Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Greedy One
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All rights of a slave belong to their master.
A slave is the private property of their master, and the master holds all the slave's rights.
It's nothing new.
The "inalienable natural rights endowed by heaven" to humans hasn't even been invented here.
Human rights can belong to others.
They can be stripped away against one's will, owned, and traded.
Rights are commodities.
Another obvious truth.
"And the church doesn't recognize slaves as people."
"......That's right. Humans possess an eternal soul capable of spiritual union with the divine, a privilege granted only to those made in the image of God. In contrast, the souls of beasts dissipate the moment they die."
Under imperial law, slaves are property.
But according to church doctrine, slaves are people.
And the 'people' the church refers to are dignified beings 'made in the image of God.'
Humans achieve spiritual union with God, sharing in His divinity,
and this manifests visibly as the power known as 'divine grace.'
Yet the church, in compromise with secular powers and politics, tolerates this slave system.
"Isn't it strange, though? The church claims that the spiritual master of all humanity is the great 'God,' yet it turns a blind eye to the slave system where one person owns another."
"Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and unto God what is God's. The spiritual master and the physical master can be different, can't they?"
"Well, doctrinally speaking, yes."
But the church doesn't deny slavery.
In fact, it tends to endorse it.
They argue that serving others is in accordance with His will,
and that serving as a slave is a noble labor that purifies the soul—utter nonsense.
In truth, by this world's standards, it's not entirely illogical.
Slavery is simply 'common sense,'
and the very idea of denying it doesn't exist.
In any case, the key point is the gap between a slave's 'legal status' and 'spiritual status.'
"But since the master of the soul is God, slaves can receive baptism, right?"
"Yes......?"
"Once baptized, they can study theology to become ministers, and as ministers, receive divine grace through sacraments to become priests."
"......"
"This entire process is about achieving greater 'spiritual union' with God."
All priests receive the right to administer sacraments the moment they are ordained.
The Pope's authority is borrowed from God,
a bishop's from the Pope,
and an ordinary priest's from the bishop.
God's authority is distributed down the pyramid,
and by custom, to revoke it requires an act of blasphemy equivalent to excommunication.
After all, even those who lend it have borrowed it from someone else.
As long as there's no issue with custom or doctrine, personal judgment can't strip away qualifications.
"Aren't you curious if the almighty God can truly achieve 'spiritual union' even with a mere slave?"
That raises one question here.
Does the 'God' who truly exists in this world
grant the tremendous power of 'divine grace' to a mere slave?
Is God aware of human hierarchies and classes?
If aware, does He respect them?
If He respects them, will He refrain from any miracles that could upend them?
Of course not.
At least, not according to the 'original story's setting.'
"I think it's possible."
"......To me as well, it seems that way. No, it should be absolutely impossible...... Yet doctrinally, there's no issue...... How strange."
"Even if God isn't as omnipotent as claimed, His mercy must be more universal than that of mere humans."
If my ultimate goal is survival,
then the final step to achieving it is liberating the slaves.
However,
even if I alone release all the house's slaves onto the streets,
they couldn't live a 'non-slave life.'
I can't dismantle the slave system single-handedly,
but at the very least, I must change people's perceptions.
Only then can I survive.
If I accept a slave system where one person owns another,
and abandon even the minimal morals and ethics,
then the villainous merchant 'Karl Riddle' in this fantasy world might survive,
but the 'soul transmigrated from 21st-century South Korea' will surely die.
Man does not live by bread alone, after all.
"......Your Excellency, what future are you envisioning, exactly?"
"A future where a person's value, their individual dignity, is recognized as a treasure more precious than anything else. If cheaply bought slaves become treasures that can't be exchanged even for a fortune, wouldn't that be the ultimate big score?"
"I...... can't even dare to imagine such a future. Your Excellency's greed is truly......"
Torsso looked at me with eyes filled with fear.
Perhaps because he'd witnessed blasphemy.
