Chapter 158: Nobles and Priests
Looking out the window, I saw a large white moon floating in the night sky that looked as if it had spilled ink.
My eyes, accustomed to the color of candlelight, were a little dazzled.
I stretched out my arms toward the moon and laid my palms on it, but could not cover its figure completely.
If I had done the same thing on Earth, I could have covered it with a single thumb, but the moon in this world is much larger.
The moon's ring, which still feels strange to me, made me aware once again that I had come to a distant world, and combined with the cold winter air, it made me feel a little uneasy.
On a night like this, I would like to sleep with something warm and soft in my arms.
I lower my gaze from the sky to the city, magically warming the air around me.
Most of the citizens had probably finished their activities by now, and the lights in the city were sparse and looked as if they would disappear at any moment.
Waka-sama.”
I hear a man's voice from behind the door as I look down on the city over a cup of hot tea.
I, with one foot propped on the window sill, staring out into the dark night, let out an inarticulate growl in reply.
I replied with an unspoken groan, “I have brought you here. May I come in?”
It seemed that someone was waiting for me. I put on the expression of a heir to the Quardenze family and moved away from the window.
I sat down on a chair with room to spare and gave permission to enter through the door.
Excuse me.
The first person to enter the room was a military officer whom I do not usually see.
As soon as he entered the room, he adopted a flowing and graceful posture of bowing.His movements he was graceful and without any of the ruggedness that is characteristic of military officers.
He was not at all stumpy, which is typical of military officers. “……, Do you usually work at the pavilion?”
Ha!
In response to my question, the military officer answers with a straightened posture.
On the outskirts of New Nellie City, there was a building simply called “The pavilion.
The roof of the building had an aggressive appearance, like a spear piercing the heavens, and its walls, darker black than night, were intimidating.
The water moat, built around it to keep out bandits, was wide, and if you looked out the window from a distance, you could see the surface of the water reflecting the moonlight and glistening.
I see why it looks so good.
The pavilion's role was to serve as a prisoner-of-war camp.
The Quardenze family has been expanding its territory to the west, and naturally, there was a ruling aristocratic family there.
These noble families belonged to the Zinkaen Empire and the old Voivodeship.
As a result of the trampling down of these noble families, female nobles and daughters of knightly families were gathered in the pavilion.
The pavilion was originally a guest house for visiting nobles from other domains, but as a result of the increase in the number of noble prisoners of war, it was renovated and turned into a camp.
It is said that male nobles and knights are less profitable as prisoners of war, but rather dangerous to keep on hand, so they are killed if there is a chance to take them as prisoners.
According to my father, female noblemen are tasty.
Of course, this does not mean in a physical sense, but in a political and diplomatic sense.
For example, what would happen if he could take captive a female noblewoman who came as a bride to a noble family he had destroyed?
In this case, the Quardenzes could use blackmail diplomacy against the captive's family.
They could ask for money in exchange for handing her over to them, or they could force her to cease her hostile behavior toward the Kuordentse family.
My father said that there is no better card to play in terms of immediate benefits.
Another example is to take a princess of a destroyed noble family captive.
However, the use of captive princesses is limited.In most cases, the princess can only be recovered after the game has been decided and the family has been destroyed.There is no one to demand compensation.
No one can complain about the treatment of a princess of a ruined noble family in a prisoner-of-war camp, and there is no way to know about her in the first place. Would be very bleak.
Because even though she is rotten, she is still a sea bream, and even if her family is destroyed, the princess remains the head of the family.If a commoner rapes a POW princess, the child is a follower and has magical powers .
Unlike male nobles who are sexually sensitive, female nobles can just sleep with their legs spread for now, so they can surely get a cousin, though at the rate of about one per year.
Since the children of the followers can be used in any number of ways, after they are born, they are separated from their mother, the captive princess, and educated to become members of the Quardenze family.
However, there is now an option to sell her to a noble man from another domain.
The number of the main ancestors has been decreasing due to a strange disease caused by the magical beast Elsinia, and the noble families that are short of children are probably in desperate need of a main ancestor's princess.
If she is a princess of a noble family that has already died, they will not complain about her even if they treat her a little roughly, so they can treat her comfortably.
The captive princess would change her class from a follower-ancestor maker to a master-ancestor maker and be sold to them.
Sometimes my father invites male nobles from other territories to New Nellie City, and I think that he lets them evaluate whether there is a princess of their choice among the captives. If there is one that strikes a chord with his dick, he will probably buy her.
If this transaction goes well, the Quardenzes will not only be able to sell their favors to other families, but they will also gain tremendous profits, as they will be able to obtain huge sums of money and make it easier for them to conduct espionage activities .
In the case of selling the captive princess to another family, it is not possible to send her off as a single item.This is because there is a possibility that it will cause problems in the future.
It is not unusual for noble men to be partial to the women they fall in love with. It is conceivable that the POW princess, still harboring a grudge, may someday seduce the noble men to whom she is sold and act in a dark way to Antagonize the Kuordenze family.
What to do is to send a servant of the Kuordenze family along with the POW princess as her caretaker.
The servants are expected to monitor and brainwash the POW princess, and at the same time, they are expected to play the role of spies who investigate and report on the internal affairs of other families.
Brainwashing is not so difficult. The only person who can take care of the anxious mind of the captive princess, who has become the property of an unknown man in an unknown land, is a servant dispatched from the Quardenze family. The young princess becomes dependent on the servant.
