Chapter 295
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 295
Chapter Title: Ignorance
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"Greetings to the future of the Empire."
Her initial fluster lasted only a moment before she quickly composed herself and bowed her head lightly.
Before the Crown Prince, one ought to kneel from the knees down, but for her, an apostle of the gods, this was the utmost courtesy she could offer.
[It's been a while, Emil... no, Saintess.]
"Yes. I never imagined we'd meet like this."
[Given the times, that is. Ah, I've gotten ahead of myself. First and foremost, I've heard of your dedication to the Empire. You've done something tremendous.]
"......Yes."
The Saintess had devoted nearly her entire life to reclaiming Merdaine. For her, the acknowledgment from Dexter, the Empire's future, hit hard—especially given the circumstances.
[Yet, those gutter rats dared to challenge your great achievement.]
"......"
[Do you know what I felt when I heard of Merdaine's reclamation?]
"I shall etch it into my memory."
[I felt history. The humiliation of the past, vengeance against the Blackout that forced the Empire to its knees, the great strides of humanity!]
And yet, in that historic moment, filthy scum had dared to tarnish it.
[How should I express this feeling...? Yes, to me, they look like traitors to humanity.]
Dexter's fury seemed excessive, surprising Jun inwardly.
'Unexpectedly, he hasn't said a word about his own authority.'
Jun had expected Dexter to rage about the nobles disrespecting him.
Not something petty like 'How dare inferiors mock me?'
Though second only to the Emperor, the Crown Prince bore the weight of the Empire's—and all humanity's—future.
The nobles had dismissed that very Crown Prince, Dexter. Naturally, Jun thought he'd be furious about that.
'He has this side to him too.'
Jun suddenly recalled Dexter on Slayer's Coastal Island, idolizing the sirens.
That was another human facet of him.
[Sigh... My apologies. I didn't come here to talk about this.]
"No, Your Highness. Hearing you say that honestly fills me with strength. Yes, reclaiming Merdaine is a step in human history, and our enemies threw filth upon that history."
[In any case, we've confirmed their movements on our end. Frankly, I didn't expect them to move this quickly.]
"What did His Majesty say?"
[Ah, about that...]
Dexter looked at Jun.
Jun nodded.
[As expected of you, Jun. You already knew.]
"The armistice in the east was just days ago. If the nobles moved like this with His Majesty present, they'd simply be collectively suicidal."
"Pardon? What do you...?"
The Saintess beside him looked puzzled, as if unsure what he meant.
[His Majesty is not currently in the capital.]
"Ah...!"
She didn't know why, and didn't ask. If it could be shared, Dexter would have already said. She simply understood why the nobles had acted so boldly.
"Then..."
[Indeed. Now for the main point. The nobles will come at you like a typhoon from here on.]
The Saintess's silence made it seem like the calm before the storm, but the enemy was already on the move.
[An investigative team will head your way. A true investigative team, dispatched to probe the incident in Merdaine.]
"......They're really going all out."
[They'll be even more serious than you imagine.]
"Pardon?"
The Saintess echoed in confusion.
Jun let out a deep sigh from the depths of his chest.
Not because the Saintess was dense, but because the situation itself grated on him.
"In your view, Saintess, what can an investigative team actually accomplish?"
"What they can do...? Wait, thinking about it, why are they even coming here? What can they possibly...?"
"Exactly. Nothing. There's nothing they can investigate here."
Because the Church of the Sun was blameless.
If they searched exhaustively, all they'd find were traces of the desperate final battle.
"Surely they're not planning to fabricate evidence...?"
"As I said earlier... they can act because His Majesty is absent."
"......"
"And if they fabricate evidence and drag this into legal battles, it will inevitably drag on. Fabricating evidence alone isn't enough. They need a chance for a quick victory."
"Meaning they'll resort to any means necessary."
"Yes."
The Saintess quickly realized why Jun had sighed, and felt a chill run through her veins.
Ah.
Yes.
"I've been far too naive about the ways of the world..."
One week later.
Romanel of House Owen, the lead of this investigative team, arrived in Merdaine with a host of soldiers.
As if they'd been prepared from the start—swift and precise.
"Romanel of House Owen."
From the outset, he sat rigidly, showing no respect to those before him.
His eyes openly gleamed with hostility; it was blatantly confrontational.
And opposite him sat the Church of the Sun's true power, the Saintess—equivalent to the Pope.
"You've had a long journey. Well done."
The Saintess sat with a faint smile.
Beside her stood a man with his long hair tied back.
According to the files Romanel had reviewed before coming...
'White Whale Mercenary Corps. The Emperor's dogs.'
It irked him.
The Saintess sitting calmly despite his attitude, and the mage standing like an invisible man.
Both seemed fully aware of the situation.
'Let's see how far that attitude goes.'
They threatened the Empire and his lord's position. That was all that filled Romanel's mind.
"To the point. The recurrence of the Dimension Reverse in Merdaine. Explain this first."
"The recurrence of Dimension Reverse..."
"Explain."
"Why should we have to explain it?"
"What?"
Romanel's eyes sharpened instantly. To dare revive an incident from fifty years ago and act so brazenly?
"Just what I said. Why do we have to explain it?"
