The Collapse of Everything (5)

    The Collapse of Everything (5)

    ‘…It’s absurd, but the effect is certainly clear.’

    Arczel IV pondered as he flipped through the reports coming in from each diocese.

    It had been decades since he ascended to the papacy.

    It had been quite a long time since he thought he should slowly step down from this old body.

    However, he had a goal.

    To purify the current Celestine Church and make it once again an organization built on righteous and upright faith towards the Celestial God—

    The Celestine Church, the current Celestine Church, was too corrupt and also stuck in past glories, unable to move forward.

    Just because the Celestial God no longer granted his protection, the Celestine Church began to corrupt again.

    Although it wasn’t as chaotic as the time when there was no Echo, the fact that the Celestial God no longer granted his protection.

    That fact alone was causing the Celestine Church to lose its stability.

    And then came Ceres’s proposal.

    The most efficient way to unite the interior— that is to create a common external enemy.

    Arczel IV, who had a long military career from the Glakien Margraviate, had similar experiences.

    Historically, when internal affairs were in turmoil, a common external enemy— at that time it was the Ezero Archpriest Empire, but war with that enemy country was indeed the best way to quell the chaos.

    Moreover, didn’t a hero and a saint appear?

    In the appointment of the saint, the Celestial God descended but still did not grant his protection.

    The Celestial God who disappeared after leaving only a warning that an unprecedented disaster would occur, so it was an even better opportunity for the church.

    They gain legitimacy by putting forward the hero and the saint.

    And if they also highlight Berbaria, who descended at the port of Capatia at such an opportune time— the Celestine Church as an organization has no choice but to be tense, and thus has no choice but to cling more to the Celestial God while also uniting its power.

    Up to this point, everything was according to plan.

    According to the plan that Ceres had established and Arczel IV had approved.

    It had to be so— but

    The plan began to twist from the point where the existence called the saint of the demon realm appeared.

    The Capatia forest, where dense woods continued.

    Deep inside, even sunlight doesn’t reach, and going up from there leads to the north with the Glakia Mountains, Lake Lukuso, and the Leso River.

    But now they were heading east, not north.

    “Where could Sir Scarlet have gone…”

    Bigrind muttered in a worried voice.

    The news that Scarlet had disappeared about two days before departure once again threw Bigrind into confusion.

    Scarlet, who had to have Bigrind step in and perform a great healing miracle because her injuries, sustained from intense demonic energy, weren’t healing properly.

    The news that Scarlet had disappeared while having such severe injuries was also a shock to Bigrind.

    “It seems that as a devout cathedral knight, she couldn’t forgive the apostate even more.”

    Ludvic also couldn’t hide his hardened expression.

    It was a shock to him as well.

    He too had believed in Yona until the end.

    He thought there was no way she would apostatize.

    But although it was to save Alec— the one who returned was an apostate by anyone’s standards.

    An apostate who abandoned the Celestial God and sold her soul to demons.

    Her hostility towards the Celestine Church was so clear and firm that no one could deny it.

    Thus, now even Ludvic saw Yona as someone who had to be killed.

    An enemy to be defeated, an existence that cannot coexist.

    Although wrapped in the fancy term “saint of the demon realm”, now a demon that has ceased to be even human.

    “I think the Saint must be heartbroken as well, but it can’t be helped. Saint, the apostate Yona is now clearly an enemy of the church. So…”

    Please give up, Saint—

    Those words couldn’t come out of his mouth.

    It was no small heartache for Ludvic to see Bigrind’s expression distort just at the mention of Yona.

    “…We plan to go to Semek first. Although we can’t know their exact purpose, their intention to antagonize the Celestine Church is certain. The incident in Semek was still under investigation, so they might try to do something by barging in there.”

    After disappearing somewhere using Berbaria, their whereabouts had been unknown since then.

    At least there had been no sighting reports after that, so they probably didn’t use Berbaria to move, but it’s strange that their actions are so mysterious.

    Therefore, the starting point of the pursuit is the place they’re most likely to target first— Semek.

    Thus, Ludvic set Semek as the starting point for the pursuit.

    “Semek… was it still under investigation?”

    “Yes. As no traces were left at all, the investigation is actually almost finished now, and I heard that the refugees are returning to rebuild the village. Well… if they headed there, there would be witnesses.”

    “…Yona isn’t stupid. She wouldn’t have gone to such an obvious place.”

    “Then, do you have any particular place in mind?”

    Bigrind tapped her finger on the table while looking at the map.

