novelraw Chapter 219: An Era of the Black Death? An Era of the Lord!
Chapter 219: An Era of the Black Death? An Era of the Lord!
The people of the Middle Ages were steeped in ignorance, leading them to place their faith in the Church, to believe in so-called ancient remedies, to trust various traveling miracle doctors, and even to put their faith in those violent mobs!
Fundamentally, this was nothing more than a desperate scramble for any possible cure, driven by the looming threat of death.
After all, this era was simply far too dark. Even the high and mighty Nobles could not escape the clutches of the Black Death.
This disease achieved an absolute and limitless fairness. From Kings and Popes down to the lowest peasants and serfs, no one could evade the relentless pursuit of this plague!
Because of this, the madness of the era infected everyone. Ignorance and foolishness ran rampant, and slaughter spread across the land!
Rasinger could clearly see the scattered bones and ashes around him, a grim testament to the countless innocent souls who had perished on this very spot.
Yet now, the eyes of those very mob members were clearer than those of newborn infants.
They did not even entertain the thought of running away. They merely stared in absolute stunned silence before collapsing to their knees along with everyone else around them!
In this era where the faith of the Catholic Church had not yet completely collapsed, the sight of a Bishop wielding a longsword, holding up The Bible, and verbally judging their sins was simply far too impactful!
The appearance of Rasinger was akin to Moses receiving divine revelation, or Jesus descending to the mortal realm. To everyone in this world, it was an overwhelming, transcendental display of power!They had lived under the rule of the Catholic Church for hundreds of years. For the longest time, the Pope was tantamount to a King, the decrees of the Church were absolute executive orders, and the doctrines of the Church were the undisputed law.
Even these violent thugs used the name of the Church as their excuse to commit murder, seeking nothing more than a twisted sense of thrill in this era of sheer madness!
Now, a true emissary of the Church stood before them, announcing his arrival with a genuine Divine Miracle!
"Those who speak of Evil shall bear the weight of their own wicked words!" Rasinger declared. The flames danced along the blade of his longsword, transforming into a halo of fire that slowly took shape beneath his feet.
A ring of fire manifested from beneath him, gradually expanding outward into the surroundings.
Everyone was enveloped within it. Faint traces of fire seemed to cling to their bodies. They stared at the flames in sheer terror, wanting to beg for mercy, yet feeling completely trapped with nowhere to run!
However, these flames did not harm them. Instead, as the fire washed over their bodies, it seemed to carry something else away.
They felt as if the filth within their bodies had been purged. That heavy, sluggish sensation deeply rooted in their flesh slowly dissipated within the glow of the fire.
But not everyone was so fortunate. Those wicked thugs, the vile men who had used this disaster as an excuse to persecute others, plunder wealth, and maliciously commit murder, were revealed in the flames presenting an entirely different image!
The stolen goods on their persons were cleansed away, but their Souls were subjected to a far more grueling baptism!
Rasinger did not kill them. They were not shepherds of the flock, so they could not be punished with the strict disciplines meant for Clergy of the Church. Therefore, he chose to make these men repent.
Only genuine remorse could extinguish the flames.
The fire scorched their Souls, causing them to collapse in agonizing contortions. Before the watchful eyes of the crowd, they wailed uncontrollably:
"I am sorry! I admit I have no faith; I was only satisfying my own lust for slaughter!"
"I apologize! Please, just kill me outright instead of making me endure such torment!"
"I am an evil man, a sinner, unrighteous! I am guilty, and I repent! Ah, please stop, my Soul is being incinerated!"
Their absolute agony was reflected on the faces of every onlooker, sending a bone-chilling cold straight to their marrow!
Divine Might as terrifying as a boundless prison, Divine Grace as profound as the vast ocean—nothing could embody this truth more perfectly.
Rasinger paid no more attention to the men writhing on the ground. The sword in his hand transformed back into a walking staff. Grasping it firmly, he gazed down at the gathered crowd and slowly spoke:
"The Lord loves the world. He has taken the burden of your sins, and thus He sent me down to bring you hope!"
"However, the poison of the Black Death has not been eradicated. Therefore, I need you to join me in destroying the source of this plague, purging the true cause of the disease, and saving countless more lives!"
Rasinger knew that his manifestation of power had undeniably bolstered the prestige of the Church. The flames he laid down would also temporarily protect everyone here from the ravages of the plague.
But this was all temporary, not eternal. If he could not lead these people to eradicate the root cause of the infection and cleanse the city entirely, this terrifying plague would simply continue to sweep across the entire continent!
