Chapter 70
Chapter 70
11. War of Faith -1
In the beginning, there was the Holy God. He gathered the light spread across the heavens and descended upon the wasteland, and upon that barren land where nothing existed, He caused grass, trees, and life to flourish.
Humans, esteeming His greatness, served the Holy God, and as that gathering took on flesh, it at last became the Church of the Holy God. The Church of the Holy God labored in the name of God to arbitrate among the many kingdoms and peoples, striving so that the world might be at peace.
But the Holy God did not grant wisdom to humanity. People served Him, yet He did not trust them. This, lamentably, must be called a regrettable matter.
Then the god of the moon appeared and, through moonlight, imparted wisdom to us. That the world we knew was not the world, but merely a small lump of rock—a tiny fragment within a vastness called the universe.
That in the world there are countless gods chosen by the God of Gods, the 『Law (System)』, and that far above in that distant sky, they wage wars of their own.
That perhaps on this very planet, the 『Law』 might also select one with the potential to become a god.
What astonishing wisdom!
Those who awakened to this wisdom gathered their strength and moved. Now that the wisdom was clear, should not faith also be reshaped into a more proper form? There was much conflict with the sects that had devoutly served the Holy God, but we transformed the Church of the Holy God into a pantheon.
The Church of the Holy God no longer serves the Holy God alone. It serves all the gods, as numerous as the stars of the universe. Yet the one who remained at the summit was still the Holy God. Though He was unkind, He was our father, and so⋯⋯
(100 years ago, excerpt from "On the Radical Transformation of the Church of the Holy God" — author unknown)
There have been many revelations up to now. Revelations descend in various forms. Some gods sent their own agents to reveal what kind of beings they were, while other gods alluded to themselves through a subtle presence.
In that process, we learned of the end.
That those cursed plants, which the church's holy knights now easily hold back, will soon swell in size and become a calamity that devours the world. That clear revelation.
Therefore, we ask.
What reason is there, after all, for the Church of the Holy God to exalt the Holy God above all others? He gave no wisdom, nor has He ever bestowed anything upon us. All He left behind was scripture.
I will not deny that the contents of the scripture serve as a model for many, but who would call a parent righteous for pressing a book into the hands of a son being dragged off to war, instead of a spear?
We still respect the Holy God, but—
His reason to stand at the summit is gone.
We must exalt above all others the one who cherishes us most dearly, who grants us spear and sword to face the blue-green apocalypse to come, yet who does not demand of us what is too cruel.
Who that might be is truly clear.
He who has even seized the host called the 『Alliance』 that follows him—『Master Binder (主縛)』 is the one most fitting to become the chief deity of our Church of the Holy God—
(One week ago, excerpt from Bishop Cavenolo's published "Statement of Support for 『Master Binder (主縛)』")
Sssip— phooo.
Along with a deep exhale, Saintess Andersen's flat, dry voice reached me.
"The gist is that this planet has been under the influence of upper-rank hunters since long ago—and now they're about to pick one of them and begin serving him in earnest. Even pushing out the native god, the Holy God."
"⋯⋯Cough."
Acrid smoke billowed up inside the confessional. The space was sealed to begin with, so it was no better than a raccoon's den. The curtain that should have hung across the middle of the confessional had been drawn back, so the smoke came straight through.
Right, the curtain.
Unlike when we'd met before, the curtain dividing the confessional had been removed. Which meant this was the first time I was seeing the Saintess's appearance.
Light-brown hair and eyes. A plain black nun's habit with no adornment. A holy symbol hanging at her neck. Up to that point, she gave the impression of an austere nun, but her face told a different story.
She was a person whose expression was rigidly fixed, as if her facial muscles were paralyzed. And that bluntness looked utterly natural. As if she'd been born that way from the start.
And above all else⋯⋯ her behavior was fairly wild.
