Chapter 376: Fact Always Wins (2) |
It was really daring for them to try and beat me with propaganda and fabrication. Without proof, propaganda and fabrication would always be mere propaganda and fabrication. Hard evidence meant facts. I knew they wanted to ruin my image, but they messed with the wrong person.
- My contractor, Jin Cheong. Your wish will come true. Hurry and break this seal! If you do, you’ll obtain even greater power!
‘That’s it.’
- Contractor Jin Cheong. Don’t you want this power? You can achieve anything with this power.
‘Exactly.’
- Kekeke… Hahahaha!
‘Hurray, Belial! Shit!’
The acting was so realistic that I would always want to applaud whenever I saw those scenes. Belial’s acting was even better than Ahn Ki-Mo’s or Lee Ji-Hye’s acting.
I looked up with pride, and the scene had already changed into Jin Cheong selling his soul to the demon. There was an added bonus scene of him suppressing the heroes of light.
‘I’m sure it’s your first time seeing this, you bastards.’
The Republic was probably training them as well.
‘Jin Cheong, the soldier of the Republic, didn’t do anything wrong, and the Sacred Democratic Country instigated and fabricated everything. Don’t believe their words, and don’t waver. You mustn’t fall for their tricks.’
I was pretty sure they were telling their soldiers that the Sacred Democratic Country was simply looking for a reason to wage war and that the Sacred Democratic Country was the one secretly communicating with demons behind the back of the gods. They had probably told their soldiers something along those lines and lobbied to go to war. The majority of the soldiers probably had limited information about the incident, but I was sure that there was a difference between hearing it and seeing it for yourself.
‘Humans are doubtful creatures.’
Our propaganda would be successful as long as we managed to induce doubts in the heads of their troops. Of course, I didn’t believe that the influence of this video would end there.
‘The Sacred Democratic Country isn’t as sensitive to black magic as the elves?’
“So what? Would they really care about that, huh?”
The people should be able to discern things on their own. My heart started pounding as I stared at Belial on the magic hologram. Belial looked more demonic than ordinary demons. I wasn’t sure if Belial had manifested in this world with its true appearance, but I thought that way as I looked at Belial in the goddess’ mirror. Its face was burning fiercely, and its eyes were like fire burning in the abyss. There were cracks on its lips, and its large wings looked as if they could pierce the skies. The demon’s appearance was enough for anyone to deduce that it didn’t belong to this world, and it evoked an instinctive fear in anyone. No one in this world was crazy enough to think that it was a creature on the side of justice because of its appearance.
‘There’s a reason why light and dark exist.’
As far as I knew, every human being would inevitably think binarily. Between Light Ki-Young enveloped by light and the demon party that was so tainted it would make just about anyone gag. It was easy to see which of them was on the side of justice, and the people watching right now already knew the answer to that question.
I overused my mana a bit by focusing it on my eyes. Thanks to the influence of my attribute, I was able to see the faces of the enemies even though they were pretty far away.
‘Those bastards look pale.’
The foreigners on the Republic’s side looked fine, but the denizens of the Republic were pale. They definitely received some training, but they frowned as they watched the scenes being depicted in the goddess’ mirror. Some of them even looked anxious. Of course, the foreigners didn’t look that much different from them. Some foreigners were biting their lips, while the others kept on sighing.
- Dirty servants of light. I will show you the power of hell. Contractor Jin Cheong, your wish will come true!
‘Nice!’
- Thanks! Thank you, Contractor!
The video was about to reach its climax, and even though we made it slightly more dramatic, it actually happened, so all of this was a fact. A manipulation tester didn’t exist on this continent, but I was sure that no one would be able to deny the realistic scenes.
Naturally, the enemy forces became chaotic, and I couldn’t help but laugh upon seeing the leaders of the Republic trying to fix things while running around in a hurry. They seemed to be yelling something, and even though I couldn’t hear them, I had an idea about what they were saying.
‘Don’t fall for it!’
Perhaps…
‘They fabricated that video. It’s not true. Don’t fall for it and maintain formation.’
They were trying their best to take care of their soldiers’ morale, but it was no use because seeing the leaders react that way would only make those who were in doubt become even more doubtful, and there was no way they would just sit by and watch.
I heard a voice being amplified by magic.
“S-Should we stop?” Jung Ha-Yan asked.
“No, no. Why end it now? Let’s watch it again,” I suggested.
“Okay!”
‘Iterative learning is effective.’
It was important for us to make sure that they wouldn’t forget those scenes.
