The Hermitage / The Magi's Tea Party

Now that we have reached the fifteenth century, with the rise in living standards and the awakening of capitalism, people's yearning for a luxurious life contradicts the ascetic principles of the Church. Coupled with the extravagant lifestyle of the Church's upper echelons, resistance from the people will soon awaken.

Religious reform is something that cannot be accomplished without a hundred years of preparation, Fujimaru Kyoya is about to Church a lesson.

A hundred years is too long; seize the day.

Using words to incite the restless nobles who were dissatisfied with the constraints of theology, using paintings to inspire the working class, using astronomy to attack the fallacy of the Geocentric Model, and using geography to refute the lie of Round Heaven Square Earth...

Fujimaru Kyoya smiled, a smile that chilled the Pope to the bone. He didn't know what Fujimaru Kyoya was thinking, but his many years of experience in judging people told him that the Church's good days were numbered.

This earthly saint is the greatest heretic; he sits at the top of the Church and will surely protect his heretical compatriots.

If countless heretics unite against the Church, and the Church has no means to retaliate, the Church will lose its prestige, and those wavering believers may even break out and establish their own Church.

This was Fujimaru Kyoya's revenge against the entire Church.

Murder is not the solution; it's about taking away what the other person cherishes most and placing it somewhere they can see but can't reach.

Chapter 229 The Priory of Sion

Fujimaru Kyoya proposed splitting up the Church, but how to implement it was not his forte. Fortunately, he had an assistant by his side.

"Master, there's still a lot of work to be done, so we can't rest now."

This phrase has been echoing in the Old Man of the Mountain's ears like a nightmare lately.

He knew that his petty disciple, now possessing divine power, would definitely try to get back at him. He had prepared himself for his head to explode, but he never expected it to happen this way.

So tired.

Despite being a skeleton, the Old Man of the Mountain still felt "tired." The mountain of documents in front of him not only didn't decrease as he processed them, but actually increased.

As the founder of the Assassin Order, the Old Man of the Mountain may appear to be a barbarian who would hand over his head at the slightest disagreement, but he actually has considerable experience in managing an organization.

The Assassin Order remained arrogant for a long time after the Old Man of the Mountain, at least until they were attacked by the Mongols.

The more crucial issue is that the Old Man of the Mountain has no way of refusing this job.

The Church split the Church into two parts, and then established a Divine Role group that valued combat power over faith.

Those men whom Fujimaru Kyoya referred to as his Executor were more like assassins than priests.

In a sense, this means that the Assassin Order have taken root within the Church. Even the Old Man of the Mountain, now just a skeleton, is thrilled by such an exciting development.

Since he's already dead, he's not afraid of so-called death from overwork. Even if the work is tough, he'll still take it on.

Fujimaru Kyoya handed over all the work to the Old Man of the Mountain, after all, the Christianity could not bribe this powerful Muslim, and he had more important things to do.

"Are you really going to go this far?"

Da Vinci returned to Florence, and with the Fujimaru Kyoya, he had his own workshop, freeing him from odd jobs and allowing him to focus on painting. This was not yet a friendship between them, but merely the beginning.

Fujimaru Kyoya's mission was to use Da Vinci as a conduit to connect him with the general public, providing funding to talented artists and scientists so that they could worry about survival as little as possible.

As people become more affluent, they will no longer kneel on the ground begging for God's forgiveness, nor will they yearn for the beauty of Heaven. Only then will they have the power to resist the Church and dismantle God's authority.

"This isn't a personal grudge. The Church destroyed my family and Chris's House. And how many times have they done the same thing over the past thousand years before they met me?"

"..."

Da Vinci was unaware that he understood Fujimaru Kyoya's purpose in doing so.

When the Church was first established, it was just a group of suffering people banding together for warmth. They preached God's teachings and brought hope to those suffering in a state of distress, a hope called "going to Heaven."

In the chaotic and dark years before, it was the Church that stabilized people's hearts, and this achievement cannot be denied.

Merit is merit, and fault is fault; they cannot be judged the same.

"In the process of saving the world, the Church has acquired power, a power that everyone would be fascinated by. This poison has corrupted them, leading to their current state. Since that's the case, let's divide the Church's power. Da Vinci, I hope you can become the Superior General of the Priory of Sion."

How could Fujimaru Kyoya possibly place his hopes solely on those within the Church? The real key lies in external forces, and when the crucial moment arrives Priory of Sion might just replace the Church.

