Ch.573Episode 21 – Peace in Our Time

# As a Servant of the Holy God and an Apostle

As a servant and apostle of the Holy God, a pillar of the church, if one were to name the most important virtue among clergy members, it would undoubtedly be love.

Love is the fundamental principle and ultimate aim of religion.

Not burning magicians “in the name of the Holy God” or “in the name of the Earth Mother Goddess,” or shooting people in the desert. That cannot be considered the essence of religion, nor should it be viewed as such.

From that perspective, the clergy of Laterano were faithful servants practicing the teachings of the Holy God.

And the two saints stood at the pinnacle of this practice.

However, there is something people often misunderstand.

Being religious doesn’t necessarily mean one always demonstrates love and philanthropy.

Even the most distinguished clergy or sages cannot always regard others with benevolence.

Didn’t even Jesus, who preached love, immediately wield a whip like a cotton plantation owner when he witnessed those scoundrels doing business in the temple?

The same applies to Confucius who is revered as a sage, Buddha who found inner peace, and the ancient Greek philosophers Socrates and Aristotle.

The sage of the Central Plains, who deeply loved humanity and propriety, personally made the disrespectful Zilu kneel through a “deep conversation.”

The prince from India, when confronted by the fearless rebel Mara Papiya who led an army against him, personally demonstrated what had made him victorious in martial arts tournaments.

The great philosopher who established the syllogism was a super-soldier who participated in the Peloponnesian War as a heavy infantryman and returned alive three times.

Plato’s disciple was an iron man who regularly trained his body in the garden next to the library and won the Olympic championship twice.

What we can learn from this is that even the mercy of sages has its limits.

And unless you’re a former carpenter, martial arts champion, someone strong enough to engrave benevolence and righteousness into the kneecaps of the disrespectful, a war veteran who returned intact after three tours, or an Olympic gold medalist, you shouldn’t dare to call yourself a sage.

Also, one must always remember not to provoke a sage recklessly.

From that perspective, Saint Lucia, who was canonized as a saint of the church…

“Saint Lucia! Please put down that mace!”

“You must not use the Lord’s name to justify violence!”

“Violence, Bishop? Your interpretation is excessive. Didn’t I tell you this is the rod of love?”

“Religion must not become a tool of violence!”

“I have no intention whatsoever of fighting with you, my brothers and sisters. I merely wish to end this tedious conversation. Come now, enough chatter, step forward and engage in ‘dialogue.'”

“Almighty God, protect me with your eternal light. This lamb is too young to ascend to heaven’s judgment seat…”

“No, everyone please remain seated. I, being young, will come over to you.”

She was truly worthy of being called a sage.

Her consideration and benevolence in personally visiting the elderly, her love in patting the bottoms of those who prostrate themselves, and the fact that she was thoroughly armed with a flanged mace that had crushed demon skulls—who would dare deny that she was a saint?

It was simply inconceivable.

“…Veronica.”

“Yes.”

“I think I forgot to turn off the gas stove. Could I possibly return to Abas?”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

“No.”

“If you know, then please remain quiet.”

“……”

Indeed, that was certainly how it had to be.

Episode 21 – Peace in Our Time

While Saint Lucia was personally demonstrating what a beating looked like to cardinals and bishops old enough to be her father or grandfather.

I grabbed Saint Veronica’s wrist and hastily fled to another cathedral, shaking her shoulders vigorously as I shouted:

“Hey, you crazy woman! Convincing Lucia? Is this a joke or what?!”

This was completely unexpected and beyond my imagination.

Good heavens. That Lucia, wielding a mace and dancing like a ruffian in front of cardinals and bishops?

“How did you let her get to this state? Huh?”

“Ah, I didn’t know she would end up like this either…!”

Veronica, whose shoulders were being shaken violently, shook her head back and forth as she protested in an aggrieved voice.

“We were separated for months while I was in Mauritania. I certainly expected our sister’s personality might change while living abroad, but who could have known she would transform into a yaksha…”

“Veronica, do you have no conscience? As her older sister, didn’t you ever think you should have scolded her properly?”

“You want me to stop Lucia when she’s rampaging with a mace?”

Ha!

The saint wore a smile that might have been a sneer as she folded her arms.

“If that were possible, I wouldn’t have asked the Major for help.”

“But why did you think I could do it?!”

A sharp scream-like cry followed, and I could only clutch my hair and wail.

It seemed she had traded her conscience for rice cakes. Veronica was making the absurd request for me to stop Lucia’s rampage. To be precise, it was a request from the church hierarchy, but that made little difference. Either way, Veronica was also a high-ranking decision-maker in the papal curia.

