Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 2639: Humbug Herald

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Southern Region, Southern Capital, Guild Association Mall

”Hahaha, you really think I am helpless against your tricks, don’t you, humbug herald? Stop spouting nonsense and free them. They are citizens of the Southern Region first. Religion has no place in the five regions,” I broke into laughter, sensing that the Emissary of Light was looking at me like a clown.

I knew his scorn stemmed from his belief that I was overestimating my place in the hierarchy of the Southern Region. To him, I was nothing more than a tool the Southern Royal family was using to prosper, one they would discard the moment I lost my value. He was not wrong. Many within the Southern Region’s upper and top hierarchy thought the same.

My only solace was that Anna and Colleen did not. The Anna I knew and loved was back, and Colleen was the elder I never had. She was not smart but wise in some ways. Her brazenness compensated for the rest. She embodied a simple, direct creed: keep it simple, dummy.

However, this perception of me existed largely because the Southern Princess and I chose to portray it that way to all five regions. The closer we appeared, the more likely we were to draw out the jealousy of the human heart. We gave people something to speak of and laugh about behind our backs: the Southern Princess for her ignorance and narrow-sightedness, and me for overestimating myself despite my humble beginnings. In doing so, they were able to remain satisfied within their own perfect little world and not disturb us, forcing our hands.

This applied to the Emissary of Light as well. No matter how intelligent and cunning he was, when it came to matters of the heart, he was just as ignorant as the rest. I could see him relaxing his guard within my celestial domain, even going so far as to glance at me with disdain. This was human nature. No matter how great or intimidating my other achievements were, once I revealed a single flaw, they began to see themselves as superior to me, even though the reality could not have been further from it.

For example, back in my freshman days, one of my classmates was popular and athletic enough to get an athletic scholarship. He had no shortage of attention from girls. The rest of the boys, driven by jealousy, constantly bad-mouthed him and tried to get him into trouble. One day, he came to us in tears, claiming his girlfriend had cheated on him. From then on, the hostility vanished. Aside from spreading the story of her infidelity, sometimes they defended him and even helped him.

They ignored the fact that she had only cheated because he had slept with her sister, and that he was exploiting the incident to pursue other girls. This was how the human heart worked and was no reflection of their intelligence in any way. How do I know this? Make your best guess.

”Master Wyatt, this is no trick. No one is held against their wishes or being forced. Five regions might not have a place for religion, but their heart clearly does. Otherwise, they could summon as It is my duty to protect my followers. I hope you will overlook this incident on my behalf,” the Emissary of Light said, ignoring the fact that it was his so-called followers who had attacked me first. He showed no intention of apologizing for their actions, yet had no qualms about asking me to release them.

I did not understand what he thought was happening here. Underestimating me was one thing, but being so arrogant within someone else’s territory? Did he truly believe himself to be untouchable?

Without waiting for my response, the Emissary of Light continued as he slowly neared me. ”Humbug Herald? That’s a new one. Master Wyatt, it seems you have been ill-informed about me. If you can spare a few minutes of your precious time, I will help you see what these gentlemen and ladies have endured.”

Watching him approach, I could not help but smirk, knowing he was up to no good. Even so, I simply stood there and let him come closer. Soon, an apparition of the true Emissary of Light began to emerge from the guard captain’s body. The apparition grew until it stood nearly two stories tall. It regarded me with a benevolent gaze, extended its hand above my head, and chanted aloud, ”I, the true son of heaven, guide you back to the embrace of heaven. Freeing you from these materialistic illusions.”

Soon, a brilliant golden light showered over me, entering my body and attempting to influence my soul and its will. It was similar to a demigod’s bestowal, except it targeted the will instead.

I allowed the light to enter without obstruction and run its course while the Hive Spirit recorded all relevant data, so we could later use it to free the other demigods from the Emissary of Light’s influence. As I had expected, when the light sought to affect my soul and its will, the World Calamity Tree Seed’s shell encasing my mutated Ego Gem protected me. No matter how miraculous the faith appeared, it was merely another expression of primordial energy, the building blocks of the entire myriad realms.

The Western Princess and her group had finished the task I assigned them earlier and were now undertaking the new task I had assigned them. Remembering my earlier order not to intervene, they could only watch us with shock and concern, praying that I knew what I was doing and that things would unfold as I had planned. After all, the horror and terror of the Emissary of Light had long since spread across all five regions.

The mere fact that his soul projection could stand within my celestial domain, a place that had rendered them all helpless, was enough for them to understand that the Emissary of Light was everything the rumors claimed, and more.