Tyranny Of Steel

Chapter 1015 Dismantling The Last Bastion OfCatholicism

While Berengar, and a company of his finest marines had entered a hidden paradise which was protected by the god Odin. The majority of his sailors and marines who had accompanied the SMS Linde on this fateful journey were enjoying what one might call shore leave in the city of Reykjavík.

Even though Berengar had rather violently taken the girl Siv as his guide. The people of Reykjavík did not dare make a move on the German soldiers who were visiting the city. After all, the complete annihilation of a nearby iceberg left an impressionable image in the minds of those who had witnessed it. 

Thus, the German soldiers were able to enjoy mingling with the local population to their heart's contents. Naturally, after hitting the town and having a few drinks, a few German soldiers had gotten quite rowdy. Among these men was one Chief Petty Officer Wolf Engel, who had been serving beneath the banner of the Kriegsmarine as far back as when it was known as the Austrian Royal Navy. 

Over a decade had passed since the man first enlisted in the service of Berengar, and during this time, he had fought many enemies at sea, none of which had given him a challenge. However, if there was one enemy he hated more than all the others, it was the Catholic Church. 

Berengar had done an impeccable job demonizing the Catholic Church. So much so that the average German citizen now considered it to be one of the greatest evils humanity had ever devised.

When a citizen of the reich heard the words Catholic priest, they immediately thought of a liar, a thief, a swindler, a drunkard, a blasphemer, and worst of all, a child molester. This was Berengar's propaganda at work. 

Thus, when Wolf Engel, and the sailors beneath his command got hammered and stumbled upon one of the world's last Catholic Churches, they were immediately reminded of the propaganda they had been bombarded with for the last fourteen years of their lives. 

Whether they intended to liberate the Icelandic people from the clutches of damnation, or they simply wanted to vent some of their frustrations against an enemy that had long since been defeated. Nobody really knew. However, on this night, Chief Petty Officer Wolf Engel, and his band of misfits, would engage in an act of brutality that would turn the entire city of Reykjavík against the Germans. 

After drinking more than his fair share of booze, Wolf Engel stumbled through the streets of Reykjavík with his lads in tow. The men could barely even walk straight, and yet the locals parted a way for them, as if they were too terrified to get in their way. 

Wolf gazed upon the bills in his wallet and cursed aloud. After having the Reich's most common currency rejected, he was forced to pay in silver thalers for a few watered down beers. A price that was obviously not worth the product he received. 

"Damn them all to hell! Why can't they be civilized and accept our currency? Do these barbarians not realize that a single mark is worth more than its weight in gold?!?! What kind of man carries a sack of thalers around these days? Fucking hell, I want something to eat!"

One of the men beneath Wolf's command simply laughed in response to this, and patted his superior on the back before pointing towards the large battleship which made berth in the harbor.

"I'm sure the mess would be happy to cook you something. After all, who the hell wants to eat whatever it is the locals are serving? Do you remember the crap we had to eat a decade ago? I bet the local dishes are just as bad as that!"

As the men were stumbling through the city, and complaining about their lots in life, Wolf noticed a glimmer in the distance. After observing it closely, he noticed a large golden cross atop a large wooden cathedral.

It took him all but three seconds to realize that this isolated island could quite possibly still be catholic. When he understood this, a deep sense of rage overtook the man's heart as he threw off his subordinate's friendly gesture and growled like a beast. 

"Damn Catholics! You remember all the evil they have done to this world? How much you want to bet that these barbarians are still being led astray by those filthy swindlers! I say we go march into that cathedral and give those bastards the telling of a lifetime!"

It was only now, after hearing it from Wolf's lips, that these sailors noticed the large cathedral in the distance. Each man reacted differently, with one scoffing at the very idea that there were still Catholics in this world. 

"Ha! You think anyone is still foolish enough to follow such a tainted faith? This island may be isolated, but it is still beneath the rule of the Kalmar Union. I highly doubt King Alvar has allowed these barbarians to still follow the Catholic traditions. You're getting pissed off for no reason, Chief!"

Despite the sailor's words, Wolf was far from convinced and was quick to make a bet with the man.

"Alright, I wager one month's salary that these bastards are still Catholic!"

The Sailor was surprised that his superior was willing to go so far, but after thinking about it for a few seconds, he chuckled and agreed to the conditions. 

"Very well, however, when I'm right, don't complain to me that I swindled you out of this month's wages while you were drunk! Let's go find out who is correct."

With this said, the group of drunken sailors marched towards the Cathedral, where Wolf was quick to kick its doors open. In doing so, he interrupted the Bishop of Reykjavík while he was giving a sermon to a group of worshippers. While the Icelandic citizens were gazing in shock at the abrupt interruption, Wolf screamed at the Bishop like a howling beast.

"I knew it. You fuckers are Catholic, aren't you? Don't you know about Papacy's wicked deeds? And how they were damned to hell in a trial by fire conducted by the lord God almighty himself? Yet you dare to brainwash these poor, uneducated fools with your evil filth! Have you no conscience!?!"

Only the Bishop knew what Wolf was saying, as he spoke in the Latin tongue. He could hardly believe his ears when he heard of the Pope's death at the hands of the Lord. In fact, he thought that Wolf was nothing more than a madman spouting his fever dreams as if they were reality. As a result, the Bishop tried to placate the man in an attempt to avoid violence. 

"Please, sir, I have no idea what you're talking about. The Pope is dead? Are you sure you haven't been drinking? Why don't you get some rest, and we can discuss your inner demons at a later date?"

This only served to further provoke the Chief Petty Officer, who quickly grabbed hold of the Bishop's collar, and pointed his pistol to the man's head. 

"Inner demons? It is you who worships the devil. I come here today to liberate these poor fools from your wicked lies! Die heretic!"

Without hesitation, Wolf pulled the trigger of his pistol, thus killing the Bishop of Reykjavík on the spot, as a bloody hole appeared in the man's head, splattering blood and grey matter all over the floor. 

The parish screamed in terror as they witnessed the Bishop's death, many of which froze on the spot. However, despite this, Wolf allowed them to leave the Cathedral unharmed, all while sending one last message to the people of Iceland. 

"Go, you are now saved by the devils of the Catholic Church! I, Chief Petty Officer Wolf Engel, hereby execute this devil worshipper in the name of Saint Berengar the Blessed. Let us cleanse this land of this satanic religion!" 

With this said, the parish fled from the building, in fear for their lives. Once they were gone, the German sailors began to ransack the Cathedral before lighting it aflame. They watched by the wayside as the fire consumed the holy place until only ashes remained. 

Having murdered the Bishop of Reykjavík, and burned down his home, the German Empire had thoroughly rid this world of the Catholic Faith, once and for all. In doing so, they had invoked the ire of the locals, who could not understand why the visitors had behaved so atrociously. It was only after Berengar returned from his heathen trials that he would be able to mitigate the damage caused by a group of drunken sailors. 

---

If you're not reading this on Webnovel, consider supporting me by donating at https://ko-fi.com/zentmeister