But for some reason,
in Torsso's trembling voice, there was a strange thrill.
"......I've understood Your Excellency's plan. But there's one thing that bothers me."
"Yes. Even if it's doctrinally fine, the conservative church might not accept slaves studying theology."
"No, that's not it── Can a beast like a slave actually become a priest?"
"Hm?"
"Would a lazy slave, faithful only to base desires like a beast, possess the intellect to study theology or the spirituality to unite with God?"
"Ah."
Ah. That part......
Indeed, even if doctrine calls them the 'same people,'
it doesn't mean they have the 'same' intellect.
Common sense dictates that slaves are inferior.
Just as not all people have equal intellect and character,
it's natural for slaves and masters to differ in intellect.
So.
This prejudice──
No.
It was natural to hold this 'common sense.'
"......Maybe getting them into seminary will be easier than I thought."
"Pardon?"
"No, how should I put it? I suspect the priests think just like you do."
A slave becoming a priest? Impossible.
It's not a matter of permission or prohibition.
It's simply impossible.
And because it's impossible, they can't formally 'ban' it by custom.
There are no rules prohibiting things from shining, flowing, or boiling.
The moment you prohibit something,
you're admitting it's 'possible.'
"Let's poke at it and see if it's truly impossible."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The library in Riddle Manor.
One overseer entered with several slaves.
To read books, slaves had to leave their quarters, so they applied in advance,
and went together with an overseer at the appointed time.
"Five talants per book borrowed. If you damage a book, you must copy it by hand. You all know this, right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Pick your books quickly. Time's precious."
As some slaves hurried to grab novels or epics,
one slave headed straight to the corner with theology books.
He pulled three volumes from the shelf stacked with complete sets of the Bible and returned to the overseer.
"I'll borrow these three. Here's 15 talants."
"Must have talants to burn. Confirmed. Make sure to log the borrowed books properly."
"Yes."
The slave's name was Matthew.
Just a slave.
Like all slaves, there were no other descriptors for him.
"Still, you're an odd one. Borrowing the Bible, of all things."
"Haha......"
"Well, slaves like you can only pray for God's salvation. Useless lot on your own."
"That's true...... I pray every day. For salvation."
"Labor is service, so diligent work brings you closer to God. Reading the Bible is fine, but if it affects your duties, borrowing gets banned. Though if you slack off, you won't have talants anyway."
"Yes. I understand."
But one unusual thing about Matthew was
that, rare for a slave, he truly believed in salvation.
He abstained from meat on Fridays.
Unable to attend Mass on Sundays, he dedicated the day to prayer and good deeds.
And lately,
he'd been copying the Bible in the study room at the slave quarters.
Just ten more volumes, and he'd have copied the entire Bible.
Then he could read it without paying five talants per volume.
'......I want to go to heaven.'
It was greed. Desire. Craving.
The instinctive longing born from a wretched slave life,
to at least taste happiness in heaven.
No noble ideals,
no reverence or piety toward God.
That was once true.
Not anymore.
'But if my lowly birth bars me from heaven...... merciful Lord, let me stand by Your side. I know He truly understands Your will.'
Now, Matthew no longer prayed for heaven for his own happiness and comfort.
He sincerely worshipped the omnipotent and merciful God.
It was reverence toward his master.
Reverence for his physical master Karl and his spiritual master God were one and the same.
Matthew was truly proud
to be God's instrument and Karl's instrument.
That sentiment was the lowly tenacity of a mere slave.
'......'
He felt no shame in being a slave.
Only one regret:
there was no teacher to properly instruct him in scripture.
He read and interpreted as best he could,
but always worried if it was correct,
if he hadn't misinterpreted God's intent.
But teachers can't be bought with talants, can they?
It was unavoidable.
He was just a lowly slave, after all.
He could only do his best in his place.
And in time,
God would guide him.
Matthew had no choice but to believe that.
And──
"Would you like to study theology professionally?"
"Pardon?"
──It came true.