Mushoku Tensei: the Apostle of God

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The sunset over the Fittoa region squeezed thin strands of light between the mountain peaks, sweeping through the bustling evening streets of Roa before scattering the clamor and settling on the courtyard floor of the Boreas estate.

The shimmering radiance, layered like flames, burned against the ground.

Yet it could not climb the massive shadow stretching across the central courtyard.

The shadow came from the western side of the estate—a towering spire standing against the setting sun. The iron door at its base had, at some point, been opened.

Footsteps echoed along the rusted iron stairs, each step colliding with the tower walls as they climbed higher and higher.

Then, they stopped abruptly.

A hand touched the rough surface of the Iron Heart, tracing and caressing it before pulling away.

Allen finally averted his gaze from the Iron Heart, lowering his eyes.

In his line of sight—

Reida stood gracefully at the entrance of the tower's observation room, her tail swaying gently at her side as she tilted her head and watched him with a quiet smile.

An entire day had passed since the aftermath of the Whitting incident.

Now, Allen had ascended the tower once more.

The last time he came, the tower's peak had been too "noisy," and neither Reida nor Sauros had noticed his arrival.

But this time, it was afternoon. There were no morning distractions to mask his footsteps, and Reida had been waiting for him.

Their eyes met briefly before she smiled, bowed slightly, and stepped aside.

Whether intentional or not, her tail brushed lightly against Allen's leg as she passed. Her misty cat-like eyes glanced at him before she sauntered away.

Allen remained indifferent to her teasing farewell and stepped into the observation room.

Sauros stood silently by the window, gazing outside.

The sunset's glow was hazy, the red clouds drifting lazily.

The "orb" burning within those clouds appeared almost like a harmless auspicious sign—something for the lord, who had vowed to live and die with Fittoa, to pray for future peace.

Allen stopped beside Sauros, narrowing his eyes at the massive teleportation mana sphere in the sky.

His expression was unreadable.

To the naked eye, the mana sphere looked no different from the previous year.

But through Allen's "Flow Sense," from the same vantage point and angle, it had grown 7 millimeters wider in diameter.

"Surprising. I thought you'd stay in Boreas a while longer before returning to the capital. Yet, just days after reuniting with Hilda, you've already made your decision. Didn't even need the full three years."

Sauros, dressed impeccably, had worn a stern expression—but upon Allen's arrival, a faint smile surfaced.

"You faked your death to leave the capital, spent years circling back to Boreas under the guise of a tutor, all just to break Boreas' rules and console Hilda? Quite the anomaly for a Boreas."

He had misinterpreted Allen's motives based on that moonlit dance days prior.

Allen didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the mana sphere outside.

Sauros glanced at him, displeased, and opened his mouth to speak—

But Allen cut him off.

"Have you ever considered returning to the capital?"

"With James' methods and capabilities, he's little more than an accessory in the First Prince's faction. Even if the First Prince ascends, Darius will still overshadow him."

"You hold Boreas' prestige in your hands, yet you've only brought it shame."

"That won't do."

Sauros stiffened, clearly taken aback. He hadn't expected Allen to say such a thing. His eyes widened as he scrutinized Allen, then involuntarily glanced behind him.

Outside the door, the red haze clung to the Iron Heart.

It was spreading its wings amidst the flames.

And burning in Sauros' eyes.

After a long silence, Sauros chuckled and turned back to the window.

"So that's your goal. What, you dislike James that much? No wonder you threatened to kill him last time. You came to Boreas to drag me back to the capital and start anew?"

His tone was as sharp and blunt as ever, but the usual predatory edge in his expression had dulled.

Allen remained impassive.

The two stood in silence as dusk painted Sauros' dark-brown-and-white hair red. He stared westward over Fittoa before finally gripping his cane and speaking again.

Compared to his usual curtness, this time, his words carried the patience befitting a grandfather.

His focus wasn't on any single point—but on the continuation of Boreas itself.

"James may be lacking, but Philip is no saint either. I must remain in Fittoa to maintain this balance."

"If I followed you to the capital and threw myself into the succession struggle, who would govern this land? This city? Philip? Roa cannot contain his ambitions. I understand your perspective, your drive—but your approach would mean abandoning Fittoa entirely. I can't allow that."

"And."

"I'm no longer young. If I exhaust myself now, Boreas will truly fall when I die."

Here, Sauros clenched his fist and slashed it through the air, as if unwilling to concede.

"But you've shown me hope, Allen. Your role isn't in the current succession struggle—it's in the aftermath."

Allen frowned at the mana sphere, listening as Sauros continued.

"James is still emulating Darius' political maneuvering in the capital. I don't approve. Power without strength is just borrowed authority."

"So the capital still needs you. To make Boreas' voice louder. Stronger. Unignorable."

Sauros turned to Allen, his expression uncharacteristically earnest.

