Late in the 3rd month, 1,547th year, Continental Calendar — Holy Capital
Yumuen
A member of the court of inquiry spoke up. "We've had enough of this, Bishop
Lester."
On this day, in Yumuen, the holy capital of the Orthodox Papal State, in the main
church that was the center of the Orthodox faith, an inquiry was being held for a
certain man.
The man who stood in the dark room surrounded by the members of the court of
inquiry was Souji Lester. He was a bishop.
For those involved with Lunarian Orthodoxy, standing in front of the members of
a court of inquiry was the same as being before a judge with the power to declare
innocence or guilt. If he were excommunicated here, he would lose all of the
protections and rights that this country provided to him. In this country, to cease
being a member of the faith was to put yourself in a position where you could be
killed and no one would complain.
However, despite being the one under judgment, Souji didn't seem the least bit
tense. In fact, he wore a bold smile, even seeming to enjoy his current situation. In
response to his attitude, a member of the court of inquiry presented a complaint.
"Do you understand the graveness of your situation in being summoned here?"
the member said in an intimidating tone.
However, Souji's bold smile was unbroken. "Yes. This is a place to judge whether
a member of the faith will be excommunicated or not. If they had done wrong,
anyone would tremble in fear of this place. However, I have nothing to be ashamed
of, and so I am at peace." The man spoke politely, but his attitude seemed mocking.
"How dare you..." With a look on his face like he had bitten into something
unpleasant, the member of the court looked through the documents he had in his
hands. "Your misdeeds are unpardonable. Lady Lunaria said that, 'If those of the
clergy do not live in honorable poverty, the believers will not listen to them.'
However, you seem to do the opposite."
"What? Do I not look poor to you?" Souji said, spreading his priestly robes out for
them to see. His robe was cut off at the sleeves and below the knee, making it look
like a samue. "I wear these shoddy clothes and live in a dilapidated shack on the
outskirts of the city. If that's not living in honorable poverty, what is? If anything, all
of you here are wearing finer clothes and living in better houses than I am, no?"
"...However, we've heard of you receiving substantial donations from the
followers," the member of the court of inquiry pressed.
Souji shrugged. "Surely I have no reason to refuse what is offered to me."
"How dare you say that! What do you take the believers' offerings for?"
"If I were using their donations to fatten myself, indeed, that would be a sin," said
Souji. "But just look at these abs. I've got a perfect six-pack." Souji pulled off his top
to show off his abs.
When he showed off his body, which it was hard to believe belonged to a
clergyman, and started shadow boxing, the members of the court were struck dumb
for a moment, but they quickly turned bright red and got angry with him.
"That's not what we're talking about!" one of the members shouted, slamming his
hands down on the table, but Souji seemed completely unconcerned.
"I'll bet. I mean, we've got a pretty fat cardinal, too."
When Souji glared at them a little, the members of the court found themselves at
a momentary loss for words.
In mentioning the fat cardinal, he'd most likely meant Cardinal Gold. His pudgy
body was inexcusable for a clergyman. In fact, the court of inquiry were already
aware that most of the donations Souji collected were going to Cardinal Gold. In
other words, Souji was implying that they shouldn't squeeze him, but the cardinal
instead.
However, in Orthodoxy, the cardinals were next only to the pope in rank. He was
out of the court's reach. If they were going to censure him, it would take the pope
himself or a unanimous decision by the rest of the cardinals to do it. The pope could
also be removed by a unanimous decision of the cardinals, so neither wanted to set a
precedent for their own removal. That was how Cardinal Gold continued to manage
to hold on to his position, despite being unpopular.
The court of inquiry wanted to squeeze Souji, who was connected to Cardinal
Gold, in order to push the pope into censuring the cardinal, but Souji was under the
cardinal's protection. If they tried to force an unreasonable judgment against Souji
here, the members of the court could find themselves censured by Cardinal Gold for
overstepping their authority. Because of that, there had always been zero chance of
Souji being excommunicated over the issue of donations here. That was why his
composure hadn't failed him.
The court of inquiry decided to change tack. "Outside of that, we've received
reports that you travel from pub to pub every night."
"Is it a sin to drink? I thought wine was sacred."
"There are still limits."
"Well, sorry," said Souji. "A lot of the folks who come to hear me preach are
drunkards. They ask me to come to the bar, not the church, so it just works out that I
end up drinking too much."
Incidentally, when Souji performed his pub sermons, he did it at parties...
"Lady Lunaria once said, 'Live for today and be grateful for it.' Cheers!"
...and all he did was quote some scripture as part of the toast. He was a big hit
with the lazy believers because (they selfishly assumed that) it was just as virtuous
for them to listen to him there as it would be for them to go to the church and listen
to a priest's boring sermons on the day of rest.
The court of inquiry seemed irritated, so they changed their angle of attack again.
"That's not all! I've heard you have a prostitute that frequently visits your house!
Shouldn't you be ashamed of that, as a member of the clergy?!"
"Oh my," said Souji. "Do you mean to say that women are impure in some way? In
that case, all of you here, where were you born into this world from? Surely you
don't mean to tell me you grew out of the fields? If you did, you could never eat
vegetables, could you? You'd be eating your brothers and sisters."
"Quit rambling on with your meaningless sophistry! The one we must truly love
and respect is Lady Lunaria. That is why, even after going through the proper
procedures to get married, the pious believers still feel a sense of guilt towards Lady
Lunaria. It is inexcusable that you would be seeing a prostitute!"
The members of the court had completely snapped, but Souji cackled. "I don't
know about that. Our lady Lunaria said this: 'Believers are to be honest with others.'
It's only natural for us, as living beings, to want to embrace women. That's because
Lady Lunaria created us this way. Between those who, despite having taken the
vows of marriage, hide their position in the clergy and sneak off to visit prostitutes,
and I, who openly invite them to come visit me, I wonder which of us is being more
honest!"
Souji declared it so proudly that the members of the court were at a loss for
words. It was an empty argument if they stopped to think about it, but Souji said
such stupid things with a seriousness that was so exasperating that the members of
the court couldn't say a word.
