Ch.269To the Edge of the Cliff (9)

[Your Majesty, the people’s faith in you has already far exceeded the critical threshold. If Your Majesty wishes to eliminate this culture, you must act immediately.]

[The investigation of church schools has confirmed Your Majesty’s prediction. Young citizens are singing hymns about Your Majesty alongside their theological studies.]

[The movements of the church officials are extremely suspicious. It’s as if… they’re trying to create a heretical sect… no, a new religious denomination with Your Majesty as the central doctrine.]

The knot had become thoroughly tangled, but I decided to untangle it one by one, starting with Jeanne, who seemed to be the most manageable issue to address.

The people were openly worshipping me as a saint, which surely wouldn’t have happened without the tacit approval of the religious establishment. It was certain that Jeanne, who had built an enormous position within the Rotaring Church, was involved.

From the beginning, promoting my deification as a saint—I couldn’t think of any suspect other than Jeanne.

“Yes, Holy One. As you said, I am indeed responsible for all those matters.”

“Jeanne, why would you do such a thing?”

“Because you are a saint, Holy One, and naturally should be revered with the proper respect due to a saint.”

But this is… sigh.

Jeanne was fully aware of what she had done. She probably sensed this confrontation was coming the moment I summoned her.

“Why didn’t you say anything about it?”

“Well… because I knew you would refuse, Holy One.”

“…I see. I knew you would answer like that, but it’s still exhausting.”

Jeanne clearly felt apologetic toward me, but her remorse was limited to not informing me beforehand, rather than making me an object of worship.

The reason she didn’t tell me beforehand… well, I had guessed she knew I would definitely refuse, and that guess was spot on.

Of course, that’s no excuse for what happened. If she knew I would refuse, she shouldn’t have done it at all.

“Jeanne, treating a living person with the reverence due to a saint is not only unprecedented but also profoundly blasphemous. You know that well.”

Only a handful of prophets have been recognized as saints during their lifetime. Jeanne knew this perfectly well, yet she elevated me to sainthood, which would naturally bring an enormous political and theological backlash.

But as evidenced by the fact that I heard nothing until I investigated directly, there was no such backlash at all.

This reveals only one fact.

Jeanne has complete control and management over the religious establishment.

No, considering the emergence of a new heretical sect centered around me, Jeanne might have gone beyond control and management to completely dominate the religious world.

“It’s too late to ask you to step away… Jeanne, dismantle all efforts to deify me.”

This means that forcing Jeanne to step down would serve little purpose.

The entire religious establishment would follow Jeanne’s words anyway, so forcing her into retirement wouldn’t reduce her influence—it would only create the perfect environment for her to engage in politics from behind the scenes.

No… Jeanne, you’ve been so well-behaved for over a decade, but in reality, you were secretly doing this behind my back…?

“Yes, Holy One.”

But suddenly, Jeanne nodded and complied with my order without any resistance. Despite the tremendous effort she must have put in, she accepted my command to render it all meaningless.

…This is too unsettling. Is she hiding something else?

If she’s willing to cancel everything so quickly, why did she go to such lengths to hide this deification campaign from me in the first place?

Surely she’s not just nodding in agreement in front of me while continuing behind my back—

“Don’t worry, Holy One. Isn’t your will more important than mine?”

“…Jeanne.”

It seems that wasn’t the case after all.

Jeanne smiled as if reading my thoughts, and her words carried a deep tinge of regret.

She was truly following my orders without a moment’s hesitation, simply because I had given them.

“Why would you go so far? Why?”

“Because… you are a saint, Holy One. That’s how it’s meant to be.”

“…I see.”

The situation is very similar to when I first met Jeanne, but the emotions I feel are completely different.

Back then, I just thought she was a madwoman… but now, it’s as if I’m looking at a holy woman who has received divine revelation.

It’s hard to distinguish whether this is truly what I think, or if it’s due to the influence of Jeanne’s abilities… Well, even apart from mind control, I’ve been influenced by Jeanne through our human relationship, so it wouldn’t be far-fetched to assume the latter.

……….

“Your Majesty, you called for me?!”

“Ellen, you’re here. Come, sit down.”

Late in the afternoon, Ellen rushed to my office after receiving my summons, having just finished her duties at the university. Judging by her sweat-soaked professor’s attire, she must have hurried over immediately after receiving my call.

“First, have some water… Now, do you know why I called you?”

“I… I’m sorry, I have no idea.”

Ellen’s case appears different from Jeanne’s.

While Jeanne immediately caught on to what I was saying and responded, Ellen genuinely doesn’t understand what I’m questioning her about.

This isn’t because Jeanne is perceptive and Ellen isn’t.

Jeanne was aware that she had done something wrong without informing me, which is why she understood, but Ellen has no awareness of any wrongdoing, so she couldn’t catch the meaning behind my accusatory words.

…This makes things even more hopeless.

“Ellen, why are you indoctrinating students with strange ideologies at the university?”

“Strange ideologies… What exactly are you referring to?”

“…I’m talking about the glorification of me. It seems entirely unnecessary for the curriculum.”

Ellen’s eyes widen as she finally realizes what I’m talking about.

…She truly had no awareness whatsoever that she was doing anything wrong.

[…What is that statue over there?]

[Yes, Your Majesty! It is created to commemorate Your Majesty’s numerous achievements. The gilding represents the prosperity of Rotaring. The items held in both arms are symbols—a book representing wisdom from the establishment of Dijon University, and a steel sword symbolizing the achievement of conquest—]

[Tear it down. Melt it completely so that no trace of its form remains.]

Starting with the massive statue of me that suddenly appeared in the middle of the university square—

[Attention, salute!]

[Pledge: We, the students of Dijon University, vow to cultivate our talents to become great pillars of Rotaring in return for Your Majesty’s boundless grace—]

[…And what is this?]

[Yes, this is the student pledge performed before each class, as proposed by Professor Ellen. It’s been well-received as it instills a sense of unity among students of different social classes, and student satisfaction is quite high—]

[Get rid of that too, immediately!]

Even a military-style chain of command.

The strange cultures and customs Ellen has injected into the university are numerous.

As a senior professor, Ellen has taken control of Dijon University and changed its culture, while simultaneously gaining complete control over students and professors, instilling her values in them.

“Ellen, why did you do all this?”

“Well… Your Majesty is great, aren’t you? It’s normal for a monarch who has achieved great feats to have at least a statue or two, and university students should truly serve Your Majesty as their lord to prevent the unfortunate exodus of talented individuals to foreign countries.”

“…I understand what you’re trying to say. But that’s for me, the Emperor, to worry about, not you, Ellen. Stop it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will halt all ongoing projects.”

Ongoing projects… She’s openly hinting that there will be more such incidents in the future. Is she unable to lie to me?

The Ellen I remember was definitely not like this…

Ellen as a simple country girl was very innocent, honest with her emotions, and didn’t view others as objects to be controlled and dominated.

But now… oh my.

“Ellen, you’re a professor. I understand your feelings of admiration and respect for me, but that shouldn’t influence student evaluations and education. Understand? This must never happen again, ever.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

Ellen seems deeply dissatisfied, but she reluctantly nods and agrees to my repeated request and command.

…Really, everyone is too zealous.

I understand their feelings. But this is just… how should I put it… the methods are too twisted.