Another side
While one man was making moves in the Demon World, there were also movements in Isal.
“The front lines are in a stalemate, troop attrition is severe, and food consumption is only increasing. If this continues, surviving the winter will be difficult,”
The Theocratic Nation Tris.
A nation that reveres God and sustains itself through faith.
In the central part of Tris, its capital, stands the Great Cathedral.
In a large conference room, akin to a chapel, a knight reported the current situation to the archbishops gathered around a long table, but all the news was unfavorable.
Everyone wore dissatisfied expressions.
Currently, the Theocratic Nation is allied with the neighboring kingdom and at war with the Empire.
Although the war was initiated by the Empire, it was not a sudden attack but one that began with preparation within expected parameters, though perhaps not entirely sufficient.
According to the original plan, there should have been more leeway.
Despite this, the situation looked grim.
No, considering they repelled the initial attack, the situation wasn’t exactly bad. However, for them, the Apostles of God, it was an unacceptable situation.
They were aware of the reasons behind this outcome, which only fueled their discontent and frustration.
The series of unfortunate events that led to this situation was unexpected even for the leaders gathered here.
The first mishap was the intelligence department’s delayed detection of the Golems created by the Empire, which led to a delayed response and inadequate countermeasures.
The second mishap was that the heroes summoned to counter the Empire were all abducted by someone.
And the third.
“Will the Holy Sword’s recovery be completed soon?”
“Yes! We have received a report that it is still not ready.”
“Hurry it up!!”
“Yes!”
The existing trump card, created to compensate for these mishaps, is sealed.
The more they tried to respond, the further behind they fell, and everything they attempted failed.
Facing the knight who was reporting, the man seated in the seat of honor, infuriated, snapped back at the knight’s report.
One in a position of leadership should ideally maintain composure, but with the current dire war situation, it was difficult to do so.
More importantly, the Empire’s Golems.
With their only means of countering the Golems, created from the remains of the Demon Lord, sealed, their desperation was palpable.
According to the original plan, they should have prepared more Holy Swords, and the war situation would have been more manageable.
The conversation in this conference room could have just as easily been about the post-war period rather than the current conflict.
However, their plans had been drastically delayed, and their attempts to devise a way out had devolved into a clash of emotions.
“To think that the only Holy Sword we managed to create is in such a state. It’s incredibly inconvenient.”
After ensuring the knight had left, the man in the seat of honor leaned back against his chair.
“It can’t be helped. We forced the process of turning a man with low aptitude into a Holy Sword. It’s not surprising that there are flaws in its performance.”
The material for the Holy Sword was an adult man who was supposed to be a guide for the heroes who would become materials for the Holy Sword. It was a tragic end for a man who had succumbed to the charms of women, become weak, lived a life of ease, and forgotten his duties as a teacher.
“Fortunately, its performance as a weapon is not bad. We have reports indicating that the operational restrictions are likely to be improved.”
“I am aware of that.”
These men, who viewed even this one man as mere material, hid their dissatisfaction with his role.
As a theocratic nation, the country is run by priests.
From this conversation alone, who would guess that they were priests?
The concept of separation of church and state was unthinkable here. The Pope was a figure who offered prayers to God, and apart from exceptions, held no political influence. Therefore, those known as Archbishops gathered in this room to manage the country and its military.
Strictly speaking, there was the Knights’ Order, with its own commander, but the general direction of operations was decided here. While it sounded good to call them the “leaders” pondering their problems, most of them were filled with selfish desires and only concerned with maintaining their power – a group of worldly, power-hungry individuals. The seats of those who had failed in the recent hero disappearance incident were empty, and no one bothered to consider what they were doing.
“It seems pushing the front lines forward is impossible for the time being.”
“Regrettably so.”
“Those damnable heretics.”
The Empire and the Theocratic Nation Tris worshipped different religions.
The Theocratic Nation Tris held the belief that God was supreme, with a deeply faithful populace. Religion was integrated into their daily lives, with prayers offered for both difficulties and celebrations. While this facilitated national unity, the state was fragile once disorder arose.
