When A Mage Revolts

"What’s up?"

Benjamin turned and asked curiously.

Elizabeth was reluctant, yet still opened her mouth, "You returning to the Kingdom of Helius, does it have anything to do with causing trouble to the Church? Can… Can I go with you?"

Benjamin shook his head without hesitation.

"You’ve been through hell to get out of that hell-hole, why bother going back?"

Elizabeth lowered her head and with a low, solemn voice, "… I want revenge."

Benjamin expressed his helplessness.

He was unsure what she had been through in the annihilation of the Academy of Silence, but the supposed "revenge" could not be completed with merely a hot-blooded determination. These people could not even escape the gates, what made them think they could try initiating a revenge toward the Church?

"Overthrowing the Church is a good ideal. You could run through the Magic Academy, but now… you don’t possess the capabilities." He was straightforward.

Elizabeth seemed confused, "Then your visit to the Kingdom of Helius…"

"Of course I am not annihilating the Church now! I’m not that great, you know?" Benjamin held on his forehead. Judging by her tone, perhaps she thought that he was one who could cause an Armageddon with just one move, and so she wouldn’t want to miss a thing.

Such a wishful thinking.

"Then… will there be a day though?"

"Of course there will." Benjamin nodded and encouraged her, "As long as there is half a population of mages that carry the same thought under the sun who are willing to put forth the work, that day won’t be too far."

It wasn’t just Elizabeth, the other mages who heard this stared blankly at Benjamin as if he has said something absurd.

Benjamin frowned at the sight.

"What’s wrong?"

Elizabeth took a few more glances at Benjamin before shaking her head, "Nothing. It’s just that… Although this sounds like an empty preaching by the priests to numb the naive parishioners, looking at your eyes, I feel… you’re sincere."

"… Of course, I am sincere."

"Then… If there’s an opportunity, could you look for my parents for me? They should have left the capital and be idling in a village in the south of the palace," Elizabeth spoke slowly, "You need not appear before them to talk to them. I just need to know how they are now."

Benjamin shrugged. "Sure. But I’m unsure if I have that leisure of time, so you shouldn’t hold that much hope."

"It’s okay. We are thankful enough for you getting us out from there."

Benjamin smiled and shrugged casually, indicating it wasn’t a big deal.

With that, these mages turned around and started to head east. Benjamin flew once again to the sky and spent the next few hours returning to the Kingdom of Helius.

This time, he did not head in the direction of the Town of Crewe.

The eradication of the priests in the nearby mountain would be a big deal to the Church. The Town of Crewe would be chaotic as it was, and the Church would have sent many priests that way to investigate.

In a way, this could count as fulfilling the promise between him and the Fulner family, right?

Directing the Church’s attention away allowed the nobles some leeway to function and go about their lives. Of course, Benjamin was clear that the deaths of the merely ten to twenty priests would not cause the Church to investigate.

He needed to create a bigger headline to do so.

As he moved nearer to the center of Kingdom of Helius, Benjamin slowly started to hatch a plan.

It was in the next morning that he reached a new town. This town wasn’t that developed. The morning was fairly quiet and only the farmers were busy leaving their homes and beginning their labor on the farms.

Yet… Benjamin saw a church in the middle of town.

This was the Kingdom of Helius. No matter how small a town or how far a village was, a church would evidently exist there. The Church used this pervasive method to seep influence into the people’s daily lives.

This was how they buried their roots deep into this nation.

Benjamin could not destroy this in a short period of time, but he could divert attention from this angle. He could attack these churches, rumbling the lifeline of the Church.

"The church.. seemed to me they are having their morning classes, huh?"

Benjamin mumbled to himself as he descended and walked into the unnamed town.

He quickly reached the outsides of the church.

"God, I praise thee, as thou art so loving and giving, that we shall enjoy a fruitful bounty. God, I praise thee because thou art forgiving and generous, that we shall be cleansed of our sins. God, I praise thee..."

Uniformed voices of praise clearly echoed into Benjamin’s ear through the walls. Benjamin shook his head helplessly.

The feudal superstition combined with the Church’s brainwashing in this survival-of-the-fittest world was a perfect combo!

Even without the trade with the Fulner family, he couldn’t help but feel the desire to cause havoc to these people.

"Father, it hasn’t rained for days here. Could you pray to God to bestow upon us rain to ease the drought?"

After the prayers, the church was momentarily silent. One of the villagers put his hand together and requested devoutly.

The priest smiled graciously.

"God has his ways," His voice was like a floating cloud, streaming into the present parishioners’ ears, "As long as you are pious. Be patient in your prayers and God will satisfy your wishes."

The villagers excitedly nodded as if they were bestowed a holy blessing.

The priest continued, "Now, let us devote our prayers to the God for the upcoming pour of rain. Remember, you must banish any distracting thoughts. Even the least bit of insincerity may anger God, and invite a disaster to the town."

The people immediately nodded and closed their eyes, focusing on their prayers.

Praying, and praying…

Eh?

The villagers who requested the rain suddenly heard the pitter-pattering, as if raindrops had hit the church’s roof.

Ra-raining?

Instantly, the eyes of the villager reddened, and he rose with emotions.

Oh, goodness…. Did God really answer their prayers? This… This was a miracle!

At that moment, the villagers were moved to the point of speechlessness that he forgot about the prayers he was chanting in his heart. After a brief awestruck, he clasped his hands tighter and continued praying.

It wasn’t just him alone. All the parishioners in the church carried the same sentiment. They heard the sound of rain and thought their prayers moved the Gods, and hence even more emotionally they prayed.

They were simply too pious that in such circumstances, no one actually opened their eyes to look out the window.

It was only when a horrifying scream came from the dull-looking church that they opened their eyes startled, looking at the source of the voice.

"Fa-Father… How could this be…"

It was seen that the rain outside the window was pouring relentlessly. The water currents wriggled through, leaking the window sills and cracking the doors open, amassing on the podium. The priest that stood on the podium had a hollow hole on his chest. The water current had penetrated through him like a slithering, poisonous snake.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Before anyone could react, the priest lost his consciousness and collapsed lifelessly on the ground. Fresh blood and rainwater blended together, and the rain outside the window stopped pouring at this very moment.