I would have been willing to help with most reasonable requests.

I would have made every effort to fulfill Veronica’s request in some way, as long as it wasn’t asking me to sign marriage papers right now. We weren’t simply in an information source-handler relationship.

But that was one thing.

This was quite another, wasn’t it?

“I can’t do it.”

“Ah, Major-“

“Not buying it, not buying.”

“Just help me this once. Please? I’m begging you…”

“You need to make sense. Do you want to see someone’s skull get cracked open?”

I can’t do it. Do it for me. You do it. I tried but couldn’t. And so on.

For a while, Veronica and I, holding each other’s wrists amicably, tugged and pulled at each other’s hands as we bickered.

“I might be able to persuade Lucia with words. But if I make one wrong move, I could end up with a mace in my neck. What are you asking me to do?”

To be honest, I had absolutely no confidence in convincing Lucia right now.

Logically speaking, negotiation might be one thing. But how was I supposed to persuade someone who was wholeheartedly committed to negotiation (physical)?

Both objectively and subjectively, I had no means to sway Lucia’s opinion. Perhaps if I had the martial prowess of the Northern Duke. If I provoked a saint who had engaged in single combat with the leader of a cult with just a mace…

‘Saint, please take a broader view of politics!’

‘You’ve become remarkably disrespectful. Let me drive out the demon possessing your mind.’

‘Thwack…!’

I shuddered once as I imagined Lucia bringing down her iron mace on my head.

“Ugh…”

Whether she tried to smash my head with a scripture or crush it with her mace, I foresaw a future where I would meekly take the blow without the slightest resistance.

“After thinking about it again, I can’t do it. No matter how many times you ask, nothing will change, so please understand that.”

“Ah, Major! Are you going to keep doing this? A woman is begging you like this, and you as a man have no guts, no guts at all.”

“From today, you can think of me as a woman too.”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

Veronica grabbed my wrist and half-hung on me, pulling like an ox dragging a plow.

That wasn’t going to change my mind immediately, and the saint was even less likely to give up her stubbornness.

That’s why our tedious conversation kept repeating.

“Tell me what you want. If it’s doable, I’ll push it through the State Council.”

“There’s nothing like that.”

“Money! Money can solve anything, right? I’ll make sure you’re well compensated.”

“My family is already wealthy.”

“Really! If you keep acting like this, how am I supposed to face you in the future?!”

“Yes. It’s been a pleasure meeting you. If you need anything in the future, please go through official diplomatic channels… Ow! Why did you hit the back of my head?”

“Just because! I’m annoyed!”

“Good grief…”

It was just after I got hit on the back of my head and was glaring at the saint with a sulky look.

Veronica folded her arms and delivered her ultimatum with a prim face:

“Men, really… Fine. It’s foolish to push someone who doesn’t want to do something. The one who’ll lose out is you, Major, not me.”

“I don’t see how I’d lose anything.”

“Really? Do you truly think so?”

What trick is this now?

As I silently gave her a look that said “what are you up to,” the saint calmly dropped a bombshell.

“Francesca.”

“……”

“Major, don’t you want to reconcile with your sister?”

I kept my mouth shut.

As I quietly averted my gaze, the saint, as if she knew everything, sidled up next to me and linked arms.

“Right? I knew it!”

She began poking my side with a mischievous expression.

The saint’s playful voice was an added bonus.

“If this matter is resolved safely, I’ll help bridge the gap for you. You know I’m good at lobbying.”

“…Would that work?”

“Why are you like this? There’s no problem in the world that doesn’t have a solution. Since I bear some responsibility too, I’ll make sure it succeeds somehow, so just trust me and give it a try.”

“……”

“Who knows. Maybe our sister wants to make amends too.”

…If only she couldn’t talk.

After heaving a deep sigh from the bottom of my stomach, I gently detached Veronica.

“Alright. Well, I’m sure you’ll handle it well.”

“So what’s your answer?”

“I’ll do it. I said I’ll do it.”

“Great!”

Leaving the saint celebrating with exuberant gestures behind me.

I decided without delay to find a way to solve the request entrusted by the church’s State Council, a breakthrough that could persuade Lucia.

“I’ll try to persuade her, but I need to know specifically what’s going on to tackle this.”

“If you need anything, just say so. I’ll help you personally.”

“…Let’s go through this step by step from the beginning.”

What an intelligence officer needs,

There’s really only one thing.

“Please share some information with me.”

*

‘Memory for Peace and Reconciliation,’ commonly known as ‘Discussion for Resolving the Church’s Historical Wrongdoings and Past Issues.’

This agenda currently under discussion in the church has brought countless waves of controversy.

