Chapter 75
Chapter 75
11. War of Faith -6
"After everything you've done for us, Noah. So if I can help, I want to do it for free⋯⋯!!"
Sohye was insisting like this, completely unaware of what was going through my head.
But from my perspective, Sohye helping me for free would actually be a loss. She was someone who would become my ally in the D-rank world I was about to leave for.
Think about it. The Hunter Alliance was behaving itself now, but⋯⋯ would it stay that way after I left?
And Muyeon's health wasn't good. He seemed to be weakening day by day as he suppressed the backlash from trying to advance to C-rank. If he died and a generational shift took place, what would the Hunter Alliance look like then?
I didn't know. And because I didn't know, I had to prepare.
And thinking very long-term── if I rose to the position of a high-ranking hunter, I would eventually reach out to this planet just as 『Master Binder』 or 『Moon Shadow』 had.
Looking at the ever-reliable 『Glass Sword Lord』, or the 『Serpent-Subduing Young Lord』 who had intervened in this planet⋯⋯ that might not be so far off.
At that point, if Sohye was firmly established on my side—or if Sohye's successor existed—how much easier would things be?
So.
"Please hear me out."
"Yes."
I firmly gripped the shoulders of Sohye, who had turned into a yes-man. She had been fluttering like a magpie repaying a favor, but once I sat her down in a chair and calmly met her eyes, she settled down a little.
The benefits of this deal, if it went through, were as follows.
If we invested the resources of Sohye's world to make Saintess Andersen a power-holder here, we could not only regulate the holy water supply almost without limit── we could also import this place's healer resources.
Humans get worn down. And modern medicine has its limits. But holy power could overcome those limits, if not completely, then at least partially. It would definitely help on the plant front too.
Andersen's world had a very low Gate progression rate. That was what made this possible. They could pull forces out right now without suffering any real loss.
And for Sohye personally, depending on how she used it, this could become a card to expand her standing on her planet. That side was maintaining its power structure centered on the military, wasn't it?
Was there any phrase sweeter to a power-holder than "a safe shelter"?
The native relocation ticket sold in the Shop. If we used it to tempt them—telling them they could cross over from a planet wrecked by zombies and plants to a safe medieval fantasy world⋯⋯ we could win over the power-holders in one stroke.
"⋯⋯You're absolutely right, Noah! If that happens, the reserve forces we can pull from the corps right now⋯⋯ what did Colonel Oh say about that⋯⋯."
While Sohye fiddled with her glasses and started doing the math, Saintess Andersen lowered her gaze and carefully voiced a concern.
"Sohye's world is a place where firearms are widely distributed. What if they become greedy? If a foreign army occupies this place, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?"
"Normally, that would be the case. But because we're under the 『System』, I believe this arrangement can work."
"⋯⋯What do you mean?"
"If Sohye cuts off the food supply, her planet declines. This planet is also only maintaining its current form because its Gate stage is low. If the plant front intensifies, its destruction is all but certain without your help, Saintess."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
Plants.
Those damn plants that block even farming—the most basic way humanity obtains food. The war and endless war of attrition they would bring—we couldn't possibly endure it without the infinite goods produced by the 『System』.
Of course, Sohye's world had been holding up fine through self-sufficiency so far. The zombie apocalypse had been the big thing there; the plant disaster itself wasn't as severe compared to Seoul. But even if not right now, it would definitely become that way in the future.
That was why hunters with the System could finally function as representatives of a planet. In other words.
"If we come to an agreement among ourselves, that can become the will of the planet. If we tie things up here, there won't be much room for future trouble."
"My planet hasn't reached that stage yet. But this place doesn't need me to that extent."
"Well⋯⋯ once we put you at the top, Saintess, you can take control of the Church of the Holy God on your own. Just like you took control of the underworld."
"⋯⋯Well, it doesn't seem impossible. But that doesn't change my question. If an agreement here is sufficient, how am I supposed to trust her—Sohye?"
