Chapter: 211
I calmly adopted the concept of a mysterious wizard traversing dimensions to save the world. I lowered my voice and infused it with meaning, ready to go.
I felt like any light-hearted banter would get me a sword flying right at me. This guy has something going on; I had to make it seem like I was aware of that.
And then I denied the main premise, the root of all trouble.
“This one is not an outsider.”
“Do you think that makes sense? Even if the appearance, power, and manner of speech have changed… there’s that blackness flickering in those eyes—how could I not recognize it?”
“Is that so…?”
Sharp one, this one. I wondered if the experience of being a former black mage wasn’t something that waned with time, or maybe he was still rehashing the events from the session.
I gave a quick glance around. A lot of people were showing interest in the hostage situation unfolding right in the middle of the street. I could have quietly handled this with illusion magic, but I intentionally stirred up a commotion to catch their attention.
There were two purposes for this.
One was to act as a loudspeaker. I needed to send a help call to Pinkvalez, who had just disappeared, and the Tower Master, who had sulked and hidden away.
The other was to use the very gaze of the onlookers as a shield. A rather shabby trick, but to prevent the Evil God-chan from getting her neck sliced in two, it couldn’t be helped.
Publicly killing a seemingly innocent girl in the city’s center would be devastating to his reputation.
In wanting to save Tara, Bennett still had to guide this “Hero Selection Contest” in his desired direction, so he would likely endure… or so I thought.
But perhaps he holds deeper grudges than I expected.
“I’ve received help from you. I feel indebted. But my revenge takes precedence. So I warn you, step aside.”
“Do the other two feel the same?”
“Yes, Tara and Niore would have made the same choice I did.”
“…………”
His answers didn’t waver.
What Bennett experienced was merely a well-crafted story; it was all illusion magic. There were no victims. But this fact was unknown to Bennett.
If I were to say now that all his experiences were fake… he wouldn’t believe it. Convincing him would take a very long time.
In the end, to resolve this situation, I had to make him understand the difference between an outsider and Evil God-chan.
“… You’re not going to throw me at Bennett, are you? Right, Mima?”
“Give it a thought, will you? Just keep quiet for a moment.”
I pressed down on the head of Evil God-chan, which had stuck to my leg. She seemed overly frightened of Bennett.
Just like a child traumatically scared of bugs because one crawled around the back of their neck once. Bennett’s existence, the source of her birth, appears to have left a lasting trauma on Evil God-chan.
An eye for an eye, perhaps.
But even if Bennett’s experiences were real, I sincerely believe that the outsider and Evil God-chan are separate entities.
Just as I consider ‘that’ to be distinct from Evil God-chan.
I brought up the discourse from my past life.
“If you feel indebted to me, please listen to this story. Have you heard of the Ship of Theseus, Bennett?”
“…………”
“Of course, you’ve never heard of it. It’s a word that doesn’t exist in this world. There might be similar concepts, but they wouldn’t borrow the name of the ancient hero Theseus…”
“Explain.”
There’s a well-known and interesting story. Depending on the angle you view it from, it produces dozens of variations in nuances.
“There’s a ship sailed by the hero Theseus. The people of Athens wanted to preserve the ship that bore the hero’s feats, so every time a plank rotted, they replaced it with a new one.”
The Athenians repeated that process. They would take off old planks to honor the hero’s legacy and attach new ones. And as many years passed…
“Soon, not a single piece of the original ship remained. So can this still be called the Ship of Theseus?”
“… If no originals remain, then no, it cannot be called that.”
“Then at what moment did it cease to be the Ship of Theseus? One plank? Ten planks? Or does it lose its essence the moment even a single original plank changes?”
“…………”
Bennett contemplated this matter. He might have found it annoying and dismissed it as a Zen riddle, but I appreciated his thoughtfulness.
Naturally, there’s no correct answer to this question. Only beliefs exist. And my belief is this. I placed my hand on my chest and spoke as I thought.
“This is what I think. ‘Meaning’ should always be considered together with ‘Direction.’”
