What was happening?
He simply could not understand.
"......"
Staring blankly at the scene that had just unfolded before his very eyes, Ermes was more shaken than he had ever been in his life.
......Ermes, that young man—
Up until now, he had never experienced death as something so close. He himself had nearly died on more than one occasion, but the death of others—especially taking a human life with his own hands—was something he had always resisted.
He was a boy with stunted emotions... and yet. Born with an innate kindness and shaped by Rose's upbringing, he still possessed a baseline sense of morality no different from that of anyone else.
That was precisely why—
The sight of "someone dying right before his eyes" was something he simply could not accept.
And above all else—
"Hmm? Whatever has you so shaken? I heard you hold the beauty of magic in particularly high regard—so rather than despair, shouldn't you be feeling moved?"
Having done that without the slightest hesitation—
What Ermes could not comprehend, more than anything, was this Archbishop—who now questioned him with a perfectly calm expression, as though observing something quaint.
"You..."
Even so, frantically gathering his thoughts before they could scatter entirely, Ermes managed to press out a question. There were simply far too many things he needed to ask this man, far too many things he had to confront him about.
"Were you not someone who held principles about valuing life?"
"Yes."
"Were you not supposed to be worthy of the title 'Most Merciful Archbishop'—someone who treasures life above all?"
"Indeed I am. I'm glad to see you're a child who understands things properly."
"T-Then what is this?! Turning a person into a disposable bomb like this—how can you possibly call that meaningful?!"
"? I don't understand what has you so worked up, but..."
Even he seemed somewhat disorganized, perhaps caught off guard himself, yet in response to the barrage of pointed questions he should have been asking... the Archbishop answers.
"It is meaningful, wouldn't you say? — Mark, as he stands now, did serve to help defeat an enemy of God such as yourself."
"—"
The words were too far removed from anything he could accept. Even though he'd vaguely sensed it coming, Ermes refused to acknowledge it, and pressed on.
"F-Fine, let's say that's meaningful from your perspective! But there's no way I can accept that this counts as what you call 'cherishing life'!"
"Hmm, and why do you think that?"
"Because his life has just been snuffed out, hasn't it?! The possibilities he should have had, the future that should have been given to him equally—just like ours and yours—trampled unilaterally, for one side's convenience alone..."
"—Ah, so that's what you mean."
Archbishop Gregorio—
—listening as an archbishop should, like receiving someone's confession, with the dignity of one who teaches the faith, he accepts Ermes' doubts.
"If I'm hearing you correctly, what you're trying to say is — rather than giving him the role of a bomb like this, you believe he should have been granted a longer, freer life, just as we are?"
"Yes. Exactly. If you understand that, then why—"
"Ahaha, you say some interesting things. But surely you realize that's not something that can be permitted."
Having articulated it precisely — Gregorio laughs.
That smile was as bright as ever, unchanged from the day they first met, brimming with mercy and dignity.
That's right.
Gregorio possessed that very capability. A keen intellect, the comprehension to truly listen, the means of communication to give voice to another's feelings, and the magnanimity and skill to lay out his reasoning.
He had every quality and character befitting the highest rank of the clergy — not a single thing lacking.
"──Because"
And yet.
"
Those
born with
evil
magic
—
aren't they, from the
moment
they come
into this world,
far more
sinful
than
we are?"
That single point.
It was hopelessly, irreconcilably out of sync.
"To grant such beings the same rights as us — ah, one need not even think about it to know that's impossible. That is not mercy; it is the siren call of corruption."
"But how can you know they are sinful merely for being born with different magic?"
"? The Star God decreed it so, and the Scripture records with certainty that the Divine Messenger said as much. What further basis could one possibly require? I simply cannot comprehend your objection..."
Properly, thoughtfully. Despite having flexible thinking.
About that one thing, she never doubted—she grew up in an environment where the very notion of doubt never even arose.
"Hmm, this seems to have deeper roots than I thought, your mistaken assumptions. I suppose there’s no help for it... I’ll just have to make you understand more deeply."
Had he decided it was now impossible to explain?
Gregorio cut off the dialogue and activated his magic by waving his hand.
What that meant, in essence, was—
"W-Wait—"
Before Ermes could even stand still—
More new soldiers charged at Ermes.
And then, once again, they blew up right before his eyes.
"—!!"
Once again, he hastily blocked it with a barrier spell—no, that was all he could do.
A spell to stop an opponent's self-destruction? That wasn’t something Ermes possessed right now, no matter how powerful he was.
It was the same for the others besides Ermes. He glanced over briefly, but Sara, Niina, and Liliana—while all shocked by the scene before them—were barely managing to cope.
Not a single person could stop this atrocity.
(That’s it—!)
