I was trying my best to schedule most of my plans for the weekend to avoid missing school, but when it comes to this situation, I could only think of one way: skipping school again.
There are just too many things to do.
While unraveling the story related to Arlil, I needed to gather testimonies from the Witch of Resentment, who lived during that era, find ancient texts from the Elven District for the Witch of Resentment to translate, and coordinate the trial schedules. This wasn’t something that could be handled solely by the Church.
Trials within the Church are conducted as strictly as military trials. Most of the trial proceedings are public, but since they deal with religious matters rather than general social justice, they tend to be focused less intensely. The Central Church is the only recognized center of religion in this world, but that doesn’t mean that every citizen religiously attends the Cathedral and meets with their local Priest.
Common citizens don’t vote for Cardinals, and if they don’t go to the Cathedral often, many don’t even know the name of their local Cardinal. Naturally, trials occurring within the Church typically lack notoriety. While there are sensational rulings like burning at the stake, the last such judgment occurred 150 years ago. According to modern standards, it was an excessively terrifying and brutal punishment, something even the judges of the Central Church would hesitate to deliver.
As a result, most religious trials come across as incredibly dull and monotonous to the average person, and there aren’t many extraordinary judgments. It’s a Church where humans like Kwon In-Soo can rise to the rank of Cardinal. If judgments drag on for long periods without engaging the non-believers, it’s natural for the public to lose interest.
Of course, trials related to witches or where witches testify would be a different story.
…I don’t really want to talk about this, but I happen to be quite famous in this world, almost to the point of being unable to find someone more renowned than me. If it’s a trial I’m involved in, it inevitably draws attention, but it can’t end there.
The stories tied to Arlil aren’t just tales about elves. It’s about how elves founded an empire to raise Arlil, exploited other races, and, in the end, reduced their own people to mere nourishment for a single tree. Following this thread, it’s also the very starting point for the demons opening dimensional doors to invade our world.
The story directly ties to 500 years of struggle and slaughter, and it can’t just be brushed aside from a religious perspective.
“…So, it looks like we’ll need to collaborate with the central government. What’s the best way to get in touch with them?”
Unfortunately, I hadn’t prepared at all for meeting a witch after coming to this side. This means I didn’t bring any other Knights with me. My closest companions in the Church here are Linea, Aurora, and Rina.
…Well, if we consider that the entire Gnome community is now my closest ally, I guess that’s true too. But that’s a story for later. For now, I need to handle things step by step.
“Um, wouldn’t it be best to go through the Central Church? Of course, considering Clara’s previous visit to the central government, just showing up probably won’t be dismissed, but I think it would be better for an ‘official’ request to come from institution to institution rather than an individual.”
Aurora thoughtfully replied after a brief pause.
“I think so too. If it’s a request from Clara, the Central Church has no reason to refuse.”
Linea chimed in, sounding more natural with her tone. It seems she’s adapting surprisingly well, given it hasn’t even been 24 hours since she asked me to drop the formalities.
After each of us spoke up, we looked at Rina, who had been silent until now.
“Eh? Me?”
Rina responded, as if distracted, but without any hesitation, she immediately answered.
“Well… while what you guys are saying is one thing, she’s the face of the Church, right? So, wouldn’t it just be fine for her to handle it herself and then relay it back to the Church afterward?”
Indeed, Aurora had said there wouldn’t be an issue if I personally went, but I really don’t want to. If I did that, I’d end up having to manage every single detail myself.
“It’s possible because of the unspoken agreement that Clara moving means it’s the Church’s will. While the Church won’t resist such actions, if Clara tries to take on everything alone and there’s a procedural issue later, she could end up bearing the brunt of it.”
…Huh? Could that really happen?
No, thinking back, it makes sense. Power doesn’t just drop from the sky. With great power comes great responsibility. Without it, there would be no way to stop someone with limitless power from becoming a dictator.
“Is it really possible that such things can happen?”
“There shouldn’t be a big issue within the Church. The Church exists to follow the Gods, and if there’s someone to lead them, they just need to follow. However, the central government doesn’t operate that way. There are people who make laws, people who enforce them, and people who handle administration from the center. If Church laws can be modified according to the will of the Gods, then the laws of the central government can only change with majority agreement, and if violated, punishment is inevitable.”
“So, does that mean the Saintess could also fall under those laws?”
“While there are certain privileges, to act alone in a way that bypasses checks could lead to getting caught rather than preparing thoroughly from the get-go. In that sense, we need people to take on the numerous tasks and help minimize mistakes.”