"But James still has his uses. Don't discard him. A single pillar cannot hold a roof. I learned that well in my battles against Darius. Even if you despise him, tolerate him. You're not of the same generation—there's no competition for the family headship. Remember, this is for Boreas' survival."

"Given the circumstances, I've prepared two paths for you."

He raised two fingers, his rough voice brimming with confidence.

"First: The Royal Guard."

"Second: The City Garrison."

"The Asura Kingdom has been at peace for so long that even palace assassinations are ignored without evidence. Many nobles have forgotten about these 'unremarkable' soldiers and knights—and these forces, in turn, have been neglected by the aristocracy. None are firmly under any faction's control, save for superficial connections between their captains and certain nobles."

"In this era of peace, these military forces seem irrelevant to the power struggle. So, Allen, I ask you—can we, the Boreas, claim these forgotten forces for ourselves?"

Allen's brow furrowed. He glanced at Sauros.

"On the surface, yes. In reality, no."

Sauros blinked, then burst into laughter.

"Exactly! The answer is no! The military's neglect is a complete illusion—a lie woven by the king himself. Asura, the last human state standing in the Central Continent after the Human-Demon War, would never forget the very foundation of its survival: its armed forces. You understand far more than I expected. Good."

Of course Allen understood.

He had started in the capital. Combined with the original story's plot, the situation was crystal clear.

Why did Asura's succession struggle in the original story seem like child's play? Why did it defy logic—factions clashing openly in the palace, even resorting to assassinations, yet the military remained almost invisible? And most absurd of all, the king never once appeared.

The reason lay with the king.

The ruler of humanity's greatest nation couldn't possibly be so powerless against the infighting.

No—this was his method of ensuring the monarchy's stability.

Let the princes and princesses fight. Let them scheme, assassinate, and betray.

These were the "rules" of his selection process.

But beneath the surface, there was a red line:

The military.

—The Knight Orders. The Royal Guard. The City Garrison. The Mage Corps.

Why did these forces remain "uninvolved" in the violent power struggle?

Because they belonged to the king.

No matter how chaotic the conflict became, as long as the military remained under the king's control, the situation was firmly in his grasp.

This was especially evident when comparing the main story and Old Rudeus' timeline.

In the original story, Pilemon had already set his sights on the military before Ariel fled the country, secretly infiltrating it in preparation for a potential coup.

But what happened?

At the climax of the succession battle, why did Pilemon suddenly defect to the First Prince, dismissing Luke's questions with clear reluctance?

Because the king had effortlessly severed all of Pilemon's connections to the military. Years of groundwork vanished overnight. With no leverage left, how could he trust Ariel to win on her own? So he betrayed her, clinging to the First Prince to save his family.

Old Rudeus' timeline was even more telling. Ariel returned to the capital earlier and attempted a coup using the military—only for her faction to be annihilated overnight. The official story claimed Reida and Oberl were responsible.

But how?

Could Reida really stand in the middle of the street, charm an entire army, and slaughter them with her sword? Could Oberl single-handedly wipe out Ariel's forces? And why was Pilemon hiding in his territory instead of leading the coup?

Simple.

The "military" Pilemon gave Ariel was a sham.

Realizing this, Ariel had no choice but to resort to assassinations—which led to her downfall.

Allen's thoughts raced as he rested his hand on the windowsill.

In the original story, Isolte never participated in the war for a reason.

During the Asura conflict, she had briefly crossed paths with Eris and Rudeus in the streets—

As a "Squire."

Not of the Knight Orders, but—

Sauros' voice pulled him back, carrying an uncharacteristic slyness.

"Precisely because it's 'impossible,' I want you in the Royal Guard or City Garrison. Not to plot a coup, but to avoid the succession struggle and amass strength in the shadows. These two forces are part of the king's direct control—and that's where your future lies."

"With your strength, within a few years, you'll establish yourself in one of them. You'll be Boreas' hidden blade beneath the political surface. Even if James remains overshadowed by Darius, once the First Prince inherits the throne—and the military with it—your influence will bolster James. Then, it'll be Darius who's isolated."

"Choose, Allen. This is the path I've laid for you. Among Boreas' younger generation, only you have the strength to walk it."

Their eyes met.

Sauros stared intently, anticipation burning in his gaze.

Allen studied his face, his expression unreadable.

The wind howled between them.

Finally, Allen spoke.

"I'll ask one last time. You truly won't go to the capital?"

Sauros said nothing.

Allen nodded. "Fine. Understood."

Relief flashed across Sauros' face. "Then I'll arrange—"

His hand froze mid-gesture as Allen interrupted.

"No need."

Allen calmly removed Sauros' hand from his shoulder.

"I have a better method."

Sauros blinked. Then, realization dawned.

"…The Knight Orders?"

Allen smiled faintly—then deliberately shifted the topic.

A misleading negotiation.

"I'll go to the capital. But—"

"Eris comes with me."

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