Thus, the POW princess is gradually brainwashed and no longer harbors ill feelings.
If all goes well, the POW princess will become an obedient princess of the Kuordenze family and will eventually give birth to the heir of another family. If we consider cost-effectiveness alone, it would be more profitable than marrying off a poor daughter.
Here is the latest report.
I picked up the report that the military officer had given me and looked it over lightly.
The person who is waiting for me today, Cynthia, a priest of the Zethusian High Priesthood, was detained by the military and then transferred to a pavilion, where she has been living under house arrest.
It is difficult to restrain a person with magical powers.
The best way is to seal them with a magical seal that prevents them from using magic, but it requires personnel with magical powers to perform this procedure, and there is no telling when the seal will be broken.
A follower whose magic has been restored can easily be destroyed by iron restraints, so it is a tricky existence to be on guard against.
However, if the captive is an ancestor, it is still good. There are many follower soldiers in the Kuordenze army, so they will not be able to escape easily.
The problem was the captives of the main ancestor, a female noblewoman. If they were willing to do so, they would be no match for a bunch of knights.
The main ancestor has so much magic power that it is impossible for the squires to seal the magic, and only the members of the Quardenze family, who are also the main ancestors, can do it.
Even if the magic is sealed, the captives of the main ancestor are like time bombs, as they do not know when the seal will be broken.
In order to restrain them, the pavilion has been completely remodeled with stone that repels magic.
However, it is said that the captive princesses, who have no home to return to, rarely act out of control and are mostly good girls.
The prison is spacious and well-fed, and on fine days she is allowed to go out into the garden if she is escorted by a military officer, so it is said that she has a reasonably good life.
I heard that military officers who have been working at the prison for a long time tend to have a softer manner since they have the opportunity to talk with the captive princesses.
Even the princesses of a ruined noble family have a sense of awe toward their ancestors.
As ordered by the young master, we have not conducted any unreasonable interrogation.”
The contents of the report did not differ much from what he had received so far, and he was able to finish reading it quickly.
I see.”
The report was a summary of the indiscriminate attack plan by the head of the Holy High Church in the city of Newnery, as well as matters concerning Cynthia's origins in her.
I had given Cynthia strict orders not to be interrogated in a torture-like manner, since I had shown my willingness to cooperate with the Quardenze family.
I have no taste for torture, and I have no taste for getting an erection from a woman's tortured, shredded body.
I'd like to hear the rest from the man himself.
I was the one who had sent word to Cynthia, the priestess of the Zethusian High Priory, who had wandered into New Nellie, to come to New Nellie Castle tonight.
At any rate, I wanted to talk to her rather than read the report.
“Yes, sir.
The military officer exits the room and returns immediately. Cynthia was with him, flanked by soldiers in front and behind.
She was dressed in ordinary clothes, not monastic attire but the kind worn by commoners, as if provided by the Quardenze family.
Her long, pale cherry-red hair, which brushed her buttocks, and her golden eyes, gave a warm impression.
And her breasts which had grown to the point where the cloth was so tight that they were very heavy.They look really heavy.
Cynthia looked shocked when she saw me and took a posture as if she wanted to introduce herself.
I let the guards and military officers take their places in the corner of the room, and then turn my attention to Cynthia.
I allow.”
When I gave my permission, Cynthia began to tell me her name and where she was from with a priestly style bow.
She was a lowly priestess registered at St. Navempos, the head temple of the Holy High Society of Zethus.
When a military officer inquired about her origin after she was transferred to the pavilion, she replied, “I am from St. Navempos,” As if she were trying to sell him a fire extinguisher.
On the continent of Eluo, there is no strict border control like on the Earth in the previous generation. Rather, the walls that surround cities serve that purpose.
Therefore, Cynthia was able to enter the territory of Quordenze without any particular difficulty.
Since the founder of the Zeth cult, Mr. Zeth, traveled all over the continent, it is considered good for believers to travel as well.
Although a noble family belonging to the Levios Kingdom, the Holy High Church still exists in the city of New Neri, and devout believers occasionally make pilgrimages to the church. Cynthia was thought to be one of them, and it was not so difficult for her to enter the city.
Thank you very much for your kind consideration.
We were facing each other at the desk, and Cynthia and I greeted each other as if it were a clichéd courtesy.
'……You have a sense of propriety indeed,' she said. It's only natural for a priestess to be under the control of the Holy Priestess of St. Navempos,…….
So I decided to cut right to the chase.
The Holy Priestess is a rank that exists as a symbol of faith in the Zethusian High Priesthood.
The role of the Seisho is to reign supreme in important ceremonies, rituals, and festivals, and to act as an intermediary between humans and spirits.
According to tradition, the granddaughter of the founder, Zeth, was the first to assume this position.
Perhaps because of this, the position was limited to the daughters of the famous family of St. Navempos, who were said to have inherited the lineage of the founder Zeth.
Cynthia is said to have been a priestess in the Holy City as one of the Holy Priestess' subordinates.
Although Cynthia is the embodiment of Zethusianism, history shows that she is also the one who triggered the downfall of the Holy High Society, which had boasted of its prosperity and power.
In the past, the Zesu Church operated under a system similar to a two-headed government. There were two heads: the head of the organization, the pope, and the head of the faith, the holy priest.