The main point is just one. And that point contains power equivalent to hundreds of nuclear bombs.

‘Will the church officially acknowledge the historical wrongdoings it has committed over the past thousands of years?’

The agenda doesn’t stop at acknowledging wrongdoings but extends to asking forgiveness from the victims.

However, to ask for forgiveness, one must first admit one’s sins, so the topic heating up the church ultimately boils down to ‘whether to acknowledge wrongdoings or not.’

Altiora Cathedral, where saints have resided throughout history.

The rich aroma of coffee tickled my nose, and the host who had provided a separate wing opened the introduction while savoring her coffee.

“As you know, Major, the core issue in the past reconciliation discussion is ‘acknowledgment.’ Will the church officially admit its sins, and if so, what specific sins will it acknowledge and to what extent?”

It wasn’t a simple matter.

When a group acknowledges its sins, countless political logics and diplomatic interests become intricately entangled, and at the same time, the interests, prestige, and legitimacy of individuals and internal groups are at stake.

I opened my mouth in a dry tone.

“It’s certainly not an ordinary topic. In fact, from the church’s perspective, it’s probably a discussion too serious to be described as ordinary…”

There are various processes for acknowledging guilt that we commonly encounter in everyday life.

Disputes between friends, settlements between victims and perpetrators and their insurance companies after traffic accidents, wage negotiations between labor unions and companies, and so on.

As everyone knows, acknowledging one’s guilt requires a lot of courage and effort.

Isn’t that common sense?

Even resolving routine disputes within a household inevitably produces noise.

For instance, when Adela secretly steals my ice cream, getting an apology from a sister who chooses denial with “I didn’t eat it!” requires the trouble of turning over the sofa.

When it’s group versus group, the story becomes even more serious.

Don’t labor and management engage in a heated WWE match to assert their respective claims when resolving labor disputes? Strikes, damage claims, public relations officers stirring up the media.

If even conflicts between companies and workers are like this, how intense would negotiations be when it moves to the national level, the religious dimension?

It’s no wonder my sister Adela, who works in the Foreign Ministry, lives on stomach medicine.

“I’ve heard this isn’t the first time the past issues discussion has been raised.”

“It’s an agenda that has been brought up occasionally from the old days. There have been voices within the church calling for self-reflection several times.”

“But there’s never been a mud fight like this before?”

“That’s right.”

A cigar is lit. As red lips puffing smoke exhale what might be a sigh.

Veronica, who had tossed a match into the ashtray with a ting, recalled similar topics that had been discussed in the church in the past.

“I don’t know what outsiders might think, but not all bishops and cardinals in the church lack shame. That’s why the past issues discussion has surfaced and submerged several times. Former Pope John XVI and the current Pope Raphael, who value tradition, say ‘nothing can be achieved without sacrifice’… but there are quite a few who oppose that.”

“I guess there are surprisingly many clergy who view the Inquisition unfavorably?”

“Is it just the Inquisition? There are many bishops and cardinals who argue that armed groups represented by the Holy Knight Order and the Templar Order should also be restrained. They just haven’t expressed it outwardly.”

The church’s saint smiled faintly, shrouded in thick smoke.

She described the clergy who had advocated for resolving past issues and those who had opposed it in this way.

Snakes.

“People misunderstand something—clergy aren’t as transparent as glass. There are few people as two-faced as religious people.”

Sometimes they appear conservative like stubborn blockheads, and other times they show progressive aspects, not going against the current and advocating for reform.

They focus on religious life as believers, but on the other hand, they actively interact with the outside world and don’t sever their ties with the secular world.

The saint pointed out such duality of the clergy, describing them as “snake-like old fogies.”

“A conservative bishop doesn’t necessarily insist only on tradition, and a progressive cardinal doesn’t necessarily insist only on reform. Should I say they’re like reeds? Humans are such animals by nature.”

“The saying ‘people can’t be fixed’ doesn’t always hold true. People change eventually.”

“I agree. In that sense, the past reconciliation agenda that Lucia has brought to the surface can be seen as a great shock to all bishops and cardinals, regardless of their inclinations.”

“Was it too radical a proposition?”

“Saying ‘radical’ makes our sister sound like a communist. Let’s just say it was groundbreaking.”

There’s no need to think too hard about it. It can all be explained with very simple logic.

“Other clergy also sympathize with the claim that change is needed. Everyone understands and empathizes with the need to reform the church in accordance with the ever-changing times.”

Change is necessary. For change, past reconciliation must accompany it.

No religious person in the church is unaware of this.

No matter how powerful the church’s authority is, it’s realistically impossible for the church to unilaterally suppress the authority of other religions or nations.

