The Unbeliever's Story (1)
A knock sounded at the door.
Anne had just finished supper and was washing the dishes when she lifted her head. A knock. The aunt from next door, most likely.
"I'll get it!"
Rone seemed to have reached the same conclusion. She sprang from her seat and bolted for the door.
And then, just as the girl was about to greet their visitor—
"...Huh?"
It was not the cheerful Auntie! she always sang out. No stream of happy chatter followed after it, either.
Strange. Rone adored the woman next door. Whenever she stopped by like this, the two of them would laugh and talk together. But today, not a single sound of that kind reached Anne's ears.
"Rone? What's the matter all of a sudden?"
Anne finished the last dish and stepped out—and stopped cold.
"...Who are you?"
The tiny house was packed with people. Some were men, the rest women, of every age. The one thing they shared was the plain, unadorned white robes they all wore.
"Is this truly the place, Brother Ventu?"
"The scent is thickest here. I am certain."
"They appear to be nothing more than ordinary young sisters."
"Do not let your guard down. Wicked heresy lurks everywhere."
A wave of unease rose in Anne, and she called for her sister. Rone, too, seemed to have sensed that something was wrong. She pressed herself against Anne's side and peered up at the unfamiliar guests.
One of the robed figures stepped forward.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Ada."
"..."
"Ah—there's no need to be afraid. Everyone here is a brother or sister of mine, come from the Order."
The Twelve Divine Generals standing behind her all made the sign of the cross as one. At the sight, a flicker of recognition crossed Anne's face.
"Are you the priests who arrived in the village today?"
"Yes, that's right, Sister. I sincerely apologize for barging in like this. We have something we need to confirm."
She was smiling. That much was certain. And yet the feeling it left was strange—like sunlight glimpsed through a storm of ice. There was not a shred of warmth in that smile.
A false smile.
Anne instinctively shifted Rone behind her. If it came to it, she could send her sister out the back door. It shouldn't come to that. They did seem to be real priests. But the world was full of what-ifs, and she could not afford to ignore them.
"Brother Martin."
At Ada's call, a man stepped forward. When he drew back his hood, both sisters startled.
His eyes were pure white. Looking closer, there were no irises, no pupils at all. There was no telling where he was looking, or what he saw. Even his appearance radiated something uncanny.
"If you would."
Martin said nothing more. He simply took Anne's hand, led her to a chair, sat her down, and spoke.
"My name is Martin, Sister. I am going to ask you a few questions. I ask that you speak only the truth."
There was not the slightest rise or fall in his voice. Combined with those strange eyes, it sent a peculiar chill through her. She wanted to run. She wanted to get away from these people. But Anne could not bring herself to do it. The heavy air had closed around her ankles and would not let go. Some instinct told her that the moment she fled, something terrible would happen.
"Sister. What is your name?"
"Ah—Anne."
"Sister Anne. Do you believe in God?"
"God?"
Anne glanced past Martin for a moment, then answered.
"Yes. I do."
"Have you ever harbored doubts about that God?"
Doubts. Of course she had. How could she not? When both her parents had died. When her only remaining sister had fallen ill. No matter how she prayed, God had never answered. She was not a devout believer like the priests standing before her. If not for everything that had happened recently, she would have said yes.
"No."
"You are saying you have not."
"That's right. I haven't."
For the briefest instant, the corners of Martin's eyes lifted—then settled again. Anne did not catch the change. But the other Divine Generals did.
"I see. Then we shall move on to the next question."
His grip on Anne's hand tightened.
"The God that Sister Anne believes in—is that being, by any chance, different from the God we know?"
"...!"
For a split second, Anne's expression convulsed. She tried to compose herself at once, but it was already too late. The Divine Generals were masters at reading the slightest tremor in their quarry. They had faced the fallen more times than they could count, and seen through every lie.
A few of them quietly moved to block the doorway. Others slipped behind Rone, cutting off every path of escape.
"What... do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. The God about whom Sister Anne has never harbored a single doubt—is that the same God I know?"
She had lived her whole life in a small village. She knew little of the wider world. But she was not so naive that she could not read the people in front of her. She must not answer honestly. She had to deflect.