But then, Ermes had a realization.
...There was no way these subordinates would be satisfied with such an act.
Being treated as disposable bombs was absolutely unacceptable. Yes, if that were the case, he could deliver a retort to Gregorio’s earlier nonsense. Thinking this, he turned to face forward—
But instead.
"Lord Gregorio, long live──!"
"Glory to the Church and the Star God!!"
"──"
They were smiling.
.
Without a trace of misgiving. Without a hint of sorrow.
Simply, joyfully—they were smiling.
They weren't brainwashed. Their thoughts hadn't been manipulated.
It wasn't that they followed with lingering doubts, either. There was simply pure, unreserved trust.
──And that was precisely why he couldn't understand.
"Why. Why are you all too..."
"Shut up, you heathen who dares defy God!"
"We've lived our whole lives up to this very day just to defeat the likes of you!"
Ermes's voice, which had been about to voice his question, was drowned out by the soldiers on the verge of erupting.
"You can only say that because you don't understand Lord Gregorio's mercy!"
"That's right! We were saved by Lord Gregorio!"
"And that's not all—even the likes of us were treated properly!"
"Because Lord Gregorio──"
And then.
They declared.
"──They actually make sure to let me sleep a full two hours a day!"
"──They even hand out two whole pieces of bread a day!!"
"──And you get to live in a proper cell, mind you!?"
............
...I understand now.
──We're the heretics.
In this place... no, perhaps in this entire country.
We are far more thoroughly beings who should be cast out than we ever imagined.
That is truly what it means to be someone who possesses "Evil Bloodline Magic."
Katya had been gossiped about──the only reason it stayed at mere gossip was because she belonged to a prestigious ducal house.
What we thought had been changed was truly just the thinnest skim of this country──its most superficial layer.
"Yes, that's exactly right! My splendid and proud subordinates!"
Gregorio's voice rang out, rarely so excited.
"I have always been pained by this. The way those who carry Evil Bloodline Magic are treated is far too cruel. They are living beings as well──they cannot be handled so carelessly.
More gently, more mercifully.
More
proper
lives
and
——
Splendid
of life
the use
—is what I believe we ought to give!
His subordinates chimed in to match.
"You are absolutely right, Lord Gregorio!"
"We are all so happy right now! Even people like us can be of use to the Star God!"
"Yes, yes! This is our destiny! Our duty to fulfill!"
"Those foolish, shameless fools who refuse to understand that and grumble about 'wanting a better life' have been properly—"
Smiling without a care, they raised their voices in unison and declared:
"——killed every last one of them!"
……This.
The corruption of the kingdom.
The pinnacle of distortion born from Bloodline Magic.
The very bottom of the depths of this country.
'——I cannot even imagine. You may end up seeing something utterly beyond comprehension.'
……Yurugen had been right.
Reflecting on those words, Ermes dealt with the human bombs one after another. Unable to do anything else, he could only watch as lives and blood spattered before his very eyes.
Watching it all, Archbishop Gregorio:
"……Splendid."
He was weeping.
His expression was one of tears of ecstasy, a look of rapturous joy.
"That's right — this is exactly the sight I've dreamed of.
Even a person born with evil magic — if you treat them with compassion, they'll understand. They can become wonderful beings! They can live for a wonderful purpose! They can offer their lives as spears to strike down the enemies of God! Ah —"
And so, the most merciful Archbishop,
having turned countless soldiers into bombs, having watched the flesh and blood of his subordinates scatter through the air,
shed tears and declared:
"——What a beautiful world it is!!!"
………Ah.
I don't want to see this.
Not for one more second — I don't want this to exist before my eyes.
There's no need for reform. No need for repentance. I just — I just want it gone from my sight. Immediately.
——I don't need it.
In my
world
that I'm watching
,
I don't need
anything like this
.
Yes — the moment that thought came.
There was a click — the sensation of something slotting into place inside my head. At the same time, a domain of magic I had never understood before, vast chains of words, came flooding into my mind.
As if guided by that torrent of knowledge.
I called to mind the incantation words that surfaced most strongly in my thoughts.
I drew a breath and sang.
"──[
Heaven
's light falls to the far beyond / the flowers of earth are crushed to
dust
and
benevolence
is
not
the crown
is severed / what was wrought undone
lightless
world]"
Ermes knows.
Feelings never held before. Feelings that could have remained unknown.
And — magic that can only be used by being so.
"Formula Replay—"
Its signature magic. She had witnessed it several times before, yet could never use it — but just now, she had understood it completely.
With all her composure gathered, her quietly settled eyes,
she spoke its name.
"—
Bonfire Veil of the Evil God
"
Next time — the protagonist's awakening chapter. I hope you'll join me.