Thus, he changed his mind. Preaching and witnessing history were things that could be done at any time.
But this kind of life-saving salvation could not wait. He had to learn from his predecessors. He was going to... rewrite this dark chapter of history!
In this profound moment, Rasinger's heart seemed to undergo a true evolution. He was no longer just a simple Bishop or missionary; he had become a genuine savior of lives!
'Oh Lord, oh Jesus, so this is what it truly means to love others!' Rasinger experienced a great epiphany, gaining a renewed understanding of the doctrine and a clearer vision for the future.
He should strive to save every single person who could be saved. He needed to spread the Radiance of The Lord to every corner of this continent.
Since this land was mired in sheer ignorance and lacked the true descent of The Lord's Radiance, then he would be that sole beacon of light. He had to accomplish this great task!
To see the true light within the darkness of the cross, and to hear the thunderous roar of resurrection within the dead silence of the tomb—this was perhaps the most perfect interpretation of his current state of mind.
"Respected Bishop, is there anything we can assist you with?" Right at this moment, two knights clad in heavy armor approached Rasinger's side.
It was clear that they were deeply devout, having stepped forward to present themselves almost the exact moment Rasinger finished his prayers.
Even though he had not yet traveled to the grand Cathedral in Paris, nor rallied the local Clergy to his side, his radiant and holy identity had already drawn many willing to pledge their absolute loyalty!
Seeing the two knights approach, Rasinger smiled faintly. "Excellent. You two, I need to make a trip to the Louvre Palace to seek an audience with the French King!"
Then, turning to the massive crowd behind him, he slowly imparted his divine instructions:
"The Lord has taught us that this plague originates from the omnipresent rats. They carry a terrifying disease, transmitting it to the bodies of men!"
"They are the apostles of Demons, the very vessels of Evil! Starting today, go forth and exterminate every last one of those rats!"
"You must also bathe and ensure the pristine cleanliness of your bodies. An unclean vessel is the truest marker of an unclean Soul, making you the very targets that rats and Demons love to touch the most!"
"Only those who follow this righteous path shall earn the favor of The Lord, and only they will survive this horrifying calamity!"
"Go now! Spread the word of what happened here across the entire continent. Tell everyone that we have received the sacred promise of The Lord, and we will emerge victorious in this holy war against the Demons!"
"You must remember: our light and momentary afflictions will achieve for us an exceedingly grave and eternal glory that vastly outweighs them all!"
After speaking these rousing words, he raised his hand. His staff gathered motes of brilliant light and scattered them into the air, falling like a gentle rain of luminescence upon every single person present.
The crowd dropped to their knees once again. Watching the radiant rain fill the sky and the holy Bishop standing amidst the glorious light, they felt that nothing more fortunate could ever happen to them in this lifetime.
Even though to Rasinger this was just a simple Holy Light spell, in this world utterly devoid of Transcendent powers, in a Realm where the minds of the people were still unenlightened, it was a Divine Miracle magnificent enough to bring even a King to his knees!
It also caused any lingering doubts or resentment in the hearts of the masses to completely vanish right then and there.
Rasinger let out a long breath, making a silent vow in his heart. 'The Saint was right. My true path does not lie in the Heavenly Kingdom, but here in the mortal realm!'
'This may be the era of the Black Death, but from the moment I arrived, it has become the era of The Lord!'
'Salvation is my highest calling!'
As a Saint descended directly from Heaven, he harbored no ulterior motives toward this world. He simply could not bring himself to sit idly by and watch the suffering of its people.
It was exactly like when he had ventured into the dense jungles of South America, witnessing the atrocities those terrifying dictators committed against the helpless farmers!
'This vast continent will soon welcome a glorious salvation. I shall make a solemn vow: until the people here are saved, I will not return to the Heavenly Kingdom!'
Rasinger Leo led his growing throng of followers toward the Louvre Palace. Trailing behind him was the phantom image of the Heavenly Kingdom, radiating an endless, brilliant light.
The legendary tale belonging to Saint Leo was slowly unfolding across this grand continent!
...
"Crown, it actually worked! When Rasinger summoned the Holy Light and invoked that sword of purging flames, a pure and undeniably real Wish Force was transmitted from these people fashioned out of Souls!"
To Bai Yang, Alvin's voice sounded like the sweetest heavenly melody imaginable!
This momentous breakthrough meant that his predictions were completely viable, his ideas were fundamentally correct, and his future was incredibly promising!
If these Souls, even after being assigned fabricated identities, could still generate Wish Force, then preparations for his grand Ten-thousand Worlds plan could finally begin!