Although the Pope was the highest authority in the Holy See, he was not the head of the religious order.
But even so, I think it is clear that the papacy, which actually ruled over the land of St. Navempos, had supreme command of the Holy Army, and was in charge of the affairs of the Holy High Society, had more power.
The election of a pope has always been a bloody power struggle, and the most violent was the upheaval 200 years ago.
In this case, the supreme priest who was not elected pope, his supporters his, and the holy priesthood joined forces.
The struggle between the head of the organization and the head of the faith led to a power struggle within the High Priesthood, and the prestige of the Zethusian High Priesthood, which covered the entire continent, faded, and a turbulent era spread, which eventually led to the rise of the nobility.
After a series of twists and turns, the upheaval finally came to an end when the authority of the priests was reduced to ashes.
Ironically, the rise of the aristocracy made the priests lose their power, and the organization became smaller and smaller, reducing the scale of the conflict. Rather than being settled, it may be more accurate to say that they fell out together.
The priests who remained in the desolate holy city stripped the holy priesthood, which had been the cause of the prolonged conflict, of all power.
The authority of the holy priestess could no longer be exercised without the approval of the supreme priests, leaving only her role as a symbol of the faith.
Rumor has it that the Holy Priestess is chosen from among the daughters of prominent families based solely on her character and good looks of her.
Interesting indeed.
I would like to ask you a few questions.
If there is anything I can do, please let me know.
I'm not going to ask you to pinch my dick with your big tits for now.
Keeping my expression as a legitimate son of the Quardenze family, I instructed the servants to serve Cynthia tea as well.
I asked him to pour me another cup of tea, and we both sipped it together.
It smells good, doesn't it?
I'm glad you like it.
I was thinking about Cynthia's chest as she was enjoying the aroma of the tea.
I had invited Cynthia not for her milk her, but for my father's sake.
My father had been engaged in diplomacy with many aristocrats, but he had never dealt with priests before.
In a sense, it was only natural. At the time of my father's birth, the Holy High Society of Zethus had already fallen and disappeared from the stage of history. It could be said that they were in a state where ignoring them was not a problem.
My father had to deal with the sudden appearance of the Holy Shaman's subordinates by hand.
And my father wanted to hear my opinion.
I had never expected my father to ask for my help in diplomacy, and I cannot deny that I was a little bit elated.
That was the reason why I immediately called Cynthia over.
I was impressed by how knowledgeable the priest was when I heard about him earlier, but I didn't think he had come from the Holy City.
No, I am still in training.
How is life in New Nellie compared to the Holy City?
I was about to reach for her breasts when she stared at me.Even though she was wearing loose-fitting clothes, her breasts were protruding, making her look fat at a glance.
It's a shame, because she has a smart enough figure, if you look at her wrists, neck, and face her, not to say she's skinny It's like a big-breasted tax.
I find it to be a very vibrant and wonderful city. I think this is due to the good government of the Quardenze family.
“Oh? Good government?
Yes.It is a wonderful thing that we have not lost the teachings of the spirits even though we are in the Kingdom of Levioth.The people will be able to spend their days in peace.I am sure that the blessings of the spirits will be bestowed upon the Quardenze family, which has not been complicated in the invasion of the Land of Mist.
I thought that this was a sycophantic remark to the heir apparent of a noble family, but it seemed to be Cynthia's true intention.
In short, the management of the territory in line with the wishes of the Holy High Church is wonderful.
In the Land of Fog?”…… Come to think of it, the Holy High Church has made such a statement. I don't understand why they are saying such a thing?”
The Holy High Society of the Church of Jesus makes statements every once in a while to the commoners living in the Levios Kingdom and the Zinkaen Empire.
They say that rule by the nobility is wrong, that the Levios family that oppresses priests must die, or that territories that destroy churches will be destroyed.
One of the standard complaints was that the nobles should stay out of the misty lands.
Of course, the Levios royal family, who were anti-Holy High Society, ignored this, rather they said, “Since you told us not to do it, we will do the opposite! They were so enthusiastic that they went on an expedition to the Land of Mist.
The reason why the Quardenzes do not set foot in the Land of Mist is because they cannot go northward geographically, not because they listen to the advice of the Holy High Society.
I could understand their complaints about aristocratic rule, suppression of priests, and destruction of churches, but I did not understand why they complained about entry into the Land of Mists.
I asked her why, but she just shook her head vaguely, as if Cynthia did not know the detailed reason.
I asked her why, but Cynthia didn't seem to know the details and she just shook her head vaguely.
He said, “…… But the nobility must not touch the Land of Mist. I have heard that in the worst case scenario, the entire continent could be covered in filth.
If the entire continent were to be covered in soil contaminated by mature magical beasts, in other words, it would be synonymous with the destruction of the human population of the Eluo Continent.
Although this is a rather exaggerated statement, there must be something in the land of mist that the Seikoukai cannot compromise.
The founder, Mr. Zeth, has traveled all over the continent, including the Land of Fog. Perhaps there is some secret to be found in the documents left behind by the Soka Kai.
The Unholy Land or …… I would love to hear the opinion of a priest who studied at St. Navempos on the contents of the scriptures.
Go ahead,” Cynthia smiled.
Cynthia smiled, seeming genuinely pleased that a nobleman would be interested in the scriptures.