Saintess Andersen sat with her legs crossed in a delinquent posture, puffing away on a cigar, having just finished an explanation that was short if you called it short and long if you called it long. (Yes, not even a cigarette—a full-on cigar.)
At our last meeting she'd seemed to maintain some semblance of courtesy, but now—as if to show how urgent the situation was—there was no pretense. Given that she kept right on puffing her cigar even as I coughed.
Or maybe she was such a chain-smoker that she'd forgotten the concept of secondhand smoke.
I wrinkled my nose at the acrid smoke and asked.
"If that happens, what will occur?"
"A transaction will take place. I'm only a D-rank hunter myself, so I don't know the details, but that much is clear. If we please the god—the god bestows."
"The whole atmosphere of the church will change, then."
"The Church of the Holy God is effectively the ruler of this continent, so you could say the atmosphere of the entire world will change. If a cruel and monstrous god is elected in the vote⋯⋯ I suspect the whole world will likely be engulfed in war."
Well, sure.
If they decided to serve an upper-rank hunter who walked the Hell Path, wouldn't that hunter demand all manner of horrific things from them?
It was an interesting phenomenon. This would be worth referencing going forward.
According to the Glass Sword Lord, the 『System』 framework has thick walls separating each rank—the greater the gap in grade, the harder it is to punch through those walls and exert influence.
For an A-rank hunter to reach out directly to a D-rank, he'd take a considerable loss compared to exerting influence over a B-rank, supposedly.
What this means is that the reason D-rank is so peaceful is because it sits too low. There was a reason the only notable faction was the Hunter Alliance alone.
In other words, from C-rank onward⋯⋯ a B-rank hunter one step above can exert influence more easily. That's also the point where the System properly unlocks the 『Guild』 function, and while fighting the plants on one front, large-scale faction wars break out on another, apparently.
So the situation Saintess Andersen's planet is in could be seen as, to exaggerate a bit, a trial version of the C-rank hunter world.
And that's not the only benefit. For whatever reason, this is a planet where upper-rank hunters have been quietly reaching in for the past 100 years, and if they're still doing so—doesn't that mean there's something here?
Of course, I don't think a D-rank nobody like me could get his hands on whatever the upper-rank hunters are after. Even if I did, that'd be a problem. If I got caught, I might earn their grudge.
Still, I figured just knowing about it would be a valuable asset.
And by helping Saintess Andersen on top of that, Sohye's holy water supply would get normalized too, so I stood to gain in multiple ways.
However.
Even if I personally had reason to accept the request, showing that would make me an amateur. I laced my fingers together and put on the expression of an idol with three months left on her contract.
"So, what's your reason for wanting to get involved in this game, Saintess?"
"Within the Church of the Holy God, I took the line that serves the Heavenly Father, the Holy God. If the position of chief deity is replaced by another upper-rank hunter, then naturally I'll lose my power and influence⋯⋯ and also the leeway to siphon off holy water products."
"Then we'll have to look for another supplier. That's a shame. The quality of the holy water here was the best."
"Naturally, wouldn't it be? There must be a reason upper-rank hunters reach in."
Ssssk—
Saintess Andersen pushed an object through the hole in the middle of the confessional. I took it and examined it—it was a pistol we'd supplied, and loaded at that.
I was just tensing my fingers, wondering if she meant to shoot me if I didn't help, when—
"The name of the artisan who produced that item is Kim Jaewoo, age 33 at the time, unmarried. He bought up firearm parts damaged during the civil war, picked out the usable ones, somehow made them into functioning goods, and resold them. Then he was robbed and killed by a passing hunter."
The Saintess rattled off information she could never possibly know. I hardened my expression and asked cautiously.
"⋯⋯Psychometry, is that it?"
"It's a relic that only the Saintess of the Holy God's order can use. It's called a 『Record Analyzer』. Whatever it is, it can reveal information about its inner workings—and it has a function that minimizes the side effects of viewing."
Minimizing side effects, huh.
