While the upper echelons of Takuto's Mynoghra were troubled by the disturbances in benevolent civilizations, the southern province of Holy Quolia was undergoing the very upheaval they feared.
"Saint! Holy Saint Soarina!"
"Great Saint!"
The provincial assembly hall of the southern province, the Holy Amritate Grand Cathedral.
This haven for corrupt clergy had been reclaimed under the Saint's dominion, restored to its true form as a house of God filled with hymns and light.
Countless people gathered before the cathedral, weaving words of gratitude and praise for the Saint.
Today was no holiday, merely an ordinary weekday. Yet the people congregated at the church, seeking to deliver their admiration and thanks to the Saint who had become the new leader of the southern province.
"Phew..."
In response to the voices of the people, the Funeral Saint Soarina waved her hand from the balcony. It was not a duty, yet she felt guilty about ignoring it completely. Therefore, showing her face to the people for a few minutes each day had become one of her recent added routines.
Waving to the countless figures visible below, she offered a bright smile before turning to go back inside.
A trace of fatigue was visible on Soarina's face. It was less physical exhaustion and more spiritual weariness.
"Good work! Soarina! You're really starting to look the part, huh?"
A voice called out from the shadow of a pillar. It was the Weeping Witch, Erakino.
Having come to this southern province alongside Soarina, she laughed her usual cackling laugh and approached lightly.
Witch Erakino maintained her same demeanor as before. Wrapped in an air of frivolity, a clownish attitude, and darkness that considered everything mere entertainment.
The Saint and the Witch were enemies who could never coexist. They were oil and water. Beings who could never be reconciled.
That was natural law. That was the divine order.
It was a fundamental rule woven into the very fabric of the world, never to be broken.
Yet, toward Erakino, who spoke to her with the casual ease of an old friend, Soarina...
"Oh, please stop it already... Erakino." She responded with a lovely smile, as if she were a young girl.
"Nyahahaha! The Holy Maiden who governs the Southern Province! Under the guidance of the true leader sent by God, the people's lives are rising like eel! ...Ah, eels weren't here, were they? Soaring sky-high! Their momentum is unstoppable, soaring like eagles! Everyone is absolutely delighted!"
"All thanks to you, Erakino. Because you cooperated... Because you pushed me forward from behind, this peace has come to be." Soarina wore a gentle smile.
It was the expression of a young girl, and considering Soarina's age, it seemed like an oddly childish demeanor. But this was probably her true self. A Holy Maiden is the recipient of various schemes and expectations from the people.
Those who bear that immense weight of emotion tend, to varying degrees, to close off their hearts. In such a case, if someone with whom they can be completely at ease appears, it is only natural they would show a face they normally never reveal.
"Mmmph! See, see, it's all thanks to Erakino! But hey! You could be more casual in how you talk. We're Erakino and Soarina, after all? Best friends are frank with their conversations too, you know!"
"Su-Sorry! I'm still not quite used to it... Even like this, I'm actually trying to speak more casually as you asked?"
"Yeeeah~! You're still so stiff! Really, I'd much prefer it if you called me 'Erakino' more naturally!"
"Th-That's impossible!" The flow of time was calm and peaceful.
Ever since the Sipping Witch and the Game Master, whose form remained unseen, established their base in this Southern Province, the relationship between Erakino and Soarina had taken a form utterly different from what had been expected.
No one could answer through what strange flow of events this had come to pass. Perhaps even the gods might say such a judgment was impossible.
But as they worked together in the politics of the Southern Province, their bond deepened rapidly. The result was that Soarina and Erakino's relationship was now close enough to be called one of unmatched, dear friends.
...Erakino had not used her abilities to make it so.
Rather, the brainwashing power of the Sipping that she possessed had already been undone by Erakino herself, and she was now actively striving, of her own free will, to improve this country alongside her.
Therefore, the most concise explanation was simply that they "had been able to become friends." Nothing more, nothing less.
It was an absurdly foolish, trite tale.
A witch, supposed to be a lump of malice, was swayed by a saint; a saint, supposed to be the embodiment of virtue, was having her heart broken by that same witch.
As if turning their eyes away from the sacrifices made and things lost up to this point, the two grew closer, and the happiness of the people living in the Southern Province rose, as if to show their relationship.
It was a peace born of twisting upon twisting... yet one where no one became unhappy.
But there was one person who watched the pair with cold eyes.
"You two have certainly... become close."
"Lady Fenne..."
Appearing there unnoticed was the Face-Hidden Saint, Fenne Karmuel.