The scriptures had a sentence in them that said something like, 'The Lord Ancestor shall protect the earth.'
“'Then the white field of snow said. The principal among men must protect Eluo. Otherwise you will be stoning the wheat that now grows.” …… Could this be referring to the Pure Scriptures, part 8, chapter 73 , verse 12?”
'Yes, perhaps that is it.'
'The field of white snow is said to be identical with the spirit of the snowfield, Thiamessareil, in the Holy Scriptures. She is a household member of Harfaneal, the Great Spirit of the Earth, and is a teaching interpretation of verse 12. . …..”
She was apparently studying something like theology in the Holy City, which is what we call theology in prehistoric earth.
When I mentioned the scriptures to her, her golden eyes sparkled and she began her religious talk before I had time to stop her.
I was interested in what he had to say, but that was not what I wanted to hear.
I held out my palm to Cynthia, who was smiling and talking away, to indicate that she should pause.
I pointed to the palm of my hand and indicated to her to pause.”…The teachings of the Spirit of the Snowfield are naturally respected in the Holy High Society, are they not?”
After making sure Cynthia nodded, I continued.
'Then I want to hear it. Is it permissible to defile the earth in order to restore the faith from the oppression of the nobility?'
Cynthia stopped moving with a jerk, but I silenced her by appealing with my eyes that I still had more to tell her.
This time, I had called her in to ask this question.
I think you heard about this during the interrogation. I think you heard during the interrogation that woman, Deanna, and the head of the church in New Nellie City were in league and were planning something. The Quordenze territory by generating mature magical beasts.”
A mature demonic beast does not arise so timely on the scale of New Nellie Field. It is natural to think that the church leader's plan and the outbreak of mature demonic beasts are somehow related.
Considering the babies found inside the field, the living space, and Lupetta's story, a plan to mature demonic beasts by sacrificing the main ancestors and followers comes to mind. The magic bearer is only a hypothesis at present.
I heard that the Quardenze family's civil servants read every piece of literature related to magical beasts in New Nellie Castle, but they could not find anything to support their theory. I also tried to find time to unravel the books, but the result was the same .
The Quardenze family lacks literature. But the Holy High Society is different.
Including the predecessor organization of the Zethusian High Society, it has been in St. Navempos for more than 1,000 years since ancient times, and it has a history that the noble families of the Levios Kingdom and the Zinkaen Empire do not have. Sure they have a thing or two of knowledge that I can't reveal too openly.
I am …… Sorry, I am not aware of that.”
And already, such information has been heard by civilian and military officials.
Cynthia apologizes to me in a tone of sincere apology and leans forward. It was quite a sight to see her breasts pressed up against the desk, moving busily.
I'm not going to ask if that prediction is correct. You don't know, do you?”
Yes.
According to the report, Cynthia answered that she was not so familiar with such knowledge related to magical beasts because she was purely trained as a priestess.
I don't entirely trust Cynthia, but I don't see the point in torturing her to get the information out of her.
If they really wanted to know, the most reliable way would be to have their followers fed to the magical beasts under the supervision of the military to verify the information.
The three followers who were thought to be associates of Diana, one of the ringleaders, are mere mercenaries who are nothing more than gangsters, and they are scheduled to be executed. If we are going to kill them anyway, we may as well make good use them in that direction.
It would have been best if they could have tightened up Deanna and made her tell the whole plan her, but when she realized that torture by the Quardenze forces was waiting for her, she immediately committed suicide.He was the epitome of a terrorist.
I want to ask you about the first part. Is it permissible to spread filth in violation of the teachings of the scriptures?”
I am not being sarcastic. Just pure curiosity.
Cynthia made a slight gesture of thinking, then opened her mouth while running her hand through her hair.
It is a solution that should be avoided, but it does not violate the teachings of the scriptures. …… No, it is allowed to go against.”
Huh……?”
Cynthia, who had expected a defense of the priest to come back with a statement, answered once and for all, “With all due respect, Master Wilk, it's not a solution that goes against the teachings of Scripture.
I was expecting a defense of the priests, but Cynthia answered bluntly, “With all due respect, have you ever been taught the scriptures by a priest?
I've read the scriptures in their entirety, but this is entirely a hobby, not something I've invited a priest to tutor me in.
I am not so much of a child that I am ashamed of what I don't know, so I honestly answer that I don't. “Well, then, let's start with the scriptures.
'In that case, let's begin with a brief discussion of the scriptures.
Cynthia spoke to me in a soft tone of voice.
As if she had the scriptures in her head, she recited the part she needed without any confusion and continued to explain it.
Her confident tone of voice her seemed to show the progress she had made so far in her earnest efforts to study the scriptures.
She continued to talk about the scriptures for a while, but there was one thing in common. It was the part of the scriptures that explained the fundamental ideas of the Zesu cult, so to speak.
She said that we should all live together in harmony, that we should not harm others, that we should do what is good for others, and that these are goals to be strived for, like a program provision in the Japanese Constitution.
If I were to mention “……,” It would be something like this. To defile the earth with dirt is, of course, contrary to these teachings.”
Of course it is.”
Terrorism, such as unleashing mature demonic beasts, hurts people and is not good for them.
'Besides, you have the words of the Spirit of the Snowfield. Isn't that doubly contrary to the teachings of the scriptures?”
Cynthia, however, categorically rejected my subsequent opinion.