Watching Aurora respond promptly to Rina’s question, I found myself admiring her a little. Honestly, the main reason I had Aurora as an aide was not just her capabilities, but because she and Linea were the two most trustworthy people I knew within the Church. Linea already had her place, and though Aurora also had her affiliation, her organization was quite small, and her supervisor, Matthew Turner, was very open-minded, which led to her being the first to offer.
So, it naturally worked out that she became my aide, and to be honest, I didn’t have high expectations for her professional fields. Of course, if I were to tell Aurora this directly, she’d probably be deeply disappointed, so I can’t say it.
Thinking about it, Aurora was talented enough to enter the Academy… Her grades were better than mine, and she studied diligently within the Church. Naturally, she would know a lot as a result.
“Then, please get in touch with the Central Church for now.”
As for what else I needed to do… calling Remir, who was defending Krah, the elder of the Elven Village, would be about it.
I needed to restart the frozen trial… uncover the events that occurred within Arlil and reveal the truth. Another option would be to conclude the trial concerning Krah as swiftly as possible and handle it as a separate case. I’d need to discuss this with Remir.
Oh no, I’ve only thought this through to this extent, and my head already feels heavy.
But what can I do? I started this, after all.
Having started, I need to see it through to the end.
“Then for now, let’s assume that. The captured Witch of Resentment will be taken to the 1st District—”
knock knock
Just as I was about to conclude our conversation, a sudden knocking sound came from the door.
“…”
We exchanged glances. Who could it be?
While we had held a simple celebratory party, we hadn’t officially announced anything yet. Of course, with the explosion that occurred, it was impossible to completely suppress the media, but the information that no witches would be attacking us anymore was still classified.
Could this be news from the central government about the current situation?
Rina, who was standing closest to the door, immediately turned and approached to open it.
“Ah.”
Standing outside the door was a middle-aged man. He was human, not a Gnome. His hair was neatly parted, and he was dressed in a dark navy suit.
And next to him stood a Gnome official I had seen during the day.
…His expression was full of palpable anxiety.
…This doesn’t feel good at all.
*
“…So, to summarize.”
In the 1st District, in the office of the President at the central government building. The term ‘office’ here referred to a space significantly larger than one might generally imagine, with several older individuals in suits present. While most people in the room were human, two among them were Gnomes.
Most people’s faces were filled with concern and worry, but strangely enough, the two standing opposite the President wore bright expressions. More accurately, they were trying but failing to hide their bright expressions.
No matter how much Gnomes were into explosions, these were people who had been in the political arena for quite a while. They knew how to express themselves in such situations. The issue was that, perhaps due to their mindset as Gnomes, they couldn’t easily mask their true emotions.
Although they hadn’t personally seen the devastation, they had viewed the footage sent to them, and it showed the sheer power of the explosion. Compared to the smaller walls of other regions, its destructive force appeared even more exaggerated. One could not definitively say that there wouldn’t be Gnomes who would dislike such devastation, but such individuals would be extremely rare.
“Are you saying the Saintess proved she could mix two opposing Holy Powers and develop a new missile warhead?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“It was very successful.”
The Gnomes took turns replying with that. The President, who had just watched that footage on the office’s TV, already understood this information well. Unfortunately, the office had just upgraded its TV to the latest model this year. The clarity of the large screen left everyone speechless.
A weapon that could wipe out magic points, something that had never existed before.
“However, this new weapon was developed without reporting it to the central government.”
The President spoke with evident discomfort, yet the Gnomes showed no signs of retreating. They briefly exchanged glances and nodded slightly.
“When we first began creating explosives, we signed a treaty with the humans. It granted us the right to develop conventional weapons, excluding nuclear weapons. Reporting on the effectiveness and utility after completion is mandatory, but the development itself is legal. And that missile is, after all, a prototype, not a mass-produced item.”
The Gnomes boldly stated this, thanks to their legal immunity under that treaty, as well as their confidence that the central government would absolutely need this weapon.
The witches were all gone. The demon race might make an appearance at any moment. Naturally, these demons would be far stronger than witches, and weapons to counter them would be necessary. This weapon would serve as a means to stand against the demons.
The President caught this sentiment in the Gnomes’ demeanor and pressed his temple.
But even so, simply letting it settle would not do.
“A conventional weapon means one that follows existing methods. However, the method used for this weapon is not an existing approach, is it?”
Despite the President’s pointing that out, the Gnomes remained unfazed.