Hidden behind a veil, never showing her bare skin, the saint interjected her icy voice into their shared, buoyant world, just as she always did.
That she, perpetually ill-tempered, would take such an attitude was nothing unusual.
Rather, she treated all humans the same way; she was a saint whose character, were it not for her accomplishments, would hardly be accepted by people.
Therefore, her words were just as always.
But perhaps there was a sense of guilt within her. Soarina flinched at the slightly barbed way she spoke.
As if to protect her, Erakino stepped forward and retorted with that flippant tone.
"Oh my my, are you jealous, Face-Hidden! You don't have to be so envious just because Erakino and Soarina became besties! Be-sides. Erakino is work-ing real-ly hard. I haven't done any evil plots, and I'm doing my utmost to make the people of this country happy~♪"
"I'll admit that much. Thanks to you two, the people are indeed saved. That those who should be saved are happy is what both God and I desire."
Fenne received Erakino's words with seeming disinterest.
Her tone held a certain emotional distance, making Erakino truly wonder if she was really a saint.
But Fenne being a saint was an obvious fact beyond doubt.
The Game Master, who secretly issued commands to Erakino and her, knew that Fenne had a purpose entirely different from their own.
"Fenne, we also appreciate your cooperation. Thanks to your efforts, further misfortune has been removed from this nation."
Fenne nods in response to Soarina's words.
Despite her reputation for keeping others at a distance, there was clearly a wall between the two saints and Fenne. Soarina was aware of this, but she couldn't imagine Fenne harboring any ulterior motives. Fenne was cooperative with their reforms, supporting them with her power. At the very least, she undoubtedly shared their desire for peace, just like any other saint. Saints are chosen by God. One cannot become a saint without a heart that desires peace and service to others.
"I understand your concerns. However, since arriving here, Erakino has never broken a single promise. To cast suspicious glances upon others is merely to manifest the fear that dwells within oneself... The God has said so himself."
"...Yes."
Perhaps the fact that a saint and a witch could get along was something Fenne simply couldn't accept. Soarina, who harbored a dream of opening her heart and conversing with Fenne just as she did with others, felt her previous buoyant feelings cool slightly. Whether aware of her inner turmoil or not, Fenne, maintaining her unchanged demeanor, threw out a question about the situation surrounding them.
"I have something I want to know. What are the reactions from the Central Government and the other provinces? Even if those senile, blind old fools are slow on the uptake, they should have noticed something by now given this situation. Besides, if left unchecked, word will reach the ears of the Saint serving as a vessel."
"The Central Government remains silent. Currently, they are preoccupied with overseeing the reconstruction of the regions devastated by the witch incident in the Northern Province. It seems the Western and Eastern Provinces are interfering, pressing for accountability and urging the resignation of the Cardinals responsible."
In Quolia, three Popes, selected by transparently questionable closed-door meetings, stand at the top. Below them exist numerous high-ranking clergy known as Cardinals. The Holy City, which they use as their main battleground for power struggles, is the governing body known as the Central Government.
"I see. The Central Government wishes to carve away the Northern Province. Still, it's strange they aren't targeting the Southern Province, which is so seething with reform and prosperity, isn't it, Soarina?"
Thanks to the reforms implemented by Soarina and her group, the Southern Province was experiencing unprecedented prosperity. It had always been a wealthy nation. The climate was mild, crops grew well, and public order was maintained through patrols by the disciplined Holy Knights.
The land is rich in resources and, perhaps thanks to divine blessing, is free of major disasters or plagues. Moreover, through the oracles of the Saint, all evil is prevented before it can take root. This is precisely why it was only natural for a great economic surge to occur when the gold collected by a portion of the clergy was circulated among the populace.
From food and clothing to housing and other daily necessities, and even to luxury and specialty goods. The demand generated by money flowing to the people enriched the producers, and the purchasing desires of those producers created further demand. As a token of gratitude for their newfound prosperity, generous offerings were made to the divine, which in turn led to the better equipping and improvement of facilities for the Holy Knights and clergy.
The righteous among the Holy Knights and clergy were, without exception, earnest and ascetic souls who would sell their own fortunes to provide alms to the people. If corruption were completely erased, one could say that only the promised future of an ideal utopia would remain.
This, then, was the reason why the avaricious clergy of the Central Holy Kingdom and other provinces did not interfere. Soarina remained silent. The question of "why is there no obstruction?" received no clear answer. But her expression was eloquent enough on its own, and it was through this that Fenne readily understood what Soarina had done.
"Ah, I see."
Soarina had employed methods befitting anything but a Saint to exclude intervention from the Central Holy Kingdom and other provinces.
