No Normal Person Can Reach the Summit - 3

The faith discussion with Cardinal Alexandriana proceeded smoothly enough.

In truth, sharing a cozy little chat about faith with a cardinal was next to impossible. A cardinal—Prefect of a Congregation—stood at the absolute pinnacle of the priesthood short of the Pope himself. For someone like that to debate faith with another cleric? It amounted to a polite, roundabout ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠declaration of war: a promise to smash the other party's logic and values to pieces.

But Mar and I were ordinary people who possessed neither logic nor values worth smashing, and we were personages blessed by God. No matter how brilliant Cardinal Alexandriana's rhetoric or how airtight her reasoning, in front of us she had no choice but to smile and speak in soft, gentle tones.

"It is proper that I do not contain the world within myself, but rather that I am contained within the world. How could a human being, a mere small vessel, contain the sea that is the world—this is the enlightenment Saint Galen I obtained in the wilderness, the fifth Pope of the Church. Have you ever heard it?"

"I am ashamed to say this is the first I have heard of it."

"His enlightenment is one of the pillars that supports the Church to this day, yet he was so wise and kind that he left a great many sayings behind. Even the most fervent priests cannot remember every word of Saint Galen I."

Just like right now.

I was thoroughly confused. Cardinal Alexandriana explained the Church's anecdotes and their meanings, soothing me as if I were some ignorant student. She made me feel more embarrassed for having admitted I didn't know than I already was.

Why is she so soft?

If we had run into each other privately by chance—if we were simply talking about faith because we had nothing else to discuss—I could have understood this atmosphere. Ordinary social conversation that turned harsh and stiff would have been the stranger outcome.

But this meeting was for canonization. No matter that Mar and I had received Enen's blessing, that only fulfilled the conditions to become candidates for canonization; it was not a settled matter. Precisely because we were candidates, we ought to have been examined more carefully, more rigorously.

Yet the cardinal was displaying a demeanor that could not have been further from strictness—as if this conversation had no bearing on the canonization whatsoever.

And it isn't only me who feels that way.

I wondered for a moment whether she had been chewed out by the Emperor so often that she had developed an immunity to stiff atmospheres, but a quick glance at Mar's face showed she was every bit as bewildered as I was.

Mar had studied the scriptures with real diligence once she heard she would be discussing faith with a cardinal. And what she got in return was a cheerful little culture lecture—how rattled she must be.

"Ah, look at the time already."

Then, checking the clock, the cardinal began to show signs of winding the conversation down.

"Because the two of you answered so diligently, I could not restrain my enthusiasm."

I offered an awkward smile toward the softly speaking cardinal.

Hearing something like that when most of my answers had been "I don't know" made my conscience ache...

It was the hour when one ought to settle the day and lie down in bed.

"Saint Galen I was a Pope who ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠laid the stepping-stones for the once-confused Dawn Church to advance into the universal religion it is today, and he is one of the very few Popes called a Great Pope."

"I see."

"His representative teachings include the emphasis, from his dialogue with the head of a heretical faith, on voluntary conversion rather than forced conversion of the faithful—"

Caught up by Mar, who was burning with the urge to prepare, I still had not closed my eyes.

I really should sleep soon.

I watched the minute hand of the clock move with merciless indifference, then turned my gaze back to Mar. The words to stop and go to sleep rose all the way to my throat, but knowing why she was so passionate, I could not bring myself to say them.

She must be anxious.

Unfortunately, Mar's passion was founded not on a thirst for knowledge but on anxiety—the sort that wonders, Why is the head of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, who came for the canonization, behaving like this?

For several days now Mar had been feeling both elation and tension at having been named a candidate for canonization. Even if they never became saints, she had rejoiced that receiving Enen's blessing at their wedding, and a couple becoming candidates for canonization side by side, was itself a glory for the family.

Yet the actual Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints was showing not the steps of a canonization inquiry, but peaceful, everyday ones. It was reason enough to worry needlessly whether something had been wrong with the blessing she received, or whether she had somehow made a mistake before the cardinal.

And so Mar would not let the scriptures and holy books leave her hands. Not knowing why the cardinal was acting this way, she at least wanted to perform the faith discussion properly.

I'm sorry for being such a pathetic husband.

Watching Mar turn the pages of the scriptures with serious, shining eyes, guilt washed over me. If I had known why the cardinal was being so mild, I could have comforted her—but I could not guess at all, and so I could not carelessly speak.

So what was I to do? If I could not help solve the problem, I could at least offer mental comfort. I would have to stay up studying with her until Mar was satisfied.

"And this is.... Ka, Karl!?"

"Studying is fine, but let's do it in a comfortable atmosphere. If you're too tense, you won't last long."

Still, I could not leave my precious wife abandoned in suffering. I pulled Mar into my arms and lay down on the bed with her.

Stroking her hair, I felt my own heart grow peaceful at once. Books can be read lying down—surely studying like this would be all right?

"Karl, learning is also about the environment and posture... Eek!"

I interrupted Mar, who was about to say something unkind, by nuzzling the nape of her neck.

Fortunately my sincerity seemed to get through; before long Mar also set the scriptures aside and pressed her lips to my throat. I was satisfied that I had naturally steered us away from midnight study and toward sleep.

"...Karl started it first."

"Ah."

If there was a minor problem, it was that even after putting the scriptures down we still failed to sleep properly—but spending a noisy night in the honeymoon phase is a truly trivial matter. Best not to dwell on it.