From there, Souji took advantage of the court's silence to expound at length and
with great passion on the beauty of the female form (especially their breasts). With
the utter pointlessness of everything he had to say, he had already destroyed the
atmosphere of the inquiry.
"...That's enough," one member of the court of inquiry snapped at last. "Be more
careful of your actions in future."
In the end, the court was dismissed without being able to do anything to Souji.
When he left the room, Souji was walking through the corridor humming to
himself when he passed a young nun. She was an eye-wateringly beautiful girl with
her silver hair tied back in two tails.
That outfit... It's one of the young saints in training, huh? Souji thought as he
looked at the girl.
He wasn't looking at her in a particularly strange way. Souji was into voluptuous
older girls, so the pretty girl in front of him didn't arouse his appetite in the least,
and he was only looking at her out of innocent curiosity.
However, the silver-haired girl, who was walking expressionlessly, as if she had
almost no emotion, furrowed her brow slightly when she saw Souji. Then, as they
passed each other, she turned her head away so she wouldn't have to look at him
and walked off at a brisker pace.
When he saw her do that, Souji scratched the back of his head and smiled wryly.
"...Good grief. Looks like someone hates me, huh."
This man, Souji. Despite his slovenly personality, he was strangely popular with
men of all ages and old women. On the other hand, young girls hated him with a
passion.
Well, I guess it's too much to expect a young thing like her to appreciate this old
man's overflowing adult charm, Souji thought, making excuses for himself as he
stroked his stubble-covered chin.
◇ ◇ ◇
Around two weeks after that...
That night, Souji was in a certain pleasure quarter in the holy capital Yumuen.
Yumuen could have been called the Mecca of Lunarian Orthodoxy, but for as long
as there were people living there, there would be a pleasure quarter where they
could drink alcohol and fool around with women. Though there were no clergymen
visible in the pleasure quarter, they were probably just in plain clothes and blending
in with the ordinary customers. There was probably only one clergyman bold
enough to come here and fool around in his (already modified) priest's uniform, and
that was Souji.
The sole reason that most of the donations Souji collected went to Cardinal Gold
was to protect this freewheeling lifestyle of his. Souji had no desire for large
amounts of money himself. In order to live freely in this city of prudes, he needed a
powerful backer.
As Souji was walking down the street, a drunk old man who was drinking in front
of one of the shops called out to him.
"Hey there, delinquent bishop. How's it hanging?"
Souji turned to the old man and waved. "Hey, Pops. Thanks for all the donations."
"Well, it's not like I have anyone else relying on me," the old man said. "If the
country's gonna take it all when I die, I'd rather use it for my drinking buddy."
"Ha ha ha," Souji laughed. "Good for you. Let's drink again sometime."
He parted ways with the old man, and before he made it another ten steps, an old
lady in fine clothing called out to him. "What, you still haven't been fired yet? I don't
know why Lady Lunaria would go and make someone like you a bishop..."
"Hey, I thought I heard someone being nasty, but it's just you, Granny," Souji
bantered back. "You're still kicking? You sure Lady Lunaria isn't trying to tell you not
to stay away from her?"
"Hmph! If I die before you, you're going to pray for me, right?" she shot back. "If
an awful monk like you is the one saying my prayers, I'll get lost on my way to the
realm of the dead! I don't want that!"
"Ha ha ha. Well, live as long as you can then, you old bag."
They were saying horrible things to each other, but they were both so animated.
It was the sort of conversation they could have because they knew one another so
well.
Next, a woman in highly revealing clothes called out to him. "Sou, baby, you
haven't been coming out to play lately. The girls at the shop have missed you, you
know?"
"Right, I'll drop in next time I get the chance," Souji promised.
"You say that, but I've been hearing rumors that you've found a special someone."
"Heh, you think any woman'd come near me with this head of mine?" When he
said that and slapped the top of his smooth, tanned head, everyone nearby erupted
in laughter.
He was treated as a nuisance in the main church, but here in the pleasure
quarter, Souji was a popular guy.
While walking through the pleasure quarter like that, Souji suddenly came to a
halt. Then, turning around, he spoke in the direction of a dark alley.
"Why don't you just come out and show yourself already? I'm not into having
guys follow me around."
When he did, a man who was posing as a pilgrim with his whole body covered by
a dirt-covered hooded cape stepped out of the darkness. His face was covered by the
hood, but the pointed nose of what looked to be a male beastman was visible from
beneath it.
The man bowed to Souji without pulling back his hood. "My pardons for that.
When did you notice?"
"You've been following me since I entered the pleasure quarter, haven't you? I'm
a former adventurer, and detecting enemies was one of my roles in the party. I'm
sensitive to the presences of others."
"What is a man like you doing as a bishop?" the hooded beastman asked.
"I messed up in a dungeon one time and got hurt badly. It was in this country, and
while I was helping out the old bishop who took care of me... It just sort of happened
naturally. I built a connection with the believers then, and I've kept it up ever since
the old man passed away."
"I see..." The hooded man nodded in satisfaction, then walked toward Souji. Then,
putting a hand in his pocket, he tried to pull something out.
Souji readied himself, thinking it was a weapon, but he was less tense once he
saw the proffered item. The man held an expensive bottle of wine.
"I would like to share a drink with you. Somewhere quiet, if possible."
"...Hmm."
The man didn't seem to be an assassin sent by one of the higher-ups in the
church who wanted to get rid of him, so Souji let his guard down. There weren't
many beastmen in this country. If he wasn't an assassin hired by the church, this
man likely came from another country. What business could a foreigner have with
him?
Souji laughed. "Well, you wanna come back to my place, then?"
The hooded man said, "Yes, certainly."
And so, the two of them walked through the marketplace at night together.
Souji lived in a ramshackle house on the edge of Yumuen.
When they entered the dark room with no one else in it, the hooded man's nose
twitched. "This smell is..."
"Does it stink?" Souji asked with a laugh as he lit the candles. "I'm a man living on
my own, so sorry about that. Well, just try to put up with it."
"No, I think the place is well kept."
In fact, for someone of Souji's lighthearted and open-minded personality, the
room was meticulously clean. There was no trash left lying about, and no dust piled
up in the corners, either. What caught the man's attention more than that was...
