Chapter 71
Chapter 71
11. War of Faith -2
A planet without talent.
Unable to grow strong on their own and stand against the monsters, and with the god they had traditionally served showing no promising future either, the only option left to them was to turn their eyes to the cosmos beyond their planet.
Someone more talented than them, someone greater than the god they had served. To plead with such a being. To beg them to save this pitiful planet from the blue-green calamity.
But "one who possesses power like a god" and "a god" are different things. The three higher beings who expressed interest in this planet each carried scales with their own weights. It was not unconditional love—so this was not faith, but a transaction.
Perhaps one so enormous it could sell off every last inhabitant living on this planet.
"The best-case scenario would be for the Holy God to maintain the position of chief deity. You said the Saintess is riding that line, after all."
"That's true, but it's realistically impossible. It would be better to rule it out."
"If another god ascends to chief deity, won't your standing diminish as well, Saintess?"
"There are ways to maintain enough influence to keep supplying holy water, so you needn't concern yourself. Now, let's stop talking about dreams and discuss the goals we can actually pursue, shall we?"
The scenario of seizing control of everything on this planet and climbing to the pinnacle of political power⋯⋯ she isn't even considering it. She doesn't strike me as someone without ambition, so it seems she genuinely can't see any angle to make a play for it.
In that case, the next best thing—the goal we need to achieve.
"It's⋯⋯ preventing that being from the Hunter Alliance from being elected chief deity, isn't it."
"That would be the primary objective."
"And what comes after that, Saintess? Even if we eliminate one certain candidate, there are still two remaining. Between Moon Shadow and the Serpent-Subduing Young Lord, who do you intend to choose?"
"That⋯⋯ can wait. It's a discussion that becomes meaningless if we fail to achieve the first objective. First, we need to balance the scales before we can do anything."
Clack.
Saintess Andersen placed a parchment containing simple information, including vote trends, in the center.
-『Master Binder (主縛)』 5 votes / A god who leads by example. Estimated to demand moderate levels of both tribute and obligation.
-『Moon Shadow (月影)』 4 votes / A beautiful god. Gives much tribute, but also imposes strong obligations.
-『Serpent-Subduing Young Lord (蛇伏公子)』 4 votes / A god who waits. Gives little tribute, but imposes moderate obligations.
-Indigenous god Holy God 2 votes / A god who watches. Gives no tribute and imposes no obligations.
As the Saintess said, if things continue this way, Master Binder's election is all but certain. Only by shaving down Master Binder's lead can we even begin to have a choice.
But before we got into the real discussion, there was something to address first. The reliability of the information. I questioned the Saintess thoroughly.
"These votes⋯⋯ are they certain? And is there no chance of voters changing their minds within the five days until the conclave opens?"
"There's a high probability they won't. In particular, you can consider the two votes leaning toward the Holy God as constants that won't change. To explain more specifically—"
Click.
A Zippo lighter spat flame, and the third cigar was lit. I quietly began ventilating the room with the 『Azure Wind Wanderer』.
Sssip— hooo——.
On the inhale, the cigar's tip burned rapidly, glowing bright, and on the exhale it turned to smoke and escaped. Combined with the pistol resting on the table, the atmosphere was quite something.
Like a mafia movie, I suppose.
"The specific participants are as follows. The Pope, the Saintess, the twelve bishops overseeing each faction, and an honorary bishop. That makes fifteen people in total who exercise voting rights at the conclave."
"Mm."
"Currently, the Pope and the Saintess give two votes to the indigenous god Holy God, the twelve bishops give four votes each to the three gods, and finally, one honorary bishop supports Master Binder."
Rustle.
A stack of parchment documents appeared from somewhere and was placed on the table. The Saintess showed portraits of the conclave participants, classifying them one by one by faction as she spoke.
"The twelve bishops are elected on the backs of their factions, so they cannot act unilaterally and ignore their faction's will. So the faction's will becomes the individual's will, doesn't it?"
"⋯⋯So if they change their opinions recklessly, they'll lose their base of support, meaning they'll generally follow their faction's voice."
"Yes. And the Pope is a very devout man. Right now he's treated as a backroom old-timer, and the Church of the Holy God's political landscape is controlled by the twelve bishops⋯⋯ but he would never withdraw his vote from the Holy God no matter what."
When the Saintess spoke of the Pope, her stiff tone softened, if only slightly. They seemed to be personally acquainted. I probed that angle.
