Ch.400Lacy’s Thoughts

While I was bickering with Hersella, Lacy took another sip of holy water, thought for a moment, and then offered the Church’s own answer to my question.

Does Karma of Murder create madmen, or do madmen pursue Karma of Murder?

Personally, seeing that I haven’t gone mad yet, I’d think it’s the latter, but Lacy seemed to have a different opinion.

“You’ve got cause and effect reversed… Well, I’ve never thought about it that way. But it’s undeniable that Karma of Murder deeply affects one’s personality. According to our Church’s experiments—ah, I mean research records—there are clear accounts of even originally mild-mannered and timid individuals gradually becoming more violent as they accumulated Karma of Murder, until they eventually became raving madmen.”

I think this woman just let slip a word that shouldn’t be ignored.

Experiments. She definitely said experiments. That they researched how Karma of Murder affects human personality.

So the reason the Church knows so much about the power of Karma is because of human experimentation…?

The image I had of priests was rapidly disappearing without a trace.

Where are those who hate evil, love good, consider giving a virtue, and serve their god with a devout heart?

A saint who wants to exterminate all non-humans, and a Church that builds research records through human experimentation.

Of course, they probably didn’t just randomly capture innocent people for experiments, but rather experimented on captured heretics and such…

But still.

In the original world, wouldn’t they be the ones labeled as an evil religion before any others?

“Of course, whether you consider someone with deep Karma of Murder to be a sinner who has fallen into repeated evil deeds, or someone whose evil nature was hidden and has now been revealed, or whether their personality has been twisted by Karma of Murder—that’s entirely for you to judge, Baron Median. I can only offer words of warning. Does that answer your question?”

It’s too late to end on a gentle note now; nothing is getting through to me.

Thanks to my bloodline and my actions so far, I’ve been able to gain the Church’s favor. Otherwise, I might have been captured and killed long ago because of the depth of Hersella’s accumulated Karma of Murder.

In the days when I hadn’t yet realized how to use Karma, when I fought relying solely on physical abilities, I was strong, but not overwhelmingly so.

I probably would have been ambushed without a trace, dragged away, and then imprisoned in the Church’s basement to be tortured or turned into an experimental subject.

Among all the choices I’ve made since falling into this world, deciding to stay close to Church personnel might have been the best one.

“Uh… yes, that answers it. Thanks.”

I did get an answer.

The answer that if I show any signs of heresy in front of the Church, my life will be terminated.

“I’m glad. Then, let’s return to the main topic. As I mentioned earlier, since we’re visiting the Holy State in a capacity close to that of envoys, they won’t openly antagonize us. At least, there shouldn’t be any conflicts in public settings. Of course, I’ll be immediately summoned to the hearing. Unlike me, you might receive only enthusiastic hospitality.”

Lacy offered me some holy water, handing me a teacup.

As if suggesting I should wet my throat since the conversation would be lengthy. The transparent liquid that faintly glowed filled the snow-white teacup.

…Wouldn’t this make tea taste even better?

Though Lacy always drank it plain like water.

Unlike ordinary water, tea is considered a luxurious indulgence, so perhaps as a priest of the Church, she tries to distance herself from it as much as possible.

“A hearing… sounds ominous. They won’t nail me to a cross, hang me up, and start interrogating me while whipping me, will they?”

“…The Church isn’t that barbaric.”

Lacy looked at me with a slightly reproachful gaze.

Not barbaric? That can’t be right.

You’re the ones who developed that grotesque interrogation method where you open a person’s head like a pot lid, scoop out a spoonful of brain, let it regenerate, and repeat.

In my opinion, Church people need to learn to look at themselves objectively.

“The hearing is simply a question-and-answer session conducted in an official setting. It follows the same format as a formal religious trial, but differs in that it deals with secular matters rather than doctrinal issues. So, there’s no possibility of harm coming to me, at least not in the hearing chamber.”

Her tone suggests there might be problems after leaving that place.

“Therefore, there are three things we need to be wary of. First, failing to answer the hearing’s inquiries and losing the justification for the archdiocese’s continued existence. I’ll somehow resolve that. Second, potential ambushes on the way back to our lodgings after official events, or within the lodgings themselves. If there are those who wish to not just disgrace me but eliminate me entirely, they will certainly seize that moment.”

“So I need to stick with you at all times. Or at least assign three or four Masters as guards.”

I could bring a few people from Épée de Ciel.

Jahan might be problematic, but Nigel, Demian, Leonore, or Millia would be fine.

Ah, might Leonore be an issue too?

Although she’s distanced herself from her mother, the stigma of being of witch’s blood doesn’t disappear, so some might take issue with that.

“That’s right. You must be careful. Baron Median’s skills are already widely known throughout the world. There are some opinions that the Empire might have exaggerated a bit… but the general consensus is that you can easily handle five or six Masters. So, assassins targeting us will likely attack in ways other than direct confrontation, or prepare forces that could overcome you even if you’re present.”

“Does the Holy State even have such forces?”

To win in a direct confrontation with me, they’d need at least two Hero-class fighters.

And since publicly known forces can’t be used as assassins, they’d have to deploy secretly trained forces.

“I don’t know either. I think probably not… but carelessness and arrogance invite disaster.”

Indeed, if an Apostle and a Mage directly intervened, the outcome would be uncertain.

In a one-on-one, I could win, but if the number of enemies multiplied, it wouldn’t be easy.

…Of course, if things escalated to that extent, it would no longer be assassination but war.

There’s no way to hide a Hero-class battle from others.

“So, what’s the third thing?”

If the first threat is public scrutiny and the second is clandestine ambush, then what’s the third?

“Why, traps of course. Instead of loudly criticizing us or secretly approaching with a knife, they commit shocking atrocities and then pin the blame on us. It’s the most dangerous and lethal method because it’s unpredictable.”

Indeed, as Lacy said, it was the most dangerous method.

And saying it’s the most dangerous method also means it’s the method they’re most likely to choose.

So in the end, we’re going to a country where we can’t tell who’s friend or foe, and we have to find enemies with only vague clues while dealing with official interrogations, ambushes, and possible false accusations and traps.

It might be easier to fight Isabella one more time.

“…Should we just not go?”

“It’s too late for such jokes…”

Lacy smiled awkwardly.

She too must know how difficult and dangerous this journey to the Holy State will be.

Perhaps she’s even more concerned than I am.

But she has no choice but to go.

And neither do I.

—-

As we continued our conversation, I took out a new cigarette and lit it.

This was my third one. Although Lacy had opened the window, the room had long been permeated with the scent of mint.

“…Alright. I understand what we need to worry about. So, what’s the plan? Surely you’re not going to say that observing the situation is the best plan.”

“That would be the worst plan. It would mean completely surrendering the initiative to the enemy. I have no intention of choosing such a frustrating and passive response.”

Lacy sharply criticized Leopold.

Well, Leopold was a bit frustrating back then. Though he’s improved a lot since.

“So…?”

“My hearing, your welcome ceremony, and the verification of the Great’s Twelve Knights’ bloodline—none of these events can be completed in a day. It will take quite some time for everything to finish, and during that time, all eyes in the Holy State will inevitably be focused on us.”

“Well, I suppose that’s how it will be. And?”

Lacy smiled, lifting the corners of her mouth.

“So, we should make the most of this opportunity. The brighter the light, the deeper the shadow. As interest in us increases, it becomes easier for my special crusaders to infiltrate among the enemies. I intend to actively utilize them and employ every means available under the name of Elpinel.”

It was a smile more befitting the executive of a massive criminal organization than a saint.