Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 347 (Part 1):

By the time their meal was drawing to a close, the Second Prince spoke in a relaxed tone.

“Perhaps you know this already, but four years ago, Basor withdrew its plan to build a temple here. Since then, we’ve also strictly banned the entry of priests or holy knights.”

Helmut asked,

“Don’t Basor’s worshippers object?”

They wouldn’t have tried to build a temple in the middle of a barren wasteland for no reason. There had to be a certain level of influence the temple held here in Basor, and presumably, that was an attempt to expand their power.

The Temple were the ones who saved humanity from the Demon King.

Even though Basor is a warrior nation known for its exclusivity, that doesn’t mean nobody ever immigrates here. While worshippers are few, there are some—and these believers themselves represent the temple’s strength.

“There was plenty of justification. Whatever they planned with the First Prince’s collusion went well beyond simply removing Luke Yeager. Various acts of corruption and conspiracy were uncovered through investigation.

Of course, they tried to brush it off, saying all they did was attempt to build a temple and that the events in Basor were merely the wrongdoing of a few rogue priests.”

A grim shadow came over the Second Prince’s face.

“But we know the truth. The Temple trapped Basor’s hero, the Sword Saint, causing his disappearance, and four years ago, they stirred up trouble in Basor again.”

He gripped the cup of chilled water, the veins bulging in his hand.

The anger in the Second Prince’s eyes was vivid enough to be almost tangible.

After taking a drink, he spoke again in a rough voice,

“This is an infringement of national sovereignty that cannot be overlooked, an insult to Basor. We may not have exposed everything publicly, but Basor remembers it all, etched into our bones. The atrocities they committed. Neither His Majesty nor I have ever forgotten. We’ve just been waiting for the right moment.”

A cold light flashed in the Second Prince’s eyes. Basor is a warrior nation—it despises plots and trickery.

For the temple to conspire with a Basor prince and do as they pleased was an unspeakable humiliation.

It was something that should never have happened in Basor. The temple would have to pay a price.

But Basor alone couldn’t handle them as enemies.

Even with the Palma Knights, acclaimed as the continent’s finest, if Basor were to face the Temple head-on, Basor would surely be defeated.

Though technically a small state, the temple’s armed forces surpass those of the Mage Association, the Mercenary Guild, and even some empires combined.

And it’s not merely their formidable combat strength.

The temple has the authority to request military assistance from other nations under the guise of “support.” If a fight against the temple broke out, every nation besides Basor would take the temple’s side.

Moreover, every worshipper in every country is effectively a soldier for the temple—even those worshippers inside Basor itself.

If war breaks out, they would hide among the populace, cropping up like weeds to catch Basor off guard.

“You’re hoping I’ll be the one to create that ‘right moment,’ aren’t you.”

Helmut asked quietly. He understood precisely what the Second Prince was implying.

Basor lacked sufficient justification. Not that the temple’s misdeeds were trivial, but rather that Basor couldn’t persuade other nations to join them with the evidence at hand.

The temple’s atrocities happened outside Basor as well, yet those places accepted hush money or other concessions to keep silent.

They had no choice. None of them wanted to risk their nation’s fate in a war.

“The temple… For far too long, it’s been engaged in these wrongful acts—using a thousand-year-old incident as its pretext.”

The Second Prince’s voice returned to a steady calm.

“It’s time they lost the influence they’ve wielded on that pretext and refocused on their original purpose. It’s not just me who thinks so—many others feel the same.”

Oppression leaves a mark on those it oppresses, revealing just how unjustly the oppressors have wielded their power.

And the temple’s oppression has lasted at least a few centuries—violating the sovereignty of nations and meddling in their internal affairs for its own benefit.

Everyone knows it’s wrong. No one has dared stand up to them openly—until now.

But in so doing, the temple has slowly, without realizing it, whittled down its own power. The time has come to deliver the final blow.

“Basor is willing to aid the Sword Saint’s successor in striking back against the temple.”

Four years ago, the Second Prince ousted the First Prince over that incident and solidified his position as heir.

He gained a great deal from it. But that alone wouldn’t be reason enough to stake Basor’s fate on fighting the temple.

This isn’t about what you gain or lose—it’s a matter of what must be done.

That’s the pride and dignity of Basor, the desert nation. And it’s how Basor will preserve itself.

Basor’s king had made this clear to the Second Prince.

Though he was too old to do it himself, he asked the Second Prince to do it in his stead. For this, he would give him Basor’s throne.

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