“……Why are you telling me that story while looking at me?”
I thought that if I let this go without asking anything, I’d get hit from behind when I’m completely off guard later, so I quickly threw out such a question.
Then the answer that came back was,
“Elves prioritize their judgment above all else. I can only trust someone I believe I can trust. Since I know they go through that process, it’s only natural that I trust the judgments of other elves as well.”
That was an answer I already knew.
……Wait a second.
“And, I decided to trust your judgment. At least regarding that one over there, who claims to be a demon.”
“But I’m not an elf.”
When I slightly frowned and answered, Ramihi nodded in agreement.
“Right.”
And there was no further explanation after that.
“……”
I continued to stare at Ramihi, but it didn’t seem like any more responses would come, so I just gave up on listening for a reply. Yeah, who could win against an elf’s stubbornness? A glance at Remir showed him just smiling contently, looking like a priest proud that one more believer has joined his flock.
“Well then, this story ends here, right? I’ll assume that no one here plans to bring up anyone’s identity or whether demons or goddesses are involved anymore.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Good.
I didn’t feel like I resolved anything much… If anything, it felt like there’d still be a few bombs waiting to explode somewhere. I didn’t even know why I had that feeling.
“Alright then, since it’s getting late, let’s head home.”
Of course, I didn’t actually need to go home. I was staying at the convent anyway.
Still, I couldn’t have Selena, Jian, Satsuki, and Ramihi sleep over here. None of them were nuns or monks, and above all, Ramihi wasn’t even a parishioner. While Satsuki seemed to believe in God, it didn’t seem as fervent as Selena’s faith.
Scrape, scrape, the sound of chairs sliding filled the parlor as we stood up.
“Ah, wait a minute. Rina.”
But there was still one person among them who shouldn’t get up yet, so I grabbed her.
“What, why?”
When I suddenly called her name, Rina turned her head toward me, and upon seeing my bright grin, her body tensed momentarily.
“You’re staying. We have something to discuss among church officials.”
As I grimaced and let the words slip out, Rina’s attempt to turn away turned into a face of sheer shock as I had moved beside her and firmly grabbed her arm with both hands.
If I had to compare, my grip strength was definitely stronger than Rina’s. However, if you asked whether that strength difference was enough to completely prevent Rina from escaping, the answer would be no. If that were the case, our daily sparring sessions would just end with me submitting her every time.
But Rina, who had a clearly flustered expression, couldn’t shake off my hand.
On normal days, I wouldn’t have been able to hold on this firmly; I’d usually be swinging a heavy morning star and shield around. No matter how sturdy I am, my hands would inevitably lose strength after a spar.
But today was different.
Today’s sparring session with Rina had been a competition of holy power rather than raw strength or endurance. No matter how much holy power I used, it wouldn’t physically exhaust my body, but Rina’s mana, her essence, was a whole different story. Until just before coming to the church, she had struggled to walk without leaning on the sword buried into the floor.
If I held on with all my might, there was no way she could escape.
“Uh, hey, wait a minute, let go of this, okay?”
Did she finally realize that now? Rina seemed frantically trying to shake my grip, but it didn’t look easy at all. The sight of her struggling helplessly made for quite a comedic scene. Of course, my hand was the one preventing her from shaking free.
“Of course I can’t let go.”
I said with a bright smile.
“Because you’d run away, right? Well, even in the current state, you’d probably get caught quickly anyway.”
“Ugh!”
Rina’s face twisted in disbelief.
Isn’t it obvious that a demon would get caught if they entered a church?
But if I said that, even in this state Rina would undoubtedly get genuinely angry and charge at me with everything she had, so I decided to hold my tongue for now.
*
After I sent everyone home one way or another, the sky was already painted black.
That was to be expected. We tended to fill our extracurricular activities with all we’d got, so by the time we left school, the sky would usually be ablaze with red.
However, under that dark sky, there was one person… no, one succubus, making a dejected face because she couldn’t return home yet.
To be precise, she didn’t seem to think of the place she stayed as home, but well, even if it wasn’t home, she didn’t have another place she could reasonably refer to as such. Saying it like that sounded rather pitiable, but honestly, if we broke it down, I felt the same way.
What can we do? Until graduation, we’d have to live thinking of the place we stayed in as home.
…Whether we can find a place to call home after graduating or not is another matter altogether.
“Well then, since only the officials remain—”
After everyone had left, I gathered everyone back in the parlor, poured new tea, and set cookies back on the table before sitting down and saying,
“Let’s have a conversation that only the officials can have.”
“……But, do I really have to be included in this? I’ve never even met that person before,”
Rina said, looking at Remir. She had a face that looked very much uncomfortable being here, and when our eyes met, Remir only nodded with a smile.
Realistically speaking, given how she’d been shouting “Invalid, invalid!” while dancing on the desk or charging at the Inquisition, she wasn’t exactly the most docile of characters herself, but perhaps because Rina was here, she wasn’t showing that side.