I thought of the Hidden Piece I'd gotten in the Tutorial, the 『Telescope』. That had the effect of reducing the backlash from witnessing a higher being to some degree.
If this 『Record Analyzer』 on this planet operated similarly⋯⋯
Then regarding the name 『Cheongdongbaek』, which I hadn't been able to properly interpret before, I might be able to uncover something more concrete.
Of course, she wasn't saying she'd give it to me⋯⋯ but maybe?
"Will you give it to me?"
"In the worst-case scenario, I intend to overclock the 『Record Analyzer』, analyze the horrific evil god passed down through the records, and then spread that forbidden knowledge to everyone in the Church of the Holy God to make them self-destruct."
"Ah, yes."
She seemed to be saying that even if the whole order was going to collapse, she'd use it to blow herself up rather than hand it over to someone else. I nodded in understanding.
"Very well. Let's say I'll take one usage voucher. Is there anything else?"
"I can give you materials."
"What kind of materials?"
"Since you're moving up to C-rank, you'll need information about the upper world. There may be no place richer in upper-rank information than this world⋯⋯ a world that's been interfered with by upper-rank hunters since time immemorial. I'll give you those documents."
Good.
I pretended to deliberate, looking up at the ceiling with my legs crossed. I rested my arm on the shelf and tapped my fingers⋯⋯ thought for a moment about what to have for dinner tonight, and then.
"I'll help you. Whatever it is, there's probably no one who can help more than I can. As for payment—you seem to be going through a difficult time in various ways right now, so I'll collect it all at once when the work is done."
"You mean you'll assess the situation then and squeeze out more."
"Yes."
"Fine."
Saintess Andersen reached out across the confessional. I took her hand and shook it. The contract was sealed. This was a job with a lot to gain in many respects.
Okay, let's give it a shot.
With a snip, the end of the cigar was cut off. I think they call that a cigar cutter. I waited a moment while Andersen refilled her cigar, then opened my mouth again.
First, I needed to get a more concrete grasp of the situation.
"You mentioned a vote in the chat."
"Yes. Five days from now⋯⋯ the conclave will be held. All fifteen of the Church of the Holy God's upper echelon will attend, each putting forward their own name and recommending one god. And the being who receives the most votes—"
"Ascends to the position of chief deity. So they'll be placed at the top of this planet's religion and served."
Saintess Andersen nodded.
Choosing a god to serve by vote. I don't know whether to call that democratic or blasphemous. Maybe it's quite capitalist, even.
Because in the end, these people⋯⋯ are trying to discuss which upper-rank hunter will hand down blessings with the best cost-performance.
Then a question suddenly crossed my mind.
"If that's the case⋯⋯ when you explained earlier, you said that if they ended up serving even a mad god, war would break out. Wouldn't a sane person avoid voting for a god like that?"
"They wouldn't, would they? If everyone participating in the vote were hunters who'd received the 『System』, the odds of that would be a bit higher."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯?"
"The information we have is vague and ambiguous."
Upper-rank hunters have a hard time reaching into the D-rank hunter world. So if they do reach in, they only make minimal contact. In other words, it's hard for them to leave anything distinct behind.
So the personalities and dispositions of the gods that form the basis of this war of faith—
"One day, the Bound King decided to cross a river, but his vassals were lazy and the preparations weren't finished. So the King bound his vassals tightly with rope, hoisted them all onto his shoulders, and crossed alone."
"⋯⋯What story is that?"
"It's a legend about 『Master Binder (主縛)』. Based on this old tale, the faction pushing Master Binder as chief deity has identified him as a 'diligent and sincere' god who 'does everything by himself.' But looking at how the 『Hunter Alliance』 actually operates, I can tell that's not all there is to him."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯"
I flinched when I heard that name come out of the Saintess's mouth. Last time, the Glass Sword Lord had warned me not to casually speak the names of upper-rank hunters. I should be careful too.
Anyway, she was right—the evidence was indirect.