"Is this smell... medicine?"
When the hooded man pointed it out, Souji stopped laughing. He stared at the
man for a while, then, as if giving up, he shrugged. "You've got a good nose on you."
"We beastmen do have quite sharp noses when compared with humans, yes." The
man pulled back his hood to reveal the face of a wolf. He bowed his head. "I am
known as Inugami. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Souji brought a hand to his chin and asked, "I don't mind us becoming
acquainted, but... is that your real name?"
"As you have inferred, the name is an alias."
"Of course it is. If a guy's gotta hide his identity to sneak into the country, there's
no way he could honestly give me his real name, now is there?"
Even as he said that, Souji was getting things ready so that they could drink. On a
narrow table, he laid out two glasses, along with bread and cheese. The two men sat
across from one another at the table, and started with an easygoing toast.
Souji poured the contents of the bottle he'd gotten from Inugami into the glasses,
and sipping away at it a little at a time, he asked, "So, where are you from?"
"Elfrieden... though I suppose I should say the Kingdom of Friedonia now."
"The place with a hero from another world as its king, huh?"
Serving as a bishop in a closed-off environment like the church tended to make
one a little ignorant of happening in the outside world, but even Souji had heard
rumors about the Hero King of Elfrieden. He had been ceded the throne immediately
after he was summoned, then he'd pulled the Elfrieden Kingdom out of its gradual
decline, eliminated threats to his rule by both internal and external actors, and now
he had even annexed the Principality of Amidonia, turning his country into a
powerhouse that could even stand up to the Empire.
Even just hearing this much, they seemed like the accomplishments of a man of
many talents, but little was ever actually said about King Souma's personal
contribution to all of it. In other countries, all they heard about were the Silver
Captain of the Royal Guard and the Red-haired Strike Force Captain from the
military, the Black-robed Prime Minister and Lord Ishizuka the God of Food from the
bureaucracy, and all the other people doing great things around him.
If they could have seen the Jewel Voice Broadcasts, things might have been
different, but the only achievement of King Souma's that was spoken of in other
countries was his having the wisdom to hire these men. That was why Souji didn't
know how to judge the hero king.
"The country itself seems to be prospering, but what kind of guy is your king?"
Souji asked.
"Well... I do not really understand him myself."
"Oh, come on..."
"His martial abilities are no different from those of the common people," said
Inugami. "Even with training, he would only be at the level of a rank and file soldier.
In terms of his ability to command, he leaves that to his subordinates, so I couldn't
say. He seems to have a good degree of ingenuity, but he uses it for creating new
systems for the country, and to do other things that are not immediately noticeable."
"He doesn't sound that great to me," Souji said.
Inugami grinned. "However, if I can say one thing about him, it would be that,
without fail, those who underestimate His Majesty always seem to find themselves
led by the nose into a nasty situation. Even the saint of Lunarian Orthdoxy was no
exception."
"A saint? Did one of the higher-ups do something?"
Inugami told Souji about what had just happened.
He mentioned that the Orthodox Papal State had offered the Kingdom of
Friedonia a deal where they would name King Souma a "holy king" in exchange for
making Lunarian Orthodoxy their state religion. Because of the danger of them
inciting followers of Lunarian Orthodoxy in the country to rebel, the kingdom had
found itself in a position where it would be difficult to refuse.
In response to this situation, King Souma had declined to be named holy king,
and had chosen to recognize Lunarian Orthodoxy as a "state religion." Then Souma
had addressed all religions in the country, notifying them of his intention that "Every
religion which registers and passes an investigation by the country will be
recognized as a state religion," thereby declaring that religions operating in the
country would be under his management in the future.
Souji was a little taken aback at first, but he soon let out an enthusiastic laugh.
"Ha ha ha, good for him! The higher-ups' scheming sure went awry there!"
In a way, he was laughing off the way his compatriots had been beaten. Then,
after draining the rest of his glass, he put it down on the table.
"Hmm... But will the higher-ups really stay quiet after that? Those guys're
persistent. Even if it's bought you some time for now, they'll come up with a new
move soon enough, don't you think?"
"Yes," said Inugami. "That was something that His Majesty was also concerned
about. That brings us to this." He pulled a letter from his pocket and offered it to
Souji. "That is a letter addressed to you from Prime Minister Hakuya."
"To me?"
"If you read it, I believe you will understand why, but our prime minister wishes
for you to come to the kingdom and become the bishop who manages the Orthodox
believers there."
"Me as the kingdom's bishop..." When Souji skimmed through the letter, he found
more or less the same thing that Inugami had said written out in polite wording. He
finished reading the letter and put it down on the table. "That makes sense. In other
words... by putting a corrupt person like me as your bishop, you want to sever the
followers of Lunarian Orthodoxy in the kingdom from those in the Orthodox Papal
State proper."
When the Orthodox Papal State gave directions to their followers in other
countries, they first went through the local bishop who represented the believers in
that country. From there, that bishop would convey the homeland's directions to the
individual churches throughout the country. So, if the kingdom could fill that
bishop's seat with a person who was not-so-loyal to their homeland and the main
church, one who could be easily won over to their side, it would be possible to shut
out any directives from the homeland.
I see. They've thought this out well, Souji thought.
"Was this the king's plan? Or the prime minister's?" he asked.
"It was the prime minister's plan to invite you, Sir Souji."
"I see. They're both crafty... No, they're total fraudsters, aren't they?"
Souji crossed his arms and thought about it.
It's true, there's probably no one out there who fits their criteria better than I do. I
hear rumors Cardinal Gold will finally be getting expelled soon, too. If that greedy
cardinal goes down, I just know the court of inquiry will take that as their cue to
censure me. When that happens, it'll be time to pay the piper. So it's not a bad time for
me to be getting out of the country... Still, though...
Souji had one concern. "What happens if I refuse?"
"I find this hard to say, but it would be unwise," Inugami said. "We have already
had the saint communicate our desire to take custody of you to the upper echelons
of the Orthodox Papal State. I am sure those in charge here will have no desire to see
you placed as the representative of Lunarian Orthodoxy for all who live in the
kingdom, so..."