After being shown by the Minister of the Inspectorate Ministry to the room where Tanian had stayed, I visited the Minister's mansion every single day—both to confirm whether the Minister and his wife possessed the qualifications of saints, and for the sake of my own happiness as I labored for the Lord.

After five full days of conversation with the Minister and his wife, I reached a conclusion.

"Would you say that again? What did you just say?"

"Elder. Are your ears already failing you? No—considering your age, it's only now that—"

Before the words finished, a handkerchief charged with holy power came flying.

Of course a scrap of cloth thrown at a person would normally flutter and fail to fly properly, yet because it carried the cardinal's holy power it streaked in too fast to dodge and struck the body.

Even so, the force was still only that of a handkerchief.

"That hurts. What if I bruise?"

But hit was hit. The instant the handkerchief touched me I grumbled and protested toward Elder Aldino.

"If that hurts you, your legs would break just from walking."

At the sight of Elder Aldino speaking while subtly clenching his fist, I quietly shut my mouth. If I poked any further, a fist-wind might come flying next.

"...Right. Anyway, say it again. What did you just say?"

"I think it would be best to beatify the two of them as Apostles, and to canonize them as saints after their deaths."

When I answered quickly, Elder Aldino's brow furrowed.

An understandable reaction. He had probably expected either saint-canonization or Apostle-beatification—one or the other. Having experienced the miracle of the Lord's blessing descending at the wedding, not even beatifying them was out of the question.

But living as Apostles in life, only to be canonized as saints the moment they died? It was a bizarre method he could never have anticipated.

"If you mean to canonize them as saints after death, why not simply canonize them from the start? Why go through beatification at all?"

Even so, instead of roaring that it was nonsense, the elder asked after my intention. As head of the delegation he needed to know what I was thinking—but it was still a statement that respected my authority as Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

"The blessing the two of them experienced is a miracle with countless witnesses. Moreover, since neither is a heretic nor of another faith, there is no need to deny it."

I too opened my mouth with a serious heart. In this moment I was not little Alexandriana who had once received Elder Aldino's teachings, but Cardinal Alexandriana Teresia, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

"Moreover, the Minister took part in the subjugation of the Twilight Cult two years ago. Even without this miracle, the Church ought to have granted a reward."

"That was formally proposed by Brother Tanian. The personnel involved in the subjugation are so numerous that we are still compiling the list, but—"

At my words Elder Aldino nodded in agreement as well.

A miracle with many witnesses; achievements against the Twilight Cult; a faithfulness that was neither heretical nor of another creed. The wife had not taken part in the subjugation—yet in any case, the two of them were more than qualified.

"But the two of them were lacking in knowledge and logic concerning the faith."

They were simply a little short of perfection.

"The saints the common people look upon must be perfect. Of course the Minister and his wife's achievements cannot be denied—but the people will seek the faithfulness and piety they can see right in front of them, rather than achievements they themselves never witnessed."

If that happened it would be troublesome. Even thinking charitably, the Minister and his wife's religious knowledge sat somewhere between an ordinary believer and an apprentice priest. Exactly the noble average—but measured against the standard of a saint, it was far too lacking.

Then the people would say that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one lacking in faith, one lacking in knowledge, had become a saint. They would conclude that the Church had forcibly bestowed the honor of sainthood upon the Empire's power brokers.

A terrible thing. The Church's history, the Church's pride, the Church's fairness—all called into doubt. And along with them, the very abilities of the two who deserved to become saints would be doubted as well.

"So I intend to conclude it with beatification as Apostles for now. Apostles draw relatively less interest from the common people, yet they are recognized in noble society."

"Hmm."

When the explanation ended, Elder Aldino fell into thought, stroking his chin.

"Leave them as Apostles in life, and raise their names as saints after death, when the people's eyes no longer reach them..."

Fortunately, hearing him mutter the same thing several times, he seemed to regard it as a fairly decent method.

Of course it should be fine. I have the career of grinding away as Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

I shouldn't mention the drawing of lots.

In truth I had deliberated between elderly canonization and posthumous canonization and settled it by drawing lots—but if the result is good, that is enough.

Even if it had been elderly canonization, there would not have been any great problem.

Cardinal Alexandriana cut off her visits with the remark that good news would arrive before long.

It feels like she didn't do anything.

I was still confused. What on earth had she seen in us to speak of good news? Did cardinals of her rank grow a third eye in their foreheads—one that saw through everything about a person?

A plausible hypothesis, but I shoved it firmly into a corner of my mind. Since the cardinal had said "before long," waiting would produce a result, and—

Right now Mother's message was more important than the canonization matter.

"Yes, of course."

When I answered with a smile toward Mother, who had carefully opened her mouth, she showed a faint smile in return.

It was a little unexpected. Only ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a few days ago she had contacted us to congratulate Mar and me on becoming candidates for canonization, and she had asked no questions then. Yet now she had something to ask—

Ah.

At those words I instinctively lowered my eyes. From the "by any chance" and the "still," I realized Mother was laboring under a misunderstanding.

That was not a question wondering when Erich would bring a lover home and marry. It was a question colored by the assumption that Erich already had one.

Unfortunately, my silence seemed to have been answer enough for Mother.

She staggered for a moment, pressing a hand to her forehead.

Erich, you bastard.

What on earth happened back in the territory to make Mother like this?