“I understand that a conventional weapon refers to any weapon that is not a weapon of mass destruction. And those weapons of mass destruction are specifically defined as those laid out by humanity’s laws. In that sense, the weapon we created is not classified as a weapon of mass destruction. We did not create nuclear or chemical weapons, did we?”
“….”
That was true. It wasn’t a nuclear weapon or a biological weapon.
But the problem was that this weapon was highly dangerous.
The reason conventional weapons weren’t separately prohibited was clear. They had an obvious limit on the destruction they could inflict. Whether it was simply cramming explosives into a warhead or attempting to enhance the explosive power by creating a thermobaric weapon, they would always pale in comparison to nuclear weapons of the same size.
Because of those clear limits, conventional weapons weren’t deemed particularly dangerous.
Yet the Gnomes had wonderfully evaded that law by creating another form of weapon of mass destruction that had yet to be classified legally.
So one might think, why not just embed this new type of warhead into one of the weapons classified as weapons of mass destruction?
…But as one thinks about how useful this missile could be in upcoming battles against the demons, it becomes hard to voice such notions.
Then there’s the issue with the Church. This missile was something that was created by none other than the ‘Saintess’ of the Church, and even if it wasn’t officially declared yet, she was being openly referenced as the ‘next Saintess.’ If the Church were to forbid the creation of such a ‘sacred relic,’ would the Central Church remain passive?
A weapon that could evenly wipe out beasts, demons, magic points, and witches with just a press of a button.
It was undoubtedly a reason to rejoice, yet the more one thought about it, the more chilling the implications became.
Moreover, wasn’t the structure of the weapon said to be extremely simple? If aided by the Saintess, it would only be a matter of time before the Church could create them on their own.
“…Is this what the Gods wished for?”
The President murmured. The central government had focused on rebuilding relations with the Church since the recent incident. He didn’t even want to imagine how things might unravel if they were to poke the Saintess’s sensibilities at this time.
“The matter should be set aside for now. Please refrain from producing any additional missiles for the meantime. As I understand, there’s no current battlefield that requires them, and if you have the materials, you can manufacture and launch them instantly, right?”
Upon hearing the President’s words, the two Gnomes wore expressions of mild disappointment. But they also didn’t seem entirely despondent. Already, the fact that there wasn’t an outright order to halt production felt like a victory for them.
The two were likely thinking, ‘Hail, Saintess!’ in their minds, the President assumed.
“Then, is the Saintess currently in the Gnome District?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
At the President’s words, the Gnome nodded.
“In that case, we have messages to convey to the Saintess, so we will send an emissary to her in the Gnome District. Please cooperate so that we can deliver our government’s position directly.”
“Well…”
After a moment of contemplation, the Gnome nodded again.
“Yes, I’ll cooperate. I’ll contact the location where the Saintess is and make arrangements for a meeting with her.”
There was a possibility that the emissary, upon meeting the Saintess, would request not to provide holy water. However, that was not a request that could easily be denied simply because these two Gnomes were opposing it. No matter how much local governments exercised autonomy, they couldn’t ignore the authority of the central government.
“….”
The President gazed at the two Gnomes, who wore relaxed expressions, with a complicated heart.
*
“So, you’re saying you can’t provide holy water to the central government?”
I confirmed with the emissary from the central government who had come to see me.
“That’s correct. And ideally…”
The emissary’s gaze shifted toward Rina.
Unlike the agent from the Central Intelligence Agency who had come to see me previously, this person appeared troubled in several ways. They looked like a desperate salesperson who had no choice but to resign if the product wasn’t sold this time.
In other words, it boiled down to this. Since the local government appeared to have created something almost akin to a nuclear weapon, it was logical for the central government to also need such weapons. I understood the sentiment.
So, in this person’s case, they had come not to sell something, but rather to buy it.
Although they claimed they wanted to ‘provide’ holy water, that was merely a matter of expression. This person must have brought various offers to me. Perhaps it could even benefit not only me but the entire Church.
“Well…”
I rolled my eyes deliberately as I spoke. Sweat gathered on the man’s brow. He looked like he was considering what explanation he would give once he returned.
“Of course, we too—”
“Oh, I have a favor to ask.”
Interrupting the man’s words, I said,
“Just tell me.”
He suddenly sprang to his feet and bowed his head.
…Whoa, that’s a bit much. I feel like I’m being painted as the villain now.
Anyway, this confirmed how effective my little stunt was.
“I have a trial I need your help with. Ideally, I’d like to receive support from the central government.”
“I will do my utmost!”
That sounds great for me.
…But is this a kind of resource diplomacy?
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