Making a Splash (7)

"What did you just say... Two thousand people are coming?"

Yohan nodded once at Billy's question. Then he turned his head and glanced toward the entrance of the village.

"Yeah. That's how things turned out, so get ready. It's physically impossible to fit them all inside the village anyway, and the locals would hate it. We'll have to set up a temporary camp outside the palisade."

"What on earth did you do in the Holy Kingdom to have two thousand people coming here?"

Does he think I'm some kind of accident waiting to happen every time I go somewhere? Yohan barely swallowed a curse.

"Hey, I didn't cause this."

"Well, that's a relief then."

"Well, I can't say I had absolutely zero influence on it, but..."

"..."

Billy let out a soft sigh and stood up.

"Alright, I get it. I'll go and let the villagers know right away."

"Yeah. Thanks. We're going to be pretty busy for a while."

Yohan patted Billy lightly on the shoulder.

"Wait a minute. We've gone to such lengths to keep this village's location a secret, and now you're suddenly bringing two thousand people? Holy Kingdom citizens, no less?"

Just before Billy could leave the house, Falco chimed in with her own question. Billy, who was also curious deep down, stopped in his tracks and looked back at Yohan.

"Well... there's no need to hide it anymore. Forget about them hunting for heretics—the Central Church has collapsed, and the Holy Kingdom is on the brink of ruin."

Hearing Yohan's explanation, the two wore expressions of sheer disbelief. Even though they usually followed their leader's orders quietly despite any complaints, they couldn't help but show blatant skepticism. Yohan understood their feelings all too well, so he didn't scold them.

Flash!

"Though it may be hard to believe, this is a fact that I, too, have confirmed alongside Yohan."

Fortunately, the Goddess materialized to back up Yohan's words. Since the Goddess herself, of all people, confirmed it, Falco and Billy quickly nodded in acceptance.

Now that he had informed Billy and Falco about the incoming two thousand refugees, the two of them would handle spreading the word to the villagers. Yohan immediately returned to Easthold.

Now, all that's left is to convince the residents of Easthold.

"Yeah. I already set things in motion... Ah, whatever. If they refuse, I'll just drag them by force."

They say even rolling in a field of dog dung in this world is better than the next. In that sense, rather than staying in Easthold, which could be attacked again at any moment, it was far better for them to seek out a new home. He meant it literally. Since he had resolved to save the people of Easthold, he would save them even if it required a bit of physical persuasion.

Yohan steeled his resolve. He headed straight to where Annie was.

"Did anything happen while I was gone?"

"You're back. Nothing happened, so do not worry."

After a brief exchange with Annie, Yohan turned his gaze to scan the Easthold residents gathered in the plaza in front of the cathedral. Including Inquisitor Thomas and the cathedral priests, the total count was around two thousand. It was a massive crowd, larger than any group Yohan had ever led before.

"I received an explanation while you were briefly away. I heard you have devised a plan to lead the survivors to a safe haven."

Inquisitor Thomas, standing at the very front of the crowd, spoke up. Yohan gave a light nod.

"Right. Like I said earlier, staying here is only going to get you killed. It's incredibly sad to leave your homeland behind, but surviving comes first, doesn't it?"

Yohan took a step forward. He cleared his throat to draw everyone's attention.

"Listen up, everyone! From now on, we are going to avoid those consumed by the Madness and move to a safe place that the Central Church knows absolutely nothing about."

"Where exactly are we going?"

Someone in the crowd shouted, and the other residents began to murmur in agreement.

"It's a kingdom called Westania, located on the southwestern outskirts of the continent."

"Where on earth is that?"

"..."

Of course they don't know. Yohan shook his head. In truth, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he had expected this reaction. He had only held a faint hope that the people of Easthold might have heard of Westania.

"See? If none of you have even heard of it, doesn't that just prove how peaceful of a country it is?"

In reality, Westania was home to plenty of threats. Just beneath Balifield lurked a demon from Pandemonium, a pack of man-eating trolls inhabited a certain mountain range, and two other demons from Pandemonium were roaming the wastelands. Even so, it was a hundred times better than staying in Easthold, which was devastated by the Madness and faced the unpredictable variable of imperial intervention.

"Then how are we going to travel all the way to Westania?"

To escape Easthold by land, they would have to pass through imperial territory. However, the Empire had likely closed its borders, a fact the residents of Easthold vaguely suspected.

"How else? We're going in one shot via teleportation."

The crowd gasped in shock at Yohan's reply. Some blinked in sheer disbelief, while others let out hollow chuckles.

"Teleportation? The magic circle station was destroyed ages ago!"

"Exactly! How can we move this many people without a magic circle?"

"Even if the magic circle were intact, it would take days to transport everyone..."

The gathered residents began to murmur anxiously. Instead of shouting over them, Yohan quietly waited for the crowd to calm down.

"Of course, I can't do it alone."

He only spoke once the commotion had subsided.

"But if we combine the strength of everyone gathered here, we can."

The crowd froze once more. But this time, the silence wasn't born of bewilderment or mockery.

"Your faith in the Goddess will create a miracle. Today, right here, you will all become living witnesses to that miracle!"

Yohan deliberately bellowed at the top of his lungs. At that exact moment, he thrust his clenched right fist toward the heavens. Right on cue, a break in the clouds overhead allowed a brilliant shaft of sunlight to pour down, bathing the entire plaza in a golden glow.

