Reincarnated with the Country System
Chapter 273 - 273: The Cult

At first, the people of Latvia thought the rebellion was simple. They believed they were rising up against a cruel empire—the Bernard Empire—that had invaded their homeland, destroyed their villages, and murdered their families. The anger they felt seemed justified. The pain was real.

But behind it all, there was something else.

It wasn't the Bernard Empire that started the violence.

It was a secret group known only as the Shadows, or the Shadow Cult.

A secret society older than most nations, they had no banners, no borders, no loyalty to crown or god. What they possessed was far more dangerous: belief, weaponized into zealotry. And in Latvia, they now saw a fertile ground. A wounded kingdom, recently conquered, still bitter from defeat. Its people were tired, angry, humiliated. The perfect kindling.

They worked in the dark, far away from the eyes of the imperial armies. They were not a group fighting for freedom. Their goal was not to win a war—but to awaken a forgotten god sealed deep beneath the world. A being known as In'Therak, the Fractured Star.

The Shadows moved in silence. They infiltrated rural communities, posing as healers, merchants, wandering clergy. Over months, they mapped out routes, identified the most isolated villages, and sabotaged imperial supply lines—enough to provoke frustration, but not yet retaliation.

And then—

Under the cover of night, Shadow cult members attacked these villages, killing entire families, stealing children, and burning everything to the ground. But here's the key: they wore stolen Bernardian armor. They made sure their victims saw the "Bernard Empire" coming.

After each massacre, they left just enough evidence behind to frame the Bernard Empire: flags, weapons, sometimes even soldiers' corpses taken from old battlefields.

Their grand master plan was working.

They also spread false stories. Survivors—some brainwashed, some simply confused—spoke of imperial soldiers murdering civilians. Local storytellers and fake priests began spreading rumors that the Empire had started a campaign of terror.

And since most people in this world were poor, uneducated, and used to hearing only word-of-mouth news, they believed what they were told.

The Bernard Empire tried to respond. They sent investigators and soldiers to calm the situation. But the damage had already been done. People in cities and towns across Latvia had already chosen a side. Every new imperial soldier that arrived was seen as a threat, not a protector.

Even worse, when Bernardian forces tried to suppress the unrest, it only made things worse. Arresting rebels, enforcing curfews, and punishing resistance groups made it look like they had something to hide. The Shadow Cult made sure this was exactly what the people saw. They twisted every move the Empire made into more fuel for the fire.

In just a few months, Latvia was completely destabilized.

It was the perfect cover for the Shadows. While the world thought they were a freedom movement or rebels, in truth, they were using the rebellion as a ritual. Every village burned, every innocent killed—it was part of a sacrifice. Their real goal was not freedom, but blood. Blood needed to break the seals that held the god In'Therak imprisoned.

So while the people fought and died in the streets, the Shadows were hunting something greater: Prince Eric, the last surviving member of Latvia's royal family. They also had their eyes on Callum and Kiera, the heirs of nearby Jimland, another country with ties to the ancient Alkan bloodline.

To manipulate them, the Shadows fed them lies. They made Callum and Kiera believe the Empire had committed war crimes. That supporting the rebellion would save their people. In truth, it was a trap. The Shadows needed them alive—until the ritual was ready.

The plan nearly worked.

The Bernard Empire, despite its strength, could not stop a lie once it had taken root. The people believed the Empire was evil—and nothing the Bernardians said could change their minds.

That's the real power the Shadows used.

They didn't just kill people. They changed what people believed. They replaced facts with fear. They made angels look like devils, and monsters look like heroes. And in a world like this, where magic and ancient gods are real, belief itself can become a weapon.

But then they made a mistake.

They captured Prince Eric—the last royal bloodline of the Latvian royal family.

They thought they had won.

But what they didn't know was that the Bernard Empire had planned for this. The Bernard Empire had planned this with Eric a long time ago. Because they had found out about the plan to kidnap Eric. And General Hans decided to use this opportunity.

When Eric was captured, he had already been marked—with a small tracking device, a GPS. At first, the Empire wasn't even sure if he was still alive. But when the tracker lit up again deep underground, they knew they had found the Shadows' base.

High Command quickly drew up a plan: a shock assault, using elite Bernardian commandos equipped with disruptor grenades, powered armor, and null-magic weaponry.

They moved fast.

Just as the cult began the final stage of their ritual—after Callum was sacrificed, and Kiera was next—the Bernardian strike team stormed the underground chamber.

♦♦♦

A Bernardian soldier reached Eric, pulling him upright. "We've got to get you out!"

"Not yet," Eric gasped. "We have to stop it."

On the other hand, Kiera had wrested Nia's dagger away and now stood over her would-be executioner. Her hair was wild, her gown torn, blood and arcane light crackling along her arms.

"You murdered my brother," Kiera whispered.

Nia spat blood. "He was a tool. And so are you."

Kiera's blade came down, but not into Nia's throat. She drove it into the floor—into the heart of a burning glyph.

The explosion of energy was immediate.

A shockwave hurled bodies against stone. Runes shattered. The pit spasmed, as if some vast and slumbering eye had opened—then squeezed shut in pain.

The seal was breaking—but incompletely. It was unstable now. Rabid.

Nile screamed, "You fools! You've ruined everything!"

He raised a blade of black crystal and pointed it toward Kiera—his mouth chanting syllables forbidden by time itself.

But before he could finish, a Bernardian disruptor round hit him square in the chest.

He staggered, coughing blood. The crystal blade fell.

"You…" he rasped, staring down at the smoking hole in his ribs. "You don't understand. He was almost free."

A Bernardian commando stepped into view. "We don't care."

She shot him again. This time through the head.

Nile dropped like a puppet with its strings cut.