episode_0052
by fnovelpia“I won’t deny it in an unsightly manner. I am Ishmael. The author and ideological criminal that the Saintess and the Order have been searching for so desperately.”
Now that my identity is exposed, there’s no need to be polite anymore.
I dropped the formalities and changed my tone. Still using honorifics, but with a subtle nuance of looking down on the other party.
“How did you find me? I was sure I had thoroughly concealed my tracks. Did you receive the help of that damned goddess again this time? Did that bitch tell you where to go?”
“How dare you call the name of God like that–”
“Stop it, Arhan!”
The paladin guarding her flew into a rage at the contemptuous expression and drew his sword, but the Saintess stopped him.
Good. At least you have some sense.
Attacking recklessly here would only be a loss for you.
“So, Saintess. What are you going to do now? Are you going to arrest me? Surely you wouldn’t hold an execution ceremony in the middle of the academy grounds. Or are you going to kidnap me and torture me like the Inquisitors?”
“……I will take you into custody. And I will spread the news of your crimes throughout the world to enhance the Order’s reputation.”
“And then it’s public execution or life imprisonment?”
“That will depend on future circumstances.”
She doesn’t even call me Instructor anymore.
It’s a natural reaction, but it’s a little sad. We were master and disciple for a few weeks, after all.
“How pathetic.”
But regardless of that. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sloppiness of the Saintess’s plan.
To reveal the identity of a criminal to gather support for the Order.
It’s too simple and ignorant, and it’s not going to go as smoothly as these guys think.
“How are you going to prove that I’m Ishmael?”
“Pardon?”
“Right now, you believe me because the goddess gave a revelation, and I readily revealed my identity. But will it be the same after I’m arrested? If you just put me in front of the ignorant public, do you think they’ll believe it?
No, before that, will they even be interested? It’s a big mistake if you thought everyone would willingly believe the Saintess’s claims.”
“Th, that can be solved by explaining that I received the Goddess’s oracle!”
“Yeah, right.”
Everyone who is a believer knows that the Saintess is the only being who can communicate directly with the goddess.
However, that is a separate matter from whether the claim has persuasiveness/credibility.
Even if you put me out there, who knows if you really caught a criminal or if you’re just using an innocent person?
Maybe you’re just lying to increase the Order’s authority and build achievements?
The logic of ‘the goddess pointed you out through revelation’ doesn’t work here.
There have been more than a few guys who lied in the name of God and didn’t get punished.
‘That goddess is so lazy.’
Even if the Saintess protests that she’s not a liar, it’s likely to be the same.
In any case, whether it’s true or not, the story is that it’s difficult for the claim to gain people’s trust.
“You shouldn’t overestimate your reputation so much, Saintess. People’s thoughts are not always the same as the Order’s.”
Wasn’t it only a few months ago that the delegation toured the continent, advocating for peace, and failed miserably?
It wouldn’t be strange if the public thought you were making unreasonable moves to repair the aftermath.
From their perspective, it’s a possibility.
“And even if people believe it, what does it matter?”
Even if you gain trust, there’s a high possibility that the public won’t take my existence seriously, contrary to the Order’s judgment. Frankly, it’s very high.
“Saintess, honestly, have I committed any crimes? I haven’t killed anyone, I haven’t stolen anything, and I have no history of deceiving or ripping anyone off.”
To them, I’m just the author of a bestseller. Writing and selling books is the entirety of my actions.
“St, stop talking nonsense! Because of you, wars are breaking out and people’s lives are being ruined–”
“It’s hard to hear you say that. It’s as if all the responsibility lies with me.”
I scoffed at the Saintess’s furious rebuttal.
Filled with the mockery of ‘don’t you still not understand how the world works?’
If you knew how messed up this world was, you wouldn’t have come up with such an idea.
“You seem to regard me as some kind of big shot who can start wars and manipulate international affairs at will, but stop fantasizing. I’m an author. Just an author who writes strange and unusual stories.”
I raised my finger and pointed in the direction of the royal palace. Specifically, to where the king, Betelgeuse, or whatever his name is, would be staying.
“If you’ve traveled around, you’d know. Do the kings and emperors seem to have started wars by force? Do you think they were forced by someone to mobilize supplies and troops against their will, and to exploit their people and drive them to the battlefield?”
