[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-reborn-king":3,"chapter-the-reborn-king-the-reborn-king-chapter-364":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Reborn King",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1100821,1437,"Chapter 364: Side Story 5: Guarded Secrets","the-reborn-king-chapter-364",364,"\u003Cp>\"You failed, Michael.\" As he walked into the barracks, Michael was stopped by a cold voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello, Gabriel.\" Without looking at him, Michael carried on and slowly took his armour off. He could feel Gabriel’s piercing eyes on his back and sighed, \"I didn’t fail Gabriel.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Emperor still lives. Is that not a failure?\" Gabriel moved forward, his eyes staring deep into the old man’s soul, \"Not only has the Commonwealth fallen, but his allies have reformed the Old Empire. He is becoming too powerful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You lack faith.\" Michael snapped, \"Does the Ammary Emperor make you scared. He is but a human, and we are the servants of God. His desire and ambitions are finite and will eventually crumble. The Church is eternal. No matter the threat, we shall always exist. We have time, Gabriel, he does not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gabriel stared at Michael and scoffed. \"He was a Blessed One...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And like those in the past, we will strike them down for their arrogance. The campaigns against the Blessed Ones have never been easy, always suffering failures, but in the end, we always won.\" Michael scoffed, \"I must see His Holiness. If you wish to berate me, then save it for later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gabriel watched as Michael left the barracks and clicked his tongue, shaking his head. Grabbing the symbol of Sol hung around his chest, he silently prayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michael was quick, and as he walked into Constance’s room, he bowed. \"I greet His Holiness.\" Constance looked up and offered the seat before him with a warm smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s a shame you couldn’t succeed, but we have time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you for the kind words.\" Michael looked at Constance’s emerald eyes and smiled, \"But I learnt a lot from this. The Empire is strong, stronger than we were led to believe. But they have weaknesses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Constance put down the pen in his hands and leaned on his fingers. \"Their faith in the Emperor is a crutch.\" Michael carried on. \"We need to act like them. Shake their faith in Alfred. Prove he isn’t infallible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Easier said than done.\" Constance leaned back, \"He has won two major wars, and expanded the Empire’s borders beyond anything the Ammary people have known. And those at his side are fanatics. They won’t be easily shaken.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There has to be a weakness. No man is without one.\" Michael said coldly, \"If we find it and reveal it to the world, he will crumble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Constance frowned, \"Use whatever resources you must. Look into it. Go as far back as you can, before he was even crowned. My father is ending the war with the Ammerians soon. The Severians will support us when we launch a full campaign against the Empire.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michael nodded and got up, \"One more thing.\" Constance stopped him, \"Revealing his purges and the like won’t be enough. The man has already created a society of fear around himself through them. It has to be personal. Use his children if you must.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michael clenched his fists and looked away in shame, unable to believe the order was given. He had already told William that he was beyond using children to further the Church’s goals, and now he was being ordered to use them if it would be beneficial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If that is your order.\" Closing his eyes, Michael accepted. He was a sword of Sol in the end. His personal desires were trumped by the orders of Sol’s representative. Leaving the room, he walked straight to the archives of the Holy Seat. Hundreds of workers busily sorted the large library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man in charge saw Michael coming and lowered his head, \"Grand Templar. It is an honour.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s fine. I need you to collect as much information from the excommunicated Blessed One, Alfred Lindonfall.\" Michael paused, \"No, give me information on all the Blessed Ones.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All of it?\" The man asked. Looking up at Michael’s cold eyes, he lowered his head in fright, \"If that is your order.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good.