"The responsibility for this incident lies squarely with the Church of the Sun. Isn't it natural for the guilty to explain their crimes?"
"The guilty...? So you're saying the Church of the Sun—and the heroes who risked their lives to resolve this—are criminals."
"Obviously. You know the weight of 'Dimension Reverse.' Have you rotted in this city of death for decades without learning that?"
"Haha..."
The Saintess's smile never left her face—her mouth, her eyes, all smiling.
"Dimension Reverse. A truly frightening term. But it's strange. You seem to think we 'deliberately' triggered a Dimension Reverse."
Yet her words were ice-cold. Strangely, Romanel didn't see the smile as a mask.
No, it was genuine. Befitting her title, it held compassion.
'......Compassion?'
Ridiculous.
Compassion? They were the ones who should beg for it.
Those who nearly plunged the Empire into terror again—they should be pleading for mercy.
To Romanel, it was obvious.
The lich's revival happening suddenly?
Romanel wasn't a fool.
The Church of the Sun had long guarded against the lich's revival, and everyone knew they held its finger bone.
They must have been watching constantly—yet claimed ignorance until it was upon them?
An absurd excuse.
"We must look like fools to you."
"Yes, frankly."
"......"
"No evidence found, just hounding us with words... It's like watching children. Like the ones from the orphanage in the church, convinced they were right, running to the priests crying that someone stole their toy... Even though they were the ones who tried to take it."
"Bring evidence, then. Did you think we couldn't?"
Her response was firm, smile intact, tone compassionate.
"Yes."
"Far from it. I've shown you mercy. Confess your wrongs, take your punishment—I've given you the 'repentance' you love so much."
"Try it. See if you can find that evidence."
"We'll find as much as you want."
The Church of the Sun had triggered the Dimension Reverse. Romanel believed it, prepared for it.
Like the convictions he'd held all his life, he was certain.
After Romanel left.
The Saintess sighed as if in lament.
"How did that conversation sound to you?"
"As expected."
"I thought so?"
"Yes. They actually came to investigate. With a proper team."
This was odd. Surely the enemies planned a perfunctory probe.
Why? Because the investigation itself wasn't the point.
Merely a pretext.
The Church of the Sun would prove innocence through all means, and legal battles take time.
For nobles seizing the Emperor's absence, that was untenable.
So why was Investigator Romanel so boldly accusing them?
The reason was simple.
"Foolish, really. And pitiable. He can't even imagine the consequences of his ignorance."
"Ignorance is no excuse. That's why humans developed education—to prevent crimes born of ignorance."
Thus, ignorance is sin, great or small.
And Romanel's sin was one: ignorance of his own abandonment.
Time passed.
On the first day, Romanel brimmed with confidence.
There had to be proof the Church of the Sun revived the lich in Merdaine.
'Reports say Merdaine suffered constant mysterious attacks.'
Survivors who escaped after the incident testified as such.
Not just one or two, and magic confirmed they weren't lying.
'Reviving a lich requires sacrifices. Merdaine had many skilled people; their souls would greatly aid it.'
Thus, signs of deliberate human combat should remain.
'Not easy, but time favors us.'
Human-vs-monster traces differ from human-vs-human.
Even ambushed, Merdaine's residents wouldn't fall instantly.
Indeed, after days of effort, multiple such traces emerged.
Yet...
'Strange.'
Romanel's pride wasn't vanity.
He trusted his skills as an investigator.
He'd seen countless crime scenes, with a keen eye for battle traces.
But nowhere here...
'No signs of the Church of the Sun.'
Their style was infamous: incinerating foes with blazing holy power. Holy marks should abound.
Yet none anywhere.
Even when found, closer inspection showed undead-vs-human, not holy.
Even his long-time partnered mage shook his head.
"Not this either. These are acid-melted traces, not holy power."
"As expected..."
No clues, no matter how they looked.
Days passed, yield zero.
"Another bust today..."
"Well, we haven't solved every case easily."
"True. But given the gravity, sooner the better."
"Indeed strange. The Church hasn't moved at all."
All holy knights confined to Gurtaren Fortress—no evidence tampering possible.
"Maybe they cleaned up right after the attacks?"
"Unlikely. Human blood in Merdaine is like drugs to undead. Hordes would swarm; no leisurely cleanup. Even if tried, not this thorough."
"Argh, driving me mad."
Team morale waned.
They'd expected quick results upon arrival.
'If no traces here...'
Another way: demand purification records from the Church.
Most reliable, but...
'Takes the longest.'
If they refuse, helpless.
Legal routes consume ages.
Last resort.
'Survivor testimonies aren't helping much. Some suspicions, but just that.'
Some even seemed to lie, tailoring to their narrative to drag down the Church.
Then an unwelcome doubt arose.
'Did the Church really do it?'
If the circumstances his lord shared were wrong?
If all this was pointless?
'What are you thinking, Romanel? Doubting his words?'
He knew his lord wasn't pure.
But always forewarned him when needed.
Not this time.
Anxiety grew with time; team motivation faded.
'Are we truly wrong?'
The answer came abruptly.
"You are wrong."
Early dawn.
Dragged to a prison-dark space, cold silver eyes of the mage gleamed.