Ch.577Episode 21 – Peace in Our Time

Life is like the two sides of a thin card, where light and darkness coexist, divided by a fragile boundary.

There is no perfection in this world.

Just as where there is light, there is always a shadow.

Born as humans, we all carry flaws, and no one can escape this vast fate.

That is why destiny always rests in the hands of people.

Episode 21 – Peace in Our Time

A most unpleasant rebellion had erupted.

The Saint and the Pope were going at it, rank insignias cast aside.

It was an unprecedented case of insubordination, which explained why Camilla’s jaw had dropped.

With a face flushed as red as her hair and a voice raised to new heights.

Much like a British governor witnessing colonized people staging an independence protest, Camilla couldn’t hide her shock and snapped at Lucia.

“Bloody hell…. Lucia, come here!”

“Why, what’s wrong…?”

“Camilla. Let’s get outside and try to… try to persuade her… Never mind. Let’s just get out of here first.”

“Understood!”

After Camilla dragged away Lucia, who was wrapped in chains, and disappeared.

I clutched my throbbing forehead, shuddering at the total strike of the neural union controlling my autonomic nervous system.

Oh, my head.

What kind of lunatic would lock someone in an underground storage room? Look at all this dust and mold. How musty it is.

“…Sigh.”

Looking at the clear imprint of buttocks on the layers of dust atop a box, I let out a sigh so deep it felt like the ground might cave in.

Not a single peaceful day. Not one.

“What possessed her to cause such an incident…”

*

The ecclesiastical system forms the foundation of the church organization.

Just as a state is established on the premise of basic rights—represented by life and liberty—and the constitution that guarantees them, religion exists through the establishment of orderly structure.

From that perspective, Lucia’s insubordination was an extremely dangerous act.

When something everyone perceives as certain collapses, other things will fall like dominoes.

Not only did she nearly disrupt order, but she even resorted to force.

And against the Pope, no less.

However, the fact that the Saint had committed insubordination was kept strictly confidential.

Given that even high-ranking clergy didn’t have access to proper information, I easily noticed the Pope’s hand at work.

And that’s where my questions began.

Why did the Pope conceal the truth?

With the church in turmoil over historical accountability and reparations, insubordination would have been virtually the only nuclear-level fatal blow Raphael could have dealt to Lucia, who stood at the center of the whirlwind.

Yet the Pope abandoned this political offensive.

Instead, he decided to quietly bury the matter.

Why did Lucia resort to violence?

Fundamentally, she disliked causing discord.

Unlike the First Saint who constantly grated on people’s nerves, she had never even engaged in common arguments with others.

For such a Saint, bashing someone’s head was an event that occurred only under mutual agreement for a fair fight,

Or when the opponent was a sinful bastard in urgent need of a one-way ticket to hell.

There was no phrase less suited to Lucia than “unprovoked violence.” Perhaps a senile old man from the northern Empire with a nasty temper might be different.

Some argue that most problems can be solved with violence, but Lucia was certainly not the type to resolve issues that way.

Did the Northern Archduke put wind in her lungs to incite insubordination?

I’d sooner believe Bill Gates implanted a chip in her brain to control her. What nonsense is this?

Nevertheless, the vivid reality unfolding before our eyes remained unchanged.

The cruelty of common sense dying in real-time, mountains of questions.

What Camilla and I commonly felt was frustration.

Why on earth?

As soon as we uttered that exclamation mixed with unbearable wonder, what came back was a remarkably concise and clear one-word answer.

“There was a minor disagreement.”

“You’re saying you cracked someone’s head with a mace over an argument?”

“I didn’t attack his head! What do you take me for…!”

The attempted assassin of the sitting Pope. The Saint who, for the first time in history, had challenged the Pope to a physical confrontation after setting aside rank, retorted sharply, but I ignored her and turned my gaze toward Camilla.

“Isn’t she basically admitting she beat up an old man like a dog? Look at how confidently she’s speaking! Does this make any sense?”

