Chapter 72
Chapter 72
11. War of Faith -3
I asked whether getting entangled with elves and higher-ranked hunters was really that rare.
"Is it not common? Given that the System itself supports guild functions, contact with higher-ranked hunters seems like it would happen often."
"Those kinds of functions do open up from C-rank onward, but contact doesn't happen that often. Normally, you wouldn't even see their faces except during the 『Regular Guild Assembly』."
"So there's an event like that up there?"
"Yes. The System hosts it once every six months, creating a venue where guild members can communicate vertically. But just because a seat opens up doesn't mean you can actually converse. Even there, you only gain a precious opportunity if you manage to catch a higher-ranked hunter's interest."
『Glass Sword Lord』 paused briefly, as if recalling that venue, then continued with a faint smile, apparently remembering an amusing scene.
"At the Regular Guild Assembly, there are plenty of people agonizing over trying to catch even a single glance from a higher-ranked hunter. I receive their gazes fairly often myself, but considering that I'm a promising talent even among C-ranks and on the Heaven Path⋯⋯ you can probably guess how it turns out for most of them without me spelling it out, right?"
So most of them get shot down without even managing to speak. But more than that story, one small expression Glass Sword Lord used lingered in my ears like a thorn.
Promising talent⋯⋯ he said. About himself.
Well, wasn't he someone who had used a Forget-Me-Not since his D-rank days and even left behind a secret manual? I'd known for a while that 『Glass Sword Lord』 was a special person. But what bothered me was the weight of that expression.
Even Glass Sword Lord, against whom a fight wouldn't even be possible for me as I am now, was called a "promising talent" at C-rank.
To put it in D-rank terms, wasn't Glass Sword Lord in a position like 『Da』 or Elijah from the tutorial? It was a passage that let me guess just how many mountains there were to climb at C-rank.
Glass Sword Lord spoke solemnly.
"So what I'm saying is that you've been placed in an unusual situation! The reason I'm even watching you in the first place is because you seized a Hidden Piece, isn't it? Hunters normally compete against hunters of the same rank, and usually there isn't even any exchange with other strata."
"That⋯⋯ I see."
"No amount of caution will be enough for this matter. I will also help you with all sincerity, so do not act rashly, and above all, never let the 『Names』 of those exalted figures pass your lips."
"Yes. I'll be careful."
The advice was heavy.
The guild I had imagined was like one from an online game, not an association of masters⋯⋯ but it was true that the feeling was different from what I'd thought. I had at most imagined a gap like that between commoners and nobles, but if that analogy held as stated—
Guilds and guild assemblies resembled a religion and worship rites where gods actually existed. You sent messages up to higher beings, never knowing whether there would be a response, and countless people's circumstances changed according to their will. This was──
Wasn't it remarkably similar to what the Saintess's planet was going through?
He seemed to have decided that the advice was sufficient.
"First, keep in mind that I may have some incorrect information as well."
"Yes."
After laying that groundwork, Glass Sword Lord began explaining the main topic—the higher-ranked hunters who were the subjects of the conclave.
"Moon Shadow (月影) is a B-rank hunter, and Serpent-Subduing Young Lord (蛇伏公子) is a C-rank hunter like me. But if the situation is as you described⋯⋯ there's no need to weigh superiority by rank. B-rank requires passing through two stages of the System barrier, so the power they can project should be similar."
"So rather than ability, I should choose based purely on their intent⋯⋯ that is, by looking at their character or the path they walk?"
"That's right. Even at C-rank, they could protect a planet still in its early Gate stage for centuries. In the long run, choosing a B-rank hunter would obviously be correct, but those figures are busy—so you should know that a minor planet could simply be forgotten."
Then how could I grasp the character of higher-ranked hunters?
"There is one method. Higher-ranked hunters come to hold titles⋯⋯ and those titles contain clues."
"You mean their titles?"
"Yes."
Swish—
The Sword Lord transmitted an image into my mind. Three names rose up dimly. All of those names were written in different languages, but the System's translation function naturally transformed them.
Into a form whose meaning I could clearly perceive.
Glass Sword Lord (琉璃劍公).
Shattering Lord (破碎公).
Serpent-Subduing Young Lord (蛇伏公子).
"These all use the same character, 公. When you reach that realm through the Heaven Path (天上道) rite, the System bestows this character upon you."
"⋯⋯Was that it? So if I cross the wall using the 『Rite of Order (制度禮)』 you told me about, the character 公 gets attached to my name too?"
"Yes. With how many meanings and words exist in this universe, how could titles overlap? In the same way, the System has prepared one title character for each path (道). 公, 鬼, 子, 血, 魔. These five characters."
Titles, huh.
I didn't know why the System provided such a function, but I understood that taking the martial arts route got a label attached to you. Considering Serpent-Subduing Young Lord's (公子) case, some kind of double major seemed possible too.
