Ch.14848. What Other Reason Could There Be Not to Benefit.(3)

The hook-nosed magician immediately challenged her.

“According to the Irenis Scripture, your God created everyone from dust and claims to love each of His creations equally, doesn’t He? Then why does He separate sinners from the righteous and commit the atrocity of sending them to hell? And then to say all sins can be forgiven through atonement—isn’t that just wordplay?”

That’s something I’m curious about too.

Thanks to the flowing black and white ceremonial attire, she didn’t have to worry about her chest size making the clothes ill-fitting, but she still found the billowing garments quite displeasing.

If it had been her only outfit, she might have overlooked it, but since she had been given this before departure just in case, she couldn’t imagine what reprimand might follow if she didn’t wear it here.

…In the past, she might have brushed it off, but these days her position wasn’t exactly favorable.

Alesia cleared her throat faintly before beginning her sermon.

“When a child tries to throw themselves into a lake, it’s a parent’s duty to stop them, even if it means scolding them. Yet if an individual stubbornly insists on jumping into the water, even if you offer them a rope to pull them out, it’s up to the person in the water to grab hold of it.”

“Why not just pull them out directly?”

“Then the child would keep throwing themselves into the lake, believing they’ll always be rescued. What lesson would that teach? Wouldn’t it only foster arrogance and recklessness? Then we’d have to rescue every child in the same way, and there would be nothing children could accomplish in this world. They’d expect Him to handle everything whenever things became slightly difficult or dangerous.”

“…Wouldn’t that be a good thing?”

“Your desires, your conscience, your practice of good and evil—these are all your own responsibilities granted by Him. The same goes for joy and pleasure. If He were to control everything according to His will regardless of our intentions, what freedom would there be? It would be nice if all our actions and thoughts aligned with His will… but what if it weren’t voluntary but forced? Do you welcome living under a tyrant, gladly accepting their oppression?”

“B-but your scripture emphasizes obedience and submission! Yet in the Empire where Irenis is the state religion, many seem to oppose slavery… Is there really any difference between voluntary slavery and accidental slavery?”

“Then should we treat knights and servants who voluntarily pledge loyalty to their king the same as outlaws, robbers, thieves, and pirates who refuse to be loyal and commit lawless acts?”

“Ah, n-no, that’s different!”

“Indeed it is. The point is that someone who considers themselves a slave cannot be the same as one who sees themselves as a noble knight, a wise magician, or an exalted aristocrat. Wouldn’t everyone agree?”

Perhaps copying scriptures had helped after all.

Alesia found herself engaged in this impromptu debate with several nobles.

At least she was still a saint, appearances aside.

…But preaching like this, expounding religious doctrine and answering theological questions—this really doesn’t suit me at all.

“There’s also some misunderstanding about the forgiveness of sins. Prayer is proof of faith. Faith isn’t about praying for your own benefit. It’s fundamentally about practice—helping others, caring for them, loving them, not causing harm, and avoiding sins both great and small. If you claim to demonstrate your faith through these teachings, it must be followed by action. The same applies to repenting for sins through prayer. Prayer is a kind of ritual where you honestly report yourself to Him. If you say you repent only with your mouth or thoughts but take no action? That shows little or no faith. Even if you clasp your hands in prayer, you’re committing an even greater sin by deceiving and defrauding the Lord.”

“…Then why do sermons simply say that belief leads to salvation?”

“Because complex explanations don’t resonate well. We start simple, then go deeper as faith deepens. I’ve heard that even in magic, complex theories aren’t taught from the beginning. Am I mistaken?”

“E-even so… isn’t that too much of an exaggeration?”

“Fundamentally, it’s correct. Believe and be saved—that’s the truth. Through faith, you’ve seen the gate to salvation, seen the stairway, and been given the opportunity to climb it yourself.

Think of the many wandering lambs in this world who haven’t even encountered such an opportunity. I believe that simply knowing the way is salvation enough.”

“Opportunity, you say. Opportunity…”

I want this to be over.

Alesia, sitting properly with her legs together, was not at all pleased with this situation.

Why did this trial have to fall upon me, of all people?

…In a sense, it was unavoidable.

Though she wasn’t entirely sure, it seemed that interest in the Irenis religion had surged following yesterday’s incident.

This was especially true among the poor, but the nobility were no exception.

Perhaps unlike those in the mainstream who held power, some of these people had been alienated from power, or had to faithfully follow the orders of family heads and clan leaders, or in worse cases, had unwillingly continued to serve as subordinates… maybe they felt deep skepticism about the existing system.