* * * * *
The Saintess did not answer.
No, she couldn’t.
Even to her, they must have seemed too eager. Not at all like they were being forced into an unwanted fight.
“Helvetia attacking the Navr Kingdom and the Krahn Empire. The Elaine Kingdom trying to stab the two countries in the back, but failing. Building a prison to accommodate the demons and implementing a conscription system for the entire nation.
I was not involved in any of that. I had no authority or connections to be involved.”
“……”
“Don’t be mistaken, Saintess. Everything was decided by the higher-ups themselves. I just created the data to help with the decision.”
Like a domino that falls with just a touch, or a dam that’s already cracked.
The spark that would ignite this terrible war existed long before I came.
It had been growing in size for hundreds, thousands of years.
All I did was provide the firewood and fuel to increase the firepower. It was entirely up to the higher-ups to decide whether to put it in the spark.
‘I did keep fanning the flames in the middle.’
Something like The Wealth of Nations would never have been published if the war hadn’t broken out. I prepared it because I thought it would be okay since total war was breaking out everywhere.
“Ah, no matter how you try to justify yourself, it’s a fact that you wrote heretical texts!”
“Th, that’s right! How dare you deny the royal authority that the goddess gave to humans!!”
After she fired off a volley of words, the paladins countered me this time.
Well, that’s true.
I’m talking about Leviathan, but that can be considered heresy depending on your point of view.
“Then I’ll just be a stupid idiot who wrote strange things. Not an ideological criminal who manipulates the world, as you say.”
However, there’s no point in making an issue of it.
As I said before, the only evidence to prove that I’m Ishmael is testimony.
Even if you punish me for the charges, you won’t get the effect you want at all. It might even backfire.
Ah, the rulers might hate you for killing a talented person who created useful information and knowledge.
According to the organization’s intelligence, there are quite a few people who want to scout me or make me a subordinate.
“And, by the way. What do you think will change if you punish me now?”
“…..What do you mean?”
“It’s as it is. The world is already twisted beyond recognition. Most countries are endlessly consuming manpower and resources, selling their future to wage war. What does it matter if you get rid of one author in this situation?
Nothing will change. If I disappear, the war will continue and people will die.”
The [method to stop the war and repair the damage] disappeared long ago.
Starting a fight is up to the individual, but ending it is a different story.
Taking advantage of the fact that all countries have gone to their limits and overturning the existing system?
You can make as many strategies as you want. It’s not hard to induce either. That’s also our organization’s long-term plan.
But it’s impossible to stop and fix it in the middle.
I can’t do it even if you ask me.
Unless a divine being delivers divine punishment and forcibly forces an end to the war.
‘That damned goddess seems to have lost even the ability to do that.’
But seeing that such an existence isn’t even responding, it seems that they don’t have the time or the intention to do so.
Then what are the remaining options?
All we can do is watch them rush towards destruction.
“Next time you receive an oracle, please answer like this. The world has become like this thanks to you ruining the life of an innocent person.”
Feeling the need to end the conversation, I stepped back. Because I wanted to get out of the pressure of the big, sweaty men.
“…..Where are you going?”
“To the faculty office. I need to organize the materials to distribute to the students.”
“Do you think I’ll let you go?”
Of course not. I had prepared for this situation since I came to the meeting.
“I just have to break through with force. Ms. Kalia!”
–Thwack!
“Kuh-heuk!”
At the same time as I called her name, a black figure appeared in the sky. She quickly descended and stabbed the paladins in the back of the neck with daggers.
Three stabs and three death rattles. That was enough to eliminate all the guards the Saintess had brought.
“Why didn’t you call me sooner? You almost got hurt.”
“It’s okay. I believed in you, Ms. Kalia.”
I entrusted the disposal of the corpses to Kalia, who was grumbling with worry.
And I bowed my head towards the Saintess, whose ceremonial robe was covered in blood.
“Then, Saintess. I’ll be on my way. I hope we meet again someday.”
Then she said to me in a trembling voice, pretending to be brave.
“…..I will stop you. I won’t let the world be destroyed as you think.”
“That’s something to look forward to.”
I wonder when her hope will be broken and she will despair.
It seems like it will be quite fun to wait.
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