The balance of power tilting toward the church was a story that was only applicable hundreds of years ago, and in today’s world where the balance is gradually moving to the opposite side, it’s no longer possible to solve everything with force and religious authority alone.

The key is speed and method.

‘When and in what form should past reconciliation be discussed?’

To this, the first saint says:

“I acknowledge that the older generation of clergy have been quite tyrannical, and I also acknowledge that without an apology for that tyranny, it’s difficult to establish deep relationships with religious groups or countries that have been harmed. But if you ask whether it needs to be handled so quickly and decisively… Well, I’m not sure.”

Past reconciliation is not a choice but a necessity.

Unless it’s an era where human rights are disregarded like in 19th century industrial revolution Europe, in today’s world, the process of the church acknowledging its wrongdoings is, in a way, an unavoidable fate.

However, even if it’s inevitable, acknowledging wrongdoings is not an easy task.

That’s where the essence of the saint’s argument lies.

“Is the church a flawless community that has committed no sins? I honestly don’t think so either. If one has any sense of shame, they couldn’t say such a thing.”

“But why do you always pretend to be a sage without any shame?”

“If it bothers you, tell me to cut it out. Anyway, acknowledging wrongdoings is unavoidable, but no one wants the decision to immediately prostrate oneself in front of the whole world right now.”

“Why?”

“The conservatives worry about the church’s authority being damaged by an unconditional apology, while the progressives see resolving past issues without specific preparation as an insincere apology. In other words, an empty gesture.”

So, to summarize…

“No one wants to address past issues recklessly without proper preparation?”

“If you bake dough in the oven before it’s fully fermented, you won’t get good bread. It’s an unsatisfactory result for both the eater and the maker.”

“You’re saying it’s premature.”

Acknowledging all past issues recklessly would mean there’s no way to avoid unlimited responsibility.

Investigating past events quickly and apologizing would mean the parties involved wouldn’t recognize it as a proper apology.

Logically, who would accept an apology if thousands of years of karma were investigated and apologized for in just a few months?

Setting aside the mockery of it being a rushed apology, if problems arise due to inadequate investigation…

‘We were the ones harmed by that incident, not them. Why are you apologizing to the wrong place? Do you even have any intention to apologize?’

‘This incident also occurred in the neighborhood below, but the report only states that our neighborhood was affected. The figures also differ from the latest academic papers. Did you conduct a proper investigation? It seems like you assigned someone who fell asleep during history class.’

‘The compensation amount has been miscalculated. Why did you compensate some with trillions and others with mere billions for the same damage?’

‘Why are the crimes committed by the Inquisition and the Templar Order since modern times omitted? Oh, you say that’s classified as a state secret and can’t be disclosed? Don’t fuck with me.’

‘You’re saying the value of lost magic is just this much? Shit! Want to taste some magic?’

‘The slave trade had nothing to do with the church? Ah! Then we don’t need to compensate for executing your missionaries either! Put your necks out, you bastards!’

…It was obvious that countless governments with rolled-back eyes would make numerous requests for handshakes.

Therefore, regardless of whether to apologize or not, without specific investigation and solutions, one couldn’t even apologize freely. This was why both conservatives and progressives were foaming at the mouth.

I heaved a long sigh.

“I’m starting to see the outline. So the church is willing to acknowledge past issues, but since the timing and method haven’t been decided, an immediate apology is impossible. Is that correct?”

“Hmm…”

“What now?”

“Well…”

Veronica rubbed the nape of her neck and averted her gaze for a moment. A look of contemplation crossed her face, as if wondering whether she should say this.

“Actually, there’s a strong sentiment among both conservatives and progressives that they don’t want to apologize. The church can acknowledge past issues at an institutional level, but an apology is a bit burdensome.”

“What kind of novel nonsense is this?”

Acknowledgment is acknowledgment, and an apology is an apology.

They’ll acknowledge but can’t apologize?

I’ve never heard such novel barking in my life. There’s no wordplay like this wordplay.

“Are you insane, human? Did you all collectively take some drug or what?”

“Well, to explain, it’s complicated-“

*

“-it all comes down to economics.”

“Economics?”

The Treasury Department headquarters located in the capital of Abas. The command center overseeing the kingdom’s economy.

In a high place in that building, the lights were turned on in the office of the Budget and Finance Bureau of the Treasury Department.

Quite a few lights were on in the place that handles the budgets of all government departments. And the office with the nameplate “Chief Review Officer” was located in the second deepest part of the bureau.

I look at the old-fashioned nameplate.

It had the name “Charles,” the surname “Nostrum,” and the title “Chief Review Officer” engraved on it.

-Slap!

“Ouch.”