If they had excelled in magic or politics, they wouldn’t be in this situation anyway.

…Still, all of this was just nominal.

In reality, their interest wasn’t genuine curiosity about the Irenis religion.

It was all because of the Imperial Princess.

Alesia cleared her throat again and continued.

“Those who have read the scriptures carefully will know that the Lord does not forgive easily.”

“That’s what I’m saying! Why is He so desperate to torment His creations?!”

“That is what we call trials.”

“If He loves us, why does He lead our suffering under the pretext of trials? If it’s unintentional, doesn’t that make Him incompetent?”

“It’s because He sees greatness in you. Don’t you also show more affection and attention to those with talent, and demand more from them? The fact that you face many hardships means He favors you greatly. You should rightfully rejoice in that.”

…Even as she spoke these words, she found them quite unfair.

It essentially meant that even suffering was a blessing.

Looking back, there were many times when this made sense… but also many times when it was hard to accept.

“Whether you take pain as medicine or poison is your choice. If you don’t want to become great, you can avoid trials; if you want to become great… face them bravely and overcome them. But because He loves you all, even if you collapse under these trials, He will surely give you another chance and opportunity.”

…This argument is also somewhat forced.

But the unknown riot in Phaesran itself gave these people a chance to enter the mainstream.

So perhaps this isn’t entirely wrong.

All the alienation, exploitation, contempt, neglect, and unfair treatment they’ve experienced… seen this way, it could be interpreted as trials from Him to prepare them for greater purposes.

…The wisest sages and saints throughout history have struggled, labored, and even sacrificed their lives to establish doctrines and theories to guide faith—how could these people possibly overcome the thousand-year essence of the Irenis religion?

Although she herself, Alesia, might not be the most credible messenger, she was still a saint.

…At least nominally.

In the North, a fistfight followed by forced kneeling would have settled matters, but why did other regions always demand detailed understanding and explanations?

And why were these impertinent people, who only showed forced interest in Irenis doctrine to curry favor with the Imperial Princess, suddenly becoming so serious?

“Still, having the Saint herself directly explain these teachings makes them feel quite different.”

“……”

At the young nobleman’s words, Alesia forced a smile.

If a sage in rags spoke words of truth, one should listen respectfully.

Just because she’s a saint, why boast about being swayed by her authority? Is this another form of flattery?

…This is why the papal court, blinded by authority and insisting on building grand cathedrals to make believers and non-believers listen, suffered persecution and neglect for over two centuries.

No wonder some king openly made the outrageous claim that the Demon King’s invasion and the resulting holy war saved the failing papal court.

“Quite some time has passed. Just as overeating isn’t good for the body, too much nourishment for the mind at once isn’t beneficial either.”

Though she smiled as she spoke, she couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable and getting goosebumps.

“We sincerely apologize for our aggressive questioning.”

“Please understand that we simply have great interest in Irenis doctrine.”

“Today was very educational.”

…How exhausting.

Only after sending them away could Alesia finally join the Princess.

“You have an unexpected talent for preaching.”

“……”

Who do you think caused all this trouble?

While someone was enjoying tea and reading books.

Of course, the elven archmage Geornea was lying in bed, breathing softly…

“Is it really okay for us to be here like this?”

Normally, speaking to the Imperial Princess in such a tone would be punishable, but…

…since she herself allowed it, what could Alesia do?

She wasn’t so inflexible as to refuse such accommodation.

“Now, let’s get to our business.”

“Our business?”

“Have you forgotten? The interrogation targets aren’t limited to the regent or king.”

Princess Elhermina was referring to those who had been forcibly detained by Rueld.

Alesia had a general understanding, even without specific mention of those two.

“According to Lord Rueld, they themselves claimed to be from the past. And their lord apparently confronted Lord Rueld.”

Who could have imagined there would be humans capable of clearly capturing those words from beyond visual range?

Yet such people do exist if one looks for them.

…The point is that what can happen will inevitably happen, so one should never let down their guard.

“And currently, Lord Rueld is not here, and they are being held… if their lord learns of this situation… would they simply ignore it?”

“Are you saying this was intentional?”

“Understanding whether an opponent is competent or not is fundamental before confronting them.”

One must know the enemy to understand their strengths and weaknesses, and formulate countermeasures.

