

It was a natural reaction, of course.

To destroy the system they had obediently and submissively lived under since becoming clergy with their own hands.

And not through some reform movement, but by risking their lives and mobilizing force.

For priests who had never even received combat training, let alone fought, this was an extremely harsh trial.

However, their worries didn’t last long. Because everyone soon reached the same conclusion.

“…..But if I don’t do it, there’s no guarantee others won’t.”

“If I lose the initiative? If the bishop position in our diocese is taken by someone from the neighboring cathedral, I’m screwed, right?”

“Vice-Chairman Karolus promised the government wouldn’t intervene, didn’t he? Then it’s worth a shot, isn’t it?”

“Surely other regions will rise up too. If everyone rises together, the chances of success are more than enough. It’s entirely possible to overthrow everything.”

The perfect conditions that might never come again in life.

If I don’t act first, someone else will.

If I don’t become the bishop, someone I dislike might.

It’s human nature to prefer one’s own failure over someone else’s success.

Even for those devoted to a religion that values sharing and giving, this remains true.

No, it’s even more so.

Having forsaken carnal desires as clergy, their desires for honor and wealth became much stronger than the average person.

“Ah, screw it. I don’t know. Let’s just do it as if we’re dead!”

“Even if we fail, it’s just getting our heads chopped off at the guillotine, right? Now that it’s come to this, we’ll see it through to the end.”

In the face of the desire for advancement, individual morals, self-restraint, and the dignity of being a priest quickly crumbled.

What was revealed was the tenacity to show how ruthless humans can be to climb higher.

Threats to survival? Dangerous challenges that might lead to death? Who cares about that. If I can get promoted.

Four days after the meeting at the training ground.

Finally, in a small town near the capital, the prelude to the collective rebellion of the priests began.

“Lambs of the Goddess! There are those who suck our blood to build grand mansions and live in luxury! In the name of the Goddess, let’s punish them together!!”

“Brothers and sisters! Hold a torch in your right hand and the holy scriptures in your left! This is a purifying act to punish heretics who have defied the word of God!”

“Follow the priest! Let’s beat to death those bastards who exploited us!!”

Starting with the decisive action of a passionate young priest, the uprising rapidly spread across the nation.

First in Rahator and nearby villages and towns. Then in the surrounding rural areas and ports.

Even in regions where Karolus hadn’t made his proposal, the fervor of the uprising quickly seeped in.

They too could sense the direction the situation was heading.

Quickly grasping the situation, they rose up, wielding makeshift weapons, each aspiring to become a bishop.

It’s always easier to follow than to pioneer.

It took less than two months for the kingdom to be engulfed in the flames of religious revolution.

“Revolution is innocent! There is no crime in revolution!! Join the holy war to reform the church!”

“Make those bastards self-criticize! Punish the pigs corrupted by materialism!”

“Construction donations, festival donations, relief donations, thanksgiving donations! It’s hard enough to pay tithes, why are there so many types of donations!! Let’s live a little too!”

Of course, while the priests’ incitement played a role, the commoners’ participation was entirely voluntary. They too had much pent-up frustration.

The Goddess Cult had been extorting donations under all sorts of pretexts.

The methods were so varied that few could fully understand them.

Thus, the commoners, already struggling to make ends meet with rents and taxes, were always burdened with hardships.

So when the opportunity arose, they seized it. To take down the hated upper class and reform the church.

‘Even if, in the end, it’s just the names at the top that change.’

Well, with such a massive upheaval, some reforms were likely to happen.

From the priests’ perspective, having incited the believers, they needed to show some results.

Even if not, Karolus planned to push for the abolition of several miscellaneous donations.

Thus, numerous cathedrals and churches across the nation were ‘normalized’ correctly.

By the hands of the Red Guards, who believed in the religion.

* * * * *

In my office, located in the detached palace of the royal palace.

“The recovery of donations and the transfer of power seem to be going well.”

I muttered to myself while reading the report sent by the intelligence department.