"What is your relationship with the Pope?"
"He is the one who appointed me as Saintess. His faith in the Holy God is firmer than anyone's. So, even now, in this state of affairs, he hasn't changed his mind."
"Then what about you, Saintess?"
"⋯⋯If it means achieving my objective, I can set faith aside. Rather, isn't it strange for faith itself to become the objective? I have no support base, so I'm free to move my vote as I please."
The Pope is a devout believer. The Saintess's vote is a joker card that can be played freely. Confirmed.
"What about the honorary bishop?"
"A merchant who bought the bishop's seat with money. Someone who can move his vote depending on the profit, and right now he supports Master Binder. Whether he'll continue to do so, I don't know."
"So⋯⋯ aside from you and the honorary bishop, we can effectively assume the vote trends won't change."
"Yes."
Then let's organize this again.
-『Master Binder (主縛)』 4 votes (twelve bishops, fixed) + 1 vote (honorary bishop, fluid).
-『Moon Shadow (月影)』 4 votes (twelve bishops, fixed).
-『Serpent-Subduing Young Lord (蛇伏公子)』 4 votes (twelve bishops, fixed).
-Indigenous god Holy God 1 vote (Pope, fixed) + 1 vote (Saintess, fluid).
Since the Holy God's election is out of the question, ruling that out leaves us with a workable angle. First, it seems we need to knock out one of Master Binder's votes.
That would create a 4 : 4 : 4 structure, and then using the Saintess's vote, we could make our desired target the chief deity.
But there are too many unstable factors to push forward on optimism alone.
The others are obviously thinking along the same lines as us. All three factions must be thinking that if they could just get one more vote⋯⋯ they might win this conclave.
Various political machinations and appeasements are probably boiling behind the scenes like a bubbling pot. So "fixed votes" should really be read as "votes with a low probability of moving."
To make this part certain.
"⋯⋯That's right. Noah Won. I know as well. And I know how to find out."
"The 『Record Analyzer』⋯⋯ you intended to use it from the start, didn't you?"
"Yes."
If it's an artifact that can read everything from a firearm that crossed over from another planet to the life of its maker, then it could clearly reveal what the twelve bishops truly harbor in their hearts—and whether they'll really cast their votes according to their convictions.
Saintess Andersen explained the device.
"The 『Record Analyzer』 is a rechargeable relic. It currently has three uses remaining, and recovery takes about a month. If we can obtain a bishop's personal belongings, we can learn the vote trends and even the inside story."
"⋯⋯So, for me to receive my usage rights, I'd effectively only be able to use it twice. Waiting for the uses to recover would take too long—it won't even be a month until I'm promoted to C-rank."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯"
Sssssip—
For some reason, the Saintess's cigar-burning speed increased.
"⋯⋯If the uses are all expended in the process of resolving the matter, I will prepare alternative compensation."
"Hm."
Is that so?
I turned it over in my head and roughly ran the numbers. This setup⋯⋯ if I played it right, I might be able to squeeze out additional compensation. I tapped the table and made a proposal to Saintess Andersen.
"If that's how it is, then—if I can get the job done while conserving the Record Analyzer's uses, would you let me use the remaining uses as well?"
"⋯⋯Pardon? Ah, yes. If you can manage that, I'll pay them out accordingly."
"Good. Then first, let's take out one of the Binder Faction and get started."
"?"
As it happened, I had a method I could use. A way to knock out one vote right from where I sat, but to use it, there was one thing I needed to confirm.
"Among the bishops supporting the Binder Faction—if there's anyone whose behavior has suddenly become strange, please tell me. Someone who was spending money lavishly and then suddenly tightened their spending, or seems anxious, or appears to be waiting for contact."
"⋯⋯There is. I once received intelligence from my subordinates that Bishop Antonio was showing such abnormal behavior, but they couldn't determine the reason why."
"Was this Antonio person, by any chance, fairly radical in his ideology? Something like, 'Let's live well even if it means grinding up all the citizens.'"
"Among the bishops supporting Master Binder, he is the most extreme⋯⋯?"
Saintess Andersen looked at me with eyes that said, How do you know that? Well, it's simple—didn't I say the 『Hunter Alliance』 is interfering with this planet? And the Hunter Alliance is going through growing pains because of me.
With one of the organization's two heads cut off, there's no way they could properly push forward a large-scale project affecting another planet. Naturally, I figured their management had become lax.