I put on a business smile meant to inspire trust and said plainly.
"Trust me."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
The two planets were half in a shared destiny. To turn the zombies back into humans, we needed holy water. To normalize this place, we needed an army. So there was no point belaboring the necessity. If what was lacking to achieve this was trust—
then all I had to do was function as the weight that balanced the scales of mutual trust.
Of course, I hadn't yet built a sufficient relationship with Andersen. Sohye had come to trust me through resolving incidents, but to this mafia saintess, I hadn't shown her anything, so about half of what I said was an empty check.
That was something I could fill in with actions going forward. In the first place, I never expected Andersen to accept this proposal right away. She was a meticulous person, wasn't she? Not the type to be swayed by shallow trust.
So for now, it was enough to emphasize what kind of benefits we could share⋯⋯.
"Yes. I'll trust you. I'll take the gamble."
⋯⋯Why?
No. This wasn't the time to be flustered.
"⋯⋯Thank you for making such a quick decision. Haha. You won't regret it."
"That's the face of someone who never expected me to accept right away."
"To be honest, that's true."
"It's certainly a matter that would warrant more caution. But a person who knows how heavy children's smiles are⋯⋯ is there anyone more worth trusting than that? This planet is already sitting on a massive gambling table, so if I must place a bet, I'll choose this side."
"⋯⋯⋯⋯."
She really did love children. Saintess Andersen.
With this, the first button of the plan was fastened.
"Then⋯⋯ what exactly do you propose we do, Noah Won?"
"We unwrap the gifts, put on a display of power, and persuade the bishops to return to the Holy-God Faction."
"I understand the logic. As long as we have enough Credits, we can buy from the System Shop and bestow as much as we want. We could become the god with the most largesse and the gentlest disposition. But two problems come to mind right away."
Clink.
Saintess Andersen fiddled with her teacup, thought for a moment, then opened her mouth. It was fascinating how her gestures and gaze—her nonverbal expressions—conveyed the message: "Your help is indeed valuable and I'm grateful, but there are still points that need to be addressed, don't you think?"
I relaxed my posture slightly, signaling that she should speak freely.
"First, this conclave, in the long term── is meant to secure a high-ranking hunter line to survive the plant disaster. If we rally around the Holy God again, wouldn't we be throwing away our future?"
"The problem arose because none of those high-ranking hunter lines were satisfactory. I'll be advancing to C-rank soon, and from what I've heard from my senior, information about high-ranking hunters is much more widespread at the upper levels. I'll go up and search for a trustworthy hunter."
And if I let myself be a little greedy—that trustworthy hunter could be me.
"Second, we'll need to think about how best to persuade them. If you're thinking of scattering gifts in front of the bishops' homes, I don't think it will land well. Rather, bringing Sohye's army and staging a show of force with firearms would be more⋯⋯."
"Ah, that case. Would you leave it to me?"
"Pardon?"
"Just give me one position as a holy knight directly under the Holy-God Faction's saintess. I'll go into the Church of the Holy God's Community myself, persuade those who can be persuaded, and exclude those who can't."
"⋯⋯So in the end, you're saying you'll do everything alone?"
Not quite.
Power requires support from both the ruling class and the citizens. If she was going to stand at the top of this planet, Saintess Andersen needed to become a kind of icon among the citizens going forward.
A figure people went wild for just by standing still⋯⋯ someone with a level of recognition close to faith, if possible.
And consolidating the other administrative work and recruitment with the things I brought back would ultimately be Andersen's job too. So Sohye and Andersen wouldn't have any time to rest either.
I was just going in to do the physical work I was good at. In other words, I was placing the right people in the right positions.
When I made that argument, Saintess Andersen and Sohye both got subtle expressions, then looked at each other and started talking about me.
"⋯⋯Is he always like this, Sohye?"
"Yes. He was like that on our planet too. From the receiving end, it's really something to be grateful for, but I also worry about what would happen if he got scammed later. Really, being too good of a person is also⋯⋯."
