First of all, I came up with a hypothesis about why the government suddenly did such a ridiculous thing.
There’s a saying that “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” No matter how virtuous a person may be, if they hold power without change and without anyone around to constrain or advise them, they will eventually become corrupt, losing their original virtuous nature and turning into evil.
Of course, whether that evil can be punished or dealt with is a separate issue.
Looking at the government in this world, that’s what I thought.
Ah, I’m not saying the central government is a dictatorial regime. It’s not absolute power either.
However, I believe there’s a commonality in the fact that “there has been no proper checks on power for decades.”
For the last 50 years, they have failed to produce proper adults, and the church has slowly been coming down from its position as one of the two pillars of human society while the government has continually ignored it. I can’t quite say it has been completely trampled, but at least judging by their current attitude, it seems they ultimately wanted to make the church a subordinate institution rather than an equal power.
And unlike the government, which can influence society as a whole, the church has been able to exercise its influence only within very limited areas, gradually losing its ability to stand equally against the government over the past few decades.
In the midst of all this, ta-da, suddenly a goddess just whipped up a saintess and sent her down to the ground.
Just as the church has gradually lost the influence it held in various aspects of society over the decades, the government has certainly lost something as well.
That is, its diplomatic capabilities.
Some might ask what kind of diplomacy a country with only one nation can have. But the answer is clear with just a little thought.
According to the laws of this country, the church and the government are separate organizations that possess equal rights.
Of course, if you question whether that “equal level of rights” is practically equal, you could argue that the government is much stronger, but at any rate, that’s how it’s written.
In this situation, if the church continued to walk downhill without possessing any real power, then soon enough, this law would have become completely meaningless. Because even if it’s written in law, if you don’t have the power to use it, it means nothing.
However, just as numerous great nations couldn’t do anything about small countries that possessed nuclear bombs in the past, the church has obtained a “Saintess,” specifically a “Saintess granted directly by the goddess.”
Could people who have subtly thought of the church as beneath them for the past few decades suddenly flip their thoughts overnight and treat it as an equal?
Well, some might. If they are awake, quick-witted, and can make accurate judgments about what to do next, then perhaps so.
And those people would soon become the minority.
They would be excluded by the solidified mainstream that has been acting this way for decades.
“…For that reason, I think the things the government is doing are quite clumsy.”
The kids who listened to my story until the end all wore slightly amazed expressions.
At first, the children were listening quietly, but as my story went on, they all found suitable places around them to sit. At that moment, aside from the duel club, there were no other students in the auditorium. It was past six o’clock, and everyone must have gone home.
“So, you’re saying you’re now ‘the Saintess sent by the goddess’?”
Rina asked teasingly, causing me to flare up for a moment.
“…I was just trying to make the most objective observation I could.”
But since it was true that I had actually said such a thing, there was no reason to refute her.
“More than that, it’s a bit surprising that you can say such a thing from the church’s perspective. The church people probably wouldn’t easily admit that the church’s authority has declined compared to the government.”
Well, that’s because I’m someone from another world, so I can think that way.
Of course, even if I pretended to be agitated on the outside, deep down I had to admit it was a fact. The church’s responsibilities have gradually decreased to the point where even the once-very-important Inquisition and Miracle Investigators have become null and void.
In fact, even in the original story, the church and its associated characters were just settings that had never appeared. The only one who appeared was Kwon In-Soo, a Cardinal, who was depicted almost like a rookie.
…I really have grown the church tremendously.
“But really, if they had no abilities at all, could they have changed the documents without anyone knowing?”
Ramihee asked, her brow furrowed in thought.
“Exactly, their diplomatic abilities have diminished. They haven’t taken the church seriously, so they haven’t treated it as an equal. I think their military capabilities are quite excellent instead.”
After all, this government had been enduring against almost infinite enemies for 500 years, trying every kind of tactic. If they were lacking in that area, it would be strange.
“Even with that ability, not worrying much when caught in a situation like this shows their diplomatic capabilities are lacking.”
Especially, their sense and etiquette are poor.
And I was becoming angrier about the lack of manners.
“If your existence itself can establish the church’s authority, wouldn’t it be better to step up and object openly?”
That was Selena’s question.
“I have thought about that—”
As I spoke, Rina looked as if she wanted to burst out laughing again, so I shot her a glare and continued.
“—The President has already asked to have a meal with me, so if I act that way, it just gives more reason for him to listen.”
There was no reason for me to show etiquette to someone who doesn’t observe it, and that was the code of conduct I had established after coming to this world. There was no need to break it.
“Maybe that’s what they’re counting on.”
