Free Web NovelChapter 512: Chapter 286: God is Myriad, and also One
"I don’t know which Divine Spirit’s Divine Envoy or Angel you are, but as long as you can help us escape this cataclysm, I will convince myself to follow whichever god you worship."
"Furthermore, I can assure you that if you can free us from the shadow of the demons, even the King himself will become a follower of your god."
Upon hearing this, Fang Zhen gave Duke Phil a long, assessing look.
As a member of the upper echelon of this society, Duke Phil had access to far more information.
While the lower-ranking Warriors might still be full of fiery passion, easily roused to fight, those in the upper class already understood the true state of the war.
At any rate, Fang Zhen could sense that the leadership of the Divine Rune Realm was gradually losing the confidence to resist the demons on their own.
Fang Zhen’s arrival, however, had given them a new spark of hope.
He thought for a moment. ’I have nothing to lose from this, and potentially a great deal to gain.’
"I understand. I will help you, both materially and on the plane of spiritual faith, but you must also make a gesture of commitment."
"I will help you deal with the Demon Lord Malganis this time. In return, I need you to spread the name of the hero Fang Zhen throughout the Kingdom."
"Moreover, you are to find a sufficient number of scholars and propagandists. I will provide them with some training. These people will be responsible for spreading the name and ideals of Fang Zhen across this world."
"I will return in time, bringing with me more supplies and the hope of victory over the demons."
"But my demand is this: there must be at least one hundred people in this world who genuinely believe that the hero Fang Zhen can save them. Beyond that, you must recruit an unlimited number of followers and believers who are receptive to his teachings."
"I require your Kingdom to remove any restrictions and allow my evangelists to preach and spread the faith freely. Ideally, you should also offer public support."
"These are the terms of our agreement."
"As for the trade of goods itself, I will provide you with supplies. In exchange, I will require a portion of the weapons and other equipment you craft using divine runes."
"You must also make your Divine Rune Masters available to me to craft specific pieces of equipment according to my designs."
"Can you agree to these terms on behalf of the Kingdom and the King?" Fang Zhen asked Duke Phil.
Duke Phil nodded. "Absolutely. I can agree to these terms on behalf of the Kingdom."
"As for the supplies, we will certainly compensate you. If necessary, we can also offer funds to purchase them."
"However, the Kingdom is currently in a dire state, and our funds are not plentiful. If you would be amenable, we are willing to negotiate other terms and conditions to finalize this transaction."
Fang Zhen nodded slightly. Seeing how perceptive Duke Phil was, he stopped holding back and adopted an even loftier demeanor. People here seemed to respond well to it.
’As someone mistaken for a Divine Envoy, I can’t afford to diminish my own standing.’
"Then let’s consider the agreement made. This is a verbal contract for now."
"However, I may later require a Soul Contract with the key decision-makers of your Kingdom to ensure this agreement’s validity."
"A Soul Contract? You truly are a Divine Envoy." Duke Phil was filled with solemn respect.
Fang Zhen nodded slightly. He was beginning to understand this world’s unique characteristics. ’Their level of development along the path of divine runes is extremely high.’
’But their other fields, like metallurgy or other branches of the mystic arts, are all rather ordinary.’
’Something like a Soul Contract, for example, seemed to be considered quite advanced here.’
In truth, Fang Zhen could draft a Soul Contract; he just needed to learn how from Dale.
Creating a Soul Contract wasn’t particularly difficult, but it mainly required one’s soul-related abilities to be above a certain level.
The key was Spiritual Power.
With a Spiritual Power stat over 20, Fang Zhen was more than capable of creating such a contract.
At this, Phil changed his form of address, asking Fang Zhen, "Your Excellency, I don’t know how I should address you."
"Although you currently inhabit Yak’s body, your soul must be a being of a higher order. What title would be most appropriate for me to use?"
Fang Zhen thought for a moment. "You need not overthink it. In a way, I have inherited Yak’s wishes."
"You can call me Yak, or you can call me Fang Zhen. Fang Zhen is the name of the hero that I want to spread throughout this Kingdom."
"You... you are the hero himself? Or is that the name of your god?" Phil was astounded.
Seeing the shocked look on Duke Phil’s face, a certain phrase came to Fang Zhen’s mind.
Fang Zhen said, "The name of a god is the many, and it is the one. The hero Fang Zhen is my name, and it is also the name of the god that will be spread throughout this world."
In truth, Duke Phil didn’t understand what Fang Zhen meant. That was because Fang Zhen himself was only saying it to elevate his own status—spouting profound-sounding words whose specific meaning even he wasn’t clear on.
But given Fang Zhen’s power to pull objects from thin air and his ability to bring such a profoundly positive impact to the Divine Rune Realm, Duke Phil was deeply impressed, even if he didn’t understand.
Phil didn’t assume the statement was meaningless. Instead, he believed his own understanding was simply too shallow to grasp the truly profound meaning behind the Divine Envoy’s words.
"I understand. The one is the many, and the many is the one," Duke Phil said respectfully. "I will ensure that the entire Kingdom extols the name of the hero Fang Zhen."