"...I'm in danger, then." Souji sighed at Inugami's observation. "Well, shoot. I never
had a choice to begin with, did I?"
"I am sorry," Inugami said. "However, if you will agree to it, we will escort you
safely to the kingdom, ensuring you are not harmed in the slightest."
"That's not the problem..." Souji scratched hard at the back of his bald head. After
thinking for a while, he looked Inugami straight in the eye as if he had made a
decision, then asked him something. "I seem to recall you saying King Souma is crazy
about collecting talented personnel, right?"
"I would have to take issue with you calling him crazy," Inugami told him. "Is it
not the natural duty of any ruler to search far and wide for excellent personnel to
serve under them?"
"Ohhh, sorry if I offended you there. I didn't mean to insult your king. It's just... I
wanted to check if King Souma will really hire excellent personnel. No matter who
that person happens to be, if they have some gift, will he put it to good use?"
When Souji asked him this with a seriousness that seemed unlike him based on
their interaction up until this point, Inugami thought about it as he answered.
"Well... this is only my personal view, but I do believe His Majesty makes his
decisions based on whether the person does or does not have some gift. He is not
fixated on race, age, gender, history, or physical appearance, and looks to draw
talent from a wide range of people."
"Really? Would that hold true even for someone declared a 'witch' by Lunarian
Orthodoxy?"
"A witch?" Inugami repeated the ominous-sounding word with a questioning
look.
The door suddenly flew open. When Inugami turned around, there stood a
woman wearing a brightly colored cloth draped over her head.
Wearing plain clothes with a beautiful cloth draped over one's head was the
mark of a prostitute in this country. It had started with prostitutes covering their
faces with cloth to prevent them from being seen as they entered a man's home, but
once vanity had been added into the mix, they'd begun wearing more vibrant pieces
of cloth.
When the woman who came in noticed Inugami's presence, she said, "You were
in the middle of talking, I see. I apologize for my rudeness."
She bowed her head, then went to leave at once.
Souji stopped her before she could go. "Hold on, Merula. You don't need to worry
about this guy. He's fine."
The woman stopped, then slowly turned. "...Is he really?"
"Yeah. If anything, he's on the side of people fighting this country."
The prostitute looked taken aback. "You're supposed to be a bishop of this
country, Souji..."
Why are you drinking with a man like that? the woman seemed to say as she
slumped her shoulders. Then she walked over to the table and sat down in an empty
chair. While Inugami was still confused, she took off her cloth. When she did...
"Wha?!" Inugami shouted.
From beneath the cloth appeared a beautiful twenty-something woman with
white skin so pale as to be translucent, golden hair, and pointed ears.
Those pointed ears were the mark of an elf. In addition to them, there was
another thing that stood out about her: Her eyes were ruby red.
"A high elf... No, it can't be! Is she really one?" Inugami gasped.
Deep crimson eyes were characteristic of the high elves. Elves and dark elves had
a dislike for contact with other races, but in multi-racial states like the Kingdom of
Friedonia, there were individuals who lived mixed in with the other races. Some of
those individuals even married members of other races and had children. Souma's
chamberlain Marx was a half-elf who'd been born to parents who were a light elf and
a human.
However, high elves were even more extreme in their hatred for having contact
with other races. Because of that, the high elves were only found in their own
country, the Spirit Kingdom of Garlan, which was situated on two islands, one large
and one small, to the northwest of the continent, and which other races were barred
from entering.
The high elves also engaged in their own unique form of spirit worship, which
made them the ones who had the least to do with a theocracy like the Orthodox
Papal State of Lunaria.
That was exactly what made Inugami so shocked. He couldn't believe that here, in
a country that was the center of a different faith, he was seeing a high elf dressed in
the guise of a prostitute.
When he saw Inugami at a loss for words, Souji smiled wryly and plopped his
hand down on top of the high elf's head. "Allow me to introduce her. This is Merula
Merlin. As you've already noticed, she's a high elf. I know she doesn't look it, but
she's an old woman who's lived twice as long as me, so be careful."
"How rude," said Merula indignantly. "For a high elf, being one hundred years old
is the same as being just under twenty for a human, you know? In the Spirit
Kingdom, if I told people I was a hundred years old, they wouldn't treat me as
anything more than a kid."
She then began to converse naturally with Souji.
"Um... what sort of relationship do the two of you have?" the still-bewildered
Inugami managed to squeeze in.
Merula and Souji looked at one another.
"What are we...? Housemates, maybe?" Merula asked.
"No, no, I'm the owner of the house," said Souji. "I'm acting as your guardian here,
okay?"
"Hold on! Who looks after whom here?! If I don't clean up after you, you leave
things everywhere!" Merula shouted.
"You're just too sensitive about that stuff!"
The two of them launched into something like a fight between a middle-aged
couple.
Inugami squeezed his temples, then sought an explanation. "Um, could I ask you
start from the beginning... and explain what a high elf like Madam Merula is doing
here?"
"Hm? Oh, sorry, sorry." When Souji calmed down, he crossed his arms and looked
to Merula. "Do you mind if I explain?"
"Hm... Please do."
And so, with Merula's permission, Souji began to tell her story.
◇ ◇ ◇
Merula the high elf had been born around one hundred years ago in the country
of the high elves, the Spirit Kingdom of Garlan. The Demon Lord's Domain hadn't
appeared yet at the time, so the high elves had defended the two islands that made
up their Spirit Kingdom of Garlan, one big and one small, and lived without contact
with the other races.
Despite being one of those high elves who were exclusionary and had no interest
in the outside world, Merula had been a bundle of curiosity. From a young age, she
had taken an interest in anything that caught her eye, and gone around asking adults
what things were. When she grew old enough to think for herself, and started to see
that the adults would lie to cover it up when they didn't know something, she started
wanting to go and find the truth on her own. And so, she spent twenty years
studying various things.
Around the time she became a fully-fledged researcher, she ran into a great
mystery.
What were the spirits that the high elves worshiped?
The high elves thought of themselves as a race loved by the spirits. The proof of
that, they said, was in the powerful magic that the high elves were able to use.
The high elves were all able to use powerful magics that only those called mages
among the other races could, and they did it as if it were no big deal. This was proof
that the spirits were always at the high elves' sides, lending them their power... or so
their reasoning went.