“I know, right…”

“Good heavens, Zelna have mercy…”

Camilla couldn’t shake off the shock, her face looking as if the world had collapsed.

Her empty, pitiful gaze resembled that of a French intelligence acquaintance watching Notre Dame Cathedral engulfed in flames. That’s how shocked she was.

The disciple who had tried to escape her master’s clutches while attempting to persuade Lucia, who was embroiled in political controversy, finally faced reality. She realized that what she thought was a path of flowers was actually a path of fire.

They say there’s no paradise in the place you flee to.

Even the Grand Magician couldn’t have predicted that the price of her scheming would be so spicy. But it’s too late to return to the Empire now, so what can she do?

I offered a bitter consolation that wasn’t really consolation.

“Camilla. Don’t avoid the responsibility that comes with your choices.”

“Just shut up.”

It wasn’t much help.

“A verbal dispute turning into a fistfight. You’re not teenagers, Lucia. How could grown adults behave like this?”

“……”

“Was it really necessary to go that far?”

Expressing her frustration, Camilla began pacing around and pouring out words to Lucia. She seemed slightly angry.

“You were the one who strongly advocated resolving historical issues. But why resort to violence when you’re already at a disadvantage where verbal persuasion isn’t enough? This is completely different from the Lucia I knew.”

The person who came to persuade Lucia now found herself reprimanding her. But from the voice tinged with indignation as if it were her own problem, I could sense her concern for her colleague.

Though the questions seemed similar at a glance, their implications were clearly different.

She asked about necessity, not cause.

What she truly wanted to know wasn’t the action that produced the result, but the inner thoughts that moved Lucia.

It seemed this would be quite a long story.

That’s why the intelligence officer-in-training had brought alcohol, claiming it would help with honest conversation.

That was the root of the problem.

*

Every incident has cause and effect.

There is no accident without a cause, nor any disaster that cannot be foreseen.

The cause Lucia revealed went back to a fairly old encounter.

Actually, calling it old would be somewhat inaccurate. In terms of time, it had been less than a few months.

“…The blood-drinking tree. You all must remember it.”

The cult terrorist attack in the Zamria Federation. A tree that nearly destroyed a major city using humans as sacrifices.

Beginning with the theft of the Saint’s blood, followed by the intervention of the Holy Knights, and infiltration into the Necropolis where the esoteric religion and exiled mages coexisted.

Finally, Al-Qahir was revealed as the mastermind.

A tree that appeared in Nubuktu.

And the ringleader who was eliminated.

“Of course. We struggled for hours just to cut down one tree. Arkande joined us around that time too.”

“The damage was quite severe, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. Very, very severe.”

We won. At the same time, we lost many things.

Casualties numbering in the tens of thousands, refugees far exceeding hundreds of thousands, and the international political situation in the North Mauritanian continent plunging into uncertainty.

The ball launched by the blood-drinking tree still remains an unextinguished ember, instigating discord everywhere.

“After Al-Qahir gained notoriety, people claiming to be ‘messiahs’ began to emerge. Attacks imitating it are flourishing, driven by the sole desire to burn the world, and countless derivative groups are being formed by those who claim to be spiritual successors.”

This was a phenomenon commonly seen around us.

Just as Al-Qaeda’s subgroups spread to Saudi Arabia and Yemen even after Bin Laden was eliminated. Just as Daesh (ISIL), which had terrorized Iraq, fragmented into numerous derivative groups roaming the Sahel desert region despite its collapse.

This situation was no different in context.

A large organization had divided into subgroups, derivatives were rampant, and copycat attacks were prevalent.

The backgrounds might differ, but the essence was the same.

The only problem was that these attacks weren’t improvised explosives, but black magic that instantly mummified living people or transformed cemeteries into scorched fields.

That would be fine.

Minor copycat terrorism could be somewhat “managed” by magical departments and counter-terrorism agencies.

But Lucia’s concern lay elsewhere.

