“I was clearly summoned to replenish Arlil’s Holy Power. The countless saints and saintesses that have gone there over the years and have never once been sacrificed is proof of that. The situations I experienced there were absolutely not what the Elves intended, nor did it seem they even thought it would be.”
“Then, does that mean the defendant Krah Kihmuhir has no guilt at all?”
The judge retorted to me. Well… at least I think it’s true that “he had no intention of killing me.” After all, there haven’t been any saints or saintesses who died inside until now. The church also deemed it unlikely, which is why they agreed to send me.
However, that doesn’t mean there’s no guilt.
Saints and saintesses have never died there. But it is also true that this became their worst weakness.
The Witch of Resentment’s consciousness within Arlil was just a part of her, and she didn’t possess the power to kill a saint or saintess within it.
But that doesn’t mean she “couldn’t do anything.”
This is a story I heard only after capturing the Witch of Resentment: she read the past of the saintess and saint she faced through her own consciousness connected within. Then she sought out their weaknesses and exploited them to the fullest.
Saints and saintesses can borrow much more power from the gods than others, but in the end, they think just like ordinary people. Therefore, to protect them, the church kept the information about saints and saintesses confidential, but after visiting Arlil, that confidentiality became useless. The Witch of Resentment had already read their past.
From the church’s perspective, it would have seemed like an opportunity to suppress the elves’ grievances while simultaneously hiding Arlil’s past to prevent the elves from experiencing social disadvantages and, incidentally, obtaining up-to-date information about the witch… but the reality was completely the opposite.
As I calmly condensed and presented this storyline as succinctly as possible, the listeners became agitated. The audience, filled with high-ranking officials from the church and government, buzzed, and Krah Kihmuhir’s face turned pale. But he didn’t say anything. Everything I had said was true. Even the things the elders like Krah didn’t know – information obtained directly from the witch.
“So, it cannot be said that the defendant has no guilt.”
“Um.”
I said that, but thanks to my testimony, Krah Kihmuhir’s charges were pretty much wiped clean. Yes, the charge of murder, especially against a saintess – one of the highest entities in the church – was cleared. Mistakes in management or putting someone in danger would still be a sin, but it would be much lighter than murder.
However, what I wanted to say wasn’t to cover that sin.
It seemed the judge caught on to that too.
“So, you mean Arlil has been the Witch’s scouting tool against humans for the past 500 years?”
Exactly. This was the first thing I truly wanted to bring up.
If this were the Central Church’s courtroom and not the Central Government’s, the discussion would end here. In a secular trial, once it’s established whether Krah Kihmuhir attempted to kill me or not, that would conclude the trial, and it would be correct to hold a separate trial for any other discussions.
But this is the Central Church’s courtroom.
Although it has modernized compared to the past, fundamentally it is still a place where ‘religious trials’ occur. It’s a place that even maintains crazy punishments like burning at the stake for capital punishment.
The charges against Krah were “conspiracy to assassinate the saintess,” but that isn’t the important part. The most important aspect in a religious trial is always one thing.
Is the defendant a heretic or not?
There’s no reason to conduct other trials. A verdict has already been delivered in the Central Government based on very detailed laws.
Being labeled a heretic does not automatically result in execution. But once the trial for the defendant begins, it must be definitively established whether that defendant is a heretic.
Especially since elves cannot prove their faith with holy power.
Is that illegal? No. Is it heretical? It’s ambiguous.
If you were to punish anyone who claims to be a heretic, it wouldn’t be any different from the witch trials of the medieval ages. Therefore, they do not proceed casually against non-believers or other races unless it’s a very serious case.
The reason this hearing started was that it was the subject of a conspiracy to assassinate a saintess.
And now, that subject has shifted from the conspiracy to other matters.
To the Elven society that lived adoring the tree that housed the witch as if it were a god.
Of course, this isn’t the end. There’s still a long way to go to the final stages.
