The Church.
The sole and greatest religious organization in the Kingdom of Yustia.
Its origins are ancient. Its history is believed to have begun at nearly the same time as the founding of the kingdom itself, and the influence and power it has accumulated over the long ages are immense.
That it rivals even the royal family in stature—that much is clear from the fact that it can, as it has done here, "summon" Liliana, a member of the royal bloodline.
And the reason the Church had called them in at this particular time was—
"Simply put, they've set their sights on us."
After sharing a broad overview of the Church's organizational structure,
Yurugen resumed his explanation.
"Whether Archbishop Johan's Northern Rebellion was his own doing or the consensus of the whole Church, I can't say. But regardless of how it came about, they never expected it to fail. Attention on us—the ones who stopped it—was going to increase whether they liked it or not. And on top of that—"
He paused there for a moment, then once again turned his gaze toward Ermes and Liliana.
"What Her Highness Liliana and Ermes achieved... or rather, to be specific, that 'magic' of theirs—is something they simply cannot ignore, no matter how they try. Because..."
"...the Church has thoroughly defined Bloodline Magic as 'a gift bestowed by the Star God.'"
"Exactly."
At Ermes's addition, Yurugen nodded in agreement without objection.
There are many things the Church proclaims, and among them are plenty of doctrines that have shifted over the long centuries or come to be interpreted in entirely contradictory ways.
—But the Church's view of Bloodline Magic... or rather, of magic in general, was said to have remained remarkably, astonishingly consistent throughout its long history.
"All magic, Bloodline Magic included, is a gift from the Star God. Those who fail to understand it, those who refuse to acknowledge it, are relentlessly persecuted as heretics."
"..." "...Right."
"Needless to say, the 'study' of magic is completely out of the question. In the past, when there were those who tried to pursue it for the kingdom's development—"
entire regions
lock, stock, and barrel
burned to the ground—
there are even stories of that, you know."
"Wha...!" "Ngh!"
"On top of that, there's also a strong tendency to discriminate based on the 'content' of Bloodline Magic. ...Back when Katia first manifested the '"
Netherworld of Salvation
"'—the one who branded it as a fearsome magic... if you trace it all back to the beginning, it was the Church inquisitors who set it in motion.'"
"I see..."
Albert and Niina, Katia and Sarah, and Ermes.
The children each reacted differently as the Church's misdeeds were laid bare one after another.
Speechlessness, shock, silence, reluctant understanding—the only thing they all shared was that none of them held the Church in a positive light.
And as Ermes pondered what could be inferred from everything he'd just heard, Yurugen spoke up once more, as if reading his thoughts.
"That's right. For a Church like that... Ermes, Your Highness Liliana's magic—Creation Magic—
—is something they would never permit, no matter the cost."
And it was this very organization—harboring such beliefs—that had summoned them here.
In other words—
"I'll be blunt. ...This will almost certainly not end well."
They had no idea what the summons was truly for. In the worst-case scenario, they could "dispose of" Ermes and Liliana—those capable of using Creation Magic—and erase all evidence it ever happened. It was tantamount to leaping into a tiger's den, a pit of venomous creatures. And so—
"That's why... 'refusing the summons' is also an option."
"!"
Yurugen spoke as if reading Ermes' thoughts.
"As a last resort, we could simply ignore the Church's summons entirely. We could stay here and continue preparing to retake the Royal Capital as planned, but..."
He paused, breaking his words once more.
"—Lady Liliana. It is your decision to make, what we do from here."
"H—"
The final call had been directed at the young girl seated beside Ermes.
Liliana was caught off guard by the sudden deflection. However... she quickly caught on.
Given their positions, it was only natural that Liliana would be the one to make the ultimate decision.
Moreover... Yurugen had lately been leaving a fair amount of authority to the children at certain junctures, letting them decide for themselves.
She understood his intention. ...He was looking ahead, encouraging them to grow. In the worst case, they needed to be able to think clearly and make sound decisions on their own.
This was something that would never have been entrusted to them before they met Ermes. Sensing the genuine trust behind it — and feeling that she had to live up to it — Liliana took a moment to think, then spoke.
"...First, Master. Could I hear your opinion...?"
She turned to her subordinates first. To gain the knowledge she lacked... the thinking that Yurugen had deliberately left unsaid... from the master and friends she trusted most.
Ermes rested his chin in his hand for a moment, then...
"There is one thing I would like to confirm."
He said this, then looked again to Yurugen.
"—If we marched on the Royal Capital right now with our current forces. Could we take it back?"
"...That would be difficult."
Without a heartbeat's hesitation — meaning the question had come exactly as expected — Yurugen smiled faintly and answered.
"Of course, the military forces currently under our banner — the Harvist territory and the Northern Alliance — are formidable. However, the First Prince in the Royal Capital also commands a considerable number of loyal nobles, and on top of that, the strength of the 'organization' commanded by his close aide, Lord Laplace, remains an unknown quantity. A recapture battle under the current circumstances would carry far too much risk."
"Then even if we were to ignore the summons, bolstering our forces would be indispensable..."
The next to speak was Albert. Since the discussion had already settled into a consultative rhythm, no one raised any objection and his input was received without friction.
"In that case, we need another angle. What about the 'neutral nobles' His Grace mentioned earlier? If there's someone acting as a coordinator among them, perhaps we could open a dialogue..."
"P-Perhaps that would be... difficult, I think."
It was Sara who interjected with a word of caution. Albert showed no sign of taking offense and gestured for her to elaborate. Sara gave a small bow and spoke again.
