Ch.54Report on the Downfall of Humility (2)

# The Empire is vast, filled with cities and castles each boasting their own charm and characteristics. But none gives such an alien and artificial feeling as Nicopolis.

One might ask if buildings aren’t naturally artificial since they’re built by humans. But even architects with the poorest aesthetic sense tend to consider harmony between surrounding landscapes and buildings.

Nicopolis had none of that. The castle walls, residential areas, roads, wells, infrastructure—everything was meticulously organized for a single purpose.

Surveillance and vigilance.

At the city center stood a tall fortress. It was so high and sturdy that simply walking along the parapets allowed one to look down upon the city as if viewing the palm of one’s hand.

“As if viewing the palm of one’s hand” was no exaggeration. At least, that’s what Kain thought as he observed the alleyway corners through his telescope.

Every district of the city, every alley, even inside windows—everything was completely visible. Kain thought this was why even Imperial citizens used the old name “Emmaus” instead of the official “Nicopolis”—because of that unsettling feeling.

In its days as Emmaus, the city was wide and low. They said it was a free commercial city without watchers. But now as Nicopolis, it was no different from a massive isolation facility.

A facility to contain the Empire’s bastard children.

The city could be divided into two halves: east and west. The west wasn’t much to look at. About 60% was civilian areas and 40% military facilities—barracks, supply depots, guard barracks, and checkpoints.

As Emmaus was the place supplying goods and troops to the frontline fortress, these facilities were necessary. The southwestern border defense command building was also in the western district.

But the right side was completely different. First, there was nothing that could properly be called a house. Walls so thin they would collapse if punched, roofs so thin they would be pierced if hit with a brick.

People’s clothes were short and thin. It was similar to three people sharing one set of top and bottom garments. They barely covered their private parts, and even those would helplessly slide down whenever they ran or exerted themselves.

Yet they didn’t look lewd or vulgar because their bodies were completely covered in dirt. Their darkened skin was caked with white salt and brown soil. Even their hair was no exception. They were just endlessly dirty, messy, and unclean.

Kain observed their faces and skin. They displayed the physical characteristics of both Imperial people and Western heretics.

A man who appeared to be over forty approached Kain.

Though his skin was rough from long exposure to sunlight and dry land, his demeanor and bearing clearly revealed his Imperial noble background. Just as herring remains herring and meat remains meat no matter how much they’re dried in the sun, Tullius, the mayor of Emmaus, was inevitably a nobleman.

“Those are the Samarians. The Empire’s… people.”

What Tullius really wanted to say was probably “bastards.” If they had been in a tavern in the western district rather than on the fortress parapets in the center of the city, he would have spoken those cruel words without hesitation.

Kain lowered his telescope without comment. Tullius burst into laughter.

“You seem to feel sympathy! I understand. Everyone does at first. But spend just five minutes down in the eastern district, and you’ll think they’re untouchable. That’s also what everyone thinks. They may be of Imperial origin, but… they’re a completely different race.”

“A different race?”

“Neither Western heretics nor Imperial people. Consider them belonging to a small puppet state called ‘Samaria.’ Language, habits, prayers, behaviors… none properly civilized nor barbarized.”

Civilization would mean Imperialization, and barbarization would refer to Western heretic customs.

“Isn’t discrimination against Samarians prohibited under any circumstances?”

“By the merciful decree of the previous Emperor. May God bless him.” Tullius made the sign of the cross and added more seriously.

“I understand that statement differently. If an Imperial spits at my feet, I’d punch him, but if a Samarian did such a thing, I’d cut off his head. I interpret the anti-discrimination clause to mean ‘don’t punish them more than Imperials,’ not ‘treat them better than others.'”

Kain thought it fortunate that Maria and Lily weren’t here. They had gone to examine a dead body. Instead, Kain had divided roles to survey the overall situation from the city walls.

The mayor treated not only Maria but also Kain and Lily with respect. He treated them that way despite knowing they were mercenaries hired by the Inquisition, not Security Bureau agents.

Just as there’s a difference in gravity between touching a count’s guard versus an elector’s guard, the mayor didn’t want to create conflict with the Order at this point.

“Anyway,” the mayor cleared his throat. “Over there, do you see that small lake-like thing next to the white domed building? With a couple of palm trees planted… Yes. That’s the place.”

Kain raised his telescope to look. It was exactly as the mayor described. The small lake, which would have originally been blue, was still filled with dark red blood. Like ants stuck to melted candy, Samarians crowded around the lake.

They were wailing and scooping up water with buckets. As if they wouldn’t waste even a single drop of their “Mother’s” blood.