What meaning does any of it hold if the conscience doesn’t act, if the gun doesn’t fire, or if the theory has no utility? Therefore, you must look at the direction too.
“Even if not a single original plank remains, if it travels alongside the great journey of the hero, it is still the Ship of Theseus. Conversely, even if it’s a ship that’s preserved in its original state, if it doesn’t embark on an adventure, the chances of it still being the Ship of Theseus diminish over time.”
Thus…
In a vessel of ‘that’ which has no function of drawing joy from goodness.
Yuna took one huge plank off to construct a ship, and I attached a sail of conscience to that ship. Evil God-chan exists in this ambiguous form. I explained this fact to Bennett.
“This child is a fragment extracted from the Evil God. I filled this fragment with goodness. It exists in an ambiguous state, one that can’t be called either a new being or an original.”
“Thus, you assert that the past sins have completely disappeared. Magician?”
“I’m telling you that it hasn’t been decided what to call her yet. Bennett. The focus should be on ‘Direction,’ and that is determined by Evil God-chan herself.”
Just as I ambiguously chose the middle ground between black and white, Evil God-chan should also have the opportunity to choose the direction she wishes to take. I have provided all the necessary materials for her choice.
Now it was up to Evil God-chan.
“If she chooses a wicked path, you may call her an outsider. You may hold her accountable for the sins of an outsider. At that time, I’ll help in the murder work of shattering and burning her…”
But if she denies her past self and states that she will walk a new path…
“Then… will you call her just a girl with bad parents rather than an outsider?”
“…………”
The persuasion was complete.
Bennett’s grip on the sword’s handle tightened and relaxed repeatedly. He seemed to be pondering my words.
I pretended to release my tension as if handing him the choice, but… with my hand pressed against Evil God-chan’s head, I secretly prepared magic. Humans die when their necks are severed, but information life forms are more ambiguous.
I can kill the succubus queen only when she manifests, but the narrative is slightly different when she’s in an information state in a dream. If I utilize that trait, I could perhaps disguise her death temporarily.
I didn’t want to turn against Bennett, nor did I want to lose Evil God-chan.
I softened the information about Evil God-chan a bit. She let out a weird sound of “Nueeeek,” but knowing it was for her own survival, she remained quiet.
And thankfully.
“… Is that so.”
Bennett closed his eyes and sheathed his sword. Did he understand?
The one with a past sin was not just Evil God-chan; the former black mage Bennett had his share as well. Perhaps he recalled his own past.
Good, then.
Evil God-chan and I both let out sighs of relief simultaneously. If it worked, that’s fortunate. Now all that remained was to ease this tense atmosphere. We whispered quietly.
“… Hey, Evil God-chan. Could you, like, do a little trick or something?”
“… Mima, are you out of your mind? If I act cute to the guy who’s barely holding himself back, he might draw his dual swords and stab me.”
That’s a valid point.
Just as I decided to sacrifice myself to turn this scene into a gag, an unexpected situation arose.
From the crowd surrounding us, a priest stepped out.
“An impressive… story it was. Wizard. And you too, Bennett.”
Familiar face. It was the military priest Yul something, the uncle of the Young Lady I had seen a long time ago at Irid’s think tank. He looked like a typical priest.
With a calm smile, he approached between me and Bennett, fixed his gaze on me, and spoke.
And in a tone that seemed loud yet soft at the same time.
“Then… I wish to ask you something. Magician of the Tower. The Church of the Goddess is like a massive ship. This ship has had all its planks replaced long ago, and it will continue to change. New believers, new cardinals, new popes…”
From the crowd, murmurs of recognition flowed. Being a former cardinal has some name value, it seems. All eyes are on him now.
Just as I was startled by the abrupt interruption, a static sensation hit me.
“… Then how can this ship become the Goddess’ ship again?”
He intended to use the quarrel between Bennett and me for a political assault on the existing corrupt religious figures!
I quickly turned my brain. Since I intended to help Bennett’s “Reformist Faction,” it was better for me to take down the existing corrupt powers as much as I could.
