episode_0187

Squeak─

A noise was heard.

A sound similar to the unpleasant scream of hinges when an old door is opened echoed inside the crater.

Someone who heard that thought thought.

This sound sounds like someone screaming.

and.

With such a strange sound, finally.

Space began to open.

“That… … .”

“Crack… ?”

Someone let out a voice.

It was as he said.

The splitting of space and showing the space on the other side resembled a familiar crack that they had seen many times.

However.

“… No, that’s not a crack.”

Veluid denied their sentiments.

“Cracks… No?”

In response to Rachel’s question with a puzzled expression, Veluid nodded and said.

“That’s a ‘door’.”

“Moon… … .”

At those words, the group’s eyes focused on the ‘door’ again.

“Definitely… It looks a little different from a crack, but… … .”

They were similar in that the space was divided and there was a passage connecting to the other world, but the feeling was different.

“Aren’t cracks just a temporary phenomenon?”

“… … ! That means… ?!”

At those words, someone’s expression became agitated as they noticed the scent.

Receiving that gaze, Veluid nodded his head heavily.

“… That’s a permanent gap. That’s why it can literally be called a ‘door’.”

“Permanent… !!”

The expressions of the companions became heavy.

This was because we quickly understood the permanent gap and its destructive power.

“Then, at that ‘door’, you will forever be a monster from another world… Are you saying that a monster or something will come out?”

Arriving at this place, and even after entering this place, they encountered countless cracks, so their senses became a little strange, but in the first place, cracks are a phenomenon that can be said to be small disasters in themselves.

Even if only an insignificant monster appears there, it can cause a major accident depending on the location of the crack.

However, a crack of that size can remain permanently.

It is safe to say that its very existence was a disaster.

but.

“It’s barely that much.”

Veluid shook his head resolutely.

“Yes… ? Just barely… … .”

To those words, the group reacted somewhat in confusion.

A permanent rift that pours out endless monsters.

It would be enough to say that it is a disaster that could lead to a crisis for humanity.

However, Beluid expressed it as ‘barely’.

At those words, the crowd could not help but be shaken.

Veluid’s words seemed to suggest that a disaster that could not be compared to that could occur.

Just like that, everyone’s attention was focused on Veluid.

Veluid opened his mouth again with heavy eyes.

“… Now, I can say it. With this, the ‘restrictions’ are gone.”

Veluid’s gaze, which had been looking at the ‘door’ with indescribable eyes, turned towards the group.

“I will tell you what the real purpose of the church is. And what is the identity of that ‘door’?”

***

“You probably don’t know. The very existence of the denomination.”

Veluid’s eyes moved slowly.

Then he looked at the students at the academy, including Alexis and Rachel.

““… … .””

They didn’t say anything, but expressed their silent agreement with their eyes.

In fact, through a series of conversations and the various scenes I saw on the way here, I had an inkling that a certain group was closely involved here, but I did not know the details at all.

Did you read what those eyes meant?

Veluid continued speaking immediately.

“Sects have existed in this land for a long time. They have been hiding in the darkness of the continent for a very long time, quietly growing their power without anyone noticing them.”

“Denomination… … .”

Alexis muttered the words quietly.

“… Definitely, never heard of it.”

Although he has no intention of competing for the throne, Alexis is a prince of a nation.

He can be seen as a type of person who is quite close to the pinnacle of power across the entire continent.

But even Alexis had never heard of the church.

“Me too.”

“… Me too.”

Chris and Wilhelm also agreed.

“It’s natural that you don’t know. Before this moment, there were probably only a few people on this entire continent who were properly aware of the existence of the church.”

As if that reaction was natural, Veluid nodded slightly.

“The church has been doing various things for a long time. Some were small enough to be dismissed as mere accidents, while others were large enough to shake the nation. A small dispute between nobles… Or like a war between empires.”

““… … !!””

The group’s eyes widened.

“A war between empires… Then no way… ?”

“That’s right.”

Beluid calmly confirmed their guess.

“The war between Elbrent and Reinberg also took place at the instigation of the church. In the end, the war didn’t break out.”

““… … .””

There was a moment of silence in the audience at Veluid’s assertion.

He instigates war between the two empires.

It was because I could at least indirectly guess how nonsensical it was.

Disputes between small groups do not easily arise due to the entanglement of various interests.

But what if the subject is more than just a nation, but an empire that exists in only two countries on the continent?

What if the opponent is another empire?

No matter what the trigger, the probability that it will actually lead to war is extremely slim.

There’s no way he wouldn’t know that it would lead to destruction for both sides.

However, Elbrend and Reinberg actually came to the brink of war.

In the end, the war didn’t break out, but it got close to it.

But it was the church that instigated it?

That was something I couldn’t help but believe my ears.

This means that the church has taken control of at least one empire to the point where it can manipulate it as it wishes.

“… What is the purpose of that church? What is the ‘great cause’ he mentioned earlier?”

Alexis asked Veluid relatively immediately.

He was equally surprised, but it was because he thought it was necessary to proceed with the conversation.

To Alexis’ question:

“Can’t you see it right before your eyes?”

Veluid answered like that, and naturally the group’s eyes moved to him.

Towards the huge crack that Veluid called the ‘door’.

“That… What is the purpose of the denomination?”

“That’s right.”

Veluid also quietly looked at the ‘door’.

“The purpose of the denomination is to open that ‘door’.”

