Ch.870Adamante’s Proposal

Do you affirm the possibility of reformation?

“Reformation?”

I tilted my head, wondering why he suddenly posed such a theological question.

Reformation? Surely he wasn’t referring to “labor reformation” where people are locked in concentration camps and worked to death.

Given this world’s religious views, reformation and “labor reformation” might be synonymous… but probably not.

If they wanted to kill someone that way, they could just burn them at the stake and be done with it.

So the word “reformation” that Adamante uttered probably carried its dictionary meaning.

The practice of beating a rotten person within an inch of their life, or providing repetitive education until scripture flows from their lips at the slightest touch, transforming them into a new person.

“Well, I suppose it’s possible with enough effort. But why bring this up suddenly? Don’t tell me you want to try reforming those people?”

That seems rather difficult.

“Indeed. Those who sin must pay the price, but there’s no reason their sins should extend to their wives and children. They’ve simply been raised with wrong teachings, so if we correct that with proper education…”

Adamante launched into a lengthy explanation.

He proposed accepting the innocent Ka’har people as second-class citizens of Hestella, then teaching them proper common sense and culture to reintegrate them as full citizens of the kingdom.

It was an unexpectedly merciful approach from someone who was supposed to be an Inquisitor of the Church of Astraea.

“Is that even possible?”

Resocializing the Ka’har to fit the West.

Honestly, it seemed like a plan with low probability of success. The East and West had fundamentally different ways of thinking.

Well, there was the success case of Jahan… but he couldn’t be used as an example.

Jahan’s loyalty to Hersella was far stronger than his identity as Ka’har, so he hadn’t exactly adapted to the West as a result of education.

Besides, the animosity between Westerners and the Ka’har wasn’t something that could be casually smoothed over.

That was only natural. They were enemies who went to war again whenever enough time had passed for memories to fade.

Westerners despised the Ka’har, and the Ka’har scorned Westerners. I was treated as a devil who deserved to be killed.

Well, I suppose that’s fair. Not only did I freely use sorcery, I even killed the Kagan, and now I’ve committed a historically unprecedented massacre.

National destruction, patricide, and mass slaughter of my countrymen.

Not just a traitor, but a sorcerer traitor who achieved the triple crown of villainy. How could anyone view me positively?

“There will certainly be much resistance, but… it’s worth trying. This is our only chance. Right now, they fear Astika.”

…Is that so?

It seemed both reasonable and unreasonable at the same time.

It was difficult to give a definitive answer.

—-

We gathered together for a lengthy discussion about whether to accept Adamante’s proposal.

It wasn’t a smooth discussion.

First, Joshua expressed concern that the people of Landenburg would strongly object, saying that even he himself felt resistance at the thought of accepting the Ka’har as citizens.

“Isn’t that right, Lord Nigel?”

“What? Ah, that. Um. Is that what you mean…?”

Joshua looked toward Nigel with an expression suggesting that as a fellow sword of Landenburg, he must share the same opinion…

“Resistance? Well. Isn’t it fine…? No, wouldn’t it be fine? We are no longer swords of Landenburg but swords of Hestella now.”

Nigel, with flushed cheeks, rambled uncharacteristically while occasionally glancing at someone.

“Good heavens, they say raising a daughter is pointless…”

Joshua trembled with shock. Like a father whose precious daughter had brought home some bleached-blond delinquent and called him her husband.

Of course, Nigel wasn’t his daughter—Joshua simply cherished his young junior colleague like a daughter, but still.

“A resocialization education institution… that sounds good.”

Lacy showed considerable interest in Adamante’s opinion.

“Would you consider letting me handle the educational curriculum?”

“…I’ll think about it.”

Her interest seemed overflowing with something ominous.

I could tell just by her eyes.

The “educational curriculum” Lacy spoke of wasn’t meant to teach national common sense to foreigners seeking naturalization.

Not that kind of soft, moderate education, but rather extreme brainwashing to create a fanatical holy army.

“Jahan, what do you think? Does it seem possible?”