'Master Wilk has not been trained by a priest, so it can't be helped, but that is an incorrect interpretation,' she said. Eluo…….
By “The principal among men,” You mean the Lord Ancestor, right?
Yes, that is correct. Yes, that is correct. Then what about the rest of the words, “Protect Eruo”?
The earth, you mean? The land where the people live.
That's what I was taught, and I'm sure I'm not wrong.
But Cynthia, probably expecting that answer, shook her head softly, not seeming particularly surprised.
In the empire and kingdom, it seems to be treated as synonymous with 'earth,' but this is a misinterpretation and incorrect.
My image of the word is that it is similar to “The land where people live,” But it seems to be such a difficult word to understand that there are several theories about it in the Holy See.
The word is so difficult to use that there are several theories in the Holy High Church.
The word is so difficult to understand that there are several theories about it in the Holy High Church.
“In the Kingdom of Levios, right teaching is lost and right beliefs are disappearing ……. And there is no one who can correct it. …… What a terrible thing ……. What the Holy Miko-sama said was still right.
I'm sorry for Cynthia, who is grieving with a tone as if she is about to cry, but I decided to return to the subject for the time being.
I'm sorry to say that Cynthia is sobbing now, but I'm going to go back to the subject for now. So, what does it mean in the Holy High Society?”
I'll simplify it for you,” She said. A world where people live together, protected by the right faith. In other words.”
“You mean that the land under the control of the nobility is not Eluo that should be protected?”
“…… Yes.”
What is it? It sounds like the most convenient interpretation for the priest. The most important thing to remember is that the world is not a place where you can be a part of.
I hope you understand the true meaning of the words of Tiamessa Reil, the spirit of the snowfield.
'Hmmm ……. The message is not to protect the earth, but to overthrow the nobles.
And strong words from the spirits take precedence over weak words.
Weak words are words like, “Let's all get along,” Or “Don't hurt people.”
When there is a stronger directive, it is said that it is okay to meditate a little bit on the general teachings.
I guess the idea is similar to the principle of the Longest Match. It is a safe way of interpreting conflicting doctrines to come to terms with them.
It is a means to be avoided, but is that what they mean by “Not contrary to Scripture?”
As a believer, it is always better not to ignore even the weakest words.
But if the cause is to protect the strong word, then that means it is not absolute.
In other words, if there are priests who take the words of Tia Messerail, the spirit of the snowfield, as their cause, then magical beast terrorism against the nobility is allowed.
I just don't believe that actions that defile the earth for any reason are the right ones,” He said. Even if it is a weak word, it is the word of the Spirit. They should never be despised. The Holy Miko- sama must feel the same way.
Cynthia adds as she recalls, “The Seikoukai is not a terrorist organization.
Indeed, if I end the conversation here, I end up being a priestess who sold quarrels to the nobility.
I pause to accept Cynthia's words her and then return to the topic of priests who condone terrorism.
'But it seems to me that it makes no sense to turn the earth into filth to fight against the nobility. Faith would be nothing if the earth were completely polluted.
If the contamination of the earth is mild, it will be naturally purified in a few years, but if it is severe or if the earth is repeatedly contaminated, it will not be purified for tens or hundreds of years.
If we go the terror route badly, the next generation is going to have a very hard time.
It is conceivable that if we take back …… Eluo, the miracle could be restored.”
Ah, miracles.
As is the case with most religions, the Holy High Society of Zesu has a miracle story.
The scriptures contain episodes of how the earth was purified and turned into a wheat field just by walking on it. I believe only half-truths.
Do the priests of the High Priesthood believe that they can purify the earth with miraculous power even though it is covered with filth?
With the right kind of faith, there will surely be guidance from the spirits.”
I tried to say it sarcastically, but it was returned normally.
Cynthia apparently really believes in miracles.
If that's the case, then the fact that St. Navempos is now left in the dirt proves that faith has been lost.
St. Navempos still has scars of the upheaval and the land of the unholy dirt here and there in the territory.
It would be strange if such a thing had not long ago ceased to be a miracle if the Holy High Society were a religion full of faith.
I thought I had said something in return, but Cynthia nodded her head in agreement.
Yes,” She said. Yes, the priestess also laments this point. The miracles have been lost in the Holy City because the priests have lost faith. Yes, now is the time to restore the right faith. We must reincarnate St. Navempos by relying on the spirits and bring miracles to the continent once again. This is our mission as students of the founder Zeth ……! O Great Spirit of the Sun, Wotent Thama, please see our faith in you.”
Cynthia was getting very excited, and I was just making small talk with her.
Compared to the congregation and priests at the Holy and High Church in New Nellie City, the priests at the home church are very conscious.
Her swaying breasts her were wonderful as she talked about her idealism or dream her as if she was singing a hymn.
Still, when I actually talked with her, I felt a big difference between the values of aristocrats and priests.
While the nobles are the guardians of the earth, the priests do not seem to care so much about it.
However, when I think about it, the only people who directly say “Let's protect the earth” In the scriptures are the spirits of the snowfield.
And even that is quickly transformed into an order to exterminate the nobles depending on the interpretation of the scriptures, so there is nothing we can do about it.
I can understand why my father, a genuine noble, was not so confident after hearing the results of Cynthia's interrogation.
