The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 228 Each Person's Choice (4.6k)

Impersonating deities, claiming divine will, and even using this to control the faith of believers...

If this were an era when the footprints of the gods covered the earth, I wouldn't dare do such a thing even if you gave me a hundred lives.

After all, they are truly watching over this world, choosing God's chosen ones as their agents on earth in order to spread their faith and win over believers.

In an era where God's chosen people are everywhere, such unconventional and blasphemous behavior is like a dwarf suddenly appearing on stilts—it's far too conspicuous.

but now?

I could even curse Gruush as a brainless idiot who deserves to be ridiculed by the gods for ten thousand years.

Of course he couldn't hear me.

After all, if gods truly exist, then the first to deal with me wouldn't be Gruush, but rather the dwarf god Moradin.

The departure of the gods gave Tang Qi the courage to change the doctrine.

His demeanor as a "beacon of hope" also gave him the ability to spread his doctrines.

Because he had stepped forward to lead the [Roaring Howl] tribe under deliberate despair, they already felt a sense of closeness to him.

She gained trust by treating his injuries and replaced the old prophet Barbaya.

All these factors combined made it possible to 'lead the orcs'.

All beginnings are hard.

But now that the Howling Clan has emerged as practitioners of the new doctrine, it's only a matter of time before they can win over other orcs, provided things are handled properly.

This was a risk-free and highly profitable business. Tang Qi was even looking forward to seeing what kind of sensation his experience of subduing the orcs would cause and what kind of rewards he would receive when it was written in his log.

"And all of this began with this doctrine—"

Tang Qi looked at the parchment in his hand, his brows furrowing more and more as he looked at it.

After all, it's just the central idea, with not much content; one sheet of paper is enough to convey it.

Seeing Tang Qi's furrowed brows, Arthur felt inexplicably nervous.

It felt like stepping back into the past when we studied the Bible and had to write down our understanding of the Scriptures. These reflections would then be examined by the bishop, and those who failed to meet the requirements might lose their eligibility to become pastors…

"Is there something wrong with what I wrote?" he asked.

"No, you write very well, it's just..."

Tang Qi shook his head and sighed, then looked at the bustling tribespeople gathered on the giant tortoise's shell.

He couldn't understand orcish or goblin language, both of which were filled with guttural sounds and short words, making the noise sound like booming drums mixed with the harsh sound of copper bowls, a buzzing sound that made his head hurt.

But he still cleared his throat and read aloud the first paragraph of the text:
"True God—"

God is iron-blooded, conquering, and glorious.

Do not doubt the powerful force within your blood; it is a gift from the Father God. Born to fight, you fear no death. Unleash your rage upon the heavens and the earth, not for personal gain, but to forge unparalleled glory with iron and blood.

This passage is crucial, as it clarifies the significance of the orcs' existence.

Although they don't care about meaning.

But when they realize that the instinct in their blood—that endless anger—is closely related to the doctrine, they will subconsciously come to believe in the legitimacy of the doctrine's existence.

"unified--

In the past, our ancestors were misled by the false words of a deity, which tarnished the image of the God of War, causing him to leave in anger. This was not out of cold-heartedness, but rather a form of punishment.

Now, shame is etched into our bones, and only the blood of our enemies can wash it away; the eyes of our Father can only be rekindled by the flames of war. This is the only holy path to return to God's favor.

The path to holiness begins with the unification of our people's will. Internal unity is the forge that forges the supreme divine weapon; those who shatter this forge are guilty of the sin of defying divine will and shall be our enemies.

This is the core of the doctrine, so that 'believers' can clearly understand the purpose of conquest.

Their current aim is to set things right and regain the favor of the gods, not simply to wage war.

The second point was placed to highlight the importance of 'unity' and to make these orcs understand the priorities, so as to avoid recklessly provoking conflicts and causing trouble.

"glory--

The lands you have conquered are the monument to your achievements; the skulls you have offered are the proof that you have regained divine grace.

The living fear no death; those who perish in war, their souls return to the embrace of the Father God, accompanying Him on His journey through the stars and the battlefields of the gods, to enjoy the eternal joy of conquest.

This allows the orcs to gradually understand the importance of honor.

Death is not the end of life; on the contrary, dying in the midst of war is also a kind of honor, and will earn you the favor of Gewush, making you a member of the Expeditionary Legion.

Once they start to care about things other than violence, the next point becomes clear.

"prophet:
God has mercy on His people and longs for you to return to the journey. Therefore, the Prophets descend to guide you. The words of the Prophets are the oral commands of God; the deeds of the Prophets are the sacred path of redemption.

The Prophet is one, the savior of hunger, the redeemer of despair, and the leader of unity. To follow the Prophet is to follow in the footsteps of Geush's return.