⋯⋯If a system like this existed, then the concepts of martial arts and the ascension tower simply hadn't spread at D-rank to an odd degree. At higher stages, they might be more universal than I'd thought.
I stored those characters in a corner of my mind, then suddenly felt something strange and asked.
"Wait, but Ju⋯⋯ yes, that person. And the Moon⋯⋯ the people I mentioned earlier don't have the characters you spoke of. Did they not train in martial arts rites? But if that were the case, I know that Mr. Ju walks the Hungry Ghost Path."
"Mr. Ju⋯⋯ yes, that's the tricky part. Naturally, no one wants their weaknesses exposed, do they? A title becomes a way of openly revealing your information. So, it seems that omitting part of a title⋯⋯ removing a character from your own name is also possible."
So names like 『Master Binder』, 『Moon Shadow』, and 『Sky Roamer』⋯⋯ could be divided into two cases: those who simply didn't take the martial arts route, and those who removed their title character through some method.
It was tricky and annoying to figure out. For now, I'd keep it dimly in mind and hear the details once I reached C-rank. What mattered now was discerning the dispositions of the higher-ranked hunters, wasn't it?
Glass Sword Lord wasn't the type to ramble on about useless things, so all of this explanation surely had meaning.
I understood that you could tell someone's disposition from their name. But then how were you supposed to figure out the ones whose characters had been omitted? The answer was as follows.
"People keep records, don't they? Even if he is Moon Shadow now, records remain of what he was called in the past⋯⋯ and I happen to know what character was removed!"
Finding it from history, in other words.
Just as Glass Sword Lord had left his martial arts behind in the D-rank world, the footprints of higher-ranked hunters who ascended remained below. Traces were left from those footprints in one way or another.
The Sword Lord lowered his voice and conveyed it carefully, as if wary of someone eavesdropping.
"He was once called 'Moon Shadow Demon (月影魔).' In other words, that person is an existence awakened through the Hell Path rite."
"Shit."
The moment I heard about the Hell Path, the hair on my body stood on end.
Moon Shadow or whatever the hell—we absolutely have to take him down first. Set his priority even higher than Master Binder's!
With my expression hardened, I immediately reported to Saintess Andersen.
"The Moon⋯⋯ that hunter is a Hell Path (地獄道) practitioner!"
You could tell just from 『Erzsebet's Reforging』, the rite Joero had tried to use to exchange his body by offering a living sacrifice. Hell Path practitioners were extremely likely to be out of their minds.
At this, the Saintess maintained her silence with an equally grave expression, then asked calmly.
"What is the Hell Path?"
"Ah."
Right. At D-rank, more people didn't know than did.
The talentless Saintess Andersen would have had even fewer opportunities to encounter it. Since it was knowledge passed down only in secret by word of mouth rather than through bulletin boards, it would be hard to come into contact with it without distinguishing yourself under the System's framework.
"Well, you see⋯⋯."
I explained it only briefly. Something like a⋯⋯ evolution tech tree.
"So it's a kind of massive faction. 『Moon Shadow』 belongs to a particularly cruel faction, and 『Master Binder』 belongs to a relatively moderate faction called the Hungry Ghost Path. I understand the severity."
"Yes, strictly speaking it's more than just a faction⋯⋯ no. Understanding it to that extent is sufficient."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
"Even if it means the Hunter Alliance's god gains the upper hand, that one at least must be brought down. I think it would be best to re-sort our priorities."
The Saintess nodded with one eyebrow tilted askew. An unexpected variable—and one sharply pointed in a bad direction—had been added, so it was understandable that she was displeased.
To summarize, the top priority was Moon Shadow's elimination. The next priority was Master Binder's elimination.
The best-case scenario was the Holy God's reinstatement, but the realistically achievable best was to set the board so that Serpent-Subduing Young Lord obtained the chief-god position at the conclave. That was the ideal.
The current vote situation itself was outwardly 4 : 4 : 4.
Assuming that one or two people might change their minds, we needed to open up at least a two-vote gap to safely carry out the plan.
If we shaved one more vote each from Moon Shadow's side and Master Binder's side, and added the Saintess's vote to Serpent-Subduing Young Lord's side, it would be 3 : 3 : 5.
Considering the second-best option here, starting the maneuvering against Moon Shadow's side was far better. Serving the Hungry Ghost Path was dozens of times better than serving the Hell Path, wasn't it? So now⋯⋯ we needed a way to expel Moon Shadow's side.
It would be nice if some scheme came to mind.
As I fiddled with my fingertips and sank into thought, Saintess Andersen asked with puzzlement layered over her expressionless face.
"Do you not intend to use your sword?"
"⋯⋯Excuse me?"
Snip. The sound of a cigar tip being cut off rang out.
"Actually, the reason I accepted your cooperation, Noah Won, is because I was expecting the martial aspect. Someone like you could kill and eliminate every bishop. Especially on a planet like this."
"What do you mean by a planet like this?"