In contrast, the Empire was meritocratic, believing that while prayers were offered to God, the ultimate responsibility lay with oneself. Therefore, they sometimes disregarded religion, a mindset akin to Oda Nobunaga in Japan. Their philosophy was to utilize religion if possible, and if it became an obstacle, to suppress it while still offering prayers. As a result, their pragmatic approach often led to a tendency to suspect their own people. Because of their national character, being labeled as heretics did not faze them; they even used this perception to their advantage, arguing that divine punishment would not befall them and defiantly proclaiming God’s name.
Consequently, there was no amity between these nations, and even a peace treaty was not an option. The only choices were to annihilate the enemy or be annihilated themselves. If this continued, both countries risked exhausting themselves and perishing. Concerned about such a future, moderate factions existed in both nations, but their influence was negligible. This was the reason for the quagmire. It was a quagmire born from a lack of hesitation in trampling on others, as they only considered their own interests. It could be said that the situation was so rotten it couldn’t be helped.
What was called a meeting was merely an exchange of complaints. And the simple task of affirming and praising the words of the person with the most influence.
The door to such a gathering was suddenly knocked.
“Who is it! We are in the middle of a meeting!!”
“It is the Pope.”
“?!”
An archbishop seated near the door, angered by the interruption of the meeting, shouted through the door. However, the response came not from a knight guarding the door, but from a lady-in-waiting. And this lady-in-waiting was supposed to be attached to the person at the very top. Understanding this, the archbishops were stunned. Someone who was not supposed to be present at this gathering was now at the door. The archbishop at the seat of honor immediately stood up, moving the knight aside. He knelt and assumed a posture of prayer toward the altar to welcome the guest. Following his lead, the other archbishops also knelt. And at the opportune moment, the knight opened the door. The sound of bells, like a gentle chime, echoed from beyond the door. However, no one present raised their heads. The bells rang with a steady rhythm. As one step was taken, then another, the sound advanced further into the large conference room, and toward the altar, which was set higher than the conference room.
“These are the words from the Pope.”
Then, in the silence of the room, the lady-in-waiting’s voice echoed, followed by a child’s voice, while everyone kept their heads bowed.
“We have received a divine revelation from the Sun God.”
No one reacted to the content of the voice. The Pope was one who heard the voice of God and conveyed it. Although uninvolved in politics, they possessed an influence that could sway the nation’s actions. Therefore, their appearance here meant nothing less than receiving a divine message. Ordinarily, they prayed at an altar in the highest room of the great cathedral in the capital, but it was not uncommon for them to appear before the archbishops like this. However, conversely, their appearance usually signaled a divine revelation.
“Seven days from now, an emissary will be sent from the heavens. Accompany this emissary with three attendants. Then, under the guidance of this emissary, we shall embark on a journey to the world where the hero resides.”
While the benefits of such revelations varied, this time, the outcome foretold brought profit. The archbishops’ hearts filled with joy. They would finally be able to give the Empire a taste of their own medicine.
“However…”
Just as they thought this, the Pope, who usually departed after a brief statement, continued speaking.
“Choose the attendants with care. That land is beyond the reach of God’s divine authority, an unknown territory. Language will be granted, but know that it is governed by principles different from this world.”
The archbishops could not fathom the meaning of these words. They understood they were being told to retrieve the hero from an undeveloped region, but they were unsure of the other threats.
“And, a shadow of the moon lies upon that land.”
“!!”
However, at the Pope’s next words, the archbishops involuntarily raised their heads. Forgetting the admonition for their rudeness, they sought to confirm the truth of his words.
“Rudeness!! Who gave you permission to look up!!”
The archbishops were then reprimanded by the younger lady-in-waiting. Their status was higher. However, their words were justified in this situation. Interfering with the conveyance of God’s words was an act that none could permit. Yet, ignoring the Pope’s words was equally impossible. “Moon” was a word passed down in Tris, understood only by those who knew the truth. It meant that the Demon Race was extending its reach into the hero’s land. To the archbishops, this was an unthinkable fact. In their doctrine, the hero was a symbol of justice, and such a symbol should not be violated.