Merula had her doubts about their spirit worship.
It's true, high elves can use powerful magic, she thought. But is that really because
of spirits? How can we believe in things like spirits that we can't see?
There were those who claimed they had seen spirits. However, their stories were
all utter nonsense, on the level of, "I saw my dead grandparents standing at my
bedside."
Besides which, living in a country that forbade the entry of all but high elves,
even if the high elves could use powerful magic, how could they say for certain that
the spirits only bestowed their blessings on the high elves?
It might be possible that the spirits would give their blessing to members of other
races. On the other hand, what if a high elf left the islands? If the spirits would
always be at their side, even if they left the island, they ought to be able to use
powerful magic.
Without ever testing that, the high elves just blindly believed that they were a
people beloved by the spirits, and Merula couldn't tolerate it. Her knowledge
couldn't be made complete on the islands alone. Only by going into the outside
world and absorbing knowledge from a variety of sources could she begin to
approach the truth.
Merula began to think that way, and on her fiftieth birthday, she left the islands.
Changing the color of her eyes with magic, she took on the guise of a light elf
adventurer, traveling from country to country and absorbing more knowledge.
There were things she figured out as part of that process, too.
Once she left the Spirit Kingdom, the power of Merula's magic dropped.
Whether it was because "high elves can only manifest their power in the Spirit
Kingdom," or it was because "having left the Spirit Kingdom, Merula lost the
protection of the spirits," she didn't know. If her power came back when she
returned to the Spirit Kingdom, she'd be able to demonstrate with a high probability
that it was the former, but those who left the Spirit Kingdom were deemed to be
traitors. If she returned, she would be killed without question, so she hadn't been
able to verify this.
Let's get back on topic.
Merula continued her travels, and the Orthodox Papal State of Lunaria, which had
a unique faith, like her own people, caught her attention.
The Spirit Kingdom worshiped spirits they couldn't prove existed. So what about
the Orthodox Papal State which worshiped the moon goddess Lunaria? Did this Lady
Lunaria, and the Lunalith into which her prophecies were said to be carved, actually
exist?
If she could figure out the relationship between the Orthodox Papal State, Lady
Lunaria, and the Lunalith, maybe she could gain some understanding of the
relationship between the Spirit Kingdom and spirit worship. With that thought in
mind, Merula snuck into the main church of Lunarian Orthodoxy in order to see the
Lunalith, which was said to definitely be there.
◇ ◇ ◇
"H-Hold on, please." Inugami interrupted the story there. "You don't mean to tell
me that Madam Merula managed to sneak into the main church, do you? That place
is famous for its tight security. It's not a place an amateur could sneak into alone,
right?"
"Well, you're right, but..." Souji said, scratching the back of his head, and then put
his hand down on top of Merula's head. "Normally, it'd be tough, but... Merula has
this special ability, you see."
Souji rubbed his hand into Merula's head and pushed it around, trying to
convince her to do something.
Merula batted his hand away in annoyance, then whispered something. The very
next instant, Merula vanished.
"Wha?!" Inugami cried.
She had been right there all this time, but now he couldn't see any sign of her
anywhere. However, Inugami's sense of smell could detect Merula's presence. He
couldn't see her, but she was most definitely still there.
As he watched Inugami look around restlessly, Souji laughed and put his hand
where Merula had been just moments before. "I'm sure it looks like she's gone, but
Merula hasn't moved from where she was. If I touch her, I can tell she's definitely
still... Guagh?!"
Souji suddenly fell out of his chair. Inugami tensed himself, wondering what was
happening, when suddenly Merula reappeared with an angry look on her face and an
outstretched fist. She must have punched him out of the chair.
"Don't take advantage of the situation to try and grab my breasts, you sexual
harasser!" Merula shouted down at the fallen Souji.
"Ow... Your breasts? I thought that was your side... Gwah!"
"Sorry for not being curvy enough!"
For saying something he shouldn't have, Souji got stomped on, too.
Inugami was dumbfounded, but he still managed to ask, "Madam Merula can
make herself disappear?"
"Yes. That's right," Merula confirmed. "I don't really understand how it works
myself, but I can make the colors of my body and clothing blend in with their
surroundings. When I was in the Spirit Kingdom, I could make those around me
vanish, too, but... now, just disappearing myself is the best I can manage."
Souji came back to life and added, "She's like a lizard, right?" teasingly, which
earned him another kick. However, compared to the color mimicry of lizards, hers
was perfect.
If Souma had been here, he might have pointed out that Merula's ability was one
that controlled the refraction of light, and that it produced perfect optical
camouflage. But unfortunately, no one present could make that observation.
Souji got back into his chair and said, "Anyway," trying to get back on topic. "Her
ability let her infiltrate the main church and make it as far as the Lunalith."
"Even if you can vanish, they should have been able to sense her presence and
smell her," Inugami said. "I'm impressed she made it all that way."
"I'm sure it was partially luck, but it's also a place that no one but His Holiness
and the cardinals have access to," Souji explained. "The security on the entrance is
tight, but once you get in, it's unlikely that you'll be discovered. Merula snuck in as
His Holiness and the cardinals were leaving. Mind you, because of her sneaking in,
security's been buffed up considerably."
He stared at Merula pointedly, and she looked away awkwardly.
How could a single woman on her own do something so crazy? Inugami was
taken aback. "You said security has been buffed up. Does that mean she was
discovered?"
"Yeah," Souji said. "She could deceive their eyes, but, of all the things she could
have done, she had to go and touch the Lunalith. When she did, it seems she saw an
oracle."
◇ ◇ ◇
According to Merula's account, the Lunalith had been in a vast room bereft of all
signs of life.
The room was dimly lit, and in the center of this room with its high ceiling was
occupied by what looked like a pitch black stone monument. It measured five or six
meters high, two meters wide, and less than a meter deep.
Looking at it up close, Merula could tell that the stone monument was giving off a
pale light.
So this is the Lunalith... she thought. It really exists.
