[Vol. 8] Chapter 22: Write This Down, You Must Write This Down!
“Right now, the followers of the Goddess Church are all over the world. They make up more than one-third of the world’s population. That’s an unbelievably huge number, isn’t it? Miss Frederica, think about it, if more than one-third of the people in a country all believe in the same religion, and that religion is well-organized, has a powerful religious nation somewhere in the world, and even borders your own country...”
“If you were the king of a country that’s being influenced like this, could you sleep well at night?”
The Saintess paused slightly, then gave a helpless smile and nodded.
“We do understand what you’re saying. But the temples really were built just to spread the teachings and to help and save people. For hundreds of years, no one has ever crossed the line. I believe—”
“You may believe it, but that doesn’t mean everyone else will. If someone holds a sword over your head and promises that the sword will never fall, would you feel comfortable with that?”
The priestess explained calmly and clearly.
“This is a deep-rooted conflict. It’s not just the Austre Empire. Most countries in the world, more or less, feel threatened by your religion. But the Austre Empire is different, their government is completely ruled by the emperor, with very centralized power. So they’re more sensitive to these things. Plus, your Holy Empire and their Austre Empire basically share a border, which makes it even easier to feel threatened.”
“You want to spread your faith, and you can’t stop doing it, because that’s what the Holy Empire and the Goddess Church are built upon. But in a way, this is still a kind of invasion. And a powerful country like the Austre Empire won’t just sit back and let your beliefs slowly take over their people. A hundred years ago, they had problems both inside and outside their country, so they chose to draw a so-called ‘buffer zone’ and stay quiet.”
“That’s why I said, no matter who the ruler is, there will be a war between your two empires. These past hundred years of peace have just been a short calm before the storm. Now that the conditions and timing are right, the people of the Austre Empire are naturally starting to show their fangs.”
“There can be many reasons why a war begins. But as long as this kind of relationship between the two sides still exists, conflict will never completely go away.”
“Of course, I’ve never thought of war as a good thing. I don’t support it or encourage it. But on the other hand, when war truly becomes unavoidable, I won’t try to stop it either. Sometimes, war doesn’t come from hatred, it happens because there is no other way left to fix the problem. True, lasting peace doesn’t come from the wishes of a few people. Instead, it often shows up after the blood and fire of war.”
“Empires don’t last forever.”
After saying all that, Violet looked at the thoughtful Saintess and smiled. She ended her long explanation with a half-joking comment.
“Of course, that’s just my personal opinion. I might be completely wrong. I hope you won’t get mad at me for rambling like that, Miss Frederica~”
“Ah?! N-no, of course not! I would never! I’m honored to hear this!!!”
The blonde girl looked surprised at first, but then her face relaxed as if a heavy burden had been lifted. Her whole expression and spirit changed, like she had just received a powerful insight or revelation.
Because of all the chaos lately, endless problems, the growing threat of war, and hidden plots. It had become hard to even breathe. But now, all that heavy, gloomy feeling suddenly disappeared. Like a sharp sword being pulled from its sheath, the Saintess's strong and fearless spirit returned. Even her clear eyes looked brighter than ever!
“I understand now... I completely understand! Since neither side is willing to back down on what they believe in, war is bound to happen. So trying to stop the enemy from finding a reason to fight is useless. Instead of wasting time, we should focus on getting ready, give it our all, and face them openly and proudly!”
In the quiet night, where no one else was watching, except for one dragon girl giving them a strange look, the Saintess suddenly knelt on one knee before the black-haired girl and bowed her head respectfully.
“I’m ashamed… I showed such a weak and unworthy side in front of you. I even needed your guidance to understand something so simple. I truly don’t deserve to hold a sacred weapon or be called a Saintess... But I, Frederica Cecilia, swear on my name as a child of the gods that from now on, my sword will never hesitate again. Guided by the holy light, we will win this war for our god and our faith!”
“Uh... I’m glad… you’re feeling better?”
The priestess gently helped Frederica back up, shaking her head slightly with a helpless smile.
“But, Saintess, I wasn’t trying to give you some kind of deep advice, and I don’t represent any so-called Primordial Light. Also, we don’t have a leader-and-follower relationship. Please be more careful with actions like that in the future. If someone saw, it could cause trouble.”
“Ah, right… I understand what you mean. I’m really sorry. I-I just got a little too excited...”
Yeah, you were so excited you dropped to your knees, huh?
Why does it feel like she’s hinting at something else...?
Hmm, now that I think about it, Edwina used to do weird things like this sometimes too. I kind of miss those days...
Oh well. Whatever’s going on in Frederica’s head, Violet had already said and done everything she needed to. Digging deeper wouldn’t help anything.
Clearing her throat softly, the priestess calmly changed the topic.
“So, what are you planning to do now? When we came back, the armies from the Sixteen Tribes had already broken through Iron Ridge with help from the Behemoth. The main forces of the Austre Empire aren’t here yet, and I don’t think the troops in the fortress alone can fight them off. We’ll probably have to retreat soon. The war could reach us very quickly.”
“Hmm...”
The Saintess held her smooth, pale chin and thought carefully for a moment.
“My original plan was to lead our group into hiding nearby to avoid getting too involved with either side. Then, we’d look for a chance to secretly cross the border. It would take time, but there’s no other choice. Our group’s position is very sensitive, whether we lean toward the Sixteen Tribes or the Austre Empire, it could cause a chain reaction and make the war even worse. But…”
“Now it seems like we’ll get dragged into this no matter what. So maybe we should take the first step, reach out to the enemy ourselves, and cut through the mess quickly. The most important thing is to get out of the Austre Empire, even if that gives others an excuse to start a war. What do you think?”
Violet smiled and shook her head.
“Don’t ask me. You’re the leader of this group, not me. I’m just a traveler catching a ride. What to do next should be your decision, and your responsibility. If you’ve already made up your mind, then just follow your heart and do it.”
“...Yes!”