To ensure the uniqueness of the 'prophet', so as to prevent him from being replaced by someone else.

At the same time, they were made into private soldiers who were mentally obedient to orders, so as to better control violence and stabilize chaos.

One can only say that he truly deserves to be called a "professional" who came from the Holy City.

According to the basic logic of the Twilight Cult, by "copying a lizard to draw a dragon," one can summarize one's own central idea and compile it into a plausible form.

This is very important. Only by establishing the doctrine can we ensure that all subsequent decisions have a reference, are convincing, and do not go astray.

The hustle and bustle of the entire market was silenced by this earnest recitation.

A raven suddenly flew overhead; it was a crow-man who had just been released from prison.

"quack--"

Sivana stood at the front of the crowd, craning her neck forward, so stunned that she even forgot to close her open mouth.

That look seemed to say...

"What the hell is this guy saying?"

Tang Qi sighed and patted Arthur on the shoulder.

Sure enough, you can't expect a bunch of orcs who only know how to "waaaaa" to understand these written languages ​​and elegant phrases.

So he beckoned to Sivana with his finger, gesturing for her to come closer:
I'll say a sentence, and you translate it.

"Why—"

Shyvana instinctively refused, then remembered her past as a slave.

"can!"

That was the only way she could agree.

So Tang Qi began to recite the first article of the doctrine again:
"God! We were born to fight!"

"Wow!!!"

Now I understand.

"Unity! We need to take down those sons of bitches of pseudo-believers first!"

"Wow!!!"

"Glory! Don't be a fucking coward, you can only fight in the sky if you die on the battlefield!"

"Wow!!!"

"prophet!"

Tang Qi took a breath and waved to Fede, who was standing to the side, signaling her to bring over the compensation food—mostly rye that had been exchanged, along with some hunted meat, mostly wolf meat.

Doctrine is certainly important, but showing them the benefits is equally essential:
"Gewush sent me here to take you guys out for a meat feast and a fight. From now on, you'll all listen to me!"

"Wow ah ah ah!!!"

Kuru suddenly roared in the orc language:
"Great Ghuush, great prophet!"

"Great Ghuush, great prophet!"

Arthur watched helplessly as Tang Qi, in a manner that could only be described as crude, united the orcs together.

For a fleeting moment, he was genuinely afraid that this bard before him might one day lead the orcs to become a major threat to the Southern Wall...

But considering what he did in the castle, he didn't think it could be that evil.

All I could do was silently draw the holy emblem on my chest, praying that I hadn't really gotten myself on a sinking ship.

"I did this for world peace, and my loving father will forgive me..."

Shyvana, who had never witnessed such unity within the tribe, also began to ruffle her unruly dreadlocks in surprise. Finally, she couldn't help but wrinkle her nose and glare at Tang Qi:

"I am the chief!"

"Yes, of course you are. Everyone knows that—"

As Tang Qi spoke, in front of all the tribe's people, he patted Shyvana on the shoulder.

"Shvana is still the chieftain of the tribe, everyone remember that."

"Chief Shivana, Chief Shivana!"

The orcs and goblins cheered her name, which seemed to frighten Shyvana.

You see, this all started a year ago when she took the position of chieftain, accepted the deal, and led her tribe to escape the threat of the 'Colorful Ocean' and arrive at the Dusk Forest.

The questions surrounding her have never ceased.

But now, just one sentence from this human has resolved her long-standing heartache... It has even lessened the shame he brought her in the past.

Shyvana looked at Tang Qi, unsure how to evaluate this man.

But there's at least one thing she has to admit—

This man was far more powerful than she had imagined.

The [Roar] tribe reveres strength above all else.

However, strength is sometimes not only reflected in physique and physical strength.

To be able to solve problems that one is powerless to solve, and to achieve goals that one is powerless to achieve...

"Thank you."

He deserves his own respect.

Tang Qi raised an eyebrow, not expecting her to back down so quickly.
"Listen to me, and you'll get your share of the benefits."

"cut……"

Shyvana spat inwardly, turned her head away, and didn't refute anything further like before.

Tang Qi found it somewhat amusing—

Dealing with such naive people always makes you laugh.

She was secretly pleased that her status as 'chief' had been recognized.

They didn't realize that they had gained the tribe's support because they were recognized by their own 'prophet'.

"It's even kind of adorably silly...that's a good thing."

Tang Qi shrugged, then looked at Fede one last time:
"So the matter in your village has been resolved?"

Federer nodded; it was clear she wasn't in a good mood either.

"One-third of the people want to break the curse, a small number want to leave and make a living on their own... Only half the people are left in the village."

While respecting everyone's freedom to leave, it's hard not to feel saddened by the loss of kinship after ten years of maintaining the village and seeing it on the verge of disintegration.

Where is Kane?

