Myths Reawakened

Pontiff Reza didn’t know what the Anointed One was or what they represented, but he could make an educated guess based on the seven reincarnated angels. Aside from the three Thrones, four Sacred Virtues had descended, and two of them were Śārim. Their only mission was to look for... no, to welcome the Anointed One to Heaven.

That made it clear what the Anointed One was and their importance to Heaven. He couldn’t overestimate the Anointed One’s status!

The reincarnated angels had produced descendants in the human world. The Heavenly Father, after reincarnating...

Reza started trembling in anticipation. He wouldn’t die. Not only wouldn’t he die, but his status would skyrocket. He had personally guided Śār Hesione to the Anointed One and offered all of the Papal State’s assets to the Anointed One, taking everything from the Anointed One’s left pocket to put it in his right pocket. When the Anointed One visited to audit their work, Reza had assigned two clergywomen to him, receiving his compliments.

Reza had also driven a coach for the Anointed One!

Putting aside his contribution and effort, his loyalty alone trumped everyone else in the human world. There was not a single person who could rival him.

“Hesione!” Auriel’s eyes blazed, his face flushed with anger. “You’ve lost yourself due to the demon’s deception. It’s one thing for you to fall on your own, but Heaven’s glory must not be put at risk. This is the Papal State. Take back your ignorant word. He is a demon, not the Anointed One.”

He reaffirmed his stance, refusing to bow to a demon.

At that moment, Gerar, Vilkul, and Fred all took Auriel’s side. Although they hadn’t spoken up, their frosty expressions spoke volumes.

Standing in opposition to them were Hesione, Hestia, and Olga.

Olga was just there to fill the number. She was a battle angel from Mikhael’s legion, only choosing Śār Hesione’s side because she had no place by Auriel’s side. Once she returned to Heaven, she would most likely go back to Mikhael.

The only ones loyal to Wayne were Hesione and Hestia.

To be more precise, Hestia was loyal to her leader, while Hesione was the only one fully devoted to Wayne.

Reza was thoroughly confused. The seven reincarnated angels had divided into two camps. One camp claimed that Wayne was the Anointed One, while the other camp called him a demon. So...

Reza chose Wayne without hesitation, considering him the Anointed One!

The reason was simple: the sunk cost was too great. Reza had given Wayne everything he could, personally orchestrating the loss of Hesione’s purity and the fire that burned down the Papal State’s warehouses, disguised as a demon’s doing. He had no choice but to insist that Wayne was the Anointed One.

If he took Auriel’s side, his every crime would warrant a death sentence when the time of judgment came.

At this moment, it no longer mattered to him whether Wayne was the Anointed One or a demon. Even if Wayne was a demon, he had to keep to his allegiance. If he couldn’t go to Heaven, he would follow the great demon lord to Hell and achieve greatness all the same.

That was the essence of faith!

Regular followers didn’t understand faith, which was why they seemed foolish. Those in power knew that one could afford to be blind, but not stubborn. Faith was a business. It was a reality show for demonstrating loyalty.

Neither side would yield.

Wayne took two steps back and spectated with mirth. The irritating way he put his hands in his pockets didn’t seem very Anointed-One-like.

“Hesione, open your eyes and watch carefully!” Auriel pointed at Wayne, furious. “In what way does he seem like the Anointed One? He’s clearly a demon.”

Gerar, Vilkul, and Fred nodded solemnly. He was a demon; he had to be.

Reza glanced at Wayne and almost nodded in agreement. The cardinals shared the sentiment, but their years of experience in the church told them that they were in no position to take a stand, nor did they have the power to do it. They thus kept their heads bowed and their mouths shut.

“You’re too narrow-minded, Auriel. Think about what the Anointed One has done. He’s been bringing you salvation.” Hesione took a step forward. “To save me, he went so far as to taint himself. To save you, he’s even descended as one of the Seven Deadly Sins!”

“Don’t you understand? The Seven Sacred Virtues have fallen. Heaven’s glory has dimmed. The Anointed One is wailing!”

“Nonsense,” Auriel shot back. “I, Auriel, have never fallen. I’ve held fast to my virtue.”

His resolve wavered, and he lost the steel in his voice. While he believed that he had been generous, his teammates left much to be desired: the filthy Purity, the wanton Temperance, and the wrathful Gentleness looked every bit as fallen as Hesione had described.

“Aren’t you going to say something, Anointed One?” Reza approached Wayne carefully, bowing to him. “If you don’t stop the distinguished angels now, the internal strife in Heaven will damage your image.”

“They won’t start fighting. There are too many people here, and Auriel is a prideful Śār. He won’t let others see himself get humiliated.” Wayne whispered loudly, his grin growing wider at Auriel’s dark scowl.

He glanced at Reza and added, “You’ve taken a stance too soon. Although I’m not a demon, I’m not the Anointed One, either. It’s the rumor Hesione has been spreading. After losing her purity to me, she had no choice but to support me as the Anointed One.”

I’m in the same boat!

Reza faced him with deference. “I trust Śār Hesione’s judgment and my own observation. You are the Anointed One.”

“What a snake you are,” Wayne praised. “No wonder you’ve become the Pontiff.”

The man continued his mistake even though he knew he was wrong; the world of magic was so very practical.

“Anointed One, may I ask what the Anointed One represents in Heaven and in the human world?” Reza asked.