Hearing this, Ramihee nodded in agreement. Hmm, it suddenly sounds quite plausible coming from the granddaughter of the Elven Elder. It could indeed be a political strategy suitable for elves.
And, of course, there’s no way the government wouldn’t think of it.
“That’s possible.”
Whether I accept the invitation or not, whether I agree to register as a hero, or whether I turn angry and rush to the government, they have nothing to lose from their perspective. After all, they gain an opportunity to have a serious conversation with me. Of course, among those three options, there would be priorities.
“Wherever I go, it seems I’ve been caught in a trap.”
Aurora said, brushing her arms down as if feeling unpleasant.
“Anyway, whether it was intentional or not, I’m not planning on being toyed with.”
I said decisively. In fact, if it was intentional, I would want to avoid it even more. I wanted to find a gap in their defenses and attack from a completely unexpected direction.
“So what you’ve come up with is finding the person who swapped those documents?”
Selena asked, and I nodded.
“Yes. It feels unpleasant to go there, so we have to make it so they have no choice but to come to us. So they will never even think they can do this again.”
“But where are you planning to start looking?”
I spoke with confidence, but Rina asked that question.
“……”
I had no satisfactory answer. It’s because I hadn’t thought that far yet.
“If you’re going to track them down, it’s better to do it quickly. Traces disappear more quickly as time passes.”
Ramihee said this, and Satsuki nodded in agreement. Both of them had elven blood, and since Ramihee learned to fight like an elf in the elf village, and Satsuki from her father, I understood why they would say such things.
“But this isn’t the forest. If it moved inside a building days ago, there might be no traces left.”
“But there are still new traces to look for.”
When Ramihee said that, I stared at her intently.
“Uh… would you help me?”
“Didn’t you just say you needed help?”
Well, I hadn’t exactly thought that hard about it. To be honest, this was a personal matter for me. I had only answered because the kids were curious and asked.
Of course, it would be a lie to say I didn’t expect any help at all… but the fact that it was Ramihee, a pureblood elf, who brought it up first was surprising.
Could that really come from pure goodwill?
As someone who had affection for the duel club, I didn’t want to start doubting the intentions behind what each member said, but Ramihee is… an elf. Of course, saying that aloud would be outright racial discrimination, but as someone who had entered elven society and experienced everything, I found her words highly surprising.
“Right, isn’t it?”
When I hesitated a bit, Ramihee lightly sighed.
“…Considering what you heard when you came to my hometown, it’s understandable. But at least for now, I’m sincere. Thanks to you, Arlil has grown so much that I don’t have to offer sacrifices for a long time. I just want to repay the debt.”
…If you say it that way, I guess I have no argument against it.
By the way, does Ramihee not know the truth about Arlil yet? Well, since even her sister Remir didn’t know the details, there was no guarantee Ramihee would know.
If she were to find out, she wouldn’t think that Arlil’s growth was just a good thing.
Well, I can’t exactly announce that here, so I just nodded silently.
“Then, I’ll gratefully accept your help.”
“Alright.”
Ramihee nodded lightly.
It wasn’t just me who found Ramihee’s attitude unusual; the other kids were also staring at her with slightly open mouths. However, curiously enough, Satsuki, the half-elf, didn’t seem to find it that strange. If there was someone who would feel the most strange about Ramihee’s behavior, I thought it would undoubtedly be Satsuki.
Could there be something between them?
Thinking back, they had talked about various things during camp, hadn’t they?
…Well, I’ll ask about that later little by little.
“Alright, let’s each find our own methods. Honestly, I have no idea where to start looking.”
Selena said as if it was the most obvious thing, and all the club members nodded in unison. Even Rina seemed to agree with an understanding nod, which almost made me laugh.
Isn’t this a situation where it doesn’t seem fitting to say I’ve gotten used to high positions?
*
And so, the first thing I did to find that agent… or rather, should I say the poor person who had become a bureaucrat only to be tasked with infiltrating this region’s most energetic fighting students was to visit the principal.
I didn’t go straight to the vice principal, but instead sought out the principal first, primarily to guarantee that I could run around a bit within the school without any issues.
The club kids had casually said they would help me, but even so, there was no telling what kind of repercussions I might face if I created a ruckus inside the school without any permission.
If this wasn’t a place I would ever visit again, nor one where I would meet anyone else, I would disregard any permissions and just run wild, but because I hadn’t chosen early graduation, I would have to stay here for another two and a half years, whether I liked it or not. If I made enemies with someone important this early on, my future life would become a hassle.
Moreover, it was also an opportunity to see what kind of thoughts the principal had regarding the government when meeting someone I had only been able to see during lectures.