No, to be exact, she was wearing an expression of a calm and dignified clergyman.
Is she trying to make an image?
“That’s because, of course, the story I want to tell has nothing to do with you. What I want to discuss is about elven society.”
In response to my words, Rina swept her hand across her face.
“Well then, you didn’t have to leave me here…”
“Well, after I talk with this person, I planned to discuss matters related to you as well. Please bear with me for a little longer. I aim to have a thorough discussion about the actions you took today.”
“……”
When I said that, Rina looked at me with an expression of exasperation. Just her expression alone was enough to make it so that she would rather return to the convent and do evening cleaning than be here, but the urgent matter at hand wasn’t cleaning.
“First, may I ask what exact good news you brought?”
“Yes.”
Remir lightly nodded at my question.
“First, the Saintess’s request to prolong the trial as much as possible has been accepted. The trial regarding the events that transpired in the Elven District will likely be frozen until appropriate witnesses or evidence appear.”
That was definitely good news.
To resolve the multitude of tragedies tied to Arlil properly, this was the best possible outcome. That ‘witness’ was precisely the Witch of Resentment, and there was no telling when we would be able to capture her. If we could pause the religious trial until we have secured the witch’s whereabouts, that would be the best outcome.
It’s good news. It truly is… but.
“However, that trial is not concerning the events that took place in Arlil. Wasn’t it a trial to determine whether the things I went through in the Elven Village were part of someone’s conspiracy or not?”
“That’s correct.”
Remir’s smile deepened. Though it was a type of smile I hadn’t seen before, taking into consideration that Remir normally worked within the church’s legal sector, it would be a natural expression for her to have. Though I felt she had a rather lively aspect about her given the context.
“But I don’t think we can prolong things any further than that. The trial itself was already leaning towards the conclusion that the Saintess had certainly done something wrong. Of course, there’s no evidence that she attempted murder, so she wouldn’t face any serious punishment, but if it concludes as blasphemy, that’s a failure to prolong it.”
“What if we appeal?”
“If the crime is clear, even if we appeal, we can’t prolong it for too long.”
Certainly, that could be a possibility. I’ve heard that some trials can stretch for decades while others can conclude within just a few months. Even if they did appeal, likely, they would reach a conclusion swiftly and be dismissed.
“But how was that conclusion reached?”
If that’s the case, how did they manage to freeze the trial?
Even if Remir was a lawyer affiliated with the church, she wouldn’t be able to control the legal system within the church completely. If she could, she’d be a judge instead. Since she couldn’t, she was working hard to minimize the damage for those being unjustly trapped.
“So, I just told the court everything.”
“……Huh?”
Caught off guard by Remir’s overly candid response, I ended up echoing her for a moment.
“……What do you mean?”
“Oh, I didn’t say everything. I just conveyed that the Saintess wanted to say something in this trial, but that she hasn’t gathered any evidence or testimonies yet. I basically asked if they could extend the time just a bit.”
“……And they agreed?”
“Of course. It was the Saintess’s request. If the Saintess wanted to do something, they would have assumed she had some sort of plan. Did I mention her portrait is hanging in the courtroom?”
“…….”
Um, this is…
“Oh, and I also got permission to access the remaining records in the Elven Village.”
“How did you manage that?”
For some reason, I doubted it would have been in the most normal way.
“I nagged the elder every single day. Not a day off.”
Hearing that made me understand a bit. I could picture her dancing while shouting “Invalid, invalid!” in front of the Inquisition chief; the idea of that poor elder being pestered day in and day out for that reason suddenly made me feel pity for him.
Could that have been her ingenious psychological warfare?
“Now, it’s only a matter of accessing the materials.”
“Yes, although they are all written in ancient elven.”
“……”
Ah, right, of course.
The records left behind by the elven saintess were from when the elves were overwhelmed by the Demon Lord’s forces 500 years ago and had crossed over.
Naturally, they would be written in the language used back then. Just like how the difference between Hangeul and modern Korean makes it hard to understand at first glance, elven language might be similar.
Furthermore, considering the unnecessarily intricate intonations unique to the elves—
“It’s going to be impossible to investigate quickly.”
“Indeed. Perhaps the elder took that into consideration when granting permission.”
He likely had no intention of actively helping.
“Surely, we really ought to apprehend the Witch of Resentment soon.”
I replied with a voice tinged with a sigh, and at that moment, Rina, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up.
“……What are we capturing?”
Well, it was about time for her to speak.
“Yes, we’re going to capture the Witch of Resentment. Among those who exist today, she is the only one who could provide a clear testimony about the events back then. And, while we’re at it, we can also get her to translate the ancient elven.”
“So, what you’re saying is not just capturing her, but also making her cooperate in the historical investigation and testify in the trial?”
“The power she possesses as a witch can be made to disappear, and making her cooperate in the investigative process is also part of bringing her to justice for her past crimes. The testimony she would provide at the trial is likely something she has been eagerly waiting to give.”