“Little brother. Don’t play with Father’s nameplate.”

“I wasn’t playing…”

A ruler struck my hand, and the other person snatched the nameplate from my grasp. My brother Jerry, who lived steeped in fatigue, looked like he had aged about ten years since I last saw him.

As I put the nameplate back in its place and organized the ruler, my father’s voice continued to the grumpy-looking me with a protruding mouth.

“Please stop fighting. Now you’re even coming to your dad’s workplace to argue?”

“I work here. The only outsider is Frederick.”

“Jerry started it first.”

“…Alright. It’s my fault, so please stop fighting. Dad is tired.”

The Treasury Department’s Budget and Finance Bureau Chief Review Officer, Charles Nostrum, seemed exasperated by his childish sons’ (who are civil servants) squabbling. Judging by his half-enlightened face, it was obvious.

Anyway.

I visited this place to hear my father’s expert opinion, as he handles quite a bit of the budget in the Treasury Department. And I was able to get some answers to my questions.

“Let’s get back to what we were talking about. You were curious about why the church can acknowledge past issues but can’t apologize?”

“Yes. You said it was because of economics.”

“Right. Economics is the cause of all problems.”

Like a bureaucrat who has been working in the Treasury Department for over 25 years, my father’s answer was simply “economics.”

The high-ranking Treasury official, biting the arm of his glasses, gently moved his leather chair from side to side.

It was quite remarkable that he could casually put the tortoiseshell glasses frame, worth at least ten million won in Korean currency, in his mouth without a second thought, but since I’d seen this at home all the time, I just accepted it.

“When the church moves to resolve past issues, it’s natural that other countries will claim compensation. If direct compensation to victims is possible, the claims would come from them, but for victims who have died or wrongdoings from too long ago—for example, looting and arson during the Crusades centuries ago, or issues like the Al-Yabd oppression—there arises a somewhat ambiguous situation of ‘not knowing whom to compensate.'”

“It would be difficult to find each descendant one by one.”

“Of course, that doesn’t mean the obligation to compensate disappears.”

In such cases, the state can step in to claim compensation on behalf of the victims, and the church must pay compensation to that state.

According to my father’s explanation, that’s how it works. He said there are actual precedents where countries with colonial empire backgrounds compensated for damages from slavery and exploitation in this way.

The problem was that the compensation wasn’t just a small amount of money.

“The exact amount the church should compensate overseas for past issues is unknown. There are many estimated amounts calculated by think tanks, but each institution has a different calculation method, so it’s hard to say they’re accurate. But even considering that, the compensation the church would have to pay is astronomical.”

“How astronomical?”

“Well. Based on the estimates of our Royal Economic Association, it’s at least 62 trillion shillings.”

“…62 trillion shillings? Not 62 billion, not 620 billion?”

It was literally an astronomical amount.

As far as I know, 100 billion shillings is roughly equivalent to 130 trillion won in Korean currency. 1 trillion shillings would be 1,300 trillion, so 62 trillion is…

8 quadrillion?

Even without the remainder, 8 quadrillion. Can such a compensation amount even exist?

Church, what kind of battles have you been fighting for 2,000 years?

It was a jaw-dropping result.

“It’s an amount they can pay, right…?”

“I don’t know. But if I had to bet, I’d bet on the impossible.”

Charles Nostrum boldly declared his boarding of the doom bus while cleaning his glasses. He was saying the church’s economy would collapse if they tried to pay it.

The Treasury budget reviewer explained:

“It goes without saying that the compensation amount is ridiculously high and far exceeds the church’s total annual budget. Since they don’t have the ability to pay in the short term, they would have to pay in installments. So if actual compensation is decided, installment payment would be the most realistic solution to be discussed.”

“……”

“The problem is that as the compensation amount increases and the repayment period extends, the church’s ability to pay disappears. Economics is a field that’s difficult even for the Treasury to predict, and above all, there’s no guarantee that prosperity will continue.”

At this point, the sweet hopeful thought of ‘Can’t the government tighten its belt and somehow manage?’ crossed my mind.

Unfortunately, my father seemed to think differently.

“Both the church and the affected countries agree that immediate compensation is financially impossible. But I don’t think things will improve even if the State Council rigorously adjusts the budget and decides on installment payments. It might even get worse.”

First, he said the very idea of cutting the budget was problematic.

“Tightening the belt means cutting the budget, and such a budget is usually called government spending…”

My father, who had lightly opened the introduction, checked his glasses and put them back on.

Then, pushing his chair close to the desk, he continued his explanation.

“The church’s fiscal balance has been recording deficits for the past five years.”

“Frederick here dropped social studies and replaced it with history, so he won’t understand what you’re saying.”