And the reason I asked about Bishop Antonio's leanings was to confirm whether this was Muyeon's project or Joero's project. Either way, things seemed likely to work out, but⋯⋯
If this scheme belonged to Joero, I could blow my nose without even touching it.
I opened the chat window.
[Noah Won: Hey]
[Noah Won : answer]
[Hori : ?]
[Hori : are you insane?]
[Noah Won : The backroom maneuvering to take over a planet—that's not something Muyeon's side cooked up, right? Here, the whole planet is deciding whether to make that⋯⋯ that person from the Hunter Alliance their god to revere.]
[Hori : you mean Master Binder?]
[Hori : we do have some planets we build connections with, but this god business is news to me]
[Noah Won : Then this looks like something Joero was cooking up. I'll clean up the aftermath neatly, so just bring me the materials. There should be related documents in his office or somewhere. Send an invitation under the name Andersen and it'll be accepted.]
[Hori : it's only been a few days and you're tangled up with the Alliance again? sick of this]
[Hori : going to ask Muyeon and come back]
After relocating from the confessional, inside a certain secret room.
Hori crossed her arms, her flashy metal prosthetic hand clanking with its spiky spikes. With an expression that said she was annoyed and dying of inconvenience, she tossed a file folder onto the table with a thud.
"⋯⋯It was Joero's project, all right. Muyeon said to withdraw instead of taking it over, so you handle it however you want. We won't interfere."
"Thanks. But you're not wearing a hood?"
Twitch.
Hori's ears moved, and the tail attached at her lower back lashed sharply from side to side. She bared her fangs in a smirk and said,
"Look at this powerful, sharp prosthetic. More savage than any beast, right? Huh? Heh heh⋯⋯ If I don't show this off, I'd be failing as a beastman."
"Elijah attached that for you?"
"Yeah. Elijah attached it. I added these spikes myself by asking the Alliance workshop."
No wonder the prosthetic looked so vicious. Elijah had attached a perfectly normal one, but Hori had apparently stuffed it full of her own tastes and given it a bit of modification.
And as a result, her confidence had soared to the heavens⋯⋯ enough that she'd thrown off her hood and her shoulders were riding high. Well, if she's happy, that's fine.
"This isn't my planet, so I can't treat you to anything. Now get going."
"Heh, I was planning to leave anyway, Noah Won. You think I'd sit down and tear into some meat with the likes of you? Return!"
Hori snarled once, snapping at the empty air, then returned without another word. After she vanished, enveloped in white light⋯⋯ Saintess Andersen voiced a brief question.
"Is she your hunting dog?"
"⋯⋯No."
I don't know what part of a creature that snarled at me the entire time gave her that impression.
Anyway, I'd received the materials I wanted and confirmed that the Hunter Alliance wouldn't be interfering. I handed the file folder over to the Saintess intact.
And half a day later.
"Bishop Antonio, for the crime of colluding with foreign powers and taking illicit goods. Accept your punishment."
"This is a frame-up!!"
Bishop Antonio's transaction records, which spread with suspicious speed, the scandals surrounding his various debaucheries, and the charges of colluding with outside forces led to his detainment—and exclusion from the conclave.
Master Binder votes -1.
Now then, let's see. Next⋯⋯.
With one vote knocked out, the structure was now 4 : 4 : 4, so it was time to decide which of the remaining two to back.
『Moon Shadow (月影)』 and 『Serpent-Subduing Young Lord (蛇伏公子)』.
I didn't know which would make the better god. The legends spread across this world alone weren't enough to judge. In that case, I had no choice but to seek outside help. Someone higher in rank than me, currently reachable, and with a wealth of information—the Glass Sword Lord.
Thinking that I'd have to repay him double once I reached C-rank, I contacted him.
"You're inserting yourself into a proxy war between upper hunters? A brat who hasn't even been promoted to D-rank yet? I'm baffled as to how you ended up in that situation, but—let me give you some advice first! I respect your drive to improve, but shouldn't you climb upward while taking care of your own body, Noah Won!"
"⋯⋯Well, troubling signs were discovered on our planet. I had no choice. It's a long story, but it's absolutely necessary."
"Last time you got tangled up with elves, and now this⋯⋯ you really do have terrible luck. But harsh wars forge strong knights, so perhaps, looking only at growth, it could be considered fortunate."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯"
And so I received words that were ambiguously somewhere between praise and concern.