That guy likely reached a similar conclusion. Good. Let’s ride that wave. We’ll discuss the details later.
I subtly layered illusion magic over my voice, making it clear and resonant, and cast it over the priest Yul too.
Then, I proclaimed eloquently.
“It is natural for the ship that is religion to change its planks. As time carries many saints across distant waters, eventually only the ‘Direction’ remains.”
“Then, what should be the direction the ship of the Goddess sails towards?”
“The original intention. The direction the Goddess pointed with her finger; we must advance toward the pure and dedicated essence of the Church of the Goddess. We must seek the greatest meaning.”
The military priest Yul expressed exaggeratedly moved emotions. Some of the crowd nodded or clapped in response.
“… I’ve heard your words well. Wizard. Today, I’ve gained great insight. Might you and Bennett also… continue the discussion regarding the direction the Church of the Goddess should head toward?”
“Sure, let’s do that. Brother Bennett, let’s go as we’ve formed a good connection; wouldn’t it be enjoyable? Let’s move to a place with good water and lovely views.”
I subtly released the Young Lady as if the hostage situation had never happened and began moving, feigning familiarity with the military priest.
Bennett wore a confused expression, clearly questioning this sudden turn of events, but it seemed he recognized the priest. He followed after receiving a cue from him.
Thus, the midday hostage drama wrapped up as a gathering crying out for religious reform.
===============================================================
Thinking it over,
Surviving as the brother of the cold Northern Duke, who sent his daughter off into exile.
Being present amidst the assembly when Irid called for people.
Holding a career that took him as high as the position of cardinal, to the point where there were people in the crowd who recognized him.
The Young Lady must have thought that finding this ‘uncle’ would somehow solve everything.
These facts suggest that this military priest is not just a simple and approachable fellow but a master of political maneuvering.
“I am the former cardinal and now military priest, Dakyten Yulius. Haha…”
While he smiled amiably, behind that façade lies a cunning fox. I crossed my legs, resting Evil God-chan on my lap, and asked casually,
“What was that show about earlier? I accepted, but…”
“I thought it was a good opportunity, so I got carried away… I apologize if it was rude.”
But I know you understood the situation and just played along. If you joined the ‘Reformist Faction’ and rode along with Bennett’s coin, then it wouldn’t be rude, which means you’re not really sorry.
“It’s true you were pretty unnoticeable when I saw you in front of the second prince.”
“There were such high-ranking people gathered…”
That, of course, meant he didn’t need to stand out in the presence of the princess, prince, and Tower Master.
“Bennett, do you… know him? Can you explain a bit to me?”
“… Sure. To get right to the point, wizard. You know Tara can’t use holy power. Tara has been stealing the holy power from a priest corrupted by the tale ‘The Dreadful Requiem,’ but there’s been a limit.”
There are plenty of nasty fellows around, but eventually, you’ll raise suspicions if you keep feeding on them.
If everywhere Tara goes, saints lose their holy power, she will inevitably draw suspicion. Hence, Tara needs a stable source of holy power.
Someone who knows that Tara has no holy power and can permit her thieving.
“The author approached us, who form the ‘Reformist Faction.’ He claimed to be dissatisfied with the current Church of the Goddess, so we’re looking toward the same horizon.”
“… Did I say something that cool?”
“He said he could share holy power. Moreover, he also offered plausible methods to fabricate holy power.”
That’s a rather meaningful statement.
In response to Bennett’s introduction, the military priest stood, grandly introducing himself. He didn’t seem like a mere priest but rather one closer to… a schemer.
“… I am the military priest Dakyten Yulius, currently active as a member of the ‘Reformist Faction.’ It is a pleasure to meet you, everyone.”
I half-heartedly clapped to gather my thoughts.
The Young Lady’s request had been fulfilled on its own; clear.
The misunderstandings with Bennett were finally cleared; also clear.
Now, all that remained was to lend a slight hand to the troubles Bennett faced, enjoy a date in the Holy City, and simultaneously collect information about the Goddess…
… And it looks like all that’s left is to seek relationship advice.
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