“Shut up for a bit, brother.”

I pushed aside the face of my brother Jerry, who suddenly interrupted and made a snarky comment. As expected of a Treasury official who cuts budgets, his personality was quite nasty. I should cause him a traffic accident or something later.

Anyway, my father’s explanation was like this:

The budget is referred to as “government spending” in economics. The money the government has to spend in a year. It means the amount being spent.

Conversely, “revenue” refers to tax revenue, and what comes out when you subtract spending from this revenue is the “fiscal balance.”

“To put it simply, it’s like the money that comes out when you subtract rent, transportation costs, utilities, and leisure expenses from your monthly salary. If it’s plus, it’s a surplus; if it’s minus, it’s a deficit.”

“Why are you excluding food expenses? That should be calculated too.”

“You went to the military.”

“We pay for the food they give us in the unit.”

“Ah, is that so? Not in the Treasury.”

“…Are you looking for a fight?”

Anyway.

The statement that the church’s fiscal balance is recording a deficit means, in other words, that the budget flowing out is much more than the taxes collected.

In fact, even if they cut the budget, there wouldn’t be enough money left to pay compensation.

Why?

There was no need to think too complexly.

Because the church has accumulated debt to repay besides the compensation.

“Welfare, even if they secure austerity by reducing the budget, it’s not easy to pay off 62 trillion in compensation. As the fiscal deficit continues, the church’s debt is steadily rising. They’ve issued so many government bonds and borrowed tremendously.”

One of the easiest and quickest options for a country to cover a deficit is to print bonds indiscriminately.

Or ask a foreign government to lend some money.

The important thing is that both government bonds and borrowing generate interest on top of the principal. The state must diligently repay both the borrowed principal and the interest attached to it.

If they can’t do this and request a grace period saying, “We can’t pay the interest right now… Please give us a little time~,” that’s a moratorium.

Conversely, if the treasury is burning due to a Great Depression-level economic crisis and they can’t repay anything, be it principal or whatever, becoming completely broke, that’s a default.

In more elegant terms, it’s a situation where the country is fucked.

So here’s a question.

What would Pope Raphael say if he were to shoulder both the 62 trillion shilling compensation—about 8 quadrillion 600 trillion won in Korean currency—and the existing national debt?

The answer is,

“Save me!”

“Finance inherently involves transactions with risk. State finances are the same.”

My father says.

The essence of money is credit.

“The government borrows money to invest in development projects and build infrastructure, but no revenue is generated, or the economy deteriorates? In that case, what happens to that country’s credit rating?”

“It would naturally fall. I’ve heard that recently, a church-affiliated sovereign fund was on the verge of declaring a moratorium, so considering that, the impact would be severe when a compensation bill arrives.”

“That’s probably right. The massive compensation would make people doubt the church’s ability to repay domestic and foreign debts. It wouldn’t be welcome news for creditors, that is, foreign governments that have lent money to the church.”

It’s a natural principle. Who would be happy if it looked like they couldn’t get back the money they lent?

For reference, the Abas government was in a position to receive tens of billions of shillings in refinancing from the church.

In this case, if massive compensation is claimed from the church, the Abas government, as one of the creditors, would have to wait for several years, sucking their fingers and wondering, “When will we get our money…? Shouldn’t we at least get interest…” That’s what it means.

No wonder. There was a reason my father’s complexion turned dark as soon as I brought up the church’s compensation issue.

“I guess we’ll have to forget about getting back the money we lent for a few years. It might even take a decade or more.”

“It would be fortunate if we get it back whether it takes 20 or 30 years. Imagine if the church declares default saying they can’t repay when government bonds mature. Can’t you see a future where we all hold hands and walk into the Great Depression together? There are so many institutions that have lent money to the church…”

My father, saying this, was almost on the verge of becoming a corpse. How distressed he must be, considering that the Abas economy might take the route to delisting along with other countries.

While my father was pressing his temples and complaining of a migraine, I carefully considered the positions of various governments.

“You’re saying the church borrowed money from all over?”

“Of course. Since it was originally a place with high credit, there’s hardly a place that didn’t lend to them, from the Kyen Treasury to our Treasury, to the Economic Department of the Fatalia Republic.”

Okay.

By this point, any reasonable government would be on high alert regarding the compensation discussion. When the Treasury Department screams “We’re all going to die!” whether it’s the Foreign Ministry or the Intelligence Department, they start turning their radars in all directions.

Any decent leader would probably be placing a bucket of water in their office right now, praying, “Please don’t apologize… Please…”

It’s obvious without even looking.

By the way, an economic crisis.

…Sigh.

