They were mobilizing every holder of the Distant Speech Skill, a superior variant of mind-speech, to contact Distant Speech users dispatched to various locations across the land.
Through this system, the Word of God Religion had spread its information network across the world, ensuring that anything of note would reach my ears. But this time, the purpose was reversed.
This time, the goal was to disseminate information outward.
"No matter what sophistry you have to use, it doesn't matter! Don't worry about appearances! You must persuade the populace to offer prayers to Lord Black Dragon, no matter what! If that means stirring up unrest, then so be it!"
A Distant Speech user was screaming so hard saliva was flying everywhere.
This had all happened because of that World Quest.
Perhaps I should call it a blessing.
When Sequence 1 distributed the Taboo to all of humanity, I had been at my wit's end. The moment anyone looked at the Taboo, they would understand what the Word of God Religion had been doing — and what it truly meant.
Once that became clear, the people's hearts would turn away from the Word of God Religion.
The collapse of our authority had always been factored into the plan. No matter what ending came to pass, considering the Word of God Religion's founding purpose and everything it had done, it was always a religion destined to disappear eventually.
But now was too soon.
It was still too early for me to lose the Word of God Religion — my hands and feet in this world. The religion had to survive at least until the conclusion of Lord Black Dragon's battle.
And yet, World Quest Sequence 1 had shattered that plan in one stroke.
However, World Quest Sequence 2 had brought a glimmer of hope.
The fall of the Word of God Religion could no longer be stopped. But the people were still confused.
The Word of God Religion still had a proven track record of being a spiritual anchor for its believers. Given time, the people's hearts would surely drift away — but right now, they would still listen.
It was a race against time.
Before the people's hearts turned away, we had to get as many of them as possible to offer prayers to Lord Black Dragon.
When time passed and the confusion subsided and people regained their calm, the Word of God Religion would be condemned for having led them down that path — but that had always been part of the plan. We had always intended to be destroyed.
The schedule had simply been moved up a bit. That was all.
Timing-wise, this was far from ideal for letting go of the Word of God Religion — such a powerful card in our hand.
But at the very least, it had to be the best option we could manage.
"Your Holiness!"
One of the Distant Speech users, his face grim, came running over. The expression on his face told me this was not good news.
"Is there a problem?"
"Yes. A church has been destroyed by someone."
"...So there are regions where people have already resorted to such actions."
I had expected this. When people feel betrayed by something they trusted, they develop intense hatred. The strength of their affection reverses directly into loathing.
If that was how people reacted to ordinary betrayal, then how would they react upon learning that their spiritual anchor had been betraying them all along?
The answer was easy to imagine.
"No, that's not it. It doesn't appear to be a mob of townspeople."
"What?"
The answer was the opposite of what I had expected.
Then what had happened?
"A massive flying disc passed through the sky, and the church was destroyed in the process."
"...We've been hit."
A flying disc in the sky.
There was only one person who owned such a thing.
No — who had owned one.
It must have been a weapon or something that man had built. And now that he was dead, the only person who could have seized that weapon was Lady
In that case, it was only natural to conclude that Lady Ariel was behind the church's destruction.
"Your Holiness!"
Another Distant Speech user called out.
"Is that also a report of a church destroyed by a flying disc?"
"Y-yes."
"Where?"
I confirmed the locations of the destroyed churches and cross-referenced them on a map.
Even as we did this, more reports of the same nature kept flooding in.
The movement speed was fast. As expected of something built by Potimas.
It galled me, but I had to acknowledge that man's brilliance.
"...She's heading straight for the Great Ello Dungeon."
The course we had calculated for the flying disc pointed directly at the Great Ello Dungeon.
It appeared she was destroying churches in the cities along the way as a bonus.
We had been complacent, thinking we were geographically closer. But now it was clear that Lady Ariel and her forces would reach the Great Ello Dungeon first.
Holding off teleportation by having Lord Shiro control it had made us too complacent. We should have departed before confirming Potimas's defeat.
...No.
At that time, we still didn't know Lady Ariel's true intentions. Even though I could have guessed, during the period when we were in a cooperative arrangement to defeat Potimas together, I couldn't very well betray them.
There was no point in regretting it now.
Lady Ariel's forces reaching the Great Ello Dungeon first and fortifying their position there was now a foregone conclusion.
More pressing now was figuring out our response.
"What's the situation in the towns where the churches were destroyed?"
"There are whispers of anxiety — people wondering if this might be divine punishment."
So that was how they were taking it.
At a time like this, having churches destroyed by some otherworldly flying disc could only be interpreted that way.
It was Lady Ariel's harassment — designed to accelerate the people's loss of faith in the Word of God Religion.
"What should we do? If this continues..."
"...Have the local priests make public statements affirming their devotion to Lord Shiro."
"What?!"
The Distant Speech users were dumbfounded.
But this was the only method available.
We were long past the point where we could afford to choose our methods, no matter how underhanded people called them.
What would happen if, in a region where the Word of God Religion's credibility had already been shaken, the priests publicly declared their devotion to Lord Shiro?
Out of sheer spite, some among the populace would turn to offering prayers to Lord Black Dragon.
"Make the speeches as inflammatory toward the populace as possible. And then bring up Lord Shiro's name."
What would become of the priests who made such speeches...
But it had to be done.
Perhaps sensing my resolve, the Distant Speech users began sending out their communications.
...I'm sorry.
All of the responsibility lies with me.
That is precisely why I have a duty to see this through.
If Lady Ariel reaches the Great Ello Dungeon first, then so be it.
If we cannot get ahead of her, then we will act to ensure as many people as possible offer prayers to Lord Black Dragon.
After all, I'm a man who once won a presidential election to become president.
I know a thing or two about gathering votes.