Of course, the replacement method is not necessarily religious, but rather another aspect, such as...

"The reason the Church and Magecraft are superior is simply because they possess mysterious powers. But once those mysteries are deciphered, do you think they'll still have those powers?"

The Church is not wrong, nor is power. The problem is that when a huge amount of power is controlled by an institution, there is no force that can restrain it.

The so-called mystery is this power. Even though it has declined with the fall of the Age of Gods, Fujimaru Kyoya doesn't mind covering this decaying thing with a layer of soil.

"This is too dangerous."

Da Vinci instinctively refused, but at the same time, a new idea popped into his mind.

If the mystery is solved, does Magecraft truly disappear?

No, at that time Magecraft became a more convenient form of power because the principle of Magecraft is the law governing the world.

Magecraft still exists, but it has a different name. This Magecraft, now without Mana power, uses a different energy source and a different medium, becoming a new kind of Magecraft that everyone can use.

In an era where everyone can use Magecraft, the power of the Church and Magecraft will be greatly diminished, and the unique power of the mystical will be infinitely diluted.

At that time, a war might break out between ordinary people and Magecraft, but such a war is definitely one that Magecraft do not want to face.

The mystery of Magecraft will be diluted, while new Magecraft will spread even faster because of the diluted mystery; it is a war that Magecraft are destined to lose.

"We can't do these things so openly right now, but this ideal can Priory of Sion. Da Vinci, would you be willing to do me this favor for future generations?"

Fujimaru Kyoya extended his hand, offering a friendly invitation that was impossible to refuse.

Da Vinci felt an immense allure in this palm, as if only by grasping it could he realize his life's ideals.

"Now I finally understand just how charismatic Jesus was."

Da Vinci grasped Fujimaru Kyoya's hand. He understood that the other man had lofty ideals. There have been countless people like him throughout history, but very few could actually achieve what the man before him possessed.

"I am not Jesus."

Fujimaru Kyoya denied that he was always himself, and not someone else's ghost.

"Jesus also said that he was not the Christ."

Da Vinci knew perfectly well that the person before him was not Jesus, but he could sense that the person possessed the power to save the world, and also had a gentle heart that would not use this power to change the world indiscriminately.

Such a person is a qualified Savior.

Otherwise, given Jesus' strength, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to be nailed to the Cross.

"But... what about Chris?"

Da Vinci asked one last question: Chris had disappeared. Although Fujimaru Kyoya said she would return, he hadn't specified when.

"It will take hundreds of years."

"Really? That's a shame."

Da Vinci looked sad. If the other person could not be resurrected for a hundred years, then to both of them, the other person would be dead.

"Don't worry, we'll have the chance to meet again in the future."

Fujimaru Kyoya comforted him, saying that death is not the end of everything, and that the name Da Vinci was destined to leave its mark on human history.

When the time comes, we'll all have a chance to say goodbye.

Chapter 230 The Magus's Tea Party 59/165

The Holy Church has long had similar departments within the Church, mostly composed of Divine Role who could use "Miracle" to deal with heretical Magecraft.

However, such a crude act as Fujimaru Kyoya's direct severing of all mystical power from the secular Church did indeed severely damage the Church's vitality.

Deep inside the church, in Fujimaru Kyoya's bedroom, although it was late, he showed no sign of resting. Instead, he seemed to be waiting for someone, having prepared fine Welcome Wine and premium black tea.

"Are all young people these days so hot-tempered?"

An Old Man's voice came, and a tall and dignified Old Man appeared in front of Fujimaru Kyoya in the place that had been empty.

This is Kishua Zelretch Schweinorg, the nominal ancestor of Fujimaru Kyoya, and now the Sea-Calming Needle of the Clock Tower, known as the Marshal of Magic.

"It was just a slight alteration of history, and I've already corrected it now."

Fujimaru Kyoya understood that his previous reckless alteration of history had no chance of escaping the Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg's perception, and it was only a matter of time before the other party came knocking on his door.

"Black tea or Welcome Wine?"

"The black tea is ready."

The Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg glanced at the still-bubbling Welcome Wine, seemingly thinking of something disgusting, and then chose the lesser of two evils.

If Fujimaru Kyoya corrected history, they wouldn't be talking so politely; they would have fired an Infinite Ether Cannon the moment they met.

History continues its course, the decline of the Church and Magecraft... no, the decline of the entire mystical age is imminent.

The Renaissance was about to begin, an era that would have both advantages and disadvantages for posterity, but one that was inevitable.