"Even if we were to ignore the Church's summons — depending on the Church's current state — they will almost certainly come for us in retaliation. That institution places the utmost value on its authority, and those who refuse to bend to its will will surely be shown no mercy. If we're unable to march on the Royal Capital immediately, and our forces are scattered on an expedition to build up strength, they could strike our base while we're away..."
"If we leave the big brother and the others behind, they should be able to hold things together, but we'd still take serious damage. Besides, being in a state of constant readiness where you never know when the enemy might attack is extremely draining. If we're still saddled with the risk of a Church assault on top of everything else, things are going to be really tight."
Sara's insight, drawn from her intimate knowledge of the Church, was supplemented by Niina's grasp of the Northern forces' capabilities. The two arguments together were persuasive enough that even Albert could not deny them. Rather than bristling at having his proposal shot down, he simply nodded and accepted the reasoning.
"Whether Albert's direction of further expanding our forces is viable — there's no question we'll need to consider it sooner or later. But... if anything, that makes it all the more important to eliminate any threats at our back first. In the worst case, we could end up caught between the battle to recapture the Royal Capital and a Church assault, and be annihilated in a pincer — and that's not an impossibility."
Finally came the words of Katia, who as a duchess's daughter had thoroughly studied matters of precisely this kind.
"Furthermore. The circumstances behind Prince Helc's coup this time — the unrest that lies beneath — we will need to understand those eventually as well, wouldn't you say?"
"Indeed. In that sense as well... this time, it is worth accepting the Church's summons even at the cost of some risk. Rather than thinking of it as having been 'summoned,' it would be better to frame it as 'crashing in' to gather intelligence. Therefore, we should accept the call—"
Taking Katia's words and reorganizing their collective conclusion, Ermes spoke once more—
"—That is our conclusion. Is that correct, Your Grace?"
"Oh my."
With a slight smile, Yurugen saw through the fact that they had been *testing* him all along and posed the question accordingly. Yurugen responded with a wry smile and a shrug that carried a hint of apology.
"Yes, my conclusion is the same. The reasoning that led you here is flawless. —The Church has been making rather suspicious moves lately as well. If anything, this is an opportunity."
"That is the situation, Lady Lily."
"—"
Honestly, it exceeded my expectations.
What had started as a casual question merely for reference had spiraled into a discussion far beyond anything I'd imagined. The children alone had reached a line of reasoning and conclusions on par with Yurugen himself.
Once again, I felt it keenly — the sheer caliber of her subordinates, in every sense of the word.
"There are risks, but I believe we'll be fine. Unlike before, we now have a proper foundation and fighting force. Even if the opponent is the Church, they won't be able to crush us so easily.
And besides — when the time comes, I will... we will protect you properly."
"Ah..."
...And in the end, he had said exactly the words she wanted to hear most.
Liliana's cheeks flushed, and she gripped the hem of his garment once more... then lifted her head.
"...Very well."
She steeled her resolve.
"Let us head to the Church. I don't know what may happen... but we must gather proper information and put an end to this anxiety.
And besides... personally, there are matters that concern me..."
After declaring that firmly,
Liliana recalled as she spoke... the word "Church" inevitably brought to mind one of her family members.
Her subordinates, having fully understood the emotions stirring within her, gave her a powerful answer in return.
◆
After the decision was made and the gathering dispersed,
"Ermes, could I have a moment?"
Ermes, walking down the corridor, was called to a stop by Yurugen.
"Your Grace, is something the matter?"
"Indeed. I didn't mention it in the meeting earlier... there were things too uncertain to bring up there, but I wanted to tell you about them."
"!"
Judging from his tone, this had to be something important.
Making that assessment, Ermes straightened his posture and waited for Yurugen to continue.
"...About the Church. I did some investigating on my own as well, and I found a passage that appears to describe the magic the Church holds as its deepest secret — what you called that 'incomprehensible power.'"
"Wh—"
Ermes couldn't help but hold his breath.
The technique that Archbishop Johann of the Northern Rebellion had also wielded — or rather, true "magic."
"The accounts are dubious, but there were parts that struck me, so I decided to share what I'd found. In the documents I obtained, this is what it said—"
"Y-Yes."
Before him — so absorbed that he had forgotten to breathe — Yurugen—
"It is the absolute proof of the Church's righteous faith. A dimension above Bloodline Magic — genuine magic sent by the divine itself. The power that split the heavens and tore the earth, that rightfully created the world."
He spoke its name.
"It reads—
Genesis Magic—
so.'"
"—
That is.
It had exactly the same ring as the magic he himself wielded — "Creation Magic."
No... was it really just a coincidence?
Was it coincidence or inevitability, chance or intent?
Rose, who created this magic... how much did she know, and how far did her knowledge reach when she gave it this name?
Of course, it could all be nothing more than baseless worry. If Yurugen hadn't brought it up to this extent, there really would be no credibility to it. Laughing it off would be easy.
But to do that would be... too much.
That resonance was all too familiar within him.
"...Ermes-kun. This too is a warning based on intuition with no real evidence behind it, but—"
Seeing him like this, Yurugen continued. Despite his words, his expression was serious as he went on.
"The Church is a terrifying place. So if you become deeply involved with it, you might end up 'seeing' things beyond your wildest imagination—things beyond comprehension."
"..."
"Even if that happens... please, don't lose sight of who you are."
"...Yes. Understood."
Those words carried a strange weight. Perhaps Yurugen, too, had experienced something similar in his own past.
And so, naturally, he tucked the elder's counsel into his heart.
Then, three days later.
At last—the day of departure for the Church headquarters, where so many things were swirling, had finally arrived.
Sorry for the consecutive explanation-heavy chapters...!
Next time, we finally set out for the Church headquarters. There might be quite a bit of drama in store...? Stay tuned!
Only four days until release!
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