“If everyone declares default together, should I sell my house and buy stocks then?”

“You’re talking nonsense.”

“Then how about breaking my pension and investing?”

“We call that speculation, not investment. And if you put your assets into that, what would your dad hear when called to the Senate? It’s already a time when we’re preparing for a parliamentary investigation…”

“Just say your son has belatedly found talent in investment.”

“If you hit a bear market, you’ll be penniless.”

“Couldn’t I prepare for that?”

“Do you think you could?”

“…No, why are you suddenly hitting a nerve.”

“Stop it, don’t go checking the river temperature.”

“Geez…”

Anyway.

I summarized the views of the Abas Treasury Department in a brief summary.

First, the church does not have the capacity to pay the 62 trillion shilling compensation estimated by the royal think tank. This is an astronomical compensation exceeding 8 quadrillion in Korean currency, and there’s a possibility that even more could be claimed in reality.

Second, if the church decides to pay the compensation, other countries will have their spines broken too. If lucky, various governments might be able to patch things up by selling church assets, but in the worst case, they might be sucked into the swamp of the Great Depression like 17th-century black slaves on slave ships, with their ankles chained together. My father personally believed the latter was a more realistic future (and a result where Abas gets fucked).

Third, even if the church succeeds in extreme economic dieting and economic indicators fly to Mars, allowing them to repay all the compensation, problems remain.

“If they drastically cut the budget to reduce spending, no one can predict how long the damage will last. Both internally and externally. If the church’s welfare budget evaporates, where would the vulnerable groups cared for in overseas charity houses go?”

“……”

“But I don’t think we need to worry about this.”

“Why?”

“Because the church won’t try to pay the compensation. Of course, they won’t refuse compensation solely for economic reasons, and they have little justification to do so… But didn’t you say it yourself? They would acknowledge historical wrongdoings but-“

*

“…they won’t apologize.”

“What kind of novel nonsense is this, sis?”

“They have no intention of paying compensation.”

With a thud, Adela closed the binder and slapped it with her palm, burying her tired body deep in the chair.

“‘We acknowledge but won’t apologize’—this means the church won’t apologize in an official form. It means they’ll only express regret, essentially.”

“Is it because making an official apology would be tantamount to acknowledging legal responsibility?”

“The moment a government officially apologizes, it becomes the government’s official position. It could work unfavorably in court rulings, and it would also impose a certain level of compulsion on the church’s diplomatic policies.”

The Abas Foreign Ministry official seemed to be reading a children’s book to a younger sibling.

Instead of explaining everything kindly one by one, she just skimmed through with an attitude of “you probably know this anyway.”

Maybe it’s because she had a neck pillow? She looked twice as lazy as usual. Does she sleep at work?

“If you worked as a defense attaché, you should have understood this perfectly. What have you been doing at the embassy all this time? I told you to watch and learn.”

“Espionage.”

“Well done, brother dear.”

Adela continued her explanation while pressing her neck pillow.

“As I said earlier, a government officially admitting guilt is a decision with enormous risk. Especially in the diplomatic world. In a situation where diplomats’ heads swing between heaven and hell over a single statement or a line in an agreement.”

This was also why diplomats favored rhetorical methods that turned people’s clothes inside out. There was no better tai chi than wordplay for shifting responsibility.

In my estimation, if my sister hadn’t become a diplomat and had gone into the media industry instead, she might have been very successful. She far outstripped any keyboard warrior, so I think she would have done well as an MC. Or she might have been quickly expelled due to controversial remarks.

Anyway.

Adela’s explanation was very simple. Simple enough for a 7-year-old child to understand.

“You can see it as the church having no intention of acknowledging responsibility. They acknowledge that the church committed wrongdoings in the past, but they find it troublesome if they’re held responsible… Kind of like that feeling?”

“It’s similar to how former colonial empires don’t apologize for colonial rule.”

“Yes, exactly that. When foreign media ask if they’re willing to make a public apology, they all end with just one phrase, ‘We regret it,’ and flatly refuse to apologize. It’s also similar to how governments that lose lawsuits pay damages under the names of support, aid, or cooperation instead of compensation.”

“Since officially, they haven’t compensated.”

“They might call it ‘economic aid for countries of former colonial origin’ or ‘infrastructure reconstruction fund’… but honestly, you know what it is, right? It’s all wordplay.”

“Diplomatic rhetoric sometimes strangely messes with people’s feelings. Anyway, I think the church will similarly compensate under the name of aid, though of course, that’s assuming compensation is actually decided…”

“It’s 100%. This is obvious without even looking. If they properly label it as compensation and pay? Then I’ll be Ayla’s sister from that day on.”

She was saying it would absolutely never happen.