To expose the original sin of the elves she despised so much in front of everyone. Back when the elves were the privileged ones, even if she spoke out, there would be no one to punish her, but that story changed now, with elves being only a small portion of human society.
“……Do you really think that will work out according to plan?”
Rina asked with disbelief etched across her face, and I found myself genuinely puzzled.
“Of course, if it doesn’t, then it must be made to happen.”
“……”
Seeing my expression, Rina merely shuddered.
*
After wrapping up the discussions related to the Elven Village, I finally brought up the last remaining issue.
“Lastly, Rina, let’s talk about you.”
“……What about me?”
After I mentioned that if I didn’t make it happen, I would have to, Rina had tightly pursed her lips. Though her original beauty made even such a pout appear charming, the only response it evoked from me was a sigh.
“Ha~” I sighed deeply and pressed on my eyelids, leading Rina to stare at me as if asking what I was doing.
“Earlier, you so casually revealed your identity. You have no idea how Ramihi might react. Don’t you know elves shudder at demons, witches, beasts, and demons?”
“So?”
“So what, Lani… If I hadn’t been there, would you have had any chance of winning against Ramihi when he attacked?”
“……”
It seemed she couldn’t bring herself to say that she would win.
Sure, she might be able to win if she used holy power, but in a state where she felt completely drained like today, she wouldn’t be able to use that holy power properly. After all, she had exhausted herself using it up until now.
“That’s probably a no-go.”
I crossed my arms and declared.
“I think it’d be faster to publicly announce your existence. Then, making it clear you belong to the church. If anyone tries to pick on you, that would essentially be picking on the church as well.”
“……What are you trying to do?”
As I went along thinking and nodding to myself, Rina said.
“That’s obviously establishing a new church.”
“……”
At my words, Rina buried her face in her palm. She clearly didn’t want to be involved in that at all.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t become a saint because I particularly wanted to.”
“So, about that, Remir, could you give some legal advice? From what I’ve heard, it seems everyone already knows.”
“Yes, that’s right. Many believe that those who should know are already aware, and many believe it will be announced soon. Since this is a monumental event that overturns the church’s existing norms, there are already some who are getting riled up… and in the legal field, there are also those who are tearing their hair out.”
At the last point, Remir’s expression grew slightly dark.
“Tearing their hair out, you say?”
“If the church separates into two, must we create an additional Inquisition? Or must the existing Inquisition continue its duties? Should we create new laws to be followed by the new church based on the Demon Lord’s dictate? Is one pope enough, or should we have two? If a saint arises in the future, how should they be categorized?”
As I listened to the endless stream of questions flowing from Remir, Rina’s face turned pale. Even though she’d directly heard from a god, “You are the head of the church,” there were suddenly an avalanche of tasks piling up on her plate as she fought to keep herself from turning pale.
“There’s really no need to worry, though, about splitting into two religions. Is there any reason to have two popes?”
When I asked, Remir gave a grim smile.
“Historically, events where a religion splits into two have often occurred due to specific incidents. Before the dimensional portals opened, there were even times when different religions that had split from a single faith had their own popes.”
Ah, I see.
I had forgotten that in a world with only one religion, but historically, there wasn’t only one religion electing popes. It was just that the Catholic Church was the most notable and had the most followers.
“……In that case, there’s really no need for major concern.”
At that moment, Rinea, who had kept quiet and refrained from interfering with our conversation, finally spoke up.
“The Inquisition is gradually preparing to be transferred to the side of the Demon Lord.”
“……Huh?”
That was another new piece of information.
“I hadn’t mentioned it yet because nothing has been decided as of now, but it seems like there are plans taking shape within the Central Church. Rather than needing to separate the religion into two, they’re considering creating different sects within that one religion to share responsibilities. Just like how the government divides power among the three branches, they seem to think doing the same for churches is another viable option,” is what the cardinals purportedly discussed.
I gaped at Rinea, while Aurora next to me chimed in.
“You should have mentioned that a bit earlier if you knew.”
With a cautious voice, Aurora offered her opinion to Rinea, who shrugged her shoulders.
“As I mentioned earlier, nothing is set in stone. It’s merely one of the prominent opinions. While it might be under consideration, there’s no guarantee it will unfold that way. If it were to be determined with certainty, I would have said so immediately.”
“Hm.”
But it’s not a bad opinion.
Wouldn’t it be better to have a pope from either side who can oversee each other rather than splitting them? They might end up fighting and turmoil breaking out otherwise.
“Rina.”
As I called her name, Rina, who had been burying her face in her hands with a forlorn expression, finally looked up. She looked pitiful enough to make me feel a bit guilty. When I first met her, I hadn’t thought a being like her could show such expressions.
“……Which role would you prefer, the head of the church or the head of a sect?”
“……”
It was plain as day she wanted neither.
However, after staring forlornly at her for nearly five minutes, Rina eventually shared her preference, deciding that leading the sect was certainly better than heading the entire church.
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