Chapter 561
My Villains Episode 561
69. infiltration(4)
Hundreds of years ago, humanity was not synonymous with humans. The ancient nation, simply called 'Empire' without a special name, was the nation of mankind. not a human nation.
Among the diverse human beings of Middle-earth, it has always been the noblest dragons who sit on the imperial throne, and those on the left and right are elves, beastmen, naga, and dhampirs..
They regarded humans as lowly beings. They were seen as outsiders with short lifespans, weak bodies, poor magical power, and uncivilized civilization. However, it was clear that it was one of the major threats to the frontier due to its reproductive power comparable to that of greenskins and exceptional individuals that rarely appeared during the breeding process..
After experiencing countless conflicts and confrontations for a long time, humans were incorporated into the ancient empire, and in just a couple of centuries, they became the majority race of the empire..
Paradoxically, the ancient empire's true heyday began precisely when the races they considered the most base became the majority of the empire. The territory expanded endlessly, borders spread across three continents, cities teeming with hundreds of thousands of entities sprang up, and the entire Middle-earth bowed its head beneath the dragon's throne..
Of course, the explosive expansion of the ancient empire was not simply due to population growth. The secret to the nation that ruled Middle-earth until just 800 years ago is this:-
“Education. without a doubt.”
Standing in the middle of a large, ornate room, a man dressed in black clothes was adjusting his appearance in the mirror..
“It is education that forged a beggar living in the sewers into Talokan, an unparalleled military expert and master, and it is education that transformed Orosuar, a slave from the frontier, into a wealth of knowledge and a great adventurer. To be precise, a great academy and great teachers..”
He was an old man with white hair, but his posture was straight and his voice was clear. There was a lot of beauty left in his wrinkled face that had not been eroded by the ravages of time, and his upright chin and restrained gestures exuded an elegance that was incomparable to that of any other great nobleman..
At first glance, he was an old man with an unassailable dignity, but that seemed to have no effect on the red-haired young man sitting on the bed..
“Then what do you do? The proud empire and academy that your Excellency loved so much turned to dust overnight..”
The reason I grumbled for no reason was that the young man was a handsome man with a manly look, and his naked body was fully exposed. His flexible yet strong muscles showed that he was a warrior with considerable skills..
“Just because the ancient empire turned to dust doesn't mean its lessons have disappeared, Fiorman..”
“What is the lesson? What can you learn from a country that was punished and destroyed?.”
“Even if divine punishment had been inflicted, would all the inhabitants of the ancient empire have been evil? The empire itself and its history should not be disparaged because of the evil deeds and corruption of evil magicians..”
“Yes, is it? Well, I guess what your Excellency Bishop said is right..”
Fiorman nodded roughly, looking unconvinced..
Anyway, the old man called the bishop continued his sermon while wearing a satin cape with the help of a young servant..
“I don't deserve it. It's no different in modern times. Naimon, the son of a third-rate mercenary, gained enlightenment in the library and compiled the 'New Law', and Prince Adumir, a fool, became a fair and just king after receiving teachings from wise men. The Royal College is where such great events have happened, are happening, and will take place..”
“oh… … . So, does that mean that one day, geniuses like ‘The King’s Prisoner’ Ontin or ‘The Winged Lion’ Alot may reappear??”
When a young cathedral knight, Fiorman, sarcastically mentioned traitors who had been educated at the Royal College, the bishop laughed and slapped him on the back..
“evil, sir!”
“It would be better to stop talking nonsense and start preparing quickly. Unless you want to see me being insulted by the crown prince again..”
Pioman, who was about to complain, immediately hardened his expression as soon as the bishop mentioned the crown prince. And I quickly started putting on my clothes..
Ian-Baptiste, one of the highest-ranking priests of the Church of El Ganor, left the mansion with his escort only when the sun rose to mid-sky..
The bishop's residence was located inside the inner walls of the royal capital, in the middle of the Avenue of Glory, the heart of the Kingdom of Milan..
The mansion was a flat-looking building despite its three-story height, and was impressive with its steeply sloping blue roof, well-maintained yard, high fence, and stylish lattice gate. As if to reveal Ian's prestige, his mansion was noticeably larger and more luxurious compared to its surroundings..
‘It's all in the past... … . Still, I'm glad there's at least a mansion left..’
The bishop who was crossing the portico sighed inwardly..
Until last fall, he was the second most powerful person behind the patriarch and two cardinals, presiding over one of only three cathedrals in the capital. After all, how could half of the 5,000 nobles in the capital not have the strength to worship through him?.
However, various circumstances made the patriarch uncomfortable, and he lost out in the power struggle..
In the end, Ian had no choice but to give up his bishop's seat at the Matiario Cathedral. It's a bonus that I lost my position as a representative of the church..
‘Schvovan, you ungrateful bastard..’
The new bishop of Mattiariot Cathedral was a man named Szwovan. It was none other than Ian who selected and used him as a deacon from a lowly serf background..