“… However, if the Central Church already knew that, it has been accepted as such. You cannot declare the other party a heretic based on that.”
The judge declared with a serious expression. That’s right. There’s a document signed by the Pope proving it. Dispatching me, a saintess, to the Elven region to participate in Remihar was justified by the document requested by the Pope and approved by the Central Government through my signature. What happened inside and what events transpired is important, but the most crucial aspect is that the document itself is valid because it has been signed by three parties.
“Yes, that’s correct. However, I have more to say.”
At my words, the judge nodded.
“Normally,” it would be nearly impossible for me to say more at this point as a witness. No matter how much a religious trial is, once you have testified about one charge, it would end there.
But as I mentioned, there’s a large portrait of me hanging in this courtroom.
Although I’m wearing nun’s attire to avoid acknowledging my status, anyone who knows my face and position wouldn’t dare interrupt my story.
It’s like a special treatment… or at least, it’s somewhat similar.
“There should be a report I wrote included in the list of evidence. Did you happen to see it?”
At my question, the judge nodded.
“I have already read it.”
“What did you feel about that report?”
“It was a well-written report. Although it included a lot of personal thoughts, it didn’t lean too much to one side, so I could accept it objectively.”
No, I didn’t say that to get compliments.
“In the report, I briefly mentioned how I feel about Arlil.”
“I remember. The note at the very end, stating that it doesn’t seem like a creation of the gods. But what does that mean? Isn’t it the same as what the witness has testified so far?”
“No. What I want to say is that we need to look at that tree a bit more objectively.”
I paused for a moment. This is where it gets really important. I need to make the other party believe, even just a little. I don’t expect complete persuasion.
“Holy Power is, quite literally, the divine power that can be received from the goddess. The deeper the faith in the goddess, the stronger and more abundant Holy Power can be used, depending on the conviction of her watching over us.”
But at the same time, Holy Power is merely a phenomenon. The “power phenomenon” that can be obtained most easily when connected to Goddess Ariel. And the “Holy Power” that the elves speak of existed long before Ariel formally intervened in the human world, within this world.
Through Arlil, the holy tree of the elves.
Of course, saying this, some might argue that priests in those days could also use Holy Power. There were also a few clerics among gnomes, dwarves, and beastmen, right? Didn’t they exclude those taken captive by the Elven Empire whose line was already dried out?
That’s true. Ariel isn’t a goddess who suddenly appeared 500 years ago. She has lived far longer than we think and possesses greater power than we know. So, it wouldn’t be strange if Holy Power itself existed much longer than we are aware of. Although it was a modified version made by seeing Baal’s Holy Power, even if that was true, it would still roughly match the time.
But then, if that power can “exist in reality.”
Could there be living beings that evolved to depend on that Holy Power as one of many organisms that have slowly evolved over time?
For example, just like trees that realized it’s more efficient to grow by receiving Holy Power than to photosynthesize sunlight.
“What if Arlil isn’t a creation of Ariel, but merely a parasitic tree that grows by consuming Holy Power?”
“No!”
Someone shouted at my words. Looking towards the source of the noise, I saw Krah standing up abruptly.
“Arlil is a holy tree! It is a being that grants us great Holy Power! It is different from mere plants!”
“That may be true. It likely emits ‘Holy Power’ for you.”
But then, a question arises.
Every organism consumes energy and expels waste. This applies to animals, plants, and even single-cell organisms. All living things follow the same laws.
Yet, strangely, Arlil receives Holy Power and simultaneously expels it.
Isn’t it nonsensical that it consumes an essential energy source and simply excretes it out?
That’s not the only strange aspect. Despite being a tree that grows by receiving Holy Power, it doesn’t utilize even one hundred percent of the Holy Power it emits. If it were a tree that consumes Holy Power and produces more, it should naturally be able to survive for thousands or even ten thousand years with just the Holy Power it emits, right?