It was all vague, wishy-washy stuff, every last bit of it.
There were errors caused by lack of information or distortion. I didn't know anything about Master Binder either⋯⋯ but at least I knew that he walked the Hungry Ghost Path.
The sacrifice of the weak for the strong. The birth of a massive religion with that value as its motto⋯⋯ would be fairly chilling. If plunder and exploitation were sanctioned in the name of a god, what would become of the world?
"Moreover⋯⋯ there are signs that the 『Hunter Alliance』 has been quietly running behind-the-scenes operations. Though I don't know how they did it."
"Excuse me?"
"There's a man called Bishop Cavenolo, a fervent Master Binder advocate. A few months ago, he became strangely wealthy and started appearing wearing artifacts no one had ever seen before. And in all of that, there was no trace. As if he'd received political funds from outer space."
⋯⋯These Hunter Alliance bastards—sending Hori precisely to the stage I arrived at was one thing. They show up like they're using a map hack. Those guys are clearly still hiding secrets.
The voting trends of the fifteen Church of the Holy God upper echelon members who will participate in this chief deity conclave are as follows.
『Master Binder (主縛)』: 5 votes.
『Moon Shadow (月影)』: 4 votes.
『Serpent-Subduing Young Lord (蛇伏公子)』: 4 votes.
Native god Holy God: 2 votes.
Aside from Master Binder, they were all names I didn't know. At a glance, the ones with suspicious legends had obviously been filtered out long ago, and those three had risen because "on the surface they seem sane and likely to provide generous support."
In this situation, Saintess Andersen's goal was—
"I am the only one on this planet who knows that Master Binder is not a generous god, so I am also the only one who can stop him. I will make sure my homeland at least avoids the wrong answer."
Filtering out the hidden landmines.
I made a mental note of those three names and planned to ask the Glass Sword Lord about them when I had time. Then I felt a strange sense of dissonance and rubbed my chin.
Even granting that the Holy God's decline was plausible, in a worldview like this, wasn't there no reason for the Saintess to be in trouble?
"⋯⋯Hold on. Saintess."
"Yes."
"You received the 『System』, didn't you? By this planet's conventional understanding⋯⋯ doesn't that make you a god candidate, a living god, something like that? A preliminary great being? Your religious authority should be considerable."
"I deliberately didn't reveal it. Publicly, I am merely the Saintess, not some legendary being chosen by the God of Gods, the System."
⋯⋯Why?
To the question I hadn't voiced aloud, Saintess Andersen answered flatly.
"This year marks my eighth year."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯"
"Someone with decent talent becomes a C-rank hunter in three years. Even if their talent is dull, if they have the will, they'll advance by five years—at the very latest, by their seventh year. Because strength accumulates, even if slowly."
But remaining at D-rank past seven years, into an eighth year, meant one thing.
Andersen lowered her eyes and tapped her cigar ash onto the confessional floor.
"I have no talent. If I was the most outstanding person on this planet, then that means this planet itself has no talent. A place that cannot stand against the monsters by its own strength, where one can only plan for the future by begging the gods for something⋯⋯ that place is my homeworld."
"Uh, um."
"That's why I couldn't bring myself to reveal it. If I could have, I would have ascended to the seat of a god and led everyone. But it's impossible. And I didn't want to plant false hope."
Saintess Andersen's expression as she muttered self-deprecatingly was flat. She looked like a rock worn smooth by hundreds of waves, so polished that it could no longer even feel pain.
Soon, the Saintess's gaze turned upward again. She looked from below to above. No one knew what would come to occupy that sky beyond the confessional.
Andersen spoke her conviction into the uncertainty.
"Even if I can't be a savior, let me be a guide. That's what I believe. Even if I have to shoot every bishop dead, I'll make this planet walk the right path. Because that is my duty."
The Saintess's eyes as she said that were cold, yet they shone clearly—like a cigarette ember in the dark of night.