In a heavily subdued voice, he continued.

“… I don’t quite understand.”

At that time, Chris intervened.

“What connection is there between starting a war and opening that door?”

This was because I could not easily understand what kind of causal relationship existed between starting a war and opening that ‘door’ in front of me.

“It’s a valid question.”

Veluid nodded.

Then he immediately gave the answer to that question.

“Why did the church want to start a war? That’s to get a ‘sacrifice’.”

“Offering… ?”

sacrifice.

A word that is rarely heard raised doubt in everyone’s eyes.

“Yes. sacrifice. The church tried to gain sacrifices by causing incidents, disasters, and wars. The sacrifice of the life force and soul of countless people.”

““… … !””

“Through the sacrifices obtained in that way, the cult and its leader tried to open that ‘door’.”

Veluid’s eyes as he looked at the ‘door’ became even more heavy.

“Only for that one reason, the church caused an incident, a disaster, and even a war.”

“It started a war… ?”

Alexis pondered Veluid’s words.

It was because that expression bothered me.

“Wasn’t the war between empires ultimately abortive?”

“That’s not what I’m saying.”

Veluid shook his head.

“The church has already started a war in the past. And that too quite recently.”

“Recent… There hasn’t been anything that could be called a war in recent decades… … .”

Alexis knew the history of humanity and the continent quite well.

Thanks to the education that one must receive if one is born as a prince.

However, to his knowledge, no war has occurred in recent decades.

Therefore, he had no choice but to show his doubts.

However.

“No. There is. Wasn’t there a war 10 years ago? It was a war that swept the entire continent.”

Beluid flatly denied Alexis’ words.

“There was no such thing as a war that occurred 10 years ago and involved the entire continent… … .”

Alexis, who was about to refute that statement, stopped mid-sentence.

Then, he looked at Veluid with shaking eyes.

“… War against monsters.”

I muttered briefly.

Because that was the only thing that could be called a war that took place 10 years ago.

and.

“That’s right.”

Veluid simply affirmed Alexis’ words.

““… … !””

The group members were excited by the answer.

“War with monsters… … . That… Are you saying it was started by a religious denomination?”

“That’s right.”

“… Is that possible? That means… It sounds like the church can control monsters… … .”

The war against monsters began with an unexpected attack by monsters.

Until then, the monsters who had spread out across the continent and lived among themselves suddenly gathered together in groups and started attacking humanity. That was the trigger for the war between monsters and humans.

But it was the church that started the war?

That was impossible unless the church had the power to move monsters at will.

And, that was something that couldn’t happen in common sense.

but.

“That’s right. The cult can handle monsters.”

““… … !””

Beluid gave an answer that denied their common sense.

“That… Is that possible?”

That was something that went beyond common sense.

Demons are monsters with great power.

There was no way that there had never been an attempt to tame such a unique and strong creature.

Many people tried to tame monsters.

I wanted to manipulate that powerful power as I wanted.

However, everyone failed.

Even those with outstanding knowledge, power, and background all failed.

Not a single person succeeded in taming a monster.

Because of this, everyone on the continent was aware of it.

It’s impossible to tame a monster.

But, you can control those monsters as you wish?

You even started a war by moving monsters?

That was something they couldn’t easily believe, shattering their common sense.

Therefore, Alexis had no choice but to ask.

Is that possible?

However.

Veluid did not answer that question right away.

Their questions were not immediately resolved.

instead.

“Have you ever thought it was strange? The similarity between the monsters and monsters of the other world.”

I asked them an unexpected question.

“… … .”

Although I was somewhat puzzled by that unexpected question.

“… Come to think of it, we look alike.”

Alexis nodded silently.

Certainly, there were similarities between the monsters of the other world and monsters.

Although the monsters of this world are more bizarre than monsters, it can be said that the difference between monsters and ordinary animals is almost non-existent.

Therefore, it is not strange to say that monsters and otherworldly monsters are similar.

Beluid heard the answer.

“Do you know? When did monsters first appear and where did they originate? Why are they hostile to humans?”

I asked them another question.

““… … .””

This time no one could answer the question.

It was a simple reason.

It was because no one knew the answer.

Veluid slowly watched their reactions and then opened his mouth again.

“Change the question. Have you ever wondered? About the origin of monsters.”

““… … .””

This time too, there was only silence in the audience.

“Looks like there is no one like that.”

In response to that response, Veluid lightly nodded his head.

“… That’s strange.”

Chris suddenly said.

“I have never wondered about the origin of monsters. Until the principal said so.”

“Now that I think about it… … .”

“… It’s true.”

Everyone agreed with what Chris said.

It was as he said.

They have never wondered about the origin of monsters.

Even though I encountered many monsters and even learned how to deal with them through classes.

Of course, that in itself is not strange.

Depending on the person, they may not be curious about such things at all.

but.

It was definitely strange that not a single person was even interested in it.

Even professors who taught about monsters never once mentioned them.

That was definitely a strange thing.

It was strange.

Veluid’s voice flew into their ears again, as they felt a little confused by that fact.

“Why do monsters resemble monsters from another world? Why are monsters blindly hostile to humans? The reason is simple.”

Veluid’s eyes moved.

Toward the ‘door’ that is still opening little by little.

And he soon.

“That’s because monsters are creatures that invaded from the other world.”

The truth that no one knew was spoken out loud.