Unlike my father, who knew the earthly age with its diversity of values, Cynthia is a foreigner to him, as he only knows the aristocratic society, which is in a way close to a closed society.
I think he instinctively feels uneasy when he meets someone whose common sense does n't apply to his own.
Nobles and priests?
Originally, the relationship between aristocrats and priests was like that between the central bureaucracy and local officials.
The priests from St. Navempos, the central authority, ruled the land indirectly by subordinating the nobles, who were the native lords.
The nobles had a great advantage in receiving the priests of St. Navempos, who had not only the overwhelming military power of the Holy Army, but also abundant economic power and advanced culture.
However, the upheaval in St. Navempos led to a great upheaval on the continent.
The priests would not feel too much pain no matter how much the territory to which they were sent was in ruins, but the nobles, who were the lords of the territory, were in a life-and-death situation. Own hometowns to fall into ruin.
When the Zeldmitra family, known for pioneering the era of the rise of the nobility, aimed to break away from priestly rule, they are said to have said something to the effect that they did not want priests who would not protect the eruo when asked to do so.
We do not know how the word “Eruo” Was interpreted at that time, but it is possible that the Zerdmitras were trying to make the transition of power from priestly to aristocratic rule by changing the interpretation to “Eruo = the earth.
Considering the historical background, it is only natural that the nobles, having escaped from priestly rule, would take pride in protecting the land.
This is because aristocratic rule is the result of depriving priests of their position as protectors of the land.
On the other hand, I somehow did not understand that the priests did not place that much importance on protecting the earth until I heard Cynthia's story.
I can only think of religious miracles as a stinker, and I can still understand the nobleman's idea of trying his best to protect the land.
It has been a long time since the church was destroyed in the Kingdom of Levios.
It could be said that the words of Tiamessareil, the spirit of the snowfield, have already evolved on their own in the aristocratic society and created values like aristocracy, not chivalry.
And I am convinced that the greatest gap between the values of the nobility and priests lies here.
And yet it is a very contentious sentence. Tiamessa Rail may be a friend of Getulanaga, this one.”
What?
Muh? Getulanaga, the spirit of the battlefield?”
By the words of Tiamessarail, the spirit of the snowfield, the nobles are trying to destroy the priests, and by his words again, the priests are trying to oppose the nobles.
Cynthia said, “I know that, but I was wondering why Getulanaga, the spirit of the battlefield?
According to Cynthia, Getulanaga has a difficult personality, and if you want to use the term “Friend,” There are plenty of other battle spirits that would be more appropriate.
Unfortunately, although I have read the scriptures, I have not read many of the saints' dialogue books or spirit guidebooks that are spin-offs or extras of the scriptures, so I know very little about the personalities of the spirits.
I'm afraid I've done something embarrassing by letting a joke slip through my fingers with my know-it-all knowledge.
I'm not one to speak from a shallow knowledge,” He said.
Cynthia, realizing that she had embarrassed us, apologized in a panicked manner.
'Well, let's see,……, When you say you can hear the name of the genie Getulanaga on the battlefield, you mean Princess Orsian's?
Yes,” He said. I think you could have heard at least some gossip in the city.”
The princess of the Milendorva family, Princess Orcian, who challenged the Levios royal family to a series of head-to-head battles and won them all, invading at a very fast pace, is even called the incarnation of Getulanaga because of her overwhelming fighting her ability.
True or false, a priest of the Holy High Society, who had been spying in the Levios territory under the cover of his identity, saw Princess Orcian's rapid advance and said, “Suck it up, Levios family! She is the very incarnation of Getulanaga Receive the hammer of the Spirit!” And laughed in high spirits.
Thus, the saga of Princess Orsian and the name of Getulanaga have become a set of stories.
Cynthia spoke about some of the rumors she had heard in the city, but she felt that she had been told an ideal image of Orcian interpreted in a priestly way.
Well, from the point of view of the Holy High Society of the Church of Jesus, it is inevitable that she is seen as a kind of messiah.
Having gossiped about the city, the political talk died down and moved on to the heartwarming stories of everyday life.
We started talking about our days in the city of Newnery in Cynthia, then became a travel story when we entered the territory of Quordenze, and then traced back to the story of life in the Holy City.
As I knew little about the current situation in the Holy City, it was interesting and new to me.
I was surprised to hear that the Holy City is recovering better than I had expected.
From what I have heard, it seems that the Holy City of Maguaussee has made much more progress in rebuilding than I had imagined.
I have heard about the state of the Holy City from peddlers who visit New Nelly, but according to their stories, it was a city at the end of the century, covered in wasteland and filth.
In recent years, the city has been rebuilt and some of the priests' territories seem to be regaining strength.
I'm a little puzzled by Cynthia, who doesn't hide information about the Holy City, but rather just talks about it as if she wants people to be interested in it.
If I ask her a question, she responds without hesitation. The Kingdom of Levios and St. Navempos are adversaries, but this lack of caution makes me feel uneasy.
When she said that she came to New Nerry City to work to dispel the bad impression of the St. High Society, she may have meant what she said.
'…… Yes, what kind of person is the Seisho of our generation?'
Is he the Seisho-sama?”
Cynthia put her hand to her cheek and straightened her posture.
He is a wonderful man.
Hmm, so what do you think of her appearancehis?
If you are a holy priestess who is rumored to be chosen by a famous family for a beautiful daughter, then you must be a very beautiful woman.