I once told Krah that “Arlil consumes Holy Power and expels Holy Power,” but upon reconsideration, that expression is incorrect.
So, to be more precise,
“What if that ‘Holy Power’ is merely bait?”
After using enough for itself to survive, it slowly expels the leftover Holy Power. Other creatures, drawn to that Holy Power, settle around it and live.
Of course, Holy Power doesn’t last forever, and the Holy Power Arlil possesses slowly diminishes over time. The creatures that lived on that Holy Power would seek it out themselves, from other places or bring it to Arlil. And as Arlil grows, receives more Holy Power, and emits even more, the number of creatures living nearby would also increase.
The most ridiculous part is that the elves created saintesses to offer to Arlil.
Setting aside the inhumane aspect of that, if those saintesses could use most of the Holy Power they offered, then the Elven Empire could have developed without needing Arlil.
But that wasn’t the case.
Perhaps they already knew. But it would be a considerable burden of guilt to extract and use Holy Power directly from an elf that had already been ruined and was on the verge of death.
Thus, they might have offered their created saintesses to Arlil, packaged under the name of “sacrifice for the great holy tree.”
It’s uncertain when the elves first discovered Arlil, but it’s a clear fact that Arlil existed before the elves found it.
Then, isn’t it possible that other beings were living around that Arlil even before the elves?
… Well, from here on, it’s completely the realm of imagination.
“….”
Krah was left speechless, mouth agape, at my extremist opinion, which was regarded as quite serious from the elves. He probably wanted to refute it. In fact, there might be counterarguments budding in his mind. But once a person gets overly heated in the moment, they can’t articulate their words properly.
“Do you have any evidence for that story?”
The judge asked, carefully listening to my words.
“I have both evidence and witnesses. There is an actual victim who can surely testify what kind of madness occurred back then.”
“… I see.”
The judge didn’t explicitly express his concerns about how to bring a witness from 500 years ago, as he was likely going to examine the witness and evidence list afterward.
After I opened my mouth for the first time, the judge redirected his gaze from me to another place. The judge’s glance landed on Andrea, who was seated. Andrea, dressed in the priest’s attire she had worn when I first met her, stood up upon making eye contact with the judge.
“With that, I shall conclude the testimony of witness Clara Anderson.”
“I shall accept it.”
“And now I would like to summon the next witness.”
The judge turned his head towards Remir.
“Defense?”
“I have no objections.”
Krah, still standing, was not restrained, and appearing somewhat tense while seated, nodded in agreement.
After the judge nodded, he looked at me and said.
“Then witness, you may now withdraw.”
“I understand.”
I bowed in acknowledgment and followed the guidance of the knight standing behind me as I exited the witness stand.
“Then, next witness… I permit the ‘Witch of Resentment’ to take the stand.”
Having long given up on her elven name, she was referred to simply as the witch.
There was an uproar in the audience. Yes, it was literally chaotic. I think I even heard sounds close to screams.
I turned my back on that noise as I stepped out of the courtroom.
*
“Hoo…”
I tried my best not to show a nervous expression, but I really didn’t know if I succeeded.
No matter how much of a saint I might be, I had barely held that position for less than a year. Even though I could quickly adapt to showing my face to a large number of people, this courtroom is one I had never stepped inside before in my past life. With its distinctive atmosphere, it was impossible not to feel tense.
As I gulped down the water, Linea and Aurora approached me.
“Clara, you did great! You didn’t even tremble, and you managed to say everything you had prepared!”
Well, after practicing all day yesterday.
“I thought you were excellent too.”
By the way, it was Linea who played the role of the judge.
I had said all I wanted and came down, now it was up to the people still present in the courtroom. Especially, the Witch of Resentment, who would unravel stories entangled with Arlil’s history from a witness’s perspective, was extremely important.