"A talentless planet, I mean. No matter how much of a genius someone here is praised as, they would still be below me, who has been officially recognized by the System. For someone like you, such people⋯⋯ could be dealt with simply, couldn't they?"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
So why are you hesitating? Do you not want to draw your sword for another person's planet? I gave you sufficient compensation, and I think the risk is low──.
Saintess Andersen looked at me with eyes that said that.
Assassination. Of course I had considered it.
But I thought drawing my sword was a last resort. I wasn't about to say something like you shouldn't kill people recklessly. The reason I hesitated was because the risk was high.
Being pushed out by some underhanded scheme or political maneuvering versus bishops with voting rights dying suspiciously violent deaths at someone's hands.
Naturally, the unease from the latter spiked far more sharply.
If someone started muddying the waters, the other bishops would⋯⋯ especially the faction whose votes had been shaved away from me would think like this. At this rate we're going to lose, so shouldn't we also make a "bold choice"?
If they started drawing swords one by one like that, the risk of this conclave board itself collapsing would grow. The vote would become nominal, and if everyone started dispatching assassins to each other in friendly fashion—in the worst case, civil war could break out.
And wasn't this Church of the Holy God a massive power exercising dominion over the entire planet? They might call it civil war, but it would be a world-war-level upheaval, and the citizens of this planet would find life several times harder.
So I wanted to handle it within the rules if possible. So that chaos wouldn't erupt.
At this, the Saintess spoke firmly.
"Civil war is preferable to serving the wrong god. Serving the wrong god would cause more bloodshed than civil war. If you don't want to bear the moral burden, I will formally request it. Please assassinate the bishop."
"Hm."
Her priorities were clear.
Saintess Andersen was certainly right. If the entire planet were subjugated under the Hell Path, even if only fragments of that grotesqueness seeped in, the world would become a sight unfit to behold.
Its essence lay in demonic nature (魔性)—a path that excluded others and served only oneself. I didn't even want to imagine what form a society that took the absence of altruism as its great purpose would take.
But what I meant was that this was a situation worth trying a bit harder in. I spread my palm and added an explanation.
"I'm not saying I won't get blood on my hands. I agree with your opinion, Saintess, and if things tilt toward the Hell Path, I intend to use any means necessary. However—don't we still have quite a bit of time left?"
"⋯⋯Are you saying you want to pursue the moral best until the very last moment?"
"Anyone who has experienced war would agree. It's better not to have such things. Also, I──"
"So you're saying I'm right."
"Yes."
She was right. I just wanted to do it this way.
It was also a situation where I could still afford to.
Besides, I was sick to death of civil war. Even if it was someone else's world, I didn't want to see that sight.
After hearing that explanation, the Saintess closed her eyes and thought for a moment, then quietly set down the cigar she hadn't yet taken a single puff of on the table.
Then she opened her eyes again. Her impression changed across that brief blink. Andersen's expression was still a rigidly frozen blankness, but the force in her eyes had loosened considerably.
It was about the difference between a disappointed company commander and a not-disappointed company commander.
"Impressive, Noah Won."
"⋯⋯You're agreeing, then?"
Andersen looked straight into my eyes and nodded slowly.
"Yes. If possible, winning the conclave while also preventing a war would be best. But I don't have that kind of talent. It won't happen unless someone fills in that lacking blank."
"I'll take that as you telling me to work hard."
"Yes. I am placing a burden on you."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Humor had mixed into her tone, and it had softened a little.
A strange⋯⋯ how should I put it, a gentleness like soothing a child had woven itself in? That sensation you could feel from seasoned kindergarten teachers.
Somehow I felt that this was closer to Andersen's true self. She might have been quite cheerful in her childhood, before being battered by the world's storms.
As she gazed quietly at me like that, she abruptly made a suggestion.
"The night has grown deep. Would you like to visit an orphanage with me? Right now."
"⋯⋯Excuse me? Ah, yes. Let's do that."
"I sometimes stop by the slums outside the holy city for community service, and in that process I've built connections and personally sponsored a great many orphanages. I'd like to show you."
An orphanage, huh.
There was no reason to suddenly go to an orphanage on this moonlit night. She probably intended to use this as an excuse to show me something. In my opinion⋯⋯ there might be something like a secret organization under the Saintess.
When I had handed over the Hunter Alliance materials, the Saintess had instantly ensnared Bishop Antonio and sent him packing. That wasn't something one person could accomplish by moving alone. The process of swaying public opinion and disseminating information absolutely required a faction.
So since I had sounded out my intention to reduce votes through moderate means rather than assassination, she was probably taking me out under the pretext of the orphanage to introduce me to the members of her organization──
"This is the place. 'The Orphanage Opened in 357 in Honor of Saint Roinardo's Rest and Song.' The children of the slums don't sleep, so they're probably all awake. There's no need to hide our presence."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
⋯⋯It really was an orphanage.