It was the confident assertion of a master of national-level tai chi (called a diplomat).

“…Hmm.”

I gathered different interpretations from the Treasury and Foreign Ministries based on the basic position I received from Veronica.

Apart from the stories told by my family, I had acquaintances working in various places whom I had met while working as an intelligence officer for the Ministry of Defense. So the process of gathering opinions was quite swift.

Each department focused on different aspects, but looking at the results, Abas officials weighted one argument:

That holding the church accountable for compensation right now is ‘realistically impossible,’ and at the same time, the church ‘is likely unable to pay the full compensation’ or ‘has no intention of spending even 1 shilling.’

For reference, there was someone who argued that while full compensation might be impossible due to practical issues, they would definitely compensate at least partially.

He was a former Abas Kingdom ambassador to the church, the head of mission I had met when I was first assigned to the church.

He had risen to quite a high position in the time I hadn’t seen him.

Anyway.

“……”

The former ambassador suggested the possibility of partial compensation. However, high-ranking Foreign Ministry officials unanimously shook their heads, saying it was impossible.

The basis was that adjusting the compensation amount would ultimately only benefit the church.

From the perspective of countries with claims, it would be like ‘cooking porridge and feeding it to an enemy.’

“Well, if the compensation amount is reduced, it’s not the church but other governments that would have their heads roll…”

I was walking in a park in the capital of Abas, where cold winds were blowing fiercely. I also had a hastily packed carrier dangling in my hand.

I had briefly returned to find a way to persuade Lucia, and I had found somewhat fresh grounds from Abas government officials and third-country diplomats.

But none of them seemed capable of moving Lucia’s heart.

Political, economic, and diplomatic logic did not move with emotion. The logic of authorities premised on rationality inevitably clashes with irrationality in the name of faith. Or else it clashes with belief.

I needed a different basis. I had to find a new way to persuade Lucia.

Or else bring in an expert.

“Taxi!”

“Where would you like to go?”

“Please take me to the Immigration Office.”

I loaded my carrier into the trunk, and the taxi moved forward through the rush hour.

I had someone I needed to meet.

*

“……”

“……”

“…So, you need my help? Because Lucia is assaulting old people with a mace and no one dares to stop her.”

“That seems quite abbreviated, but speaking in terms of results, that could be said to be the case. Camilla, you’re a magician.”

“That’s a Harry Potter line.”

The girl, who had been standing with a somewhat dumbfounded expression, nodded with a bright smile.

It was a very vigorous nod and an unmistakably affirmative gesture.

“Well, I don’t mind either way… Alright! I’ll go and see what I can do.”

“Oh thank you so much.”

I felt like I was about to cry.

Finally, I would be able to face the holy berserker with a mace. How reassuring it was to have a white knight who could protect me if necessary.

It was a completely different level of reassurance compared to a revolver or a black-headed beast (the demon-handling bully).

As I was wiping away tears that hadn’t actually fallen, Camilla, whom I hadn’t met in a while, was tying her hair band when she asked a question. It didn’t seem that long ago that she had a medium-length bob, but already her red hair had grown down past her shoulders.

“But can I ask you one thing, Frederick?”

“Go ahead.”

“Why me specifically? Just because I can use magic doesn’t mean I can freely subdue Lucia.”

Swish swish, Camilla threw jabs in the air as she asked. Why had I singled her out for this request?

For reference, she was staying in the Empire because the grand magician, who had spectacularly failed to educate his disciple several times, had brought her to his home country saying, “This time I’ll somehow fix your mindset.”

When crossing the warp gate, he had tucked Camilla under his arm like some luggage, and when she kept crying for help, he borrowed tape from the exit facility management staff to gag her. Looking at just that moment, it was almost believable that it was a kidnapping.

Like a calf being dragged to the slaughterhouse, Camilla had looked at me pitifully.

But when I met her again, as if she had never cried, she was practicing magic with a peaceful appearance. And in a huge mansion of several hundred pyeong at that.

Such a bourgeois.

“That’s…”

I opened my mouth, dabbing at my eyes with a handkerchief.

To give a very sincere answer.

“Aren’t you an expert?”

“Me? I’m not such a great person.”

“Among the European countries that received colonial compensation claims, didn’t the UK receive overwhelmingly more claims than France, Germany, Spain, and Italy combined? Plus, you happen to be majoring in conflict studies.”

“……”

“When it comes to past reconciliation and compensation-related issues, there wouldn’t be a better expert in this world than you. Especially in the field of refusing compensation, yes. So please go and persuade Lucia. I think I’m going to die at this rate-“

“…ju.”

“Huh?”

“…ju, just die!!!”