“The leader of Al-Qahir harbored resentment against our church. From my personal investigation, I learned that a priest from a country that once existed in the Mauritanian continent remained silent in the face of a massacre by government forces. There were even moments when he cooperated with the dictatorship.”

“……”

“Although it’s now a non-existent country, we all know someone who was born there.”

It was an extremely cautious implication.

But no one here was foolish enough not to grasp its meaning.

Therefore, Lucia asserts:

“I want to prevent it. In the sense of not repeating the same mistake.”

Silence follows. A brief but sufficiently long silence.

Camilla, who had been standing quietly for a while, suddenly broke the silence.

Her tone was infinitely gentle and kind, and the resonance in her murmur was soft enough to unlock any latch.

“Acknowledging wrongdoing and seeking forgiveness… To prevent victims from potentially becoming perpetrators. To break the cycle of violence… It’s a good intention.”

Camilla expressed her empathy in a refreshing voice. Yet she still refused to yield her own position.

“But honestly… I’m not sure if it’s necessary to go this far, Lucia. This approach is too aggressive.”

“The same person might emerge again. Sometimes, beginnings come at unexpected moments.”

“Isn’t that a logical leap?”

Not everyone who suffers unjust harm seeks bloody revenge. That was the essence of Camilla’s point.

“Even if one becomes a victim of unreasonable violence, thinking about taking a life and actually doing it are issues of different dimensions. A person with normal ethical values wouldn’t redirect their arrows at those unrelated to their revenge, creating innocent victims.”

Many people dream of revenge for personal grudges.

But few actually carry out revenge, and even fewer express their anger in the wrong direction.

“One can harbor resentment for past wrongs committed by the church. And demand an apology. Forgiveness is a legitimate right of the victim, isn’t it?”

Nevertheless, one shouldn’t attack church clergy or threaten innocent civilians with a knife to seek justice.

Taking an innocent life without just cause is an unforgivable crime in any situation. No matter how wronged one feels, one shouldn’t play with human lives.

A sensible person wouldn’t turn hundreds of thousands of ordinary people into fertilizer for a tree.

So Camilla could confidently say:

“Lucia. If your reason for dwelling on historical issues is because of that incident… we shouldn’t resolve conflicts this way. You know it’s not right to oppress others with force.”

“Yes.”

“Even if we seek forgiveness, there’s no guarantee that terrorism like last time won’t happen again.”

“I agree with that as well.”

“If you’re truly concerned about everyone’s life and safety, why not explore alternatives? Whether it’s establishing preventive systems through investigative agencies and international organizations, or seeking other ways to prevent terrorism in advance.”

In other words, forget about apologies and mobilize the military and police to crush the terrorists. Or have inquisitors grind them underfoot.

Camilla might protest that wasn’t her intention, but regardless of intent, interpretation is everyone’s freedom.

And considering her major in conflict studies, her desired career in intelligence agencies, and crucially, the fact that she’s British.

This interpretation aligned with Camilla’s intentions to some extent.

In fact, barring the emergence of other pointed solutions, this was the most realistic alternative.

“You sound similar to His Holiness the Pope.”

Lucia murmured in a calm voice. And given that she had just had a confrontation with the Pope, this was a clear sign of rejection.

Despite being flatly rejected, Camilla refused to give up until the end. A bitter smile, like a child tasting bitter coffee, appeared on her face.

“If they were the kind of people who would lay down their weapons after an apology, they wouldn’t have tried to harm others in the first place. What such criminals need isn’t tolerance but punishment.”

“From a judicial perspective, that’s true. But that’s precisely why I believe we must seek forgiveness and show tolerance.”

“But that won’t completely solve the problem, will it?”

It was at this point that Camilla’s expertise shone.

She began to mention all existing cases of external conflicts involving religious orders. She started to thoroughly dissect historical wrongdoings, along with the intricately intertwined interests of international society.