This was the object of worship in Lunarian Orthodoxy, the one on which the
oracles of Lunaria were said to be carved. Though she had anticipated it would,
when she saw that it actually existed, Merula got excited. Immediately shifting into
researcher mode, she began to observe and analyze the Lunalith.
Currently, though the subject is currently emitting light, no text has appeared, she
thought. Yet, in Lunarian Orthodoxy, it is said that the oracles of the moon goddess
Lunaria come down to them through the Lunalith.
When Merula was in research mode, her thoughts became as analytical as a
researcher's could be. Even the femininity vanished from her words in her head, and
she started to put together her sentences like they were part of a research paper,
with all excess removed.
Merula circled the Lunalith.
Hypothesis: The oracles of Lunaria are carved in the Lunalith, she thought. If this
hypothesis is true, the oracles of Lunaria will be carved into the Lunalith in some
manner. It is unclear whether the oracles are in written or pictorial form. If this
hypothesis is false, the oracles will not be carved in the Lunalith. In this case, it could be
conjectured that they have set up this phosphorescent object that seemed meaningful
as the Lunalith, and that Lunarian Orthodoxy is using it to support their authority...
but...
Having thought that far, Merula shook her head.
It can be conjectured that the possibility of that is low. The method is much too
roundabout for it to be a way to build their authority. If they were going to enshrine a
monument that does not actually receive oracles, it would be far simpler to claim it
was some sort of tool used by Lunaria. In point of fact, there are many such examples of
other religions doing just that.
Merula circled around to stand (probably) in front of the Lunalith.
Let's test if the hypothesis is true. In this case, there are, broadly speaking, two
patterns that it could be divided into:
Pattern 1: The oracles are handed down periodically, or at random intervals.
Pattern 2: The receiver of the oracles performs some operation in order to have
them come down.
Merula looked at the object, her eyes fully calm as she thought about it.
In the case of Pattern 1, the pope or other such receivers cannot receive oracles at a
time of their own choosing. In this case, they would strongly reflect the will of the moon
goddess Lunaria.
In the case of Pattern 2, the pope and others can receive oracles at a time of their
choosing. In this case, it can be conjectured that the moon goddess Lunaria is not a
being that influences her believers at all times.
Then Merula slowly reached out towards the Lunalith.
The Lunalith is emitting light. This can be conjectured to mean that the Lunalith is
in an active state. If, in some manner, I could receive an oracle, the possibility of
Pattern 2 would be heightened. I guess that's how it'd be, yeah.
Merula's mind returned from the sea of thoughts, and she touched the Lunalith. A
moment later...
"Ah!"
The Lunalith suddenly shone brighter, and a number of golden lines appeared on
its black surface. Merula jumped back in surprise, but when she calmed down and
took care to observe, she was able to see a regularity to their patterns. Merula
conjectured that they were characters. Surely these patterns had to be the oracles
said to be inscribed in the Lunalith.
Merula attempted to decipher the oracle, but not only were the characters not
the ones in common use for official purposes across the continent, they were so
different from any of the writing systems of any country Merula had encountered in
her travels that she couldn't read them.
Merula was a little disappointed, but she quickly changed gears.
No matter what, I got an oracle to come down. The next issue is whether the
Lunarian Orthodox pope and his people can read this...
When Merula was thinking that, she suddenly heard footsteps from a number of
people approaching. Those footsteps were rough, and she could tell they were
running.
Oh, shoot... They noticed my infiltration because I touched the Lunalith?! Merula
hurriedly used her ability to vanish and moved up against the wall.
Right after she did, six heavily armed men stormed into the room. These men,
whose shields bore the emblem of Lunarian Orthodoxy, were members of the
Orthodox Papal State's elite unit, the Order of Holy Knights.
The man who seemed to be their leader looked around the room. "...I can still
sense their presence here. They're hiding somewhere! Two of you, cover the door!
The rest of us will search the room!"
This is bad!
Their leader had detected Merula. On top of that, once the entrance was shut
tight, it would only be a matter of time before she was caught.
Having come to that conclusion, Merula took off at a run. Before it closed, she
managed to push one of the holy knights aside and get out through the door.
"Ah! They got away! Throw towards the exit!" the leader shouted.
"Yes, sir!"
Under the directions of the leader, one of the holy knights who had been
watching the door pulled out the dagger stored in the back of his shield and threw it
towards Merula.
"Guh..."
She was unable to dodge, partly because the corridor was so narrow, and so the
holy knight's dagger stabbed into Merula's shoulder. The pain broke her
concentration, causing Merula to turn visible.
When the holy knights saw her, they shouted out in surprise. "An elf?! Stop!"
"L-Like anyone would..." Merula made herself disappear with magic again and
fled.
Because of her injury, she left a trail of blood, and though the chase dragged on
for a long time, eventually she was able to shake her pursuers by diving into the
small river that surrounded the main church.
However, because she got into the water while bleeding, she started to lose blood
faster, and Merula lost consciousness as she drifted down the stream.
◇ ◇ ◇
"So, when I found her washed up downstream like some ragged piece of cloth, I
picked her up and took her under my protection," Souji finished. "I've been hiding
her ever since."
"...Murgh." Merula was hitting Souji in the back. It seemed she wasn't happy about
it, but the truth was that he had saved her, so she couldn't say anything.
Inugami tilted his head to the side. "You are supposed to be a Lunarian Orthodox
bishop, are you not? I find it surprising that you decided to help her."
"I just thought she was a random passed out person at the time, you see. I was
surprised a few days after I saved her when there were likenesses of her posted up
in town, and she was wanted as a 'witch,' though."
"Yet you still didn't turn her in to the church?"
"...Well, having already helped her, I couldn't change my mind and turn her in so
easily." With that said, Souji took a sip from his glass. "I mean, they say she brought
down an oracle with the Lunalith. In Lunarian Orthodoxy, we learn that only the
pope and a select few can bring down oracles. If word that a heathen high elf was
able to bring one down spread, it would be a massive blow to the church. They'd
stop being so special, after all. The loss of the church's authority would mean a
reduction in centralizing force in this country. That was why they named Merula a
witch and were so desperate to find her. In order to make her disappear."
"I see..." Inugami said.