“…Honestly, I’m not sure. Normally it would be impossible, but given how terrified they are… Perhaps they might willingly accept Lord Haschal’s rule and choose to serve him as Khan.”

He was saying there was a possibility.

Hostility toward sorcerers is only possible when the opponent is at a manageable level.

When faced with a monster who can summon giant flying carriages and burn entire cities, it’s extremely difficult to show hostility just because they use sorcery.

It sounded like saying people only get angry at those they can handle, which was almost laughable.

Well, that’s how bandits are. Despite calling themselves a warrior people, the Ka’har were fundamentally just a large group of mounted bandits.

“Miss. I had the same thought as Lord Adamante… but there’s a reason I didn’t voice it. Listen.”

Leonore was in the opposition. Her reason was simple.

“I don’t know what that bald man is thinking, but… looking at relations between nations, the Empire wouldn’t want Hestella to grow beyond a ‘kingdom.'”

She was convinced the Empire wouldn’t want this.

“We may be strong allies now, but who knows what will happen a hundred years from now.”

There are no eternal alliances between nations. It was a sharp observation.

“Just look at Panam. That country was once one of our strongest allies too. But what about now? If King Danon hadn’t died, they might have even threatened the Empire’s borders.”

From the Empire’s perspective, Hestella accepting the Ka’har as citizens meant the possibility of expanding its territory beyond the Wall into the East.

In other words, it could grow from a mere kingdom into an empire spanning both West and East.

If time passed and the bonds between the Empire and Hestella weakened, an army combining East and West might invade the Empire, unconcerned with barriers like the Wall.

So the Empire would inevitably object—that was her argument.

“Let them.”

Of course, that wasn’t my concern.

I didn’t think the Empire, having obtained the power of airships, would fear the birth of another empire.

What could a combined East-West army do against the Empire?

Without knowing how to build airships, they would ultimately retreat in defeat. Like marines retreating in panic at the sound of air force anthems.

This wasn’t the time to worry about what might happen a hundred years later.

Unless we completely annihilated the remaining apostles including Feirus, this world would eventually become a hell.

A hellscape where dragon lords fly through the skies, superhuman warriors of Great’s Twelve Knights caliber emerge from each race, and transcendentally powerful monsters overturn mountains, dry up rivers, and stain the world with dark mana.

Compared to that danger, the prospect of an imperial war a hundred years later was merely laughable.

—-

After discussion, we reached a conclusion. We would take these Ka’har refugees to Hestella and try to transform them into good citizens.

Of course, not all of them could come with us.

“What about the men?”

While women and children might be innocent, accepting men of fighting age as citizens required careful consideration.

Warriors who had lived their lives with killing, raping, and plundering as their only pleasures. We couldn’t take them to Hestella.

Reforming such men would require not education but brainwashing.

Besides, such men were far beyond the scope of “reformation” that Adamante had proposed.

According to the Church of Astraea’s doctrine, what sinners deserved was not the hand of reformation but the iron hammer of punishment and atonement.

The problem was finding a way to distinguish between guilty and innocent men…

Fortunately, I had an answer for this.

“Lacy.”

“Yes?”

I called to Lacy, who was pondering how to identify sinners, and showed her one finger with a smirk.

“You can use holy fire, right? Let’s gather them and test their left hands.”

We just need to singe them a little.

Your Elpinel knows very well, doesn’t he?

Which among them are deeply sinful, and which are innocent.

“Ah, that’s right! That would work!”

Lacy brightened and agreed.

“As expected of Astika. An excellent method. I’ll use the light of judgment to distinguish them as well. If I narrow the range to a minimum…”

Adamante also nodded in agreement, considering it a brilliant idea.

And so, the fate of the Ka’har refugees was decided.

All women and children would be accepted as citizens of the kingdom, and among the men, only those who could withstand holy fire and the light of judgment without serious injury would be accepted.

It was both merciful and rational.

…What about the men who suffered serious injuries?

They’d go to the woodpile, of course. Why should we concern ourselves with them?