Chapter 852

【 THE AMBITION OF FRANK 】

“You resemble Sophia, the governor of the Maple Moon Free State, in many ways. I think… you would probably like that place. So, if you are willing, I can write you a letter of recommendation. I believe the entire Maple Moon Free State would welcome you.”

Kelez spoke with a sincere gaze, his tone carrying a hint of genuine invitation.

However, after hearing his words, Frank fell into thought for a moment before slowly shaking his head.

“Thank you for your kindness, Lord Kelez. Although I often hear stories about what happens in Maple Moon from wandering bards, and I greatly admire Lady Sophia, who established the Free State, I’m sorry, but I do not wish to join.”

Kelez revealed a slightly surprised expression.

“Why? Can you tell me the reason?”

Frank thought for a moment before answering.

“Well, to join the Maple Moon Free State, I heard one must also switch their faith to the Church of Life. However, both I and many of my companions who follow me are devout followers of the Eternal Church.”

“Although the Eternal Church has become corrupt, the clergy is one thing, while the gods are another. In my opinion… the clergy’s mistakes cannot be blamed on the gods themselves.”

“I greatly admire the Church of Life, and I also deeply respect Her Grace, the Goddess of Life. However… I am truly sorry.”

Frank spoke with an apologetic expression, clearly unwilling to offend Kelez despite his refusal.

Kelez looked deeply at him and gently shook his head.

“Mr. Frank, tell me the truth. I know faith is not the real reason for your refusal. You know my identity, so you should also know that I can see the light of faith surrounding every person.”

As he spoke, Kelez sighed softly and looked directly into Frank’s eyes.

“Mr. Frank, how long has it been since you last visited a church of the Eternal Lord?”

As soon as he heard this, Frank trembled slightly and could not help lowering his head.

For a moment, he remained silent, as though he were searching for an answer he could not bring himself to give. Eventually, he let out a long sigh and smiled bitterly.

“Your Excellency Kelez, I am truly sorry… For now, I do not wish to join any faction.”

Kelez gave him a probing gaze for a moment before finally nodding gently.

“I understand.”

Then, he smiled again, his expression returning to its usual calmness.

“If one day you change your mind, or rather… if you wish to join the Church of Life after all, then our doors will always be open to you.”

Frank remained silent for a moment before nodding.

“Thank you.”

“However, what are your plans from here? The imperial nobles have stripped you of your title. Once the war is over, what do you intend to do with the mercenary group you have built?”

Kelez asked again, his tone carrying a hint of curiosity.

His deep gaze rested on the young knight, as though he were trying to see through the thoughts hidden beneath Frank’s calm expression.

“I can sense that you did not establish this mercenary group merely to make a living. You have led your group in upholding justice, eliminating evil, and destroying demons. Your discipline is strict, and your members fight bravely. This is nothing like a typical mercenary group.”

“What… exactly are you trying to accomplish?”

After hearing Kelez’s words, Frank fell silent once again.

His expression changed slightly, and for a moment, it seemed as though he was about to reveal the thoughts he had kept hidden for so long.

However, just as he opened his mouth to answer, the elven demigod raised a hand and stopped him.

“No, you do not need to tell me your reasons. I think… you have your own considerations and difficulties. There are some things that are better kept in one’s heart until the right time comes.”

“I have been observing you these past few days. You are a true knight who still upholds the true meaning of chivalry, and I trust your judgment.”

“However, there is one thing I would like to remind you of. The Eternal Church is not the only thing that has fallen into corruption. If you truly place certain hopes in the gods, then you may end up disappointed.”

“Of course, I am not referring to Her Grace the Goddess of Life…”

Kelez paused briefly before continuing in a calm voice.

“Mr. Frank, the doors of the Church of Life will always be open to you. If you ever make your decision, we would be more than willing to become your loyal allies once again.”

༺⟐༻

Frank did not speak with Kelez for very long.

After declining the invitation to join the Church of Life, he soon took his leave and departed.

As soon as he stepped outside, he immediately encountered his personal guard, Roland, who had apparently been waiting for him.