Diplomatic frictions arising from the oppression of church believers abroad,

Trade wars fiercely contested from strategic perspectives,

Military competition unfolding to secure the interests of respective allies and friends in bilateral confrontational structures,

And the public opinion in civil society that is deteriorating day by day as a result.

The cases she presented were conflict scenarios repeatedly played out during the Cold War and the New Cold War.

Like Russians treating Americans as obstacles, and the White House kicking Chinese companies over the Xinjiang Uyghur issue.

To this, Camilla argues:

That in the current situation, acknowledging historical wrongdoings is definitely not a decision that can be made easily.

If an apology is attempted, the other side will demand much responsibility for “forgiveness,” which will burden the church to an extent that can hardly be defined as “reparation.”

Above all, she mentioned that domestic public opinion wouldn’t accept it.

If they were to selectively seek forgiveness from specific countries out of concern for public opinion, they would surely face diplomatic protests at the level of verbal abuse. Therefore, Camilla cautiously suggested “let’s wait a little longer and observe the situation.”

Needless to say, this was an extremely political perspective.

At the same time, it was also a quintessentially British insight.

Despite using various diplomatic rhetoric and deflection to put it nicely, to define Camilla’s argument in one sentence…

‘If we apologize now, both Lucia and Raphael will be politically screwed, so let’s keep quiet and endure! The reparation issue will quiet down over time anyway! Let’s hold out until time solves it!’

…Isn’t that what she’s saying?

Crush terrorists with force and stay silent on historical issues? Is this truly the European way of thinking?

As expected, the country with the most independence days created worldwide was different in everything it did. This makes me understand why companies only hire experienced professionals.

“……”

Lucia silently listened to Camilla’s outpouring ten times over.

And when the grand speech came to an end,

The Saint finally opened her mouth.

“So, what you’re telling me is essentially to halt the discussion on historical reconciliation.”

“…Huh?”

Bull’s-eye.

Not expecting to be caught off guard, Camilla stared at her counterpart with a dumbfounded expression. Maybe it was the alcohol. Unlike usual, she became slightly disoriented as soon as she lost her composure.

Regardless, Lucia merely continued to present her argument in a nonchalant tone.

“That’s not possible. This issue must be resolved.”

“No, no! Lucia!”

The voice grew louder.

Unusually flustered, Camilla paced around as if organizing her thoughts. But it seemed too hard to bear. She even jumped up and down in place, lamenting with despair.

“If you wanted to resolve it that badly, you should have done it properly! What were you thinking, resorting to violence against the elders when they wouldn’t listen?! This isn’t Germany or something—did you think they’d just say ‘Sehr gut!’ and follow orders like someone being beaten?”

“Wait a minute… No, what’s with the sudden racial discrimination? Just because you left the European Union, we’re not fellow Europeans anymore?”

“Stay crumpled, Frederick. Unless you want a beating too.”

What the hell. I couldn’t help but look at the British woman with a bewildered expression.

I’m not some colonial slave—you’re threatening to beat me just for opening my mouth? This is so absurd I don’t know what to say.

I wanted to give her a good smack, but sadly, I was the weakest one here, and Camilla was currently intoxicated. And a drunk person has always been the eternal enemy of public service, the worst of all troublesome complainants who cause all sorts of mischief.

That’s why I, as a civil servant, quietly retreated to a corner.

Bang! Camilla pounded the floor and raised her voice as if she couldn’t bear the frustration.

“I understand this issue is important to Lucia! But we have no idea why you’re pushing it through despite the obvious controversy and resistance!”

“……”

“Don’t you think it’s time to tell us? Why you’re going this far.”

The answer came after a slight pause.

Lucia, who had been sitting quietly with her eyes closed, opened her mouth after a rather long silence.

Her voice was calmer than expected.

To be precise,

“Low and subdued” would be the appropriate description.

“You asked why seeking forgiveness is so important.”

“Yes.”

“How can someone who has forgotten how to confess their sins demand that others confess their sins and beg for mercy just because they serve in the clergy?”