“Shajar al-Durr was found there. Before dawn. That low domed building beside it was her residence and also an educational place for Samarians. That’s why Shajar was called Rabbi, meaning teacher, in the barbaric language. Some Samarians also call her ‘Mother.’ An accurate description. She was their spiritual pillar and… also the ‘mother’ of a woman.”

Kain turned to look at the mayor. His lips held a sneer. Noticing the glance, the mayor immediately smiled pleasantly.

“Of course, the story would be different if she were an Imperial hero. Blood doesn’t lie, they say. One of the Empire’s seven heroes recognized by His Holiness the Pope and His Majesty the Emperor, the Lady of Humility, Arianne, also lives there. Ah. There she comes out. There. The white one.”

The mayor nodded. Thinking him rude in many ways, Kain turned his gaze toward Arianne.

She was a woman whose face and skin were whiter than snow. Even her eyes were white. It would be more appropriate to say she was born in perpetual snow rather than in this hot desert.

Even her hair was snow-white. In contrast, her skin was red. Probably because her skin was so white and delicate that red and blue veins showed through. She had an appearance as if all color had been drained from a human body.

The Samarians who saw her let out sharp cries. They pointed fingers, then raised both hands above their heads, shouting and repeatedly bowing.

“What are they saying?”

“Messaiah.”

The mayor let out a hollow laugh. “In their language, it means ‘savior.'”

It should be Messiah, not Messaiah, Kain muttered inwardly. The snow-white woman wore only a brown cloth around her body. Her white hair was long enough to reach her waist. However, her lips shone redder than the desert’s red roses. She must have applied something.

Arianne spread her arms and shouted something. Though the content was completely inaudible, the Samarians quietly listened to her words. Eventually, the Samarians dispersed. Arianne also went inside the building.

“Let me tell you a secret. Emmaus has two mayors. Me, who oversees the west, and the hero mother-daughter pair who oversee the east. But now that the mother has died, the daughter alone will take care of those barbarians. Well, she defeated the Demon King, so these swarms of flies…”

“That makes sense,” Kain folded his telescope. “If rotten meat is strewn across the street, how could flies not gather?”

The guards looked at Kain with great displeasure, but the mayor laughed for a long time. Like people who want to be good-natured but are actually quite vindictive.

“Ha! You’re quite amusing. You’ve seen correctly. This is a trash can. The only reason Samarians don’t leave this city despite knowing they have nothing to do here is the same reason that hero lady entered this den of wild dogs despite her great achievements.”

The mayor detached himself from the parapet as if there was nothing more to see. The guards escorted him.

“Trash belongs in the trash can!”

Even after his figure disappeared below, his laughter continued to bounce up the stairs. Kain shook his head and turned his gaze westward.

He first confirmed the location of the post office. He could also identify the position of the modified carriage among the lined-up carriages. However, with such comprehensive surveillance possible, it seemed best to avoid walking straight to the post office.

Next, he examined the command building. It was easy to recognize with its elaborate decorations and grand construction, similar to recent Imperial architectural styles. He could also see Lily and Maria talking about something in the building’s courtyard.

There was nothing more to see here. Unless he wanted to observe more differences between the western and eastern parts of the city. Instead, Kain decided that if he went to the capital, he should report about Emmaus’s water sources.

The wells in the west, where Imperial people lived, were clean and well-maintained. They were surrounded by stone walls with covers, and all the carbonated water and hot spring sources were also in the west.

In contrast, there were no wells in the east. There were only two springs located in the open air. Of course, they were large enough to be considered small lakes rather than springs.

And if they had been small wells rather than such large springs, they would have been woefully inadequate as water sources for the eighteen thousand Samarians.

But if someone maliciously threw in a corpse, people would inevitably crowd around one spring, just as Kain was now observing through his telescope. If corpses were thrown into both places, the city’s water supply would inevitably have to rely on the wells in the west, which, though numerous, had limited capacity, and then the city would…

While briefly thinking of something else, Kain felt a strange premonition. It was a Security Bureau agent’s intuition. He raised his telescope to look where his instinct led him. The white house with the domed ceiling. He could see the snow-white woman standing in the shadow beside a pillar.

Kain adjusted his telescope to see her expression clearly. Eventually, the woman’s face came into view. She looked fragile, dark, and tired as if she hadn’t slept properly.

The woman looked straight up at Kain. Kain flinched momentarily. Perhaps sunlight reflecting off the lens had caught the Lady’s attention.

Kain folded his telescope. He placed it neatly on the observation deck and walked down the stairs. It was time to hear what Lily and Maria had discovered.

But the woman’s expression troubled him. She was…

Smiling. As if there could be no greater happiness anywhere in the world.

Kain descended the stairs.