Ch.175Chapter 175. Salvation Bestowed by Humanity’s God

Automaton.

An artificial being with a sense of self, created using ancient technology that has now been lost.

Throughout history, the Empire has employed such beings as guardians to protect humanity, keeping their existence strictly confidential from outsiders.

While fragments of their existence can be found in various myths and legends, only a small minority within humanity has ever known their true nature as automatons.

‘And you identified my true nature immediately upon seeing me. The identity of a being that is passed down in secrecy even among humans.’

However, Phobia Homer, the field commander of the Beastmen, discerned her identity on the spot by smelling her scent.

No matter how sensitive a Beastman’s sense of smell might be, distinguishing her from humans by scent should not have been easy, as she was designed to be similar to humans in every aspect.

The fact that such distinction was possible meant that he must have encountered beings like her, or at least fragments of such beings, at some point.

‘You are…’

And as far as she knew, those who knew about the existence of automatons generally fell into two categories.

One was the legitimate successor of the Orion Empire.

‘Were you a priest of Friga?’

And the other was someone who held an important position in the religious order that had supported the Empire for generations.

‘…Since you seem to already know about the secret of the Beastmen, there’s no point in hiding anything further.’

To her confident question, he confessed his identity after a moment of hesitation.

‘Yes, as you said… I was once the commander who led the paladins of the religious order. In seeking power to protect the order, I ended up falling to this current state.’

‘That’s impossible. Are you saying the religious order was behind the experiments applying the witch’s research to humans!?’

It was an absurd claim.

Even though humanity faced a crisis after calamity befell this world, to think that the religious order, of all factions, conducted experiments on their own clergy.

Moreover, the fact that Beastmen were branded as enemies of humanity implied that they were trying to erase all traces by branding these “failures” as humanity’s enemies.

‘That’s all in the past now. At this point, there’s no trace left of the connection between Beastmen and the religious order.’

‘There must be a connection. How could those who serve God do such things… And to exile and cover it up without revealing it to the outside world is clearly an act of betrayal, isn’t it?’

For her, this was a shocking truth.

Clergy were always supposed to maintain purity and nobility, and they chose to sincerely serve even beings that were mere illusions in order to maintain absolute faith in their beliefs.

For this purpose, she had allowed her deeds of devotion to humanity to be written as myths.

Although she was merely in a position of service, she had accepted the role of a deity, believing it was enough if people found comfort in her.

‘From your perspective as humanity’s guardian, this might be unacceptable, but this matter has already been settled.’

But faith is a concept that can only exist when there is mystery and the unknown.

The paladin, while aware that the being before him was a guardian, did not know she was the original source of the deity. He coldly dismissed her outcry.

‘The religious order tampered with the witch’s research they had preserved, seeking power to protect humanity…’

His continued words were remarkably calm.

‘Initially, it was merely to prevent such incidents from happening in the future, but as the situation grew increasingly dire, we were driven to experiment with many things.’

Despite having reason to express anger and hatred toward the humanity that abandoned them, he showed only an intention to accept everything and adapt to the present.

The same would be true for other first-generation Beastmen like him.

‘If the end of that path of experimentation means giving up being human, then accepting that is also a burden that those who serve God must bear.’

That’s why they never appeal to the fact that they were once human.

Even though they have lost their human form and are despised by humanity as fallen beings to keep that secret.

Keeping such secrets to the grave is also necessary for the “proof of humanity” that prevents them from succumbing to their innate madness and degenerating into beasts.

‘…Then why have you come to oppose humanity now?’

Why didn’t they just hide away, and why have they now increased their numbers and risen as another enemy of humanity?

To this question, Phobia responded with a calm demeanor.

‘Because even for us who have fallen to beasts, the emotion of love exists.’

Love.

The fact that it wasn’t exclusive to humans was something they, who had fallen to beasts, knew best.

‘We depended on each other and strengthened our bonds to survive in this harsh world. The emotions formed at the end of that journey became even stronger than when we fought against calamity while serving God.’

Despite having the innate strength of Beastmen, the hardships they faced without becoming complete beings like heroes were beyond description.

The bonds forged to survive such hardships and their fruits became all the more precious because they had abandoned everything else.

‘And our children, born from those bonds… unknowingly grew up feeding on the hatred we emitted.’

Yes, even if they thoroughly kept the truth secret, they couldn’t deny the fact that humanity had abandoned them.

No matter how much patience they exercised, if it wasn’t perfect, discontent would inevitably be expressed externally, and children who learned from such discontent eventually awakened their hatred toward humanity.

That was the beginning of the “Anti-Human Alliance,” a calamity born from humanity itself.

‘…If our descendants have chosen to fight against humanity, shouldn’t we, who have chosen to live for them, lend our strength to their cause?’

Deviation to resist a harsh world, secrets created by faith, love that bloomed from it…

The first generation, who were prepared to become monsters for humanity’s sake, had to choose to become enemies of humanity precisely because they maintained their humanity.

They were prepared to burn down their homeland with their own hands to protect what they had in the present.

‘Even now… can’t you stop this?’