"Heh. You silenced them with under-the-table payments, didn't you?"
For the first time, Fenne smiled. What intent lay behind that smile? No, that was obvious. It was visibly laced with cold mockery.
The infection that had taken hold in Quolia was severe. Those who invoked the divine name to line their own pockets, reject cooperation with others, and wield power arbitrarily... this was the depth of the rot.
Self-importance ballooned, egos swelled, and attachments grew fat.
Fools so abundant they seemed to mistake themselves for gods themselves proliferated, and a variety of laws were enacted in the name of the Divine to prevent their vested interests from being seized.
That was the country, and it was precisely because she despised such a country that Soarina was standing here.
Or so she was supposed to be standing.
Yet here she was, resorting to illegal methods to check the opponent's movements, even if it was meant as a deterrent.
Soarina gritted her teeth.
Was the word "ideal" so utterly powerless? The reality Soarina had witnessed had always been all too ready to crush ideals and hope alike.
"The funds expended in this matter will certainly be returned to the people. Now is not the time to invite the Central government's intervention! If you are thinking of the future, this judgment is—"
Bursting like a dam, Soarina hurled her own opinion forth.
Even knowing that her words would only please Fenne, Soarina was trapped in a frantic urgency to say something.
"Heehee. Calm yourself. I'm not blaming you for your actions. So please don't unleash that guilt you carry inside onto me. When you raise your voice like that, it's very frightening."
But her words were like a stone thrown at a pear tree to Fenne.
No, perhaps from the very beginning it had been Soarina grappling with her own shadow. As Fenne said, it was her own sense of justice and guilt that was tormenting her.
Tears welled faintly in Soarina's eyes.
The powerlessness she felt toward herself overlapped with that past self who had despaired at fate and wept every day—
"Face-hider. If you bully Soarina anymore, I won't forgive you."
It was Erakino, who had maintained her silence until now, who reached out a hand to her.
"Erakino... You seem quite beholden to her too. Am I the only one left out? That's a little lonely. I wish you'd be a bit kinder."
"I think if you want to get along, you shouldn't say mean things, Erakino! And as for you, Face-hider, isn't it beside the point to look for an outlet for your own uncontrollable feelings in Soarina?"
For the first time, Fenne showed a flustered demeanor in response to Erakino's retort.
Without realizing it, as if her true feelings had been pointed out, Fenne seemed to think she had gone too far, and her tone and manner softened somewhat.
"That’s a point scored against me. By the way, was that deduction your own, or that of your beloved Master?"
"Who knows? The face-concealer is mean, so I won’t tell you! Let’s go, Soarina!"
"I seem to have been disliked. But I’m sorry, could you wait just a moment?"
As Erakino moved to leave the room with Soarina in tow, Fenne stopped them.
Erakino frowned, as if to say she had yet more unnecessary lectures. Soarina, similarly, showed a fearful expression, as if expecting to be confronted with another inconvenient truth.
Watching the two of them from opposite extremes of expression beneath her veil, Fenne spoke carefully, as if to soothe their ruffled spirits.
"I still have something I need to ask Soarina. Relax, the next question will be a proper one. It concerns the operation of the Southern States going forward."
"If that’s the case, then fine. You’re alright with that too, Soarina?"
"Y-Yes..."
The two looked at each other and agreed to Fenne’s proposal.
Inwardly, Fenne sighed in relief that the conversation hadn’t taken a critical turn for the worse.
Originally, Fenne had come here precisely to question their true intentions on this matter.
Her earlier, somewhat sarcastic remark had been a misstep, a prelude born of poor judgment.
At Fenne’s urging, Erakino and Soarina sat down in chairs and turned their faces toward her.
As she gazed at the pair, Fenne briefly recalled her plan for the upcoming questions.
And, once again, she frowned beneath her veil, realizing she still didn’t understand.
Regarding this matter, Soarina was in favor and Erakino was opposed. That fact was something she simply could not reconcile.
Logically, their positions should have been reversed.
No, in a situation like this... worrying about it was pointless. After all, here were Good and Evil, holding hands in amity.
Fenne shook her head slightly from side to side, casting aside all the thoughts she had been entertaining until now and steeling herself. And then...
"Soarina. The decapitation operation you are planning against Mynoghra... I want you to tell me about the intent behind it..."
She confronted Soarina head-on about a plan that would undoubtedly determine their future situation. Soarina's eyes, which moments ago had seemed somewhat fearful, now pierced through the veil to the Fenne beyond. There was something about that gaze that seemed to contain a touch of madness.