The Levios nobles might invade St. Navempos, depending on the situation, so it is good to know.
I'll give you the miko! Do with them what you will! “Yes, the Levios royal family knows what they're talking about! There is no guarantee that this will not happen.
There is no guarantee that the followers of the Holy City will be treated to a public rape show by the Holy Miko who lost the war.
Cynthia explained the appearance of the holy miko, using a spirit as an analogy.
To put it bluntly, it was almost unintelligible, but at any rate, I could tell that she was a beautiful woman.
She is a beautiful girl with dark hair and dark eyes, and is apparently one year younger than me. Yes, she looks delicious.
She is a beautiful girl with dark hair and dark eyes, and she is one year younger than me.Her piety Her is a model for all believers.
I was creating an image of the Holy Miko in my brain based on her words, so I must have been a bit preoccupied.
Cynthia spoke specifically of the faith of the priestess.
I see,” She said, “That the priestess is a devout believer.
As I was saying this, I was thinking about the suspicion my father had told me.
That is, that the miko is a black-hearted person.
My father believes that the holy miko is a powerful vixen with a scheming nature.
The current Levios Kingdom ……, Or rather the Levios royal family, is eager to invade St. Navempos, mobilizing all the nobles of the kingdom.
This has two purposes. One is to regain the royal family's centripetal power, and the other is to stabilize the kingdom.
Just as the Quardenzes used the Battle of Nambonan to unite the western nobility, war is the quickest way to demonstrate the leadership of the boss.
If one considers where to wage war, the answer naturally converges on St. Navempos.
In the past, the Levios family became the banner of the anti-Holy High Society, united the hearts of the surrounding nobles, and established the Kingdom of Levios. Of Levios” Of the past.
And war is always accompanied by prisoners of war. The Kingdom of Levios wants them, and they want them badly.
Currently, the number of nobles, in other words, the main ancestors, has been drastically reduced due to a strange disease spread by the magical beast Elsinia.
The only way to solve this problem is for the nobles to bear children, but since the number of princesses, the main ancestors, has also decreased, this is not an easy problem to solve.
Weak noble families are unable to secure wives, and they are searching with all their eyes to see if there are any daughters blessed by the spirits born in their territories. The Levios royal family, for example, forced the daughter of a daughter who had married into another family to leave the family and return to the family.
St. Navempos is a country of priests, and the high-ranking priests of the ruling class are the main ancestors.
The Levios royal family must be thinking of taking the daughters of the high priests in the war and distributing them to the aristocratic families of the kingdom to stabilize the country.
Now, the invader, St. Navempos, is in trouble.
If the nobles of the Levios Kingdom were to unite in an attack, it would be extremely difficult to resist.
Even if we succeeded in defending the city, we would lose all hope if the Holy City, which was on the verge of being restored, was once again reduced to a burnt-out wilderness.
If I were the Pope of the Holy High Society, my first priority would be to avoid war, and even if war did break out, I would want to move with the idea of an early cease-fire in mind.
In any case, we would never win a long-term war against the entire Kingdom of Levioth. The kingdom's population, economic power, production capacity, and territorial area are all outmatched.
Therefore, they consider negotiating with the Levios royal family using the kingdom's great nobles as intermediaries.
This is because it is the combination with the highest probability of success in ceasefire negotiations.
From a practical standpoint, it would be extremely inconvenient for the Levios royal family to destroy the St. High Society and control all of St. Navempos.
The Levios territory and St. Navempos are so far apart that any available territory would be an enclave.
Although St. Navempos was devastated by the upheaval 200 years ago, it was originally a land so rich that it was said to be the land where the spirits of fertility take a nap.
I don't know how long it will take, but if the pollution of the land is purified, it will grow into one of the best territories on the continent.
It may be tasty in the future, but managing an enclave is not something that goes so well. The day we manage it poorly and spread a magical beast disaster is the day we end up with the original problem.
The best way to manage it would be to create a branch of the Levios royal family with a non-heir as the head of the family and place him in St. Navempos after its demise, but this would be psychologically difficult. Failure of the Mirendorva family is still fresh in their minds.
Considering the civil war with the Milendorva family, which was created to control the Far East, it would be desirable to avoid placing a branch of the Milendorva family.
Therefore, the Levios royal family would not be able to keep the land of St. Navempos even if they obtained it.
Well, this is what happens when a raccoon doesn't get what he wants.
In the event of an all-out war with St. Navempos, the noble families geographically located in the southern part of the kingdom would have many opportunities to play an active role.
If that happens, they will claim the territory as their legitimate right in the postwar territorial cut-and-paste time. The Marquis of Zeldmitra, a great noble family in the south who wants rich land, will be wielding a pizza cutter here and there .
The Zeldmitra family is located in the southernmost part of the kingdom, so St. Navempos is close by and easy to manage. If push came to shove, they could even eliminate the enclave problem by annexing the free cities between them by crushing them.
If the Zerdomitra family were to successfully absorb St. Navempos and the surrounding area, the Levios family would surely feel threatened.
The emergence of a powerful aristocratic family in the south would be alarming to the Levios family.
Even more frightening, it would not necessarily end there.
It is possible that House Zeldmitra will continue to expand further south and grow into a huge noble house that absorbs not only the Free City Cluster but also the Rickaga Confederacy.