The guardian, sensing that such conflict would soon lead to catastrophe, pleaded desperately to the beast who still had a human heart.

‘Even now, revealing everything…’

‘Guardian of humanity. From your perspective, we are also beings you should protect.’

But if the situation could be changed by mere words, they wouldn’t have been so divided in the first place.

The paladin, who retained his faith despite becoming a beast, finally showed an attitude of prioritizing his faith in his deity over everything else.

‘But we’ve already come too far to understand each other. Even if we vowed to take the secrets of the religious order to our graves, if this is the price, it should be borne by those who dabbled in denial.’

So the first place they would begin their full-scale attack would be their homeland.

With those words, the Beastman turned his back on her and declared that he would continue on the path he had been following.

‘…If you truly care for humanity and see us as humans too, I hope you won’t interfere in our fight.’

If she truly saw them as humans and considered them subjects for salvation.

He advised her to be a “bystander” who doesn’t interfere in the calamity created by humanity itself, but simply watches their fight.

****

Yes, that was the full conversation she had with him half a year ago.

Since then, for the past six months, Francesca had been anticipating the time when they would come into full-scale conflict with humanity.

If the Beastmen were truly a calamity born from the most noble of humanity, then watching the end of their denial was also a duty of hers as humanity’s guardian.

Even if their actions would harm humanity, if that was the future humanity had chosen, accepting that future was also something she had to endure as their guardian.

“But, this isn’t right.”

But what did she encounter after entering this land?

It was the sight of clergy who sought to maintain nobility by serving God, transformed into hideous beings unlike anything she had seen before, for some reason.

“I didn’t send you hoping you would be distorted in this form.”

How did the corruption of clergy, which should have been limited and kept strictly secret, spread throughout the entire sacred territory?

Beyond that, how did attempts to combine the byproducts of research conducted by witches dreaming of becoming higher beings with parasites infiltrating human society come about?

Francesca, who had just set foot in this land, had no way of knowing.

The only thing she could guess was one thing.

All of this was not natural but due to someone’s malice, and there was a high possibility that the aberrant beings currently manipulating humanity were involved.

“Vampires…”

Beings that weren’t considered a major threat during her active period.

If they, for some reason, had caused a pandemic targeting the people in this land, and the Beastmen who were targeting this land at the same time became entangled in it.

“Are you behind all this?”

Whatever the case, given the situation, she could no longer remain a mere bystander.

If it were a fight between humans and humans, it would be a matter for them to handle themselves, but if aberrant beings were involved in the process, then everyone in this land could rightfully be called victims.

If the only salvation permitted for such victims was rest, then she should at least provide that rest with her own hands…

-Kyaaaa! Aaaaargh!

One of those victims screamed and began charging toward her as she entered the papal territory, slaughtering the army.

And it was a being of a different caliber from the ones she had encountered on the streets so far.

A hideous cluster that seemed like various monstrosities entangled and solidified into the form of a massive Beastman.

Inside the mouth formed by two heads with jaws spread wide, countless mouths opened in unison, emitting screams that sounded like a crowd.

-Shriik!

Francesca wrapped threads around the hand extended by this hideous being, quickly passing by its side and entangling its legs.

The swung hand missed the air, but the force generated from it pulled the threads entangled around the legs, transforming into a sharp slash.

And what happened with the threads wrapped around the dismembered body parts was a series of blue lightning explosions.

-Pop-pop-pop-boom!

Leaving behind the monstrosity that was burned without even making a sound, she gazed at the shadows cast at the entrance of the papal territory and gathered strength in her body.

What appeared before her were even more ferocious and massive monstrosities blocking her path.

“…If you found comfort in me, then taking responsibility for the path you’ve chosen is also my mission.”

The automaton saw fragments of their human past in them, but she chose to ignore it and gather strength in her body.

If the end result of the sins they committed was their current state, then sharing in that burden was also her calling.

“Monster-hunting automaton Francesca.”

Yes, the only salvation permitted for them was rest.

The guardian of humanity, recalling this, declared at this moment.

“From now on, I begin the subjugation of aberrant beings.”

As the deity who existed for them.

She would personally grant salvation to the lambs who had wandered in search of redemption.

****

And, just as they were about to reach the exit of the sacred territory.

-Kyaaaa!!! Kyaoaaaaa!

The entire expedition team’s bodies repeatedly stiffened at the fierce screams still coming from the papal territory.

Of course, the sounds were coming only from behind.

All the monstrosities that existed on the way to the exit had been thoroughly dismembered and burned, so it was believed that there would be no problems if they went outside.

But…

“You all go back to the Empire first.”

Despite being at the exit, I decided to stay here, unlike the expedition members, and prepared to turn my back on them.

I turned toward the direction of the papal territory, from where endless screams were coming.

“What? Hero, what do you mean…?”

“Don’t worry. I’m not staying here without reason.”

After answering them, I quietly unfolded the note in my hand and took time to read its contents again.

[Open and read this when you enter the sacred territory and are about to leave.]

“…I have something to do here.”

At this moment, as the time to escape the sacred territory has come, just as Irie said.

I realized it was time to act according to those instructions.