“Lord Frank!”

Roland happily stepped forward and saluted him.

Frank raised an eyebrow upon seeing him.

“Roland, what brings you here?”

“Hehe, I just won a card game, so I thought I’d come and pick you up. I didn’t expect you to finish so quickly.”

Roland scratched his head as he spoke, looking rather pleased with himself.

Afterward, he raised a flask in his hand and shook it slightly, his face lighting up with excitement.

“Look! Do you know what I won?”

Frank’s heart stirred with curiosity.

He looked at the elven-style flask in Roland’s hand, then took it from him and brought it close to his nose. After smelling its contents, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

“Elven flower tea?”

“Haha! That’s right! The legendary elven flower tea! I heard that in the imperial capital, only wealthy noble lords can afford to drink it!”

Roland said excitedly, clearly quite proud of his prize.

However, just after saying this, he suddenly noticed the faint trace of gloom between Frank’s brows.

His expression stiffened as he realized what he had just said and hurriedly covered his mouth.

“Ah… I’m sorry… Lord Frank. I shouldn’t have mentioned the nobles…”

Frank had been stripped of his noble status.

Although he always said that he had abandoned his noble status himself, voluntarily abandoning it and having it stripped away were two entirely different matters.

To the imperial nobility, being stripped of one’s title was an almost humiliating disgrace, tantamount to complete ruin.

Normally, Roland never dared mention the nobility in front of him. He was afraid that doing so might remind Frank of the painful matter.

However, he had been too excited about his prize today and had completely forgotten about it.

Of course, Roland himself had also been disowned by his family for choosing to follow Frank. Yet he neither regretted his decision nor cared about losing his noble status.

Hearing Roland’s apology, Frank shook his head helplessly.

“No, Roland. I’ve told you many times that I don’t care about something as insignificant as a noble title.”

“Then… why do you look so unhappy?”

Roland asked curiously.

Frank froze for a moment.

“Do I… really look unhappy?”

He raised a hand and touched his cheek, as though trying to determine whether his expression had truly betrayed his thoughts.

Roland nodded without hesitation.

“Of course. You look completely lost.”

Frank was stunned.

He had not even realized that his mood was showing so clearly on his face.

After a moment, he let out a soft sigh and smiled bitterly.

“Perhaps… I am a little lost myself.”

“Lost? Lord Frank, didn’t you say that after everything you’ve been through, you’ve already decided how you want to move forward? Didn’t you say that you planned to lead everyone in upholding justice, punishing evil, and saving people from suffering?”

Roland asked in confusion, unable to understand why Frank suddenly seemed so uncertain.

Frank sighed.

“Roland, His Excellency Kelez just invited me to join the Maple Moon Free State.”

Roland’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Hmm… What?”

The next moment, realization dawned on him, and his expression gradually became excited.

“Really?!”

“But I politely declined.”

Frank calmly finished his sentence.

“WHAT?!”

Roland’s excitement froze on his face.

“W-Why did you decline? That’s the Maple Moon Free State! Haven’t you always said that you admired that place throughout our journey?”

“Besides… even if we joined Maple Moon, our group could still remain active as mercenaries! Those things don’t conflict with one another!”

“Not to mention, if we really became members of the Maple Moon Free State, everyone in our group would finally have a place we could call home…”

Roland’s voice gradually became more regretful as he spoke. Clearly, he had already begun imagining what it would be like for their group to have a permanent home.

Seeing him go from ecstatic to utterly dejected in an instant, Frank was slightly taken aback.

“But I remember you saying that your family has always been devout followers of the Eternal Church.”

“To hell with being a believer of the Eternal Lord! Lord Frank, if we can join the Maple Moon Free State, then I’m willing to change my faith immediately! You’ve seen it yourself. The Eternal Church has become so corrupt nowadays!”

Roland said bitterly, his previous loyalty to the Eternal Church seemingly forgotten in an instant.