"I agree. It's embarrassing to say this while benefiting from that nature of his, but he seems to need to become a bit more cold-hearted."
"It would be nice if he had someone a little prickly by his side⋯⋯."
A strange sense of kinship bloomed between Andersen and Sohye. If their relationship had been a dry, transactional one until now, this felt like a thin emotional thread had been spun between them.
Good. It was a good thing for two people who needed to cooperate to grow closer.
Still, I wanted to object to the content. Anyone listening would think I was volunteering for free. I had received 『Record Analyzer』 usage rights, I was going to extract solid information about high-ranking hunters from inside the Church of the Holy God, and on top of that—
I was also steadily eyeing something hidden on this planet that high-ranking hunters were coveting. If this plan worked, wouldn't I get closer to that something than even 『Master Binder』 or 『Moon Shadow』?
So the person who stood to gain the most here was me.
"You look like you don't agree⋯⋯?"
"One's nature is a frightening thing."
But it really is me⋯⋯?
"In the end, even among the bishops, there are divisions of power── so there are those who serve as leaders, the heads of the factions. The Binder Faction, the Moon-Shadow Faction, and the Serpent-Subduing Young Lord Faction all have them. If we can persuade just these people, the rest will become twice as easy."
Saintess Andersen began explaining the primary targets one by one.
[Binder Faction Representative / Bishop Seldicto]
"A stout⋯⋯ portly bishop in his mid-fifties. As befits a moderately corrupt clergyman, he enjoys bribes and luxuries within reasonable bounds. There's nothing particularly remarkable about him, but I understand he has a good eye for reading the situation. It would be best to describe him as a man who generally sides with the winning side."
[Serpent-Subduing Young Lord Faction Representative / Bishop Savidero]
"In his early forties, one of the youngest bishops. He has a strong safety-first disposition. He always travels with three holy knights, and he was also the most active in supporting the motion to hold the conclave."
[Moon-Shadow Faction Representative / Bishop Bento]
"In his late sixties, the eldest of the twelve bishops, and⋯⋯ accordingly, a bishop with strong power. He has a widespread reputation for being gentle and tolerant, and he truly is, but personally, I find him unsettling."
Three in total.
Whether I dug up their weaknesses, moved their hearts, or took action in some other way, if I could handle them, the Holy-God Faction revival plan would be nearly a success.
"If I may add one more, we should also count the Binder Faction's honorary bishop. As I mentioned before, he's a merchant, so if we pay a sufficient price, he'll move his vote without hesitation. The same goes for switching to the Holy-God Faction."
"Thank you for the explanation, Saintess."
"But if you're going to sneak inside⋯⋯ how do you plan to persuade them?"
"Well, first we'll have to shake things up."
Even if a powerless saintess appointed a new holy knight directly under her, it wouldn't become any kind of talking point. No one would pay attention to me. This was something I had to solve.
If the person doing the persuading was some nobody in a minor post with no reputation, wouldn't his words lack force?
So I needed to make a strong impression in the Church of the Holy God's Community, appear on the scene, and dig straight into the heart of that power structure. And while I was at it⋯⋯ it would be good to toss some bait among them.
I meant I had to put on a show of wealth. A clear sign that the Holy-God Faction could bestow many things, so that a Holy God who had recovered his glory would look like the best alternative.
As it happened, I had suitable bait. The secret manual discovered in Joero's warehouse—『Hyeonggwang Jineungin』.
This secret manual, which looked plausible and impressive on the surface, was a landmine that slowly turned its practitioner into a wreck, but its appearance alone was truly extraordinary. And the landmine only went off after a full year of practice, so for now it was a net positive.
I would deliberately leak that the Holy-God Faction had discovered it.
A bestowal unearthed by a weak faction⋯⋯ once they caught the scent, the jackals would surely swarm. And at that moment, the new holy knight Noah Won would make a spectacular entrance into the Church of the Holy God's ballroom by subduing those jackals.