After this era, mystery will no longer be revered, and there is no doubt that these two people need to meet to determine the future direction.

After all, they were the highest leaders of the Church and the Mage's Association at that time, and they bore an inescapable responsibility for the mysterious future.

"Like popping champagne."

He clearly had little resistance to the mysterious disappearance of the Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg; even as one of the leaders of the Mage's Association, he seemed completely unconcerned about the demise of Magecraft.

"The age of divine right, the age of Royal Authority, the age of Sage... power has passed through the hands of different classes, and now it is finally time to enter the next era."

If the transfer of power in previous eras was a passive event caused by the Divine Era Decline, then what Fujimaru Kyoya had to do was to actively promote the arrival of a new era.

"Pioneer of the Stars, huh? Interesting beings."

Even someone as proud as the Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg would not underestimate any Pioneer of the Stars, for that special skill is only possessed by heroes who become turning points in human history.

Those were figures who made enormous contributions to the world, had a fixed influence on events in Human History, shaped the fundamental course of Humanity's Foundation, and cannot be ignored in the grand scheme of history.

"The first person to circumnavigate the world, the first to propose the heliocentric theory, the first to use electricity, the first to fly in the sky, the first to set foot on the moon... Countless historical events await humankind to explore, not by Magecraft but by ordinary people."

Fujimaru Kyoya's words pleased Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg greatly. Although he was one of the leaders of the Mage's Association, he truly disapproved of the way Magecraft sacrificed their humanity for Magecraft.

In order to reach the Root, they imposed their goals on their descendants. The Magic Crest passed down from generation to generation are not only the legacy of their ancestors, but also the shackles left to them by their ancestors, a curse that urges them to reach the Root.

Magecraft are human too; they vomit when they drink too much, and they feel pain when they get hit.

It's utterly disgusting to educate a group of people to the point of being inhuman, and then to glorify this abnormality.

If it weren't for the fact that the Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg and the Clock Tower's principal were old friends, he wouldn't have bothered with the fate of these good-for-nothing juniors.

Are Magic girls no longer appealing?

Why bother with all this useless stuff when you have nothing better to do?

"Then I'll leave the affairs of the Priory of Sion to you."

Fujimaru Kyoya slowly savored the black tea in his cup. With the Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg watching over him, he could finally relax.

"Although I already knew the answer, I didn't expect you to be so decisive. Are you really going to give up on the First Magic?"

As a Magus, the Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg knew better than anyone the power of a Magic, yet the person before him could so decisively discard it—a decisiveness he himself lacked.

He wanted to know the reason, which was his second purpose in coming here.

"Whether it's Magecraft or Magic, in the end, they're just means; aren't they all used by people? To abandon important people for the sake of tools is putting the cart before the horse."

This is Fujimaru Kyoya's view: whether it's mystery or science, it should serve humanity. If people have to be sacrificed to advance these things, then it's something Fujimaru Kyoya cannot accept.

Abandoning the First Magic was something that was decided long ago when Fujimaru Kyoya achieved First Magic, but now is not the time.

He wanted to help Da Vinci establish the Priory of Sion, he wanted to unite the Dead Apostle and the True Ancestor to reduce their harm to humanity, he wanted the division to give rise to new ideas, and he wanted to fund those impoverished artists so they could create better...

At the same time, a highly specialized Burial Agency also needs to be established.

Only after these matters are resolved can he dismantle his First Magic with peace of mind and prepare to resurrect Chris.

Things were progressing very smoothly, or rather, with two Magus pushing things along behind the scenes, there was nothing in this world that could stop them.

After the older generation of the Church died out, the new Pope did not perform any "Miracle." Although the Burial Agency was nominally under the Pope's jurisdiction, the two parties had a cooperative relationship, making it difficult to mobilize resources.

During this period, Magecraft began to counterattack the Church, quickly exposing Church weakness to the world.

The Papal States' position became increasingly unstable, and the Dead Apostle and True Ancestor were not much better off. Unable to hunt humans at will, they could only go to some prisons to suck the blood of Death Sentence. As long as these people died Fujimaru Kyoya didn't care.

While creating his works, Da Vinci also worked hard to build the Priory of Sion. One by one, young people with ideals and ambitions and a desire to explore the world joined the monastery. More than two hundred years later, a man who was hit on the head by an apple wrote a new chapter in science.

As for the Magecraft who is most pleased with himself at this moment, let him be pleased with himself.