Aside from the fact that he could turn his head a little too quickly, this guy with no great status or divine power ended up taking the bishop's throne after fussing with the king for a long time. As he plunged a knife into the back of Ian, who was no different from his teacher..
It was a shameful thing to show to the Lord, Ian thought..
“dismissal? What are you uncomfortable with??”
“……hmm?”
Pyoman's eyes were no different from when he was in the bedroom, but perhaps because he was conscious of the gaze of those around him, there was a certain level of restraint in his voice..
“……No, it's okay. I guess I have to hurry..”
Ian waved his hand, walked ahead, and got into the carriage..
Perhaps because the month changed today and it was March, the sunlight and wind were that of spring. Normally, I would have walked the streets leisurely, enjoying the beautiful season, but because I was procrastinating, I didn't have time to do so..
The destination of Ian-Baptiste's carriage was none other than the Royal College..
Although driven out of the Cathedral of Mattiario, Ian still maintained his status as bishop..
This is because the newly acquired position also allowed the title of bishop. He had been Dean of the Theological College, part of the Royal College, since last winter..
The dean of a theological college was an honorary position with little real power. Of course, it is a position that cannot even be compared to the bishop of a cathedral..
In fact, the Royal College of Theology was not an educational institution for clergy. It is the role of cathedrals and monasteries to train priests and monks, not the job of universities..
The theological college that Ian was in charge of was an educational institution that delivered theological knowledge to ordinary believers, especially students from powerful families..
‘To be more precise, it can be said that the main purpose is to make nobles and wealthy people have pro-denominational tendencies..’
He forced himself to swallow a sigh that threatened to burst out without his knowledge..
However, the young cathedral knight sitting across from him could easily see through the old bishop's intentions..
“Sir, how about you just leave??”
“I can't believe I'm leaving?”
“Wouldn't it be better to retire instead of wasting time in a position where you will lose prestige?.”
“Hehehe. Do you think I will be able to retire gracefully??”
“There's nothing that can't be done, right? Isn't it because His Holiness the Patriarch and the delegates placed you in the position of dean because they wanted you to retire??”
The old man stared at the innocent young man..
The delegates placed Ian in the dean's position and it was difficult to cleanly dispose of him or completely let him go, so they made him a scarecrow and kept him nearby. It was obvious how the guards would act when he, a prisoner, broke free of his shackles and attempted to escape..
Instead of saying those words, the bishop smiled calmly..
“There is no way. How will an old man with no relatives live because he is bored when he retires??”
“How about traveling? You always said that you were sick of the royal road. Or maybe you should go home..”
“It's my hometown.”
Ian kept his mouth shut..
The place where the bishop was born and raised was Eyland, a large island far to the south..
When I heard the news, it seemed like Eyland was still a peaceful land. This is because the snakes that roam the seas, both in the past and today, are very protective of their nests..
But Ian had no motivation to return to Eyland. Everyone he loved is dead, and the only ones left are those who want to use him in some way..
‘cold blooded bastards.’
The bishop gritted his teeth quietly as he recalled the bad relationship that lasted over half a century..
Since gaining priesthood through the help of Jahakar and Baluin, they have been tormenting Ian for the rest of his life..
‘‘Burning’ Oleg, ‘Stormy’ Skiele, ‘Fresh Blood’ Akele, and now ‘White Prince’ Kaisis and his younger brother… … . Even the little bit of affection and sympathy I had for Duke Buhale, the ‘dragon beneath the water’, has long since dispersed like dust..
“……My hometown is the royal capital, Pyoman. Where should I go?.”
“…….”
Once again, the young cathedral knight saw through the old bishop's intentions in an instant and kept his mouth shut without another reply..
Unlike the academies of the ancient empire, which used separate areas of the city as campuses, Milan's royal universities were dispersed throughout the royal capital, especially the Avenue of Glory..
Some students argued that the Royal College also has blurred or no boundaries, as universities should, while others thought that the entire Avenue of Glory was the same as the Royal College campus..
Whatever the students thought, it was quite annoying to Ian that the university buildings were scattered all over the place. This was especially true for him, who was being called around by his young masters..
Still, as the months passed, I slowly got used to this annoying thing. I also became familiar with the path leading to the main building, the ‘Pavilion of Wisdom’, which is the heart of the Royal University..
And the person who contributed most to this adaptation process of the bishop was the ‘Steering Committee’ of the Royal College..
According to the will of King Eadum II, the founder of the Royal University, the authority to run the Royal University was vested in the students taking the classes, not the teachers and their collective body, the Teachers' Union..
Therefore, the Royal University's steering committee was also composed entirely of students. Ian's young masters were the students of this steering committee..
Of course, they were not people who could be ignored because of their young age. The governing council of the Royal College was a collection of men of the noblest blood in the kingdom..
Needless to say, the chairman, the general manager of the steering committee, was the Crown Prince. This is Adumir, who inherited the name of 'King Jun-eom', the sixth king of Milan, and would later be called Adumir II..
It was for the same reason that Ian-Baptiste and other high-ranking faculty members of the Royal College gathered in the conference room with more than 30 minutes left before the appointed time..
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