"⋯⋯Let's proceed. I'll summon the family's operatives, spread the rumors, and call for you again once a suitable stage is ready. Noah Won."
"I'll head back for now and discuss things with Colonel Oh. It would be good if I could bring a priest along for the persuasion. Saintess, may I ask you for one?"
"There is one child I can trust. But as far as I know, the price of a native Stage relocation ticket is considerable—"
"I'll pay for it. Thanks to your holy water, Saintess, so many people got their families back. So this much is⋯⋯."
Good. Let's push forward.
We were going to set the Holy God back on top of this planet.
Clatter. Clatter.
A carriage was racing along a forest road. The carriage was painted in pure white, and a crest symbolizing nobility was drawn large in gold. Even the most ignorant bandit wouldn't dare think of touching it, judging by its appearance.
A noble's carriage might be worth robbing, but to lay hands on the property of a saintess favored by God—wouldn't that invite divine punishment? If God placed a curse upon you, you would find no peace even in death.
Yet a certain group stopped the carriage.
"Halt, halt! Everyone out of the carriage and on the ground!"
Clank, clatter.
The ones blocking the carriage and forming ranks were holy knights. There were a full ten of them, arrayed in strict formation wearing pure white armor and helms. The coachman, seeing this, shouted in disbelief.
"This is the saintess's carriage! The crest carved upon it is this clear—by what right do you dare lay hands on her property?!"
"Heh, you could just as easily be a band of thieves spinning that tale. Get down if you don't want to die."
"Th-this⋯⋯ you will face divine punishment. People like you would know full well that this carriage truly belongs to the saintess—can you deceive yourselves by turning away like that? Are you not ashamed before heaven?"
"I said get down!"
"Hah⋯⋯."
A single holy knight was a human weapon capable of slaughtering a band of thieves. For ten of them to gather, it only happened in wartime—so it was clear these men had truly made up their minds and shown themselves.
They had deployed a force equivalent to wartime strength just to rob this carriage of its contents.
The coachman's vision went dark. Seeing the greed filling their eyes, they seemed intent on framing him as a thief no matter what and seizing the goods. He would not be able to carry out the saintess's orders.
She must have anticipated something like this, since she had assigned one holy knight as an escort⋯⋯ but how could a single man stand against ten?
Clunk.
The saintess's holy knight stepped down from the carriage. He removed his helm, revealing snow-white hair to the world, and slowly walked forward. Then he spoke flatly.
"I'll warn you exactly once. This carriage belongs to Saintess Andersen, and I, her holy knight, am guarding it. No matter what nonsense you spout—if you don't back off, something on you is going to break."
"⋯⋯Ha. Haha."
"Hahahahahaha!"
At that, the holy knights surrounding the carriage burst into raucous laughter.
"Haha! What an arrogant thing to say. Since I don't recognize you, you must be a newly recruited holy knight. What kind of foolhardy bravado is this? And besides⋯⋯ a knight of that insignificant saintess wouldn't have anything worth mentioning anyway."
Right.
The skilled holy knights had long since crossed over at the jingling sound of the bishops' coin purses. Perhaps because of that, the saintess's holy knight who had stepped forward looked far too young and inexperienced.
A handsome face that looked like it had never known hardship. White hair that seemed almost sacred in the sunlight. The holy knight's armor suited him as if it had been made for him, but fighting⋯⋯ wasn't something you did with your looks.
Honestly, it was doubtful whether he had ever properly swung a sword. An irreverent thought even crossed the mind—had he been selected for his face?
Well, among the holy knights, there were surely those who attended the saintess up close and served her. It would make sense if she had dispatched that kind of figurehead selection.
But that thought—
Clang!
"I warned you."
After he grabbed his shield and strode forward, it took a mere ten minutes.
"Urgh!"
"K-kraaagh! Wh-what⋯⋯?!"
"Why, why! Why is a fighter of your caliber on that side⋯⋯!!"
In ten minutes, they were broken so thoroughly that not even dust remained.