“The Anointed One is the Heavenly Father’s successor, so they will be Heaven’s and your master. It’s because of the Anointed One’s importance that these angels keep arguing about who they are.”

Reza’s breath quickened. He prayed that Wayne was the Anointed One. He was going to show more of his deference when Hestia deterred him with a glare.

Damn Pontiff, get away from him!

Hestia’s hostility toward Reza was in stark contrast with her attitude toward Wayne. “Śār, why must you have Auriel take you back to Heaven even though you’ve regained your full power?”

“Come on. Repeat after me: Hesione!”

“Clergywoman!”

“Fine,” Wayne groaned. “Do not stray from my sight once we’re in Heaven.”

“Understood.”

Reza looked at Hestia speechlessly. Where did the idiot come from? Was Heaven such a lenient workplace? If someone like her could become a Throne, he could, too.

Then he realized that Hestia wasn’t stupid. She was quite clever, in fact. Just like him and Hesione, she had no choice because of the tremendous sunk cost.

Footsteps approached from around them. More and more clergy members appeared and tried to take a peek at the unfolding drama. There were now over a hundred of them, and more were showing up.

Wayne waved, telling Reza to kick the extras out. This show was indeed entertaining, but the actors were so expensive that regular people couldn’t afford the tickets.

Reza had the cardinals clear the courtyard, driving away ninety-nine percent of the spectators. Only a few relevant characters remained, including a pregnant Titus and two pure clergywomen.

Eyes bright, Wayne beckoned the three women over. The two clergywomen assigned to him were both top-tier beauties who could rival his most stunning harem members, but like a celibate, he had not asked for their names yet.

He was trying to protect them. The Papal State was practical to a fault, which benefitted the Papal State, but Wayne didn’t like it.

Holding the two clergywomen, he turned to Reza and said, “The Anointed One is happy to be assigned clergywomen, but he doesn’t like that other reincarnated angels have been assigned clergywomen, too.”

Reza nodded. He had been looking into the scandal. He only asked for a little more time to catch the culprit and punish them. He would show no mercy.

“That’s reassuring.”

Wayne patted the two clergywomen on the backsides, sending them away. If he ever had time, he would have a good chat with them.

Once the devoted but foolish clergywomen were gone, he turned to Titus with a smile. “Tsk, how many months has it been? Why hasn’t Archibald told me? He’s being a stranger.”

Titus stammered, her expression dimming when the name Archibald came up. Her hand stopped stroking her belly.

That was why Wayne didn’t like this strategy employed by the Papal State. The reincarnated angel refused to take responsibility after putting their pants back on, leaving the mother and child alone in the human world. When the child asked about their father, their mother would have to point at the sky and say that their father was in Heaven...

It wasn’t a happy ending.

Wayne produced a magical item of Holy Light and handed it to Titus, giving the mother and child something he had picked up while passing by the Papal State’s warehouses.

“Titus, since we’re friends, I’ll give the child a gift. Take this.”

Seeing the item’s value, Titus hurriedly shook her hands in rejection. Her gaze shifted to Vilkul every once in a while, her sadness compounding when he wouldn’t even look at her.

“Take it!” Wayne took her hand and made her take the item, raising an eyebrow. “Given your contribution, His Holiness will surely treat you right. No matter how many resources he has to give you, he will make you a legendary mage. Then there will be angels guiding you to Heaven. He can’t run. He must pay for his impulses.”

Titus blushed, bowing respectfully.

“Look at him, Hesione! In no time, he’s already seduced three clergywomen!” Auriel pointed at Wayne. He had caught the demon red-handed. There was no talking himself out of it. A demon could not change their spots, and their wicked bones couldn’t be hidden!

Hesione shook her head. She knew what roles the three clergywomen played. Thinking of Mona and herself, she considered them with sympathy. “Auriel, the Anointed One is saving them. Your stubborn ignorance has compromised your judgment. Stop talking. You’re bringing dishonor to Heaven and the Anointed One.”

The distortion of facts almost gave Auriel a stroke. If he were Wayne’s match, he would have challenged Hesione to a duel.

Vilkul looked over and saw the mother of his child getting entangled with Wayne. He shot her a few anxious looks, urging her to stay away from the demon.

Gentleness had been angry since his awakening—at himself, the Pontiff, his fellow angels, and Wayne, but never Titus. Based on that alone, he was indeed quite gentle. He never vented his anger on an innocent person.

He looked at me!

Titus turned around every few steps. She knew that Vilkul wasn’t Archibald, but still couldn’t stop herself from missing him. She wanted to rest her head on his shoulder and watch the sunset with him, having idle chats to pass the time.

Wayne watched the frail figure go. Shaking his head, he turned to Reza and said, “I remember you saying that Vilkul didn’t erase Archibald’s memories after his awakening. He’s still around, isn’t he?”

Reza nodded. Unable to face Titus, who was pregnant with his blood, Vilkul had kept Archibald around. He was still alive.

Wayne nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

Archibald hadn’t disappeared, nor had Kael. Wayne had taken a liking to the two men. Archibald was gentle and easygoing, always ready to offer a warm smile, while Kael... His standards of beauty alone made him a good friend.

If possible, Wayne would like to help them out.

He hadn’t been able to do anything for them. If he did nothing now that he could do something, he would be in the wrong.