"...I'm grateful to Souji." Though Merula had acted annoyed by him before, this
time she spoke sincerely. "I'm grateful to him for protecting a fugitive like me, and
for healing my wounds. Also, I can't thank him enough for sheltering me when I had
nowhere to go."
"Oh, hey," Souji put in. "You're being awfully meek now."
"It's how I truly feel. I want to do something to repay you, too. That's why, while
you're sheltering me here, I took it upon myself to do all the housework for you.
But!" Merula rose from her seat, pointing a finger at Souji. "You are far too messy! If
you would clean up after yourself a little better, you wouldn't spend so much time
searching for things!"
"You say that, but you're not much better yourself." Souji stood up, unyielding,
and looked down at Merula as he spoke. "I let you look after the house for a bit, and
the next thing I know, my wine cellar's been turned into some wacky experiment
site. I'm telling you, you can't just remodel a house without the owner's permission."
"I'm a researcher, so it had to be done. I paid for the materials out of my own
pocket, so what's the problem?"
"You mean the money you got from making me sell off accessories that you said
you'd brought with you from your homeland? It was really hard making sure those
wouldn't be traced back to us. Honestly." Maybe Souji had just remembered all of the
hassle involved, because he started scratching the back of his head.
Which of them was really the guardian here...? It was hard to tell the balance of
power between this couple.
Souji said, "Honestly now..." and sat down in his seat with a bang. "As you can see,
I can't go to the kingdom until I figure out what I'm gonna do about her."
"Huh, wait?! What's this about going to the kingdom?!"
Inugami explained to Merula about how they wanted to invite Souji to become
the Kingdom of Friedonia's bishop as a countermeasure against the Orthodox Papal
State.
Hearing that explanation, Merula thought for a moment, and then nodded as if
she had come to a decision. She turned to Souji and said, "What a perfect
opportunity. I want to go to the Kingdom of Friedonia, too."
"Oh, come on, are you sure? You really want to decide on it that easily?"
"If you leave, I'll have nowhere to stay in this country," said Merula. "That being
the case, I want to leave for the kingdom with you while I'm still safe. I've already
investigated most of what I can in this country, so I'd say now isn't a bad time to take
my research to a new frontier."
With that said, Merula looked him straight in the eye.
"What do you say, Mr. Inugami? Do you think the king you serve would take in a
woman who's wanted as a 'witch' by the Orthodox Papal State?"
If, by some chance, the Orthodox Papal State managed to discover she was in the
kingdom, it might lead to thorny diplomatic issues. Merula was asking if he would
accept her with full knowledge of that risk.
If she were turned over to the Orthodox Papal State later, her life would be
forfeit. If she couldn't get a promise that that wouldn't happen, she couldn't go to the
kingdom.
Inugami understood how serious she was, so he carefully considered the
question before answering. "...Well, let's see. His Majesty is always saying, 'If they
have a gift, I will put it to use.' I am sure he would give a warm welcome to someone
who has as broad a base of knowledge as you."
This was Souma, the guy who could be said to be crazy for collecting talented
personnel. Even if it meant some political risk, he wasn't likely to hesitate in
employing a person as well learned as Merula.
"Just to be sure, I will send you with a letter recommending you to the castle
signed by Master Kagetora and myself," finished Inugami.
"...That decides it," said Merula. "Let's go, Souji.
With Merula urging him onward, all Souji could do was smile wryly. "Honestly,
there you go, deciding something this important for me..." Though Souji didn't seem
to mind it that much. "Well, even if I stay in this country, it's a bit too stifling for a
guy like me. I don't have any choice, so I guess I'll go impose on this king of yours."
Even as he acted like he was being forced into it, he easily agreed to go to the
Kingdom of Friedonia. Thus did the Kingdom add two new talented members to its
staff.
Souji Lester, the Commandment-breaking Bishop of the Orthodox Papal State of
Lunaria; and the high elf researcher, Merula Merlin. What impact might these two
joining the kingdom have on its future?
No one could have known at this point, though perhaps the Lunalith did.
◇ ◇ ◇
Flashback finished. Let's get back to the present.
Having joined the Kingdom in the way described, on this day, Bishop Souji Lester
appeared before the People of Friedonia for the first time via the Jewel Voice
Broadcast.
Souma had only just finished announcing that every religion that registered
would be recognized as a state religion. With the bishop of a monotheistic religion
like Lunarian Orthodoxy coming on directly after him, followers of all religions,
including the Orthodoxy, were waiting with bated breath to see what he would say
and do.
However, as if to say he didn't care one whit about their anticipation, Souji briefly
introduced himself and then began talking in an easygoing tone. "Now then... King
Souma was saying he would recognize any religion that registers as a state religion,
but, by some luck, our Lunarian Orthodoxy have been allowed to become a state
religion ahead of the rest. It seems like Mother Dragon worship has been, too, and
godbeast worship practiced by the dark elves of the God-Protected Forest was also
registered by the second primary queen, Madam Aisha. For the rest of you people
out there in the other religions and sects, you should hurry up and register yours
quickly."
The citizens were by and large bewildered by the easygoing way that Souji spoke.
The believers of Lunarian Orthodoxy were especially surprised. That was because
their bishop, the head of the believers in the Kingdom of Friedonia, was speaking in
a way that recognized other religions.
Due to the nature of the kingdom as a multi-racial state, the vast majority of
believers in the kingdom were moderates who abhorred causing friction with the
other races. Even so, they still were hesitant to actively get involved with the
followers of other religions. However, the way Souji was talking now removed that
hesitation.
Ohh. I guess it's fine for us to get along...
The believers had a look on their face as if they had been freed from something
that had been possessing them.
Souji continued.
"Also, Young Miss Roroa was asking if we had any sort of religious events. I'm
sure our believers all know this already, but it's almost time for the Spring
Announcement Festival."
The Spring Announcement Festival was the biggest spring event for Lunarian
Orthodoxy. It was a festival to celebrate the end of winter and the coming of the
season when the flowers would bloom.
During this festival, the children of the believers would dress up as fairies and
walk around with baskets of picked flowers giving them to the adults. In other
words, the children became "envoys of spring." Then the adults would give those
envoys of spring candy in exchange for the flowers, and they would pray for a
bountiful harvest that year.