"He was very injured, and I took over his duties."

"Won't this affect your relationship?"

"If he dares to object, I won't let him into my bed."

"Hmm...that works. But besides that, we need some punishments and ways to atone for our sins. Establishing rules is something a group must face."

"I see."

Considering her identity as a beastman, Tang Qi offered her some other ideas:

"Speaking of which, a group of beastmen fled from Longjin City a while ago. If you want to recruit your fellow countrymen, you can try your luck in the city when you go to buy supplies."

"Really?" Fied blinked, not quite believing it.

"I released him, how could I not know?"

"you!?"

Fied's lips trembled.

"Damn it, what exactly did you do in Dragon Gold City?"

"Tang Qi's Guide to Longjin City can answer all your questions."

Tang Qi didn't forget to give an advertisement.

"Also, you can keep an eye on the orphanage in the Deep Well District. There is a director named Marian there who knows many beastmen, if she is still alive."

Leon's scandal always simmers for a while, giving many people a chance to catch their breath.

Tang Qi remained relatively optimistic about Long Jincheng's situation as a beastman.

"Okay, I'll keep an eye on it."

Regardless of whether it was true or false, Fede kept it firmly in mind and looked solemnly at Tang Qi.

"Anyway... thank you. Donkey Weinberger, although it was only a few days, but—that time at the castle, your 'adventurous spirit,' I will probably remember it for the rest of my life."

Of course, I hope you can speak more politely in the future and not resort to such language so easily…

She made a throat-slitting motion.

"It was a negotiation tactic. I didn't intend for you to die back then. Even if Arthur didn't save you, I would have let Dawn save you."

"Okay, I can understand. After all, I originally planned to lead you into the blood mist and then sneak away... so we're even."

Anyway, if you need anything in the future, just come to me. I'll do everything I can to help.

In Fied's view, this was a way of expressing gratitude for Tang Qi's help in finding true 'belonging'.

"Then I won't refuse."

Although it was unexpected, gaining a friendship is still a good result.

The world is so big, and as a bard, you will always need help sometimes.

Perhaps he's asking for directions, or perhaps he's looking for a place to hide from his wife's husband who's chasing after him after their affair last night... In short, having more friends means having more options.

If all else fails, there's always a backup plan.

So it is recorded in "Praise".

"What about you?"

Tang Qi looked at Arthur, "What do you say?"

Arthur knew that Tang Qi was planning to leave, and after thinking for a moment, he said:

"Don't wait for me. After I lift the curse on these people, I will escort them out of the forest... and then return to the village we met before."

"The one who encountered a vampire?" Tang Qi remembered.

That was Arthur's reason for venturing deep into the forest.

Arthur nodded, his hesitation evident in his tone:

"I should... face the mistakes I have made."

"what do you mean?"

He only knew the reason, but had never heard the details of the matter.

Arthur sighed:

"I never told you the truth—"

The vampire clone was locked in the cellar by his father, who fed his child with his own blood.

I don't know if he hurt anyone, but at the time I didn't investigate carefully. I just felt that he shouldn't exist in this world, and then, disregarding his father's wishes, I brought him eternal rest.

But perhaps I should allow a touch of gray to exist at the boundary between light and darkness—like Sean's betrayal, which was for the sake of the family's continuation.

"Like the twilight of the setting sun, it is not as dazzling as the blazing sun."

Tang Qi said,
"However, you can't be sure whether he will hurt others when his father can no longer donate more blood."

So I don't think it's wrong; the question you should be thinking about is whether your actions stemmed from impulse.

“You’re right. Understanding it is the lesson I should have faced after leaving the Holy City.”

"I hope that when we meet next time, you will have the answer."

Tang Qi patted his shoulder, as if he had just thought of something, and suddenly asked curiously,
"By the way, why do you always wear a helmet? I still don't know what you look like."

“Taking off my helmet will get me into trouble, so…”

"So mysterious?"

Tang Qi became even more curious, but he had no intention of forcing anyone to do anything against their will.

Anyway, I wish you good luck on your journey ahead.

Arthur waved to him, and then climbed down the turtle's back with Fide.

Before long, the sound of horns echoed through the tranquil forest, and the heavy, thunderous footsteps of the giant tortoise sent a chill down his spine.

"It's really scary."

But following the horn was a melodious tune played on the lute.

Like leaping sprites, they linger among the treetops and leaves.

Arthur was very familiar with the melody.

This is "Sylvie in My Dreams".

Strictly speaking, it is a song that connects the three of them:
"The unexpected becomes a long river of connection, washing away the barriers between us."

Although we are all just passing through each other's lives, at least our friendship remains for this moment.

Encounters, arguments—even short journeys can be joyful.

Parting ways, goodbye, we each have our own choices to make.

(End of this chapter)