    She said Yona wasn’t stupid, but that was actually a lie, and in Bigrind’s view, Yona is stupid.

    During church education hours, Yona would always fall asleep and get scolded, and it was routine for her to be punished by kneeling at the back of the classroom with her arms raised.

    ‘—That’s an old story.’

    Bigrind, who almost smiled at that memory, composed her expression while touching her lips.

    Anyway, Bigrind had a feeling.

    That Semek wouldn’t be their destination.

    That they would think Semek is rather more dangerous.

    “Wouldn’t it be… Capatia?”

    “Capatia?”

    “Yes, actually it’s on the way to both Semek and Capatia. If it’s Capatia where Regent Ceres isn’t present, maybe… and from there, they might head to Evian by ship.”

    Evian, Evian…

    After muttering like that a few times, Bigrind raised her head with sparkling eyes.

    “That’s right. It must be Evian. It will be Evian.”

    Seeing Bigrind speak with such conviction after so long, Ludvic was taken aback.

    But he also wondered about the basis for this.

    “If it’s Evian, is it because it’s like a hometown for the apostate Yona?”

    “No, Yona wouldn’t think like that. But there’s a reason I’m certain Yona will go to Evian.”

    Eize.

    It’s because Eize is there.

    “Is that person so important to you?”

    “Yes.”

    The carriage was running through the fields. In any case, to go to Evian, they had no choice but to go to Capatia and either take a ship or go by land from Capatia.

    Otherwise, they would have to cross the Instoria mountain pass, which is impassable by carriage.

    “Father Eize…”

    Ceres muttered to herself while looking Yona over.

    She couldn’t understand Yona’s insistence on wearing the nun’s habit that was all torn and tattered and looked terrible,

    But there must be a reason.

    Moreover, she couldn’t understand Yona’s insistence on meeting that priest named Eize,

    But it didn’t matter anyway.

    There’s nothing in Semek or Albre whether they go there or not.

    The demon they need to meet first is not in this Capatian Empire,

    But can only be met after crossing the Flavus Sea, called the Golden Sea, and entering the Catus Empire.

    Whether to subjugate and absorb it or forcibly subdue it depends on Yona’s capability,

    But for Ceres, it didn’t matter which direction they took.

    After the False Celestial God’s death, her power was split into seven pieces and sent back to the demon realm.

    And the demon archdukes born from that power were dividing and ruling the demon realm, each controlling their own domain,

    And gathering that power into one was also Ceres’s current goal.

    A vessel for that.

    For that vessel, Ceres had clung to this disgusting Celestine Church and risen to the position of elder.

    For that purpose— trivial things don’t matter at all.

    “…Why are you trying to resurrect the False Celestial God anyway?”

    Yona asked Ceres, harboring an unresolvable question.

    Isn’t the False Celestial God the being that the Celestial God himself descended and personally slaughtered a very long time ago?

    It’s strange that it still remained until now, but Yona couldn’t understand why they were trying to resurrect it again.

    “There’s always a reason for such things. Doesn’t anyone know whether the current Celestial God is the real Celestial God, or whether the one now called the False Celestial God is the real Celestial God?”

    Ceres answered Yona with a grinning expression.

    Although the way she answered was quite unsatisfactory, Yona didn’t bother to probe further.

    Whether it’s the False Celestial God or whatever, it didn’t matter.

    Anyway, Yona was now in a state of anger where she felt her internal organs twist just thinking about the Celestine Church,

    And she was determined to use any means necessary if she could bring down the Celestine Church.

    What value does a religion that’s already rotten to its core foundations have?

    And can a Celestial God who leaves and neglects such a religion really be called a righteous god?

    It didn’t matter whether it was the False Celestial God or whatever.

    It doesn’t matter if she can use that power to smash the Celestine Church.

    If they thought there would be no retaliation after messing with someone they got along with, they must be truly stupid fools.

    “…Alec.”

    Alec, who was sitting next to Yona thinking about something, turned to look at her when she called.

    “Yeah?”

    “Don’t you want to go back to the church?”

    What if he says he wants to go back?

    Should I bitterly ask if he has no guts?

    Should I scold him, asking how he could think of going back after seeing such terrible things?

    After all the trouble I went through to save this guy.

    Surely he wouldn’t say he’s going to leave me and return to the church.

    No, he shouldn’t.

    He shouldn’t do that.

    He shouldn’t.

    Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.

    “No. Not at all.”

    “I see…”

    It was a relief.

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