“If Lady Geornea were well, we could have obtained more detailed information… let’s talk as we move.”

The two left the guest room and proceeded down the corridor.

Their footsteps made monotonous, regular sounds at a pace neither slow nor fast.

“If someone can cross and move through space indiscriminately, this place would be no exception.”

A magic kingdom would have solid defenses against magical spatial movement, but…

Is this truly a safe zone?

This is an extremely important factor.

If there are no barriers to such movement, it means that person could appear in the imperial palace at any moment, which wouldn’t be strange at all.

Having realized this, they needed to quickly devise countermeasures.

“To confirm this, I requested that spatial magic nullification formations be layered around the room where they’re being held.”

“Nullification formations? Not anti-magic formations?”

“Those are already spread throughout the royal palace and parts of the city, with stronger concentrations around the palace, so adding more would be pointless.”

Magicians are proud and, befitting their high status, show almost obsessive perfectionism in such matters.

Though they may consider themselves the best, that’s only by eastern standards.

By Imperial standards, they still have much to improve, but it’s undeniable that by eastern standards, this place has the highest quality magical personnel.

…Of course, since yesterday’s events turned key personnel into demon sacrifices, it will take at least a decade or more to recover.

“So if this place is breached… it would be through special abilities or divine powers rather than magic.”

Special abilities.

Or divine powers.

When an ability is so powerful, vast, and extraordinary that it defies classification as a mere ability, it’s generally defined as a divine power.

…However, when trying to establish criteria for divine powers, there’s little to go on, so miracles or supernatural phenomena are usually used as benchmarks.

But for an individual to manifest miracles or supernatural phenomena is impossible…

…except for heroes, champions, saints, and holy figures who occasionally can—this is their unique domain.

Or perhaps through borrowing the power of divine objects.

Holy swords or sacred relics.

Then there are the magic armaments that have been treated as spoils of war since the Demon King’s army invasion.

And in this generation, with the revelation of the Great Demon King’s legacy, these too have come to be called divine powers.

Even what Dyke, who accompanied Elhermina, possesses falls under divine powers in this sense.

Special abilities, while not reaching the level of divine powers, are defined as those that display power and might beyond ordinary abilities.

…This field has been so developed by scholars that a new official position, the Ability Officer, was created.

“…Cariel once said he wanted to become an Officer of Arms.”

Why bring that up suddenly?

“He added that he disliked heraldry because its necessity becomes prominent during wartime.”

Alesia couldn’t help but ask.

“Why did he say that?”

“He said that humans, families, races, and their branches are living histories and great stories. Nations, in a way, are the results of mutual agreements formed by these elements coming together.”

Quite profound words for a seven-year-old.

“Even then, he was already unconsciously showing aptitude for diplomacy.”

And that free-spirited nature, positive mindset, and intelligence far exceeding other children led to him traveling to foreign countries on behalf of the Princess herself.

“……”

“……”

I expected this.

Alesia scratched her head vigorously while glancing at the now-silent Elhermina.

After walking for a few minutes,

Suddenly she felt her breath constricted.

Quickly looking over, she saw Elhermina preparing to kick open the door.

As soon as she burst through,

A red-haired girl in pitch-black armor was emerging through a dimensional gate.

“My lord…?”

Relief washed over the faces of the human girl and demon man in the room.

…As the girl who appeared with an ominous, inexplicable aura and pressure moved her foot, there was a metallic clank as her jet-black sabaton scraped against the floor, producing a vicious metallic cry.

A black hand covered in gauntlets extended like beast claws.

It held no weapon yet.

Yet it naturally evoked trembling and tension.

Could someone fully armored like that, even without a visible weapon, truly be considered unarmed?

-ǢƪǤǣǚDžǓƨƩ-?

An unknown language.

Yet it resonated as if echoing inside their heads.

“Could it be…?”

Unlike Alesia, Elhermina sensed something different.

And perhaps the being before them felt the same.

As pure white flames erupted from Elhermina’s body, enveloping the surroundings,

The girl in black armor with red hair and eyes dispersed crimson mist like countless butterflies or moths.

The two forces intermingled.

…And so the entire space became a chaotic mixture of pure white flames entangled with blood-red manifestations taking the forms of insects, beasts, magical beasts, and monsters.

The room descended into unprecedented chaos.

“W-wait! Why so suddenly?!”

Faced with this scene that transcended common sense and the overwhelming spectacle it created,

Everyone except the instigators couldn’t help but convulse and seize up.