A fourth great power may emerge, following the Kingdom of Levioth, the Jinkaen Empire, and the Mamshred Federation.
Several generations have passed since the founder of the Zeldmitra Clade, who advocated a breakaway from priestly rule and became a pioneer in the era of the rise of the nobility, and the head of the Zeldmitra family has been a great ruler for a long time, and the next head is also reputed to be excellent.
Moreover, considering their history, the Zeldmitra and Quardenze families are on good terms, though not so much in love.
What would happen if these two families teamed up to secede from the kingdom? Considering the existence of small and medium-sized noble families that are sympathetic to the defection, it would be fatal for the Levios Kingdom. Son of the Levios family, I would definitely avoid that.
Considering these political factors, I think about the war goal of the Levios royal family.
The most desirable development is that after beating up St. Navempos and showing leadership to the nobles of the kingdom, some great noble family will bring an emissary to negotiate for peace.
We can pose as if we are in a high-spirited mode and are willing to fight more, but we have respect for the intermediary noble and have given them a place at the negotiating table.
Then, at the negotiating table, we can show our diplomatic skills and make the Holy High Society swear obedience to the Kingdom of Levios by taking the daughter of the main ancestor as reparations and hostage. In exchange, he would relieve St. Navempos of its autonomy and fiefdom.
Thus, the prestige of the royal family is restored, the domestic aristocracy is able to receive the daughter of the main ancestor, the southern aristocracy's territory does not increase, and the Holy High Society succumbs to the Levios royal family. ………… This is quite a convenient development.
What is important here is the existence of a great nobleman who can mediate peace negotiations.
If a noble family that is like a henchman of the Levios royal family acts as an intermediary, the Levios royal family's desire to negotiate peace as soon as possible will be too obvious, and they may lose the trust of the nobles.
Therefore, the Seiko Kai needed to ask the five major nobles of the kingdom, excluding the Levios royal family, to act as intermediaries.
The Zeldmitra family is out of the question. From their point of view, the continuation of the war is in their interest, so they will never play the role of intermediary.
The Mirendorva and Aterahan families might be willing to act as mediators, but they are far away from St. Navempos, and it is unknown how seriously they will take the matter.
The most qualified family would be the Quardenze family.
The Quardenze family is at war with the former Voivostra and would not normally want to participate in an expedition to St. Navempos by the Kingdom of Levioth.
Since their interests are aligned in terms of wanting to make a truce, they can be trusted in that area.
The Quardenze family is important to the Holy High Society.
That is why my father suspects the Holy Miko of being a plotter.
The Holy Miko may have predicted the war with the Kingdom of Levioth that would eventually come and its course, and sent Cynthia to New Neri City ahead of time.
It is likely that Cynthia has been secretly working with the Quardenze family through Cynthia, and she will appear on the scene when it is time to negotiate a cease-fire, to show her leadership.
This may be a ploy by the holy priest to regain his lost authority and regain his position as head of the faith.
Father told me not to trust the priestess.
I knew that my father was more wary than usual of the unreadable thoughts of the priest.
But he also said that even if he didn't trust them, he would make the best of what he could.
As is often the case with organizations, the more senior figures there are, the more factions there are, and the more resources are devoted to infighting.
Even if the holy priest showed his power in the ceasefire negotiations and regained his authority within the High Priesthood, there would be no demerit for us.
If the Holy High Council, which is currently governed by a joint decision of the Pope and the High Priest, were to be joined by the priests who have regained their authority, the balance would collapse at once.
If the Quardenze and Levios families could support the priest and make him their puppet, it would be very useful.
I see, she is thinking of satisfying her own desire by first showing benefit to the other side. She seems to be a very smart girl.
She is a very tricky girl, though it may be the instructions of her family, the Cattleyerks, who are behind her.
I have not confirmed that she is a black-hearted person.
I'm not sure if my father's suspicions are making Seiko-chan the bad girl in my brain.
I felt a little sorry for Cynthia, who kept talking passionately about how wonderful Seisho is.
'I see what you mean Cynthia……. It looks like it's getting quite late at night already.'
Looking out the window, I saw that the height of the moon had moved more than I had expected.
'I'm sorry, but I think that's enough talk for tonight.
'Yes, I'm afraid so. If you will allow me next time, I would very much like to talk about the scriptures at …….”
I am truly sorry.
My father's conclusion was that Cynthia's house arrest would continue.
The most important thing to remember is that the nobility has the power to arrest you, even though you have committed no crime.
It is unclear to what extent she has the trust of the holy priestess, but depending on the situation, she could be used as a card for diplomacy.
For this reason, the Quardenze family has decided to keep Cynthia under house arrest until the kingdom's course of action is decided at the spring royal capital.
With the old Voestra as an element of concern, the Quardenze family wanted to secure something that could be used for diplomacy, even if the chances of it being used are low.
I talked to Cynthia this time, and I don't see any problem with my father's policy either.
And that means I must not touch Cynthia.
If I make a bad move, there is a possibility that her belly will be flabby by the beginning of spring, and it might lead to showing my weakness of her.
If it were true, it would have been a nice way to end this evening's conversation and continue it in bed.
If Cynthia were not a special priestess, a subordinate of the holy priestess, she could have done as she pleased.
No way, this is the conspiracy of the holy miko.
I felt as if I could hear the mockery of the holy miko in my brain.