“It is acceptable.”
The Pope, understanding their reaction, did not hold their looking up against them. The small figure, their face concealed by a sheer white veil, was adorned in elaborate attire, making their gender indiscernible.
“That is all the word of God. It was a message difficult for these individuals to accept. Nothing more.”
“My apologies.”
Their pronouncements were not emotional but detached, as if from an objective viewpoint. Even when the lady-in-waiting apologized for her raised voice, the Pope showed no concern.
“With all due respect, Your Eminence, are the words just spoken indeed true?”
The archbishop at the seat of honor, having gauged the right moment to speak, voiced his question. The Pope shifted his gaze from the lady-in-waiting to the archbishop.
“Do you doubt the word of God?”
“Not at all, but for the demons to possess the means to traverse dimensions is rather far-fetched.”
“However, God’s words speak only the truth.”
“Yes! I apologize.”
“It is acceptable.”
Though the archbishop spoke his unspoken disbelief, he could not look away from the gaze that seemed to penetrate his very soul from beyond the veil. He could only humbly bow his head to the Pope’s next words.
“Now then, Archbishop.”
“Yes!”
The powers that be in this nation could not defy the Pope. They, who stood above all else in this land, usually met no opposition. Why? Because this Pope had remained in this form for over a thousand years. A being who did not involve himself in politics, but merely conveyed the word of God. Yet, he was stronger than anyone present. Harming him was impossible, and opposing him was forbidden. This was an unwritten rule in this country. Therefore, the archbishop awaited the Pope’s words.
“Include the Saintess among the attendants. The selection of the others is left to you.”
“Understood!!”
Having said what they needed to say, the Pope departed the large conference room, led by the lady-in-waiting. Just as they had entered, the sound of bells accompanied their departure, and after the door closed, the archbishops continued to offer their prayers towards the altar for some time. When they finally stood up, sweat was trickling down everyone’s foreheads. If it could be summarized with just one word, it was pressure. They were beings made of pride. There wasn’t a single one among them without ulterior motives. Despite their difficult personalities and eccentricities, they all deferred to the Pope.
Archbishop Heze.
“Yes?”
They attempted to resume their discussion after returning to their seats, but the momentum from before was gone.
“What shall we do about selecting the attendants?”
“…”
A difficult task had been thrust upon them. That one sentence said it all. It was clear that making a poor selection would lead to problems. The Apostles of God would be the guides on the journey to another world. It was likely that if they appointed someone with excessive ambition, pride, or a strong will, it would displease the angel, regardless of their capabilities. Furthermore, if they angered him and, by chance, disregarded this divine revelation, it could affect the future war situation. They desperately wanted to avoid that. Understanding this, the archbishop named Heze chose to remain silent and ponder deeply.
“There is no other way.”
During this silence, the other archbishops quietly awaited Archbishop Heze’s decision.
“We will coordinate with the Kingdom.”
“So, it has come to that, has it?”
The bishop sitting next to Archbishop Heze understood that there was no other choice after hearing his words. Of course, Archbishop Heze initially intended to manage the selection within their own ranks. However, after searching for suitable candidates among the current available personnel, he concluded that everyone was unqualified. In such a case, he would bear the full responsibility for any failure. That was something he absolutely had to avoid. While it meant sharing the honor of being guided by an Apostle of God, he concluded that bringing the hero back to their side would more than compensate for it. He decided to request cooperation from the Kingdom and divide the responsibility. No one objected to this course of action.
“Send messengers immediately. Permission is granted to use Pegasi. Time is of the essence; this must be done with the utmost urgency!”
“!”
And this decision was made on the day the wise man who was active in the Demon World set off.
End of Another side
Today’s word:
Things like this happen when your holidays are different, don’t they?
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*The first volume of the novel has been published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018.
The e-book version was released on October 31 of the same year.
Volume two was released on December 19.
Volume three was released on February 20, 2019.
The content includes revisions and additions to the material posted on “Shōsetsuka ni Narō,” along with the inclusion of an unreleased interlude.
Please consider purchasing the new releases!
The manga adaptation is currently serialized in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.”
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