"Yes. That's right. It's the God you priests believe in."
"Is that so."
As if that were all he needed, Martin released Anne's hand. The skin had turned red. He must have been gripping her quite hard. She should have felt the pain, but she had not even noticed. The tension and the fear had been far stronger.
"Brother Martin. What is the result?"
"Brother Quaidro should take over."
Ada let out a short sigh.
Martin, one of the Twelve Divine Generals. His epithet was The Reader of Human Hearts. There was only one reason he had named Quaidro. The girl was lying. Dig it out of her.
"A pity."
Quaidro took his place before Anne. The cold that clung to him made her pupils tremble.
"Anne."
He no longer even called her Sister. Anne noticed the shift as well.
"...Yes, Father."
"You are not yet of age, so I shall grant you a special opportunity. The young often do not know what constitutes sin. If there is even a shred of falsehood in what you have said thus far, speak it honestly. If you have concealed anything, hold nothing back. Confess it all."
"..."
"Do so, and we brothers and sisters shall withdraw from this place without further action."
There could be no threat more menacing, more terrifying than this. It was even more frightening than the bandits who had attacked the village not long ago. Anne swallowed hard against the pressure that clamped around her like a vise.
"I-I don't understand what you're talking about."
"The Lord has spoken: forgiveness and mercy may always be given, and still it shall never be enough."
The remaining Divine Generals took up Quaidro's words as one.
"And the Lord has declared: yet unto falsehood, not a shred of forgiveness shall be shown."
Every Divine General fixed their gaze upon Anne.
"You do not believe in God. You believe in something else."
"N-no. That's not true!"
"What has covered your eyes and ears? Speak."
"I said no! I-I...!"
"What unholy thing has beguiled you, that you would speak falsehood before us Divine Generals—before the agents of God Himself?"
Speak honestly. If there is a lie, reveal the truth. Then you may receive a final mercy. Forgiveness.
You may receive it.
You may receive it.
Quaidro drove Anne into the corner of the house. A startled Rone burrowed into her sister's arms.
"Speak."
"I-I don't know what you mean! I've told you everything honestly!"
"Speak."
"You people! A-are you even really priests?! People who believe in God couldn't do this!"
Anne's cry drew a roar from one of the Divine Generals.
"Don't you dare speak our God's name, heretic!"
This was bad. Words were not reaching them at all. They already seemed to know everything—that she had lied, that she believed in another god, and that she had even met that god.
What do I do? What am I supposed to do?
The priests had surrounded her on all sides, every path blocked. Those pure white robes felt blacker than any darkness. A pressure settled over her so heavy she could barely breathe.
"This is your last chance. Confess your heresy and repent. Then tell us everything you know. Do so, and the path to salvation—the chance to atone—shall be granted by we who act in our God's name."
Having driven their quarry to a place with nowhere left to retreat, the Divine Generals cried out as one.
This was not faith. This was madness itself.
Anne did not believe this was right. She was scared, she was afraid, she was terrified—that much was true. But she would not bow her head to injustice.
This would shame Him, too.
She was someone who had been granted a new life by a great being. And she would surrender to a threat like this? She thought she could hear the Red Bird sigh in disappointment.
"Anne."
The only thing that still troubled her was Rone. That was her sole reason for hesitation.
"You didn't do anything wrong."
It was that little sister who caught her as she wavered.
"I believe in you. You're not a bad person. Not ever."
Those words from her sister gave Anne the last of her courage. Even if something terrible happened, she would not break.
A flame must always burn bright and brilliant.
"I haven't... done anything wr—"
Her words cut off mid-sentence.
"...Ah?"
A bewildered sound slipped from her lips. Then her eyes darted this way and that, as if she could not believe what she was seeing.
"The heretic is attempting some unholy act. She must be struck down."
One of the Divine Generals pressed the claim hard. Ada stepped in to stop him.
"Wait. Something has changed, brothers and sisters."
She was not wrong. After a moment of silence, Anne opened her mouth.
"...F-follow me."
The answer the Divine Generals had wanted lived inside those words.