Just like the last time I visited the vice principal, I approached the principal’s office with Aurora and Linea flanking me, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.
“……”
There was no response from the principal’s office.
I raised my hand and knocked again.
knock knock knock
“……”
Once more, silence.
“…I guess they aren’t in.”
I thought about turning the doorknob, but if there really was no one inside, just barging in would raise unnecessary suspicions. The public document had already been tampered with in the school, after all. I wasn’t sure if Seo-A had mentioned this fact to the vice principal or the principal, but at the very least, I knew the vice principal had heard some strange things were happening through us.
Although it hadn’t been announced to the students yet, there were likely various conversations happening among the teachers, and who knows what actions might have been taken.
…Not that Seo-A would randomly suspect me or anything, but still, caution is key. It wouldn’t be surprising if one or two teachers were siding with the government.
“Should we come back another time?”
Aurora asked, and I nodded.
“Yes, unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do.”
“Indeed, it’s a better choice than barging in without permission.”
Linea agreed as well, and just as we were about to turn and leave—
“Such rare young people these days!”
A jovial voice came from behind us, startling me. It was fortunate I didn’t jump, though Aurora really did.
“““……”””
As I turned slowly, there stood a giant.
He was at least three heads taller than me, with shoulders wide enough that Aurora and I standing side by side seemed almost equal to his stature. His solid body was evident even through the suit that covered him, with thighs that seemed thicker than my waist and fingers large and thick enough to tear a watermelon with little more than a grip.
With his hair white as snow and an appearance that contradicted it, he looked nothing short of a warrior.
“Oh dear, it seems I’ve overly frightened the students.”
With a laugh that sounded like it was dubbed by a veteran voice actor of 30 years, the principal leaned slightly forward towards us and asked.
“So, what brings you young students to my office?”
Judging by his actions, he seemed to be trying to demonstrate friendliness, but the shadow cast over us made it feel as if we were three chicks beneath a lion, creating an overwhelming atmosphere.
…So that’s why he kept students far from the podium. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to concentrate on the lecture due to his towering presence.
No, or rather, the principal’s lectures themselves were so rigid and tedious that it was already hard enough to focus.
“This is truly something, principal. The students are scared. Please don’t look down on them like that.”
A sharp voice interrupted from behind the principal. The head peered over, of course, it was the vice principal.
“Hmm? I am acting as you advised and trying to approach the students at a similar level. However, I’m not one to become a hero and kneel down, am I?”
Even his casual replies had a booming tone that echoed in my ears, suggesting his voice volume was already at a minimum. Well, it’s no wonder he didn’t use a microphone during lectures; with a basic volume like that, he wouldn’t need one.
“No, what I meant was not literally, but figuratively… ah, never mind. The students are waiting, so let’s head into the office and talk.”
“Hmph, indeed, the conversation we were having can wait a while.”
The principal said, then stepped forward, striding past us to swing open the office door with a flourish.
“Now, come in.”
And he said it in a manner that seemed exaggerated.
To be honest, it was correct that I had come here to meet the principal, but oddly enough, his mood was making me feel somewhat hesitant to enter the principal’s office. It was quite different from how I felt when I was invited by the vice principal. At that time, it was because the vice principal looked too much like a villain, but now there was a certain pressure that was hard to shake off.
I feel a bit bad saying this, but it was suspiciously similar to the atmosphere of a department head trying to befriend new employees, without really knowing how to approach them. There was something in his mood that made you want to plead with him to just not act that way.
But even so, turning back now would be rude. I had come here to relay something after all, and I had no grounds to refuse.
“Well then, if you’ll excuse me…”
“Hey, come on, don’t be like that. Just come in, comfortably!”
I looked at the cheerful principal laughing and saw the vice principal shaking his head.
…Should I tell him that treating people more formally when there’s a significant age or rank difference often makes the other person feel at ease? I seriously considered this thought, but for now, I decided to push it to the back of my mind.
For now, I also had something to ask for…
As I turned my gaze, I noticed a beautiful bonsai made of pine that looked incredibly expensive, sitting atop a heavy desk clearly made of fine wood.
Next to it, various types of scissors and tweezers were neatly arranged, as if just waiting to be used at a moment’s notice.
Upon closer inspection, nearly all the items in the vicinity were lined up perfectly, arranged neatly. Even the books on the bookshelf were organized from the largest on the left to smaller ones behind them, fitting in perfectly.
I glanced down, and even the coffee table and sofa for guests were aligned precisely parallel to the lines of the floor.
…Was it just my feeling, or did it seem like there would be communication issues here?
I really hope that’s not the case.
Please.
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