And, well, it was a festival that felt basically like a spring version of Halloween.
"Now, about the Spring Announcement Festival... I have happy news," said Souji.
"Young Miss Roroa has agreed to recognize it as a national event. This may seem
sudden, but it will be held next weekend. Towns and cities with Lunarian Orthodox
churches should already have been notified. Everyone is free to participate. Whether
they are a believer or not, every child will be receiving candy. We'd like for the
adults who belong to other faiths to help out, too, if they can. If a child comes to you,
take their flower and give them candy, that's all. Simple, right? I think it'll be a fun
festival for adults, too, so please take an active part in it."
The crowd erupted into applause at Souji's words. It seemed that it sounded like
fun to them.
In the time since Souma created broadcast programs, a tendency to enjoy these
sorts of events had taken root in the people of the kingdom. When the day came,
many of them would surely be there to enjoy the festival.
Souji said, "Thank you for listening," stepped back, and Roroa stepped forward
once again.
"This time we're doin' a Lunarian Orthodox festival, but if any of you out there
involved with the other religions've got some interestin' festival to share, just you let
us know. We're gonna give this country some color with events from all sorts of
religions. I'm thinkin' it'll be wonderful. Let's liven this country up, believers and
non-believers alike!"
When Roroa raised her fist in the air, the people cheered.
"Now, let the preparations for the festival begin!"
◇ ◇ ◇
The last day of the 3rd month, 1,547th year, Continental Calendar — Day of the
Spring Announcement Festival
On this day, I brought Aisha and Tomoe down to the castle town with me. The
town was crowded with people there for the festival. I was wearing my usual outfit
for when I went incognito, the traveler's outfit from the Nine-headed Dragon
Archipelago Union, but with the number of people there, maybe I needn't have
bothered with a disguise.
"I-I've come with spring blessings..." Tomoe stuttered. "Okay!"
In all that hustle and bustle, Tomoe, who was wearing a white mage's robe with
feathers sewn into it, was offering a flower to an old lady at a street stall.
The old lady smiled and said, "Oh, dearie me, what an adorable little fairy,"
accepting Tomoe's flower with a soft smile and giving her a bag full of candy.
Once she had accepted the candy, Tome bobbed her head up and down, thanking
the lady before she rushed back in my direction with her little steps and showed me
her candy bag.
"Big Brother, look what I got!"
"Yeah, I saw. Good for you."
"Yeah!"
When I patted her on the head, Tomoe's tail happily wagged back and forth.
Seeing Tomoe like that, Aisha, who was disguised in a school uniform, had a silly grin
on her face.
"Ohhh," Aisha said. "Madam Tomoe is so adorable."
"Here. You have some, too, Aisha," Tomoe offered.
"Can I?! I love you, Madam Tomoe!"
"Eek!"
Aisha picked Tomoe up and rubbed their cheeks together. Like always, it felt like
I could see an invisible tail wagging back and forth on Aisha's rear, too.
...And hold on, what was she doing, letting an eleven-year-old tame her with
food?
While I was watching Aisha with some exasperation...
"Hey, if it isn't the king himself," someone suddenly called out to me.
When I looked in the direction the voice came from, Souji was there, sitting in
one of the patio seats in front of a bar and drinking wine. He had a wooden mug in
hand, and already looked pretty plastered. Was this man drinking in broad daylight
really a member of the clergy? There was what looked to be a woman sitting across
from Souji, and this one was sipping away at her drink a little at a time.
"...It's still only noon, you realize, clergyman," I said. "Is this Merula?"
"Hello, King Souma," the hooded Merula waved to me cheerily.
It was Merula, right? It would be a problem if people found out she was a high elf,
so she was probably trying to keep a low profile.
Souji knocked back his drink, and said with glazed eyes, "Whew... It sure is a
festival. Don't be such a stiff. Aren't you out on the town with Aisha and Tomoe?
You've got a beautiful flower on each arm, don't you?"
"Well, yeah... Have to spend time with the family, you know."
The reason I was heading out in secret today was to survey the castle town, but
also to have a date with Aisha.
Though I had... um... developed my relationship with Liscia, I hadn't laid a hand
on any of my other fiancées yet. That was to prevent a troublesome birth order of
the children, in order to prevent it developing into a succession issue. Especially
with Roroa, who was in the dicey position of being the sovereign princess of a
former enemy state; for her sake, and the sake of the child who would eventually be
born, I couldn't go laying a hand on her yet.
It probably wouldn't be an issue if I laid a hand on my secondary queen, Juna,
whose children wouldn't have the right to inherit, or on Aisha, who was from a longlived race and would have trouble conceiving to begin with, but they were holding
back out of consideration for Roroa.
Honestly... they were all such lovely women.
Well, the result was that Liscia now had my other fiancées asking her to, "Hurry
up with the heir already," and she'd complained to me, "I swear, the pressure is
making my stomach hurt."
...I kind of felt bad for her.
Ahem... Anyway, even if I couldn't lay my hands on them, it was important that I
still do other things with Aisha and the others.
When I explained that to Souji, he said, "Hmm. Must be tough having to be a
family man when you're so young," as if it was none of his problem, and then he
knocked back his mug and polished off the rest of his wine as if rubbing it in my face.
"Pwah!"
"Don't you think you've had more than enough?" I asked.
"In Lunarian Orthodoxy, wine is sacred. In other words, by pouring this liquid
into my body, I'm accumulating virtue."
"That absolutely sounds like the excuse of a drunkard," I informed him. "You
really are irresponsible."
"But it's convenient for your people that I'm so irresponsible, right?" Souji
grinned.
...Honestly, this octopus-headed old man.
I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, yeah. I mean, Hakuya's plan is to use you to sever
the believers from the homeland."
"Well, you scratch my back, I scratch yours, Your Majesty. I'll slack off with
everything I've got."
"I'm counting on you," I said. "Now then, I should get back to Aisha and Tomoe."
"Sure. May God's protection and peace be upon you and your family."
Hearing the delinquent bishop's prayer behind me, which it was hard to know
how serious he was about, I headed back to where Aisha and Tomoe were.