- Please stop displaying the fabricated video this instant. The video you’re displaying is all fabricated information. It’s nothing but a self-made scenario to fool everyone. People of other races, please don’t fall for the fabricated information and open your eyes to the truth.
- Contractor! Do you want power?!
- The Republic has never secretly communicated with a demon, and we haven’t found any signs of black magic on Jin Cheong. He’s innocent.
- Hurry and break the seal! Jin Cheong! You’re my contractor.
- They’re the ones disturbing the continent. The evil group of the Sacred Democratic Country is disturbing the order of the continent.
- I’ll give you the power to devour the continent, Jin Cheong.
‘Nice.’
It was as if the hologram was responding to everything the Republic was saying, and they were definitely shocked because they seemed to be saying something, but it didn’t make any sense to me. The mages of the Republic spreading propaganda and fabricated information looked even more shocked because even though they were claiming that the video was fabricated, the fact in front of them confused them as well. At this point, they were in a position where they had to be worried about the morale of their own soldiers more than the elves, who were apparently being tricked. Of course, there wasn’t anything they could do about it.
- I’ll say it once more. Please stop displaying the fabricated information right now. You’re all being tricked. All of this is a self-made scenario created by the Honorary Cardinal, Lee Ki-Young. It’s nothing but a dirty trick to trap the Republic.
‘Yeah, yeah, keep rambling all you want.’
- Hyung-nim… hyung-nim! Noonim! Just a little more. A little more! Hang in there!
- Don’t fall for it. All of this is fabricated information. The Sacred Democratic Country was the one who summoned the demon, not the Republic.
- You dirty bastards! Shit, shit! Hyung-nim! Just hold on a little longer, and reinforcements will come! Just endure it until then. Don’t kill yourself by overdoing it. I warned you. If you pass out because you overdid it, I won’t forgive you. I won’t!
Park Deok-Gu’s desperation displayed on the screen influenced not only the elves but the other races as well. Despite claiming that all of this was fabricated, Park Deok-Gu’s desperation touched the people, and it was the same for Han Sora. She looked as if she was about to pass out at any moment. Even I couldn’t help but tear up at the sight. It was obvious what Jung Ha-Yan and I, who had long reached our limits while being surrounded by light, looked like. The way we resisted Belial while enveloped in light made us look like heroes in fairy tales.
I couldn’t help but think that the video’s image quality was pretty good because it was recorded in real-time. The elves looked serious as they watched us rescue the neutral nation Laios after it had gotten surrounded by the dirty demons.
“Ha-Yah, use voice amplification magic and show my face on the hologram right now,” I ordered.
“Okay!”
It was time for me to make a personal appearance, so I cleared my throat to get ready. I was a bit nervous because it had been a while since I showed my face, but I started talking in a way that was consistent with my previous speeches.
‘The plan is important.’
I had decided on which plan to use.
The political conflict between the Sacred Democratic Country and the Republic was out of the question for now, so they were completely taken out of the plan. The plan I thought of was a bigger picture plan involving light and dark.
I wanted to show them that this war was about right and wrong, common sense and nonsense. I wanted them to know that it would be a foolish thing to interpret this war as nothing but a conflict between nations. I wanted them to know that it wasn’t just a fight between the Three Nation Alliance and the Anti-Religious Coalition.
‘It’s a fight between justice and evil. A fight between facts and fabrication. A fight between light and dark.’
I started talking slowly, and I heard my voice being amplified through the voice amplification magic.
“Please be with the light, everyone.”
- Please be with the light, everyone.
‘Nice.’
- Join us on the side of the light. Join us for the continent. Our swords should not be pointing at each other.
‘The sound quality is nice.’
- We’re facing the same enemy. Humanity is facing an unimaginable enemy. What you saw just now was proof, truth, and our enemy.
‘The flow is great.’
- The Three Nation Alliance isn’t trying to disrupt or destroy the order of the continent, and we didn’t form an alliance to start a war. It’s the opposite. It’s to protect all the living things on the land the goddess had bestowed upon us, which includes the humans and the other races. I’m sure you saw it on the goddess’ mirror just now. What you saw just now wasn’t a lie or fabricated information. It actually happened, and it’s a nightmare that had fallen upon Laios a few months ago. It’s also a trial that all of us will have to go through.
‘Indeed.’
- Demonic forces are still hiding throughout the continent. People like Jin Cheong, who succeeded in summoning a demon lord and created that incident in Laios, are everywhere. Even now, they are still looking for an opportunity to strike. Of course, the Sacred Democratic Country has also experienced a similar trial, and we remember it even now. The many things the demon worshiper, Ito Sota, caused… the country remembers it.
My heart still hurts whenever I remember those times.
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