\" Michael turned and left. The Blessed Ones were strange. No one really understood what they were or anything about them, but Michael was sure they had to be connected in some way. Sol chose them for a reason, and if he could find a link, it could be the fatal flaw that could destroy Alfred’s reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’The majority of the Blessed Ones were excommunicated at some point. There has to be a reason.’It was something he had never cared about before; Blessed Ones were a thing of the past, until Alfred came into existence. Even if it was something as simple as they were likely to be evil, it was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving the Grand Archive, he stood in the massive halls of the Holy Seat and looked around. He knew the archive would have a lot of information, but he needed more. The things that the previous popes had hidden away. Looking up at the highest floor where Constance’s office was, he knew he had to ask for permission to see inside it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite how easy the request was to make, he hesitated. He needed to know. He knew the Blessed Ones weren’t all saints. Alfred was enough proof of that. He was a man who had committed purge after purge to secure his power. He wasn’t a saint, and for Michael, he couldn’t even be labelled as a good person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to find evidence that could destroy Alfred and free the people under him from his tricks. But if he found something he shouldn’t. Michael gulped, his usual calm demeanour nowhere to be found. It was dangerous. Whatever was hidden in history had to be hidden for a reason. Looking into it threatened everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could stop now. It would be easy. Michael was tempted to turn around and stop the search for the old document, but stopped himself.’If I stop, I may have to target children.’The order he was given was enough. He didn’t want to. It was unjust. Sol would never accept such cruelty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was doctrine. Sol healed Khors’ child even when its existence was a sin. Who was he to hurt them? He had dammned himself already, but he didn’t want to add to his already existing sins.’The boy is disabled, no less.’Clenching his teeth, he turned back around and started to make his way to Constance’s office. If history was hidden, it had to be for a reason. If the reason was to protect the faith, there was nothing wrong with it. He would find his evidence and burn Alfred’s reputation. He didn’t need any more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Going back to the office, Michael carefully knocked. Constance was confused seeing Michael again so soon. \"I need your approval for something, Your Holiness.\" Constance frowned but said nothing, nodding for him to continue. \"Please give me access to the hidden records of the Blessed Ones.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Constance froze and took a deep breath. \"Why?\" His eyes went dangerously cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I believe it may hold Alfred’s weakness. The Blessed One has been excommunicated for one reason or another. There must be a link between them all, something that could be used.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Constance watched Michael and tapped his desk. Closing his eyes, the room was deathly silent. \"I can’t let you do that.\" Constance finally spoke. Looking at Constance’s eyes, he felt his back stiffen from the extreme chill. \"Is that a problem?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, Your Holiness. Your will is Sol’s will.\" Michael bowed and left. Constance tapped his desk again and rang the bell at his side. An old man walked in within a few seconds and bowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get Garbiel for me.\" Constance’s voice was cold saying that. The old man nodded and left. Alone, Constance shook his head. \"You are looking for the wrong things, Michael. Don’t be a fool.\" Quietly whispering to himself, Constance didn’t return to work and waited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gabriel walked in a couple of minutes later and bowed. Meeting Constance’s eyes, the young man showed a warmth reserved only for the most holy. \"Watch Michael.\" Hearing the order, Garbiel didn’t ask questions and only nodded in acknowledgement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hoped his fears were unfounded, but he couldn’t take the risk. The sealed documents about the Blessed Ones were a powerful tool, capable of shaking the faith of even the most devout men. It was why only the Pope had access to them. Only those trained from childhood to take the position could remain unshaken by what was said in them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truth in some of those texts was terrible, enough to make Constance want to kill himself. He had hated his father for his entire life because of how he ruled, but now he could understand why he acted that way. Sometimes, cruelty was justified if it meant protecting something greater than yourself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He prayed Michael didn’t act recklessly. He needed him, but most importantly, didn’t wish to kill him. But Constance knew it was idealism to think like that. Michael wasn’t a traitor. But he was curious. It was much more dangerous. He gave him a chance. If Michael failed to see that, then much like how he had done previously with the disloyal clergy, he would discard him.\u003C\u002Fp>",1526,"2026-06-03T11:17:48.775Z","2026-06-03T11:17:51.400Z",1,"novelbin.me","412a32bbf52d8b981e6bb14654cd446d4f80fb11844eb88b31d14dca2dd9a4f4","the-reborn-king-chapter-365","the-reborn-king-chapter-363",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-reborn-king-cover.jpg"]