"..."

I didn't actually plan that part. The sunlight breaking through the clouds was a pure coincidence. But in a moment like this, whether it was a coincidence or intentional didn't matter in the slightest.

"The Goddess is with us!"

The moment Yohan finished speaking, Annie, standing behind him, led the chant.

"The... The Goddess is with us!"

A voice from the silent crowd echoed her call, and soon, the entire plaza erupted with the roaring cheers of the residents.

"She will lead us to heaven!"

"Hey, you idiot! Not heaven, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a safe place!"

First earlier, and now this... Why does it feel like I'm copying Falco's usual antics more and more? Yohan clicked his tongue inwardly. But what could he do? Since things had already come to this, he decided to completely win over the hearts of the Easthold residents.

"Everyone, pray to the Goddess!"

The instant Yohan finished his cue, the Goddess materialized. Upon seeing her, the residents, without needing to be told twice, prostrated themselves flat on the ground and began to pray.

"Hey, you can do this, right? Teleporting two thousand people all at once."

Yohan whispered in the Goddess's ear, keeping his voice low enough that only she could hear.

"Of course I can. Do you dare doubt me?"

"Never."

The Goddess flashed Yohan a confident thumbs-up, then closed her eyes and spread her arms wide.

Flash!

A magic circle woven of pure light manifested beneath them. Normally, the magic circles she summoned for teleportation were only large enough for a few people to stand on. This time, however, was different. It was a colossal magic circle, far larger than any laid down at a transit station, completely swallowing the cathedral plaza and expanding even further.

"Let's go!"

Soon, the radiant light erupting from the magic circle enveloped the entire plaza.

The Imperial Capital, Centria. Unquestionably the largest and most advanced metropolis on the continent.

The imperial palace, towering at the heart of Centria, was so massive that its scale rivaled an entire medium-sized city of a lesser nation. It was a place constantly bustling with messengers and visitors arriving daily from every corner of the Empire. A mounted messenger arrived at this very palace.

Normally, any messenger entering the capital and the palace would have to undergo multiple rigorous security checks. However, this mounted messenger possessed a special ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠token that granted him the privilege of bypassing almost all checkpoints, allowing him to reach the palace's central mailroom without delay.

This special token was reserved exclusively for messengers tasked with delivering the most critical documents within the Empire, granting them the right to freely use any teleportation magic circle station across the realm. However, for security reasons, they were still required to travel by land when entering the capital from the outside.

"I have arrived from Westphalia. This is the progress report on the recent events within the Holy Kingdom."

The palace official who received the document nodded with a face graver than usual. The document brought by the messenger bypassed all but the most essential bureaucratic steps and was carried straight to the Emperor's office at the heart of the palace.

Inside the Emperor's office.

The current ruler of the Empire, Georg XI, slowly read through the newly arrived document. Ever since the hegemony established by the blood alliance between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom began to dominate the continent, an era of peace had lasted for at least several centuries. A peace forged by the union of two overwhelmingly powerful nations. While their might remained steadfast, this peace was as impregnable as an iron fortress. However, the moment the balance between them faltered, it ran the risk of collapsing in an instant.

And not long ago, an event occurred in the Holy Kingdom that did more than just crack the balance—it threatened to shatter it entirely.

Just a few months ago, the current Pope, Angelo III, as if suddenly struck by madness, dispatched every single Heresy Inquisitor—highly valuable assets—to the far corners of the continent. But Angelo III's bizarre behavior did not stop there. Reports from informants embedded within the Holy Kingdom revealed that he had abruptly sealed the Papal Palace, relocated his residence, and begun throwing tantrums about needing to find the "Primary God sealed somewhere."

The anomalies did not end with him. Not only the Pope, but the entire upper echelon of the Central Church, including the Congregation for the Doctrine ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the Faith, had completely lost their minds. At least the lower organizations, including the Holy Knights, had not succumbed to the madness. However, when the insane and the sane were forced to coexist, chaos was bound to erupt.

As a result, the Holy Capital Justia had effectively lost its administrative capabilities, and the various provinces of the Holy Kingdom were in utter turmoil due to those consumed by madness. Amidst this ongoing chaos, the Empire decided to close all borders adjacent to the Holy Kingdom and observe the situation. This was because the Empire had no desire to see the centuries-long peace collapse overnight, and they needed to accurately assess the internal state of the Holy Kingdom, which could turn into an enemy at any moment.

"..."

The Emperor closed his eyes tightly, pausing mid-read.

Currently, a mysterious Madness targeting the followers of the Central Church was spreading within the Holy Kingdom. Yet, not all believers had fallen victim to it. It was confirmed that the Holy Knights, as well as several cardinals, had remained untouched by the madness. They were currently fortifying cathedrals and other religious structures across the land, holding out against those consumed by the madness.

According to the reports, the mad rioters hesitated to destroy cathedrals and other religious buildings for some reason. The intelligence agents investigating this had added their personal assessment: 'The Madness does not seem to be a simple mental illness that drives victims to destroy everything in sight.'

If so... what stance should the Empire, sharing a border with the Holy Kingdom, adopt?

For now, let us continue reading.

The Emperor rubbed his eyes, strained from overwork, with the back of his hand, and scanned the rest of the document.

"What...?"

And then, his eyes caught a sentence that stood out above all others.