The cultural revolution project starting with the priests was a great success.

For something that began with gathering a few clergy and giving them a good talking-to, it was almost too grand.

“Honestly, I thought it might not work…..but this is more than welcome.”

I hadn’t been entirely confident of a perfect power transfer or the complete destruction of the church. I had prepared and planned as best as I could.

At best, it was a minor disturbance by low-ranking priests, and I would have been satisfied if the church just became too disorganized to pay attention to external matters for a while.

That way, I could prepare countermeasures against the nobles’ schemes in the meantime.

But if the annoying bishops and cardinals all got their heads chopped off, that would save a lot of trouble. No need to struggle against the religious authorities.

“Adjutant. Tell our central army to control the capital to prevent crimes against civilians. Absolutely no suppression.”

“Understood. Anything else, sir?”

“Tell the intelligence department and my brother to seize the church-owned farms and treasures. Let’s recover the wealth the church has accumulated.”

With everything turned upside down and property management in disarray, it’s the perfect time to strip the Goddess Cult of its wealth.

They’ve been exempt from taxes under the guise of being the state religion. It’s time to reclaim some of that.

We’ll put the seized assets to good use in our budget.

“Ah, and try to prevent the destruction of historical documents and arson of buildings. Those are valuable assets too.”

Cultural preservation is also important, so minimize property damage as much as possible.

“I’ll relay that.”

“Good work. I’m off to meet the king.”

I patted the now-major adjutant on the shoulder as encouragement and left the office.

To reprimand our king Karl VII and the nobles who tried to restore their power without understanding the situation.

* * * * *

“The Vice-Chairman of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction is entering!”

Accompanied by guards, I entered the audience hall and was greeted by the foolish sinners.

A gentleman who sighed, anticipating why I was here, a fool still exuding murderous intent, and His Majesty, who calmly looked at me.

Facing these less-than-friendly gazes, I spoke confidently.

“Long time no see, everyone. You must have guessed why I’m here?”

Unlike last time, my tone was somewhat polite.

Though I’d love to mix in some curses with every word, there’s no need to bare my teeth at every turn.

Having led the Supreme Council, some of the pent-up frustration had been alleviated, so I decided to maintain at least some decorum.

“You’ve done quite the cute little thing. Trying to move the clergy. It’s given me quite a headache.”

“…..I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t lie. We both know everything there is to know.”

I lightly rebuked Karl VII’s excuse.

If the outcome of a power struggle has been decided, at least don’t deny the facts. Aren’t you ashamed, being the king?

“Was it so distasteful that I took your power to use? To the point of trying to hand over essential religious control to the papacy?”

What disgusting creatures.

Why did I, the revolutionary army, rise up in the first place?

Because you tried to discard us at your whim and treated our sacrifices as nothing.

You betrayed us first and looked down on us, so why can’t you see things from our perspective now that the tables have turned?

A coup is treason, but handing over the nation’s core interests to another country isn’t? What kind of nonsensical logic is that?

‘Vermin.’

No, they never had such a concept in the first place, did they?

Having lived their entire lives as the privileged class.

They never once thought they could be wrong.

Then I’ll teach them. Until they realize it themselves, I’ll suppress and beat them.

Until royalty and nobility are no different from commoners. I’ll strip them of all authority and privilege, step by step.

“From today, I will take over the authority to appoint bishops. From now on, it will be used correctly through majority consultation, not the monarch’s arbitrary judgment.”

“The Supreme Council for National Reconstruction is taking His Majesty’s rights? Do you think such tyranny will be tolerated?!”

“When did I say the Supreme Council would take the authority to appoint bishops?”

But I won’t push things recklessly. It would throw the nation into chaos.

If we’re going to do it, we must follow justification and logic in politics.

“Soon, we will establish a national parliament. A new deliberative body for the Kingdom of Ullanor, replacing the Three Estates Assembly. The authority to appoint bishops will also be transferred there, so keep that in mind.”

And the beginning of that is a constitutional monarchy.