Frank: “…”

“Still… no matter how good the Maple Moon Free State is, you, Lord Frank, are the only person we chose to follow. So whatever decision you make, I’m sure everyone in our group will support you.”

Seeing the hesitation in Frank’s expression, Roland quickly added this, as though he was worried that Frank might misunderstand his earlier reaction.

After speaking, Roland hesitated for a moment before asking curiously:

“But… I’m still curious. Why did you decline Lord Kelez’s invitation?”

Hearing his personal guard’s question, Frank let out a long sigh.

“Roland, tell me… how much difference can a knight who punishes evil and upholds justice really make in this corrupt age?”

His voice carried a hint of weariness, as though this was a question he had asked himself countless times during his journey.

Without waiting for Roland to answer, Frank shook his head and sighed again.

“It’s not enough… Far from enough. Along the way, I’ve seen far too much suffering. The empire has become corrupt, down to its very foundations. The noble houses have fallen into depravity and decadence, while the high-ranking clergy of the Eternal Church are utterly incompetent. On top of that, there is the widespread chaos caused by the resurgence of mana.”

He paused, his expression becoming increasingly solemn.

“Alas, this entire nation is already terminally ill…”

As Frank spoke, he turned to look at Roland, and the weariness in his eyes was gradually replaced by a firm resolve.

“Roland, this is the first time I’ve told you what I truly think. I came here to the southern frontier and established this mercenary group for more than just becoming a knight and vanquishing demons.”

He clenched his fists slightly, as though finally making a decision he had been contemplating for a long time.

“What I truly want is to overthrow this corrupt nation…”

Roland’s eyes instantly widened.

“Over… overthrow the empire?!”

“That’s right. You were right before. I greatly admire the Maple Moon Free State, and I also greatly admire everything the Church of Life has done.”

“Over the past few months, I’ve been observing, thinking, and comparing as I traveled. Gradually, I’ve come to realize that perhaps the Maple Moon’s model of governance is what the future should look like.”

Frank spoke in a solemn voice, his words carrying the weight of a decision he had evidently kept hidden in his heart for a long time.

Roland stared at him in shock.

As a personal guard knight born into the nobility, the concept of social hierarchy had been deeply ingrained in Roland’s mind from an early age. To him, the imperial system was something that had always existed, an established order that was difficult to imagine challenging, let alone overthrowing.

He had never imagined that Frank would harbor such an astonishing ambition.

“B-But… if that’s really what you intend… wouldn’t it… wouldn’t it be better to join the Maple Moon Free State?”

Roland stammered, still struggling to process what he had just heard.

Frank understood what he meant.

If his ultimate goal was to overthrow the empire, then joining the Maple Moon Free State and gaining the support of the elves would naturally make everything much easier. With the strength and influence of the Church of Life behind him, Frank would have far more resources at his disposal.

Yet despite that, he had declined the elves’ invitation.

Frank did not explain immediately. Instead, he looked at Roland and asked:

“Roland, what do you think of the current situation on the continent?”

“Hmm… Lord Frank, I’m just a knight. Although I was once a noble, you know that I’ve always hated those lessons since I was a child. So I don’t know much about politics.”

Roland scratched his head sheepishly.

Frank could not help but laugh and gently shook his head. However, the smile soon faded from his face, and his expression gradually became serious.

“Roland, if I join Maple Moon and then try to overthrow the empire, I’m afraid it could provoke a strong reaction from the Eternal Church. It might even lead to a holy war…”

As soon as he heard this, Roland’s eyes widened again.

“W-What, a Holy War?!”

Frank let out a long sigh.

“This matter involves secrets from a thousand years ago… Roland, do you know about the Thousand-Year War in which the empire was founded?”

“Hmm… I’ve only heard some old tales about it. Our House has a relatively short history, so there isn’t much recorded about it.”

Roland replied, his expression somewhat awkward. Clearly, this was not something he had ever paid much attention to.

Frank nodded.

“The Holy Maniya Empire was founded upon the destruction of the Elven Kingdom. In truth, the war that established the empire was actually a conflict between the gods.”

