Chapter 352: Behind the Truth
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
When Benjamin heard what he said, his brain froze.
…...What did he say?
What he said was so outrageous, was he just anxious or confused? Did he think he could just say something frightening so that Benjamin would back out and give him the bracelet?
"Interesting." Benjamin sneered coldly and looked at him with murderous intent, "Tell me, I’m living happily now, why would I be a dead man?
The man in the wheelchair looked at him quietly.
"... Forget it. Since you’ve come, I guess it might be fate." Suddenly, he took a deep breath and his expressions looked even more worn out, "I do not know where you did learn how to produce magic tools. Perhaps this ability has brought you a lot of benefits, but soon you will be in deep trouble, a trouble that you have never imagined and finally, you will lose your life because of that."
"What do you mean?"
The man in the wheelchair shook his head and said, "For few hundred years, the magic tool industry has continued to decline and grow weaker... do you think it happened under natural circumstances without any inside story?
Benjamin frowned, "You mean ..."
He suddenly had a very bad feeling.
"It was the Mages Freemasonry." The man in the wheelchair touched his disabled legs and slowly said, "No ... I should say, the Church instructed them to do so. A long time ago, before the empire got broken up, at a time when the Mages Freemasonry did not exist, they were doing it already. "
Hearing that, Benjamin was dumbfounded.
"...Are you telling the truth?"
"I will not say such things to deceive someone. At least, I will not lie to a mage." The man in the wheelchair laughed mockingly and bitterly and said, "How do you think my legs were broken? Why do I need to hide in this hellhole and be so afraid to leave?
As he was saying this, he suddenly looked at Benjamin with his slightly trembling hands. There was a deep sense of despair in his tired but indifferent eyes.
Benjamin could not help but to take a deep breath.
If what he said was true… …
At that moment, Benjamin dare not even continue thinking about it.
"How did you know about it?" He calmed down a little and continued to ask, "If you say it was because of magic tools and the people from the Mages Freemasonry tried to kill you, it only proves that it was a conspiracy among the mages. How are you so sure that the Church was behind it?
"Do you not find it strange? The sudden decline of magic tools and the sudden rise of the Church’s so-called divine tools which developed at an unbelievable speed." The man in the wheelchair narrowed his eyes and replied, "You ask me how do I know? That’s because I used to be one of them."
Taking a deep breath, he went on to say, "The Church raised and trained me since I was little, they wanted me to hide among the mages, collect any books and drawings regarding magic tools and imprison the mages who knew about these techniques. I personally did it countless times so of course, I know how it all happened."
Shit…...
Upon hearing this, Benjamin was stupefied.
With the story told, Benjamin could no longer doubt his words so he started to seriously consider the possibility of these events happening.
Even from before, he already knew that the Church had spies in every country. He also knew that the Mages Freemasonry had their own little conspiracy. But from the beginning to the end, he did not put the two and two together. He had always felt that no matter how desperate the Mages Freemasonry was, they would not join forces with the Church and betray the mages.
But now, it seemed like he was not pessimistic enough.
In fact, he was too optimistic in his outlook.
After leaving the Kingdom of Helius, Benjamin thought that he had managed to get away from the Church. Even though there were problems that he needed to face, but at least, those had nothing to do with the Church — he did not have to worry about the monster in the west who had the power to completely destroy everything that he owned with a sweep of a hand.
Right now, no matter how powerful the Church was, there was still a country separating them. How could they have a hand in something in Ferelden? The Mages Freemasonry had a high status, how could they be controlled by the Church?
And now, everything seems to be developing in the impossible direction.
The Mages Freemasonry ... They might really be controlled by the Church.
"I am sorry, I have to leave first." Thinking about that, he immediately turned and was ready to leave.
"Why are you in such a hurry? They will not do something so soon." The man in the wheelchair stopped him and said, "You are famous now. They can’t blatantly target you. They will wait for your limelight to be over and then make use of some local forces to turn you into an outcast. In the end, they will take your life and let you rot alone in a corner."
Hearing that, Benjamin stopped and turned towards the man.
"Does no one survive?"
The man in the wheelchair shook his head and said, "Other than me, all the other mages that were being targeted died. But look at me now, what is the difference between this and death?"
Benjamin took a deep breath.
He was right, Benjamin cannot be anxious, he will be doomed if he panicked. Once he has overcome the initial shock, he would calm down and think about ways to deal with it.
The Church was behind the Mages Freemasonry and soon they will start to make a move on Benjamin. In this situation, although Rayleigh City seemed calm and peaceful and he has had great development opportunities, all these were just a false impression.
"When will they make a move on me?" He asked again.
"Probably in half a month." The man in the wheelchair sounded very sad, "You may be able to start hiding in advance, but you have a lot of friends. Those people will not let any of you slip past and it is impossible for you to hide with such a large group of people."
Hearing that, Benjamin felt a tremendous stress akin to the weigh of a mountain, pressing on his chest and making him breathless.
"Therefore, you should give me the bracelet." The man in the wheelchair said, "After you leave, I will immediately leave the eastern desert and look for another place to hide. You can hide on your own, or you can die saving your team but the bracelet cannot fall into the hands of the Church."
Benjamin immediately vetoed, "You are thinking too much, I will not die at the hands of the Church."
"How are you so sure about it?"
"Because I did it once already." Benjamin replied coldly, "Do you think that I do not understand the Church? I once used a large water ball to crush Havenwright into a mud pond and I conquered the Crusader Gateway with just 20 people. If no one was able to live safe and sound, then... open your eyes and look, I will be the first one."
At that moment, the man in the wheelchair opened his eyes widely.
"You... you are actually ..."
He looked at Benjamin astoundingly, as though he saw an incomprehensible monster.