Although she had lost her power, she was still a witch. Even if she couldn’t use the demonic powers of the demon race, she could still commit perjury during the trial. The moment even one perjury blends in, the credibility of my statements connected to this matter could plummet. Plus, since she had assisted the most with translating ancient elven, if things went wrong, it could render the evidence completely ineffective.
Of course, as she had agreed to the deal I proposed, she generally wouldn’t act foolishly.
Yet while I thought so, the courtroom didn’t seem to share the same view.
Before her testimony, she was sworn in using scriptures consecrated by Baal’s Holy Power, no less.
[Then witness, please begin your testimony.]
The courtroom fell dead silent. The people who had screamed and jeered at the witch during her entry now found themselves in a situation where they were seeing a witch up close for the first time.
Curiosity gripped them, wondering how that evil being would speak.
[Then, I shall start from 500 years ago.]
However, the people’s expectations were entirely betrayed.
The witch eloquently recounted her testimony in a cultured, knowledgeable tone. Without a single mistake, she neatly summed up the history of the Elven Empire, agreeing with my statements. Since she claimed to “speak no lies” to the gods, the majority of the churchgoers present couldn’t help but be convinced.
Moreover, she truly was a living witness who had experienced that era.
Feelings towards the witch are valid, but that doesn’t mean one can deny the existence of historical evidence.
[…I see.]
The judge nodded. The atmosphere in the courtroom had turned solemn. The witch revealed her battered hands, the scars from her numerous injuries resembling too closely to the scars that remained on my hands.
[You trust the witch’s words!]
…But Krah wasn’t going to stay quiet either.
No, he had permitted her to read ancient texts and books.
Oh wait. Perhaps he hadn’t expected the witch to assist directly. The elven script system was as difficult and complicated as the language itself, and the ancient elven language was even more convoluted with many omissions. Remir, who was entrusted with the review, had even said his hair was falling out over this.
[That witch swore in the name of the Demon Lord. She hasn’t been publicly announced yet, but she has been revealed as another one of the gods within the church.]
[Just because of one oath…!]
[Then, defendant. Will you swear upon it? I promise you, Baal will never forgive a being that has lied to him.]
[…….]
Even someone who doesn’t believe in gods understands what Holy Power is. The beings whom the congregation is speaking of with such fervor, how robust are they, is easy to imagine.
[Then, witness. Do you have anything left to say?]
[…….]
At the judge’s words, the Witch of Resentment fell silent, deep in thought. Well, I thought she should withdraw now since she had already said all she wanted—
[One thing remains.]
—But she brought something up.
And in that instant, she met my gaze.
No, she didn’t truly lock eyes with me. Rather, she wore a sly smile as she looked towards the camera, as though she knew I was watching her through it.
[I would like to speak about the moment I faced the saintess within Arlil.]
…Huh?
[Please do elaborate.]
No.
[I have read the past of countless saints and saintesses within that Arlil.]
Wait a minute.
As she spoke, another wave surged through the audience. The witch had tormented the saints and saintesses with that information before. I had no idea what this vile existence might say about me.
Caught up in the moment, the judge tried to swiftly stop her words.
[I have indeed tormented the saints and saintesses with that past, but I could not do so against the current saintess, Clara Anderson. Do you know why?]
The judge momentarily paused, caught off guard by the intensity of those words.
No one in this world knows my past. Even that witch had previously expressed that she couldn’t read my past when we faced each other.
What on earth was she about to say?
[Because I had no means to grasp her weaknesses. The current saintess, prior to this year, has ‘no past.’ That is why I couldn’t read her.]
…..
The audience went dead silent all at once. Even the judge had a rigid expression and sealed his lips tight. Not just the judge, but even those involved like Remir and Andrea were looking around as if they couldn’t comprehend the situation—only Krah was looking bewildered.
[Thus, I can boldly state this. I do not know what kind of being she was before coming to this world, but at least her body was created directly by the gods.]
…..
Ah, I see.
How ironic.
The witch was indeed a witch.
Seeing that she was precisely pinpointing the points I despised the most.
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