“And the gods who fought against each other were none other than the Eternal Lord and the World Tree.”

“The World Tree? Then… wouldn’t that mean—”

Roland’s eyes widened once again as realization slowly dawned on him.

“That’s right. Her Grace the Goddess of Life, Evé.”

Frank let out a long sigh.

He had already understood the significance of this matter, but even after so many years, speaking of it still made his expression somewhat solemn.

Then, he continued:

“Her Grace the Goddess of Life has a conflict with the Eternal Lord.”

“I want to change the current state of the empire. I want to overthrow the current regime. If I do so merely as a follower of the Eternal Lord, then it would simply be a civil war between humans.”

“But if I join the Maple Moon Free State as a believer of the Goddess of Life, then the nature of the conflict would change completely. It would become a racial war of faith…”

“Roland, in that case, the intensity of the war would be completely different.”

Frank’s voice grew heavier.

“I want to save people, not destroy them. A conflict between true gods would inevitably bring devastating consequences… especially since Her Grace the Goddess of Life and the Eternal Lord are both among the most powerful gods.”

After hearing Frank’s words, Roland opened his mouth, but for a moment, he was completely speechless.

He had never considered the situation from this perspective.

After a moment of silence, however, he could not help saying:

“But from what I’ve seen… you seem to favor the Church of Life more, and you also seem more drawn to its teachings.”

“I once saw you reading the holy book of life by the lamplight at night, completely absorbed in it. Lord Frank, perhaps you haven’t even realized it yourself, but unlike when you speak of the Eternal Lord, whenever you mention the Goddess of Life, you always address Her with respect.”

Roland paused, as though carefully choosing his next words.

“If that’s the case, why can’t you establish a nation whose faith is centered on the Church of Life? Just like the Maple Moon Free State.”

“Besides, the Eternal Church is already so corrupt anyways. So even if you rebuild the nation, Lord Frank, can you really change everything?”

“Moreover, with the Eternal Church’s foundation rooted in the nobility, would it really allow you to overthrow the whole noble system?”

One question after another struck at the heart of Frank’s plans.

Roland’s words were blunt, but they were not without reason.

They left Frank standing silently in place, his expression becoming increasingly complicated as he pondered the problems Roland had raised.

After a couple of moments, Frank sighed.

“That is precisely what I wanted to say. The foundations of the empire are not only the nobility, but also the Eternal Church itself.”

“So if I want to overthrow the entire noble system, then I must also obtain the support of the Eternal Church…”

“This is politics, and politics cannot take personal feelings into consideration.”

Frank paused briefly before continuing, his expression carrying a trace of helplessness.

“Roland, although I greatly dislike the Eternal Church, and although it has become corrupt, there are still some saints who have remained true to their original convictions.”

“In fact, I know of one such person. He is a true saint, respected by the people, and even the Pope holds him in high regard.”

“He lives in seclusion in a village near the southern mountains. Once the demons have been eliminated, I plan to visit him and seek his support.”

Frank’s gaze became firm.

“Roland, I would also be very willing to establish a nation that follows the Church of Life. But sometimes, ideals and reality are two different things.”

“The Eternal Church may be disappointing, but it has not yet reached the point where there is absolutely no hope of saving it…”

After finally speaking his mind, Frank felt considerably more relieved.

It was as though he had been carrying these thoughts alone for a long time, and finally putting them into words had eased some of the weight on his shoulders.

However, Roland frowned and gently shook his head.

“But Lord Frank, are you really certain that Saint will support what you are trying to do?”

“Moreover, even if you choose the Eternal Church, despite not liking it, because you fear that the Church of Life and the Eternal Church might go to war, can you really be certain that a war between the two churches will not break out?”

Frank shook his head.

“No. The Church of Life advocates peace. It would not go to war with others without reason.”

“—Then what if the Eternal Church starts the war first?”

Roland asked again, his expression becoming increasingly serious.

Frank froze.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then, he gave a bitter smile.

“In that case… I’m afraid the Eternal Church would truly be beyond saving…”

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